Chapter 1622: Fishing Day (15)_1

On the bridge of the Fairy Palace, Thor who was ahead was cheerful and lively, while Loki trailing behind wore a look of helplessness. She hurriedly caught up and said to her brother, "Listen, Thor! You cannot go telling Frigga and Odin about this. It's a misunderstanding, nothing more!"

"Doctor Shiller is pursuing you!" Thor stopped, raised his voice, and looked at Loki with a beaming face, "I told you before that your self-assessment was wrong. That was just you wallowing in self-pity. Even the finest Earthlings appreciate your beauty, why can't you be a little confident?"

"He just made a sketch, that's all." Loki, quite helpless, strode up to Thor, faced him, and responded while walking backwards, "That doesn't prove anything. He might have sketched others as well, it's just that those sketches aren't there."

"Then why is only your sketch in his bedroom?"

"May be just a coincidence," Loki said, frowning, "Perhaps he happened to leave his sketchbook in the bedroom that day and didn't take it away. It's just a simple accident. Can you please not go around broadcasting this piece of news to the world!"

"Loki, why do I sometimes find you very smart, and at other times, rather dull?" Thor walked on while folding his arms, "A man sketches you and places your portrait in his bedroom, what else could that represent?"

"But he hasn't said anything to me, he doesn't want to..."

"That's his problem, not yours," Thor stopped, putting hands on his waist, and looked at Loki, "That's why I have to tell Odin and Frigga. Frigga's old matchmaking plan makes it seem as if you're some pitiful creature nobody loves, and that they must line up enough suitors just to get you married off. But that's not the case at all!"

Loki seemed a little stunned. Turning her head, she spoke in a piercing, sarcastic tone she hadn't used in a long while, "How come it's suddenly not like that? Wasn't it always this way? You'd have to go through thousands and thousands of people in this world to find the one who would unequivocally choose me. That's just the way it is!"

"Oh, don't be like this, Loki," Thor hugged her tightly with his strong arms, "It's not your fault they don't appreciate you. But now someone does. Doctor Shiller is a very commendable human, far better than Tony Stark, at least he is virtuous and abstemious, never heard of any debauchery. He'd be a good match."

"But he..." Loki started, her voice suddenly choking off. After a while, she whispered, "There must be some mistake somewhere. Think about it, Thor! I've known Doctor Shiller for quite a while now. If he really seriously wanted to pursue me, wouldn't he have had a chance to?"

"Perhaps, like you, he hasn't had any prior romantic experience. He's worried about you rejecting him, so he..."

"Good heavens, stop talking nonsense!" Loki was indeed past her limit, she looked at Thor, "Shiller must have come up with some bizarre plan where I am just a participant. It definitely isn't what you all think it is."

Thor silently watched Loki, then moved closer to give her a gentle but firm hug, stroking her hair and said, "Loki, have you noticed, it seems like you don't accept it when others appreciate you."

"Alright, let's assume, maybe one day Doctor Shiller suddenly wanted to sketch, he decided to choose among female friends he knows to be a model, no matter if he thought of you first, or chose you after some thoughts, the fact that you turned up in the sketch shows that he appreciates your beauty."

"Yes, maybe when he was sketching, he didn't think too much about it, no connection to love or pursuit at all. But at least the 'you' in his art is beautiful, proving that he thinks you're beautiful. Why can't you accept that?"

Loki stared silently at the waters beneath the Fairy Palace Bridge, her face full of stoicism. And from that expression and her silhouette, Thor intuited a few things.

"Loki, one day, you will receive a passionate love from humans, these vulnerable and sentimental beings, something you've never experienced from Asgardians. They are good at appreciating all forms of beauty, and you should respond to this, because if you reject them, they don't have the toughness of an Asgardian warrior's heart. Your aloofness would hurt them."

Thor's tone softened, not as intense as before, but Loki looked as if she was about to cry. She stared at Thor with reddened eyes, full of anger.

"How would you have me respond? When have I ever had the opportunity to respond to praise? When have I ever been like you, standing amongst everyone, taking my good looks, strength and adoration in stride as if it were taken for granted? How could I accept the fact that I am special in the eyes of anyone else with ease...I am never special!"

Thor looked just as saddened. His resolute face seemed as if it would melt, he stared at Loki's eyes, "I thought I've made it clear enough. Haven't you ever felt that you are special to me?"