The atmosphere in Charlie's living room, which had only just settled down after the upheaval of The Great Reset, was suddenly disturbed once again by the sound of graceful yet firm footsteps.
A golden-haired girl wearing a partially loosened battle dress calmly stepped inside.
"You... Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein?"
Astraea looked at the newcomer with an expression filled with surprise.
"Greetings, Astraea-sama." Ais greeted her politely.
As for why Astraea had not undergone Divine Ascension like the other gods and goddesses, Charlie had already explained the matter to her beforehand.
Charlie had openly admitted that he had deliberately applied a double standard to exempt Astraea and Aphrodite from the mass deportation to Heaven.
But so what if her lover had double standards? Charlie had never been a selfless saint in the first place.
"Welcome, Ais." Charlie beamed, warmly welcoming another one of his girlfriends.
"Mm." Ais nodded lightly.
Without further pleasantries, she walked straight over and joined Aishia and Est.
After all, she was a Half-Spirit by lineage, so it was only natural for her to immediately gather with the other girls of the spirit race.
Seeing this, Mahiru slowly turned her head and looked at Charlie with a sweet smile that concealed an underlying pressure.
"Is there... anyone else, Charlie-kun?"
"What do you mean, Mahiru?"
Charlie's innocent expression immediately irritated Mahiru.
If not for the strict moral upbringing and etiquette instilled in her since childhood in her original world, Mahiru would undoubtedly have reacted like an ordinary woman—throwing a tantrum and flying into a rage upon seeing her boyfriend openly introduce another girlfriend right before her eyes.
It was impossible for Mahiru not to feel even the slightest bit of jealousy in her heart.
Right beside her, Kei was experiencing the same emotional turmoil, although her jealousy was nowhere near as intense as Mahiru's.
"Fine, fine... I'll tell you the truth. So please stop looking at me as though I'm a pile of garbage that can no longer be recycled."
Charlie shuddered. Mahiru's silence made him feel incredibly uncomfortable, sending chills down his spine.
Reaching out, he playfully pinched Mahiru's incredibly soft and smooth cheeks before hastily letting go when the honey-blonde-haired girl made a protesting gesture.
"Besides Ais, who just arrived... there might be one more new 'sister' who will officially join the harem later."
Hearing Charlie's blunt declaration, Astraea, who had been sitting quietly and listening all this time, could no longer remain silent.
To her, it was already extraordinary and beyond comprehension for a goddess who upheld purity so highly to be willing to share her man with other women.
Besides, she was not some cheap goddess who enjoyed changing partners whenever she pleased, like Ishtar or Freya. On the contrary, she had steadfastly maintained her purity for hundreds of millions of years.
"Who is it this time?" Astraea narrowed her eyes.
"Goddess Astraea herself must know her very well." Charlie replied, looking directly at her. "It's Goddess Aphrodite."
"So... it really is her..." Astraea murmured softly, her expression and mood immediately becoming complicated.
On the one hand, she was happy to learn that another goddess besides herself had been allowed to remain in the Lower World. At least she would not feel isolated and lonely, and she would have someone from the divine race to talk to.
On the other hand, the main problem was that this remaining goddess had also set her sights on her lover and was trying to win his heart!
"But... why Aphrodite?" Astraea asked again, her face filled with confusion. "Have you... truly fallen under the Charm of the Goddess of Beauty, Charlie?"
That assumption made no sense.
After all, she knew very well that Charlie was immune to the gods' Charm abilities.
Astraea was not the only one curious about this. The other girls—Kei, Mahiru, and even Ais—simultaneously turned toward Charlie, demanding an honest answer that would satisfy their curiosity.
"..."
Charlie recalled his past interactions with Aphrodite.
A warm, faint smile spread across his lips.
"The reason is actually very simple." Charlie answered in a calm voice. "Goddess Aphrodite's sincere perseverance in winning my heart eventually managed to move me."
"Goddess Aphrodite is very different from Goddesses Ishtar and Freya."
"Although all three bear the title of Goddess of Beauty and possess divine charms capable of captivating anyone, their core motivations, methods of action, and the fundamental nature of their souls are completely opposite."
"Goddess Aphrodite has a much more easygoing personality. She's a little narcissistic, but she's not driven by a cruel desire to dominate others through power."
Having known Aphrodite far longer than Charlie had, Astraea reflected on his words before nodding in agreement.
"I admire the way you judge other people, Charlie. It's truly rare for someone to see Aphrodite's real personality."
"Many people in Orario lump her together with Ishtar and Freya simply because all three hold the authority of a Goddess of Beauty."
Astraea turned toward the other girls to provide a more detailed explanation.
"Aphrodite is actually a goddess who is extremely obsessed with her own beauty. She does want to be worshipped and remain the center of attention, but her entire purpose is purely to satisfy her personal ego and have fun, rather than pursue some rotten ambition to control Orario's political landscape."
"Aphrodite really is obsessed with her own beauty. She wants everyone to worship and admire her, but her motives are purely personal gratification and entertainment, not building political power or taking control of Orario."
"Unlike other Goddesses of Beauty, who are always shrouded in an aura of mystery, intimidation, or destruction, Aphrodite often behaves foolishly and dramatically, and she's very quick to sulk when she's ignored."
Discussing Aphrodite, who was just as silly as Hestia, Astraea chuckled softly.
"She prefers seeking out romantic drama or having fun over plotting conspiracies behind the scenes. Her Familia was never established to become the strongest faction in Orario, either. It exists merely to support her luxurious lifestyle and collect beautiful things."
Astraea concluded her explanation with a relieved sigh. "While Freya acts out of an excessively deep obsession with love and Ishtar is driven by a thirst for power and envy, Aphrodite acts purely because she wants to be the center of attention and enjoy the beauty of the world in a much more relaxed way."
After hearing Astraea's detailed description of their prospective new 'sister,' the worried expressions on Ais, Kei, and Mahiru's faces immediately faded.
They felt greatly relieved to learn that Aphrodite's personality was far from dangerous.
Ais, in particular, had lived in Orario for a long time and knew all too well how terrifying and troublesome it could be to deal with the Goddesses of Beauty.
If she had to live under the same roof as a poisonous woman like Ishtar or Freya, she certainly would not be able to stand it.
Meanwhile, Aishia and Est viewed the matter from an entirely different perspective.
To the two spirit girls, as long as the newcomer was a woman approved by Charlie, they had absolutely no objections, no matter how much he wanted to expand his harem.
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