The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange had wanted to scold her at first for doing such a thing.

She had almost lost not only herself but had involved two others as well because of her own reckless curiosity.

But seeing her sister cry like this, with such raw, unguarded emotion, she just let out a sigh and hugged her back.

She gently patted her sister’s back, her touch soft and reassuring.

"It’s alright, Lumi." She said, her voice gentle. "It’s alright. She’s gone right now. She won’t be coming back."

Despite her words, Lumiel shivered and hugged her sister even more tightly. She was scared that the Primordial One was going to come back, that this was all just some cruel joke, that she would wake up and find herself being erased from existence.

Soon it wasn’t just Lumiel crying.

Vera, who noticed what was going on, started tearing up violently.

"BIG SIS!"

She jumped into the other side of the Goddess of Equivalent Exchange’s embrace, sobbing just as hard as Lumiel.

The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange was surprised by the sudden addition, but she didn’t push Vera away.

"I was also so scared!"

Vera cried, her voice cracking with emotion.

"This stupid Lumi said that nothing would happen because she was simply looking through a mortal’s identity!"

"But who would have thought—who would have thought—"

She choked on her own tears, unable to continue.

Both women continued crying in the Goddess of Equivalent Exchange’s embrace, their tears soaking into her robes.

The sight was almost comical if it weren’t for the sheer terror behind it, two high and mighty Goddesses reduced to blubbering children.

The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange didn’t know what to do.

Even confronting the Primordial One had been something she could handle, something she could strategize around.

But faced with two crying sisters like this, she was completely out of her depth.

She wasn’t the best with handling emotions properly. Her domain was balance, logic, order—not comfort.

All she could do was pat their backs while saying,

"It’s alright, it’s alright. There’s no need to worry anymore. I’m right by your side."

This only made them cry even more.

But then she suddenly noticed something and couldn’t help but frown.

She turned her head toward Vera and slowly said,

"Vera, could you stop hugging me right now?"

Vera immediately pulled back in shock, her eyes wide with betrayal.

"Big Sis, how could you!?" She said, her voice filled with hurt. "Even though I’m not your actual sister, I’ve known you for so long! I’ve always considered you as my big sister and my idol!"

"But now you’re saying that? Let go?!"

"Why? Why are you saying such cruel things? Do you hate me for something I’ve done!?"

She said in a aggrieved manner, as if she had just lost all meaning in her life.

The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange simply shook her head, her expression slightly awkward.

"It’s not that...It’s just that I don’t want any unwanted fluids to stain my clothes."

Vera blinked in confusion. She didn’t understand what was going on.

But the moment she followed her gaze down—

Her face immediately turned a bright, burning red.

She had actually pissed herself!

At some point during the encounter, her bladder had simply given out. Her gown was completely wet, a dark stain spreading across the fabric.

And because she had been hugging the Goddess of Equivalent Exchange, she had rubbed that wetness onto her, leaving a visible stain on the Goddess’s elegant robe.

"NOOOOO!"

Vera shrieked, covering her face with her hands.

She flew away, her wings bursting from her back as she launched herself through the window.

She was unable to stay in the same room after committing such a shameful act.

The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange just let her go.

Then she turned to face her sister.

Lumiel looked up at her, her eyes still red and puffy.

"I’m going to change your position." The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange said slowly, her voice carefully measured.

"I am going to reassign you to a different duty. Someone else will oversee Luca from now on."

But despite everything that happened, Lumiel actually protested in panic.

"No! Please, no! Don’t do something like that!"

She shook her head vigorously, her voice frantic. She could not lose this position.

The fact that the Primordial One had come here just for Luca made her realize how pivotal her role was. She was connected to the most important mortal in existence.

She could not lose that!

But the Goddess of Equivalent Exchange shook her head.

"You’re far too curious for your own good, Lumi. I’m scared that you’ll do something you shouldn’t do once again and offend that entity."

"That will never happen, big sis!" Lumiel insisted, her voice desperate. "I’m not that stupid. I’ll not make the same mistake over and over."

She paused, then added, her voice trembling with a new kind of fear,

"Not to mention...the only reason I survived is because I had this connection to Luca. If you break that connection now, what if that entity comes back to take my life? What would you do then?"

The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange actually considered it.

She couldn’t predict the mind of that entity. The Primordial One was beyond comprehension, beyond logic.

And even though she did not want to admit it, since it seemed very unsafe, she let out a long, weary sigh.

"Fine..."

Lumiel sagged with relief.

"If you put it like that, it is impossible for you to take that position away."

But then the Goddess turned to face her fully, her expression stern.

"But don’t you dare do something like this once again."

Lumiel shivered.

"I was somehow able to save you this time." Her sister continued. "And even I’m surprised I managed to do so. But if this were to recur..."

She let out a big sigh, shaking her head.

"Then I promise you, not even all the Goddesses in the Heavenly Realm could come to save you."

Lumiel was about to nod. She was about to promise.

She was about to swear on her very existence that she would never, ever do anything like this again.

But then she thought of something.

"What about Luca?" She asked, her voice quiet. "What if Luca said something to save her? Would that entity take it into mind?"

She looked at her sister with a dark, curious expression.

"After all, she seems to have some connection with him."

The moment the words left her mouth, the Goddess of Equivalent Exchange’s expression became even angrier.

Her hand shot out and grabbed her sister’s ear.

"Ow, ow! Big sister, no, stop!"

But the Goddess of Equivalent Exchange did not care. She started pulling her sister along, her voice stern and unforgiving.

"Just a moment ago, I told you not to ask too many questions. Yet here you are, trying to link those two again."

She grunted, yanking harder. "I’m definitely going to punish you today. If I let you off like this, you’ll only invite your own death."

"I’m sorry, big sister! I won’t do such a thing again! Please, I beg you! No more punishment! I have suffered enough!"

The Goddess of Equivalent Exchange did not seem moved. She dragged her sister away, her grip firm and unyielding.

And despite everything, the terror, the pain, the near-death experience, Lumiel could not stop her mind from racing.

What was the link between those two?

One was simply a mortal. A bit stronger than others, perhaps.

But still a mortal.

And the other was a being who ruled over the universe itself.

A being who could break apart the entire dimension with a snap of her finger.

What could they possibly share?

Lumiel decided, deep in her heart, that even though she would not be able to find out directly, she might find some small clues.

Some hints.

Some fragments of the truth.

She looked forward to meeting Luca again. For the first time in a long while, she felt genuine enthusiasm toward her duty.

Of course, her sister noticed the glint in her eye.

Which only made her pull on Lumiel’s ear even harder, while thinking that it had been quite a while since her little sister had been spanked.

She was looking forward to see just how bright her sister’s bottom was going to be after she was done with her.