[POV: Luki]
I woke up before the sun had fully risen. The light filtering through the cracks of the window was faint and golden, the kind of glow that only exists in those silent minutes before the world truly wakes.
My body still felt heavy under the sheets, but my mind was awake. Old habit, hard to break, in my past life, I woke up before five every single day. Routine shaped me more than any alarm clock ever did.
Only this time… something was different.
There was a weight on my chest. Something soft, warm… breathing.
For a second, I thought it was my cat, Minerva. She used to sleep exactly like this, purring on my chest in the middle of the night. But then I remembered two details: first, she passed away of old age when I was nineteen. Second… well, I'm in another world.
It took me a few moments to realize.
It was Hestia.
She was sprawled completely on top of me, face buried against my shoulder, breathing slowly with a defenselessness that didn't suit that loud, flamboyant goddess of mine.
It wasn't my Minerva…
'But she was still my cat,' I thought, a stupid grin spreading across my face.
My good arm rested over her waist, and without noticing, my fingers traced slow, idle shapes on the bare skin of her back, exposed by the backless dress she always wore. As for my other arm… well, it hung uselessly off the bed like it had been forgotten there. Good thing I couldn't feel anything, or it would've been killing me.
It was an uncomfortable position. In theory.
But right then, it was the most comfortable thing in the world.
I didn't want to move, didn't want to risk waking her.
So I stayed there in silence, watching her outline in the morning glow. Her messy hair, the slow rise and fall of her back as she breathed. The way she fit against me with an intimacy that felt so right… and so dangerous.
How badly I wanted to devour those lips of hers, to slide my tongue inside and taste every inch of her, then rip this dress and ravage her insides. But that would've been crude… so I pushed the thought aside.
Still… it didn't feel wrong.
I knew her well enough to guess that if I did it, she wouldn't stop me. She'd probably blush like crazy, maybe even take the initiative herself. But I didn't want that sort of thing between us. Not yet.
I'd learned from my friends' mistakes that going slow was always the best choice. Well... better then going light' speed.
So maybe that's why, instead of taking more, I let my fingers keep wandering across her back, memorizing her warmth, engraving the moment somewhere between body and soul.
Apparently, my touch wasn't as subtle as I thought, because soon enough, Hestia stirred.
— Mmmh… — she murmured something incomprehensible and pressed even closer. Her head shifted slightly, lashes fluttering as her eyes slowly opened.
She looked at me… but it didn't feel like she was truly seeing.
Her gaze was heavy with sleep, foggy, like she was still half-dreaming. She blinked slowly, her face still pressed against my chest.
— Luki-kun… — she mumbled, voice slurred with drowsiness.
We stayed like that for a few seconds, in silence. She didn't move, just stared at me, her face mere inches away.
And then, without a word… she leaned in.
Slowly. As if pulled by some unconscious impulse.
— Chu~
Her lips brushed mine, soft and hesitant. A light kiss, unhurried, as if it were nothing more than a continuation of her dream.
And for a few seconds… it was.
But then… she stopped.
— Muah~ — she ended the kiss and pulled back slightly, blinking as if she were waking from something.
I could almost see the moment awareness hit her like a lightning bolt.
Her eyes flew wide open. Her face exploded into red in an instant.
— A-AH…!
Before I could say anything, she buried her face into my neck, her arms wrapping around me like a trap of shame.
— I-I-I… what did I just…?! — her voice came muffled, almost a whimper of pure embarrassment.
I couldn't help but laugh.
— (Good morning to you too, my goddess.) — I whispered playfully.
— S-STOP SAYING THAT! I WAS HALF-ASLEEP! IT DOESN'T COUNT, IT DOESN'T COUNT!
— (Count what? That you kissed me before you were even fully awake? Not something I'll forget so easily, you know…)
— UGH! I WAS DREAMING, IT WAS A REFLEX, I WASN'T THINKING!
She curled even tighter into me, trying to vanish into my neck, which only made me laugh harder. Despite her obvious embarrassment, she didn't push me away or try to escape, she just stayed there, clinging, trembling like a kettle about to whistle.
— (So that means… you dream about me?)
She rolled off me so fast you'd think she'd cast a teleport spell.
— Aaaaagh! — she groaned, burying her face into the pillow as if that could erase reality. — Why do you have to say things like that?!
— (I'm just being honest.) — I replied, propping my head on my good arm and giving her that smile I knew drove her crazy.
She mumbled something into the pillow, probably a curse that didn't quite reach my ears. Truth was, she was completely undone. And me… strangely happy about it.
Maybe it was the mood. Or what we'd gone through last night. Or maybe it was just finally having her in my arms, uninterrupted, without fear of being pulled apart again.
Or maybe… I was just feeling especially in love.
I leaned toward her back, resting my weight on my good arm. She didn't move, still hiding in the pillow like an emotional burrito. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her gently closer — and when her shoulders shivered, I knew she wasn't resisting.
— Luki-kun…? — she whispered, muffled, confused.
— Shhh… — I murmured.
Then I leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck.
— Muah~
Just once.
— Muah~
Then again, a little lower.
— Muah~
And once more.
Each kiss slower than the last, savoring the sensation of her skin beneath my lips. Goosebumps spread across her, and I felt her body tense… then melt.
— Lu-Lu-Luki-kun? W-what are you doing? Th-th-that's not fair… — she muttered, half-whiny, half-stifled.
She tried to curl up tighter, burying her face deeper into the pillow, but couldn't hide her trembling arms or burning-red ears.
— (Why not?) — I whispered between kisses. — (Isn't this what couples do?)
— B-but we just… just kissed yesterday! We haven't even… even…
— (Hm?) — I kissed near her collarbone now. — (Even what?)
She clenched her fists into the pillow, breath caught.
— We haven't even had a real date yet! Like couples do! And you're already like this! That's cheating!
— (Then go on a date with me.) — I murmured at her ear, brushing my lips along the curve of her neck. — (And I promise I'll behave. Maybe.)
She let out a sound between a sigh and a whimper, her mind clearly too scrambled to form a proper reply.
Finally, she turned slightly, still red as a ripe tomato, and gave me a weak smack on the chest with her palm.
— I hate you.
— (I know.) — I grinned. — (But you'll kiss me again anyway, won't you?)
She bit her lip, trying to look mad, but her eyes were shining with embarrassment, affection, surrender.
— You're an idiot, Luki-kun.
— And you're my goddess — I replied, leaning in again. — We're even.
With a gentle push from my good arm, I slowly lifted myself out of bed.
The dead arm swung awkwardly, hanging like a dead weight, but I didn't mind. I felt oddly awake, light. Maybe the best sleep I'd had since I arrived in this world.
I let out a long sigh and stretched, feeling my joints quietly crack.
Then I looked around.
It was Hestia's room.
Her scent was everywhere, on the sheets, the walls, in the air. A sweet, warm aroma, with an organized mess that was purely hers. The kind of space that didn't make much sense, but made perfect sense in the most comforting way.
I turned my gaze back to the bed.
She was still there, curled up, her face buried in the pillow, as if she wanted to disappear from the world.
I smiled.
— (I'm going to brush my teeth and get ready.) — I said casually, walking to the door. — (But if you want more little kisses later, just call.)
She thumped the pillow with her clenched fists, mumbling something unintelligible. Her neck was so red it looked like it had been doused in hot sauce.
— Luki-kun... you are very... very...
She tried to find the right word but failed. It wasn't "silly." Not "pervert." Not "idiot." It was something more complicated.
— Charming? — I offered, turning my face with a mischievous smile.
— Grrrgh! — was all she could manage, hiding her face even more.
I let out a low laugh and opened the door.
— I'll be right back, my goddess — I said, winking at her.
Then I left, leaving Hestia pinned to the mattress, completely undone by her own shame and by a smile she pretended she wasn't hiding.
...
[POV: Third Person]
The Hostess of Fertility was as lively as ever: chaotic, noisy, the smell of strong food competing with dried sweat and old blood.
The night had been long for many of the customers now crammed into the tavern's wooden tables.
Adventurers of all levels filled the space in groups or alone, their bodies marked by the scars of their daily struggle: bandaged arms, swollen faces, torsos strapped with makeshift splints.
One of them, a frequent customer, was missing his right arm but still drank with the left as if everything were fine.
The overlapping conversations were bitter, saturated with frustration and exhaustion.
— We couldn't even make it to the second floor, the second! What the hell is happening to the Dungeon?!
— I saw a plain goblin crush a solid iron shield with one punch! Even I can't do that!
— Four members dead and two crippled, the god-sama is debating whether it's even worth continuing expeditions…
Lyu moved between the tables, silent and precise as always, weaving past elbows, trays, and barrels with her usual cool grace. Outwardly, she was just working her shift like the others. But her ears were wide open.
She listened to everything. Every grumble, every suspicion, every odd mention of the lower floors, useful information disguised as drunkards' complaints.
'The Dungeon is becoming more dangerous day by day…' she thought, the image of a certain elf flashing in her mind.
Without showing anything, she simply carried on with her duties, though only the gods knew what thoughts stirred inside her.
Meanwhile, Syr, Anya, Lunoire and Chloe were like frantic ants, running back and forth with trays in hand and rehearsed smiles on their faces. It was the typical night of controlled chaos at the Hostess of Fertility.
— The guy at table four ordered two ales, but the dwarf swapped them for mead. Again! — Anya complained on her way back to the kitchen. — If I hear "this is elf booze" one more time, I swear I'll turn into an elf just to smash this tray in his face!
— Table seven tried to pay me with Dungeon crystals. Again. — Chloe rolled her eyes.
Lunoire stifled a laugh while balancing four steaming plates on one arm.
— Don't worry, girls. It'll get worse.
In that dense, sweat-and-ale-soaked atmosphere, an unexpectedly radiant presence stood out.
— Table eight, order delivered! — Hestia announced, singing as she spun on her heels, nearly tripping over her own enthusiasm.
Unlike the tired faces and aching bodies around her, she seemed… glowing.
Literally.
A faint, soft glow shimmered off her, like the weakest flame of an old oil lamp, the kind you only notice once the rest are out.
And since people don't normally glow, it was more than obvious.
— You seeing this, nya~? — Anya whispered, stopping beside Chloe, eyes narrowing as she studied Hestia.
— I see it. Either she's sprinkled on some divine glitter or she finally got laid. — Chloe murmured, tray resting on her hip.
— Chloe! — Syr turned with a half-smile of reproach, though the blush on her cheeks betrayed she was thinking something similar.
— What? Look at her! Yesterday, she could barely keep her eyes open. Today, she's shining like a magic lantern.
Lyu stepped closer quietly, setting down drinks at a nearby table as she spoke in her calm, unnerving tone.
— She's looks... satisfied.
— Guys! — Lunoire whispered. — Do you think something happened between her and a certain elf boy? Hm? Hm?
— Probably not. You know how elves are about intimacy and touch… maybe she just peeked at him and overheard something spicy. — Chloe arched a brow.
Meanwhile, Hestia carried on with her work, smiling blissfully. If she had overheard that conversation, what would her reaction have been?
...
[Some time later, elsewhere]
The afternoon sun shone high, casting short shadows over the abandoned lot where Luki trained alone.
The place was isolated, surrounded by cracked brick walls and covered in rubble. It might have once been an ordinary building before it collapsed, whether from an earthquake or neglect, no one could tell. Now, it was his "training field."
Shirtless, his hair tied back in a short ponytail, Luki panted as he leaned against a wooden crate. Sweat drenched his body, dust clung to his skin.
He had improvised a routine with what he had: push-ups with support, lifting bricks, running with weights, all adapted for someone who could only use one arm.
— (Working out with one arm…) — he grumbled between breaths — (is worse than I remembered…)
He looked at his left arm. It was bound in a simple cloth, the cast destroyed in last night's battle.
A dead weight. A constant reminder of his last fight.
'Maybe I should just cut it off already,' he thought, without drama. 'But… she said it can still be healed. Better wait. No one really wants to lose an arm.'
After resting a few minutes, he pushed himself back up, rolling a heavy stone block across the ground for another round of training. He was so focused he didn't notice the presence behind a nearby post.
Lyu watched from a distance.
She had arrived some time ago without a word. Now she wore casual clothes, though two wooden swords hung at her waist. Her eyes were cold and expressionless as always. She just watched.
Minutes slipped by like that.
Until Luki collapsed to the ground again, face turned up to the sky.
— (Why is this so hard…) — he muttered, eyes closed.
— Inefficient.
The voice came from close by. Very close.
Luki's eyes shot open, startled. Lyu was crouched at his side.
— Ah, Lyu… when did yOU gOt here?
She didn't answer. Just tilted her head slightly, as if she hadn't understood the question.
The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds. He looked at her. She looked back. Neither seemed to know what to say.
Their communication had always been like that: awkward, halting, full of long pauses. But somehow… it worked.
More or less.
— Uh… why are yOU… here?
— I came to help you train. — Lyu said, as if commenting on the weather.
Luki blinked, genuinely surprised.
— Thanks, but… WhY?
'Not that I'll complain, of course… But I don't remember asking for help. And Lyu's never seemed like the type to take initiative.'
She looked away, tilting her chin slightly toward the sky. Her eyes grew distant, as if searching for a memory.
For a moment, silence. Then she sighed.
— …I suppose I just don't want to regret not doing anything.
Without another word, she rose and stepped a few paces away, as quiet as always.
Luki sat for a while, sighing before standing back up.
The moment he did, a wooden sword flew toward him. He caught it by reflex.
— Whoa! — he exclaimed, surprised.
Looking ahead, he saw Lyu holding the other practice sword. Her stance was relaxed, but her eyes serious. One hand rested behind her back, as if she had all the time in the world.
— Come. Combat is the most efficient form of training.
Luki hesitated, blinking in confusion. Then he shrugged, gripped the sword tightly, and assumed an improvised stance.
— Go easy on me, yeah? — he asked, half-laughing, half-nervous.