Seeing that Hestia’s attention had been completely diverted, Hephaestus gave Bell a reassuring smile from where she stood.
Though Bell could easily hear them from this distance—thanks to his repeatedly enhanced hearing, which let him pick up distant footsteps and voices in the Dungeon—Hephaestus trusted that he wasn’t eavesdropping.
And indeed, he wasn’t.
So when he saw Hephaestus’s smile, Bell finally let himself relax.
"Bell, go on to your room first. Hestia and I are going to take a bath."
"Don’t lock the door. I’m staying over tonight."
Just as Bell began to feel at ease, Hephaestus casually dropped the bomb about spending the night. He instinctively glanced toward Goddess-sama—only to see her puffing her cheeks and letting out an angry "hmph" with no actual objections.
"Then I’ll head to my room first."
Bell still didn’t know what Hephaestus had said to Goddess-sama, but he quickly suppressed his curiosity—especially now wasn’t the time to be nosy.
Watching Bell-kun’s departing figure, Hestia’s dark expression shifted into pure frustration.
"Ugh... If I’d just made a move on Bell earlier..."
Now, all she felt was regret for being too slow.
She and Bell-kun had always been close—so close they could’ve taken their relationship further long ago.
But for various reasons, both of them had chosen to stop just short of that step.
They’d even slept in the same bed before and shared plenty of kisses. But that final line had never been crossed.
Not because they didn’t want to—but because they had agreed to wait a little longer. So both Hestia and Bell had been restraining their feelings, never letting things go too far.
Bell was especially good at keeping such emotions in check. He had the lust and the courage, sure—but he was also someone who’d lived through a lot, giving him strong self-control. Even when stirred by emotion, he could suppress it.
That restraint was exactly why things between them had never reached a conclusion.
If either of them had just made a move, things probably would’ve unfolded naturally by now.
But fate had its own cruel humor.
The two of them held back—but someone else had stepped in.
While Hestia and Bell could endure, the one who intervened had no such hesitation. She struck cleanly and decisively.
And that’s how things ended up .
Sitting nearby with her legs crossed, Hephaestus lazily swung her full, curvy legs, arms folded over her chest, watching Hestia with a calm and slightly teasing smile.
"You didn’t make your move in the end, did you?"
Hestia felt like her best friend was going to drive her mad.
"It’s your fault for barging in! Bell-kun was supposed to be mine!"
Just thinking about it made her fume all over again.
Still, Hephaestus wasn’t worried about her losing control. She simply lowered her swinging legs and turned to face her.
"This is our fate as goddesses, Hestia."
"Here in Genkai, we seek fateful encounters—and when we find them, we fall in love without restraint."
Of course I know that.
Hestia pouted. As a goddess, she understood it well. Many goddesses were devoted and loyal, falling in love with only one person.
"Something about Bell... it just pulled my attention to him without me realizing. Maybe that’s the kind of encounter we’re all looking for."
"My heart races on its own. My eyes drift to him before I even notice."
Hephaestus remembered the thrill she’d felt, and the reckless impulse to do something she never would’ve considered in the past. But because it was Bell, she followed through anyway.
"You feel the same way, don’t you?"
Hestia proudly puffed out her chest. She’d always felt a powerful draw to Bell-kun.
But she had kept it under control.
Who would’ve thought that her restraint would turn into Hephaestus’s opening?
This had to be her greatest failure as a goddess.
And seeing that Hestia had been successfully drawn in, Hephaestus didn’t hesitate to stretch out a mischievous hand toward her best friend.
"So, are you finally thinking about changing your approach?"
Hestia’s mind froze for a moment.
"I mean with Bell, of course. Don’t tell me you’re really planning to wait until he hits Lv. 10?"
"...You mean that just now!?"
Now she was fully caught up. Hestia pursed her lips, dumbfounded, pointing at Hephaestus, who only looked back at her with a calm and knowing smile.
"You two are dragging things out so much, even I’m getting tired of watching. Instead of dragging it out further, wouldn’t it be better to act now?"
That made Hestia’s heart waver.
Her best friend had already taken the first bite out of Bell-kun—and Freya was still out there watching. Who knew how long Bell-kun’s secrets would stay hidden? Acting now might be the wisest choice.
Sure, waiting until Bell reached Lv. 10 would carry a sense of significance, but Hestia couldn’t help but worry someone else might step in before then—or even steal her Bell-kun away completely.
"Would that... really be okay?"
Hephaestus sat up straighter and gently placed a hand on Hestia’s shoulder.
"Lv. 10 might carry a different kind of meaning, but is that meaning more important than simply being together?"
"What really matters is the heart."
"Bell wants to keep moving forward—but no matter what, he’ll always worry about you. That concern of his won’t change."
"So why not fulfill the promise a little early?"
"And when he reaches Lv. 10, you can mark it in another way."
Hephaestus had already thought it through. When Bell finally reached Lv. 10, stood at the peak of Genkai, and became a demigod—or even a full god—they could choose a ceremony that would make that moment last forever.
"Yes. Like the kind of ending we goddesses dream of when chasing fateful encounters... a wedding."
p@treon com / PinkSnake