It would never end.
Never stop.
How many times already?
History kept repeating itself, over and over again.
Aerisse was exhausted.
Please... stop.
Her mind screamed.
And suddenly, everything turned white.
As if nothing had ever been written.
"Elarith-sama, it's time."
Of course it was.
Elarith opened her dark eyes and found the Heavenly Madam waiting beside her.
The woman had come to help her prepare for the wedding ceremony at the Imperial Palace.
The wedding.
Honestly, it had been postponed so many times that Elarith had nearly forgotten it was a thing.
And now, apparently, everyone had decided to revive the idea.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
She hadn't prepared any of her work in advance.
Even now, she could practically see the mountain of unresolved destinies piling up on her desk, waiting for her return.
What a divine disaster.
All of this just to marry some youngster she'd met, what, twice?
The first time had been when he was born.
The second time...
Well.
That memory wasn't exactly encouraging.
The Heavenly Madam adjusted the final details of her dress.
"This dress is a little..."
"Perfect, Elarith-sama! Absolutely stunning!" the woman interrupted, practically glowing with excitement.
Elarith stared at her.
What exactly was so exciting about all this?
Still, there was no point questioning it.
Elarith could control the destinies of every living being beneath the Divine Realm.
Kings.
Heroes.
Monsters.
Entire civilizations.
But gods?
Not a chance.
Not even her own destiny.
That responsibility belonged to the Sacred Divine Book.
The book contained the complete fate of every god from birth to death.
Nothing written within could be erased.
Nothing could be changed.
At best, a fate could be delayed.
And this marriage had been written there long ago.
The book didn't care whether they loved each other.
Whether they hated each other.
Whether they were strangers.
Whether they lived peacefully or stood one step away from death.
It was written that their souls would become one.
And so it would be.
The moment the Crown Prince was born, everyone already knew.
The Goddess of Destiny, Elarith, would become the future Crown Princess.
Whether Elarith liked it or not.
Whether the Imperial Family liked it or not.
Whether that damned brat Myrith liked it or not.
Speaking of which...
What had he said the last time they met?
"Can't you do something?"
Something in his voice sounded desperate.
"What?"
Elarith looked down at the young prince.
Why was he down here in the middle of the crowd?
Wasn't he supposed to be standing safely on a palace balcony, waving at people from a respectable distance?
And more importantly...
How had he even found her?
"Can't you do something?" he repeated. "I mean, you're the Goddess of Destiny. Can't you change our destiny?"
Elarith blinked.
"Excuse me? Our destiny?"
For a moment, she honestly thought she'd misheard him.
Why was a child worrying about that?
Wasn't he a little young for a life crisis?
"You're not fit to be the Crown Princess."
Oh.
He was serious.
That made it even funnier.
Elarith burst out laughing.
The prince looked horrified.
"Of course," she said. "And you're not fit to be anyone's husband either."
She glanced at him from head to toe.
"I mean, look at your size."
"How dare—!"
"Look, kid. I have work to do."
She gave a casual bow out of respect for the crown.
"But before, let me save you years of frustration."
The boy hesitated.
"W-What do you mean?"
Such a child.
Kind of cute, actually.
Elarith smiled.
"Whether we're fit for it or not doesn't matter."
The smile vanished.
"I'm the Goddess of Destiny. If anyone should be able to change fate, it should be me."
Her eyes turned toward the distant sky.
"But once something is written in that damned book..."
Her voice softened.
"Not even the Emperor can change it."
The prince lowered his head.
Disappointment washed across his face.
Poor kid.
Elarith walked past him.
Back to her endless work.
That's right.
Don't waste your energy fighting things you can't win against.
Enjoy your freedom while it lasts.
Because one day, you'll inherit the throne.
And then you'll become a work freak like me.
Trust me.
It's a terrible fate.