"I am such an idiot! An idiot, an idiot, an idiot!"
This thought hammered in Hestia's head like an alarm bell, making her cheeks burn with unbearable shame. She sat on the sagging sofa of her ruined church, trying with all her might to maintain a mask of stern divine justice on her face, but inside her raged an absolute hurricane of panic.
How could she have reacted like that?! Bursting in screaming about cheating—it was a total disaster! What if Rain now decides that she's one of those crazy, control-freak goddesses of love? What if he puts her in the same league as some Ishtar, who needs to know her follower's every step?
She pouted, huffing in displeasure at her own thoughts. Her gaze involuntarily darted to the opposite sofa, where their guest sat, curled up into a tiny ball. The girl looked so terrified that it seemed she was about to faint right then and there. The goosebumps running down the Pallum's shoulders were visible to the naked eye.
At that moment, a cup of freshly brewed tea was set down on the small table in front of the trembling guest with a soft clink. Rain, whose face remained customarily unflappable, let his calm gaze linger on the girl for a moment, silently urging her to calm down.
And a second later, Hestia let out a squeak.
An empty wooden tray descended lightly, but highly instructively, right onto the top of her head. The Goddess indignantly rubbed the struck spot, glaring up at her captain from under her brows. And as he calmly took a seat beside her, only one indignant thought spun in her head:
"He didn't mention a single word about his assistant being a Pallum! And such a cute, pretty girl at that, not a child at all!"
A pang of perfectly natural, girlish jealousy pricked her heart. Of course she would be jealous when her one and only, precious man brings someone so charming home!
But this selfish impulse did not last long.
Bitter, scalding tears streamed down Hestia's cheeks, leaving damp patches on the fabric of her white dress. She no longer remembered at what point she had stopped playing the strict hostess and simply given free rein to her emotions.
She sat on that very same sofa, tightly pressing the miniature figure of Liliruca to her chest with both hands. The girl was blushing profusely, trying to pull away even a little from such a suffocating display of divine love, but Hestia's grip was unrelenting.
"Poor thing... What a poor thing!" the Goddess lamented mentally, stroking the Pallum's chestnut hair.
Rain's words, having drily and factually recounted the story of this child, still rang in her ears. How could such a series of betrayals and pain fall to the lot of a single living creature? Using your own children as expendable material, beating them, breaking their psyche for a sip of some cursed wine!
The realization of the hell Lili had gone through made Hestia physically ache. And along with this pain came a burning, unbearable shame. How could she have even thought of jealousy? How could she look at this broken child as a rival?
The Goddess sniffled, burying her face in the top of Lili's head. Then she shifted her teary gaze to Rain. The young man sat nearby, calmly sipping his cooling tea, and simply watched them. No reproaches, no unnecessary words. He had simply brought someone who needed help home. To her.
Hestia froze. Her chest suddenly felt unbearably tight. He brought a lost child... into their home. So that they could take care of her together.
The Goddess's face instantly flared a crimson red. Her imagination, unbound by the constraints of logic, had already begun painting utterly embarrassing pictures in her head, making her heart pound somewhere around her throat.
***
"No. I'm definitely not imagining things."
The morning sun generously flooded the wooden table through the cracks in the boarded-up windows. Hestia sat in her usual spot, mechanically chewing her breakfast, but her blue eyes unblinkingly observed what was happening.
To her left sat Rain. He methodically drank his herbal tea, radiating that same aura of absolute, unshakable reliability that always made her feel safe. And opposite them, timidly but with obvious appetite, Liliruca was devouring scrambled eggs.
It was a simple, mundane scene. Just a morning meal. But for Hestia, this picture came together into a puzzle completely unbearable for her maiden heart. A reliable man at the head of the table. A miniature girl saved by him. A shared meal in their very own home.
She once again sharply lowered her head, feeling her cheeks burning like fire again.
"Don't we look just like a married couple?!" her inner voice shrieked in panic.
They looked like a genuine, classic family! A strict but caring head of the household, a loving mother, and their adopted child. At this thought, steam practically shot out of the Goddess of the Hearth's ears. She frantically washed down her bacon with water, trying to cool her ardor, but the image was already permanently lodged in her head.
***
The noisy, colorful market of Orario hummed with thousands of voices.
Hestia strolled down the cobbled street, absentmindedly looking at the shop windows. An unbroken, tangled monologue continued in her head.
"Stop. Hold on a second. Didn't we skip a few very important steps? What about dates? What about long walks under the moon? Confessions? We've jumped straight into domestic family life! Isn't this moving way too fast?!"
She shot a sidelong glance at Rain, who had stopped by the display window of a liquor shop.
"Though... well, I certainly don't mind..." the Goddess shyly corrected herself, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear.
"Goddess," Rain's calm voice tore her from her daydreams. He stood at the counter, carefully examining the pot-bellied bottles adorned with kanji. "Could you tell me what specific varieties Lord Takemikazuchi prefers? It would be impolite to visit empty-handed."
"Huh? Eh? It's not like I know...!" Hestia rattled off hastily, hoping her voice hadn't cracked.
"Uh-huh... how about sake?" Rain muttered, turning a bottle of liquor in his hands, completely ignoring Hestia's behavior.
While Rain paid the merchant, Hestia shifted her gaze to Lili. The girl was wandering along the nearby shelves, her chestnut eyes widening every now and then at the sight of the price tags. She moved her lips soundlessly, clearly calculating on autopilot how many potions or how much gear could be bought with that money. This pragmatism of hers only made Hestia smile softly, maternally.
"No, no, no! Hestia, pull yourself together! He just has an overprotective streak!"
The Goddess shook her head resolutely as she strode along the white-stone-paved paths of the city park. She tried with all her might to convince herself that this was all just a coincidence. Rain is kind to everyone around him. He's just a responsible kid who's used to taking care of others. This isn't a family outing, it's just a... friendly weekend! Nothing more!
She almost believed her own excuses when the procession suddenly halted.
Rain froze in the middle of the alley. Hestia followed his gaze and blinked in surprise. The attention of her unflappable captain was drawn to a small, brightly painted cart near the fountain. The vendor was deftly scooping colorful spheres of an icy treat into waffle cones.
An entirely unaccustomed expression suddenly appeared on Rain's usually serious and impenetrable face. It was genuine, unfeigned delight mixed with mild surprise. He looked as if he had run into an old, very dear friend he hadn't seen in years.
The decision was made without words.
Five minutes later, they were sitting on a sun-warmed wooden bench in the shade of a sprawling tree. Lili, with reverence and trying not to make a mess, ate her pistachio ice cream. Rain sat on the edge, methodically and with obvious enjoyment demolishing a portion of vanilla ice cream.
The atmosphere was so calm and relaxed that all of Hestia's logical arguments finally crumbled. She sat between them, licking the sweet drips from her cone, and felt absolutely, unconditionally happy.
At some point, Rain shifted his posture slightly. He leaned back against the bench, relaxing his shoulders. His arm slid along the wooden slat and accidentally—or perhaps not entirely?—came to rest right on top of Hestia's hand, which was resting on the seat.
Skin to skin. The warmth of his large, calloused palm blanketed her slender fingers.
He didn't pull his hand away. He just continued watching the children playing by the fountain, eating his ice cream, as if this gesture were the most natural thing in the world.
The Goddess of the Hearth's breath caught in her throat. Her face burned so hot that it felt like it would melt the remaining ice cream in her hand. She froze, afraid to move, afraid of startling away this incredible moment.
"KYA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!" Hestia screamed with deafening happiness throughout her entire inner divine realm.
***
The bustling, light-stone-paved streets of the central districts were gradually left behind. As their small group advanced deeper into the Northwest Sector, the landscape inexorably changed, taking on increasingly familiar, shabby features.
Rain led his companions confidently, checking against the directions he had received the day before. When they finally turned into the right alley, the young man slowed his pace slightly, examining the sight before them with interest.
The Takemikazuchi Familia estate differed strikingly from the typical architecture of Orario. It was a rather vast plot, enclosed by a high wooden fence. Behind it rose the main building and an adjoining spacious annex, their curved tiled roofs and sliding lattice doors painfully reminding Rain of traditional Eastern dojos from his past world.
However, despite its impressive size, the status of the district made itself known. The wood on the gates had darkened in places and dried out from the dampness, the roof tiles had been replaced with cheaper alternatives here and there, and the paper panels in the windows had clearly been re-glued dozens of times. It was obvious: the owners of the estate were not swimming in gold. But at the same time, every inch of this place breathed incredible care and cleanliness. Not a speck of dust on the adjacent grounds, not a single weed by the stone fence. The house was kept in order with true martial discipline.
Approaching the massive wooden double doors, Rain knocked confidently, but without unnecessary clatter, using the heavy iron ring on the gates.
The wait was not long. Quick, light footsteps were heard behind the fence, then a sliding bolt scraped. One of the doors opened smoothly, and the master of the estate himself appeared on the threshold.
Takemikazuchi was dressed in a simple, casual kimono, its sleeves rolled up to his very elbows. Seeing the guests, the God of Martial Arts froze for a moment, raising his eyebrows in surprise, but in the next second his face lit up with a wide, truly welcoming smile.
"Oho! What guests we have!" he greeted them with a booming voice, stepping out to meet them. "And I just finished cleaning up the courtyard."
"Good afternoon, Takemikazuchi-sama," Rain bowed his head politely.
"Hi, Take!" Hestia greeted cheerfully, stepping slightly forward. "I hope we're not distracting you from your chores?"
"I always have time for friends," the God smiled warmly at the Goddess of the Hearth, and then shifted his attentive gaze to the miniature figure hiding behind Rain's back.
The young man, noticing this look, took a smooth step to the side, revealing Liliruca, and placed his broad hand on the top of her head.
"Allow me to introduce her. This is Liliruca Arde," Rain's voice sounded steady and firm. "She is my irreplaceable assistant in the Dungeon, and as of today, a friend of our Familia."
Lili, hearing exactly how he introduced her, shuddered. The word "friend" hit her harder than any insult from the past. The girl hastily bowed low, hiding her face under her hood so that no one would see how her eyes traitorously glistened. Hestia, standing nearby, suddenly fiddled nervously with the blue ribbon on her chest and turned away, trying hard to pretend she was examining the wood carvings on the fence, although her cheeks had instantly taken on a crimson hue. Like Lili, she felt dizzyingly warm from the ease and confidence with which Rain had called her family.
Takemikazuchi, possessing the insight of an old warrior, instantly caught the shifts in mood. His gaze glided over Lili, then moved to Rain. The God of Martial Arts slowly smirked in understanding.
"I see you managed to conquer your demons after all, my friend?" Takemikazuchi asked quietly, with a specific undertone.
Rain met his gaze absolutely head-on. There was not a shadow of doubt in his amber eyes—only the steel, monolithic certainty of a man who had made a final decision.
"That is correct," the young man answered calmly. "And I am sincerely grateful to you for that guidance. It helped put everything in its proper place."
Takemikazuchi let out a loud, booming laugh, waving his hand dismissively.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, kid! I'm just an old god who likes to chat at the evening market."
"Naturally," the corners of Rain's lips twitched into an answering, knowing smirk.
Hestia and Lili exchanged glances. Both girls understood absolutely nothing of this brief exchange of manly remarks, feeling like spectators at a play where the actors spoke in an unknown cipher.
"As I promised," Rain broke the drawn-out pause, lifting the bulky paper bags he had previously been holding in his left hand. The air filled with the characteristic, melodic clinking of glass. "We didn't come to visit empty-handed."
At the sight of the bottles, Takemikazuchi's eyes instantly lit up with that special gleam inherent in all connoisseurs of good liquor.
"O-o-oh!" he dragged out, rubbing his hands together in satisfaction. "Well, if that's the case, standing on the threshold is a real crime! Come in, come in quickly! My home is your home!"
He hospitably pushed both doors of the gate wide open, letting the procession inside.
The courtyard turned out to be spacious and paved with even, flat stones. On one side stood wooden training dummies and racks of practice weapons; on the other, a neat small garden, clearly tended by children's hands.
"It's very cozy here, Take," Hestia praised sincerely, inspecting the wooden verandas.
"Thank you! The kids and I try to keep the place in order," the God nodded proudly, leading them along the boardwalk toward the main hall. "Unfortunately, I'm completely alone right now. My entire party headed out into the Dungeon early this morning."
Takemikazuchi stopped by the sliding doors and, squinting, looked up at the sun, which had already passed its zenith and begun its slow tilt toward the west.
"But judging by the time, they should be returning shortly," he added. "They usually don't linger unless something extraordinary has happened."
Hearing this, Rain stopped and nodded with clear satisfaction.
"That's actually for the best. In that case, I can start cooking right away so that everything is hot just in time for their return."
Takemikazuchi blinked in surprise.
"Cooking? My friend, you are guests, there's no need to trouble yourself..."
"It's no trouble at all. Cooking is a great way to put your thoughts in order," Rain countered unfazed, heading toward the spacious, open kitchen he had spotted from the yard.
Setting the bags on the cleanly scrubbed wooden table, the young man began methodically extracting his purchases. First to see the light of day were fresh vegetables, bunches of fragrant herbs, and firm, springy mushrooms. Then Rain carefully set out several hefty jars of dark red sauces and a whole scattering of small but incredibly fiery-looking spices. And finally, as a grand finale, a colossal, perfectly cut slab of marbled meat, covered in the finest network of fat marbling, landed on the cutting board.
Takemikazuchi, having stepped closer out of politeness, suddenly froze. His gaze glued itself to the set of spice jars and the specific roots that Rain had begun to deftly chop with a heavy kitchen knife.
The God of Martial Arts, usually knowing no fear in the face of the most terrifying monsters, shuddered theatrically. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he swallowed the saliva welling in his mouth. He knew perfectly well what ingredients the guy was using, and had a pretty good idea of exactly what kind of dish was about to be born in his kitchen.