Freya's sweet voice mingled with the aroma of black tea, sinking into the Goddesses' hearts.
"..."
Artemis and Astraea were both left speechless.
From a rational point of view, love was nothing more than an intangible impulse.
In countless fairy tales, after a beautiful princess was saved by a knight, she would always swear eternal love to him. The story might be lovely, but if one traced it back to its source, love inevitably felt like a wave that came far too quickly.
For Goddesses, that was even more true.
Before hundreds of millions of years, the flutter brought by such an encounter was only a pebble in an endless sea of sand, like a mirage, illusory and fragile.
Sensing their silence, Hephaestus took the initiative to break the awkward atmosphere. "Freya, you should not be interested in this sort of thing, right? Why bring it up all of a sudden?"
The Goddess of Beauty was always aloof, yet now she was unusually guiding the conversation, probing the Goddesses' true feelings.
This was not mere curiosity. There seemed to be a deeper reason behind it.
"I am only stating the facts. Humans and Gods cannot have children together. This so-called love will never bear fruit. If that is the case, do they truly love that boy with all their hearts, or are they simply passing the time and amusing themselves with him?"
Freya answered calmly.
Humans and Gods did not share the same flow of time, nor could they give birth to the crystallization of love.
Freya laid those undeniable facts before them, forcing the Goddesses to face reality.
"What exactly is sincerity? Even we, who are [omniscient], do not know the answer to that, Freya. Your question is far too tricky."
Hephaestus tried to smooth things over.
A love tied to time like this was not something that could be fully discussed at a single tea party.
No one could guarantee that their feelings would never shift with time.
"Freya, Bell Cranel and I made a vow. Whether it is a hundred years or ten thousand, I will keep walking beside him."
Artemis looked into Freya's beautiful eyes and answered.
Her expression was firm, without the slightest hint of wavering.
"Wait, Artemis. You do not have to answer a question like that."
Hephaestus frowned.
What exactly had those two been through for her to say such words in front of Hestia?
Hephaestus glanced at the petite Goddess beside her, momentarily troubled.
"..."
Whether she had been shocked or surprised by her friend's words, Hestia only furrowed her brow and kept eating sweets.
To hear an old friend speak in front of her about such unwavering love for one of her own Familia members, the feeling was difficult to describe.
But Freya clearly had no intention of letting the matter end there. "Even if, in that boy's eyes, you are only an old woman over a hundred million years old?"
"Orion would never think that..."
Artemis ignored Hephaestus's warning and continued.
"Even if you have no children in the future and can only rely on each other to ease your loneliness?"
Freya set down her teacup and continued her questioning.
"As long as Orion is there, that is already enough for me."
Artemis answered immediately.
"But that child is pursuing a harem, is he not? Can you guarantee that jealousy will not seep into your heart and body, and that you will get along well with every girl?"
Freya's tone was calm and natural.
She was like a judge, weighing Artemis's heart in love.
"I believe Orion will handle those things properly, so I will not worry about it."
Artemis glanced at the gloomy Hestia, showing no intention of ending the topic.
She blinked her emerald eyes and reminded Freya, "Freya, what Orion is seeking is genuine smiles, not a simple harem."
"My apologies. I did not mean to belittle that boy."
Freya lowered her head in apology, then continued, "But Artemis, those shallow sensual matters are also part of love, are they not? As I said earlier, can you accept that side of it?"
"Mm... Only that, I cannot accept as frankly as you... as other people do."
Artemis seemed to remember something and suddenly changed her words halfway through.
She pressed her lips together, then quickly added, "If, I mean if... if one day I truly cannot hold myself back, I will follow my heart and cross that final step..."
Artemis was gradually changing.
On one hand, every time she came into contact with the boy, the flutter in her heart grew stronger.
On the other, Artemis was deeply jealous of the other girls who enjoyed the sweetness of "falling," warming each other with the boy through the night. Even though she knew this was an emotion she had to cast aside, bitterness still kept rising in her heart.
With love at its center, Artemis's world was being swept up in a roaring storm.
"..."
Hestia bit hard into a piece of bread.
One of the Three Great Virgin Goddesses, the one who governed chastity, had actually said she was prepared to cross the forbidden line?
Wasn't that far too strange?
Could she be having a nightmare?
Under Hestia's resentful and shocked gaze, Freya nodded thoughtfully.
"I see. Artemis, thank you for your answer."
The corners of Freya's lips rose, and her gray eyes drifted toward the other Goddess.
"Ah..."
Astraea let out a soft sigh.
She did not understand how Artemis had overcome her shyness and answered Freya's question. If the two of them had stayed silent, this would have remained nothing more than casual tea party chatter. It never would have gone this deep.
Was it to draw out her own answer?
Impossible...
Astraea did not think about it any further. She looked around at the faces of the Goddesses.
One seemed to be looking at her expectantly, as if seeking an ally.
Another was cold and composed, as if she only wanted to know the answer to love.
Another held her forehead and watched from the side, helpless over the delicate atmosphere at the tea party.
And another remained silent, doing nothing but eating sweets.
Astraea gathered her thoughts and said softly, "My relationship with Bell Cranel is rather special, so I cannot say much about the details."
"But..." The Goddess of Justice looked up at the blue sky, as if imagining some unknown future. "If my promise with him comes true, then although I will feel sorry for Hestia, I am certain I will not be able to stop myself... I will love him with my whole heart."
A faint blush rested on Astraea's face. Even that brief reunion with the boy had been enough to stir her heart.
She could not imagine what she would do, obeying her love, when the promise was finally fulfilled.
"It seems I was worrying too much. I will give you my blessing."
Freya answered gently.
Amid her sweet voice, one Goddess slammed the table and finally erupted.