The currents surrounding the Golden Palace grew busy.

It was all because of the shocking order from the master of the sea.

Bring out all the buried treasures! And they would all be used for one ‘woman’!

It was impossible not to get excited for those who loved beautiful things.

The nymphs’ faces glowed with subtle delight as they busily moved about to carry out this unprecedented task. Such a thing had never happened even when Amphitrite guarded the Golden Palace.

That was understandable, as Amphitrite herself was a goddess like a massive island and reef. She rarely moved outside the sea, and even when holding banquets in her palace, she emphasized grandeur over splendor.

No, from the start, she hadn’t even welcomed outside things entering the sea.

“What is all this…”

Livia looked at Audike with a tense face as dozens of nymphs carrying various accessories and dresses appeared in the reception room with excited faces.

Audike nodded as if she had expected the surprise, with the brightest expression Livia had seen from her recently. She must have known about this elaborate procession beforehand.

“What… what is all this, Audike?”

After staring blankly for a while, Livia asked Audike in a drained voice at the still unending procession.

“What else? These are all things Triton sent for you. Amazing, isn’t it?”

Audike whispered secretly while staring at Livia with eyes filled with a strange heat.

“All the treasures of the sea that have never been brought out before are gathered here, Livia. Even I, who’ve lived in the sea my whole life, have never seen such things.”

At first, Livia couldn’t understand Audike’s words.

Treasures of the sea? Why would such things suddenly appear?

Livia, who had thought they would at most make her a few more needed dresses, was just bewildered.

Unaware of Livia’s feelings, the nymphs and Audike gazed at the accumulating jewels with enchanted eyes, then turned even more passionate gazes toward Livia.

As if asking how she felt about receiving all of this…

“Look at this pearl, Livia. It’s Oceanus’s pearl that I’d only heard about. It’s famous for never letting you lose your way in any sea. I heard Dugong went to the deep sea to look for this last time, but to think he really found it!”

Audike’s excited explanation made Livia even more flustered.

She had said they were sea treasures, but now even legendary jewels were appearing. Moreover, jewels searched from the deep sea – no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why such things were piling up before her.

Tite, Audike’s colleague who had been watching Livia’s reaction, anxiously poked Audike’s side and spoke. She was the nymph best at sewing in the Golden Palace.

“We need to hurry, so quickly decide on the jewels and fabric, Audike. We have mountains of sewing to do!”

“Hmm. Since Livia has such vibrant hair color, a white dress would be better. We’ll add a gold belt, and make a sash decorated with these red coral jewels that match Livia’s hair color.”

“Wouldn’t this green emerald be better? It would match Lady Livia’s eye color and could create an elegant look?”

“Well. I don’t think we need to conventionally aim for elegance. It might actually look shabby compared to the goddesses’ aura. Wouldn’t it be better to highlight Livia’s unique vitality instead?”

Silks of various colors and jewels were placed on her shoulders, pressed against her cheeks then removed repeatedly. Livia, who had been pushed and pulled by several hands in an instant, finally came to her senses.

“Wait, Audike. Wait! Why do I suddenly need such elaborate decorations? I haven’t heard anything about this.”

“Because you have to go to Lady Demeter’s banquet the day after tomorrow. We’re anxious too. We don’t have time to prepare many outfits since there’s so little time.”

Demeter’s banquet!

She had been meaning to ask when they would go since there had been no word about it. But for it to be the day after tomorrow – the schedule had been drastically moved up without time to prepare mentally.

While Livia was still dazed, the nymphs who had taken all her measurements hurried away with quick steps.

Their faces were full of urgency, as if there wasn’t even time to hesitate.

Among them with their solemn determination, all Livia had to do was choose which jewels she liked best.

Such elaborate decoration – this was flowing in a completely different direction than Livia had expected.

She had thought she would quietly blend into Demeter’s banquet as Triton’s attendant or servant.

This was a banquet of gods, not even one of royalty. She thought that she, a mere human without any great achievements, shouldn’t carelessly intrude.

But… Triton seemed to think quite differently from Livia.

When Livia was thoroughly exhausted from being harassed by the nymphs for quite a while, Triton, the cause and culprit of all this, appeared leisurely.

“Seems playing queen was tough. You look more exhausted than when having s*x with me.”

“…Triton!”

Livia immediately got up and ran to Triton.

And she asked almost accusingly why such decoration was necessary for a mere attendant. There was an anxious uncertainty in her touch as she urgently grabbed him.

“Attendant? Who ever told you to attend to me?”

“W-well, no one, but.”

“And you might not know this, but I’ve never particularly kept attendants around, Livia.”

He let out a low laugh as if he’d heard something amusing. Triton tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand her words and asked back.

“When I’m just going to have fun, wouldn’t it be more cumbersome to drag such things along? I’m not Dionysus who pulls around his followers.”

Livia’s mouth snapped shut at Triton’s words.

Things like being dangerous, preparing for crisis situations, having someone handle annoying tasks – these weren’t really necessary for gods.

There would be separate nymphs to serve at the banquet anyway, and crisis was a meaningless word to them.

Danger, well, unless they fought among themselves, there were almost no beings who could endanger gods gathered together.

Rather, if something happened to unite the gathered gods in anger, that would be more dangerous.

“If not an attendant, then what am I…?”

“You? Why what?”

“I thought I was going to the banquet as your attendant…”

“What?”

Triton laughed as if he’d heard something amusing. Then he caught Livia’s waist as she hesitantly stepped back and whispered while embracing her.

“You’ll be by my side.”

His leisurely voice, as if teasing, seeped into Livia’s ear.

“Holding my hand like this…”

His cold hand slipped between her stiff fingers and intertwined with them. A subtle tension circled between the two touching bodies.

“You’re going to Demeter’s banquet, Livia.”

He kissed her gradually reddening earlobe and whispered in a secretive voice.

“As my mate.”

“…!”

For the first time, she realized that when something is too absurd, you can’t even scream. Livia, who had been looking up at him with shocked eyes, hastily shook her head.

Clear rejection was written on her pale face.

“That’s nonsense. Don’t lie! Why would I…? No, I don’t want to. I don’t want to, Triton. Not like that…!”

Livia, who had been pushing him away and rambling in confusion, faltered and looked up at him when she saw Triton’s gaze grow cold as he silently looked down at her.

He quietly looked down at her as if searching for something in her expression, then raised his hand to trace her eyes and mouth as if drawing them.

His cool fingertip pushed between her lips, and as he pressed his tongue tip firmly against her tongue that had only been saying no, he whispered.

“Why are you always so ungrateful?”

Whatever had irritated him, his eyes were quite fierce. Yet his voice remained calm and gentle, as if he was trying to suppress his anger in his own way.

“When you should be honored to stand by my side, to say you don’t want to, Livia… What foolish words. Hmm?”

He delivered these incredibly arrogant words in a sweet voice, as if soothing a child. Listening to his voice sweet enough to melt her ears, it did seem like she had said something quite foolish, as he suggested.

Would even a siren’s voice that bewitches sailors be less sweet than this?

Lost in thought, Livia quickly bit her lip hard to gather her wavering mind.

“Don’t think all humans desire the same honor. It’s an honor I don’t want. To draw everyone’s attention…!”

That was truly something she didn’t want.

Livia was afraid of her position as a jester among these ridiculous beings called gods.

All she wanted was one private, perfect revenge. She had no intention of getting involved in the gods’ world, nor any desire to receive their attention.

How did the situation keep getting twisted like this?

Her heart was heavy as the situation kept changing differently from what she had intended. It was already overwhelming dealing with this one sea god before her – she worried about drawing the attention of other gods too.

‘What am I, why would someone like me keep drawing their attention…’

It wasn’t something Livia wanted, nor should it happen.

“Foolish Livia.”

Her name scattered like a sigh between his lips. There seemed to be laughter mixed in as well.

Triton’s large hands caught and lifted her cheeks. Close enough for their breaths to mingle, he whispered while maintaining eye contact.

“It’s already too late to hide.”