After the catgirl waitress left, Syr looked at Cao Ye with clear dissatisfaction.
This guy was flirting around outside as if nothing mattered. Did he not realize his current situation? After all, she was the one paying for him now.
As a goddess, Freya's possessiveness was extremely terrifying.
Anything that belonged to her—she absolutely would not allow anyone else to touch. Even if something belonged to someone else, if she wanted it, she would obtain it by any means necessary.
"You're quite popular, Mr. Adventurer~"
"Huh?"
Hearing Syr's voice beside his ear, Cao Ye raised his head in confusion.
Seeing the obvious displeasure on the goddess's face, Cao Ye was completely puzzled.
What's going on? What did I do now?
Seeing his confused expression, Syr quickly realized something.
This time it really wasn't Cao Ye's fault. After all, he didn't know anything from beginning to end.
"Want a piece?"
Cao Ye picked up a piece of grilled meat and offered it to her.
The huge bowl of rice had more than twenty pieces of meat, each quite large. Cao Ye was eating happily.
Of course, it was still expensive. 12,000 valis for this meal—there definitely wasn't much profit margin for him.
"No thanks."
She threw him an annoyed look and walked away.
Syr was irritated.
What kind of response was "Want a piece?"?
This guy's head was full of nothing but food.
But after calming down in the kitchen, Syr suddenly laughed.
This feeling…
She had not experienced it in hundreds of years since descending to the mortal world.
She was a goddess.
To the children of the lower world, she had always been distant and unattainable.
Even to her own Familia members, she was still the supreme goddess, someone they worshipped with absolute reverence.
Yet Cao Ye treated her differently.
He feared her, yes—but there was very little reverence.
Even after recognizing her true identity, his attitude toward her barely changed.
For a goddess who had stood above others for so long, this was a completely new experience.
All this time, Freya had been searching for her destined partner—Odr.
All the children in her Familia were considered possible candidates.
This was why Freya Familia was so intensely competitive.
Everyone tried desperately to become the most outstanding person, hoping to become the one chosen by the goddess.
But they did not realize one thing.
The moment they were captured by Freya's charm, they had already lost that qualification.
Freya was the Goddess of Beauty.
She never lacked love.
Whether from gods or mortals, if she wished, she could easily obtain their love:
pure love
obsessive love
absolute devotion
twisted love
If she decided to give her love in return, countless people would fight desperately for it.
But that was exactly the problem.
Like a wealthy person overwhelmed by abundance, love gradually became empty to Freya.
And so love became a curse.
What she truly wanted was real love—love not caused by her divine charm.
She wanted love that belonged only to her.
Since descending to the mortal world, she had searched for it.
Yet she had never found such a person.
Until now.
Cao Ye's appearance was like a faint ray of light in endless darkness.
Why did she have Ottar capture him on the street?
Because Cao Ye was not enchanted by her charm.
There was no love in his eyes.
For Freya, that was the first time it had ever happened.
Like a seed planted deep in a goddess's heart, it might one day grow roots and sprout.
"Burp~"
Cao Ye let out a satisfied burp.
That meal had been amazing.
Back on Earth, even when he got a bonus, he wouldn't dare eat this extravagantly.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Yes, it was delicious… just a little expensive."
"It's not your money anyway, so why worry about the price?"
"Of course I care. No matter where the money came from, once it's in my hands it's mine. Besides, this is my—"
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Cao Ye slowly turned his head.
Standing behind him was Syr, hands on her hips, her expression slightly angry.
Cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
He had just been bragging about spending money given by the very person standing behind him.
What do I do now? Someone help! This is urgent!
"Well…"
Cao Ye's brain began working at full speed.
But no solution appeared.
"How was your meal, dear guest?"
"V–very good."
Cao Ye swallowed nervously.
"So please pay the bill. The total is 30,000 valis."
"WHAT? Thirty thousand? Wasn't the set 12,000?"
"That's right~ The meal is 12,000. The remaining 18,000 is the service fee."
The phrase "service fee" made Cao Ye break into a cold sweat.
He was literally spending the money she gave him at her workplace.
"…Here."
Although it hurt terribly, Cao Ye had no choice.
He pulled 30,000 valis from his pouch and handed it over.
Watching his painful expression, Syr finally nodded in satisfaction.
That's more like it.