Trapped by her own words.
Astraea had never imagined that one day, that phrase would apply to her.
She had only wanted to tease Hestia and nudge Bell's relationship with his Familia God forward, so she had said it as a joke. Instead, she was the one who now found herself standing on the edge of an embarrassing cliff.
"That was just something I said offhand. How can it count?"
Astraea did not let the turmoil in her heart show on her face.
"Does the Goddess of Justice tell lies so easily? Don't you think that's a little cruel to Orion, when you're his lover?"
Artemis knew she did not have much of a case, so she seized on their status as lovers and attacked from an emotional angle.
She had talked about spending the night with her lover, only to brush it off as a joke.
For a boy in love, that was undoubtedly cruel. It was like those women who toyed with people's hearts, casting out bait but never making a move.
"..."
For a moment, Astraea had no answer.
It may have been an offhand remark from Artemis, but in a way, the arrow had struck dead center, piercing the distorted nature of the relationship between Astraea and Bell.
She had accepted the boy's confession and become his lover. But that existed in name only, with no real progress between them.
That was exactly why Astraea could not refute her.
Time seemed to freeze in that instant, and the laughter around her grew unbearably muddled.
Her thoughts clashed, and the strings of her heart fell into disarray.
How should she respond?
Refuse outright?
No. There was no denying that she had kept the boy hanging with the promise of [the Unknown]. Just as Artemis said, it really was cruel to Bell.
But... was she supposed to go along with the joke and spend the night with him?
If she agreed, then what did the purity she had upheld all this time even mean?
She was not a virgin goddess who governed chastity, but she had stayed true to herself and had never shared any intimate act with any man.
Even if the boy was her lover, she could not.
At least, not now...
But...
Astraea stood frozen in place, the composure from her face slipping away.
"..."
Artemis looked into those star-like eyes and faintly sensed a trace of confusion.
Had something happened between Astraea and Orion?
Had she taken the joke too far?
Artemis realized she had spoken carelessly, but the arrow had already been loosed. She could not take it back.
Just as Astraea's cherry lips trembled and she was about to respond, a light shone over.
"Hm? What are you talking about? I already have plans tonight. No matter what Astraea says, I can't break my promise to another girl."
Bell casually spoke like a total scumbag.
"Y-you, you, what did you just say?! That vixen from the tavern again?!"
Hestia took over in displeasure. "She always looks so aloof, but behind everyone's back she's like this? How shameless! The next time I see her, I'm giving her a proper scolding!"
"..."
Artemis understood. The vixen Hestia was talking about was that dignified, righteous Elf girl.
She let out a long breath and silently sent her blessings to Ryuu, who had been dragged into this.
"When such a beautiful lover invites him, I really will be heartbroken if Bell refuses."
Astraea spoke gently.
Others might not have noticed, but she understood perfectly. Bell's words just now were meant to help her out of this situation.
The boy had deliberately put his womanizing on full display and neatly rejected the idea of sleeping together.
Just as the arrow unintentionally fired by the Moon Goddess was about to pierce Astraea, Bell had spread his arms and stepped in front of her.
It was a secret only Astraea knew, and it was the boy's kindness and warmth.
No wonder everyone liked him so much...
Astraea hid the fluttering in her heart, along with her jealousy, and her expression returned to calm.
"Stop talking..." Hestia glared at the boy with puffed cheeks. "Is this some kind of curse? Every Elf and goddess who gets involved with you turns into a vixen..."
"Does that include Goddess-sama?"
By helping Astraea, Bell naturally steered the conversation away from spending the night together.
"Of course not! Ugh... Bell, come with me!"
Hestia grabbed the boy's hand.
Ignoring the puzzled looks from the other women, she quickly ran toward her room.
...
Bell followed his Familia God's words and entered the room decorated in a cute style.
The Magic Stone lamp reflected Hestia's beautiful, youthful face.
Beneath the warm light, only one boy and one goddess were alone together.
"Take it off."
Hestia spoke with fierce determination.
"...?"
Bell froze for a moment and did not move.
"Hurry up and take it off."
Hestia repeated, her face bright red.
"..."
Bell nodded and bent down.
"Ugh... I told you to take off your clothes, not your shoes!"
Hestia hurriedly stopped him. "What are you thinking, you idiot!"
"No, I did think this might be a Status Update, but I've mostly been resting these past two days, so I ruled that out."
Bell answered honestly.
After a brief pause, he added frankly, "I thought Goddess-sama wanted to do something strange, like Astraea said."
"I told you, absolutely not!"
Hestia lightly pounded the boy's back. "Now hurry up and lie down."
"..."
Bell obediently lay face-down on the bed and let Hestia straddle his back.
Was she worried about the upcoming expedition and wanted to raise his Status as much as possible?
But the expedition was still a day away. It would not be too late to do that tomorrow.
There had to be another reason behind the goddess's actions now.
"I used to update your Status like this too, sitting on top of you."
Hestia sighed softly.
Ever since they had moved, the space they lived in had grown much larger, and they now had a dedicated room, table, and chairs for Status Updates.
Contact like this made Hestia feel rather nostalgic.
"Goddess-sama is still as cute as ever."
Feeling the touch against his back, Bell also recalled those days.
"Gods don't change. And don't treat me like a child."
Hestia patiently continued the work at hand.
Her gaze moved across the boy's back, as if recalling each and every change that had appeared there.
From having nothing at all to reaching this point, just how much heart and effort had gone into it?
Hestia pressed her lips together, then continued, "I'll always be with you, Bell... so this time, make sure you come back safely."
"Done!"
In just an instant, the tremor in Hestia's voice was gone, replaced by her usual energy.
"Bell, the [Lock] is completely set. No one will be able to see your Status now. You can go see that lecherous Elf."