"Darling…"
Bell still wasn't used to being called that. His face reddened a little, clearly embarrassed.
Seeing the faint blush on Bell's cheeks, Freya blinked in surprise before breaking into laughter.
"So you really haven't gotten used to it."
Bell awkwardly turned his head away.
"How could anyone get used to something like this so quickly?"
Even though his relationship with Hestia and Hephaestus was already close, some things simply couldn't be adapted to overnight.
"You really do get awkward over the strangest things."
Not that Freya disliked it.
She placed a hand on her waist, ready to walk down the stairs, when Bell—coming up at the same time—reached out to steady her.
"Careful where you're stepping."
Watching how unsteady she was, Bell worried she might fall down the stairs, rushing over to support her.
"And you've got the nerve to say that?"
Freya shot him an immediate eye-roll. Who was the reason she wasn't feeling well today? Still, seeing this blockhead come help her, she decided not to blame him.
Freya leaned into Bell instinctively, practically letting her whole weight rest against him—not that she worried it'd crush the kid.
Bell was embarrassed, but he still supported Freya carefully as they made their way down the stairs.
Once they reached the sofa, Freya could no longer maintain even a shred of her earlier elegance.
She lifted her foot lightly and kicked off her white high heels.
Her entire body collapsed against Bell, her head resting directly in his arms, her hands dangling bonelessly without the slightest concern for her appearance.
"Mmm~~~"
As she let her whole body relax, Freya melted against Bell like she had no bones left.
"Finally back."
Bell found Freya in this state rather surprising.
"Freya, your image is completely gone."
"Why would I care about that at home?"
Freya didn't mind her image at all. She stretched her toes, letting her whole body relax without restraint.
"This place is forbidden territory for the gods. Wasn't that exactly your intention when you built it 'outside the world'?"
Precisely because she knew it was a forbidden zone—and Bell was the only one who could see her like this—Freya chose to completely relax.
"Tsk!"
Zeus's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Seeing Freya's unguarded, even slightly spoiled demeanor, he almost wanted to give Bell a thumbs-up on the spot.
'Kid, you're incredible.'
As the Goddess of Beauty and Love, Freya had been adored by countless gods and children of the Genkai. Yet now, in front of Bell, she showed a completely different side from her usual elegant, noble self. Zeus understood exactly what that meant.
And from their earlier conversation, it was obvious what kind of relationship Freya and Bell now shared.
Freya had already been taken by Bell.
Zeus wasn't the only one who noticed—most of the men present had seen it as well.
Though right now, every one of their faces showed varying degrees of heartbreak.
They had all once been adventurers in Orario, though none were particularly high-level.
Even so, they all knew who Freya was. Some of them had even harbored feelings for her.
But now, watching the goddess they had once admired leaning so intimately against the boy they'd watched grow up… their hearts were falling apart.
"Ah… I never thought the goddess Freya would ever fall so far."
"Right? Back then, the goddess Freya was like a walking aphrodisiac. Anywhere she went, she stole everyone's attention."
"And now, the once radiant Goddess Freya has ended up with Bell…"
Everyone felt a sharp stab in their chest.
The beloved, unattainable Freya had actually descended to the mortal world.
"But what exactly is this 'world beyond' Freya mentioned?"
"No idea."
Even adventurers from the "Heroic Age" had no clue what "world beyond" meant. It was likely a concept only gods could ever touch.
The others didn't understand—but Zeus and Hera caught on immediately.
"So that's what it was. No wonder that kid deliberately went through a spatial tunnel when returning to their territory. And with how dangerous that tunnel was, he must have done it intentionally."
Hera finally understood why that territory had felt so strange.
"I knew an ordinary barrier wouldn't cause such a massive reaction. Just stepping inside made it seem like nothing outside could enter."
"If it's 'Beyond the World,' then ordinary people—even gods—really can't get in."
But as Hera continued, her teeth almost ached.
'Why didn't I ever meet a child like that?'
Even Hera couldn't help feeling jealous now.
After all, "Beyond the World" meant building one's home at the very edge of existence—an entirely separate realm, nothing like anywhere inside the world.
A space completely cut off from everything within the world.
And for gods, "Beyond the World" was the safest refuge imaginable.
No matter how strong an adventurer was, they couldn't cross into that place. Not even gods could.
So any god residing there basically never had to worry about their safety.
But how had that child accomplished such a thing?
...
Once she'd finally relaxed, Freya's thoughts drifted toward things Bell had never explained before.
"Bell, do you really know who 'The World' is?"
"Yeah. If my guess is right, then she should be my mother."
"Your mother?"
Freya couldn't help letting out a small cry as she abruptly sat up from Bell's chest.
Of course she knew who Bell's mother was—Meteria, younger sister of the Hera Familia's "Silence," a girl whose abilities were still a mystery.
Bell didn't mind Freya's reaction. Anyone would be shocked hearing this.
"After all, whose prayer could possibly summon 'The World'?"
"Only mine? That would make no sense."
"It isn't that only I can do it. It's because she's my mother. So to some degree, she'll respond to me."
"And I can already feel the trouble she's set up for me."
Bell sighed at the thought. Having a mother like that… was it fortune, or misfortune?
...
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