Night of the Sixth Day.
In a secluded inn in the city of Paphos on the island of Cyprus.
Artemis, with her silver hair and blue eyes, leaned against the window, one hand propping up her cheek, occasionally glancing outside through the partially open shutters, her expression tinged with a hint of longing.
As the waning moon slowly climbed higher in the night sky, the restlessness in her eyes grew more pronounced.
Normally, he would have returned by now.
Why was he so late this time?
Unable to sit still any longer, the huntress goddess stood up from her chair and began pacing back and forth in the room, her brows gradually furrowing.
Finally, after dozens of restless laps, the impatient Artemis could no longer contain herself as she turned and rushed toward the closed door.
Just as she reached out to grab the handle, the door creaked open with a soft "squeak."
And a figure, blending seamlessly with the darkness of the night, slipped through the gap and nearly collided with Artemis, who was about to charge out.
But as the flickering lamplight illuminated a familiar face, the anxiety and gloom on the huntress goddess's face vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of relief as her racing heart settled.
"You're back?"
Artemis hurried forward, her movements and tone betraying an unmistakable joy.
Lorne nodded, closing the door behind him, then carefully checked the seals on the doors and windows, cast several defensive and concealment spells before speaking in a low, steady voice.
"This time, I got too close and was noticed by a few nymphs.
Luckily, I reacted quickly and used the method you taught me to mask my scent and divine aura. I shook them off and took a longer route back."
As he spoke, he handed over his cloak.
The huntress goddess took it naturally, inspecting it thoroughly to ensure no residual tracking scents or magical marks lingered on the newly changed garment.
Satisfied, she hung it on the rack.
After completing this routine with practiced ease, Artemis pulled Lorne under the lamplight by the table, studying him closely.
"Are you alright?"
"Don't worry, escaping is my specialty."
Lorne flashed a confident smile before activating a magical array.
He then pulled out a lotus leaf package, placed it on the table, and unwrapped it, revealing steaming hot contents.
"You haven't eaten, have you? I passed by a butcher shop on the way, and their lamb chops were pretty good, so I grabbed some for you."
With that, he pushed the opened package toward Artemis.
The huntress goddess glanced at the steaming lamb chops, then at the face faintly smiling under the lamplight.
She pursed her lips, sat quietly by the window, and began to dig into her meal.
The rich juices and savory aroma of the meat burst between her lips, bringing an intense sense of satisfaction.
This meal, somehow, tasted better than anything she'd ever eaten.
"Slow down. If you like the flavor, I'll bring more next time,"
Lorne said with a wry smile, watching the huntress goddess devour her food with less-than-elegant manners.
"No need. I was just starving after waiting for you all day,"
Artemis shot back, rolling her eyes at Lorne as she swallowed the last piece of meat.
Her expression turned serious.
"Alright, let's get to business."
Lorne nodded, pulling a stool over and sitting beside her as he retrieved several sheets of parchment and papyrus covered in writing from the magical array, spreading them out on the table.
Lowering his voice, he began recounting his discoveries from three days of tracking Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
First, he couldn't help but marvel: that great-grandmother of his was truly the goddess of lust.
Day after day, she would sleep with countless gods and demigods, yet her appetite remained insatiable, lustful as a wolf and relentless as a tiger.
Even after draining so many lovers dry, she still had the energy to seduce new targets.
Her ferocious stamina and endurance left Lorne, who had been tailing her, utterly stunned and reluctantly impressed.
Over the three days of investigation, he discovered that her latest conquest was none other than Adonis, the prince of Cyprus.
Speaking of this prince, his origins were equally bizarre.
It was said that King Theias of Cyprus had a daughter named Myrrha, a woman of unparalleled beauty who remained unmarried.
The reason?
She had fallen in love with her own father, a strikingly handsome man.
As the years passed, Myrrha found it increasingly difficult to suppress the burning passion within her.
One night, inspired by the goddess of love, she disguised herself as a servant, extinguished the lamps, and secretly rendezvoused with her father.
But secrets cannot stay hidden forever.
After several incestuous trysts, Myrrha became pregnant, her body growing noticeably fuller until her father discovered the truth.
When the king of Cyprus realized that his lover was his own daughter, shame and rage drove him to attempt to kill his wayward child.
Terrified, Myrrha fled to protect her unborn child and her own life. When she had nowhere left to turn, she sought help from Aphrodite, who transformed her into a myrrh tree.
Within that tree, her child continued to grow, eventually born as the tree's bark split open.
This child, born of sin, was Prince Adonis.
Perhaps inheriting the exceptional genes of both his father and mother, Adonis was breathtakingly beautiful from birth.
By adulthood, those features became as exquisite and delicate as a flower, outshining all else in the world.
His beauty even caught the eye of Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love and beauty.
To get close to and win over this beautiful youth, Aphrodite learned of his passion for hunting.
She quietly left Mount Olympus, descended to the forests of Cyprus, and disguised herself as a huntress, spending her days by his side, accompanying him through mountains and valleys.
It was likely her deep infatuation with Adonis that led the mighty goddess of love to follow hunting dogs, cheering and leaping as she chased harmless animals, all to win the heart of that prince.
In the end, her efforts paid off.
With her beauty and charm, Aphrodite completely won over the beautiful youth of Cyprus, and they spent a blissful time together in the forests.
After that, Aphrodite didn't treat Adonis like her other lovers, whom she fucked and discarded.
Instead, she made time to visit Cyprus, rendezvousing with her beloved.
To ensure she could stay by his side forever, the goddess of beauty even went so far as to secure for him the divine authority of the springtime god of vegetation, elevating this demigod to a deity with eternal youth.
Such extraordinary efforts clearly showed the goddess of love's devotion and affection for her lover.
"Tch, she's even willing to hand over divine authority for free.
Looks like she's truly smitten. No wonder she lingers on Cyprus every time she goes out, she's been sneaking off to have her little affair here,"
Artemis, who had been listening quietly, suddenly realized.
A playful glint flickered in her blue eyes as she shook her head with a sigh.
"Who would've thought that promiscuous woman could have a pure side? But poor Ares and Hephaestus, fighting tooth and nail over her, only to end up like two useless, barking dogs."
Lorne nodded in understanding at Artemis's gloating.
After all, she had never gotten along well with Hera's family and relished seeing them humiliated.
But then, the huntress goddess paused, looking at Lorne with confusion.
"By the way, even if we know these little secrets, how does that help with what we're planning to do next?"
Lorne gave a faint smile, gazing meaningfully out the window toward the island of Cyprus.
"Of course it's useful. Don't you think that prince is the perfect breakthrough?"
(End of Chapter)