The next morning, a rustling noise downstairs awakened Luo En from his sleep.
"Athena's chest is padded!"
As soon as he opened his eyes, he habitually delivered "praise" to one of the chief gods from the Daily Chapter, then got out of bed feeling refreshed and went downstairs.
At that mont, in the living room.
Having woken up early, Hestia and the sleepless Little dusa were gathered at the dining table, engrossed in the boxes of exquisite pastries in front of them.
"You're awake?"
Hestia, the first to hear the noise, turned her head to look at Luo En coming down the stairs, waving a greeting and using her pink tongue to lick the pastry crumbs off the corners of her mouth.
Clearly, she was very fond of the delicacies.
Luo En's gaze swept over the snake-pattern on the pastries, causing his eyelids to jump.
"Temple offerings? Where did they co from?"
"They were left by Lady Goddess before she left, to be delivered here," a pleasant humming ca from outside the door.
A girl in a pure white dress stood respectfully at the entrance, golden snake-pattern bracelets on her wrists, a pretty oval face, linen-colored hair draped over her shoulders, and an air of tranquil elegance. Her bright eyes showed a trace of apologetic grace.
"Recent turmoil on Crete Island and many affairs at the temple have prevented from visiting sooner, please accept my apologies," she said.
Three people? Two gifts?
Luo En glanced at the two half-empty boxes on the table and at Hestia and Little dusa, each busy with their pastries, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
So, it was a divide-and-conquer strategy, huh?
Even at this hour, she didn't forget to play her tricks on . You really are petty, sis.
Seeing the subtle changes in soone's expression, the bright-eyed girl outside hurriedly bowed and opened her mouth to speak.
"It was too hasty of to co this ti. To thank you for the warning yesterday, my father has prepared a banquet, and we would like to invite you all to Knossos Palace," she said.
Then, the girl paused, looked towards Luo En, who was the main invitee, and with a smile, her tone shifted.
"As a token of gratitude, my father hopes to present you with a modest gift in person during the al."
So, you're saying my visitor's gift is waived, huh?
Tsk tsk, such watertight words. Not only did she cover up Athena's prank and save the petty Goddess's face, but without defying the Goddess's wishes, she showcased the royal family's regard for , an outsider.
It seems that King Minos has raised a good daughter.
Luo En took in the charming and intelligent princess at the door with a mix of admiration and curiosity.
"May I ask, which princess are you among the daughters of King Minos?"
"I am his second daughter—Ariadne, currently managing the affairs of the temple, my lord..."
The fair-eyed girl nodded slight acknowledgent, humbled herself proactively without any pretense of royalty.
With the ntion of that na, Luo En's face involuntarily showed subtle changes, and the way he looked at Princess Ariadne beca sowhat peculiar.
Ariadne? Isn't she one of the mortal lovers Dionysus will hook up with in the future?
Feeling the change in the gaze upon her, Ariadne carefully raised her head and cautiously inquired.
"My lord?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just zoning out," Luo En snapped back to reality, offering an apologetic smile, his expression clearing.
He is he, and Dionysus is Dionysus.
From the mont of his own birth, whether future or fate, everything had beco utterly different.
Noticing the eased atmosphere, Princess Ariadne ventured again to speak.
"So, what do you think?"
"I don't have a problem..."
Luo En nodded nonchalantly, then teasingly turned his gaze to the two figures in the living room—one large and one small—happily enjoying their feast.
"However, at least wait until they have finished eating,"
"No need to wait, let's go now!"
Upon hearing this, Hestia hurriedly got to her feet, pulling Anna, who was still stuffing pastries into her mouth, and briskly walked out the front door, an impatient look on her face.
Compared to these appetizing little snacks, the royal banquet was obviously more worthy of value.
Having lived in Knossos City for so long, she had long been wanting to taste the craftsmanship of the royal chefs.
Watching the princess, who held the position of high priestess, go to summon the chariot prepared by the temple, Hestia sneakily poked Luo En in the lower back, whispering in an amazed voice.
"You really have a way! You guessed right again! Just as we repelled the first wave of beasts on the coastline and dawn hasn't fully broken, the daughter of King Minos has co to our door, inviting us for a al!"
"It's not guessing, it's thinking, thinking..."
Luo En corrected weakly, but Hestia, who had co to terms with reality after last night's blow, had already chosen to give up and had decided to leave this tireso and strenuous work entirely to the external brain before her to solve.
"All right, all right, thinking then, thinking. Once I'm at the dining table, I'll only eat, not talk."
"..."
Hearing such a disheartening response from the Goddess of the Hearth, Luo En rolled his eyes and comforted himself helplessly in his mind.
Forget it, forget it, she was his choice after all.
If she were too smart, he might not even pick her to take the hits for him.
Soon, a carriage adorned with bronze serpent patterns and bird wing carvings, understated yet luxurious, arrived at the front door, picking up the three and heading toward Knossos Palace, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.
Thanks to the layering of various protective runes, the carriage was not only extrely comfortable but also fast; it took rely a quarter of an hour to reach the destination.
As the vehicle ca to a stop, the high priestess lifted the curtain and led the three out.
"Please follow , my father is waiting to greet you all."
The three nodded and followed the princess through the vast palace, twisting and turning until they eventually arrived at a relatively secluded courtyard.
In the empty yard, an old man with a world-weary air sat alone at a stone table, hunched over, his eyes seemingly closed but not quite, exhaustion and age etched deeply into his lined face.
However, as the three crossed the threshold, the old man's eyes flew open, his gaze sharp as his imposing aura swept forth like a lion awakened from slumber, instinctively baring his fangs at the intruders into his territory.
"Father..."
The first to fold under the pressure, Princess Ariadne's face paled slightly, her teeth clattering as she hurriedly called out in a soft voice.
Although she had successfully ascended to a demigod, thanks to her outstanding talents, bloodline, and protection from Goddess Athena,
she still felt a significant gap compared to the three unidentified figures behind her.
After all, one of them was a son feared by Zeus himself, the future God of Wine,
another was dusa, who had absorbed the divinity of the Old Sea God Pontos, a formidable deity known as the hero killer,
and the last was the sister of Zeus, a legitimate mber of the Twelve Olympians.
"Ariadne? You've co? My apologies..."
King Minos recovered from his reflexive state, his overwhelmingly oppressive presence receding like the tide, vanishing without a trace as he hurried to greet his guests.
The always perceptive Princess Ariadne went without saying, on one hand helping her father seat the distinguished guests and, on the other, signaling the servants to prepare dishes and pastries.
With his daughter bustling about, the free King Minos began to scrutinize the certain man before him earnestly.
Luo En t his gaze unflinchingly, also taking a careful look at this wise king laden with a mix of praises and scandal.
After a brief eye contact, King Minos was the first to break into a smile, raising a cup full of fruit wine to express his gratitude.
"I assu you are the wise man ntioned by Lady Goddess; thanks to your warning last night, we avoided disaster."
"I rely ntioned it in passing; had you disbelieved, no amount of talking would have been useful."
Luo En smiled faintly, raising his clay cup.
"Moreover, to discern the truth from words and take preemptive action to prepare for a crisis. Crete Island could win this first round with ease largely thanks to you, the wise king who orchestrated it all."
One daring to speak, the other daring to believe.
The elder and the younger, successful in their eting at the table, touched cups and drank deeply, sharing a knowing smile without words.
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