Inside the small church that served as the Hestia Familia's headquarters, the gentle morning light filtered through dusty windows, casting shadowy patterns across the stone floor.
There was a rustic wooden table, covered with papers scribbled in a language foreign to Luki.
Around the table, the silence was broken only by the faint scratch of ink on paper and the sound of their breaths.
Hestia, with her black hair loose in her back and eyes glowing with patience, leaned slightly forward, pointing at one of the papers. On it, the word "rabbit" was written, though in the script of that unfamiliar tongue. She pronounced it clearly, almost melodiously:
— Co-e-lho, coelho.
Luki, whose voice still carried the accent of his homeland and the struggle of adjusting to the sounds of this new language, repeated cautiously:
— Cú-ê-lhú, cúêlhú…
Hestia raised an eyebrow, but smiled, trying to remain patient. She shook her head gently, correcting him with a tone both firm and affectionate:
— No, no, it's cO-e-lhO. The sound is "O," not "ú." Repeat after me: cu-e-lhO.
Luki took a deep breath, concentrating on the cadence this language demanded. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then tried again with effort:
— Cu-ê-lhO…
This time, Hestia smiled encouragingly, her eyes meeting his with warmth and affection.
— Very good, my dear. Every syllable matters. Remember: it's "co-e-lhO," with the "O" well pronounced.
Luki stared at the letters, absorbing every detail. He took a deep breath and repeated slowly:
— Co-ê-lhO…
Hestia smiled softly, correcting him tenderly:
— Almost there! Now we just need to work on that "ê." It's supposed to be "e," no accent. Try again: co-e-lho.
Luki focused, straining to catch the new rhythm. Closing his eyes once more, he spoke more clearly:
— Co-ê-lho…
Not perfect yet, but with signs of progress. Luki kept trying.
This was just another of their daily study sessions, where, for at least an hour, Hestia sat at the table with him to teach the language of this world.
As they scribbled sentences and words on yellowed papers, Luki began to notice some peculiarities. Much like Portuguese, English, and other Latin-based languages, the alphabet of this world consisted of letters representing different phonemes, combined to form sounds and, in turn, words.
Yet there was one glaring difference: this system had 34 distinct letters, many with such similar forms that it was difficult to tell them apart at first glance.
Luckily, Luki thought, at least it wasn't like the oriental languages where each symbol could carry countless meanings depending on context, something that, to him, looked like a labyrinth of interpretations. Here, despite the challenges, the alphabet's logic made things somewhat easier.
But, just like the oriental culture, it's a costume to speak words equivalent to '-chan', '-kun', '-sama' and likes to show respect.
As he absorbed all this, Luki found himself reflecting on his past life.
'I always blamed my bad grades in humanities on Portuguese, but I'm starting to realize… maybe it isn't so bad after all.'
Of course, Portuguese had its challenges, like verb conjugations that shifted with tense, something English handled far more simply. But compared to the complexity and ambiguity of this new world's tongue, Portuguese seemed almost like a well-organized paradise.
Luki sighed as he adjusted the paper before him. He could already imagine spending years studying this language and still never fully mastering it.
Then, suddenly, the acrid smell of something burning filled the air, snapping him from his thoughts.
— What tHe…
— Oh, gods! I left the pot on the fire! — Hestia yelped, leaping from her chair and dashing to the kitchen.
Curious, Luki quickly tucked away the study material in the cabinet before following her.
When he entered the kitchen, he found Hestia pulling a pot off the wood-burning stove and tossing it into the sink. Black smoke rose, filling the air with an even stronger stench of burnt food.
'Sometimes I forget how rudimentary this world's technology is… They still use wood stoves.' Luki thought, frowning.
If there was one thing he truly missed from his past life, it was the convenience of modern technology. Back then, he had taken it all for granted — refrigerators, microwaves, electric showers… But now, living in what felt like a medieval world, the difference was staggering.
'Like they say, you only show valor to things when you lose then.'
— Oh no… now we don't have lunch. — Hestia sighed, her voice heavy with frustration.
— It's okaY… gO out? — Luki suggested.
— We can, but… this was our lunch, and I ruined it. — Hestia lowered her head, looking strangely shaken by something so simple.
Luki studied her for a moment before realization struck.
'She's thinking again that she's useless… that she can't do anything right… that she's not worthy of this familia.'
He looked upward, considering how best to handle this. Hestia had never been one to care much about appearances like most people did, but when it came to her usefulness, her self-esteem was fragile. Fragile to an irritating degree, but what can he do?
Memories of that night surfaced, the night he and Hestia had finally confessed their feelings to one another.
Luki lowered his gaze to the small goddess before him, and a rather bold idea crossed his mind.
'After all that talk… I think it's fine if I do this, right?'
Casting aside hesitation, he moved forward with resolve. He knew he couldn't falter in that moment.
With gentle movements, he slipped his arms around Hestia's waist, pulling her close and wrapping her in a tight embrace, her back pressed against his chest.
— L-Luki-kun! W-what do you think you're doing?! — Hestia's eyes widened in shock. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and though she squirmed, her resistance was weak, almost nonexistent.
Taking advantage of the moment, Luki lowered him self, resting his chin on her shoulder. He romantically inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet scent of her hair and the softness of her skin.
— Uhn… Luki-kun~ — A small moan escaped Hestia's lips, her legs seeming to weaken beneath her.
He smiled, pleased with her reaction.
— Hestia… let's go out… eat… play… alone… — he said slowly, fighting against the limits of his vocabulary.
Hestia blinked, processing his words. Then, as if a light bulb had gone off in her head, she turned quickly to face him, her eyes shining with excitement.
— Are you… asking me on a date? — Her voice carried a hopeful lilt.
Luki paused, taking in the new word.
— (Date…? That's how you say it?)
After a moment of thought, he nodded firmly.
— Yes… date. Me and Hestia.
Her eyes sparkled even brighter, and a wide smile spread across her face.
— Then that's it! Hehehe! Alright, I accept your invitation!
She turned fully toward him, taking his hands and intertwining her fingers with his.
— We're going to have a beautiful date, just the two of us!
Luki smiled, content. He was still far from mastering this cursed language, but at least in that moment, he had managed to express exactly what he meant.
And from the look of things, their day had just gotten a whole lot better.
...
Though the two had gone out together many times before, it had always been for practical reasons — to eat, run errands in the city, or simply walk around. But this time was different.
This time, it was special.
Their first official date, with no purpose other than to enjoy each other's company.
Perhaps that was why Hestia was so excited.
Even living in their shabby, unfinished church, like any woman, she had her priorities in order. And one of those priorities was a wardrobe full of dresses and a few beauty products. Now... how she got money for this, even she doen't.
In a rush, she took a hot bath and began to get ready, never losing the smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Luki, though excited, didn't feel the same nerves. In his past life, he had been on a few dates, none of them particularly memorable.
And as poor as he was, his tastes were simple. His wardrobe basically consisted of the same set of black shirts and trousers.
'Let's see… which one should I pick? The black shirt? Maybe the dark one? How about this short-sleeved black sweatshirt… I know, today I'll spice it up and wear this monochromatic cloth.'
He chuckled internally at his own joke as he picked out what to wear.
'I seriously need to rethink my priorities…'
In the end, he chose the newest outfit he had.
After changing, he walked to the cracked mirror in the church hall to check his appearance.
'I'm not exactly dressed for a date…'
Thinking that, he took advantage of his damp hair and combed it back, letting his elven ears show more clearly.
'If only I had a tie and a belt… but it'll do.'
That was when Hestia's voice echoed from her room.
— Lukiiii-kunnn~ could you do me a favor? — Hestiaa's voices echoed through the house, but in a strange, suggestive tone.
There was something odd in that.
— HelP? — he asked, going down to the basement room.
— Not really, I just… wanted to know what you think...
Before he could even open the door, soft footsteps echoed across the silent basement. The door creaked as it opened, and Hestia stepped slowly out, almost as if she were walking a runway.
— Of this?~~~ — she asked, her voice carrying a seductive note.
The reaction was instant. Luki's face flushed, and her elven ears flapped as if they were going to fly, he couldn't hide the deep red spreading across his cheeks.
In front of him, Hestia was… devastatingly divine.
The goddess wore a deep sapphire dress that clung to her body accentuating her curves, the silky fabric embracing every curve as if it had been crafted to cause desire on who see it. The off-shoulder cut bared her flawless skin, while her voluptuous chest seemed eager to burst free.
And perhaps because she had just bathed, Luki noticed a faint rosy hue in two very specific spots…
A playful slit traced the side of the gown, offering fleeting glimpses of her thighs with every subtle movement, a dangerous contrast to the purity of the long white gloves that hugged her arms up to the elbow.
Her long twin-tails framed her figure like dark silk curtains, the pale ribbons at their ends teasing innocence, while everything else about her radiated temptation. The way the fabric tightened around her waist only amplified her hourglass shape, drawing his eyes irresistibly down to the gentle sway of her hips.
Every step she took made the chandelier's light ripple across the flowing ruffles of the dress, giving her the aura of a goddess descending into the mortal realm — untouchable, yet painfully close.
If anyone had doubted her divinity, now they would worship.
'I want to rip this damm dress.'
— Lu… ki~ — Hestia called his name, averting her gaze for a moment. Her face was flushed red, her embarrassment obvious.
He blinked, realizing he had been staring far too long.
— Ah… sorry.
— Hehehe~ — she giggled softly. — It's okay… I don't mind.
Hestia bit her lower lip before looking back up at him again.
— You can… keep looking… if you want.
Luki swallowed hard.
'This date is going to be a lot harder than I thought.'