By the time Genichi returned to the Demeter Familia's home, the sky was beginning to darken.
The last light of sunset spilled across the courtyard's stone path, turning the paving stones, worn smooth by time, a deep red.
The old oak rustled in the evening breeze. A few yellowing leaves drifted from its branches, spiraling through the air before settling on Genichi's shoulder. He left them there and walked straight into the living room.
Demeter sat on the sofa with a cup of black tea in her hands. Several books on growing crops lay beside her.
She wore her pale green dress, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders. Everything about her seemed gentle and serene.
Her eyes brightened when she saw him. Setting down her cup, she smiled.
"You're back?"
Genichi nodded and sat beside her.
He sank into the soft cushions and let out a long breath, as though he had finally set down a heavy burden.
Concern flickered in Demeter's eyes.
She knew him too well. He was never particularly talkative, but he rarely came home wearing an expression like this. It was not simple exhaustion. Something had left him frustrated.
"What happened?"
Her voice was soft with concern.
Genichi was quiet for a moment before recounting his visit to Hephaestus in full.
He told her about entering the workshop, their conversation, how Hephaestus had guessed his objective, and her declaration that she would interfere. He even repeated what he had said to her.
"I wouldn't mind making you mine before I go after Hestia."
He spoke calmly, as though the whole affair had happened to someone else. Still, Demeter could hear the exasperation and self-mockery beneath his composure.
When he finished, an odd smile appeared on her face.
She was neither laughing at him nor sharing his frustration. Her expression was more complicated, a mixture of approval and mischief.
Her eyes curved into crescents, and her lips curled until she looked like a cat that had stolen a fish.
"That's actually a pretty good idea."
There was teasing in her voice, but she was partly serious. Something else lingered beneath both.
"Hephaestus's authority would be quite useful to you, too. I'm all for you winning her over."
Genichi could only give a rueful laugh.
It carried exasperation, weariness, and a trace of worry.
Leaning back against the sofa, he looked up at the ceiling. The chandelier's light reflected in his eyes.
"That makes things a lot more complicated," he said with a quiet sigh.
He paused, then sat up and turned to Demeter, his expression earnest.
"If I want to win Hephaestus over, I'll have to face what she really looks like beneath that eyepatch. But I don't know what's under it. Is she disfigured? Is she hiding some secret? Does she just like wearing it? I have no information, no preparation, and nothing to give me any confidence."
He drew a deep breath, his voice lowering.
"If my reaction disappoints her even a little, things could go very badly. Hephaestus isn't some young girl who'll fall for a few sweet words. She's the goddess of smithing. She's lived for hundreds of millions of years and met countless heroes. Her heart is harder than iron and colder than steel. If she dislikes even the slightest thing about my reaction when I see what's beneath that eyepatch, I might never get another chance."
Demeter fell silent.
She knew he was right.
Hephaestus was not someone whose heart could be moved easily.
It was as hard as the weapons she forged, as fierce as the flames she commanded, and as tightly guarded as the armor she crafted.
To reach her heart, he would need to find the right key.
And that key might well lie in the secret beneath her eyepatch.
"So there's something I want to ask you first."
Genichi looked directly into Demeter's eyes.
"What exactly is under Hephaestus's eyepatch?"
Demeter's expression stiffened slightly.
Her fingers brushed against her teacup, her knuckles turning faintly white.
She looked away from him and out at the sunset-red sky beyond the window. For a long time, she said nothing.
"I'm sorry."
Her voice was quiet, carrying apology, resolve, and a helplessness she could not quite express.
"That's the one thing I can't tell you."
Genichi frowned.
"Why?"
Demeter turned back to him, her eyes serious.
"Because it's Hephaestus's greatest weakness. It's where she's most vulnerable. Knowing would give you the power to hurt her. And if you learn by cheating, instead of waiting until she chooses to show you herself, you'll never truly reach her heart."
She paused, her voice softening.
"If you want Hephaestus to truly fall in love with you, you have to do it yourself. You can't cheat. You need to discover things for yourself, feel your way forward, and grow closer to her. You need to make her want to take off her eyepatch in front of you. You can't go behind her back and have me tell you what's underneath."
Genichi fell silent.
Conflicting emotions flickered in his eyes as he watched her.
He knew Demeter was right. If he took a shortcut to uncover Hephaestus's secret, how would that be any different from deceiving her?
Hephaestus was no fool. She would sense it. She would notice. She would know whether he truly understood her.
If he approached her acting as though he knew everything about her, she would only feel disgusted and violated. She would shut him out completely.
"All right."
His voice was calm, touched with resignation and acceptance.
"I won't ask."
Demeter gave him a small, approving smile.
She knew Genichi was not someone who gave up easily. But now that he had promised not to pry, he would keep his word.
That was both his strength and his weakness.
He was always so earnest, so stubborn, and so reluctant to trouble anyone else.
"Still…"
A teasing note entered his voice.
"If I fail, you're taking responsibility."
Demeter blinked.
"Responsibility for what?"
Genichi looked at her, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"You're the one telling me to win Hephaestus over. If I can't, that means your information was wrong, you misjudged my abilities, and you're the reason I embarrassed myself."
Demeter laughed, her smile full of fond exasperation and easy affection.
"All right, all right. I'll take responsibility. If you can't win Hephaestus over, I'll get Astraea and Artemis to help drag her here so you can have another chance."
Genichi rolled his eyes.
"On second thought, forget it. I'd rather not be beaten to death with her hammer."
They exchanged a look and both laughed.
Their laughter filled the living room, dispelling the day's weariness and gloom.
Once it faded, Genichi rose and walked to the window.
The moon had emerged from behind the clouds. Its silver light washed over the courtyard, turning the flowers, grass, and trees into something out of a dream.
(End of Chapter)
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