Just as Aphrodite was secretly taking action, Alaric was still chatting idly with Medea.
As they were deeply engaged in joyful conversation, Alaric suddenly heard a familiar voice in his ear.
The voice was gentle and melodious, yet its content was somewhat baffling.
"Darling, remember to thank me when you get back, okay?"
While Alaric pondered what those words meant, he suddenly noticed that Medea in front of him was staring straight at him, her little face flushed crimson, her pale purple eyes brimming with such charm that they seemed ready to overflow with water.
"What's wrong?"
Just as Alaric was about to ask if the girl was feeling unwell, her delicate head suddenly lunged toward him, and then he felt a soft, moist sensation on his lips.
When had this Medea become so bold? Earlier, just a cheek kiss had left her blushing for ages, but now...
But soon, Alaric stopped thinking altogether, focusing instead on reciprocating with her tender, rosy lips.
He sensed that though her technique was inexperienced, this proactive awkwardness carried an intense, intoxicating emotion.
It was perfectly natural for a woman to be drawn to an exceptional man, especially one who had single-handedly forged the current magical splendor of all Greece.
A legendary mage who, wielding the power of the goddess of magic, had challenged the entire Olympian pantheon. No hero, no mage could compare to this man.
His appearance, temperament, and strength were all utterly outstanding.
Even though her master, Aunt Aphrodite, and several other goddess sisters (looking at the figures of the Medusa trio, Medea simply couldn't bring herself to call them aunts) all adored him.
Yet his strong yet considerate personality, along with the accumulated years of care he had shown her, still deeply captivated her...
After reuniting with that man following months of separation, the profound torment in her heart during their time apart and the heartfelt joy upon reunion made Medea realize immediately, she had already fallen for him.
But a girl in the throes of unspoken love is always plagued by doubts and fears.
Originally, her feelings would have taken much longer to fully express themselves.
Yet the power of the love goddess accelerated it all.
The blazing emotions erupted like a geyser, compelling her to defy her inner shyness and impatiently act on them.
However, the girl had already forgotten that they were currently in the midst of a banquet.
Everyone present witnessed it, the little princess of Colchis, the kingdom's treasure, the direct disciple of the magic goddess Hecate, was being so intimately close with one of the Argonauts right in public.
This was simply...
Simply scandalous.
Of course, out of respect for King Aeetes' face, no one dared voice such words outright.
Yet, their hearts were still stunned by the scene.
The Colchian nobles and Argonauts alike nearly forgot their own matters, watching them with varied expressions.
Some were sorrowful, some contemplative, some intrigued, some merely enjoying the spectacle.
Only two were plunged into deep fury.
One was naturally Jason.
Though after witnessing their intimacy earlier, he had already resolved to abandon any delusions about Medea in hopes of gaining Alaric's support, seeing the two so openly affectionate now stirred a fate-like intuition within him, devouring his heart with profound jealousy.
The other was, of course, Aeetes.
Alaric and Medea being close didn't mean he was close to Aeetes.
In Aeetes' view, Alaric was merely one of the Argonauts, meeting Medea for the first time.
For his daughter to fall for a stranger upon first sight, and to engage in such intimate acts publicly, and with this man being one of his enemies, Aeetes couldn't help but feel shocked, enraged, and heartbroken.
Soon, Alaric also noticed Medea's abnormal state and the setting they were in.
Thus, he forcefully separated them and gave Medea a slight mental jolt to snap her back to clarity.
Though the intense affection still lingered, Medea was no longer controlled by momentary frenzy.
She immediately realized that she had just done something utterly outrageous in front of everyone.
"...Wah, what have I done?"
Overwhelmed by embarrassment, the girl grabbed Alaric's hand without a care and bolted outside.
Soon, the two figures vanished from the hall.
...
While the girl was mortified by her impulsiveness, Aphrodite found herself embroiled in a dispute.
"Aphrodite, what on earth are you doing?" Through the secret means of communicating with the Olympian gods, Zeus's furious roar echoed in her ear.
"Didn't we say to make Medea fall for Jason? Why did you make her fall for someone else? Are you defying my authority as god-king?"
"You want me to make a woman abandon the man she truly loves and shift her affections to another?"
Facing Zeus's outburst, Aphrodite retorted with equal fervor. "Are you insulting my divine domain as the goddess of love?"
Her words were so vehement, as if she hadn't just been playing a little trick, but truly believed herself righteous.
Perhaps it was the impression left by her past insistence as the love goddess on the sanctity of love and chastity among the Olympians that took effect.
Zeus recalled this love goddess's attitude toward romance, soft on the outside but unyielding within, willing to stand up to anyone for her views on love.
Thus, his tone softened instead, refraining from posturing and instead reasoning with Aphrodite.
"I'm asking you to do this for the sake of Olympus's status!" Zeus pleaded earnestly.
"As long as Medea falls for Jason, the Argonauts' mission can succeed, and the relationship between the magic gods and those remnants of the old dynasty will suffer a heavy blow.
At a time like this, you should prioritize the bigger picture."
He actually believed my words just like that?
With that intellect, you think you can scheme against the magic gods? You're dreaming.
Aphrodite inwardly mocked Zeus, but her words remained unyielding.
"Haven't I prioritized the bigger picture? That man is one of the Argonauts too, what's wrong with making Medea fall for him? He's on Jason's side anyway.
These two already harbored mutual feelings in their hearts.
By choosing to make Medea fall for him, I've upheld my principles while ensuring she helps the Argonauts, isn't that the best of both worlds?"
"It had better be!"
Zeus snorted coldly.
At this point, he realized he couldn't sway Aphrodite at all.
This goddess of love and beauty's stubbornness on matters of romance left him powerless. Fortunately, the current situation was still acceptable.
Thus, he severed the connection.
On her end, as Aphrodite reflected, she couldn't help but admire Alaric's foresight time and again.
If he hadn't infiltrated the Argonauts ahead of time, her double-agent identity might have been exposed this time.