Two hours later, the four goddesses sat together in one room.
"Oh my~ I didn't expect you to move this fast, Freya."
Loki's forced smile barely held, but the twist of her lips made her irritation clear.
It was only natural she felt that way—after all, seeing this scene, which goddess present besides Freya could possibly be in a good mood?
Freya sat on the sofa with her usual radiant smile. Yet today, instead of sitting properly with her feet on the floor, she'd taken off her shoes and rested her legs across Bell's lap.
It was a deliberate provocation. Normally, with the temperaments of the other three goddesses, they would have already confronted Freya about it.
But not today.
Yes—today was the one day they couldn't.
"Fast action? I just happened to run into Bell coming home after training, that's all."
Freya smiled lightly, without a hint of mockery, and rested her head on Bell's shoulder.
"I was just chatting with Bell, who's been training for half a month, about what's been happening in the Dungeon and how his training's going."
"We just talked a lot and got sleepy, so we ended up dozing off in the main hall."
"Talked and fell asleep? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Are you sure you didn't just force Bell to stay in your living room?"
The three goddesses all had the same thought and countless sarcastic comments ready to burst out.
Even Hestia, as dense as she could be, knew Freya must have kept Bell there on purpose. Otherwise, how could he have ended up outside, sleeping on Freya's lap all night?
"Then what's going on now?"
Loki tilted her chin toward Bell, who was still massaging Freya's legs.
"It's just the price for letting Bell sleep on my lap all night. My legs were numb until a moment ago—they're only starting to recover now."
Freya wasn't lying. Her legs really had gone numb, and they'd only just regained feeling after having Bell's head resting on them all night.
Bell, still rubbing her legs, wore a strained smile.
'That's why I said I could heal you with Runes, but you refused.'
Bell had noticed her numbness as soon as he woke up and had planned to use magic to help her. But Freya had stopped him, saying, 'No magic. Just rub them for me.'
What could Bell do after that?
He had, after all, slept on her lap the entire night. Faced with that request, refusing wasn't really an option.
'So who's taking advantage of who here…? It feels like Freya and I swapped roles in the script.'
Gathering mana in his hands, Bell gently kneaded Freya's soft yet numb thigh, helping the blood flow back and easing the tingling.
By all logic, he was the one taking advantage of Freya right now.
So why did it feel like she was the one taking advantage of him instead?
Bell, who was massaging Freya's thighs to help her relax, suddenly heard a strange sound.
How to describe it... It was kind of like the noise Hephaestus and Hestia sometimes made when they tried to hold it in but couldn't anymore at the last moment.
'...What kind of ridiculous comparison is that?'
Just as Bell mocked his own thoughts, the strange sound came again.
"Mmm~~"
This time it lingered much longer than before, carrying a distinct hint of seductive allure. That made Bell certain—this wasn't his imagination or a bad analogy. It was exactly what it sounded like.
Three sharp gazes immediately fixed on him.
Without hesitation, Bell raised his hands.
"It wasn't me!"
If not you, then who?
The three goddesses turned toward Freya, their expressions darkening instantly.
Hestia sprang to her feet, though her voice turned soft and deceptively sweet.
"Bell-kun~, why don't you take a look at Freya first before you finish that sentence?"
'Hestia, that smile of yours is seriously terrifying.'
Bell swallowed hard and turned toward Freya, confusion written all over his face.
"???"
What the hell...?
Freya's fair face had turned slightly red, her breathing uneven despite her efforts to calm herself.
The reaction was obvious. She'd been stimulated.
Freya quickly pulled her legs off Bell's lap, trying to steady her breath and regain control.
"Magic... Bell's magic reacted to me."
Magic?
Bell froze for a second, then realization struck.
The only things that would react to his magic... were the Seven Deadly Sins.
'Could it be because Lust still hasn't completely left Freya's body?'
That was the only explanation for her uncontrollable response.
Once she moved far enough away from Bell's magic, Freya finally managed to regulate her breathing again. Then she looked at him with a burning intensity.
"'Lust' hasn't been completely extracted from me yet, so your magic triggered the strongest reaction in my body."
A faint flush deepened in Freya's eyes, a trace of embarrassment flickering beneath her composure.
She could accept her own voluntary desire—those came from her heart and her will. But being forcibly aroused like this... was a first.
"There's something like that?"
Hestia's eyes widened. She'd never known Bell's "Seven Deadly Sins" could cause that kind of side effect.
"Try it with Loki. The 'Sloth' inside her hasn't been removed by Bell either. She should react to his magic the same way."
Freya immediately shifted everyone's attention toward Loki—the only one who could confirm her claim.
"???"
Loki, who had been suddenly dragged into it, looked utterly bewildered.
"Hephaestus didn't experience this back then?"
"My 'Envy' was removed before Bell even got that ability."
Arms crossed, Hephaestus flatly shot down Loki's question.
"Then that leaves only your 'Sloth'. Go on, test it."
"Huh? Why me?!"
Remembering how Freya lost control earlier, Loki's forehead twitched violently. They were basically asking her to embarrass herself on the spot.
"So that means it's you, Loki."
Hephaestus exchanged a look with Freya, who stood up smiling. She clearly had no intention of letting Loki off the hook.
"Exactly, Loki. This is a great opportunity. Haven't you been wanting a moment to get closer to Bell? Well, here's your chance."
Loki's face twisted in exasperation.
"Damn it, I wanted some alone time, not whatever this is—with you two staring at me!"
"Huh? Wait—what are you doing? What are you doing?!"
"No... Nooo!!!"