Livia left the underworld cradled in Triton’s arms. As soon as they stepped outside, her face hardened when she saw tens of thousands of sharks, whales, and armed soldiers.

“What is all this, Triton? Why so many… how…?”

The intimidation created by Triton’s endless lined-up army was so tremendous that Livia could barely finish her words. Triton kissed her forehead as he held her, whispering affectionately.

“For an army gathered for war, it’s not that many. Actually, I’m still sending back those who continue to gather.”

“W-war? Don’t tell me, Triton, are you saying you brought an army just to find me?”

Her heart dropped with shock. As she desperately clutched his clothes with a pale face, he smiled elegantly and whispered.

“What else would I be looking for in the underworld besides you, Livia?”

The voice that sounded affectionate at first glance was chilling. It reminded her that all this had happened because of her.

‘He’s insane. A mad god.’

Livia felt dizzy thinking about Triton’s mindset, willing to risk war just for her. He was always a man beyond her imagination.

He was undoubtedly a man who could not be predicted by mere human common sense.

“Why would I be worth… my goodness…”

Livia swallowed her rapid breaths as she rested her head on Triton’s shoulder. Triton pulled her closer into his embrace and whispered in a resolute voice.

“What do you mean ‘why,’ Livia? From the moment you became my companion, you became the queen of this sea.”

Livia heard words she simply couldn’t handle. When she looked up at Triton with a pale face, he smiled and lowered his head.

He rubbed against her parted lips for a while, then carefully sucked in her reddened lower lip. After softening her stiff tongue by biting and sucking it for a long time, he whispered in her ear.

“Don’t run away again, Livia.”

“……”

“Don’t make me angry anymore, Livia… this is a request.”

His voice sounded quite affectionate, but undisguised madness gleamed in his eyes. If she ran away one more time, it was impossible to imagine what he might do. Well, even this current situation was beyond her imagination.

‘I feel dizzy.’

Livia, who had been glaring at him incredulously, soon rested her head on his chest with her eyes closed. In truth, she didn’t even have the mental energy to respond to his mad words.

She could feel the pain returning that had temporarily subsided when the seawater touched her. Could it be because of that black line that had crept up her wrist?

According to Zagreus, Echidna’s spell seemed to have been transmitted to the child through her heart. Could that be true?

When Livia curled up in anxiety, Triton, who had his arm around her shoulders, looked down at her.

“What’s wrong, Livia? Are you cold?”

“It’s not that… I… ugh.”

Livia, who had been panting softly, groaned in pain, seeming like her intestines were being wrung out. Seeing Livia’s concerning reaction, Triton examined her with a hardened face, and suddenly discovered the black wound squirming on the wrist that Livia had torn open.

“No way…”

“It seems Echidna’s spell isn’t just one. It looks like Echidna placed a double curse on your companion.”

…The witch’s curse that he had heard about from Hecate, another curse of Echidna that was said to be planted in Livia’s heart, could it be activating now?

“Echidna…”

Triton, gritting his teeth so hard that tendons stood out on his jaw, rushed to the castle at maximum speed. Livia’s condition felt ominous in his arms. He needed to take measures quickly.

“Livia, Livia. It’s okay, it’s going to be okay. I’ll make it okay for you.”

Triton, who had been whispering continuously to reassure Livia, carefully placed her down on the bed, holding her preciously. Livia clutched his clothes tightly, seemingly not wanting to leave his embrace. The sight was so pitiful and heartbreaking that Triton’s gaze crumbled.

“Livia…”

“Tri, ton…”

He could see that she was biting her lips until they bled to avoid making sounds of pain, even while sweating profusely. Triton pushed his finger between her lips to prevent her teeth from being damaged, while pouring out his healing power to alleviate her pain as much as possible.

“Ugh, huh… ugh!”

But whether Triton’s healing power actually worsened her condition, Livia finally let out the scream she had been trying to hold back.

“No! It hurts! Ugh! P-please, don’t, do it!”

With a pale face, Livia shook her head strongly and began pushing and hitting Triton like someone who had lost her mind. Surprised, Triton quickly embraced her and tried to calm her down, but it wasn’t very effective. Tears finally burst from Livia’s eyes as she trembled, drenched in cold sweat.

“Ha… Triton.”

Triton’s heart sank at the sound of Livia’s sobbing voice. What kind of woman was Livia? She was a woman who wouldn’t flinch at ordinary pain. She had endured even death, and had even held a knife to her own throat to confront a god.

For such a Livia to be shedding tears, unable to overcome the pain. With an ominous and chilling premonition, Triton hurriedly called for Hecate.

Hecate!

Without delay, Triton tore Livia’s clothes and examined her body as she curled up.

When he wiped away the bloodstains, he saw black snake-like spell marks that had spread from the wound Livia had torn open all the way to her white chest. It wrapped around Livia’s chest where her heart was, squirming ominously, appearing alive.

He hurriedly tried to pour divine power to disrupt the spell, but just like before, the more Triton’s power seeped in, the more intense Livia’s screams became, so he couldn’t push further.

“D*mn it!”

Swallowing the rising nausea, Triton carefully traced Echidna’s power that had seeped into Livia’s body, trying not to cause her pain.

‘That evil thing has seeped into Livia’s heart!’

The spell that had taken root and bloomed inside moved cunningly, seemingly alive. If it sensed even a slight power touching the spell, it would immediately attack Livia’s heart.

So if he forcibly pulled out that black power, there was a high possibility that Livia’s heart would be pulled out with it.

“Livia, Livia… It’s going to be okay, I’ll protect you. Just bear with it a little longer.”

Triton had no choice but to withdraw his power that he had flowed into Livia’s body, and focused on stabilizing her. His hand trembled as he brushed back Livia’s sweat-soaked hair.

For the first time in his life, the fear that he might not be able to protect something made him terrified.

Fear… being afraid that he couldn’t protect her.

It was nonsensical. There was no way I couldn’t protect Livia, it was a needless fear. Triton forcibly clenched his trembling hand. His tightly clenched fist conveyed a sense of determination.

“It’s okay, Livia. I’ll make everything okay. I am your god, after all.”

Who were these soothing words for? For Livia, or for himself?

It didn’t matter either way. Triton simply held the small, fragile body of Livia tightly in his arms, kissing her and soothing her.

“Triton… Triton, my stomach… my stomach hurts so much…”

Livia, who had been panting, finally expressed her pain in a tearful voice. She had tried not to mention that her pregnant belly hurt, but she couldn’t bear it without saying anything.

“…Your stomach? Not your heart?”

“Yes, ugh, huh!”

Triton removed Livia’s hands that were clutching her belly. Then he saw a small life form struggling, appearing ready to tear through the thin skin membrane and emerge at any moment.

It was clearly a child of his blood. But he couldn’t believe that his child was now trying to tear Livia’s belly.

‘Could it be?’

Poseidon’s blood creates monsters…

Nine out of ten were born with unusual appearances and temperaments. Could his blood be no different from Poseidon’s?

Like his siblings who had died in numerous heroic tales, could this child also be turning into a monster, trying to kill its mother first before emerging?

‘No…’

No matter if it was his bloodline and his child, it couldn’t take precedence over Livia. A child daring to harm its mother—even if it was a precious heir, that was an unforgivable act.

A fierce glint flashed in Triton’s eyes.