Under the desk, golden and blue eyes met and the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.
Athena withdrew her right hand that had been holding forward, casually wiped her mouth, and showed a calm smile on her face.
"What a coincidence. You are here too?"
"..."
Sensing that familiar divinity, Artemis's face in the silence turned from white to green, then from green to black, and finally from black to red as she gnashed her teeth and pounced forward, reaching out to strangle the certain plastic best friend who dared to cuckold her right to her face.
"I will fight you to the death!"
The overburdened desktop shook violently.
This was fatal...
Lorne, who wanted to cry but had no tears, hurriedly pressed down hard on the table corners.
He forced a somewhat twisted smile on his face and greeted Hera, who had already stepped into the temple.
"Queen of Heaven, why have you come?"
"You and Thetis are about to marry. As her foster mother, I naturally came to take a look."
Hera answered as a matter of course, then waved domineeringly at the light bulb beside her.
"You withdraw first. I have private matters to discuss with him."
Hearing this watertight reason, the innocent Medusa nodded obediently and left. Before departing, she thoughtfully closed the door, leaving sufficient privacy for their conversation.
Seeing Hera walking impatiently toward the desk after Medusa left, Lorne's heart jolted. He hurriedly called out to stop her.
"Queen of Heaven!"
"Everyone has left. What are you calling me?"
The white-armed goddess glanced at her little lover behind the desk and snorted in displeasure.
Under the Queen of Heaven's gaze, Lorne had no choice but to brace himself and change his address in a pinched voice.
"He... Hera..."
"That's more like it."
Hera nodded in satisfaction. A bright smile bloomed on her dignified and elegant face as she reached to untie the sash at her waist.
No way? Here? In Athena's temple? Again?
Lorne looked at this familiar scene and wanted to cry but had no tears. He hurriedly reminded her.
"Didn't you say you wanted to talk about Thetis's wedding?"
"There are still two days. No rush."
Hera casually brushed it off, pulled off the sash, and the white gauze skirt without its fastener gradually slid down from her ivory-fair fragrant shoulders, revealing the alluring scenery inch by inch.
Lorne hurriedly reached out to press on Hera's shoulder, stopping the skirt from falling further. He forced a smile and tried to persuade her bitterly.
"In Athena's temple, isn't this inappropriate?"
"So what?"
Hera glanced at the Athena statue facing the desk and scoffed lightly, completely unconcerned.
"Let alone Athena's temple. Even if she were here, or her mother were here,
I would do whatever I want!"
Lorne's forehead broke out in a slight sweat upon hearing this.
Come to think of it, Hera's position as Queen of Heaven seemed to have been taken from Athena's mother, the primordial wisdom goddess Metis.
This nominal protector of marriage was herself the one who rose as a mistress.
No wonder Greek marital relationships were such a mess.
At this moment, hearing the Hera's arrogant declaration, Athena, who had become the victim under the desk, instantly turned livid.
She stopped grappling with her plastic best friend and gnashed her teeth, trying to rush out to fight Hera to the death.
Artemis, who had just been ready to fight her plastic best friend to the death, saw this and broke out in a cold sweat.
She quickly pulled Athena, who had reached the edge of the tablecloth, back and comforted her repeatedly.
"Calm down! It's not worth it, really not worth it!"
"Bang!"
At the same time, Lorne, who had secretly pulled up his pants during the chaos and wanted to stand up and slip out of the temple, was pushed down by the domineering Hera and pressed against the front of the desk.
One desk was divided into two worlds, inside and outside, with different battlefields on the surface and beneath.
Seeing her lover's timid reaction, Hera was very displeased.
"I am not afraid. Why are you running?"
"Madam, don't do this. It will look bad..."
Lorne, pressed against the desktop, felt the increasingly intense shaking inside the barrier under the desk and wanted to cry even more.
However, the consistently domineering Hera turned a deaf ear to this. Instead, she raised her eyebrows and revealed a teasing smile on her face.
"So, you want to play a forced game with me?"
"I am not! I do not!" Lorne quickly denied it and earnestly advised, "The wedding date is approaching. There really is still a lot of work left undone. How about we do this another day?"
"Mm."
Hera nodded, seeming very reasonable.
Lorne's eyes filled with hope.
"You agree?"
Hera curled her lips and revealed a meaningful smile.
"Do you still remember the rules of the forced game?"
Seeing Hera's subtle expression, Lorne immediately had a bad premonition.
The rules of the forced game?
"Everything must be done in the opposite way. No means yes, and objection means agreement."
The Queen of Heaven Hera, who restated the rules, teasingly examined the prey beneath her claws. Her gaze flickered faintly with a sadistic pleasure.
"The more you resist, the more excited I get!"
"..."
Under the desk, Athena and Artemis, after a moment of silence, gave the same evaluation in unison.
"Beast!"
However, because their voices were isolated by the small barrier, the Queen of Heaven Hera above had no idea she was live-streaming this ultimate humiliation. She became more and more immersed in the role and began tearing at her little lover's clothes.
Lorne, whether he had gotten into character or because Athena and Artemis were staring from under the desk, could only resist while gloomily trying to persuade her.
"This is the office..."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"There are many eyes and ears. What if we are discovered..."
"Wouldn't that be even better?"
Hera, fully in character, was impervious to reason. Her face was full of the pleasure of breaking taboos.
"Bang bang bang!"
Just as the Queen of Heaven was gradually reaching new heights in the forced game, urgent knocking came from outside the door, along with that familiar phrasing.
"Lorne, someone insists on seeing you. We couldn't stop them."
"Who is it?"
Seeing that the game seemed to have triggered a hidden plot, Hera found it interesting. She turned her head and asked on Lorne's behalf.
Medusa outside the door answered subconsciously, "It is the craftsman god Hephaestus, and Thetis. They came together and said they wanted to discuss the wedding arrangements."
"..." The eager smile on Hera's face instantly froze and her body stiffened.
"Oh, no need to announce us. I already said I am familiar with that kid Lorne.
I came to see him today with nothing particularly important. Let me see if he is inside."
At this moment, a rough voice came from outside the door.
A somewhat hunched figure with a signature limp dragged his foot to Medusa, reached out, and pushed the tightly closed temple doors.
Behind him, an elegant figure exuding a faint moist sea aura also stepped onto the stairs.
Hearing the doors beginning to creak open, Hera's soul nearly left her body.
She scanned around anxiously, then hurriedly gave an instruction and ducked under the desk.
"Whatever you do, don't let them know I am here. Think of a way to send them away first!"
Looking at the Queen of Heaven who had dived under the tablecloth, Hephaestus, who walked in with a full smile, and the prospective bride Thetis following behind, Lorne, who was responsible for blocking in front of the desk, had a lifeless expression and an inevitable thought popped into his mind.
Why not just destroy everything?
Do it quickly!
That visible despair made Hephaestus, who had just entered, pause slightly.
"What's wrong with you? Your face looks so bad, and your expression is off?"
"Cough, it is because there is too much work."
Medusa stepped forward with a light cough to explain on Lorne's behalf.
"You also know that the divine war has just ended. Although the main gods have slumbered as promised, the mortal world has been devastated by the great battle. Everything is in ruins and waiting to be rebuilt.
Many matters need dedicated people to handle them, especially Athens right now, which cannot do without manpower."
Thetis nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
Having once lived on War God Mountain for a period of time, she had personally witnessed Athens's progress and development in culture, craftsmanship, entertainment, education, cuisine, and other aspects that surpassed the era.
She could also vaguely sense through her wisdom how different and important this city-state was to the human world.
Maintaining this glory required the Athenians and the gods of War God Mountain to work hand in hand.
But now, Athena, Hestia, Themis, and Mnemosyne, the original four leaders of War God Mountain, had gone into slumber for various reasons.
Lorne, as the secretary of Crete Island and the spokesperson closely connected with these four main gods, naturally had to step forward to preside over the overall situation.
With so much work concentrated on one person, it was inevitable that he would be overworked.
Thinking of this, Thetis looked at the inexplicably haggard figure in front of the desk and the mountain of documents piled behind him, and could not help feeling a pang of heartache.
"Why don't you sit down and rest for a while?"
As she spoke, she moved forward to support him.
However, seeing the chair behind the desk, Lorne seemed to have been triggered.
He could not help shivering and quickly shook his head to decline Thetis's kind offer.
"No need. I can hold on!"
Are you kidding?
There were already three people stuffed underneath.
If he sat down, he might be pulled by the group of lionesses under the desk and split in half in minutes.
But strangely, the three of them didn't start fighting on the spot...
Lorne looked at the steady desktop and muttered inwardly and a sliver of hope rekindled in his heart.
It seems I can still be saved?
Then he rallied himself and squeezed out an apologetic smile toward the visiting Thetis.
"Sorry. As you can see, there are too many trivial matters. I cannot entertain you properly."
"It is fine. I understand."
Thetis spoke softly in a gentle tone, fully displaying the demeanor of a virtuous wife and loving mother.
"Anyway, I just came to see you. There is nothing particularly important."
"To ensure our wedding proceeds as scheduled, I will definitely finish handling the matters that need to be resolved these days as soon as possible!"
Lorne vowed solemnly, stating the original intention behind his day-and-night labor.
In fact, the reason he was working so hard was to stabilize the order in Athens and prevent any mishaps in the upcoming wedding.
His painstaking efforts could be witnessed by heaven and earth.
But unexpectedly, some accidents occurred during the process.
Athena, Artemis, Hera, and those romantic debts he had incurred earlier all came knocking, and they coincidentally got mixed together, creating this absurd situation.
"Mm, then you go ahead and work." Thetis nodded gently and placed the snacks and gifts she had brought from home on the table, appearing very understanding.
Hephaestus beside her helplessly scratched his head, somewhat dejected.
"It seems we will not be drinking today."
Lorne smiled freely upon hearing this.
"That is simple. There is plenty of immortal nectar and fine wine on War God Mountain, including a new batch brewed this year. I will have Medusa take you to get some. I guarantee you will drink your fill!"
Not only him, the wine god, but also a large number of the Dionysian cult's core members lived permanently in Athens.
Brewing wine was naturally something they were familiar with.
The stock accumulated over so many years would definitely let Hephaestus enjoy himself to the fullest.
Even so, the latter still felt some regret.
"Even with good wine, it is only enjoyable when drunk with the right people."
"That is not a problem either.
Several newly recruited teachers at Athens Academy have great talent in forging. If you are interested, Chiron can take you to have a look."
"Chiron? That legendary centaur sage?"
Hephaestus immediately became interested, Lorne smiled and nodded.
"Correct."
"I have long heard of his great name. Today is the perfect chance to chat with him."
"I will have Medusa and the others take you to the wine cellar first to pick a few jars of fine wine, then show you the way. If you get drunk, you can stay on the mountain tonight."
After making proper arrangements for the craftsman god, Lorne turned his gaze to Thetis beside him and spoke softly.
"Since you are here, why not go see Astraea? She has been missing you lately."
"Mm, I miss that child too."
Thetis nodded gently and a reminiscent smile appeared on her elegant face.
Back then, when she and Lorne had been chased everywhere by the goddess of discord Eris and the three Furies,
If not for Astraea, that warm-hearted second-generation justice goddess, stepping in at the critical moment and taking them to seek Themis's help, she might have died at sea in the Oceanus because of the [Revenge Imprint].
In a sense, Astraea was the little cupid who had helped bring about this marriage.
"Then go ahead and take a stroll.
Once I finish these tasks, we can talk again."
Lorne waved his hand.
Thetis and Hephaestus, led by Medusa, nodded sensibly and left.
Outside the temple, a gentle breeze brushed their faces and fresh air filled their noses.
Thetis took a deep breath of the long-missed scent of War God Mountain.
Then she suddenly stopped, turned her head faintly, and looked back at the tightly closed temple doors.
This scent...
Medusa, who was leading the way, turned around and looked at Thetis with concern. "What is wrong?"
For some reason, the snake-haired girl's back tightened with a trace of defensive tension.
"Nothing. I suddenly remembered some other things." Thetis, who had come back to her senses, smiled and turned to follow Medusa.
However, her lowered eyes flickered faintly.
Athena...and Hera?
At the same time, sensing the figures outside the door walking away,
Lorne breathed a heavy sigh of relief, then carefully picked up a stack of documents from the floor and reached for the door.
"Where are you running?"
However, a faint voice came from behind.
Three figures lifted the tablecloth one after another and walked out in a triangular formation, cornering the person who was once again trying to slip away.
Looking at the three smiling faces, Lorne could not help swallowing.
"When did you three get along so well?"
"Just now."
The three goddesses looked at each other and smiled, seemingly having reached some tacit consensus.
Seeing this, Lorne felt a strong sense of crisis and hurriedly reminded them.
"Thetis has not gone far..."
Keeping his fiancée on War God Mountain was an insurance policy Lorne had prepared for himself.
"She is already over a thousand meters away. That counts as a safe range." Artemis smiled as she punctured this false deterrent and took another step forward, her gaze burning.
Lorne's eyelids twitched.
He retreated step by step and turned his gaze to Athena, smiling dryly for help.
"In the temple, we should still mind appearances, right?"
"Why are you looking at me?
This is Athena's temple. What does it have to do with me, Sasha?"
The purple-haired, golden-eyed "Sasha" spoke with an innocent face and raised her hand to draw a Hermetic script, constructing a tight barrier.
Lorne was left speechless.
Finally he looked at the Queen of Heaven, the protector of marriage, with sincere eyes.
"I am about to marry Thetis."
"There are still two days, aren't there?"
Hera spoke faintly as she stepped forward to block the last gap and cut open the only remaining layer of covering on the prey with her moving fingertips.
The goddess who had sworn to protect chastity had broken her former oath.
The goddess who could not tolerate defilement had offered her own temple.
The goddess who protected the legitimacy of marriage was obsessed with the pleasure of taboo...
Clearly, these three, who were not clean themselves, had formed a stable triangular alliance of interests after experiencing a certain honest and open situation.
They held each other's handles and agreed to share the prey together.
Looking at this shameless scene of collusion, the victim with nowhere to escape raised his hands in tragic acceptance of his cruel fate.
A depraved banquet unfolded fiercely inside the holy temple.
(End of this chapter)