He supposed this was the part where he should make a joke about the situation. But his mind was blank from the pain which still throbbed against his chest, and the Hydro Archon sprawled on top of him.
And frankly, it was the first time he'd ever had a woman on top of him, let alone a goddess capable of moving him to tears. As for how it felt, there was only one word to describe: wonderful.
Now, don't get the wrong idea. He wasn't some pervert who enjoyed the touch of the opposite sex. In truth, he had never been romantically or sexually interested in anyone, male or female.
Most of that had to do with his nature as a god. But after the events that left him in a weakened state and with another soul intertwined with his, he'd begun experiencing emotions of that of an ordinary human.
But be that as it may, he had to push those thoughts aside and focus on taking advantage of this unexpected fateful encounter.
On top of him, the goddess shifted with a soft groan, her delicate hands pressing against his chest. Her white-blue hair brushed against his fingers, smooth and weightless, like strands of silk carried by the wind.
Then slowly, she opened her droplet-blue eyes, expecting to see the floor, only to find herself staring into a pair of emerald eyes that shimmered like polished gems.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved, their gazes locked in silence before Furina's face flushed a deep red in embarrassment.
"Oh, my goodness!" she stammered, her heart racing as she hastily scrambled off him.
Furina's mind was a whirlwind. She had just done something straight out of the romance novels, where the female lead accidentally crashes into a tall, handsome stranger. All because she'd been trying to escape those relentless Steambird journalists.
Silvando pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the lingering ache fade beneath his palm. He let out a quiet sigh of relief before pushing himself to his feet and brushing the dust from his coat.
"My apologies, I didn't see you there. Are you hurt in any way?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
"I'm quite alright. As you can see," he said with a faint smile. "But it's you I'm more worried about. Are you alright?" As he spoke, he subtly reached out with his senses, trying to feel for her Gnosis—but there was nothing. No divine signature, only a strange, unfamiliar aura radiating from her.
Hmm… how strange. Had using his ability dulled his senses? He wondered briefly but dismissed the thought. What mattered was that the Gnosis wasn't on her, which meant plan B was in order.
"Oh, of course I'm alright! I'm the God of Justice, such a small fall wouldn't hurt me in the slightest!" she declared dramatically.
Silvando tilted his head, watching her with mild amusement as she bent down to pick up her blue hat. Placing it firmly atop her head, her lips curved into a graceful smile.
"Oh, right! What's your name? So I can properly compensate you for… well, running into you. Ahem, anyway…"
"You may call me Fenn," he said smoothly, bowing with a graceful tip of his hat as he retrieved his cane from the ground. "And there's no need for compensation."
"Oh, but I must insist, Mr. Fenn!" Furina declared, puffing out her chest with pride. But when she noticed the curious stares from the surrounding customers, her confidence faltered, and her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
Silvando noticed her flustered reaction but said nothing, watching as she straightened her posture and regained her composure. Planting her hands on her hips with renewed confidence, she declared, "I will not take no for an answer."
Perhaps getting close to the Archon would be easier than he thought. "Then how about some tea while we discuss the theater?" he offered with a charming smile. "I've done my fair share of acting in the past, after all."
"You? An actor?" she asked, raising a brow, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"Oh, just small performances back in Snezhnaya," he replied with a light chuckle. "Nothing grand. These days, I'm just a humble toy maker. But if the opportunity ever arose, I wouldn't mind stepping onto the stage once more."
"Then I'll gladly compensate you with a tea," she said with a bright smile before walking past him. "Oh, and I'm sure my personal guard will be able to find you—'Fenn the toy maker,' was it? That should make things much easier. Farewell for now!"
Silvando walked down the street, lost in thought, reflecting on how seeing Furina's eyes up close was nothing like watching them from the stage.
On the other hand, the meeting had gone surprisingly smoothly, sparing him the trouble of orchestrating a "chance" encounter—fate had handled that part for him.
Yet something else gnawed at him. He hadn't sensed anything overtly divine about her, only a strange aura that felt familiar but eluded his memory.
He stopped in his tracks and realized, where the hell was Stolas? He glanced around for the little owl, but seeing him nowhere in sight, he shrugged. Probably out hunting, since their dinner had been cut short.
…
Upon arriving at her favorite spot, Furina spotted a cute little bird pecking at the soup left on the table. She bit her lip, trying to keep her composure, but couldn't resist dashing toward the tiny creature.
The white owl looked up as she approached, let out a soft hoot, and then went back to eating.
"Wait…" she murmured, Fenn had a cane with an owl, didn't he? But the little creature was so adorable she couldn't resist. Without thinking, she scooped it up and hugged it, nuzzling her face against its soft feathers.
Hoot hoot.
Who is this strange girl, and why is she hugging me? Stolas wondered, watching her closely. Yet beneath it all, he sensed something within her—a quiet, aching loneliness, a sadness that had gone unnoticed for too long. He hooted softly, deciding she shall be blessed with many good dreams.
"Oh my, you're such a cutie! I've never seen an owl with such beautiful feathers. Tell me, is that handsome gentleman your owner? If so, I'll be sure to send you his way."
"Owner? Stolas belongs to no one!" he hooted indignantly.
She simply nodded, taking his protest as an affirmative.