This was somewhat unexpected.
...
"Miss Elf?"
"Why are you here too?"
"!!!"
At this inquiry, Ryu, who was at the door, suddenly stiffened.
Like a small animal playing dead suddenly poked by a hunter.
Her already flushed face turned a shade redder, almost to the point of steaming.
She had been discovered.
She was still discovered after all.
Ryu's heart was practically crumbling at this moment.
She had originally intended to take advantage of Hestia drawing the fire to quietly put the things down and then slip away.
Who would have known it would turn out like this.
Not only could she not leave, but she also had to face this... this...
"That..."
Ryu's voice trembled violently.
If one didn't listen carefully, it would even be drowned out by the chirping of insects outside the window.
"I..."
"It's... it's because Lady Hestia ordered too many things..."
"She couldn't carry them all by herself..."
"So..."
Ryu struggled to lift her head, her gaze drifting aimlessly, simply not daring to meet Heimer's eyes.
"So Mama Mia asked me... let me come over to help deliver them..."
"That's, that's how it is..."
By the end.
Ryu's speaking speed grew faster and faster, as if she wanted to spit these words out in one breath to end this suffocating embarrassment.
After finishing.
Ryu immediately lowered her head again, wishing she could bury her entire face into the stack of grilled meat boxes in her arms.
Heaven knows how she made it through this journey.
After all, just a moment ago.
In the pub.
She had just cleared up the misunderstanding from Syr...
At the thought of her mistaking this god for a bad person, tracking him, monitoring him, and even challenging him.
Only to be rubbed into the ground by him with one hand.
And being forced to sign that shameful indentured contract to come here as a maid.
Thinking back on it now.
She was simply a buffoon.
Self-righteous justice, self-indulgent protection.
It turned out the other party had no ill will at all, and even the situation with Syr was her own mistake.
Oh my god.
If only she could do it over!
Ryu swore she would definitely go back to a few days ago and break her own legs that had acted on their own!
It was truly too embarrassing!
...
Fortunately.
Just as Ryu was about to explode from embarrassment and was even considering whether to just drop the things and flee in a panic.
Hestia, in a sense, gave her a hand.
"Yeah, Heimer!"
Hestia timely took over the conversation, leaning in close to Heimer and saying with a face seeking praise.
"You know I ordered way too many things!"
"It would be too much trouble to move them all at once."
"Luckily, Miss Syr from The Hostess of Fertility, who often takes leaves of absence, finally came to work today. Mama Mia saw I couldn't carry it all, so she let Miss Elf help me bring them over!"
"What a good child!"
"She didn't say a word the whole way, just silently carrying such heavy things for me! No matter what I said to her, she just nodded!"
"She really was a huge help!"
"Don't you think so? Heimer!"
"..."
After hearing Hestia's explanation, Heimer understood the gist of it.
It seemed.
The misunderstanding regarding Syr had finally been resolved because of Syr's appearance.
And then.
Given Ryu's personality—awkward but essentially extremely serious, incredibly stubborn, and even possessing a kind of mental fastidiousness unique to elves.
After discovering she had made a huge blunder and wronged a good person.
That sense of shame was more painful than killing her.
This was why she suddenly didn't even dare to look at him now.
She probably truly felt she had no face to see him.
Such an elf, with her quills standing up like a hedgehog.
Suddenly letting down that layer of hard defense and revealing her soft belly.
It was unexpectedly cute.
Heimer thought for a moment and decided not to poke through this thin veil.
Gods are always forgiving.
Especially toward such clumsily cute children.
...
"In that case, it was really hard work for Miss Elf to make the trip."
"Put the things down first."
"Holding them all the time is heavy; your arms will get very sore."
"Yes."
Hearing those words.
Ryu nodded slightly. Although she still didn't dare to look directly at Heimer, she finally wasn't quite like a startled bird anymore.
Then she cautiously walked to the coffee table.
She put down the food boxes in her arms one by one.
After putting them down.
Ryu took a few steps back.
She quickly retreated to an inconspicuous corner of the living room, trying to minimize her presence as much as possible.
With her hands folded in front of her and her head lowered, her posture really was like a respectful shop clerk ready to leave after making a delivery.
"Since the items have been delivered..."
Ryu took a deep breath, gathering her courage to speak and take her leave.
After all.
She now only wanted to quickly leave this place filled with Heimer's scent and return to that pub which, though noisy, made her feel safe.
Because as long as she left this place even a little.
That suffocating sense of shame should be slightly alleviated.
However.
Just as Ryu turned around, prepared to leave.
Heimer suddenly gestured toward the table full of food, then turned to look at the girls and winked.
The meaning was obvious!
The girls understood instantly.
"Speaking of which, since Miss Elf is already here, why don't you sit down and eat with us? What's the rush?"
"Yeah, there's so much food, Miss Elf!"
"Why not stay and eat together!"
Rin, Kikakujuo Mary, and the others also responded one after another, greeting her warmly.
Ryu was a bit dazed.
She opened her mouth, wanting to refuse.
After all, as a well-bred elf, rashly joining another Familia's dinner gathering was a very impolite act.
And... in her current state of mind, how could she eat!
But looking at those pairs of sincere eyes, the words of refusal Ryu had prepared in her heart simply wouldn't come out.
After all.
Aside from that excessively strong sense of justice.
Her current self was no longer very good at refusing the kindness of these girls.
"I... I..."
Ryu subconsciously glanced at Heimer.
Heimer even gave her a slight nod, his gaze seemingly saying: "Stay."
"Pardon the intrusion..."
At this point, Ryu had no choice but to yield.
Surrounded by everyone, she was pulled to sit down next to Hanasaka Warabi.
She was so stiff that she didn't know where to put her hands or feet, her back held perfectly straight.
She only dared to sit on the very edge of the chair.
"???"
Seeing this, although Hestia didn't understand the situation or why everyone was so warm toward a shop clerk, she didn't mind.
After all, gods have a high level of tolerance for mortals, especially one who had been a great help to her.
Thus.
Hestia unceremoniously plopped down in the seat next to Heimer.
"Come on, come on! Let's eat, let's eat!"
"I'm starving to death!"
"To buy all this, I didn't even eat lunch! My stomach has been growling for ages!"
With that said.
Hestia reached out and grabbed the largest piece of roasted meat on the bone, completely disregarding her image as a goddess, and took a massive bite with her mouth wide open.
"Awoo—"
"Mnum mnum..."
"Delicious! It's so delicious!"
Hestia hummed happily while chewing on the juicy meat, her eyes narrowing into slits of pure bliss.
"As expected of Mama Mia's cooking!"
"The heat! The sauce! The texture! This is practically a crime!"
Looking at the sauce smeared on the corner of Hestia's mouth, Heimer was somewhat speechless. He picked up a tissue and decisively reached over to wipe the grease from her face.
"Eat slower, no one is going to steal it from you."
Heimer muttered a quiet complaint.
"No way!"
Hestia immediately retorted righteously, her mouth still stuffed with meat.
"I'm not rushing to eat! This is taste-testing, don't you understand!"
"How would I know if it's good if I don't taste it!"
"I'm doing this to quality-check for everyone!"
She certainly had a whole string of such fallacious arguments ready to go.
At this point.
Heimer was completely speechless and simply let Hestia eat as she pleased.
Anyway, her table manners were probably something she'd never change in this lifetime.
Seeing Hestia's boisterous eating style.
The other girls, who had been somewhat reserved, stopped being polite.
The faint sadness from their impending departure completely dissipated in this dense atmosphere of lively domesticity.
"I want this one!"
"That fried fish is mine! Don't take it! That's Kyoujin's favorite!"
"If it's Kyoujin's favorite, why is it in your mouth?!!"
"This mushroom soup is so fresh! Tsukuyo, do you want to try some?"
"Fruit wine! Pour me a glass of fruit wine!"
The living room gradually became lively.
The clinking of chopsticks, the sound of chewing, laughter, and playful bickering.
All of it intertwined into a single symphony.
Heimer watched the energetic young women and didn't rush to eat himself.
Instead, he enjoyed the atmosphere of the moment.
This was what life was all about.
Meanwhile.
Ryu was sitting in a corner.
She held a piece of roasted meat that Hanasaka Warabi had forced upon her, taking small, dainty bites.
Her movements were refined and elegant, perfectly in line with Elven etiquette, not making even the slightest sound.
However.
Ryu's gaze would still steal glances toward the head of the table from time to time.
There.
Heimer had his head turned, listening to Hestia complain about something while she sprayed meat crumbs, a trace of helplessness on his face as he handed her a glass of water.
That naturally flowing gentleness.
It made Ryu daze off slightly as she watched.
After all, she had once thought.
That this god named Heimer would be an extremely dangerous deity.
An ambitious man who had ill intentions toward Syr or some other hidden agenda.
After all, a god who could make even the Ganesha Familia so wary didn't seem like a good person at all.
But looking at it now...
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