"Making sure someone eats properly is actually a profound art. But don't worry, I'll teach you… slowly."
In front of the campfire, the Goddess of the Hearth thought with satisfaction as she put on the air of an imposing elder, casting an ill-intentioned glance at Artemis, who had been loudly insisting she wanted to learn how to cook.
Seeing that the two figures in the distance had completely disappeared into the dense forest, Artemis ground her silver teeth together and looked seriously at the elder who had abducted the one she cared about most and a faint flame seemed to ignite in her eyes.
"Fine, Aunt. Teach me more in the future. I'll learn patiently."
Since she'd already been found out, there was no point in pretending anymore.
At worst, she'd turn her clandestine abduction into an open and aboveboard attempt to steal someone away.
So what if the Goddess of the Hunt gained an additional secondary domain in cooking and brewing?
Once she mastered all of it, what would the other side use to stop her then?
The gazes of the two goddesses collided across the air.
Each harbored her own schemes, her own resentment and defiance, sparks faintly flashing between their eyes.
Just then, Apollo, who had arrived late, took in the scene, and immediately had an idea.
He stepped forward on his own initiative, a warm and eager smile appearing on his handsome face.
"Aunt, Sister, you're both here? I was thinking I could also—"
"There's not enough firewood."
Before he could even get close, Hestia interrupted him with her usual lack of friendliness.
However, the God of Light was already prepared as he turned his hopeful gaze toward his full-blooded sister.
"What are you standing around for? Go find some already!"
Artemis turned around and waved her away without any politeness.
"…"
Apollo's expression stiffened, and the gentle smile on his face immediately became hard to maintain.
But in the end, under the suppression of bloodline authority and the tyrannical dominance of his elder sister, the God of Light, who's mind was in complete disarray, ended up like a puppet on strings.
He called over the Nine Muses who were accompanying him and obediently went into the forest to gather firewood.
After sending away the uninvited guest, the two goddesses turned to look at each other almost simultaneously.
Their gazes were intense and deeply focused, as if their eyes held only one another… or rather, an opponent.
At the same time, Lorne, who had been dragged into the small grove, let out a long sigh of relief.
He had finally managed to shake Artemis off for the moment.
To be honest, even though he really liked the beautiful goddess who had her eyes only on him.
But her fiery enthusiasm was honestly a bit too much for him to handle.
She wasn't even hiding it anymore...if his brother in law found out about their affair..fortunately.
However, before Lorne could feel relieved for more than a few seconds, he looked at Athena approaching him with a radiant smile, and at the subtle situation of a lone man and a lone woman standing together, causing his expression to turn thoughtful.
Something seemed… off.
Step by step, the Goddess of Wisdom drew closer, the smile on her face growing ever brighter.
"Don't bother thinking anymore. Right now, no one can save you."
In the next instant, Athena's expression changed.
The surrounding space twisted and sealed shut, and with practiced ease, she snapped off a tree branch, slowly stripping away the protruding twigs.
Her eyes, bright as the stars, now stared coldly at the person before her.
In a flash, familiar memories surged up as Lorne shuddered involuntarily, wailing inwardly.
Damn it, luring the tiger to devour the wolf and pulling a sleight of hand at the same time!
Boss, Little Moon, hurry up!
You idiots, your home's being stolen right under your noses!
"Wait, hold on! If you draw them all over here, this hunt won't be able to continue…"
At this critical moment, Lorne gritted his teeth and raised his voice, offering a cautious warning.
Hearing this, Athena raised an eyebrow, snorted coldly, and tossed the branch aside.
"I'll let this one go for now.
Later, you'd better explain yourself properly, what exactly is going on between you and that crazy woman?"
"I should be asking you that!" Lorne shot back without hesitation, glaring at Athena in dissatisfaction.
"You knew Lady Hestia is close to me, and you knew Apollo has ideas about her, yet you still invited that guy along.
Aren't you afraid I'll end up with eight arrows in my back and be ruled a suicide case?"
This time, Lorne refused to back down, staring Athena straight in the eye.
Blindly yielding would only let this woman pin him down completely.
When it was time to be firm, he had to be firm...he needed to show his emotions and his stance.
Of course, this was also a tactical use of answering a question with another question.
After all, none of them were exactly clean.
Hearing the resentment woven into Lorne's words, Athena's expression softened slightly and spoke with absolute certainty.
"Relax. With me here, he won't be able to touch you."
"And what about Hestia?"
Lorne glanced at the Goddess of Wisdom, his gaze somewhat gloomy.
Having just experienced the Artemis incident, he was inevitably still somewhat traumatized.
Besides, although Apollo appeared to be a refined and upright gentleman on the surface, when it came to relationships, he was anything but decent.
Although his deeds were much less than other Olympians which caused him to be looked in a positive light...but that's compared to the Olympians.
There's no normal among them.
After all, there were many cases where this god of light became dark.
There was the case of killing his lover, when his mistress Coronis became pregnant and fell in love with a mortal named Ischys, Apollo, enraged, secretly shot her dead.
During her cremation, he rescued the unborn child from her body.
That child later became Asclepius, the god of medicine.
There was seduction by force, the huntress Cyrene caught Apollo's eye while she was fighting a lion bare-handed.
Against her will, the God of Light abducted her onto a chariot pulled by swans and took her to Libya, displaying her to the world like a gift.
There was obsessive pursuit turned into rage...about when the water nymph Daphne was targeted by Apollo while he was consumed by burning desire.
Driven mad by his relentless pursuit, she eventually begged her father, the river god, to turn her into a laurel tree to escape him.
However, when Apollo arrived, he declared "devotedly" that he would make her leaves into his crown, her wood into his lyre, and her flowers into decorations for his bow.
And so, Daphne, now divided, lost any chance of ever returning to her original form.
…In short, almost every woman who had been romantically involved with the God of Light met a fate that could hardly be called good.
From this alone, it was clear that Apollo's handling of relationships was not as upright as his divine authority suggested.
The reason Hestia could reject this nephew and still live peacefully was simply because she herself was one of the Twelve Olympians, holding a position lofty enough to protect herself.
But given enough time, who could say that this seemingly radiant yet inwardly twisted God of Light wouldn't develop darker thoughts?
"If you're worried about Aunt Hestia," Athena said calmly, casting Lorne a sideways glance, her voice carrying deeper meaning, "then there's even less reason to worry."
"Among the three virgin goddesses, her chastity is the most unbreakable. Not only does Apollo have no chance, even my uncle Poseidon and Father Zeus would be unable to violate her will. Because the entire domestic order of Olympus is founded upon her vow of virginity!"
Hearing this earth-shaking revelation, Lorne couldn't help but look stunned.
To be honest, it was hard for him to imagine that the easily tricked, stay-at-home shut-in goddess beside him had actually played such a crucial role in establishing the order of Olympus.
Seeing the doubt in Lorne's eyes, Athena simply began explaining the reason in detail.
(End of Chapter)