The Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite

At the base of the volcano...

The most beautiful goddess of Greek mythology stood before the grand bronze doors of the temple.

This was the temple of Hephaestus, one of the twelve gods of the Olympus.

How long had it been since she'd last returned...

The goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, gazed at the temple, the wind gently blowing through her waist-length, crimson-red hair.

'It had been so long since that incident. I hadn't seen her since.'

As the goddess of beauty stood in front the temple, her thoughts turned to the god within and she couldn't help but feel a bit moved... In Greek mythology, the most beautiful goddess, Aphrodite, had married the ugliest god, Hephaestus.

So to put it simply, Hephaestus, the goddess teacher of Promise, was the 'husband' of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty!

"Are you...the goddess Aphrodite?!"

A sudden exclamation broke Aphrodite's reverie, causing her to instinctively turn her gaze to the side.

There, she saw a maid with long flaxen hair, wearing an outfit that made the goddess pause.

It was one of Promise's whims, the first of its kind in this era—a maid outfit!

The maid's name was Eucleia, a puppet servant of Goddess Hephaestus, and the first doll she had given a name.

Seeing her, Aphrodite came back to her sense and subconsciously blinked in slight surprise as she said, "You're still alive? You haven't been dismantled?"

At these words, the surprised smile on Eucleia's face froze momentarily, but she quickly straightened up proudly and replied, "The master won't dismantle me anymore because she's given me a name. I'm called Eucleia now!"

Hearing this, the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite was even more astonished.

After all, she knew that Eucleia was an "imperfect" creation in the eyes of her Husband.

Although she indeed resembled a real person, she lacked a soul.

Hephaestus had once created a doll with a soul—his first daughter and the first woman the gods gave to humanity: Pandora.

Aphrodite understood very well that, due to Hera's influence, Hephaestus obsessively pursued "perfection," to the point of being consumed by it.

After all, she herself was a casualty of that obsession...

"She's the most beautiful goddess, so I wanted to see if she was truly the most beautiful. That's why I agreed to the marriage..."

The indifferent Hephaestus had once told Promise, answering a curious question.

Later, Hephaestus had woven a net from chains capable of binding gods, ensnaring Aphrodite and Ares, the god of war, during one of their trysts, displaying them in front of all the gods.

It was after this incident that Aphrodite had never returned to this place.

"Honored goddess Aphrodite, are you here to see the master?"

The maid named Eucleia seemed very happy to lead the way for the goddess of beauty as she said, "The master will be very happy to see you come back..."

However her voice suddenly trailed off, faltering as she seemed to remember something. Her words grew smaller and smaller.

The maid's claim that Goddess Hephaestus would be happy wasn't baseless.

After all, she had indeed witnessed the few times her goddess had smiled, and many of those smiles had come while she was crafting exquisite jewelry for the goddess of beauty to dress her up.

But those smiles had vanished on that fateful day.

What's more, Hephaestus' smiles were no longer rare—every time that boy, Promise, came to visit...

The goddess of beauty did not notice that something was wrong with the maid.

Because, as the maid pushed open the large bronze doors and revealed the temple's interior, the goddess laid eyes on her.

There, standing by the entrance as though waiting for her all along, was Hephaestus... Her long golden hair gleamed, her amber eyes shone, and half of her face was covered by a dark mask.

Looking at Hephaestus—her "husband"—appear before her, Aphrodite stiffened suddenly.

Even though she had come here after fully preparing herself mentally, her body tensed, and her eyes widened slightly.

After a long pause, Aphrodite regained her composure and, with a mocking smile, said, "Hephaestus, my dear, what a surprise to see you show up in your true form before me."

However, Hephaestus completely ignored her barbed words, her expression unchanging as he gazed at his "wife" in front of her.

She just tilted her head slightly, and spoke with certainty: "Aphrodite, you're here because of Promise, aren't you?"

Hearing her words, Aphrodite paused again, staring at Hephaestus.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, "So Athena wasn't lying to me after all. Though I couldn't imagine it, it seems you've truly changed, all because of a mere human."

She glanced at the maid beside her, adding with a slight sneer, "You even gave a name to that defective creation!"

"So what?" Hephaestus responded calmly, unmoved. "Why have you come to see me?"

Aphrodite's anger flared at his indifference, at the fact that he was looking at her, but his eyes seemed to hold no regard for her at all.

But she took a deep breath and did not lose her composure again. Instead, she laughed and said to Hephaestus, "My dear husband, did you know? During my years wandering among mortals, I found a flawless gem."

"She is even more remarkable than your most prized creation, Pandora—more stunning than even I am!"

"While I may be bound—shackled by you, by Hera, the Queen, and by Zeus—she is different. In her, I saw boundless desire, conquest, and war. Her future will be filled with conflict, and even we, high above, will be drawn into it!"

"And now... she stands beside that boy, Promise."

Hephaestus remained silent, looking at the goddess of beauty smiling as she spoke.

In the end she finally responded, "Is that so? And what do you want to do about it?"

"...My dear, I know why you care so much for that boy. He appears to be perfect," Aphrodite was somewhat dissatisfied with Hephaestus's reaction, but soon she smiled indifferently and continued:

"All the gods adore him.

The heroes are eager to protect him, and although he looks fragile, he can create miracles that even we cannot fathom."

"So, my dear Hephaestus, don't you want to see for yourself? To see if this boy is truly so perfect!"

Hearing this, Hephaestus paused for a moment, and even the maid Eucleia, who had been bowing her head quietly, lifted her gaze to glance at Aphrodite, before looking back at her master.

"You know,"

The goddess of beauty Aphrodite, who was standing in front of the bronze gate of the temple, tilted her head and looked into the distance as she spoke, "the first place those heroes will land is an island called Lemnos, home to a kingdom. I am now the guardian of that land."

"It used to be a prosperous kingdom, but now, only women remain on the island.

Because jealousy and desire consumed their reason, and they killed all the men on the island."

Hephaestus was quiet for a moment before saying, "That was your doing, wasn't it?"

"Not exactly. I merely fulfilled their desires," Aphrodite responded with a smile. "They were originally cursed, their bodies emitting a foul stench, and the men of the island no longer wanted to be near them."

"So they prayed to me, asking to be beautiful and clean again. I decided to grant their wish, and I told them it was simple—if they could make a man willing to endure the stench and love them despite it."

"But it turned out that not a single man on the island was willing. During a failed argument, one woman accidentally killed a man, and to her surprise, I blessed her for it."

"And from there, the anger and jealousy they had been suppressing for a long time, completely consumed them up."

Hephaestus did not say anything, continuing to watch Aphrodite, waiting for her to finish.

"And now, the island is saturated with my divine power. It amplifies everyone's desires and lusts beyond measure. So...

My dear husband, let's play a game. A fun game."

Aphrodite turned back to Hephaestus, her smile dazzling as she said. "Let's see if those heroes, who have finally gathered together, will succumb to the temptations of an island full of women."

"Let's see how that boy—whom the goddess of justice Themis has her eye on—will judge them."

"And let's see if the heroes, who are so eager to protect that boy, will turn on him because of greed and desire. And most importantly..."

As she spoke, Aphrodite summoned an artifact into her hand.

The moment Hephaestus saw it, her expression suddenly darkened with gravity and anger.

Because she knew that artifact all too well—it was one of her most prized creations.

It was none other than the Bow and Arrows of Eros, the weapon of Cupid.

"Let's see once more," Seeing that Hephaestus' expression finally changed, Aphrodite said with a cheerful voice: "If that boy can truly do anything."

"In the face of the abyss of endless desire, will he take a step into it, or, as always, will he perform yet another miracle that leaves us all in awe?"

"How exciting would it be, don't you think, Hephaestus?"

Aphrodite, with a wide smile, stood before Hephaestus, but despite her expectations, the latter didn't react with anger.

Instead, she remained as calm as ever, though her gaze toward her grew colder.

"Enough, Aphrodite," Hephaestus finally said. "You don't need to use so many words to mask your true intentions."

"You simply hate him, don't you? So, you want to humiliate and destroy him."

Aphrodite's smile slowly faded as she looked at Hephaestus, returning to her true, cold demeanor.

"So what if that's the case? What can you do about it?" she responded indifferently.

"You can't refuse, because he is destined to come before me.

After all, he still needs to obtain the painting from me."

Hephaestus had lost all interest in continuing the conversation.

She turned her wheelchair around, and in the next second, the large bronze doors of the temple closed, shutting Aphrodite outside.

Watching Hephaestus turn away so decisively, the goddess of beauty bit her lip in frustration, gripping Cupid's bow tightly in her hand.

Then, without wasting more time, she departed for the island of Lemnos.

As the door slammed shut, Eucleia, the maid who had been eavesdropping in the corner, couldn't help but rush forward.

She pushed Hephaestus' wheelchair and asked anxiously, "Master, should I go warn Lord Promise now?"

"There's no need," Hephaestus replied indifferently. "Athena and the Fates are always watching over him. If necessary, they'll inform him."

"But..."

Seeing the worry on her face, Hephaestus sighed and said, "Did you not hear what she said at the beginning? It was Athena who sent her to me."

Hearing her words, Eucleia blinked in surprise, then her face lit up with joy. "Does that mean Lord Promise is safe?!"

"Not exactly," The latter replied calmly. "Aphrodite brought Cupid's bow with her, and Athena wouldn't have sent her without some kind of challenge in mind. Things won't be that simple."

Eucleia was at a loss for words.

"Master, how can you stay so calm?" she asked, sounding slightly frustrated.

"...Do you really think Athena sent her just to cause trouble?" Hephaestus asked with a bemused look. "Aphrodite may be foolish, but are you as well?"

Then she shook her head, and spoke in an exasperated tone.

"I remember when I created you, I made you a little smarter and more resourceful than most, didn't I?

Did you put all your energy into survival instead of using your brain?"

Before receiving her name, Eucleia had indeed been overly cautious, always on edge.

So, as Hephaestus' words sank in, her face froze with embarrassment.

"Who crafted Cupid's bow?" Seeing this, Hephaestus asked with a sigh.

"Of course, it was you, the great master!" She quickly answered.

"And where are we going now?" Hephaestus asked again.

Hearing this, the maid glanced ahead, suddenly realizing the direction. "To the forge..."

Her eyes widened as she finally pieced everything together.

Meanwhile, Aphrodite had arrived at the island of Lemnos.

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