"Something inside me wanted to let Pavel and Arnold die, and then get Rhea and Rosemary for myself," Nero asserted.

"That's… a joke… right?"

Nero didn't say anything and stared at the sun.

"It was a joke, right?" Sophia asked again.

After a while, Nero muttered, "I wish I could say yes."

"..."

Sophia hugged Nero from behind and uttered, "But you didn't do it, so it's okay."

"When I was carrying Arnold here, a voice whispered in my ears, saying: 'Let him die, and you can get Rosemary'. And when Pavel died, it whispered: 'Get her'."

Sophia hugged Nero tighter and said the same thing again: "But you didn't do it, so it's okay."

"I don't even like them that way. And what's worse is they were my friend's… lover."

"Shhh! Stop thinking about that," Sophia advised.

"I am worried, Sophi." Nero turned to Sophia and said, "What if I turn like that someday? What if I become someone else one day?"

"You won't."

"I may call myself a villain, but I was to sustain my morals and little of the humanity I have left from my last life."

"Don't worry," Sophia reassured. "There have been many chances before where you didn't give in to temptation. The best example I can give is your powers."

"If you wanted, you could have ruled over the world, but you didn't," Sophia added.

"Well…" Nero shrugged and uttered, "I am planning to take over the world, though."

"Hmm?"

"I am already the king of Olympus. And now I have almost taken over this continent. As for the other three surrounding this continent, I plan to get them soon." Nero asserted nonchalantly.

"Then, I will be the king of half of the mortal world. And we will take over the rest as we travel."

"Heh!" Sophia scoffed and placed her head on Nero's lap.

"What do you plan to do after you take over this realm?" She asked curiously.

"Then I will take over the other realm, then another, and another. I will become the one and only almighty. I will make my own laws and rules. I will overthrow the heavens and Hells!" He declared.

"Everyone will bow before me, and you— my pervy girls will sit beside me on my throne."

"Don't call us pervy girls." Sophia puffed her cheeks and uttered, "Only Emilia is a pervert, and I am a pure maiden."

"Oh? Your slutty and orgasmic face doesn't look so pure when you are shaking your hips," Nero remarked.

"That doesn't count." Sophia averted her gaze and continued, "Aside from that, I don't act like a pervert as Emilia does all the time."

"What are we going to do about Asteria?" Nero muttered in a solemn voice.

Sophia looked into Nero's eyes and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Asteria… is princess Astrea right now."

"So?"

"I have to get her back to normal," Nero murmured.

"But she is Princess Astrea's reincarnation, so they both are the same," Sophia shrugged.

"That's what I thought. But the current Asteria doesn't remember anything of this life. She doesn't even remember that she is dead."

Sophia raised her brows and muttered, "Does that matter? Asteria is Astrea. It's not as though she is possessing her body or something."

"That's true… but…"

SIGH!

Nero let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

After staring at Nero for a while, Sophia rubbed her hand on Nero's cheek and asked with a curious look on her face: "If you have to select either one of them, who would you choose? Princess Astrea or Asteria?"

"Both are precious to me, and I can't choose either of them," Nero answered. "And Princess Astrea and Asteria are the same person, so your question doesn't make any sense."

Sophia squinted her eyes and pinched Nero's cheek before saying, 'Stop acting so oblivious. You know exactly what I am talking about."

"...."

Nero stayed silent, but after a brief moment, he opened his mouth to utter, "I don't know the answer to that."

Sophia smiled gently and rubbed her thumb on Nero's lips.

"You are so predictable," she said.

Nero furrowed his brows and pinched Sophia's nose in annoyance.

"Stop acting so cheesy."

"I saved Arnold's life by healing him for hours." Sophia sat up from Nero's lap and said, "I need praise. Give me a reward."

Nero moved his hand to Sophia's hand and patted her.

"Here you go."

Sophia puffed her cheeks and glared at Nero.

"Ha!" Nero laughed out loud and commented, "If you want something, then you have to get it yourself."

Sophia jumped on Nero and pinned him down to the ground. Then, without wasting any time, Sophia pressed her lips on Nero's and started kissing him.

They kissed again and again for a while. Sophia was in her angel form, but she could kiss Nero using her new technique. However, she couldn't keep that up for long. So whenever she reached the time limit, she stopped kissing Nero and then kissed him again after some time.

It was a risky thing to do as she would have died if she had become a fallen angel, but she still kissed Nero without any worries.

RUSTLE~!

Suddenly, Asteria appeared in front of them and saw Nero and Sophia kissing each other.

"Why…" she muttered in a low voice.

"...!"

"Why is Sophia kissing master Zeus when he already has a lover, and they are going to get married soon?"

"Aster— princess Astrea, The thing is—!"

Just as Nero was going to explain things to Asteria, she collapsed to the ground.

Nero and Sophia hurried to Asteria with concerned looks on their faces.

Nero picked up Asteria in his arms and looked at her with his face full of worry.

After a few seconds, Asteria opened her eyes but closed them again because of the sunlight. She opened her eyes again and stared at Nero with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"Why are we outside? We were sleeping in the inn…"

Asteria was back to her usual self.

"I will explain everything later; you can sleep for now."

Asteria drifted to sleep in Nero's arms.

SIGH!

Nero sighed and began walking towards their carriage.

"Was that a sigh of relief because Asteria was back to her usual self?" Sophia asked curiously.

"Not really. I was just happy that Asteria was back," Nero answered.

"Does that mean you fancy Asteria more than Princess Astrea?"

"No. They both are the same person. However, it seems that Princess Astrea doesn't remember dying. I don't know what caused her death, but I won't choose between Asteria and Princess Astrea until they both regain their full memories."