Morpheus looked at the girl, and even if he were clueless, he could tell her intentions by now.
Still, he casually tucked the book away, acting as if he hadn't noticed. "It's late. Is something up?"
"Morpheus…" A sweet fragrance filled the air as soft warmth pressed into his arms. Feeling her fiercely pounding heart and inhaling her delicate scent, Morpheus gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Did something happen?"
"Mmm…" Medea murmured softly.
"So, want me to tell you a story to cheer you up? Or did someone bully you, and you need me to rough them up?"
Seeing Morpheus play dumb, Medea let out a laugh, tinged with a hint of annoyance. She promptly opened her mouth and bit down hard on his shoulder.
"Ow! Are you a dog?!" Morpheus exclaimed dramatically, only for Medea to pout. "I didn't even bite that hard!"
Then she added, "Doesn't that outfit of yours have incredible defenses? I heard it can rival the gods themselves."
Her meaning was clear, boiling down to one simple phrase.
"Stop pretending!"
Morpheus sensed her frustration and sighed. "Have you ever thought about what you'd do if I left?"
"I don't care!" Medea's tone was stubborn, almost defiant. She sniffled, her voice adorably cute. "After today, I realized it's better to be straightforward than to overthink things!"
Medea had been truly terrified during the day. The thought of Morpheus dying under a giant's blow haunted her... she'd be in agony for a long time, maybe forever.
So, the moment she saw Morpheus alive, she decided to stop holding back and act on her heart's desires!
In that moment, the girl took her final step, resolute and unwavering.
"You like me, don't you?"
Faced with Medea's question, gazing into her blue, almost violet eyes, Morpheus instinctively turned his face away.
He didn't dare meet her gaze, feeling those eyes held a magical pull that could captivate anyone.
"I-I, of course…"
"No lying!"
"Alright, fine, I do like you," Morpheus admitted, scrambling for an excuse. "It's only natural, right? I mean, you're so beautiful, and I'm just a normal... "
His words were cut off as something blocked his mouth.
The girl's movements were clumsy but filled with initiative and passion.
Feeling her soft lips, Morpheus froze for a moment before surrendering to the moment.
Forget it. Always worrying about the future... if I keep thinking like that, I'll end up hurting the person right in front of me. And it'd be going against my own heart…
With that thought, Morpheus shifted from passive to active, gently pressing her beneath him.
…
Artemis held her breath, then bit her lip. After seeing Medea head toward Morpheus' quarters, she'd impulsively followed in secret.
Moreover, this place was bathed in moonlight, under her divine authority. Even without following, she could observe anything that happened here.
Now, watching the scene unfold, her expression grew somber.
"It's all Apollo's fault! Why'd he say all that during the day?!" She mentally blamed her brother for her current state. "If he hadn't said those things, I wouldn't be overthinking like this!"
That's what she told herself. Her heart felt heavy, and though she wanted to leave, her feet seemed rooted to the ground, unable to move.
Seeing Medea's shy yet blissful expression, Artemis suddenly thought, If that were me, what would it be like? Would I look that happy too?
The moment that thought emerged, Artemis froze, a pained look crossing her face. "So, Apollo was right, wasn't he?"
She could feel the shift in her heart... an undeniable change. Combined with Apollo's explanation and the scene before her, the rising emotion called jealousy made it clear what she was truly feeling.
"I was the one telling him not to shy away, to face Medea's feelings head-on. But now that he's doing it, I'm the one who…"
It was painful, deeply painful. Jealousy bred shame, and shame intensified her pain.
Artemis took a deep breath and leaned gently against the wall. Hearing the sounds from within, she suddenly felt a heat rising in her body…
…
The morning sunlight signaled the arrival of day, but this was Artemis' domain, where the sun never rose, only eternal night.
Waking from sleep, feeling the softness in his arms, Morpheus paused, then softened with a tender expression.
The girl clung to his arm, sleeping sweetly.
He reached out, gently stroking her purple hair. Thinking of the previous night, Morpheus leaned down with affection and kissed her forehead.
It was an uncontrollable instinct, a desire he simply acted upon.
"Hehe," Medea giggled. Seeing this, Morpheus pinched her cheek. "Stop pretending to sleep. Get up!"
"No way, last night was exhausting. I need more sleep!" Medea protested, then grumbled, "It was my first time! Was that really your first time?!"
"My body's in great shape... what can I say?" Morpheus shrugged, grinning. "Besides, you're the one who started the fire. It's only fair you help put it out."
At that, Medea sat up and bit his shoulder hard.
This time, with no protective clothing in the way, Morpheus let out a genuine yelp of pain.
***
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