Aphrodite’s Choice - Chapter 64.2

Prologue – Birth of a Goddess

Fallen into the sea by his son Cronus, Uranus’ last moment drifted on the waves like a sailing boat, not allowed to be anchored for a long time.

Ascended to the throne of The Gods following Cronus, Zeus, who defeated Titan and reigned over Olympus, was not very interested in a lump of bubbles. When his brother Poseidon, who had decided to rule the sea, occasionally complained of it, he listened intently to him, but he did not even bother to look at it, let alone to take it away.

From some time on, Poseidon also came to ignore the presence of the foam. It was because he had busied himself being wary of it and yet nothing happened; it would be his loss if he wasted his energy or lest he handled it wrong.

It was a time when the order of the universe was reshuffled. Olympus was at its peak. The traces of primeval were naturally forgotten by everyone. The promised time had come and the change began in the floating foam, but no one witnessed the moment.

It was the same as the bubbles, which had only floated over the deepest oceans in order to avoid encountering other beings, from someday entering the Greek Inland Sea and sweeping the islands.

Kythira, Andros, Alonissos, Samothrace, Naxos…

The white foam, snooping as if it were looking for something, found not one place to remain at and returned from its path.

But no one knew it was happening. Even the bubbles that escaped the Inland Sea are carrying themselves in the fast currents and sweeping into the distant sea.

It was then that the Gods of Olympus sensed something.

When the foam reached Cyprus.

On the sandbank of Cyprus, a dynamic change has already occurred from the bubbles which have been altered beyond the shape of its original form.

Powerful waves, which reached the distant Olympus, surged up the energy of creation and colored the sky of Cyprus. The Gods of Olympus, who had gathered for the feast, were astonished.

They instinctively realized that a new god would be born.

Zeus forgot his dignity and left his throne. The other gods were no different.

As more than ten of the noblest gods ascended, the atmosphere of Cyprus, which had already been dyed with divinity, expanded as if it would burst. The gods lost their reason in the unexpected birth of a new god.

“Where are you? Lead the way!”

“Heok, heok…”

The native spirits of Cyprus were crushed by the ignorant presence of the superior gods, smothered. Not only spirits, but also trees, land, nearby seas, and life in the water were about to die from suffocation.

It was just then.

“Fine enough.”

A resonant voice resounded from the shore. It was a voice that was as bright as a girl and as a mature woman, but it contained the power of God, pushing away the energy of all the other gods.

Though not powerful enough to overwhelm the supreme god, it was enough to divert the attention of the gods. Zeus looked back at Athena, and without a word, the Goddess of Wisdom, who understood his gaze, went down the hill.

Then a moment later, Athena returned.

She was with someone they saw for the first time.

“……!”

The gods had to be astonished once again in a different sense.

The goddess was incredibly beautiful. Her face caught their eyes before her brilliant blond hair that curled past her waist.

Glittering ocean eyes like large gems were placed underneath long, delicate golden eyelashes. Like ripe fruit, her red lips were glossy as if it had been glazed with honey. Her milky-white cheeks were colored with rosy fresh blooming, and her neck was as long and graceful as a swan.

Stars, flowers, gold, silver, and jewels, all the colors of the world, all the fine and rare things, were overshadowed.

It was fortunate that Athena’s cloak covered her body. The goddess was so seductive that their eyes were blinded by her slender collarbone. It was hard to guarantee anyone would not have rushed in if she had been naked.

She was as beautiful as she was.

No one dared to avert their gaze. A long silence ensued as if a curse was placed on everyone’s stone.

The goddess looked closely at everyone who stood out in her eyes. She seemed unable to overcome her curiosity about her first sighting existence and seemed to be looking for someone, but no one could ask her why.

From the twilight to the deep sea, hundreds of thousands of blue lights glistened brightly in a pair of eyes. It would have been a very heavy sin to obstruct the movement of the mysterious eye.

“Hmm…”

Sadly, however, the goddess seemed to have found nothing. She pouted her lips with a discontented look, and then took the gaze she had placed in front of her and looked down at her feet.

When the goddess’s gaze touched the ground, the earth flushed with shame and red flowers bloomed. It was a colorful bud that formed beautifully on a thorny stem, a Cyprus rose that was later called the gaze of love.

However, those who were enchanted by the goddess were able to come to their senses only then.

And the Olympians realized what she was.

A deity whose existence itself is a fascination and whose eyes have the power to cripple reason.

Forever the most beautiful woman in the world, who will be worshipped by men on earth with affection. And take the one remaining vacancy in the Pantheon in Olympus…

“You’re the Goddess of Love,” Zeus said.

The confirmation of the Lord was the approval of the whole universe. A great change was triggered by the word. As the King of Olympus recognized the newly-born goddess of love, the standard of beauty was added to the order of the universe.

The first thing that sounded in a completely changed world was the name of the new standard.

“Aphrodite.”