"Hm hm~"
Inside her own room, Freya stood before a mirror, carefully dressing herself.
Normally, such meticulous preparation was reserved only for banquets or divine gatherings.
But now, there was neither a banquet nor a godly assembly here...
Wait.
Calling it a banquet would not exactly be wrong.
Because this was a banquet prepared solely for meeting that person alone. Though the scale was small, Freya did not dare show even the slightest negligence.
After all, this was a banquet for the one she had set her sights on.
Many members of her Familia, even Ottar himself, had never received such treatment. That alone showed just how seriously Freya regarded this occasion.
"Alright, my preparations are more or less complete. The banquet should be ready soon as well..."
"All that's left now is to wait for her arrival."
"Mm... I'm actually this excited... It seems I truly do like her quite a lot."
Freya lightly tapped her lips with a finger, a maidenly blush appearing on her face.
"After all, one of the things I descended to the lower world seeking has suddenly appeared right before my eyes."
Just as Freya prepared to admire herself in the mirror once more, a knock came from outside the door.
"Lady Freya, the guest has arrived. Please give your instructions."
"Very well. Bring her to the lounge first. I'll be there shortly."
Since the guest had already arrived, Freya no longer had time for anything else. Making a guest wait too long was not something a proper host should do.
Meanwhile, after returning to the Familia with Astraea, Elise claimed she had something to take care of and left alone without bringing anyone with her.
Astraea had always trusted Elise and simply told her to go handle it. On the other hand, Est narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched the direction Elise departed.
Elise needed to find Freya and request her help with something.
After putting on a black coat, Elise once again headed toward Freya Familia's residence, Folkvangr.
"Please wait here for a short while. Once Lady Freya finishes changing clothes, she will come see you."
Although the person before him wore a black coat that concealed her appearance, since Freya had declared her to be an honored guest, the guard absolutely did not dare show the slightest disrespect. Otherwise, the powerful members within the Familia would definitely teach him a lesson.
While saying things like, "As a member of Lady Freya's Familia, you can't even handle something this simple," they would beat him senseless with weapons in hand.
Elise had not waited there for long before another knock sounded.
"May I come in?"
The voice belonged to an extremely seductive woman. It was highly distinctive. Throughout Orario, it would be difficult to find another woman with a voice quite like hers.
Without question, the person who had arrived was Freya.
"Of course. Please come in."
Since she was facing a goddess of the outside world, Elise would never lower her guard, especially not before Freya, the goddess standing at the pinnacle of Orario.
Since Freya sat upon that throne, she undoubtedly possessed countless methods and schemes.
At the very least, Elise still needed to show proper respect toward a deity.
The moment the door opened, a captivating fragrance drifted in from outside. Even Elise could instantly feel the beauty radiating from Freya.
So this was the charm of the goddess of beauty? Even without seeing her with one's eyes, the body itself could sense that extraordinary beauty.
This had already approached the level of a concept itself. It seemed Freya had truly spared no expense.
"Hm hm! I spent a very long time dressing up just to meet you. Aren't you going to remove your blindfold and take a look?"
Freya looked at Elise somewhat resentfully. Anyone would instinctively pay attention to Elise's eyes, and Freya was no exception.
"I'd rather not. My eyes are somewhat special. They're not suitable for showing others."
Elise always remembered Astraea's warning.
Never remove the blindfold before any deity.
Never make eye contact with any god.
Otherwise, endless trouble would surely follow.
"Even if I can't see, I can still use my skill to tell what you're wearing."
"A white dress trimmed with golden edges, correct? It suits you very well. It fully highlights your beauty. It's just..."
As Elise looked at Freya's outfit, she still seemed somewhat awkward.
"Just what? It's fine. You may speak freely," Freya replied, glancing down at her own clothing.
There was nothing wrong with it, was there?
What exactly would Elise say?
"You're wearing a little too little..."
In the end, Elise spoke honestly. Otherwise, she simply could not hold it in.
The outfit Freya wore was undeniably beautiful and perfectly suited her.
But there was far too little fabric!
If Freya's entire body were measured as one hundred percent, this dress probably failed to cover even thirty percent of it. It barely concealed the important areas while using ornaments to decorate the rest.
Compared to Elise's own Sword Maiden attire, which at least covered close to half of her figure despite its daring design, Freya's outfit felt less like proper clothing and more like pure temptation.
It truly made one want to complain.
"That's simply my preference. Besides... your skill is rather impressive..." Freya nodded, effectively accepting Elise's refusal to remove the blindfold.
"But I wonder... can you tell what I'm wearing underneath?"
Freya approached Elise, excitement evident even in her tone.
"Do we really need to ask that question?" Elise took a step backward. "Even without looking underneath, I already know..."
"You're definitely not wearing anything!"
And something even seemed to be dripping out... shouldn't you cover that up?
"Bingo! Correct answer! As your reward, you may attend a candlelit dinner with me. Every member of my Familia dreams of receiving such treatment, you know!"
"But I'm not a member of your Familia..."
"Don't say such disappointing things. Even if you aren't, didn't I still prepare all this for you? Don't waste my feelings."
Freya grabbed Elise's hand and prepared to lead her toward the room she had arranged. She was already beginning to anticipate Elise's reaction upon seeing it.
And besides...
Even if you are not part of my Familia now, that doesn't mean you won't be in the future, Elise.
You won't escape from the palm of my hand...
The person I set my sights on will never be allowed to run away!
Freya opened the door, and Elise followed her inside.
But the arrangement of the room nearly broke her composure.
An entire table overflowing with lavish dishes and fine wine.
The fragrance had already drifted over the moment the door opened.
Nearby candles surrounded the area in the shape of a heart.
The implication could not have been more obvious.
The atmosphere was extremely intimate...
If you told me you didn't have ulterior motives, I wouldn't believe you at all.
But that wasn't even the most shocking part.
Because...
There was a large bed placed in the corner of the room.
What exactly are you planning to do?