'Wait, I'm Supposed to Become a Goddess?! But I'm a Guy!'

Mize could feel it in the air, the faint shift in Liam’s expression, almost imperceptible.

But it was enough, Mize noticed it right away.

His eyes flickered, hesitated.

And Just for a moment.

He knew he had to tread carefully now.

One wrong step and this would spiral into something far worse than a missed appointment.

Unfortunately, Liam was and would always be a "Villain" protagonist.

There were many horrible things he had done secretly, Mize wouldn't be that naive to believe that Liam "is a good guy".

“I... I know I messed up,” Mize started, his voice low.

His hands moved instinctively, clasping tightly in front of his chest, his body leaning forward slightly as if to convey sincerity through posture alone.

“I came home late... I accept the punishment, just... maybe something that doesn’t go too far. Something that fits the mistake I made.”

Liam didn’t blink.

Not until the words settled in the air.

Then, slowly, his voice cut through, sharp like a blade.

“And your mistake, Mimi... wasn’t just returning late, was it?”

The words struck like a slap to the face.

Mize flinched visibly, his shoulders tensing under the weight.

“You tried to sneak in.” Liam’s golden eyes narrowed, his voice cold, extremely cold but not detached.

“Why, exactly, would you need to sneak into your own home?” His gaze pinned Mize in place. “That in itself sounds a little audacious... no?”

“I"

Mize tried, lips parting as if to explain, maybe even protest.

But it didn’t matter.

Because Liam had already drawn his conclusion.

And he wasn’t the kind of man who tolerated disobedience, especially not from someone he cherished.

That kind of distrust cut differently.

“It doesn’t matter,” Liam said flatly, lifting his hand in a slow, dismissive gesture.

His fingers moved just slightly, almost lazily, but the motion they held were something else.

“But...”

The word lingered in the air.

He tilted his head.

“How did you end up in the castle’s main canal?”

His tone changed, questioning.

“That place,” Liam added, his voice quieter now. “Leads somewhere very dangerous, Mimi. You shouldn't be there"

Dangerous.

That word echoed.

Mize opened his mouth again but no sound came.

Instead, he found himself frozen, eyes locked on Liam’s face, studying every twitch, every blink, every minor shift.

And there, hidden behind the coolness of those golden eyes, wasn’t anger.

It wasn’t frustration, either.

It was concern.

It was subtle, carefully buried.

Mize’s breath caught.

And slowly, the words he’d been ready to toss out crumbled away.

He bowed his head instead, hair spilling forward as his voice dropped to a whisper.

“I... I’m sorry.”

Liam didn’t reply right away.

Instead, he sighed, a deep and heavy sigh, as he reached up to press his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

His eyes shut for a moment, just long enough for the silence to thicken across the room.

Then he lowered his hand with a light exhale and murmured, “You’re lucky.”

He paused.

One finger lifted toward Mize... then slowly curled back, as if he’d thought better of finishing that sentence.

“You’re lucky,” he said again, quieter now.

“That nothing happened to you.”

"I was worried"

“Y-yeah...” Mize whispered.

The guilt sank in deeper, coiling tightly around his chest like a slow tide creeping over sand.

'I messed up'

He hadn’t seen it clearly before, but now it was obvious, Liam had shown him patience.

Far more than he deserved. And somehow, that only made it worse.

A beat passed.

Then, without being told, Mize stood up.

His movement was small and hesitant, bare feet pressing softly against the cold floor, his figure shifting upright with his arms still pinned close to his sides.

His fingers twitched nervously as he kept them pressed against his thighs, posture rigid.

His head stayed bowed, eyes low.

But still, he asked.

“T-then... for punishment?” The words came out faint into the room, quivering.

A thread of fear... If he was destined to be locked up here from now on, that's fate.

Mize wished to settle this issue upfront without any delays. Just take whatever was being thrown at him, and embrace.

It caught Liam off guard.

He blinked, just once.

A flicker of surprise.

That tone... that quiet courage tucked between stammers. It wasn’t what he expected.

It made him pause.

"Being honest now, huh?" Liam muttered, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he dropped his arms to his sides and slowly stood.

His tone wasn’t mocking, it carried a note of genuine surprise, softened by something warmer.

He stretched slightly, then turned, making his way toward the bed.

"No need for punishment," he said casually, voice dropping a little as he climbed onto the mattress and scooted over.

"Come now. Let’s sleep."

That was not what Mize had expected.

Not even close.

"You... you’re not going to?" he asked, blinking.

His voice came out in a small, unsure breath, like he hadn’t fully registered the words.

"I wouldn’t want to," Liam answered without missing a beat.

He reached for a pillow, gave it a few solid pats with one hand, then set it down carefully against the headboard.

"You’re my wife, not my enemy. At worst," he added with a slight smirk, "I’ll spank your butt later."

"Ah!" Mize’s breath hitched.

"Understand?" Liam’s eyes slid toward him again.

"Y-yes," Mize nodded quickly, his voice smaller than before.

The tight knot in his chest slowly started to unravel, replaced with a warmth that felt both unfamiliar and strangely comforting.

He hadn’t expected forgiveness.

Not this easily.

A part of him had truly braced for the worst punishment. But none of that came. Instead... it was this. Gentle. Almost too gentle.

He bit his lip and looked away, a quiet emotion blooming behind his eyes.

Was this guilt? Or was it gratitude... tangled with something else he couldn’t name?

"I-I’ll come over?" he asked, softly.

"If not?" Liam shot him a brief look, already lying on his side as he pulled the covers over himself.

His hand reached out, palm open and inviting, "It’s our first night sleeping together. I’m not going to do anything. How about it?"

"Mmhmm!" Mize bobbed his head eagerly, eyes shining a little brighter as he smiled, "I trust you."

Then with one smooth step, he slid across the floor and carefully climbed onto the bed.

It was awkward at first.

There was a hesitant shuffle as Mize eased into the space beside him, his body tense, unsure of how to settle.

But the moment Liam’s arm gently wrapped around his waist, everything stilled. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The touch was firm, like someone who could crush stone with one motion.

Yet, the way Liam held him was... careful, gentle. Like cradling something fragile he didn't want to break.

Mize let out a quiet breath, one he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

He let his head rest on Liam’s arm, the solid warmth of muscle beneath his cheek surprisingly comfortable.

The sensation was odd, like resting against hot steel, but instead of pain, there was only security.

"How’s that?" Liam asked, voice soft.

He turned slightly, facing Mize as his free hand lifted to gently comb through the soft waves of his silver-white hair.

Fingers stroked, again and again, slow and repetitive, lulling.

"Comfortable to sleep on?"

"Mmhmm..." Mize murmured, cheeks faintly flushed.

His lashes fluttered as his body began to relax completely for the first time all night.

A long pause.

Then Liam spoke again, completely serious...

"So... let’s have babies?"

…

Mize didn’t respond.

His face blanked instantly, deadpan and expressionless, lips pressed into a thin line.

He stared at Liam like he’d just suggested they go wrestle a dragon naked at dawn.

Liam only chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

His hand didn’t stop moving, fingers still brushing gently through Mize’s hair.

But the path of his touch slowly changed, traveling downward.

From the back of his head to the nape of his neck, then lower to the small of his back... pausing gently at the curve of his hips.

Mize didn’t flinch.

't-this is a reward for him'

He just lay there, warm in Liam’s arms, his body tense in that way that said he wasn’t used to this much closeness... but didn’t hate it either.

He exhaled, barely a whisper, and thought.

'Maybe this wasn’t so bad.'

Maybe, just maybe, being Liam’s trophy... didn’t feel like a cage at all.

The comfort was disarming in a way that left Mize quiet, almost lulled into forgetfulness.

Liam’s hand never stopped, just a slow, steady rhythm tracing the small of his back, calming.

Mize smiled faintly, eyes half-lidded, his breathing shallow and relaxed, chest gently rising and falling with each breath.

The air in the room moved softly.

A subtle breeze swept across the floor, not enough to chill, but just enough to brush against skin like a ghost of wind.

The temperature, as always, was perfect.

Not too warm, not too cool.

'formation?'

Somehow, Liam always had a way of making the space around them feel like the safest pocket of the world.

It was the kind of room meant for peace.

"I heard…" Liam’s voice came low and quiet, breath brushing just beneath Mize’s ear, “there was a commotion at the gate.”

Mize tensed, just slightly.

The words slipped in like a pinprick.

"I suppose you're trying to start a belief?" Liam continued.

His hand never paused in its slow circling rub down Mize’s spine, his voice smooth, the kind of smooth that vibrated down to the bones.

Mize twitched at the sensation, jerking faintly before relaxing again.

His head tilted back without thinking, revealing the soft curve of his neck and the faint shimmer of his collarbone.

His lips parted as he searched for a proper answer, but what left him was quiet.

"I… I need this to work out," he said finally, barely above a whisper.

The words weren’t even a real explanation.

They were just… a plea.

And Liam heard it.

"It’s okay,” he replied gently, “I’m just curious.”

He pulled Mize closer, not harshly, but firm enough that their bodies pressed together.

Chest to chest. Heat against heat.

The touch wasn’t carnal, It was encompassing.

Still, the awareness was there.

Especially for Mize, he could feel Liam’s chest rise against his own, the pressure of that broad frame, and he knew… if Liam wanted to, he could do anything right now.

And the scariest part?

He might not say no.

Not because he wanted to, but because… part of him might want to.

So Mize did what he always did when that thought crawled too close to the edge.

He changed the subject, just enough to hold the line.

“His name is Harapan,” Mize murmured, voice softer now, tracing slow fingers across Liam’s chest. “I-it's a prototype of a project of mine, I modified his genetics and enhanced them”

“Interesting,” Liam replied. “Like a vessel for your will?”

Mize gave a small nod. “Something like that. Not an angel. Not really. More like a… fake copy of me. A male variant. Lower-tier. Tuned down enough to avoid being... overwhelming.”

He paused, then added, “He’s not divine. Just a byproduct. A mold.”

Liam was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. “So… in essence, are we saying he’s… your child?”

“Yes,” Mize answered after a brief pause.

His eyes flicked toward the tall windows across the room.

Beyond them, the sky stretched endlessly, scattered in stars.

“He carries my gene. My likeness. He’s the closest thing to me in this world. At least in structure. In potential. And he was born from… the idea of hope that I created"

"Created?"

"Mhmmm"

Liam narrowed his gaze slightly.

He murmured the words back, low under his breath, “Hope… your gene… creation"

There was weight behind the way he said it.

“It sounds a lot like… life creation,” he added after a beat, his eyes returning to Mize with an intensity that, while not aggressive, made the smaller figure curl just a bit closer in reflex.

“That’s a very dangerous ability you have, Mimi.”

Mize let out a soft chuckle, burying his face a little into Liam’s shoulder. “Yeah… I’ve been thinking the same.”

Liam chuckled with him, low and amused. “The Path of the Goddess… what a bizarre thing you’ve stumbled into.”

"I don't have much information on it, those people who walked the same path as you, they were too secretive"

"There wasn't much information to go by, I couldn't help much with your proffesion"

“It is bizarre,” Mize agreed, his voice slightly muffled now against Liam’s skin.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m still a creature at all. It’s like I’m slipping further away from something I used to be.”

“A god?” Liam teased.

Mize lifted his head slightly, eyes shining with soft humor.

“A goddess,” he corrected, his tone graceful and teasing all at once. “What a god can do, I can do too, just in a… discount version.”

“In essence too?”

“I suppose.” Mize blinked, a sheepish smile forming at the corners of his lips.

Their eyes met.

Quiet again.

They didn't to say anything more for now.

Because the stars outside hadn’t stopped turning.

And neither had the way Liam’s hand never left Mize’s back.

'But I am afraid'