"Huh!? Why would you think that?"
Bell had never once thought Hestia was useless.
Sure, she didn't have the same advantages as other gods, but that had everything to do with how long they'd been in the lower world. The others had spent years establishing themselves, while Hestia was practically a newcomer—only a year into her life in Genkai. How could her situation possibly compare?
Besides, Hestia wasn't the kind of god known for production like Hephaestus. She couldn't build a production-oriented Familia, so of course her circumstances were tougher.
And yet, despite lacking that kind of divine ability, Hestia had something even more remarkable—real friendships among the gods. That kind of connection was more valuable than what most gods had. Having divine friends meant having channels, support, and people willing to help when things got tough.
"Then why didn't you come to me when something happened?"
Her voice was filled with disappointment. Hestia had always known she lacked certain qualities as a Familia God. But what hurt was that when Bell ran into trouble, he didn't come to her—he went to Freya instead. That stung more than she wanted to admit.
So that's what it was. Seeing her expression, Bell finally understood the root of her sadness.
"Hestia, I actually intended to talk to you and Hephaestus first."
"Then how did that turn into Freya?"
There was still a hint of grievance in her voice. Hestia clearly wanted to understand how a conversation that was supposed to be with her and Hephaestus somehow ended up with Freya.
"Well, it had to do with the Seven Deadly Sins. I thought Freya might have some insight, so I went to ask her opinion."
Then Bell lowered his voice a little.
"Also... I told you before, I see you all as family. All this time, I've spent a lot of time around Loki, but barely any alone time with Freya. Honestly, I felt kind of scummy about that."
Yeah... that did sound kind of bad. Hearing Bell admit it himself, Hestia couldn't help but feel like maybe he had been unfair to Freya.
But then it hit her. If even Bell thought he hadn't treated Freya right, then wasn't her own attitude—constantly targeting Freya—even more inappropriate?
"Ahem... let's not let Freya hear that."
Even Hestia could tell it would be a bad look. She was the one who'd said she was willing to accept everyone, and now she was the one resisting it. If Freya ever caught on, that wouldn't end well.
"Okay, putting Freya aside for now—how exactly did you end up staying the night in her room and... doing that?"
Hestia's voice wavered slightly when she said "that," the sour note of jealousy unmistakable.
"'Take everything—both the Seven Deadly Sins, and my life as a virgin goddess.' When she said that... I couldn't just walk away like before and make up some excuse."
Wait, what!? Hestia's eyes went wide in disbelief. Freya actually said something like that?
She could practically picture it—Freya, calm and sincere, saying those words to Bell. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn't have been able to say no either.
As that image formed in her mind, Hestia's gaze drifted toward the room. From where she stood, she could already see Freya lying sideways on the bed.
She used to think of Freya as this impossibly seductive goddess—and now it turned out she was a virgin all along? And yet the moment that was revealed, she went all in without hesitation.
What a bold woman.
"Tsk… This old virgin actually has the nerve to be that bold."
Bell cringed at the remark, suppressing his embarrassment as he gave Hestia a gentle reminder.
"You were a virgin goddess too, remember? Aren't you insulting yourself, then?"
...Oh, right.
Realizing her slip-up, Hestia quickly cleared her throat and tried to brush the topic aside. Honestly, her situation back then wasn't all that different from Freya's now.
Seeing Freya like this now, she didn't feel as angry anymore. Hephaestus had already pushed her past her boiling point earlier. Freya and even Loki had come as surprises—but at least she'd had time to prepare for those. It wasn't like before, when things hit her all at once without warning and left her scrambling to cope.
"Ugh... we'll talk about the rest later."
Hestia glanced into the room at the still-sleeping Freya. Her cheeks puffed out, but she wasn't throwing a tantrum or doing anything unreasonable. She had no intention of waking Freya. After all, she remembered her own morning after—when she'd been in agony without any healing.
"Bell, just… stay here for now. Come downstairs as soon as Freya wakes up."
As much as Hestia wanted to drag Bell away with her, Freya was still asleep. She remembered how, when she'd woken up, she wanted Bell to be there too—just for a little while. Not gone like it was any normal morning.
She didn't know if Freya felt the same, but she wasn't going to do something as heartless as pulling him away. Leaving just a "We'll talk later," Hestia headed downstairs.
...
Bell stood at the doorway for a moment, glanced outside, then quietly closed the door. Turning around, he looked at Freya lying on her side.
"Freya… Hestia really didn't mean any harm."
Freya slowly turned to face him, her pale back no longer facing the door. There wasn't even a hint of sleep left in her—only a soft, knowing smile in those alluring eyes.
She let out a quiet laugh, almost like a sigh.
"Hestia's always been like that. She never really bears malice toward anyone. She doesn't try to get close to any god, but she doesn't distance herself either. That's why, back in Tenkai, she was one of the most beloved among the gods."
"She liked her peace and quiet—preferred to stay in her little corner and read books. Sometimes she'd go visiting others' territories, but she never got involved in disputes. She hated war and conflict. That's why she and Loki were always at odds in Tenkai."
Just a few words, and Hestia's entire character was laid bare.
She liked making friends. She liked reading. She liked going around and visiting others. She just didn't like fighting.
"In Tenkai, whether people liked her or not, no one ever dared speak ill of Hestia. Because everyone knew—if she ever left in tears, they'd all be in for it."
"Especially Loki. I remember once, when someone said something bad about Hestia… Loki made them regret it so badly, they still haven't dared descend to Genkai to this day."
"As for me? Hmph~ If it weren't for the fact she doesn't like dealing with me, I'd actually be quite fond of her."
...
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