"Your child's back? Then why isn't Bell home yet?"
Hestia glanced around the room, searching for Bell's familiar face, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Knowing that boy, he probably discovered something during training. After sending Loki's child off, he must've gone to investigate on his own."
Freya, lazily chewing on a piece of grilled meat, didn't even look surprised. For her, anything involving Bell—no matter how outrageous—always somehow made perfect sense.
She dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin, wiping away the grease and juices before turning her sharp gaze toward Loki.
"Loki, you seem anxious about Bell?"
"Yeah. Very."
"Does it have to do with your child?"
"You already know, and you still ask?"
Freya chuckled at Loki's annoyed tone but gave a slight shake of her head.
"I don't know the details, that's why I'm asking. What exactly happened to your child that's got you this worked up about Bell?"
With Bell still missing and no destination to run to, Loki sighed and sat back down in her original seat. Freya's curiosity wasn't something she minded entertaining—at least for a bit.
"Ais's growth rate is too fast. It's still not as ridiculous as Bell's, but it's completely beyond anything she's ever achieved before. That kind of progress has to be connected to Bell."
"Hmm, that does sound likely," Freya replied with an understanding nod.
Judging from the pace of Ais's growth, Freya could easily understand why Loki suspected Bell. Especially considering Bell's own circumstances.
"Your 'Sword Princess' is Bell's chosen ticket, isn't she? Whether she and Bell can keep moving forward depends on how much Excelia they can accumulate. It's natural that Bell would try to help her grow."
"That's not it at all, Freya."
Hephaestus's firm voice cut through the conversation, immediately rejecting Freya's conclusion.
"Even if Bell wants Loki's child to grow faster, he wouldn't recklessly expose himself just to push the 'Sword Princess's' progress. His rapid growth might be something he can hide within himself—but once it happens in Orario's spotlight, it can't be concealed."
Bell had always gone to great lengths to keep his power hidden. There was no way he'd risk that here.
Hephaestus didn't say those words aloud, but Freya could hear the meaning behind them clearly.
"So, what I'm saying is this outcome is probably something Bell wanted. Maybe not on purpose, but his thoughts—or his will—caused it."
Freya's calm statement made Hephaestus pause. The instinct to deny it rose immediately, but she stopped herself.
No... perhaps Freya was right. Bell might actually be capable of something like that.
Hephaestus knew firsthand that there were "things" inside Bell—things that had affected her before.
"The 'Seven Deadly Sins,' huh? If that's what you mean, then yes, it's possible."
Hephaestus cast a side glance at Freya.
"So, when are you planning to give Bell your 'Lust'?"
"Of course, after I get what I want."
Freya's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile as she gazed into the wine goblet in her hand. The rippling liquid reflected her expression perfectly. She brought the cup to her lips, took a slow sip, then drained it completely.
The faint spice burned softly down her throat, followed by a wave of smooth, rich sweetness that spread through her mouth, leaving only the lingering taste of temptation.
"Mmm…"
Exhaling a breath tinged with the fragrance of fine wine, Freya's already enchanting allure seemed to deepen.
"For now, Bell must first obtain 'Wrath.' The 'Lust' and 'Sloth' that Loki and I hold are merely incidental. If Bell wishes for them, we won't make it difficult for him."
"You won't make it difficult for him? More like you'll eat him alive!"
Hephaestus didn't believe a single word Freya said. She gave a sharp snort through her nose, utterly convinced that this woman would make her move sooner or later. Thinking of her own complicated bond with Hestia, she could already picture Freya and Loki ending up in the same kind of tangled mess.
Not that such things could be prevented.
Hephaestus turned toward the still-innocent Hestia and sighed helplessly.
'Accepting Freya really is a serious problem.'
'Mm, I'll have to remind Bell later. He needs to be extra cautious around Freya—and make sure he doesn't fall under her spell.'
Artemis, quietly eating her grilled meat nearby, finally spoke up in exasperation.
"Could you goddesses not talk about this kind of thing in front of me?"
"Hestia and Hephaestus falling for a child is one thing, but can't the rest of you control yourselves? You've actually fallen for a child."
"Loki and Freya as well—knowing full well Bell is cherished by Hestia and Hephaestus, yet you still want to meddle. You truly have no sense of divine morality."
Loki frowned, visibly annoyed, and immediately fired back.
"And you're one to talk? That other Artemis living inside you practically threw herself at Bell! Your body pressed right up against him—don't tell me that has nothing to do with you!"
"What does that have to do with me?!"
Perhaps out of indignation, Artemis's voice rose sharply.
"The other me loses control whenever she's near Bell. I've told her to stop plenty of times, but she never listens!"
She was composed.
She would never, ever act like that other self—lunging at Bell so shamelessly. As a goddess, she had to maintain her dignity.
But that other version of her? Completely uncontrollable. Every time Bell appeared, she would leap at him without hesitation, acting like some lovesick fool. Didn't that other self realize they now shared the same body, two souls in one form?
Loki found the sight almost boring. This Artemis clung to outdated ideals—that's why she'd always been friendless in Tenkai. Honestly, the Artemis from the other world was far more entertaining.
"With your old-fashioned mindset, who's ever going to listen to you?"
"Your other side is loyal, devoted, and knows how to take the initiative. But you? You treat chastity like it's the highest virtue. Haven't you noticed even old maid goddesses like Hestia and Hephaestus have moved past that? You keep clinging to those ancient beliefs—it's a miracle you're still tolerated in this household."
Old-fashioned. Old-fashioned. Every word was like a jab. Artemis's expression darkened.
She was just about to explain that she wasn't clinging to old ideas but simply upholding divine propriety when a black rift suddenly appeared in front of her.
In the next instant, her consciousness was forced out of her body. As a spirit, she watched from a third-person view as her own body rushed toward the figure emerging from the rift. She could even hear the syrupy, flirtatious voice spilling from her own lips.
"Darling~"
...
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