After returning to the Familia, Tione immediately went to find Loki and asked her about what Tsuna had mentioned earlier.
"Ah, it's pretty obvious. Every time I see the way you look at Tsuna—with those lovestruck, bashful eyes—I can tell you're in heat."
"W–What!? That's going too far!"
The moment Loki used the word heat, Tione practically exploded, her reaction so sharp it was almost reflexive.
"And you think that wasn't an overreaction?"
Loki recalled Tione's usual demeanor. To say she was "in heat" might have been a bit crude—but honestly, it wasn't that far off.
"The way you look at Tsuna is almost the same as how you used to look at Finn."
"There's… still some difference!"
The firmer Loki's tone became, the smaller Tione's voice grew.
Because if Loki's description was accurate, then what exactly had her own reactions been? Even she wasn't sure anymore.
"Yeah, there's a bit of a difference," Loki admitted. "You don't stare at Tsuna quite as intensely—but those soft, longing eyes of yours? They're even deadlier than being upfront."
A direct expression of interest could be brushed off as an Amazon's nature, but that kind of tender, lovestruck gaze—that wasn't something you could explain away as mere instinct.
"Mmph…"
Tione could only let out a strangled noise, completely silenced by Loki's words.
If I told her what's really going on between me and Tsuna, would she lose her mind?
Watching Tione's current state, Loki couldn't help but imagine how she'd react if she revealed the truth.
Blank stare. Shock. Denial. Outrage. Total disbelief.
Just the thought made Loki grin—Tione's reaction would probably be priceless. She almost wanted to do it just to see that look.
But… maybe it's better if I don't.
"What!?"
"You proposed to Loki—or something like it—and she actually accepted!? And because of you, she decided to go easy on Tione and Tiona!?"
Finn Deimne and Gareth Landrock both looked as if the world had just collapsed around them.
They exchanged glances, each seeing the same disbelief mirrored in the other's eyes.
It wasn't just that they couldn't comprehend Loki accepting Tsuna's unintentional proposal—they couldn't comprehend Loki's entire decision-making process at all.
"Loki actually went that far for you," Gareth muttered, his tone somewhere between awe and confusion.
He walked over and patted Tsuna's shoulder sympathetically.
"Kid, if you've caught the attention of someone like Loki, you might as well just accept your fate."
"Loki's not that bad, honestly. She's just a pervert who likes girls and doesn't have much of a figure. Compared to everything else she's done, those aren't real problems."
"Agreed," Finn added, nodding thoughtfully as he clasped his hands under his chin.
"Loki's a greedy goddess, but if she's willing to change for you—that says everything about how she feels."
"So if you've got the chance, don't hesitate. Just go for it."
Even Finn, who'd always been critical of Loki's eccentric behavior, couldn't deny it. Judging from her actions lately, this time Loki wasn't playing around.
Tsuna looked at the two of them strangely. Why did they talk about Loki like she was some kind of monster?
He felt the need to clarify.
"Finn, Gareth—I don't think Miss Loki's a bad person."
"You're serious?"
Both men immediately dropped their teasing tone, staring at him with genuine surprise.
Their reaction left Tsuna puzzled.
"Why are you both so shocked? Aside from… you know, her figure, Miss Loki isn't that bad, right?"
He wasn't wrong.
Neither Finn nor Gareth actually thought Loki was a terrible goddess. In fact, she was one of the better ones—steady when it mattered most.
But outside of serious situations, Loki had always been… well, Loki: mischievous, unpredictable, and endlessly troublesome—
Wait.
Finn suddenly paused mid-thought.
That chaotic, meddlesome Loki—that image had formed before Tsuna joined the Loki Familia.
After he joined, Loki's behavior had become strangely stable. She still visited Tsuna often, but her antics had drastically decreased.
Come to think of it, Loki had stopped harassing the girls in the Familia around the same time.
I see… so it's not that Loki lost interest in women—it's that she's focused all that energy on Tsuna.
Only now did Finn understand why Loki had been acting so normal lately.
No wonder she accepted that "proposal" from him—even if he didn't mean it that way.
Then again… maybe he wasn't completely unaware either.
Finn glanced at Tsuna again, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He never imagined anyone would genuinely consider staying with a god.
Everyone knew gods were eternal, while mortals lived mere decades—a blink of an eye to them.
Tragedy was inevitable. And yet, there were always those who still reached for eternity.
But… maybe he's different.
Finn chuckled quietly. There was nothing wrong with this pairing.
If Tsuna's presence helped Loki remain calm and grounded, then perhaps it was even a blessing.
As for Tiona and Tione—Loki had already made her decision. The rest of them were just bystanders.
"Tione, though… she's just like I thought," Gareth said with a grin. "Young folks around the same age always end up getting along. Figures."
He wasn't particularly surprised about Tione and Tiona.
Young people connected easily; it was natural. The generation gap between them and the older members was bound to cause differences in thinking. And knowing Finn, he probably wouldn't allow his own descendants to marry outside the Pallum race anyway.
"Hey, Gareth," Finn said, smirking. "We're still pretty young ourselves. The real old-timer is someone else."
"Oh? You sure you want to say that out loud, Finn? Aren't you afraid Riveria will hear you?"
"Not at all."
He didn't even hesitate.
"Tell me, which of us would dare walk up to Riveria and say she's old to her face?"
"...Hahaha! You've got a point!"
Gareth burst out laughing.
After all, reminding a long-lived elf of her age was just about the fastest way to get yourself killed.
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