At sunset.
The door opened, revealing a gentle, lovely face.
Soft gray hair, eyes crinkled with a smile.
Three people stared at one another.
Hestia's gaze fell on the girl answering the door.
At first glance.
Oh, what a pretty girl.
At second glance.
Wait... why did she look familiar? Had they met somewhere before?
At third glance.
"Ah... Freya?"
Hephaestus, standing beside her, clearly hadn't recognized the girl at first.
Hearing her friend's startled exclamation, she froze for a moment, then scrutinized the gray-haired girl's face in disbelief.
Freya?
Hephaestus was at a loss for words. All she could manage was a baffled, "...Huh?"
Her friend's hesitation made Hestia uncertain, too.
She hurriedly backed up two steps, nearly bumping into Hephaestus, and turned to check the nameplate—
Thor's house... No mistake! The nameplate was perfectly clear!
Why was Freya at Thor's house?
She looked back at "Syr" in the doorway, her voice full of disbelief. "Y-you... why are you here?! Isn't this Thor's house?!"
From beginning to end, Syr had done nothing but maintain her flawless, elegant smile, like a perfect mask. She neither confirmed nor denied Hestia's accusation, remaining eerily silent.
Just then,
Hestia's gaze passed over the gray-haired girl's shoulder.
A figure came into view in the depths of the living room.
It was Thor.
He seemed to have just come out of the bathroom. Bare-chested, he had water droplets sliding down the contours of his well-defined muscles, and his hair was still damp.
He casually ran a hand through his hair and called toward the entrance.
"Syr, who's there?"
"Bang!"
Syr promptly shut the door.
The gust from the door smacked Hestia and Hephaestus in the face.
Before the two of them could react, the girl's still-soft voice came clearly through the door.
"Hehe... It's nothing, Lord Thor. Just two salespeople who got the wrong door."
Freya?! What was she doing here?
Hephaestus's mind was in turmoil.
The shocking discovery had left her frozen in place, her thoughts seemingly stuck behind the closed door.
"Full-frontal assault!"
Hestia suddenly let out a sharp cry. Like a little beast whose tail had been stepped on, she planted both hands against the door and shoved with all her might!
Inside, Syr braced her slender back against the door, a flicker of regret flashing through her mind.
She hadn't accounted for this...
Her heart tightened.
When she'd learned last night that Thor had gone to the Hephaestus Familia, she'd vaguely suspected the goddess of the forge might come looking for him.
But no matter how carefully she'd planned, she hadn't expected Hephaestus to bring the sharp-eyed Hestia along!
If she only had to deal with Hephaestus, she'd still been confident she could keep the truth hidden.
"Hephaestus! Hurry! Help me break in!" Hestia's face was flushed as she called for her friend to join her.
But Hephaestus only sighed helplessly.
She looked a little exasperated.
Syr simply steadied her breathing and returned her voice to its usual gentle sweetness. Then she called toward the inside of the house.
"Lord Thor~ Please don't mind the little commotion outside. They're just a couple of bothersome 'pests.' Syr will 'take care' of them, and make sure they don't disturb your peace~"
"Pests?!" Hestia's voice shot up, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Who are you calling a pest?!"
Inside, Thor recognized Hestia from her unmistakable voice alone.
He'd already made his way to the entrance.
Water ran down his bare chest, dampening the bath towel loosely wrapped around his waist.
He lifted a hand helplessly, ready to put an end to the farce. "Syr, don't—"
Before he could finish,
outside, Hestia's fury at being called a "pest" exploded into strength far beyond her usual. She slammed into the door!
Inside, Syr caught sight of the water running down Thor's chest from the corner of her eye. Her concentration wavered, and her strength against the door faltered for a moment.
"Bang!"
The door burst open!
All Thor had time to see was a blue-clad figure hurtling toward him in a fit of rage, like a cannonball.
Right in front of her, the gray figure—having suddenly lost the door's support—stumbled forward.
Time seemed to stretch.
He instinctively tried to steady himself, one arm halfway raised—
"Thud!"
A dull crash echoed across the floor.
The force of the impact sent Thor slamming onto the cold floor on his back. A sudden weight crushed his chest and stomach, nearly stopping his breath.
Hestia crashed into his arms, her forehead slamming into his jaw and making stars dance before his eyes.
At nearly the same moment, another soft, fragrant body came tumbling down with uncontrolled force. Syr's slender form pressed tightly against his chest.
For a moment, the narrow entrance was filled with nothing but the three of them, breathing in disarray.
Thor lay on his back, two warm, soft bodies weighing heavily on his chest.
On his left was Syr, her soft hair brushing his bare chest, her breath slightly warm against him.
On his right was Hestia, with her twin tails, practically sprawled on top of him, her sky-blue dress rumpled.
At the doorway, Hephaestus had witnessed the entire chaotic invasion. She sighed helplessly and rubbed the bridge of her nose wearily.
She'd come to visit with almost reverent anticipation...
How had it turned into this farcical scene?
Still dazed from the collision, Hestia instinctively shook her head.
When her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was beneath her...
Thor's chest rising and falling slightly, and his face, so close, wearing a helpless expression.
Mmm...
Hestia's mind went buzz, and her cheeks instantly turned scarlet.
Her heart pounded in her chest. All the fury she'd had when ramming the door vanished, leaving only flustered panic.
She could clearly feel the warmth where their skin touched. Her breathing grew involuntarily ragged, and she nearly forgot how to breathe.
At that moment, Syr moved.
Like a nimble nightingale whose territory had been invaded, she suddenly shoved toward Hestia.
She moved directly in front of Hestia, her voice so gentle it seemed to drip with sweetness. "Lord Thor! Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?"
Her fingertips reached for Thor's jaw to examine the spot Hestia's forehead had struck, her movements graceful and natural.
Syr's sudden shove nearly sent Hestia tumbling forward again. She bristled at once. "Hey! What are you doing?! You were the one who suddenly let go, and—"
She scrambled to steady herself, her cheeks even redder now, half from embarrassment and half from the lingering shock of the collision.
"Hestia,"
Syr tilted her head slightly, her smile still perfect, but her voice was an icy needle wrapped in honey.
"Violently barging in without permission and then falling on top of Lord Thor isn't very ladylike. Your recklessness is truly... just as usual."
She deliberately emphasized "ladylike" and "recklessness."
Hestia's eyes widened. Her twin tails nearly stood on end with anger. "You're the one who shut the door! And you called us 'pests'! You—"
"Enough."
Thor's low voice cut in, abruptly ending their quarrel.
He sighed helplessly.
His gaze swept over the two faces above his chest, so different in character yet both filled with all sorts of emotions, then over to the forge goddess at the doorway, whose expression said, By all means, carry on. I'm just watching.
"You can bicker all you want," Thor said, sounding resigned and exhausted. "But could you... get off me first? And why are you clinging even tighter?"
He tried moving his shoulders, but instead of loosening their hold, the two of them seemed to press even closer after their argument and the adjustments to their positions.
Syr took the opportunity to feel him up, her little hand wandering a bit...
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