Chapter 1165: Lumiria’s Choice

"I don’t understand him. I truly don’t. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s who he is, I would’ve cracked his head open and taken a better look myself. He does realise that right? Or does he think I won’t do anything like that to him?" Lumiria clicked her tongue in frustration while Griselda kept herself composed.

"Perhaps it’s a case of simply accepting whatever harm you wish to inflict upon him. He is not in a position where he can reject your will after all."

Tristan knew his position well. He is neither in a position where he could rebel against his fate nor was he one who could actively accept being made into a toy.

Therefore, instead of antagonising Lumiria, he simply chose to accept whatever comes his way apart from giving up his heart.

A smart choice when it came to delaying the inevitable but...

The end will arrive one way or another.

And now, Lumiria had very much lost her patience.

"Simply accepting whatever harm I wish to inflict? Has he gone blind?! Does he not see the affection I have been showering him in? I have given him love and attention many would kill for! And many have! I have given him titles and riches.

"Granted I was unable to help his sister but I had always kept the option open have I not? So why can he not accept me!?" Lumiria punched the side of the bed, breaking it as her chest rose with furious breaths.

"Perhaps he doesn’t feel worthy of such bountiful love." Griselda replied, fixing the bed with a flick of her finger.

There was a trick in surviving while Lumiria is in this state.

That is to not deny her but don’t completely oppose her.

To give suggestions but don’t over do it.

As blunt as it may be... It was akin to pacifying a child.

Allow her to take control of the conversation while nudging her towards the right result.

If she makes a bad choice, it would be on whoever suggested such a thing and not on the divine who carried it out. After all, gods shouldn’t make mistakes.

"Tch! Tristan, my dear Tristan. Doesn’t he understand? I care not for what others think. If I wish to bestow him my love, it is the highest honour that no one can reject. And yet... He has done so repeatedly." Lumiria’s fingers dug into her palm.

"The only things I see in his eyes are respect and reverence. But an invisible barrier is maintained between us. One that he refuses to cross... What must I do to destroy this wall? Ahh... I feel like I’m going crazy hahaha." She laughed, lying down onto the bed.

She covered her eyes with her arm with a slight frown.

"Perhaps more extreme measures are required in order for him to look towards my direction."

"If you must make such a choice, please be careful my lady. If he was to find out what happened, it may fracture your relationship more than you may desire. You wish for his heart and not his hatred after all."

"Yes yes, but when he refuses to give me his heart no matter what I do, one must start thinking whether or not this is all worth it in the end." Lumiria sat up.

Judging by her expression... If she doesn’t handle this well, Griselda understood that both Tristan and his sister’s life are forfeit.

Deliberating her words a little, she opened her mouth.

"Perhaps... my lady, the question is not whether or not he is worth the effort but rather whether you have truly exhausted every possibility?" Griselda asked as Lumiria raised an eyebrow.

"Ohou~ It seems like you have an idea of what must be done." Lumiria gestured for Griselda to kneel in front of her.

This was an opportunity.

A chance for the Goddess to understand the ways of man.

Though her desire for his heart may ’seem’ like love, Griselda understood this was not love.

Far from it.

This was merely the addiction from chasing something she couldn’t obtain.

The moment she succeeds, the moment he gives up, she’ll lose interest.

And once that happens, his soul will be tormented by her musings.

That was a situation Griselda wanted to avoid if possible.

Therefore, there was only one method that she could use.

To drag a Goddess down to their level so that she could experience mortal feelings.

"Perhaps the difference in status is what’s causing hesitation in Tristan’s heart. He cannot allow himself to have impure thoughts or goals for you my lady. It is simply blasphemy." Griselda explained, kneeling in front of Lumiria.

A hand reached out and touched her chin, lifting her face up so that the two were staring eye to eye.

"Blasphemy huh?... indeed, you are not wrong with that. To lust after the divine is simply asking for lightning to strike down upon them is it not? However." Lumiria smiled but that smile didn’t last long.

"When the divine is the one making the moves, no matter what, don’t you think morals should simply prostrate themselves and accept what is to come? Even if he has a lover, even if he has a partner, when God demands it, do they dare to say no?

"Doing so is no different to suicide and I’m sure dear Tristan doesn’t want to leave his sister behind."

Lumiria’s fingers tightened as cracks formed on Griselda’s chin. Cracks spreading to her cheeks as the pressure increased.

"But he doesn’t even have a lover! No target for his affection so why does he still continue to reject me?!"

Griselda sighed internally.

Lumiria was too blinded by Tristan’s silent rejection.

But not all is lost.

"My Lady, if you wish, I can craft you a vessel perfectly ordinary so that none would suspect you to be a God. If you view the world from his eyes, perhaps you can find out the source of his hesitation. The reason for his rejection and the cause for the barrier between you two.

"Once you understand his perspective, I’m sure a method to win his heart would appear."

*Crr...

For a moment, Griselda felt as though she could hear the creaking of gears.

Gears?

Her own internal systems are working just fine. Why would there be creaking? But the sound she heard was unmistakable.

*CRACK!!!

Lumiria let go of Griselda before her fingers snapped around her neck.

"!!!"

Lifted up from the ground by an immovable grip, Griselda widened her eyes as a blood shot gaze glared back at her.

"You dare suggest I lower myself to these... WORMS??? To walk amongst them like a peasant?! Griselda, have you forgotten who you serve?" Lumiria’s frosty voice drifted over as her spare hand traced Griselda’s stomach.

A spiritual hand breached Griselda’s body as her body convulsed in pain.

Clenching her teeth, Griselda held back a scream.

*CRR...

The creaking of gears grew louder.

A bad feeling sunk in her heart as she wanted to say something, anything.

But the pain of having her soul kneaded between Lumiria’s fingers was too much for her to bear.

"However... I suppose you did suggest this out of concern for me. I know you don’t want me to break my favourite toy. That this idea comes from your loyalty to me." Lumiria removed her hand as she cupped Griselda’s face and brought it close.

Seeing the tears gathered in the corner of Griselda’s eyes, Lumiria curled her lips up into a smile as she leaned forward and licked it with her tongue.

"I’ll forgive you my dear. I’ll forgive this transgression. Just this once. You need to understand.

"Though I adore Tristan as my favourite toy, toys can always be replaced. The fact that he does not understand this is simply his misfortune. So let’s give him one more chance. Since he didn’t like the soft method, I will go with something more... extreme." She smiled ominously.

Ah...

*Cacha.

The creaking stopped.

Something was locked into place.

The bad feeling in Griselda’s heart disappeared.

Not because it was resolved...

But because the outcome could no longer be changed.

A sense of helplessness washed over Griselda.

"I think it’s time for Tristan to understand his own powerlessness. When faced with a lack of power to protect his sister, he’ll come begging for me to save her soul. I’m sure of it. In the first place, isn’t Solaris struggling as of late?" Lumiria let go of Griselda as she leaned back with her legs crossed.

"Perhaps I should offer him a bit of my help. He wanted me to help ’deal’ with the two apostles beneath him after all. But removing them from their positions would cause great damage to his reputation. Losing them in battle would be far more appropriate as faith would be redirected to Solaris." She chuckled.

"Alright, I’ve made my decision. Griselda, contact Solaris for me. Tell him I’m willing to discuss a... partnership. So long as he fulfils my requests, I do not mind dirtying my own hands for him. We are old ’friends’ after all."

Griselda bowed her head.

Her expression hidden from Lumiria’s eyes as a bitter smile spread across her face.

"Understood. I shall contact his radiance immediately." Griselda dragged herself back onto her feet.

Looking at the back of Lumiria who was now losing herself in her own fantasies of tormenting Tristan, the Apostle signed inwardly.

She turned around and stepped out of the room.

Behind her, her shadow seemed to stretch into the darkness.

A silhouette of a smiling lady with a finger to her lips.