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Chapter 123: Rejecting the Goddess of Beauty
"Mr. Aiden... how, how are you doing that?"
As the only male in the vicinity acting like absolutely nothing was happening, Aiden's performance instantly drew the attention of the surrounding women. Mikoto, her face still burning and her breathing erratic, asked the question with a slight tremble in her voice.
"It's simple." Aiden lowered his wine glass. Meeting their curious gazes, he smoothly delivered a line, taking the opportunity to show off. "Mind clear as ice; unbothered even if the heavens fall."
Focalors mentally rolled her eyes.
Others might not know, but how could she not? This guy was just putting on an act. Wasn't he just relying on the supreme anomaly resistance from his overpowered [Descender] skill? Still, she had to admit, he executed the bluff perfectly.
It instantly earned him a starry-eyed look of worship from Mikoto, and even the normally composed Asfi and Naaza shot him looks of admiration.
"My boy, you are the man. I give that move a perfect score." Hermes shot Aiden a massive thumbs up, his face full of awe. For a mere mortal to casually ignore an absolute charm that even gods struggled to resist was genuinely worthy of respect.
"Last time was Ganesha's banquet, so this is her second... It's quite rare for Freya to show her face in public like this," Hephaestus murmured under her breath.
"Yeah, Goddess Freya is like a super rare spawn. Catching a glimpse of her today is a massive, unexpected bonus." Hermes's eyes were practically glued to the Goddess of Beauty; he looked about half a second away from drooling.
His textbook "dirty old man" behavior severely annoyed Asfi, who mercilessly stomped the heel of her sharp stiletto right onto his foot.
"True. Every time she comes out, she causes a riot. It's incredibly headache-inducing," Lord Takemikazuchi said, utilizing the iron will of a War God to restrain his gaze.
Right at that moment, Freya spotted Aiden's group. A smile of deep amusement blossomed on her face, and she adjusted her path, walking directly toward them.
Tap, tap, tap... The crisp clack of her heels seemed to come with its own background music. Even over the deafening noise of the crowd, the sound reached everyone's ears with crystal clarity. As if hitting an invisible wall, the crowd naturally parted, opening an unobstructed path for the Goddess of Beauty.
Moments later, the goddess and her imposing beast-man escort came to a halt right in front of them.
"Hephaestus. We haven't seen each other since the last Denatus, have we?"
Freya's target seemed to be Hephaestus, but Aiden could clearly feel those silver eyes casually—yet deliberately—sweep over him. And unlike the gaze he had felt earlier, this look burned much hotter. It carried a mix of scrutiny, intense curiosity, and... possessiveness.
Aiden understood immediately.
There was no doubt about it; his calm, unaffected demeanor had successfully piqued Freya's interest. While the Charm she was currently exuding was just a passive, natural aura rather than an active use of her divine authority, it still wasn't something a normal person could resist. The fact that a War God like Takemikazuchi couldn't completely ignore it proved just how terrifying it was.
And now, Freya was starting to change her mind.
Previously, she just wanted to be an observer, quietly admiring the growth of an interesting 'treasure' of a boy who might one day become a hero. She hadn't considered claiming him for herself. But now, realizing that Aiden could completely shrug off her charm, her heart skipped a beat.
Her heart, which had lain dormant for so long, began to pound fiercely.
Could this boy... be the one I've been waiting thousands of years for? The one unique Odr who can resonate with my soul?
"I'm glad to see you're doing well," Goddess Hephaestus replied in a flat tone.
"Freya, what brings you over here?"
Right on cue, Focalors flashed a polite smile and took a subtle step sideways, neatly inserting herself between Freya and Aiden. She asked the question with a breezy, cheerful tone.
"Focalors, is it?" Freya's gaze shifted from Aiden to Focalors. She let out a soft chuckle. "I'm quite close with Astrea. She used to talk about you. I didn't expect you'd choose to descend to the lower world as well."
She paused, her silver eyes curving into crescents as her tone grew exceptionally innocent and sweet. "Don't worry, I just came to say hello. It's rare to see such an interesting group of people gathered together, so I simply couldn't resist coming over."
With that, Goddess Freya turned and shot a devastatingly alluring wink at the male gods nearby.
Hit by that bewitching gaze, Hermes instantly morphed into a lovestruck creep, looking ready to drop to his knees and declare his undying devotion on the spot. Lord Takemikazuchi's face flushed a violent crimson; he abruptly snapped his head away, letting out a loud, forced cough to cover his blunder. Lord Miach maintained his noble composure, gently praising her, "You look as beautiful as ever tonight, Freya."
A second later, several of the male gods suffered swift "righteous judgment" from their respective female Familia members. Stomps, pinches, and physical strikes rained down.
Cries of "Gah!?", "Oof!?", and "Gwah!?" echoed out in quick succession.
Finally, that silver gaze drifted back to rest on Aiden's face.
Smiling, Freya reached out a hand, moving with complete, fluid naturalness to caress his cheek. The gesture was as elegant as a lover's whisper, carrying an irresistible magic.
But to her utter shock, Aiden's body seemed to react faster than his mind. He instinctively took a half-step back, precisely dodging the goddess's touch.
The scene plunged into instant silence.
It was as if the air had been vacuumed out of the room; even the faintest sounds of breathing vanished. All the noise, the music, the chatter—everything ground to a dead halt.
Even Ottarl, who had been playing the role of a silent statue disconnected from the world, widened his eyes ever so slightly in disbelief. A man actually refused the goddess's intimacy? Freya's outstretched hand froze in midair for a fraction of a second, a flash of astonishment breaking her flawless expression. But she recovered instantly, replacing it with an even brighter, far more dangerous smile.
"How very interesting."
"Ottarl." Freya softly called her escort, then turned gracefully and walked away at a measured pace.
Ottarl's profound gaze lingered on Aiden for a full two seconds, as if trying to see right through to his soul, before he silently turned and followed his goddess.
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