Chapter 323
As expected of the Mother Goddess, her reading speed is astonishing... I’m still standing at the back, unable to finish reading the two ends of the book, while she has already turned to the next page.
With such a learning speed and endless life, it’s no wonder that deities are all-knowing and all-powerful.
But where exactly is this place? Judging by the attitudes of the maids and attendants, it doesn’t seem to be the Mother Goddess’s residence...
At that moment, Tara seemed to hear footsteps at the door. She paused her actions slightly and looked toward the entrance.
Who is it?
Knock, knock—
After a brief, symbolic knock, Aivina pushed open the study door and looked inside, her gaze immediately locking onto the green-haired little girl.
Is it her?
Though she appeared somewhat frail, she was indeed as cute as the maid had said. Moreover, when she looked at Aivina, her eyes showed no signs of evasion or change; she simply lowered her head in a formulaic manner.
Not a refugee.
Aivina quickly reached this conclusion.
“You’re back?”
Xia Er closed the book in his hands and turned to Aivina, offering a faint smile. “Welcome back.”
“Yeah, they agreed to transfer the first payment of ten thousand pounds to my account... So I won’t have to worry about making ends meet for a while.”
Aivina nodded and walked over to Xia Er’s side, asking, “Reading?”
Aivina deliberately avoided mentioning the maid behind Xia Er, giving him the chance to explain himself.
“Yeah, I finished everything, just reading for a bit.”
Xia Er stood up, slightly turning to reveal Tara behind him, and said, “Let me introduce you. This is Tara, currently disguised as a refugee from Beiansu.”
Not a refugee after all.
What is her true identity?
Aivina slowly walked up to Tara, standing beside Xia Er. She nodded slightly and said, “I’m Aivina, the owner of this place.”
Aivina almost positioned herself in front of Xia Er, as if to assert her claim.
“You can just call me Tara...”
Tara bent slightly, lowering her head as she spoke.
But at that moment, a flicker of doubt crossed Tara’s mind.
Who is this woman? She seems quite close to Lord Xia Er... And... the scent of her hair...
Why does her soap smell exactly like the one on Lord Xia Er?
“She’s been sent by the organization to protect and assist me,”
Xia Er explained. “Do you mind if she joins us in Ansu City?”
Xia Er’s hand naturally wrapped around Aivina’s waist, as if he felt no need to hide anything from Tara.
Aivina, however, looked at Tara with a slight frown, feeling an inexplicable discomfort in her heart.
Seeing Xia Er’s gesture, Tara’s pupils trembled slightly. She looked at Aivina in shock, her mind racing.
Living in the same place... looking very intimate... even the soap scent is the same... If one looked closely, even the sizes of their clothes matched—Tara had been wondering why the Mother Goddess’s clothes always seemed a bit oversized; now it seemed those clothes all belonged to Aivina.
And the natural way the Mother Goddess moved her hands...
Oh, Mother Goddess!
Is this the Mother Goddess’s avatar’s partner in this world?! And it’s a woman?!
What should I call her?!
Father... Father God?
No, that doesn’t fit either?! The scriptures don’t mention such a situation?! The Holy Scriptures don’t record this either?!
No one would be foolish enough to arrange a partner for the Mother Goddess; that would be highly disrespectful—yet the reality stood before Tara, forcing her to reshape her worldview.
After all, the Holy Scriptures were written by later generations, mere attempts to speculate on divine will; everything should be based on facts.
So, back to the original question, what should she call her?
Just calling her “Mother Goddess’s spouse”? That’s too direct; there should be a more suitable term...
But Tara’s mind was racing, and she couldn’t find any relevant vocabulary in her memory. Finally, she gave up the struggle and lowered her head in shame toward Xia Er.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Xia Er...”
Tara said, her voice filled with embarrassment. “Your foolish servant truly doesn’t know how to address your... husband. Please enlighten me, Lord Xia Er.”
Husband?
Aivina and Xia Er both froze simultaneously.
Upon hearing this term, Aivina didn’t even realize her chest had puffed out slightly. She slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around Xia Er’s shoulders, saying, “Just call me Aivina... I agree, this child can come with us to Ansu City.”
All previous misunderstandings evaporated; in Aivina’s eyes, the Tara who was now bowing her head looked increasingly agreeable.
As expected of someone from Xia Er’s organization, they can see at a glance who the real authority is. Everyone can see it, except for Xia Er himself, who seems to be somewhat at odds with the public perception.
Aivina was quite pleased with this perceptive new companion.
Xia Er had thought Aivina might be a bit resistant, but Tara’s words seemed to have brightened her mood. So he said nothing more, just looked at Tara and, with a hint of resignation, said, “You can just call her Miss Aivina.”
“Okay, I understand...”
Tara nodded slightly and then asked, “Will my presence here disturb you, Lord Xia Er? Should I leave for a while...?”
“It’s fine, we’re going to have dinner... Later, you can find that knight named Niya; she’ll tell you what you need to do. Just stick with her.”
Aivina smiled gently, then released her hold on Xia Er and turned to walk out the door.
“Ah...”
Xia Er shook his head.
He didn’t know why Aivina was so obsessed with the dynamics of who takes charge and who submits... But as long as she was happy, it didn’t change the outcome.
Xia Er followed Aivina’s pace, glancing back at Tara to signal her to follow.
After finishing dinner with Aivina, Xia Er returned to his room to take a shower.
Tara was taken by Niya to meet the butler and learn about the rules of the manor.
Niya understood Tara’s identity better, seeing her more as Xia Er’s “attendant,” but she felt something was off about this little girl, who seemed a bit distracted all evening.
Meanwhile, Tara spent the entire night contemplating Aivina and Xia Er, spiraling into a frenzy of self-doubt.
*The Mother Goddess actually found a female partner in this world... The Mother Goddess has emotional preferences, and she likes women...*
*And I just happen to be a woman.*
*Could it be that... I also...*
*No, no, no, Tara, how can you think of such disrespectful things?*
*But... who says deities can’t have multiple partners? Look at the Order of the God of Order; their scriptures are a tangled mess, with dozens of partners...*
*So, does that mean I have a chance...*
*Tara! Loyalty! Stop thinking about this!*
*But the Mother Goddess really smells so good...*
Tara fell into a cycle of self-criticism and reflection, likely unable to sort out her thoughts for a long time.
All of this stemmed from Tara observing the Mother Goddess’s “humanity” beyond her “divinity.” The mere thought of possibly being with the Mother Goddess made Tara’s imagination run wild.
No, no, being with her is fine, being with her is fine...
Meanwhile, in Aivina’s room, freshly bathed, she looked at Xia Er, who was still reading, and asked, “That explosion was your doing, right?”
“Yeah, it’s less likely to leave traces,”
Xia Er nodded and replied, “I also had Tara deal with the remnants of the Pleasure Society and took control of their leader.”
“...That’s so dangerous; I should have sent Niya with you.”
Aivina said as she sat down beside Xia Er.
Xia Er shifted slightly to make room for her; sitting on the same chair wouldn’t be cramped.
Aivina pulled out some ointment from somewhere and carefully applied it to the wounds on Xia Er’s face, while he continued reading, allowing her to tend to him.
“Why did your organization suddenly send someone to your side?”
Aivina asked curiously. “Surveillance?”
Though the girl named Tara was quite likable, the organization that had previously almost always “let Xia Er be” suddenly sent someone to her side, and Aivina felt things couldn’t be that simple.
“Maybe it’s just a precaution,”
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