"Ugh..."
Back in her room, Hestia buried her face under the covers.
Just thinking about the look in Bell's eyes earlier made her want to die of embarrassment. She and Hephaestus had been wondering how the "Godslayer" Development Ability came to be—and in the end, they were the ones responsible for it.
Because they'd "ended" the status of a virgin goddess, the system judged it as having "killed" one. Hestia couldn't help but want to pry open the skull of whoever designed the Falna system and check if their brain had been taken over by a pig to make such a ridiculous judgment.
'Still, the Godslayer ability will be a huge help to Bell in the future. Gaining that power was just what he needed... it's just the way he got it that's the problem.'
Hestia knew better than anyone—what Bell needed now was power. With the Godslayer ability, he finally had the means to truly kill gods. Against the Evilus deities, it would be incredibly effective.
If only she could ignore how he obtained that power. Blushing, Hestia couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
The power itself and the timing of acquiring it were perfect. Even she had to admit—it was the best fit for Bell. With Godslayer, even gods wouldn't be able to stop him. If only the process of getting it wasn't so... unforgettable.
Just thinking of "Godslayer" brought back phantom pain.
For a virgin goddess, that kind of pain had been a first.
But maybe it was precisely because of how intense it was that the memory was so deeply seared into her mind.
'Ugh... I can't face anyone anymore...'
While Hestia was stewing in shame, things weren't much better on Hephaestus's end.
That said, compared to Hestia, who was blushing so hard she couldn't even speak, Hephaestus was clearly more composed—even if she kept tapping her foot impatiently.
Knock knock knock!
She glanced at the door, a faint smile tugging at her lips before she quickly masked it.
"Come in."
The door opened, and in walked Bell—naturally, the one person allowed to come and go as he pleased.
Hephaestus didn't show any excitement, just gave Bell a brief glance before looking away again.
She's still upset. Bell could tell her mood was anything but good. In fact, if the whole "Godslayer" matter hadn't interrupted them, Hephaestus had probably been talking to Hestia about what happened on those nights.
He remembered she had once said she liked being the passive one. Keeping that in mind, Bell walked directly over to her.
Noticing him approach, Hephaestus kept her expression still and looked elsewhere—but Bell caught the subtle shift in her gaze.
It only made him more certain he needed to take the initiative.
He stepped right up beside her and took her hand before she could say a word.
Hephaestus glanced at their joined hands and gave a slight tug. But when it didn't come loose, she stopped resisting. After all, what if she really managed to pull away?
"Hephaestus."
"What?"
Her tone had a sharp edge to it. Bell could tell—she was definitely still angry.
And this one was on him. After all, being loved by two goddesses wasn't their fault. At least, not for Hestia or Hephaestus. The real problem... was him, the guy who had caught their attention.
Which, honestly, was just the truth.
He'd assumed Hephaestus preferred taking the lead, so he never made a move himself. But if he'd known from the start that she liked it when someone else took the initiative too... maybe he could've acted sooner.
"This time, it really was my fault."
"Oh, so you do know. Between Hestia and me, who have you spent the most time with? Don't tell me you don't know."
The moment she brought it up, a flicker of resentment—and a hint of jealousy—lit up in Hephaestus's voice.
Bell blinked, surprised by what he saw.
'A flame?'
'Weird... why do I see a flame burning in Hephaestus's heart?'
He was certain his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, which meant the flame was real. He focused his gaze on it. The fire was pitch black—and as he watched, it grew slightly larger within her chest.
"What are you spacing out for?"
Snapping out of it, Bell saw that the fire in Hephaestus's eyes had grown even more resentful. But interestingly, the black flame in her chest didn't expand any further.
"...Yeah, that was my fault. I should've said goodbye to you first."
"Hmph. At least you realize it."
Hephaestus pouted slightly. The words were a bit late, sure—but that didn't stop her from enjoying them. She might be the goddess of smithing, a symbol of strength and independence, but that didn't mean she didn't crave affection like anyone else.
Even the most self-reliant goddess could fall for sweet words from her lover.
Though her face was still stiff, Hephaestus had already made up her mind to forgive Bell.
"If you know you were wrong, then... I guess I can forgive you."
Bell hadn't expected this side of her—the normally cool and composed Hephaestus acting this cute. Seeing her awkward charm, he couldn't help but feel moved.
"I really do know I was wrong."
For Bell, admitting fault wasn't difficult. He knew the problem was on his end.
"Hmph. You were a bit slow, but... I'll let it slide this time."
She threw out one last tough line, then immediately dropped the act. Her body went limp like a snake in water, and she turned to lean against Bell's shoulder.
He held her close, and at the same time, he noticed the black flame at her chest gradually shrinking until it vanished completely. But in that moment, he also felt a faint, unfamiliar energy being drawn into his body.
'Was that... envy?'
Bell hadn't expected his newly awakened skill to activate here of all places—and even more surprising, it had unconsciously shifted Hephaestus's emotions.
He took a deep breath, lowered his head, and kissed her.
He held it for a while, only pulling away when Hephaestus's breathing grew rapid.
"Hephaestus, I think I just discovered something incredible."
"???"
...
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