“Who made the promise?”

When Latifa asked with surprised eyes, Lukwan, looking a bit uneasy, rolled his eyes around and answered.

“There’s a visit appointment with Shadi’s scholars and his youngest daughter.”

“Meeting Hades? Today?”

“Yeah.”

Although Latifa didn’t say anything, Lukwan quickly responded that he had a lot of things to do, crossing over the sponsorship.

He had asked to keep the fact that he had been slapped by Amira and faced a calamity a secret, but there were many eyes watching, and since he knew Caleb’s servants were loyal, he didn’t think Hades would completely cover it up.

“But I didn’t expect the signs of conflict to appear so quickly.”

Latifa absentmindedly stroked the head of a camel eating in front of her.

“I haven’t done anything wrong. But I don’t want to make things bigger.”

Tuk.

Someone soon poked Latifa’s back, who was contemplating.

“Are you talking about the camel and my gossip?”

At Hades’ familiar voice teasing Latifa, she smiled and replied to him. Lately, Hades’ playful tone was more comfortable than when he spoke seriously with a deep voice.

“You seem to have gotten heavier lately.”

“Tell them that it’s the weight of the burden of the heart.”

Hades playfully accepted Latifa’s joke and roughly stroked the head of the camel.

“If it’s the burden of the heart, is it related to Shadi’s affairs?”

Latifa asked carefully, looking at his expression.

“Shadi? Huh. They don’t even weigh as much as a canary’s feather.”

Hades chuckled, as if mocking.

“I heard you’ll meet them today. I heard they’re a big pillar of the spice market. If things get bigger because of me, ”

“I don’t want to hear whining, shh.”

Before Latifa finished her sentence, Hades raised his finger and lightly tapped her forehead.

Then, he took out a small scroll from his arms and handed it to Latifa.

“What’s this? Um, related to the adult ceremony of the imperial slaves…”

Along with the content criticizing Latifa, who is nothing more than a prisoner of a defeated country, for holding an adult ceremony, there were harsh words blaming Latifa.

“It’s like trash they sent to the royal palace. But it was rejected in a day. Even Tarek knew it was garbage right away.”

Hades laughed, chuckling.

“They filed a complaint with something like this?!”

“People in this world really interfere a lot in other people’s business. They won’t let you live as you please.”

Hades sighed with an annoyed expression.

“Shall I just sweep it away?”

When he mentioned ‘sweep it away,’ the meaning was quite ominous. Latifa cautiously asked.

“Wouldn’t we be caught for ‘sweeping it away’ without any reason?”

“Then, let’s blame it on you.”

“What?!”

“It would be an interesting gossip. A goddess who ‘swept away’ the scholars of Shadi who wrote a complaint blaming herself and the trouble she caused to the youngest daughter. Isn’t it a well-constructed story?”

Looking at Hades, who was making such a joke without changing his gaze, Latifa hastily extended her hands.

“W-What are you talking about?! I’ve lived so far without ‘sweeping away’ anyone and have been good!”

“Can you be kept here for the rest of your life if you live like that?”

It was always hard to tell whether his words were a joke or sincerity.

“If you stay in the Grand Bazaar, you can continue to be the goddess who holds wealth and honor. Living quietly, like a flower in a glasshouse, without anyone slapping you for the rest of your life. Inside the safe fence called Caleb.”

“….”

“Let’s live like that in the Grand Bazaar, shall we? I’ll ‘sweep it away’ and come back.”

“So, that’s the problem with that ‘sweeping it away’!”
“Hades. Even as a joke, don’t say things like ‘sweep it away.’ It’s scary because if you say such things, you might actually do it!”

“Tsk, fine. Too bad.”

It felt like scolding a hunting dog not to bite people, or teaching a child not to fight with friends.

“Hades-nim, Shadi’s guests have arrived.”

The servant who followed them informed that Shadi’s people had arrived.

“Don’t say ‘sweep it away.’ The mercy of the goddess seems to have saved several people again. Good. Instead, I’ll teach my goddess something good, so let’s go to the reception room together.”

“What are you going to teach?”

Hades laughed, poking Latifa’s cheek where Amira had hit her.

“It’s about getting compensation.”

“What, compensation?”

Latifa, unable to fully understand the desert slang that Hades was using, asked again, and he closed his mouth with a somewhat awkward expression.

Not knowing how to explain such a simple word all of a sudden, Hades, after a moment of contemplation, concluded in three words.

“Slap, annoyance, money.”

“Pff, kuhuhu.”

Latifa burst into laughter at the childish tone suitable for children.

“Ahahaha!”

“You seem to have lost it.”

Amused by Latifa’s sudden laughter, Hades frowned and punched his fist.

“Ahaha! How can I not laugh when you say such words with a serious face? Hoho, I understood it at once, though. You mean I should get compensation for being slapped, right?”