novelraw Chapter 170: Meaningful Smile
Chapter 170: Meaningful Smile
Eris looked down.
"I really am sorry."
Ignotus shook his head slowly.
"There’s nothing you need to apologize for."
He wasn’t saying that just to say it. He really didn’t see how She saw it as Her fault.
Sure, this was Her dream now, he was in Her realm, but that was all on the spell that had them locked in its grasp.
Rather, he was thankful that it wasn’t another dream of his.
Ignotus already saw his past life and his what-if future... Strong as he was, he didn’t want to handle any more of that. And besides, he was very thankful that Eris was truly conscious alongside him; he didn’t know how he’d get out of here without Her.
All those thoughts and considerations seemed to have come through his words, as Eris’s smile tugged a little wider, small but soft.
"Thank you... so what do we do now? I..."
Her Saint hummed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Well... we can’t do something drastic like last time. The spell will catch on and reset everything to some other dream. We need to play along for now and figure out how to actually break out of the illusion."
Eris nodded.
"Then how about a safe word? Something to snap us out if we get pulled in again. I’m sure you’re feeling... influenced."
He absolutely was, yes, deeply, horribly, and stupidly.
"Let’s go with ’House,’ and you: ’of Strangers.’"
Accepting it, She turned toward the front of the hall and raised Her head.
"Bring the next one in!"
A moment passed before soft clacks echoed across the gold floor.
It was obvious in moments that these weren’t the steps of a nervous servant but an equal.
Entering the hall was a tall, pale woman with a smile that didn’t quite reach Her snow-white eyes.
Her skin was white as snow, Her hair was nearly colorless, while Her clothing was muted and cold.
It was a person that Eris seemed to know quite well, in a very negative light at that, if Her obvious frown was any indication.
"Harmonia, what are you doing here?"
Harmonia’s gaze flicked to Ignotus, finding him a new presence, then went back to Eris.
"Peleus and Thetis, much to my disapproval, invite you to their wedding."
Eris’s red eyes widened, though Harmonia continued, not giving Her the time to think.
"You are a blameworthy one who fosters war and discord. Your stay among us is a mistake."
Eris furiously shot up from the throne.
"How dare—"
"Never think yourself ’good.’"
Harmonia cut in cleanly.
"You inspire not strength, but Toil, Famine, Pains, Combats, Battles, Murders, Manslaughters, Quarrels, Lies, Disputes, Lawlessness, Ruin, and Oaths who punish false swearers..."
She listed Eris’s supposed legacy one name at a time, each one a blade shoved deeper.
It was a miracle that Eris managed to stay in place, barely able to hold Herself back.
Ignotus, meanwhile, stood in a stance, ready to try and cut this woman in half.
Harmonia raised a hand, silently advising them both to stop themselves from doing so.
"I’ve done my duty. Thank you for the talk."
She turned and left, saying nothing more.
"Our meetings end today!"
Eris stormed off immediately afterward, and Ignotus followed.
"Please, Eris."
She ignored him, walking faster.
"You know she’s wrong about all of it."
"..."
The Goddess said nothing, making him sigh.
"Look, if you storm off any harder, the carpet’s going to catch fire."
Her pace didn’t slow.
"Eris."
Ignotus walked beside her, his hands behind his back, hunching a little.
"Hey, you’re the one always yelling at me for flashing my sword too fast."
That got a twitch in Her eyelids.
A tiny one, but still.
"Hmph!"
They reached Her room as She threw the doors open and marched inside.
Ignotus followed quietly, stopping behind Eris, who silently sat before Her mirror.
Exhaling slowly, he went and grabbed a comb from the vanity, pausing for only half a second before he began combing her long black hair.
He started with slow and long strokes, just the way she liked it. A smooth movement down before a quick flick at the end, letting the strands fall where they naturally wanted.
It was... weird how easily he slipped into it.
Weird how natural it felt, almost as if he had been doing this for centuries.
His movements grew softer, more careful, like he was handling something sacred.
By the time he realized what he was doing, he was already opening her closet, his eyes shut politely, reaching for nighttime clothes.
He would’ve undressed her without even thinking—
"O-OF STRANGERS!"
Ignotus’s eyes snapped open at that loud scream.
He found Eris staring at him in the mirror, Her entire face red.
"...house."
Their safe word worked.
He had been deeply gone.
—
{Loss Of Self: 15%}
—
While his hands moved earlier, he felt something he had never felt so intensely in his life.
Love...
No. More than love, way more... it was mania.
An obsessive, consuming devotion bleeding into every action without his permission.
’I can’t let this happen... I’m really losing myself.’
But he chuckled under his breath anyway.
’...but I want to understand her.’
’Why Her dream brought us here.’
This dream held pieces of Eris’s past that She had never spoken aloud.
Of course, She wasn’t present in his dream like he was in Hers, but that was only because this spell’s focus was on him. Eris was an intruder here, Her existence making their breaking an actually possible outcome.
Like She had seen his earlier, he wanted to see Hers.
And She wasn’t blind to the change either.
Eris never stopped watching him through the mirror.
"In this fast time, you’ve grown a lot more expressions, my Saint."
She didn’t even realize She’d called him Saint.
"You smile a lot, but it never truly feels like a smile."
Ignotus tilted his head.
"Is that so?"
Eris nodded warmly.
"Yes. Your smile now feels... meaningful."
—
{Loss Of Self: 16%}
—
The illusion pressed in deeper.