Chapter 87

“It tickles.”

“You stopped crying though.”

“…….”

His lips roamed around her eyelids and slowly moved down to bite her earlobe.

“I should do this whenever you’re about to cry. Seems to be effective.”

“Does it seem like the Great Goddess will ever cry again?”

“Who knows. You might cry because you wish to do this again with me.”

A baritone voice full of mischief rang ever so sweetly. The dumbfounded Lapyan shook her shoulders with laughter.

Up to this point, she couldn’t really tell the cause of her tears, but the cause of her laughter was just as ambiguous.

She just adored the pure beast in front of her. She was content just having his company right now. That’s why she couldn’t hold back her smile. 

*****

After a bit, she met up with Barahan whose face was brimming with displeasure. His grimly crumpled eyebrows and twitching lips were enough to show his anger.

Lapyan lifted her teacup without saying a word. The tip of her nose was tickled by the fragrance of flowering tea. Contrary to the resentment that Barahan omitted throughout his body, the fragrance was giving off a calming and peaceful feeling.

She already knew the reason behind Barahan’s emotion. She smelled anger when she was rolling around with the black leopard in the forest earlier. 

A short while ago, he must have entered the forest and came all the way here to look for her.

That’s when he probably found out. The two that were so close to each other.

However, Lapyan pretended to be clueless by not showing any reaction, and the black leopard did the same, since he smelled him at that time too.

It was an unspoken declaration to Barahan. A cold rejection to Barahan because she already knew how he looked at her.

Although she holds affection for Barahan as her younger brother, it never goes beyond that. Barahan also knew that very well, so he didn’t let his greed get the best of him. But when he saw the existence next to her, a lowly beast at that, his head exploded in madness driven by immature jealousy.

He had a bad impression from the very first time they met. That beast-like thing. 

Barahan, who was staring out the window, suddenly swerved his gaze to Lapyan.

“How long are you going to keep that beast?”

“Until I die?”

Barahan put down the cup rigorously.

“I hated him from the start! How dare a lowly beast stare at me with such arrogant eyes!”

Lapyan only smiled blandly. 

Arrogant eyes, you say? My cat says the exact thing about you…. My cat hates your eyes, too, Barahan.

Barahan’s anger will be quenched soon enough. He might be satisfied when she entirely gives her power to the world. After all, he will be the strongest being on earth after that. 

Barahan was feeling a greed that was beyond his ability, but she only regarded it as the cuteness of her immature brother.

“That beast, I will never let him go….!”

However, Barahan who grinded his teeth throughout his outburst, instantly hardened his expression. Lapyan was staring at Barahan with cold eyes. No matter how much she adored Barahan, there was a line he shouldn’t cross. 

The black leopard was one of those lines.

“Barahan. He’s my cat.”

“What?”

Barahan only shrugged his shoulders at the mild warning. Lapyan looked straight into his eyes and spoke firmly.

“Don’t touch him. He’s mine.”

“…….”

Barahan couldn’t bring himself to say another word. Knowing the sincerity in her eyes, he just breathed roughly to release the anger brewing inside.

Like nothing happened, Lapyan was going to lift her teacup up again and ignored Barahan’s eyes. But just when her fingertips touched the cup handle, a thought popped up in her mind.

‘I think my cat’s power should be similar to Barahan’s now…..’

She had decided to give her entire power willingly, but there was one problem left. Something that she must protect.

Her black cat. Her adorable leopard.

It was necessary to boost his power to match Barahan’s level in order to protect him from the god’s malice. If she gives her adorable cat too much power, it’ll give him a hard time. The leopard already started to match Barahan’s power which was also growing stronger…. 

Lapyan suddenly forgot about Barahan’s presence and started dreaming of the future.

After throwing away her burden, she would turn into a normal being and stay next to her tall leopard. The moment when she was free from all responsibilities and duties, then she and he would be able to spend the time alone.

She didn’t have the slightest idea about Barahan feelings, which she thought were going to be quenched, and how sinister his twisted love turned out to be.

***

「Please tell me that it ends today.」

When his worried voice rang out, Lapyen nodded languidly.

“Okay. It ends today .”

「You really need to rest」

“Yes. I got it.”

Recently, she has been very busy. After making up her mind, she started to finish very quickly what she needed to do. She traveled around the continent, drove out the remnant of shadows, and then released her power. 

The scattered divine power firmly bound the earth and enveloped it abundantly. Now, it could grow naturally even without her supervision.

She also granted her power to the leopard family, and released a lot of them in the forest where she would be staying in the future. Even though she couldn’t give more power to the leopard crouching next to her. Because she knew that the greater the strength, the greater the responsibility.

Splash.

She raised her body that was about to sink into the spring water and slowly raised her arm. When she rubbed the leopard’s nose with her wet hand, a sighing beast rubbed his cheeks against her palm,

“You’re not upset because I didn’t give you power, are you?”

Because you’re already very strong. 

Having omitted the last sentence, she smiled softly. 

Is it because we’re always so close to each other? 

Even when she didn’t share her power, his strength had grown enough to protect her.

「What i’m upset about is the fact that you don’t lean on me when you’re having it rough.」

“Am I not leaning on you right now?”

「You know that’s not what I mean.」

She tilted her head and leaned against the leopard’s cheek, and even when the beast groaned in protest, he was still rubbing his cheek on her in response.

She could feel the warmth under his soft fur. Even though her divine power was gone and she has now become a fictional god now, this warmth was more than enough for her.

‘What will happen to me in the future? Will I wither and die over time just like humans, because I lost my divine power?’

She thought it was fine regardless. As a god herself, she didn’t know what lies beyond death. She wasn’t in charge of death, after all. On second thought, she was clearly lacking as a god.

She was weaker than before, but her heart was freer than ever.

“I’m very weak now.”

「I know.」

“I’m going to live with you for a long time with this weak body. Living without worry and just being happy.”

「…….」

“You’re the only one I need.”

The leopard, who was rubbing his face on Lapyan’s palm, seemed flustered by her words so much that he didn’t know what to reply. Because his feelings for her were too deep to be conveyed with the tool called words.

Even if he remained silent, Lapyan could easily read his mind.

“But don’t be cheeky just because I’m weak. I’m still stronger than you, kitty.”

She let out a stern voice filled with playfulness, and the black leopard just nodded casually.

「Alright. I’ll always heed your orders only」

“Hmmm….”

Lapyan made an indistinct sound, answering him vaguely.

She didn’t want this kind of response from him. She wanted him to whine for calling him a kitty, or teasing her that he was stronger than her even when she dipped herself in the spring water just like right now. But his reaction was too serious.

Lapyan stretched her feet in the warm spring water. It might take some time to return to a normal life.

Just like that, she closed her tired eyes. A fresh scent of grass emerged from all directions.

And then.

「Lapyan.」

And Barahan’s scent as well.

Lapyan rubbed the jaw of the leopard who was on alert, and turned her head.

When did he arrive?

Perhaps he ran so fast to the point she couldn’t sense his presence but right now Barahan was picking up his breath with his back against the forest. The shadow that spread over the trees behind him was especially dark today.

“You’re here?”

“…What are you doing?”

Barahan responded to her casual greeting with clenched teeth. His tone was filled with rage.

Why is that child so angry?

Lapyan tilted her head and beckoned him to come closer. Barahan did not move a single step.

“I just released my power around the continent.”

“Why? Is it because you want to be human? Is that why you’re abandoning our dignity?!”

His calm tone began to heighten. Lapyan stroked the leopard who contorted his nose, and replied calmly. 

“Yeah. I want to be human.”

“But you’re a god!”

“I’m going to quit now. No, I quit. I will lead an ordinary life happily with the one by my side.”

Her voice was subdued by the ripple of spring water.

Barahan couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Gulp.

His adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Meanwhile, his gaze starts to be covered with black malice. He breathed rapidly in a wild rage.

I will live happily with the one next to me, she said.

And surely, he wasn’t the one she was talking about. 

However, it has always been him who stayed with Lapyan for a very long time. He was also her most precious being. He thought the reason she gave him her sword was because she trusted and embraced him.

But, at some point, their relationship went awry. That black leopard had completely ruined it.

The jealousy he had to suppress and the disappointment toward someone he envied. Unknown emotions whirled tumultuously inside Barahan.

“If that’s the case, Lapyan, you should’ve given your power to me! Your younger brother who was born in the same spring, it’s me!”

“…….”

Lapyan smiled faintly. His greed was nothing new to her.

Barahan always believed that he would succeed her as the ruler. Therefore, he just quietly watched Lapyan distribute sime of her power here and there.

Just as she gave him her sword, he believed that she would pour all of her remaining divinity to him in the end.

But what was the result now? Lapyan distributed most of her power vainly without leaving anything to him. That fact extremely angered Barahan.

On the other side, Lapyan clasped the beast’s forepaw. The beast facing Barahan was flaunting his sharp claws, ready to strike him at any moment. 

“Shhh, don’t be angry. Good boy.”

Lapyan stroked the beast’s forepaw slowly. The leopard still glared at Barahan with an enraged look and even bared his fangs.

“Stop it. He’s still my brother.”

Along with a tender speech, Lapyan got out of the spring water. She was still lacking energy, but she needed to comfort her selfish, although still precious, brother.

They were in a relationship that lasted for a long time. Somewhere inside her, there was still a deep sense of affection left, telling her to not dismiss and throw Barahan away just like that.

Understanding her meaning, the black leopard let out a defeated sigh and retracted his claws. No matter how much he liked to act as he pleased, he had no choice but to give in to her.

Lapyan came closer to Barahan, leaving watermarks on the floor. He looked at her with the gaze of someone who had been betrayed by his most trusted person. 

“Are you upset?”

“…….”

Tears welled up in his eyes. Lapyan patted Barahan’s shoulder to soothe him.

“Now, you and I aren’t needed anymore. The world will thrive without us.”

“….Then, what about us? Why are we here?”

Barahan’s answer was very spiteful.

Lapyan smiled bitterly. They were gods who were born to serve this land. Since from here on, the living things on the land could survive on their own, it was time for the now irrelevant gods to disappear and become part of history.

“Find your own precious being, Barahan.”

“…….”

“Find your own happiness. Because I can’t be by your side anymore.”

It was her last declaration and rejection toward him.

Only then did Barahan laugh. His wounded smile looked somewhat creepy.

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Lapyan’s expression hardened when she sensed the strange air around him.

The crouching leopard who desperately rushed toward them, Lapyan who stepped back to avoid Barahan, and Barahan who drew a sword to attack her. It all happened at the same time.

「No-!」

The thunderous roar sent the mountain birds flying into the sky. After that, an erratic groan could be heard.