Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard
Chapter 42: The first attempt - Part 1

Chapter 42: 42: The first attempt - Part 1

Duchess Amara’s boldness only grew as the moments stretched on, her teasing smile unwavering.

Her fingers lightly brushed Auriel’s forearm, tracing faint patterns that made the goddess’s skin tingle in a way she wasn’t accustomed to.

Amara leaned in closer, her gaze holding a mix of curiosity and intent, as though she were trying to peel away layers of the goddess’s stoic facade.

"My dear Auriel, you seem so tense. Surely a goddess should not carry such burdens alone. Perhaps you should let me ease some of that divine weight. It’s only fair to repay your kindness for visiting my humble domain"

Amara purred, her voice rich and melodic. Her touch was borderline inappropriate, but Auriel’s mouth would not move to complain.

Auriel, overwhelmed and unsure of how to respond, leaned slightly away, her usual calm faltering.

She wasn’t used to this kind of directness, let alone the subtle but undeniable intimacy of Amara’s words and touch.

"Duchess, I—"

Auriel began, her tone faltering as she tried to find the right words to diffuse the situation.

But before she could finish, Carol, who had been quietly observing from a corner of the room, stepped forward.

Her expression was stern, her movements deliberate as she positioned herself between Auriel and Amara like a protective shield.

"Duchess Amara. I must ask you to keep your distance from the goddess. It is unbecoming to act so forwardly with someone of her stature"

Carol said sharply, her voice laced with an authority that belied her young age.

Amara blinked, momentarily taken aback, before her lips curled into an amused smirk.

"Oh, dear Carol," she said with a light laugh, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "There’s no need to be so protective. I meant no harm. I was simply... enjoying the company of our esteemed guest."

Carol’s eyes narrowed, and her grip tightened on her dagger.

"Enjoying her company or not, your actions are inappropriate. Step back."

The tension in the air grew thick as Carol’s sharp gaze met Amara’s playful one.

For a moment, it seemed like the duchess might push her luck further, but the priestess’s unwavering seriousness caused her to reconsider.

Amara let out a dramatic sigh, as though she were genuinely disappointed, and took a measured step back.

"Very well, if you insist, I will feel like I have no choice but to comply. No need to be so dramatic, my dear priestess. I’ll leave you both to your business."

Amara said, her tone still playful, though she raised her hands as if in surrender. Just as she was about to turn away, Carol’s grip on her staff shifted ever so slightly, and the edge of it grazed Amara’s arm, leaving a shallow scratch.

A bead of crimson welled up, and the duchess’s smile faltered for the briefest of moments before returning, this time with an edge of amusement.

"Oh, my, such dedication to protecting your goddess," Amara said with a soft chuckle, glancing at the thin line of blood on her arm.

"It seems I’ve underestimated your devotion, Carol."

Without waiting for a reply, the duchess stepped away, her movements fluid and unhurried as she left the room.

Her retreating figure radiated a mixture of amusement and curiosity, as though she were already planning her next move.

Once the door clicked shut behind her, Carol turned to Auriel, her expression still tense.

"Goddess Auriel, would you like to leave now? I believe we’ve completed what we came here for"

She began, her voice softening slightly.

Auriel, still processing the duchess’s boldness and Carol’s fierce reaction, shook her head gently.

"No, Carol. I think we should stay another day."

Carol frowned, clearly unhappy with the response.

"Another day? But why? We’ve already seen the tablet and dealt with the disturbances in the temple. What more is there to do here?"

Auriel’s gaze turned distant, her golden eyes glinting with a faint light as she focused inward.

"I don’t know for sure. But my senses are telling me that something is going to happen. Something important. I can’t leave yet"

She admitted, her tone thoughtful.

Carol opened her mouth to argue but hesitated. She could see the conviction in Auriel’s expression, the way her aura pulsed faintly as though responding to something unseen.

While she didn’t fully understand what the goddess was feeling, she knew better than to question her judgment.

"Very well. If you believe it’s necessary, we’ll stay. But please, Goddess, let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help."

Carol said at last, though her tone was reluctant.

Auriel offered a small smile, appreciating Carol’s willingness to comply despite her clear reservations. "Thank you, Carol. Your support means more to me than you know."

As the priestess stepped back to give Auriel some space, the goddess couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt

She knew that staying here posed risks, both to herself and to Carol, but something deep within her whispered that their journey wasn’t over yet.

That night, Auriel lay awake in her chambers, her thoughts swirling as she tried to piece together the strange events of the day.

The tension with Duchess Amara, the lingering unease she felt around the stone tablet, and the subtle tug in her senses all pointed to something larger at play.

She closed her eyes, her divine senses stretching outward like threads seeking answers in the darkness. Faint whispers reached her ears, fragments of voices she couldn’t quite understand. They seemed to come from the direction of the temple, pulling at her like an invisible tether.

Auriel sat up in bed, her heart beating faster. Whatever was happening, it was connected to the temple—and she couldn’t ignore it.

______

The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the duchess’s tea room, casting warm beams of light across the richly adorned space.

Auriel sat stiffly in her seat, a delicate porcelain teacup before her, its contents steaming faintly.

The duchess, seated opposite her, radiated her usual air of confidence and playfulness, her piercing eyes never leaving Auriel.

Auriel hadn’t wanted to attend this tea meeting alone, but when Carol had asked for time to refresh herself, she couldn’t find it in her to refuse. She had reluctantly agreed, hoping the encounter would be brief and uneventful.

Yet, the moment she entered the room and was greeted by the duchess’s knowing smile, she had known this wouldn’t be the case.

The tea was fragrant, its aroma a calming blend of herbs and spices, but Auriel couldn’t bring herself to relax.

She sipped cautiously, her divine senses alert for any signs of ill intent, though none presented themselves. Meanwhile, the duchess’s teacup remained untouched, her elegant fingers idly tracing the rim as her attention remained fixed on the goddess.

Auriel tried to break the silence.

"Duchess Amara, you haven’t touched your tea. Is something wrong with it?"

She asked, her tone polite but tinged with curiosity.

Amara’s lips curved into a sly smile, her gaze softening in a way that felt almost too intimate.

"Oh, no, there’s nothing wrong with the tea. It’s just that I find myself completely unthirsty in your presence, my dear Auriel. After all, what could be more fulfilling than the divine beauty sitting right in front of me?"

She replied, her voice smooth and deliberate.

Auriel blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the blatant flirtation. Her cheeks warmed, though whether it was from embarrassment or irritation, she couldn’t quite tell.

"That’s... kind of you to say, Duchess. But tea is meant to be enjoyed. Please, don’t let my presence stop you from partaking"

She replied, her voice strained as she tried to maintain her composure.

Amara chuckled, a low and melodic sound that seemed to fill the room.

"Oh, I assure you, Goddess, your presence could never be a hindrance. If anything, it’s an inspiration. But perhaps I’ll take a sip—if only to make you feel more at ease."

She lifted her teacup with deliberate slowness, her movements graceful and calculated, and took a small sip. It did not even seem as if any tea went inside her mouth when she did this,

Her eyes never left Auriel’s, making the moment feel oddly charged. Auriel shifted uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly feeling as though she were the subject of an unspoken game.

"Is something wrong, my dear Auriel? You seem uneasy. Surely, you’re not afraid of a harmless little tea session?"

Amara asked, her tone feigning innocence but her smile betraying her amusement.

Auriel straightened, determined to regain her composure.

"Not at all, Duchess. I simply... have much on my mind. The events of the past few days have been troubling, and I’ve been trying to make sense of them."

Auriel spoke softly as she grabbed her tea. But before she could bring it to her lips and drink it, she felt an odd sensation that caused her to put her tea down. She had no desire to drink this tea all of a sudden.

’How weird. I am not usually this picky about my food.’