Rinsing her smooth, fair arm with water, Astrea didn't immediately respond.
As Demeter grew impatient and reached out to grope Astrea's chest again, Astrea swiftly but gently swatted her hand away.
"Don't mimic Loki's behavior, Demeter."
"Stingy~ Anyway, don't change the subject. Tell me~ I'm dying to know what's so special about that boy that he's caught the attention of Hera, Aphrodite, and you, Astrea."
Demeter stared at Astrea with eyes brimming with impatient curiosity. Her interest was at its peak.
Not only was the Astrea Familia exclusively female, but the Hera Familia was as well—famously accepting only women as members. Yet now, the Hera Familia had accepted a man.
Demeter didn't believe Charlie was just an ordinary boy; there had to be something that made Hera make such a significant exception. This was a fascinating deviation from Hera's usual habits.
"As you said, Demeter, Charlie is special. I realized that the moment I met him outside Orario. As for why I'm staying with him, it was purely an impulsive decision."
Admitting this, her cheeks flushed slightly. After all, Astrea was a goddess.
Though she wasn't as obsessed with entertainment as other gods who sought amusement for fun, when she saw Charlie's extraordinary potential to bring joy—not in a vulgar sense, but in unexpected excitement and uniqueness—to her life, Astrea couldn't help but act impulsively.
That feeling was too strong to ignore, a rare urge for the usually composed Goddess of Justice.
"Oh my, you're so cute, Astrea! This is the first time I've seen you make that expression!"
Enchanted by the faint blush on Astrea's face, Demeter hugged her tightly, her crisp laughter filling the air.
The water rippled violently as the two goddesses' bodies pressed together. Their full, impossible-to-grasp-with-one-hand chests swayed, creating small waves that spread across the pool.
"What kind of expression am I making?"
After struggling to free herself from Demeter's tight embrace, Astrea asked in confusion, touching her still-warm cheeks. She was genuinely unaware of the change in her expression.
"Hmm… Though I've never experienced it myself, I know it's called a maiden in love!"
Demeter chuckled, amused by Astrea's innocent reaction.
"No way!"
Hearing this, Astrea immediately denied it firmly, her cheeks growing even redder.
"Oh, denying it so quickly only makes you look less convincing~"
Demeter kept teasing, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"A romantic relationship between a goddess and a human…"
Astrea didn't finish her sentence, sinking into the water until only half her face was visible, as if trying to hide from Demeter's gaze.
"I don't understand why you're so stubborn about admitting it, Astrea. There's no rule against gods and goddesses having romantic relationships with mortals in the lower world."
"For example, Brigid is dating Caam, a member of her Familia. It's not just Brigid; many gods and goddesses have had romances with people in the lower world. There's no need to feel ashamed."
Astrea's behavior, like that of an innocent girl experiencing her first love, made Demeter reluctant to stop teasing her.
"Don't hold back your feelings, Astrea. You know, except for Elf, other races—especially humans—have short lifespans. I don't want you to regret it when Charlie's life ends."
Demeter's words weren't wrong. Setting aside her mischievous desire to witness Astrea's love life—nearly impossible given her purity akin to the Three Virgin Goddesses—she didn't want Astrea to have regrets after Charlie's death.
However, Demeter didn't know about Charlie's immortality. Unless killed, he would never die of old age and would remain forever youthful.
"It's not what you think, Demeter. I just see Charlie as different from other men."
Not wanting Demeter to pursue the topic further, Astrea stood up from the pool.
As she rose, her voluptuous, beautiful body was fully revealed.
Glistening water slid down her smooth skin, highlighting every graceful curve of the goddess's form. Her long walnut-brown hair clung wetly to her back, accentuating her prominent shoulders and collarbone. Her full, wet chest was clearly visible, with droplets trickling down her captivating cleavage. Her flat stomach and perfectly curved hips flowed into slender, elegant legs.
Afterward, Astrea promptly stepped out of the pool and left the bathhouse, leaving Demeter alone, chuckling in amusement.
Meanwhile, no one realized that everything happening in the Divine Bathhouse was being observed in real time by a man on Floor 26 of the Dungeon.
Unless the goddesses released the seals on their Arcanum—their true divine power—these goddesses, living like ordinary people, detected no anomalies in the Divine Bathhouse. They were completely unaware of the invisible eyes watching them.
Thus, that man—Charlie—witnessed a scene only one god, Zeus, had ever seen among the many gods, or perhaps other perverted gods who tried and were punished.
Amid the steaming mist, various goddesses appeared, each with diverse appearances and body types, all naked.
Some had slender, athletic builds, others had captivatingly curvaceous figures, while some displayed petite, adorable forms.
Their hair came in various colors, from golden blonde clinging wetly to their skin, to fiery red, to jet-black contrasting with their pale skin.
Their skin flushed faintly from the hot water, exuding a healthy, natural aura. Their melodious laughter blended with the splashing water, creating a symphony of freedom and pure beauty, hidden from the eyes of the lower world.
They moved and chatted without the slightest hint of shame.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Fortunately, Charlie wasn't a pervert. After Astrea left, he deactivated Senrigan.
The crescent pattern in his pupil vanished, and his sky-blue iris returned to normal.
(Who would've thought my first use of Senrigan would end up peeking at a women's bathhouse. How embarrassing.)
Initially, Charlie had only wanted to check on Astrea's situation. Unexpectedly, he ended up witnessing a heavenly scene coveted by every man.
Of course, his morality prevented him from continuing to peep. As he was about to retract his consciousness, he overheard Demeter's question about him to Astrea.
Charlie also wanted to know the answer. So, he delayed and eavesdropped… Ahem, listened carefully to the conversation between Demeter and Astrea.
"No way, right?" he muttered under his breath, referring to Demeter's speculation about Astrea falling in love.
"What are you talking about, Charlie?"
Tilting her head with her usual flat expression, Aishia asked softly, her eyes fixed on Charlie with concern.
"Nothing, just thinking about something."
Charlie wiped a bit of cream from Aishia's lips with his thumb.
He couldn't explain what he had just seen or heard about Astrea. It was too complicated—and too embarrassing.
After resting long enough on Floor 26, Charlie and his two spirit girls—Aishia and Est—continued their journey back to the Dungeon's surface.