"…Interesting?" Eryx repeated carefully.
Athena nodded like it was completely normal. "Mhm."
Nobody spoke for a second.
Because honestly? That answer somehow felt worse than no answer at all.
Azrael's gaze stayed fixed on her face, trying to read whatever expression she was hiding behind that small smile. "And this 'interesting' person kept you away for months?" he asked quietly.
Athena tilted her head slightly. "When you say it like that, it sounds dramatic."
"Because it is dramatic," Theo muttered immediately.
Athena looked entirely unconcerned by the tension she had just dropped into the room.
Eryx folded his arms again, already looking irritated. "Okay, princess… can you at least tell us who this 'interesting person' is?"
Athena hummed softly, like she was considering whether they were ready for the answer.
"My dad." then answered very casually.
Theo stopped stirring completely. The spoon just froze in the pot.
