After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

Theresa quickly pressed Lalumia for an explanation for accepting the terms, and Lalumia simply smiled and gestured with three points.

"Firstly—now I and the United Nations are also bound together by a shared destiny, right? Although I personally don't care whether I can regain my power, I'm glad that the United Nations can bring light and hope to this world... So on that level, I'm definitely willing to help the United Nations become better. Of course, even without that meaning, I'm still happy to make everyone's lives better."

Secondly—even though I am a god, it doesn't mean that a god can be waited on hand and foot, okay? Even at my most powerful, I still had my own work to do, so being able to earn a living through work is definitely the ideal life for me.

Thirdly, and more importantly... I've seen how hard Yang Hao has worked. Even with the presiding judge, you, and the elf Fen assisting him... you know how terrifying his workload is for a mortal, right?

Lalumia's question silenced Theresa.

She was aware of the intensity of Yang Hao's work.

During relatively calm periods, he would work more than fourteen hours a day—excluding time for eating and showering, he would not actually sleep for more than seven hours.

This is without considering the strain of a normal nightlife between husband and wife. Of course, Theresa and the others certainly wouldn't do *that* when he's exhausted.

Even so, in urgent situations, Yang Hao sometimes works more than 18 hours a day... If it weren't for Fen holding him back, this record might have already broken the 20-hour mark.

This wasn't because Yang Hao enjoyed forcing himself to work. The most important reason was that many tasks were simply beyond his ability to handle... With Teresa and Fen unable to offer much help, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and deal with them himself.

For Yang Hao, what brings him the most relief is actually when unexpected events occur—because in those situations, he's bound to have to go on a business trip. And once he's away, he can get some rest earlier... It just goes to show how unpredictable life can be.

It's safe to say that without Fen's underhanded tactics, this man would already be bedridden, paralyzed for a year or more. But even with the aid of elven magic, his physical condition was still unacceptably poor...

"I know..."

Theresa understood this perfectly well. But... why was Lalumia helping Yang Hao so much? If it were just about his physical condition, Lalumia could easily use divine magic to turn Yang Hao into a tireless workaholic monster—why was the most important reason Lalumia was willing to work so much because Yang Hao's current physical condition was so dangerous that he was on the verge of collapse?

why?

Theresa looked at Lalumia, who simply stroked her hair gently before sighing and offering an explanation:

"After all, I can't change a person's inner self, you know? Yang Hao wants to be a person, not a [machine], so I respect his idea—but I'm also worried about his physical condition."

"Teresa, as my nun and saint, you should be well aware that divine power and magical power can cause significant long-term damage to people, right?"

"Yes..."

What Lalumia is talking about now is something that Theresa had already heard about.

That is a common fact in this world—people who live under the influence of divine or magical power for a long time will gradually be eroded into beings who can only survive in specific environments.

To put it simply, if an elf who has lived in a magically rich environment for a long time were to move around in a magically scarce area, he would feel seriously unwell and might even be in danger of losing his life.

Similarly, divine power also has long-term side effects—if Teresa constantly uses divine power to repair Yang Hao's body, then sooner or later Yang Hao will become someone who cannot breathe normally once he is outside the environment of divine power...

Lalumia was worried about this, which is why she didn't consider using her divine power to alleviate Yang Hao's fatigue—moreover, for this divine mother who had lived for thousands of years, she knew very well that treating the symptoms but not the root cause was meaningless at the moment.

Lalumia may continue to provide repairs for Yang Hao, but can that change the fact that Yang Hao's work will become increasingly demanding in the future? Certainly not.

Instead of constantly using divine power for physical healing, it would be better to use one's knowledge and experience to create opportunities for him to rest and recuperate in practical work—this way, Lalumia could also train qualified administrative personnel for Yang Hao. In this way, even if Lalumia were to leave this world again someday, Yang Hao's body wouldn't collapse again due to a sudden illness...

After learning about Lalumia's idea, Theresa felt relieved: As expected of [Light], you think more than I do... But then again, dear Lalumia? Why do I always feel that you... seem to have unconsciously identified yourself as Yang Hao's mother?

Theresa looked at Lalumia with suspicion.

Gentle Light simply tilted his head and smiled:

“How could I possibly abandon such a poor child? Theresa, you must know that you are the only family he has left in this world.”

"He had no parents in this world, and his only elder brother, Benjamin Roman, and his wife had also turned to dust. He was already an adult, and he could not find anyone older than himself. No matter how much he suffered in this world, he could no longer find anyone he could truly hold in his arms and cry his heart out."

In this respect, Teresa, you can't do it either. After all, a lover and an elder are different. There are some things people are only willing to confide in their elders, not their lovers. It's not about trust, it's just inappropriate.

So... I can't let go of this child who has tried so hard for so long only to be betrayed time and again. Especially when I think about how he suffers injustice and can only grit his teeth and swallow it all. In a sense, Teresa, you are actually very lucky in his eyes.”

Lalumia gently stroked Theresa's forehead. Under the silent gaze of the young nun, this goddess, radiating maternal beauty, simply smiled and sighed.

"You can snuggle in my arms, and when you're tired, you can fall asleep in my arms. Although you have a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders now, as an immature child, you have the right to be spoiled by everyone, and he is willing to be your safe haven and your wall."

But who else can he turn to for comfort and affection?

"I..."

"Theresa, think it over carefully. Has he ever actually snuggled up to you and acted like a child when he felt wronged? Since taking on the responsibility of a family again, have you ever seen him cry and vent his emotions?"

Lalumia's words silenced all the explanations and possibilities that Theresa had offered.

...Think about it carefully.

Since Yang Hao once again took on the responsibilities of the Regent.

Theresa had never seen him truly cry.

He would hug her, rest on her lap, and at night he liked to snuggle against her chest while sleeping... but Teresa truly... never saw him cry even once.

Think about it carefully... Is this really normal?

Theresa was speechless. She had worked tirelessly for Yang Hao, and considered so much about his health... She had considered Yang Hao's feelings, his goals and responsibilities, but she had never considered whether Yang Hao had the need or the right to cry.

Or perhaps, in this matter, Teresa still saw herself as an ordinary woman, believing her man to be an unbreakable, unyielding wall, a great man who would not shed a tear because of pain, a partner she could rely on and who would support her toward a bright future...

But both she and Fen overlooked the fact that... no matter how strong and upright a man is, he always has a vulnerable side. He can't possibly show his weakness in front of someone who relies on him, but how can he vent the grievances that gradually accumulate in his life?

Theresa recalled how, when she was a child, she would always like to lie in her parents' arms and cry when she felt wronged.

She recalled the time when she still had "light" to rely on even after her parents passed away... But what about Yang Hao?

Since Benjamin and his wife died in a conspiracy, does Yang Hao really have a place to cry his heart out?

No, right?

...

She lowered her head.

For the first time, I felt so pained and disgusted by my own negligence.

But just as Theresa was overwhelmed by her own repression and discontent, Lalumia continued to stroke her hair, saying: It's not too late. At least for Yang Hao, his weariness was far from reaching the level of "feeling wronged." They still had a chance to mend things before his emotions completely collapsed.

"So, Theresa? Do you understand why I did this?"

Lalumia withdrew her hand, slowly rose from the bench, and looked in the direction of Yang Hao through countless walls.

“This is not just for work... for the long term... more importantly, I really can’t let go of this poor child.”

"In the past, I couldn't even maintain much of my form and consciousness in front of you... As for me, even if I really wanted to help you all, I simply didn't have the strength..."

But now, having regained my body and some of my strength, I want to do what I can—perhaps I can't handle my work well, perhaps I might make my already exhausting work even worse... but at least, I hope I can give that child the right to cry by my side. At least I hope that when he can't bear the pressure, he can choose a way of self-protection that doesn't involve harming others.

Of course, he might be stronger than I imagine... but anyway, isn't it pitiful for a child to have no adults to rely on?

"...Um."

Theresa sighed.

She felt that... even after becoming Yang Hao's wife, she couldn't quite be considered a qualified partner.

But at least it's as Lalumia said...

It's not too late to change now.

Chapter Seven: The Girls' Alert Level Raised—A Small Move by Light - 8K

After confirming the next steps, Theresa accompanied Lalumia as they strolled around the Purple Palace.

Lalumia's omniscience has its limitations—while she can know everyone's names precisely, she cannot know everyone's experiences every single minute. Her omniscience is limited, therefore she needs to move around more to gather more information and prepare for future work.

The most typical example is that Lalumia still doesn't know the full layout of the Purple Palace—she sometimes seems to confuse her room with Teresa's, and almost made a huge blunder last night when she was resting...

To prevent a similar incident from happening again, and to help Lalumia get acquainted with her new home, Teresa decides to become her guide and personally show her around.

"Hmm... so this is the structure here? I was wondering why it was different from what I remembered... so it's not fully repaired yet?"

Lalumia gazed thoughtfully at the passageway leading to the other courtyard, while Theresa, in response to her reflections, simply sighed and shook her head.

"Of course. This palace was already damaged underground, and the reconstruction isn't even completely finished yet... Compared to that, [Light]—"

“Call me Lalumia—my child. At least don’t call me by my name in front of outsiders. I don’t want people suddenly worshipping me, you know?”

Lalumia gently covered Theresa's lips, smiling and nodding to signal her to be a little quieter.

When faced with Lalumia's instructions, Theresa simply nodded in agreement before continuing to wander around the Purple Palace with the deity who looked almost exactly like her.

Because it was still morning working hours, they didn't encounter anyone else on the road except for some servants or guards who were sweeping the courtyard and doing gardening.

They walked around the inner side of the Purple Palace, then around the outer side. Noticing the stares and glances people were giving them, Lalumia pulled a hood over her head to conceal her face, avoiding gossip and criticism. This prompted Baselisa to shrug.

"You didn't have to do that, [Light]... Lalumia."

"But this is to avoid chaos, you know? The human heart is the most stable yet also the most easily disturbed thing. To avoid trouble, this is necessary." Lalumia smiled. "Besides, I don't want to cause you any trouble in the future, my child—if I ever sneak out to play and get caught, you might get into trouble because of me, you know?"

"Then would it be better if you stayed in the Purple Palace?"

"impossible."

Lalumia rejected Theresa's suggestion. Under Theresa's twitching gaze, she carefully observed everything in the purple palace. Looking thoughtfully up at the coastline where the floating islands of Eden were located, the benevolent deity uttered a strange question:

“Theresa? Have you noticed that people are watching us every now and then?” She gestured around the air as if countless cameras were watching her, and said somewhat strangely, “And it seems like the people watching us aren’t just watching us.”

"Who knows? But I've done my best to ensure secrecy within the Purple Palace... If it's a deity observing us, there's really nothing I can do."

"But the other party isn't a god... at least they don't mean any harm. However..."

"but?"

Seeing Theresa tilting her head in distress, Lalumia finally put the question, "Does the other party care more about Yang Hao?" to her mind for the time being.

After all, just as Lalumia said, the abnormal life form that was spying on the Purple Palace didn't really care about their existence, nor about the secrets within the Purple Palace, and even less about her current identity.

That gaze was constantly fixed on Yang Hao, who was far away in the office... It was an unusual gaze, giving Lalumia the feeling that a child who didn't understand love was looking at another person with eyes that were filled with curiosity and affection.

Although the child might not know why he was doing this, Lalumia understood perfectly—and naturally, she had no intention of ruining his little unrequited love.

On the other hand, I wonder what Teresa will think when she finds out about this?

The loving deity was troubled, but in the end she could only sigh: the children can handle their own affairs, she really doesn't need to worry about them all the time.

And so, after walking around several more times.

Feeling somewhat exhausted, they decided to go back to Theresa's office to check on Yang Hao and the others, but unexpectedly, they ran into Naruja and Natalia on their way back.

Natalia held little Anna's hand with a melancholy expression, while little Anna puffed out her cheeks as if she was angry about something. Naruja, who was following behind them, rubbed her eyes in confusion, clearly not yet recovered from the all-night research work the previous night.

Theresa greeted them, and the three stopped to look at her. After a moment, Theresa crouched down, looking at the half-face of little Anna timidly hiding behind Natalia. She sighed with a wry smile: Why does this child like to hide from me so much?

"Your Majesty...this..."