"Freya again…"
Hestia felt like she could grind her teeth to dust.
She wondered if she and Freya were just destined to clash—why did Freya always manage to mess up her affairs?
And now she'd even persuaded Bell to invite Artemis out on a date.
Hestia herself hadn't been able to go out with Bell for ages because of everything happening outside, yet Artemis somehow got to go on a date with him so easily?
Forcing down the frustration building in her chest, Hestia still couldn't stop herself from worrying.
"Wasn't anyone watching you and Artemis outside?"
"There were. Quite a few, actually."
Of course. That part didn't surprise Hestia at all.
Those gods might normally look like they had nothing better to do, but once something caught their interest, their motivation skyrocketed to absurd levels.
And Bell naturally drew that interest.
But then Hestia suddenly froze.
"Wait! Bell, aren't you usually hidden by habit? How did those guys even notice you?"
"That wasn't my fault. The gods instructed them to 'keep an eye on anyone whose face they can't see clearly.'"
They were instructed? Hestia genuinely hadn't expected the gods to go that far.
But she quickly shot Bell a sharp glare.
"Bell, can't you completely erase your aura? In theory, those guys shouldn't have noticed you at all."
Hestia remembered—Bell's "Concealment" could hide everything about him from anyone, even gods.
Under that ability, he and Artemis shouldn't have been spotted at all.
Bell let out a helpless breath.
"If I erase everything, I can't accompany Artemis while she's shopping."
Even with his aura erased, Bell could avoid detection, but moving like that meant he couldn't properly stay beside Artemis while walking around together.
Hestia struggled to maintain her composure. Bell had exposed himself just to go on a date with Artemis.
The realization immediately cooled her earlier flare of anger.
But that same calmness brought a sourer expression to her face.
"Bell, ever since your plan started, it's been a long time since we went out together, hasn't it?"
"Yeah."
Bell knew the exact timeframe—yes, it had been a very long time since they'd gone out.
"So, Hestia… do you want to go out today?"
"...."
She really wanted to say "Yes!" on the spot, but Hestia still held herself back.
"Let's wait until everything is over."
There was less than a year left anyway. Hestia wasn't about to lose patience at a moment like this.
Even though she was furious inside, she had no real solution against Artemis, who had already made up her mind.
Especially since Bell was now at such a crucial point.
Hestia didn't think Artemis would expose Bell over something like this, but it was possible Artemis would do something similar to Freya.
Freya's whole sequence of moves when she'd set her sights on Bell was still fresh in Hestia's memory.
Artemis, once her closest friend in the Tenkai, now stood squarely opposite her—openly trying to become part of her household.
"And what about Artemis, then?"
"I… accepted."
Bell's voice sounded a bit stiff, but his determination was unmistakable.
Seeing Bell's unchanged resolve, Hestia gave in.
She let out a sigh.
"You really haven't changed at all. You're like this with others, and you're like this with me too."
"Once you decide something, you won't change it. That's a terrible habit."
Hestia knew exactly what Bell was thinking.
Responsibility—that was Bell's attitude toward Artemis.
Because he wouldn't change that mindset, Hestia knew he definitely wouldn't abandon Artemis.
Even though, frankly, this behavior was kind of scummy.
"I know. It's definitely not a good habit."
Bell understood full well that by definition, his behavior was "selfish."
But he had promised Artemis he would never leave her behind, so he had to face that vow head-on.
"So you do know."
Hestia rolled her eyes. This man knew it was wrong and still did it—wasn't he just asking for trouble?
But this time, she couldn't bring herself to reject Bell's decision.
"Artemis is my bottom line."
Everyone else had been drawn in by Bell's charm, but Artemis was the only one Bell had chosen himself—besides Hestia.
Hestia still disliked Bell's behavior, but if it was Artemis, it wasn't quite as unbearable.
Of course, the only person Bell could be allowed to choose was Artemis. No one else. Hestia knew she was quick to get jealous, and she didn't want Bell making things harder for her. The problems at home were already more than enough.
"Mm… I know."
Bell clearly hadn't expected Hestia to say that. He froze for a moment before coming back to himself.
"The remaining days… one goes to Hephaestus, and the other two are mine."
Hestia sounded downright possessive.
But it left Bell in a bit of a bind.
"But what about Loki…"
"Oh, she shouldn't have time these next two days."
At the mention of Loki, Hestia's previously sour expression lit up with smug satisfaction.
"Now that the spies outside know Loki returned home, she can't dodge it this time. She'll have to deal with those troublesome people before she can come back."
"And by the time she gets rid of them, the time will be long gone."
Hestia had never been particularly worried about Loki retaliating.
After all, this was Loki lacking the time—Hestia wasn't suppressing her on purpose.
...