The morning at Empyrean Citadel was greeted by the cheerful chirping of birds, a gentle melody of nature.
Golden sunlight slipped through the window gaps, illuminating the room's corners and painting patterns of light on the floor.
"So heavy…"
Still lying in bed with his eyes closed, Charlie grumbled sluggishly, feeling a heavy weight on his body.
(Could it be Aishia or Est sneaking into my room?)
That was the only possibility that came to mind. It couldn't be Astraea, could it?
After all, during Dungeon explorations, the two spirit girls always slept with him. It wasn't impossible that the habit carried over.
"My goodness, did I wake you, Charlie~?"
The soft, teasing voice didn't belong to Aishia, Est, or Astraea. Instantly, Charlie opened his eyes.
"…!!!"
Sitting on his stomach was a woman with captivating charm, befitting her status as a Goddess of Beauty and Love. She had a tall, slender, and perfectly proportioned body, with smooth, radiant fair skin.
Her long, straight, golden-blonde hair cascaded down to her waist, often adorned with luxurious purple and gold head ornaments. Her emerald-green eyes were sharp yet seductive, exuding an aura of elegance and allure with every glance.
"Aphrodite?! Why are you here? No, forget that for now—why are you half-naked?!"
Charlie took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his libido.
It should be noted that mornings are when men are most aroused. Now, before him was one of the Three Goddesses of Beauty, half-naked.
The thin fabric covering Aphrodite's upper body had slipped, exposing the full curves of her breasts, their peaks adorned with tantalizing pink cherries, like two blooming rosebuds atop snowy hills.
Any normal man in this situation would lose all reason and turn into a beast driven by instinct. 99.999% of men would have no resistance to the charm of a Goddess of Beauty.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Charlie was among the 0.001% anomaly, like a protagonist. So, he remained rational, though his body was still aroused, his self-control was remarkable.
"Of course, a midnight raid~" Aphrodite replied, acting cute, a seductive smile playing on her lips.
"It's already morning." Charlie countered calmly, though a slight tension laced his voice. "And how long are you going to stay naked? Put your clothes on!"
"Ooh~ So you're a healthy man after all, Charlie." Aphrodite teased, her eyes glinting mischievously. "I thought you were impotent since you never made a move on my tempting body."
Then, Aphrodite swayed her body atop Charlie's. Though her breasts weren't as large as Hestia's or Demeter's, they bounced beautifully with her every movement.
"Don't underestimate me…"
What man could tolerate being called impotent?
Charlie was no exception. A vein twitched on his forehead, his anger surging after his manhood was questioned.
With a swift, unexpected move, Charlie sat up. In an instant, he flipped Aphrodite onto the bed. Now, their positions were reversed; Charlie was on top, pinning her down.
"Good boy, don't hold back." Aphrodite whispered, her voice growing more provocative. She wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck, pulling him closer. "Let me take your morning load~"
(As expected, all men are the same! Hmph, you pretended not to be interested in me. But once I show my naked body, you drop all your pretenses,) Aphrodite thought smugly.
She was certain she had baited Charlie into sleeping with her.
Then—
*CLICK!*
"Ouch!"
A sharp flick to her forehead made Aphrodite wince pitifully, her grip on Charlie loosening.
"Don't think I don't know what you're planning, Aphrodite. You're still too young to trap me in your schemes."
Getting up from the bed, Charlie taunted Aphrodite, who now glared at him with a pout.
"Don't treat me like a child! If we're comparing ages, I'm millions of times older than you, okay?!"
Aphrodite clutched her flicked forehead, protesting loudly.
"Should I call you grandma, Aphrodite?"
"You dare?! If you call me grandma, I swear I'll challenge you to a War Game!"
"Alright, alright, just get dressed."
Charlie relented, picking up Aphrodite's clothes from the floor and tossing them to the goddess.
"Hmph! Annoying man!"
Aphrodite huffed in frustration but complied. She began dressing.
Meanwhile, Charlie used Spirit Arts to clean himself, saving time compared to a shower. Then, he grabbed casual clothes from his wardrobe and started putting them on.
"Nice body, Charlie!"
Aphrodite exclaimed, her eyes glued to Charlie's back, drool practically dripping.
His back displayed a perfect V-taper, with beautifully formed shoulder and back muscles that weren't overly bulky, reflecting hidden strength. His waist was slim, and his athletic build seemed designed for efficiency and power.
"…"
Charlie noticed the perverted woman behind him but didn't care. After all, he wasn't losing anything.
Soon, both finished dressing. Charlie wore a white t-shirt and matching pants, identical to his hair color. Though simple, the outfit did nothing to hide his handsomeness.
As the saying goes, no matter what good-looking people wear, they look good. His clean and charismatic aura shone strongly.
On the other hand, Aphrodite dressed provocatively, like a Middle Eastern dancer from the Age of Ignorance.
Her outfit was openly sensual, designed to highlight her stunning beauty. She wore an exotic purple and pink top and bottom, adorned with jewels and silver chains wrapping her body. The top barely covered her chest and shoulders, clearly exposing her midriff and back. A thin fabric draped around her hips like an open skirt, revealing her long legs, decorated with ribbons and ankle ornaments.
"How do I look? Pretty, right?"
Aphrodite flipped her long golden hair and struck a sexy pose, trying to flaunt her charm.
"Not bad." Charlie replied casually.
"You're lying, Charlie!" Aphrodite raised her chin, pleased that Charlie secretly acknowledged her beauty. "Don't forget, you mortals can't lie in front of gods."
Not wanting to argue further with Aphrodite, Charlie walked out of the room, with the goddess following behind.
"Good morning, Charlie." Astraea greeted with her soft, soothing voice. She sat on the sofa, stroking a chubby white cat sleeping soundly in her lap.
The cat wasn't an ordinary pet but a White Tiger, one of the Divine Beast Spirits Charlie had forcibly contracted in the Planar World: Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance.
In the air, the Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, and Qilin playfully chased each other, while the Black Turtle lazily basked near the window, enjoying the morning sunlight.
"Good morning, Goddess Astraea. I'll start cooking before waking Aishia and Est." Charlie said lightly, heading to the kitchen.
Aphrodite sitting across from Astraea, crossed her beautiful legs. A teasing smile curved her lips as she asked, "Hey, Astraea, aren't you worried about letting me into Charlie's room? What if I did something to him?"
Astraea gently stroked the White Tiger's fur, her serene eyes meeting Aphrodite's. "I trust Charlie won't be swayed by you."
"Ugh… Damn it."
Astraea's response hit a sore spot, and Aphrodite gritted her teeth in frustration. Her pride as a Goddess of Beauty was wounded.
(If Freya and Ishtar knew I failed to charm a man, they'd probably laugh at me!)
Unbeknownst to Aphrodite, Freya had faced the same failure.
Freya, acknowledged as the greatest Goddess of Beauty and even feared by gods in Heaven, had also failed to enchant Charlie. If Aphrodite knew this, she would feel better.