Hilee, that word echoed in Leo's mind, he didn't think that the entity who was called Goddess Of Mercy would tell him to address her like this. The young man still had his eyes bowed slightly, as he said, "My Lady, how can I address you like this?"

Hilee sighed and replied, "I was thinking that you would be different from all these people."

Leo smiled all of a sudden, and asked, "Then may I lift my head?"

Hilee chuckled and said, "Why not? I didn't ask you to bow down at all, did I?"

Leo chuckled and raised his head, as he looked at Hilee and replied, "From the data that I found in the various archives around the world, it was stated that you have long left the world, but it seems that the data has been false."

Hilee smiled, and then she said, "What you see is not my true form. My real body perished several centuries ago. This is a clone, a ninety nine percent mirror image with all the memories and genetic similarities."

Leo was shocked and then he asked, "What is it that you want me to do now?"

Hilee sighed and replied, "The threat of the invasion is not a hoax. The world needs to prepare for it. After your space elevator starts working, you will have a better path to tread on. The atmosphere and size of this planet is not suitable for the tech that was used in my world, and if you even manage to create something, it would not be usable by the humans. Their physique is very different too."

Leo nodded calmly, he replied, "I understand that, the space elevator is close to completion and with the world dynamics changing, things would be easier from now on. Yes, their would be opposition but I would still push for it and try to find the most amicable path to make things work."

Hilee nodded and then she said, "I cannot stay awake for prolonged times, so, you should leave now."

Leo furrowed and asked, "I still have a few questions, but would you mind answering two of them? You can refuse as well."

Hilee was stunned and Hank was shocked, they didn't expect Leo too push like this. The young man looked at them both and said, "What? You wanted me to treat you like a normal entity and so I am doing just that."

His words made Hilee chuckle before she said, "Fine then, ask me."

Leo nodded and asked, "Why did you help the human race back then? You are an extraterrestrial just like the reptiles. Why help when you can conquer?"

Hilee hummed and then replied with her ethereal voice, "Well, to say that I helped the human race would be wrong. Actually, when I landed on this planet, I was very much injured and had to sustain myself with the clones. They went out to collect data, and one of them happened to drop a gene serum vial in a pond. The humans around that pond evolved, and then they began to migrate for conquest. So, that was how the early Clover Nation took shape.

They managed to find me, and although they have evolved, they were still unaware about the truths and magnificence of the world so, they began to look after me and called me the Goddess. Later when I started helping them and didn't seem to die, even when the same people worshiped me for several generations, they added to my title, calling me Goddess Of Mercy."

Leo nodded and then he replied, "Alright, makes sense, but what caused you to hold back from manipulating them?"

Hilee smiled faintly, and replied, "My race was destroyed because they tried to manipulate the others. I don't have any intention of repeating that mistake."

Leo thought and nodded, before he said, "That would be all."

Hilee replied, "Good, you may go now, you children are about to wake up."

Leo nodded and waited for Hank to stand up and lead him back out to the room where the twins were sleeping. They seemed to be waking up but then Hank said, "Do you really trust her?"

The young man smiled and replied, "There is a saying, either you believe in the solution someone tells you about or you find the solution yourself. This is why the question is rather dicey to answer."

Hank smiled and said, "Well, now that you have met Her Holiness, but please try not to leak the news to the world outside."

Leo shook his head and replied, "I have not yet lost my senses, and the world will not even believe me, I don't look to become a joke."

Hank smiled as he watched Leo pick up his sleepy kids and place them back in the harness and head out of the temple. The old monk wanted to question Hilee's clone earlier about why she told Leo all those things and why was she so frank with him. However, he understood now that the reason Leo managed to gain the favor from the lady was because of his frank behavior. His honesty and simple approach to things was new and that was something Hilee didn't know much about.

The Shrine people had always greeted her with too much respect, they believed that Hilee was a goddess, and so they followed the manners that were integrated in their minds since the rise of their predecessors. They could not break away from those molds even if they wanted to, but here stood Leo, he was calm and collected when talking to Hilee, and he just needed one hint to break away the shackles. Now wonder the goddess of mercy allowed him such an high privilege.

...

Leo came out of the temple, and on the way down, he was talking to Elle and Julian and told them a lot of things about the surroundings and even made a beautiful tiara for them with green vine and some wild flowers. He made one for Lily as well, and carried them down.

...

Lily had come back home early today because she had asked for a half day leave with Snow's signatures. She was standing in the kitchen with Clara beside her. Cherry, Fragrance and Symphony were busy decorating the living room, while Snow was talking to some people from the office to come over for the party, she had even invited Keval Nyay, the legal head of the company affairs.

The people all agreed to come over, because they hardly got to party now. Although the work environment was not toxic or overbearing, they were adults now and loved to do things with their own friends or themselves. So, the sudden invite was a big thing for them, however, the person was Leo Cardinal, and the RSVP was Lily. The Young Miss had put her foot in the door, stating that if the people didn't come, then she will not talk to them.

They have all been blackmailed by this little goblin. While the instigator of the Decree was standing in the kitchen her small body needed a step stool to enable her reach. She looked at the ingredients on the kitchen counter and said, "Aunty Clara, let us begin."

The latter nodded with a amused but doting smile. Lily had come to make a cake for her father, and since she was not allowed to use knife, she had to ask for Clara's help with the ingredients and now they had to mix them and put it all in the oven. Lily began to mix things and Clara used the blender to give them all a thorough mix with a blender machine and soon the base was ready and pouring it all in multiple moulds they placed it inside the oven.

Lily then began to fill piping bags with different flavor creams that she had asked Clara for and then asked, "Aunty what do you think we should draw on the cake?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Clara shrugged and said, "Maybe something that Master would like, Young Miss. He is benevolent and strong, so maybe a sword and a shield."

Lily looked at Clara and said, "Aunty, it is Baba's birthday and not send off to a war. How can we use sword and shield."

The lady was speechless, but then it was logical. Lily suddenly thought of something and giggled. Clara shivered, it was a fitting thing to call Lily the Little Goblin. After the cakes were baked, they were placed in for a quick freeze and then after they chilled down to a room temperature, Lily began to use the piping bag and began her artwork.

...

By the time Leo arrived back at home, he found the whole place stuffed with people. He was surprised, because he had no idea such a crowd would gather. When he entered the house, he was greeted by the people who all wished him with smiles and Leo replied with a smile as well.

In the world today, he didn't have any enemy that would cause him to turn cold, and specially today, he was surrounded by the people who were his confidants and looking at the center of the living room, his daughter and wife stood with smiles on their faces. For a first time in a long time Leo felt such warmth and he though, 'Happy twenty sixth, Leo Cardinal.'