'I…'
In her soul form, Artemis's thoughts were a chaotic tangle.
She had received every surge of emotion from her other half, sensing that warmth spreading through her chest—a sensation called love.
And for the first time, Artemis understood she could no longer run.
That feeling wasn't something only her other half experienced—she herself was drowning in it.
Even if she grit her teeth and denied it, it was impossible to hide.
Deep within, her heart—once unshakeable—began pounding wildly.
Just as Freya and Hephaestus had once said, a goddess's love only overflows once, and only for one person.
No matter how resolute Artemis had been, that inexplicable flutter had already filled her heart.
She could no longer deny her feelings for Bell.
Nor could she resist.
'I really am a shameless woman.'
Artemis bit her lip hard. She knew her actions betrayed Hestia, yet the turmoil in her heart had long since surpassed what she could endure.
She had originally resigned herself to death, yet in the end, a youth had insisted on saving her.
The reason wasn't his affection for her, but the effort he had made to fulfill the wish of his own Familia God.
'Hestia, if you hadn't sought to save me back then, maybe I wouldn't be struggling like this now.'
But she was struggling.
And the boy who saved her would never fade from her heart.
Artemis didn't even know when these feelings began.
Maybe it was her other half's bold pursuit rubbing off on her.
She had watched that child for what felt like ages.
His daily life, his efforts, his growth, and his gentleness.
Hmm… not gentleness toward her, but toward her other half.
And that stirred a ripple in Artemis's heart.
Jealousy.
Jealousy toward Hestia. Jealousy toward her other half. Enough that she could no longer bury her head like an ostrich.
'Give me control!'
This time, Artemis snapped.
She couldn't keep watching. The emotions surging inside her were far beyond concealment.
The Artemis who held control suddenly heard that cowardly voice say those words, and she immediately broke into a bright smile.
For once, that coward actually reacted.
Artemis looked at Bell, understanding instantly. Darling's confession earlier must have pushed that coward over the edge.
And that was a good thing.
If that coward kept hiding, she herself would be stuck in a passive position.
But if the coward made a decision, approaching Darling would no longer be a problem.
Excitement bubbled up—Artemis jumped up and kissed Bell on the cheek.
"Darling, she couldn't hold it anymore. We need to have a proper talk with her later and aim to win her over completely!"
This sudden change surprised Bell.
Before his eyes, Artemis's body began to glow faintly.
When the light receded, the silver-haired, voluptuous Artemis had vanished—replaced by the blue-haired, well-proportioned Artemis.
"Goddess Artemis."
Bell recognized her instantly; he had saved her personally during the Antares incident.
Artemis had barely stepped forward when those words—Goddess Artemis—froze her expression.
That familiar bitterness surged again.
But this time, she couldn't hide. She knew perfectly well that if she kept pretending, she'd only drown in even more sourness.
"Bell, since the last incident, this is our first time meeting alone."
"Yeah."
Bell recalled—she had thanked him before, but that wasn't a private meeting.
"Goddess Artemis, I'm very sorry about her—"
"There's no need to talk about her now."
Artemis cut him off; she already knew everything, so there was no need for him to explain.
"She is my other half. I know her circumstances intimately."
Their connection was now inseparable—no amount of tearing could undo it.
Artemis knew her own state back then. Without Bell stabilizing the fusion between her and her other half, she would have died completely, not revived until tens of thousands of years later.
But after returning to the Tenkai, did she still have the qualification to descend again?
Before, she had only guessed. Now she was certain: this world did not have tens of thousands of years left.
"I know everything about her. And I know why you turned her down."
Her cheeks flushed as she said it.
Her other half could only take the next step if Artemis herself fell for Bell first.
Once, she would have dismissed that as nonsense.
She had even been relieved that Bell—Hestia's child—always behaved himself.
But after watching her other half and Bell grow closer… watching the goddesses in Bell's home grow fond of him one by one… her heart stirred too.
Day after day, she witnessed the love story between Bell and her other half.
Bell remained proper, yet his words no longer carried rejection. He had begun accepting the other half.
That left only her.
Every time she realized it, Artemis retreated into her shell.
Yes, it might have been easier not to know anything.
Yet she still couldn't stop hoping for Bell.
Because she could feel her other half's overflowing love—and while watching from the shadows, Bell stirred ripples within her too.
'I… am a terrible goddess.'
"When I established my Familia, I forbade my children from falling in love."
"They obeyed me. Even to the moment they died."
Another part of her stubbornness came from guilt for those children.
Bell could hear the sadness in Artemis's voice.
He stepped forward and took her hand. The boldness of the gesture made Artemis bite her lip faintly.
"You lived on in their place. You didn't die with them."
"They were devoted, Artemis. And so are you."
"When facing terrifying monsters, even you couldn't guarantee your own safety. You risked everything."
"You don't need to feel guilty."
Bell drew in a breath, closing the distance between them.
"Goddess Artemis, if you don't mind… allow me to be the one to protect you from now on."
Of course Artemis understood what that meant.
Her heartbeat jumped several levels at once.
Suppressing the urge to accept immediately, Artemis turned her head away.
"You… you're Hestia's child."
Bell knew this better than anyone. But he also knew that with Artemis, he had to be the one to step forward.
"I said before—I won't abandon any of you."
"This is my greed. I want to take your lives for myself."
Artemis knew she could no longer run.
"Hestia will be angry."
"Mm."
"Hestia will be very angry!"
"I know."
Bell looked straight into her eyes.
"So… what do you want?"
She could no longer avoid the sincerity in his gaze.
"…When we go back… I'll have to apologize to Hestia."
...
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