After Zeus left the table, this lively and joyful banquet became nothing but harsh clamor in her ears.
She immediately rose, without bidding farewell to anyone, turning to leave without reluctance.
Returning to that temple that belonged to her yet was cold and desolate.
Hera's bright and charming lovely face was now full of insoluble melancholy and depression.
Leto and Asteria, who came to greet her, were both surprised and uneasy seeing the goddess in such a state.
They didn't know why this great Goddess Hera would be so melancholy.
Though they hadn't followed Hera for long, they vaguely understood that Hera seemed to have been in low spirits because of some special matter.
But such depression as today, as if even her divine light had been extinguished and died, they were seeing for the first time.
The two of them had just been sighing at each other in Hera's inner palace. The feast Zeus held for Oceanus made them extremely envious.
Having an ancient elder like Oceanus willing to run around for the younger generation and petition the God-King was truly enviable!
The two of them really didn't know how to face the gods of the Iapetus family.
Moreover, although Hera had taken them in, Zeus had not yet formally declared them innocent, so they had maintained extreme discretion and naturally had not attended this feast.
When Hera's dispirited figure appeared at the palace door, they immediately came forward, concernedly welcoming their mistress into the hall.
The thoughtful Leto asked with gentle concern in her voice like a spring: "Illustrious Goddess Hera, what has happened? What kind of cloud could obscure your sun-like brilliant radiance and make your mood so depressed?"
"If fortunate, we would be willing to be your most faithful listeners. Many things, if they can be spoken, will always feel much better in the heart."
Flawless white-armed Hera only gently and wearily waved her hand.
How could she possibly tell other gods about the deepest vulnerability and pain in her heart?
Her voice carried a trace of hollow determination: "Leto, Asteria, go pack up. We should leave."
"Let's go to the quiet and peaceful ocean. Olympus is no longer suitable for me."
Hearing this, Leto and Asteria were immediately shocked and alarmed.
Leave Olympus? How could this be!
They absolutely couldn't leave Olympus!
Only by staying close to the God-King was there the greatest possibility of grasping that thread of hope and obtaining the God-King's forgiveness and grace.
If they truly went to that distant ocean at the edge of the world, there would truly be no hope for the rest of their lives.
Asteria quickly stepped forward, saying with a gentle yet urgent voice: "Respected Goddess Hera, what has happened that would make you have such thoughts?"
"Leaving Mount Olympus would be equivalent to leaving the great Your Majesty the God-King and also leaving all the great gods closest to you!"
Asteria had no idea that this consolation instead more firmly cut down Hera's final hesitation.
Hera's expression immediately became stern, her willow brows tightly furrowed as she said in an unquestionable tone: "No need to say more. My mind is made up! You go prepare now. We... we leave tomorrow."
The more thoughtful Leto's mind raced, keenly catching the only turning point.
She gently reminded: "Goddess Hera, the Grand Divine Assembly announced by His Majesty the God-King will be held soon. As the goddess closest to and most respected by His Majesty the God-King, if you are not at Olympus at this time, would this... damage His Majesty the God-King's supreme reputation?"
Hera was stunned, falling into long contemplation.
Finally, it only became a long sigh carrying endless weariness.
That sigh dissipated in the cold air, like the snow lotus flowers dancing in the wind and withering beautifully atop Mount Olympus.
"You... go prepare first. As for when to leave, I'll consider it further."
Leto and Asteria quietly exchanged glances, both seeing a trace of relief in the other's eyes.
They dared not say more, respectfully bowing and slowly retreating toward the palace entrance.
Just as they reached the palace door, they were blocked by a magnificent and towering figure radiating supreme majesty.
It was Zeus, who had just left the wisdom goddess and come to find his beloved Hera.
The amorous divine lord was generally devoted under normal circumstances. When facing one goddess, he generally wouldn't think of another goddess.
Maybe, probably.
Now was an exception.
Seeing Leto and Asteria, this amorous God-King's heart immediately stirred with lustful thoughts.
This wasn't his fault.
As the two daughters of the primordial Titan couple of "perceptive thinking" and "clear intelligence," their divinity and beauty were among the most outstanding and dazzling even among all goddesses and nymphs in the entire universe.
If Coeus and Phoebe were still pillars supporting the universe, then these two goddesses would still be among the most noble and illustrious goddesses in the universe.
Leto was a goddess with gentle and quiet temperament, delicate and restrained divine charm, yet naturally carrying a trace of pitiable melancholy and softness.
She possessed extraordinary consideration and docility, that water-like gentle temperament that seemed to penetrate the depths of divinity, which no masculine male god could resist.
Gentle she had the most lustrous and bright silver hair, like moonlight flowing down a quiet lake in deep night, silky and smooth.
This full head of bright silver hair casually draped over her voluptuous and graceful divine body with exquisite curves.
Above that symbol of maternity and nurturing, the ultimate magnificent source of life, Zeus only glanced casually and nearly couldn't look away.
The abundance of life and burning divinity contained in this divine body, its magnificence was no less than Hestia's!
Truly worthy of being a great mother goddess of maternal nurturing! The baby cafeteria was indeed grand and spacious!
That divine charm, just by looking, one could know how soul-consuming and bone-melting its sweetness and fragrance were!
Moreover, she naturally had a pair of peach blossom eyes containing endless affection, but those brilliant golden pupils like flowing clouds always carried shyness and bashfulness, not at all like a magnanimous great mother goddess, forming a wonderful contrast with her voluptuous divine body belonging to a great mother goddess, adding even more allure.
When she turned her head and lowered her brows with a gentle smile, it was like a pool of spring water stirred by breeze, and what was stirred was not just spring water, but the heart lake of the beholder.
Zeus only looked this one extra time and felt somewhat itchy in his divinity.
As for Asteria, this goddess who perfectly inherited the clear intelligence divinity of Phoebe, she was incredibly bright, incredibly radiant, incredibly dazzling.
In her eyes was resilience and chastity completely different from her sister's gentleness, like a brilliant shooting star breaking through eternal night.
She had radiant white hair slightly different from her sister Leto's, and a pair of pure eyes like transparent crystal.
Though her figure wasn't as full and voluptuous as Leto's, she was taller and more slender than Leto.
Especially her pair of straight, round, slender jade legs—with Zeus's penetrating gaze that saw through all things, he could determine at once that their perfection was second only to his beloved Hera's.
But her slender waist that couldn't be grasped in one hand added ten more points to her beauty.
A beauty's beauty lay primarily in the waist.
Undoubtedly, Asteria before him was a natural, pure waist beauty. Her slender waist only needed to be lightly bound with a silk sash to fully highlight the precipitous magnificence above and below.
This was a rouge wild horse full of wildness and strength, extremely difficult to tame.
Zeus really wanted to know, if he had the chance to leap onto the horse and gallop freely, would he be able to completely tame this proud rouge wild horse, or would he be "slain beneath the horse" by her flexible yet powerful waist?
He naturally already knew these two sisters had sought refuge with Hera. On Mount Olympus, nothing could escape his gaze.
It was just that this trivial small matter wasn't worth his attention.
His beloved Hera had already accepted them—how could he damage Hera's dignity?
As long as Hera spoke up, he would unhesitatingly forgive these two beautiful goddesses!
Speaking of time being slow, it was actually fast. Zeus had only "simply" swept his God-King's gaze over the two goddesses once and hadn't rudely kept staring.
He asked in his deep, magnetic voice: "You are the children of Coeus and Phoebe?"
As soon as Zeus spoke, the moment she heard this familiar voice, Hera's heart had already flown out, and then her figure had already flashed out from the hall.
Infatuated Hera, pure-love Hera, heartbroken Hera now only gazed blankly at Zeus, unable to speak.
The two sisters, suddenly seeing the God-King arrive and standing stunned, were even more shocked back to their senses by Zeus's words.
They hurriedly and frantically knelt to the ground, pressing their foreheads tightly to the cold marble floor, respectfully replying with extremely careful tone: "Great Your Majesty the God-King, Leto (Asteria) pays respects to the supreme you."
"We... are indeed daughters of Coeus and Phoebe."
Zeus chuckled lightly, saying indifferently: "Rise. Since my beloved Hera has already accepted you, then I hereby forgive you."
"From now on, you may live openly anywhere in this universe, and you may also live on this sacred Olympus."
"Serve my beloved Hera well, and in the future, I will grant you the honors you deserve."
Zeus's words both shocked and delighted the two sisters kneeling on the ground.
They didn't even have time to carefully consider this enormous grace falling from heaven before hurriedly kowtowing and saying: "Great Your Majesty the God-King! Your brilliance illuminates the universe! Thank you for your supreme tolerance and generosity! We will wholeheartedly serve the illustrious and respected Goddess Hera!"
Zeus nodded lightly and majestically uttered two words: "Go."
The two young goddesses felt greatly relieved, tremblingly saying "Yes," then rose and respectfully slowly withdrew.
(End of Chapter)
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