Can you take off your mask and let me see?
This request was far more than presumptuous.
Hephaestus's expression directly stiffened.
Because since she wore this half-mask to show herself to others, it meant that Hephaestus did not wish for others to see the other half of her face.
Then, as Hephaestus came back to her senses and looked at Jason, what she saw was Jason with his head lowered, in the appearance of waiting to be scolded...
Seeing this, Hephaestus, whose mood had become complex and whose brows had slightly furrowed, froze for a slight moment after, and her expression gradually softened a few degrees.
Yes, this child Jason was not an unreasonable child.
"Can you tell me your reason?" Thus, Hephaestus calmed down and asked Jason.
Upon hearing this, Jason looked up at Hephaestus in some surprise.
He had originally thought that what awaited him would be his teacher's angry rebuke.
"Teacher Hephaestus, I hope to offer you a tribute that you will like... For this, I have thought very hard about what I should offer you."
Jason hesitated for a while, then said seriously to Hephaestus, "You are the greatest Craftsman God. Your dexterous hands can build any item in the world.
And I am merely a mere mortal. The things I create absolutely cannot compare to what you, Teacher, can make. For this, I am immensely troubled!"
Hephaestus listened quietly as Jason spoke, and a relieved smile appeared on her face, because from these words, she detected Jason's sincerity.
"Actually, you do not need to be so troubled." Thus, Hephaestus said, "As long as it is something you made, I will like it..."
"No, that won't do, Teacher Hephaestus!"
Who knew that Jason, unusually, interrupted Hephaestus's words, and said seriously to the somewhat surprised Hephaestus, "Because the thing I offer you not only needs to make you, Teacher, like it, but at the same time, it must also be recognized by others!
After all, I am your student. I am the student of you, the great Craftsman God Hephaestus!"
At the beginning, Jason had originally planned to follow Hephaestus in learning, then strive to forge an item, and offer it to Hephaestus.
In this way, the task would be completed.
But now... One of the main gods of Olympus, and also one of the three virgin goddesses, Hestia, had evaluated Jason when she first met him.
Jason possessed a pure heart, and his eyes were so beautiful.
Regarding this, although it was a result compared to the rottenness of this world.
But evidently, Jason knew how to write the four words "know gratitude and repay kindness."
If at the beginning, Jason becoming Hephaestus's student was merely to hug a thick thigh, while completing the task of offering tribute to a main god.
Then this time upon returning, Hephaestus had undoubtedly used her own attitude to win over Jason.
Now, Jason no longer saw becoming Hephaestus's student as a task. He had already regarded Hephaestus as his true teacher.
Just like the centaur sage Chiron, the Goddess of Roads Hecate, and the others as teachers.
Therefore, now, the gift that Jason forged and gave to Hephaestus not only needed to gain Hephaestus's approval, but at the same time, it had to gain the approval of the other gods as well.
Because Jason could not tarnish the name of being Hephaestus's disciple!
Hephaestus looked stunned at Jason before her, who was speaking seriously to her. She naturally understood Jason's intent.
Thus, a warm current could not help but slowly flow through her heart.
It made her subconsciously open her mouth, wanting to say something, but then close it again because she did not know where to begin.
Then, under a bout of wordless silence.
"...I understand." Hephaestus said softly, then reached out with some trembling and touched the mask on her face.
When she touched that half black mask, it was as if she had been electrocuted, and Hephaestus's hand shrank back all at once.
Then she looked at Jason before her once more.
The two's eyes quietly met for a moment.
Hephaestus looked at Jason's pure eyes, and finally reached out, gently removing that half black mask.
At this point, Hephaestus's true appearance was exposed before Jason.
And within the temple, under the illumination of the sacred fire, Jason also deeply imprinted Hephaestus's true appearance in his mind.
Like a red birthmark left from being burned by flames, it appeared on the face that had been covered by the black mask.
Actually, this was not something horrific, but it did severely destroy the beauty of the goddess's visage.
Jason looked at Hephaestus who had revealed her true appearance.
And in this moment, facing Jason's gaze, Hephaestus's line of sight subconsciously dodged, and she felt uncomfortable all over, making her subconsciously want to reach out and immediately put the mask back on her face.
However, before she could move, she saw Jason walking toward her.
"Teacher... can I touch it?"
Jason, who had come before Hephaestus, looked straight at Hephaestus's face and made the inquiry to Hephaestus.
"No... no, of course not!"
And the startled Hephaestus's first reaction was naturally to refuse.
However, after refusing, what she faced was Jason's beseeching gaze.
"Just once, just once... Teacher Hephaestus, I guarantee, I'll just touch it once!"
After saying that, Jason boldly extended his hand. Under Hephaestus's widened eyes, Jason's hand touched Hephaestus's cheek.
It touched that face which, at some unknown point, had always been sealed by the half-mask and would never be revealed.
Thus, when Jason's slightly cool little hand... because he had just come out from the Underworld... touched that face, that red birthmark in that instant.
Hephaestus's entire body shuddered as if electrocuted.
Her mouth opened wide, and she looked at Jason before her in shock.
Her heart pounded fiercely, her mind was completely in chaos, and for a moment, she completely did not know what she should do now!
And Jason now did not care about so much. He only saw him touching the birthmark on Hephaestus's face, with an exceptionally serious expression.
And reaching out, he gently stroked this birthmark, detailing its contours in his mind...
It was just that, accompanying the movement of Jason's fingers on that cheek, an indescribable feeling emerged on Hephaestus's body.
It made the other half of Hephaestus's face, that of the goddess, become redder and redder, and soon even her earlobes were flushed red...
One could only say luckily, luckily this scene was not seen by a third party.
Otherwise... the fun would be great!
And Jason, who had seriously memorized the contours of the birthmark on this face and now had an idea in his mind, slowly stepped back two steps, then appraised Hephaestus's face before him.
Various schemes floated in Jason's mind.
Jason had already gradually been able to imagine its appearance... the appearance of the tribute he would offer to Hephaestus!
Thus, Jason immediately came back to his senses after...
"Hm?" The stunned Jason looked at Hephaestus before him, whose face was red enough to drip blood, and could not help but subconsciously ask, "Teacher Hephaestus, what's wrong with you... could taking off the mask make you feel uncomfortable?"
After saying that, the puzzled Jason prepared to step forward again.
"Wait, don't come over... Now, don't come over. Absolutely do not come over!"
Then Jason saw the most flustered Hephaestus he had ever witnessed, waving her hands while calling out, and turning her head away in panic to pick up the mask and put it back on.
And only after taking several deep breaths did she slowly calm down...
Thus, Jason was glared at, fiercely glared at by Hephaestus.
"Um, Teacher..." Jason tilted his head and asked doubtfully, "What exactly is wrong with you?"
"I... I'm fine."
How could she say this? ...This could not be said!
Thus, Hephaestus's lips moved, and she could only reply helplessly around her mouth, and change the subject, "I'm really fine! ...Right, have you already thought of the tribute to offer me?"
"Mm." Returning to the main topic, the serious expression on Jason's face this time disappeared by much, and he said smilingly, "I have thought of it, Teacher."
Actually, by now, what Jason should forge for Hephaestus had already become very obvious... That's right, it was a mask!
On Hephaestus's body, everything was extremely exquisite, but there was only one thing that appeared very ordinary... that was the half black mask she casually used to cover her face.
And the reason was naturally very simple as well.
Since she used a mask to cover that half of her face, it showed that she was very concerned about her appearance... after all, Hephaestus had been abandoned by Hera because of her appearance.
In such a situation, Hephaestus naturally would not carefully observe her own face and then make an exquisite mask to wear on her face.
At the same time, in this world, the function of a mask, anyone would probably see it as a tool to cover the face... in fact, it was indeed used that way.
But Jason, as a transmigrator, was very clear that a mask could actually also be used for decorative purposes.
With a bit of embellishment, a person wearing a mask could even be more eye-catching than one not wearing one, making people feel amazed!
Because it would give people a very special sense of beauty.
Undoubtedly, this was a very clever tribute... It would not be too difficult to make, nor too precious, but if Jason made it well, then it would inevitably win Hephaestus's favor.
It would even attract the attention of the other goddesses, and their envy!
And just after Jason gave his answer, looking at the confident Jason before her, a thread of anticipation could not help but arise in Hephaestus's heart as well.
However, she did not ask Jason what he would offer her... Although Hephaestus had developed a certain curiosity, right now, she was more concerned about another matter.
"Jason, you... don't you think I'm ugly?"
Upon hearing this, Jason froze for a moment, then looked up at Hephaestus.
He discovered that her gaze was very evasive, but at the same time, she was looking at him with much expectation...
No, you are very pretty.
Note that this was absolutely something that could not be said!
Because Hephaestus was very clear that she was not pretty. If she were very pretty, then she would not have suffered abandonment by Queen Hera.
At the same time, she would not have once disguised herself as a male god, and for a very long time, appeared before the world in the visage of a male god.
Even with the passage of time, she had gradually come to believe that she was a male god rather than a goddess... If not for the fact that back then, Jason had chosen for her to appear before him as a goddess.
Therefore, saying this sentence, Hephaestus would absolutely not be happy.
It was a lie, and facing the gods, the most taboo thing was lying!
However, Jason still knew how to answer... or rather, in the recent period after being 'won over' by Hephaestus, and now willingly calling Hephaestus Teacher,
Jason replied very naturally at this moment, "I don't know how others see it, but you are my teacher, the teacher I respect.
Therefore, in my heart, you are undoubtedly the pretty Teacher Hephaestus."