Under the puzzled gazes of Loki and the other two, Alice led Syr out of the study and into the adjacent room.
The room next to Loki's study was a small storage space, largely empty, though it could easily be converted into living quarters if someone wished to stay there.
And it was here that Alice brought Syr.
The moment they entered the room, Syr's face flushed pink.
"Alice-chan, why did you bring me here alone? Do you like this kind of situation? Even though it's a little embarrassing… I'll do my best!"
Her words gave Alice a slight headache.
Alice decided to cut straight to the point. "Lady Freya, could you please stop teasing me?"
Hearing that, the exaggerated expression on Syr's face shifted, becoming more natural—though compared to Freya's true divine presence, this "Syr" still carried a distinctly cute aura.
"So you really did know who I was," Syr said with a smile. "When did I give myself away?"
She was genuinely curious. "Even Loki and the others haven't noticed this identity, you know."
Alice barely held back the urge to roll her eyes.
Of course I figured it out.
By both Loki's and Hestia's accounts, when gods descend to the lower world, their divine power is sealed, and they become like ordinary humans.
Whether it's a clone or something else, one being shouldn't have two separate bodies.
Yet you, using who-knows-what method, created a human body and moved around in it.
If not for my ability to sense souls to some extent through mana, I wouldn't have realized that Syr was actually Freya.
"That grimoire… it's not something an ordinary person could get their hands on, right?" Alice said softly, looking at Syr. "A grimoire of that level—aside from the Loki Familia, only the Freya Familia would have the means to acquire it."
"The grimoire?" Syr looked genuinely surprised. "It's certainly valuable, but it's not completely unobtainable…"
"Hm?" Alice was now the one confused. "Do you mean to say, Lady Freya, that you weren't aware of that grimoire's true worth?"
"The way you're talking, Alice… is it really that incredibly precious?" Syr's eyebrows rose, and her lips curved into a smile.
"Seems like my luck is pretty good, then. I just picked a blank grimoire that was gathering dust on the shelf as a gift for you—never expected it to be such a big deal. Big enough that you'd feel the need to repay me."
Though Freya didn't fully grasp what made that grimoire so special in Alice's eyes, Alice's reaction alone confirmed its value.
Originally, Freya had just wanted to give Alice something precious but relatively useless, just to leave an impression. She never imagined that blank grimoire would turn out to be so important to Alice.
Clearly valuable, yet Alice had no intention of returning it.
Knowing Alice's character, she would definitely seek to repay the favor—and Freya would surely leave a positive mark in Alice's heart.
All in all, Freya's book-giving move had brought her an excellent return.
Freya was delighted.
It felt like buying a bouquet to flirt with the flower shop owner's daughter, only to discover the bouquet was specially enchanted—granting her a wish from the girl. Pure satisfaction.
But while Freya was happy, Alice was feeling troubled.
"So… you really didn't know the book's true value?" Alice asked, frowning slightly.
Syr put on a serious face. "Of course I knew its value! It's a very precious grimoire! And remember—right now, I'm Syr. You'd better not forget that, Alice-chan!"
Alice's mouth twitched. Syr's act was clearly that of a shrewd merchant driving up the price.
"Fine… That grimoire is indeed extremely important to me. But since you don't know what makes it special, it's just an old blank book as far as you're concerned."
"I won't be returning it. So, as compensation, you can make one request of me."
"Of course… I reserve the right to refuse if it's something unreasonable."
Alice eyed Syr warily.
Syr's eyes sparkled. "Really, Alice? Any request at all?"
"As long as it's not excessive, I'll agree. If it's too much, I'll say no!"
This youthful version of Freya was honestly a bit hard for Alice to handle—much more lively and unpredictable than her goddess form.
"No problem, no problem! As long as it's a request~"
Syr tapped her chin thoughtfully, mulling it over.
"Then, Alice-chan, how about a date with me at the Monster Feria in a couple of days?" Syr gazed at her expectantly.
"Ah… I can't that day. I already promised Loki I'd accompany her during the festival. But the day after would be fine, or we could do it earlier if you prefer."
"Then it's settled!" Just hearing that Alice would spend a whole day with her was enough—festival or not didn't matter.
"If Alice-chan spends one day with me on a date, then that grimoire is officially yours."
Alice let out a quiet sigh of relief. Syr's request didn't put her in an awkward position, and in that moment, Alice understood why Freya was so well-liked.
Regardless of anything else, this kind of considerate, non-pushy approach really did put people at ease.
"Oh, and one more thing, Alice—you have to keep my identity a secret, okay?"
Syr brought a finger to her lips, signaling confidentiality.
Alice nodded. "Yeah, I understand."
"Let's head back then. Ryu should have finished counting the money. We need to return—Mama Mia is waiting for us."
With a smile, Syr pulled the door open and stepped out.
Alice finally relaxed.
Even though she'd agreed to a day with Syr, judging by her attitude just now, the date probably wouldn't be too difficult to handle.
A slight smile touched Alice's lips.
"Goddess Freya, huh… She really is quite something."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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