Chapter 43 The Debate
As the messenger of the gods and the fastest runner in Olympus, Hermes always had the latest gossip from the divine mountain. No matter what news it was, he was always the first to hear it, and then he would be the one to spread it to everyone else.
But lately, there were two major pieces of news that Hermes was reluctant to share and even afraid to announce.
The first piece, which he didn’t want to spread, was that Venus had given birth to the little God of Love, Cupid. Although Hermes had long accepted the reality that Venus had married and had child with someone else, he still couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. He had once harbored feelings for Venus and even had a brief, fleeting affair with him, but the fact that the god he had once loved had a child with another god was just too painful for him to mention.
The second piece of news, which Hermes dared not share, was about the tumultuous changes in the marriage of Zeus and Hera. For a thousand years, the drama of Zeus’ infidelity and Hera’s heartbreaks had played out over and over, and the gods of Olympus had grown used to the messy soap opera. However, recently, Zeus had unexpectedly regretted his past actions and was trying to win Hera back. Hera, in turn, had suddenly had an epiphany. In the last, she had done everything in her power to keep Zeus’ heart, but now she was ignoring him entirely. She had even returned the golden belt to Venus. Now, Zeus found himself desperately trying to win his wife back.
Hermes could not bring himself to speak of such gossip about his superiors, especially when it involved the King and Queen of the Gods.
But both of these stories were of such great significance that, even without Hermes spreading the word, the entire divine mountain would soon know.
At that moment, the gods of Olympus were still unaware that the two pieces of news were actually related. Had they known how powerful Cupid’s arrows were, they would have avoided him at all costs, keeping a safe distance from the mischievous little god. They certainly wouldn’t have let themselves be tricked so miserably.
Venus, with his innate beauty, had captivated the hearts of all the gods in Olympus. Although Cupid was tiny, his appearance was the spitting image of a young Venus. He was exquisite and beautiful, with a pair of adorable little wings. The moment he appeared before the gods, he melted everyone’s heart with his cuteness.
“What a beautiful child!”
What a beautiful child! When he grew up, he would be another stunningly handsome young man.
A number of gods had already set their sights on the little God of Love, planning to wait for him to grow older and seize their opportunity.
At that moment, Cupid was adored by everyone, and no one could foresee that, in the future, he would become the very reason that gods would flee at the mere mention of his name.
Hephaestus, on the other hand, had become the most envied god among them all. As the firstborn son of the King of the Gods, he was supposed to have a noble status. But due to his physical and aesthetic flaws, he was never favored by Zeus and Hera, nor did he stand out like his younger brother, Ares. In Olympus, Hephaestus was always looked down upon. Yet, despite all of this, he had the most beautiful wife and the cutest child, something that many gods could only dream of, but could never hope to have.
Amidst their jealousy, rumors began to spread.
“Cupid can’t possibly be Hephaestus’s biological son. They don’t look alike at all.”
“I think so too. How could such an unattractive god have such a beautiful child?”
“Didn’t Venus once sleep with Hermes? He’s been flaunting it everywhere. Who knows how many gods have had relationships with Venus in private? Dionysus and Ares probably have, too. They’ve always been close to Venus, so maybe they’re the real fathers of Cupid.”
“I bet it’s Ares.”
“I think it’s Dionysus.”
The rumors swirled, and though no one could agree on who Cupid’s father might be, it seemed everyone had reached a consensus that Cupid must be an illegitimate child.
In this way, Hephaestus’ happiness could never be too perfect. His blissful family life was nothing more than an illusion. Then the gods could pity him instead of envying him.
Hephaestus, however, paid no mind to the gossip. Every day, when he saw his child and his wife playing games together in the nursery, he felt content and at peace.
Life was something one created for oneself, not something defined by the words of others.
Once, a god boldly called Cupid an illegitimate child in front of Hephaestus. The god’s words ignited the wrath of the God of Fire, who punished him with flames. The god howled in agony and begged for mercy, and from that day on, no god dared to gossip recklessly on the divine mountain again.
It turned out that when Hephaestus lost his temper, he could be truly terrifying.
But the gods were even more certain in their minds that Cupid was an illegitimate child. They believed Hephaestus’ reaction was one of embarrassment, not anger.
As for who the child’s father was, there were many versions of the story circulating among the gods, but the most widely accepted theory was that it was Ares.
This was largely because, in recent years, Ares had not been seen with any other lovers.
The gods speculated that, after being captivated by Venus’ beauty, Ares had no interest in other lovers. No one could fathom any other reason why he might have refrained from his usual affairs.
Ares had his own reasons, but he would never voice them. He certainly wouldn’t tell about his erectile dysfunction.
Venus, completely unaware of the rumors swirling outside, was blissfully protected by Hephaestus. The God of Fire shielded him so well that not a single piece of gossip ever reached his ears.
Even if Venus had heard the rumors, he wouldn’t have cared.
To him, it wasn’t something worth paying attention to.
Their indifference to the gossip, however, stirred the dissatisfaction of some gods.
One day, Venus was sitting under a tree, playing with Cupid, when Eos, the Goddess of the Dawn, slowly approached, draped in the soft light of morning. She walked with an air of grace and beauty.
But as she neared Venus, the radiance around her seemed to fade.
No other goddess could compare to Venus’ beauty.
Cupid pointed behind Venus. “Father.”
Venus turned around and saw Eos standing there. Out of politeness, he gave the goddess a greeting.
He wasn’t particularly familiar with Eos. He only knew that she was one of Ares’ lovers. The rumor about Ares’ passionate and rough style in bed was originally spread from this goddess.
Eos gave Cupid a jealous look. This child, said to be Ares’ son, made her heart ache. She had once been Ares’ most favored lover, and she had deeply loved the handsome God of War. But when Venus had arrived on the divine mountain, his beauty had outshone everyone else’s, and Ares had begun to see him as the one he truly desired. Whenever Eos saw him, he would lament that she wasn’t as beautiful as Venus, treating her as a mere substitute. Years passed, and once Venus came of age, Ares never sought her out again.
But he and Venus even had a child.
“This is Ares’ child,” Eos said, her tone filled with certainty.
Venus was taken aback. “How do you know?”
He himself didn’t even know who Cupid’s other father was, so how had the Goddess of Dawn come to that conclusion?
Eos, however, misunderstood Venus’ question, interpreting it as an acknowledgment. “So it’s true. He is Ares’ child.”
Venus: “……” So how was she so certain?
Eos gave a bitter smile. “I’m truly jealous of you.”
Venus frowned.
Jealous. That word again.
He had heard it many times before, but he could never fully understand it.
“Why jealous?” he asked.
Venus was genuinely curious.
“Are you asking me that on purpose?” Eos replied. “If I told you I slept with Ares last night, wouldn’t you feel jealous? Wouldn’t you be upset?”
Venus asked sincerely, “Why would I feel jealous? Why would I be upset?”
“Yes, in your eyes, I don’t even count as a threat. You really don’t take me seriously!”
Venus: “???”
He didn’t say anything, did he?
Eos pressed on. “If your favorite god slept with another god, wouldn’t you feel something? Not just Ares, but Hephaestus, Dionysus, Hermes, Apollo…… if they had other lovers besides you, wouldn’t you feel jealous?”
Venus answered simply, “I wouldn’t.”
The god he loved most, Adonis, was not included in that list. But even if Adonis were to have relationships with other lovers, Venus would think little of it. A person couldn’t eat just one dish for a lifetime. He couldn’t do it himself, so he wouldn’t expect it from anyone else.
But if Adonis fell in love with someone else…… Venus paused and thought about it. Maybe there would be a little discomfort.
Just a little.
Was this jealousy?
But there was no need for “ifs.” Adonis was already dead.
Eos fell silent, unable to respond.
“Venus, you have no heart! You don’t understand love at all!” Eos snapped, throwing down the words in anger before storming off.
Venus stood there, stunned, feeling unjustly accused. “I am the God of Love. How could I not understand love?”
Cupid, who had been watching nearby, said, “Father, having the divine power of love doesn’t mean you understand love. I’m the God of Love too, but I don’t understand it.”
He only possessed the power to influence love, to control and command it, but he didn’t grasp its true nature.
Venus sighed. “You’re still young.”
“You’re not much older,” Cupid said, looking up at him. “Father always says you’re a child, the same age as me.”
“What do you mean, the same age? I’m your father! I’m not playing with you anymore, you can fly back by yourself.” Venus threw Cupid down and left. Before he had walked a few steps, he met another beautiful goddess.
This one was unlike the others. She wasn’t draped in luxurious robes or exuding a stately, elegant aura. Instead, she was wearing a simple fur skirt, exposing her thighs, with hunting boots on her feet. Her movements were light and swift, her attire a clear indication of her role.
This was Artemis, the Goddess of Moon and Hunting, Zeus’ most cherished daughter, and Apollo’s twin sister. Her relationship with Venus was one of mutual disdain.
Venus had no intention of engaging with her, and planned to simply walk past and ignore her.
But Artemis spoke up first. “You’ve married Hephaestus. You should remain faithful.”
Venus paused, then lazily turned around. “Since you’re so free, why not find a god to marry?”
“You!” Artemis was taken aback, her anger flaring. As the Goddess of Chastity, the suggestion of her being with a man felt like an insult.
“That’s why, I recently learned a saying from the East: ‘Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you.’” Thanks to Hephaestus’ teachings, his Chinese had improved remarkably. “Chastity is your divine nature, and love and pleasure are mine. You can’t go against your nature, so how can you expect me to go against mine?”
Artemis had no problem with her own divine nature, and neither did Venus with him. Unfortunately, their personalities and ideals were simply incompatible, so they could never be friends.
Artemis’ gaze softened with pity, as though she were watching the fall of a once-pure soul. “You were much more likable before you came of age. Back then, you were the pure white rose, but now, with desire in your heart, you’ve become the tainted red rose……”
Their divine roles were also at odds. Artemis was the patrons of virgins, and when a maiden lost her purity through marriage, it was Venus who took over as the patron of love. Artemis loved virginity and despised impurity. When her maiden Callisto was r*ped by Zeus, Artemis cast her out for losing her chastity.
Venus had always found Artemis’ approach deeply flawed. She didn’t go after the perpetrator but instead drove away the victim, which made no sense to him.
With a huff, Venus spoke, “My divine nature represents a multitude of human emotions. It’s a part of human nature, so why should it be something to be ashamed of? Why is lust something that should be hidden away? The opposite of chastity should be vibrancy, not impurity. A red rose isn’t dirty. It’s simply more mature and beautiful. Both white and red roses are lovely flowers. Why must you despise one?”
Boys and girls who experienced love and desire didn’t wither into something unworthy. They simply transformed from beautiful white roses into beautiful red ones.
“Divine nature is human nature,” he’d been taught by Adonis, and Venus had learned to apply it well.
Artemis: “……”
Since they couldn’t agree, Artemis and Venus could never convince each other. She left with a cold expression.
Venus stood there, fuming, his anger rising the more he thought about it.
Why? Why was this happening to him? First, Eos had told him that he didn’t understand love, and now Artemis was condemning his divine duty as the God of Pleasure. He was born this way. What had he done to deserve this? Why were they attacking him?
Venus stormed off to the Temple of Beauty, headed straight for his bedroom, and opened the bottom drawer of his vanity.
All his drawers were filled with jewelry, but the one at the bottom contained only three items — a crown given by the King of the Sea, a necklace crafted by Hephaestus, and a flower wreath woven by Adonis.
He’d nearly forgotten how the crown ended up in his drawer. Aside from the cartload of gifts that the King of the Sea sent on his coming-of-age ceremony, making its presence known with a heavy impact, the king had barely appeared in Venus’ memory since.
He supposed he could consider the King of the Sea a kind of elder. After all, the gods he knew were mostly the sons and daughters of Zeus, and the King of the Sea, as Zeus’ brother, was a whole generation apart. He himself was born in the sea and could be regarded as a child of the sea.
But Venus ignored the crown and instead took out the wreath of white roses, carefully placing it on his head as he looked into the mirror.
The white roses still held their purity. But to Venus, now seasoned by love and lust, his gaze softened, exuding a mature, seductive elegance. His charm had seeped deep into his bones, and he could never return to being the youthful, innocent boy he once was.
The white rose was beautiful, but did that mean the red rose was any less so?
“Of course not, little Venus.” Dionysus reassured him. “The blooming of a red rose is just as beautiful. Lust itself is not sinful. What is sinful is the evil thoughts that arise from them. Our little Venus is very kind.”
Dionysus was the most charismatic god on Mount Olympus. He was lazy, decadent, wild, and rebellious. He had an irresistible charm and a cult-like following among mortals. He had many lovers, both men and women, each of whom adored and worshipped him. He always began and ended things gently, never making promises, and was gentle to the point of being heartless.
Although people knew of his heartlessness, they still fell willingly into his arms. The God of Wine was intoxicating, and they were willing to drown in it.
Venus rested his chin in his hands. “Thank you, I’m feeling much better. It’s just that the gods here on Mount Olympus are all so strange, constantly saying such odd things to me.”
“Well, then why don’t you go down the mountain for a bit? The Dionysian Festival is starting soon. Little Venus, you’re an adult now. It means you can drink. Want to come join me?” Dionysus asked with a smile.
“Really?!” Venus immediately straightened his back, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Can I bring Cupid along?”
Although Cupid wasn’t yet an adult, he wasn’t one of the main gods of Olympus, so he wasn’t as strictly monitored as Venus had been before his coming-of-age.
“Of course, but he can’t drink,” Dionysus said.
Venus eagerly agreed. “That’s fine with me!”
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