"Artoria, how did things go with that prince from outer space last time?"
After returning to her daily routine, life was no longer peaceful. In the morning, she received a call from Director Egg, Nick, asking when she got back and how her health was. Artoria couldn't help but roll her eyes. This guy probably wanted nothing more than for her to marry Thor so the prince would stay on Earth and add to the planet's defensive strength. That old man was quite wicked. Artoria stated she was fine and had just gone to Asgard for a trip. This left Nick very disappointed. After a few more caring inquiries, he asked if she knew how Thor's injuries had happened.
With a pleasant mood, Artoria told Nick she knew nothing about it and had gone home to rest long ago. Unable to get anything out of her, Nick had no choice but to hang up. Then, looking at Thor, who was lying in the treatment room, black and blue and still unconscious, he sighed deeply, hoping this wouldn't cause a diplomatic issue with Asgard.
"I'm fine, Brother. How could I like a blockhead like that? I just went to Asgard for a visit. Sorry for not notifying you and forgetting to bring you a gift."
Not long after Nick's call ended, Tony, who had already vented his anger, called Artoria. He spoke to her cautiously; he really didn't want his sister to fall for a guy like that. Furthermore, that guy already had a girlfriend named Jane, so he didn't want his sister caught in a love triangle. Artoria's words allowed the heavy stone in Tony's heart to drop. It seemed his sister was still his well-behaved sister and didn't hang out with such brutes. This was good news for Tony.
But then he remembered that in a fit of rage, he had pummeled the guy. Should he go and apologize? The sin of taking his sister away still existed, so an apology was out of the question. Hmph! He'd just help him out next time to make up for it, but an apology was absolutely impossible.
"Your safety is the best gift for me. Next time you go on a long trip, let me know."
Tony, feeling much more at ease, spoke with an even gentler voice. He smiled as he spoke to his sister over the phone, his joy spreading from his tone to Artoria's ears. Artoria knew he was concerned, but her brother was really overdoing it. Artoria enjoyed this concern between family members; even if they didn't contact each other for a long time, the connection in their blood could not be broken. Artoria loved her family very, very much, and Tony loved his family very, very much as well. Sometimes the two didn't need to speak; they could feel each other's care from a look, a movement, or a small joke.
"I will, Brother. Take care of yourself and don't drink so much alcohol."
Her heart feeling warm, Artoria urged her brother, hoping he would treat his body well. Although there were many unscientific medical treatments in this world, having a healthy body was the bottom line. Tony didn't find Artoria's caring words nagging; instead, he felt very happy. The siblings chatted for nearly an hour before hanging up. Both hung up with faint smiles; indeed, nothing in this world is warmer than the concern between family members.
"Miss Artoria, what happened to make you so happy?"
Raven walked in slowly, holding some documents. If one looked closely, they could see her hands were shaking slightly. This was originally Gwen's job, but she was responsible for it now. She wasn't complaining about the work itself, but before she came in, those bastards had pushed the task of asking about the relationship between Artoria and Thor the God of Thunder onto her. Now she was very embarrassed and conflicted. This was a landmine; whoever touched it was doomed. If Miss Artoria had nothing to do with Thor, it would be awkward for her to see Artoria after this. If there was something between them and she passed the word back to those guys, it might trigger a war. So, this task was really not a good thing.
Pushing open the door, Raven saw Artoria with a faint smile. Sunlight streamed through the window onto Artoria, draping her in what looked like a golden feather robe. Combined with her goddess-like beauty, Artoria appeared so divine that Raven, who had something on her mind, found it even harder to speak. After a quick thought, Raven opened her mouth to find a topic.
"It's nothing special, just a greeting call from my brother."
Looking at the submissive Raven, Artoria was curious. What was wrong with this usually proud woman? Why was she so soft and cute today, almost as if she were asking to be teased? While reaching out to take the documents from Raven's hand, Artoria answered her question, though the other woman seemed to have her mind elsewhere.
"Th... That, Miss Artoria."
Feeling that if she failed her task, the other women would gang up to bully her, Raven suppressed her inner discomfort and spoke to Artoria with a solemn expression.
"I know what you want to ask."
Artoria's words instantly deflated the courage Raven had just mustered. But she was even more surprised—Miss Artoria actually knew what she wanted to ask? How was this possible? Had someone already asked? If so, why did they make her go? Was she being played?
"Isn't it about my relationship with Thor?"
Quickly signing the documents, Artoria stood up quietly and slowly walked toward Raven. Feeling as if her mind had been read, Raven became even softer. She watched timidly as Artoria approached step by step, standing dazed and still. In her stupor, before she knew it, the distance between her and Artoria was only a fist's width. She could clearly smell the fragrance on Artoria's body, which sent Raven into a panic. She wanted to retreat, but found her waist held by someone. Raven's neck turned red, and the skin on her face rippled slightly.
"Do you need me to tell you the answer?"
"Do you care that much?"
Looking at the dazed Raven, Artoria's smile held a hint of dominance. She leaned down and whispered into Raven's ear, asking ambiguously. The warm breath from her mouth turned Raven's ears red. Stimulated by Artoria, Raven's entire body began to ripple, and in an instant, she transformed from a soft, cute girl back into the blue-skinned Mystique. Seeing her own change, Raven panicked. She tried to break free from Artoria's grip, but couldn't.
"Don't move. You look exactly like you did when I saw you as a child. Let me take a closer look."
Artoria wasn't surprised by Raven's transformation; her gaze remained as gentle as ever. This made Raven, who was deeply insecure, feel a sense of warmth. How long had it been? Even other Mutants felt a bit apprehensive seeing her like this. Usually, she pretended not to care and acted proud of it, but she still craved a friend's understanding and for someone to accept her true self. At this moment, she seemed to have found someone who didn't care about her appearance.
"I look... very ugly, don't I?"
This was the knot that had always been in Raven's heart. With tears in her eyes, she asked the extraordinarily beautiful Artoria. Under Artoria's brilliance, she felt admiration and longing, yet she had always felt inferior about her true form. For the first time, she revealed her heart to Artoria, and the emotions accumulated over time erupted at this moment.
"Let me see, are you really ugly?"
Artoria didn't say, like a typical harem protagonist, "This form is the most beautiful, I like you like this." Instead, a fox-like smile appeared on her face. She lowered her head and kissed Raven's lips. Raven froze. She felt completely weak, unable to muster any strength. She wanted to speak but couldn't open her mouth; she wanted to flee but was held tightly by Artoria. She couldn't break free—Artoria's strength was too great. She could only silently close her eyes and enjoy this goddess's kiss. The shadow of inferiority in her heart was melted by the warmth. At this moment, Raven was the happiest person.
However, while Raven was enjoying her happiness, the women huddled around the video feed on the other side had faces as black as iron.
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