"So, you have called me." Gaia stepped in front of her gracefully.
"Yes." Vivian nodded with a solemn expression. "I know that in your eyes, I might be nothing but a mortal. Unlike him, I might not have much karma. Although I donāt fully understand everything, I still want power. For that, I wish to cooperate with you."
Gaia narrowed her eyes. Even though Vivian was acting bold, for some reason, Gaia looked at her as if she were looking at herself in the mirror.
There was a clear vision in her eyes. A maiden in love.
āDonāt tell me...ā Gaia fell silent for a moment before asking, "Are you... in love?"
"!!!" Vivianās heart skipped a beat. "W-W-What do you mean by āI am in love?ā I am not. Itās true that I canāt help but feel weird when I see him with that woman called Regina, but thatās not it.
"I once had a familiar after losing both of my parents. He treated me like my new parent and taught me a lot of things.
"I regarded him as my teacher and father. Right now, my feelings toward him are the same. He is a student of mine. He is like a son to me! Thereās no way I am in love with my own son!"
Gaia tilted her head in confusion, as if Vivian had just said something so foolish. "I didnāt mention a name, though."
"Ah!" Vivian was so hurried to explain herself that she missed that part. Her face instantly turned red with embarrassment. "I... I..."
Gaia observed her reaction the whole time. āI see. If this is the case, itās going to be a bit more amusing than I originally thought.ā
She pointed her finger at Vivian. "You. Marry your student right away. If you do, I will fully cooperate with you."
"W-What?!" Vivian took a step back in shock.
"I mean what I say. Or is there any other reason you choose not to follow my request?" Gaia narrowed her eyes, pressuring her.
Vivian shook her head furiously. "No, no, no. Didnāt you hear me? Heās like a son to me. A teacher and student relationship is already a taboo, let alone a mother and son relationship!"
"Yeah, so what of it?"
Gaiaās reply was so casual that it was clear she didnāt find anything weird.
"What of it?" Vivian was rather speechless. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation.
"There is something you need to know. I might not have married my son, but I did mate with him and bore a lot of children."
That statement felt like thunder reverberating in her ears. She simply couldnāt believe what she had just said.
"You... You..."
"You what?" Gaia scoffed. "Your way of thinking is too simple. If you wish to follow him, shouldnāt you aim high? With my guidance, you can become a deity or even reach my level.
"At that time, the concept of the mortal is irrelevant to you. Thatās why you donāt have to worry about it.
"Do you have other problems?"
Vivian was speechless. This was the first time it had felt like her moral values had shattered into pieces.
Gaia continued, "From your memory, summoning me is his idea. He should have known me to a certain extent.
"Despite knowing this fact, he told you about me and suggested you summon me.
"If you think about it, isnāt this his intention as well? If he truly respected the master and disciple relationship, he wouldnāt have told you about me.
"So, he must be interested in you as well. Rather than doing it directly, he used me to get you."
Gaia was spouting nonsense. Nathan gave the suggestion because Gaia was the most suitable goddess to her.
However, Gaia also got the memory of Nathan from Vivian. And in that memory, Nathanās character and abilities gave an opening to exploit.
Nathan was smart, so it was not weird if he actually made such a plan. In addition, there was only one spot left.
With Reginaās existence, the threat increased day by day. If she didnāt act soon, she might regret it in the future.
In addition, Luna, Evelyn, and Bella even told her a lot of things regarding her relationship with Nathan.
Vivian looked down.
"It looks like you have realized it. Rather than thinking hard, you should think like me. At that time, there are only a few questions to get the answer youāre looking for. Be honest with me. Do you feel his presence repulsive?"
Vivian hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No. Itās true that heās often lustful, but he knows his limits. People often look at me with such a gaze, but he has matured lately."
"In that case, do you want to be separated from him and never see him again?"
Vivian shook her head even harder. "Thereās no way Iām fine with it!"
"Then, my last question. Do you like him, not as your student, not as your son, but as a man?"
"I..." Vivian was tongue-tied.
"I donāt care if you like him as a teacher. I donāt mind if you like him as a mother. However, I just want to know whether you like him as a man."
Vivian bit her lip. Did she like him? The answer was obvious. When did it start?
Thinking back, she believed it started when she showed her weak side for the first time. Nathan told him about fulfilling her revenge by going to another continent at that time.
From that point on, her gaze slowly changed. Then, Nathan kept changing her perspective from time to time.
With the constant teasing and mentions from the people around her, she couldnāt help but become aware of her feelings.
There was one thing that had been stopping her the whole time. The taboo relationship was something that had been pushing her rationality to work.
But with what Gaia said earlier, she couldnāt help but think, āIs it really alright for me to be with him?ā
There was no need to follow the rules that were made by mortals. If she got strong enough, her perception would change.
Vivian, although hesitant, gave a rather clear answer. "I... do."