(Hestia POV – Church Basement Room, Morning)
"Mmmnng…" A soft groan slips from my lips as I blink awake, a gentle warmth clinging to me like a blanket. I feel refreshed. The kind you only feel after an amazing nap.
I expect the familiar ceiling of the Hearth of Threads.
But instead—
"…Hm?" I blink again, seeing a familiar, but different ceiling.
'I'm… home?'
Before I can fully process that, something tightens around me, and as I look to my side, I see Riven's arms are wrapping around me.
His embrace is warm and secure, like he's decided that I'm not allowed to escape. And somehow, at some point, I've also wrapped myself around him too, my arms wrapped around his torso.
"…Eh?!" I freeze, my face heats up instantly.
I wiggle a little, trying to slip free, but his grip only tightens, pulling me closer instead. My chest presses against his, and his soft breathing brushing my hair.
"…This is unfair." I mutter under my breath, and after a few seconds, I stop struggling.
Honestly… it's very comfortable.
I sigh, relaxing into him instead, arms tightening just a bit as I soak in his warmth.
"Riven…" I whisper, tilting my head up to look at his face. His expression is peaceful as he sleeps. "Are you awake?"
There's no response.
I narrow my eyes.
'Oh no you don't.' I pout. 'You're not fooling me this time.'
He's done this before, pretended to sleep just to tease me later. I won't fall for it again.
Let's test that theory.
Carefully, I wriggle one hand free and poke his cheek a few times.
No response.
"Hmm…" I narrow my eyes.
I pinch it lightly this time.
Still nothing.
But my confidence grows.
I squish his cheeks together, tugging them enough to warp his face into funny shapes, and I can't help but giggle.
"Heehee… serves you right." I whisper smugly. "This is payback."
I keep going, poking, squishing, tugging, enjoying myself far more than I should. Then, emboldened…
I shift up slightly and press a soft kiss on his lips, and still get no reaction.
'…Still pretending?' I smirk.
I give him another kiss, then another, longer kiss this time.
After all this, he still hasn't woken up.
My smile softens.
'He must really be exhausted…' A little worry sneaks into my chest, but instead of pulling away, I hug him tighter, pressing my forehead against his.
"…You work too hard." I murmur.
I settle back down, letting his arms cage me again, deciding to just wait for him to wake up properly.
But then…
Knock knock.
My brow furrows.
The sound echoes faintly from upstairs, muffled yet distinct.
Thankfully, it didn't wake Riven up.
'…Seriously?' I think angrily.
I try to wriggle free again, carefully this time, but Riven instinctively tightens his hold, trapping me completely.
"Riven, let go…" I groan softly, but he only pulls me closer.
I sigh.
'Fine. I'll ignore it.' I nestle into his hold.
A few minutes pass, then—
Knock knock.
I grit my teeth.
Then again.
Knock knock knock.
'…Why won't they just go away?!' I fume internally.
Carefully, very carefully, I pry his arms loose, easing myself out of his embrace without waking him. It takes effort, but eventually, I manage.
And once I'm free…
"Whoa." I gasp.
My eyes widen as I properly observe the room.
It's completely different, renovated for the better.
My heart beats excitedly as my excitement almost distracts me completely when…
Knock knock.
I scowl.
'…You better be gone when I get there.' I think, stepping forward.
I stomp upstairs, slightly dazzled and distracted, my eyes darting everywhere as I take in the transformed church. The floor, walls, furniture… it all feels new.
'Riven…' My chest swells with excitement and pride.
'I'll look properly later.' I tell myself, marching straight to the doors.
I yank them open and glare at whoever dared interrupt my morning.
"What do you want?" I whisper-shout, fire burning in my eyes.
(Naaza POV – Hestia Familia Church)
'Is no one home?' I stare at the wooden doors, my hand hovering just in front of them. I knock again in a controlled rhythm, and step back to wait once more.
'Still nothing.' I sigh. 'And it's already been hours.'
I arrived before sunrise, positioning myself across the street to watch, hoping to catch them as they left… but that never happened. There's been no sign of movement, and even now, with the sun creeping higher into the sky, the church remains stubbornly silent.
I exhale slowly.
'Should I come back another day?'
I barely finish the thought before dismissing it.
"…No." I murmur. "That's not an option."
The memory of Riven's calm voice and casual phrasing, as he basically threatened to bankrupt my Familia resurfaces in my mind uninvited, and my shoulders tense instinctively.
'It's been long enough already. Too long in fact. If I delay further, he might think I plan to backstab him. And if that happens…'
My fingers curl.
'I can't let him ruin the Familia because of me.'
I hate this feeling. Constantly being at someone else's mercy.
"…Do I even have a choice?" I mutter.
If it were just me, I could accept it… but I can't let it harm Miach too.
I raise my hand to knock again, when the door suddenly swings open.
I pause, relief flickering on my face for a moment before disappearing, as an angry goddess glares up at me, her blue eyes sharp and irritated.
"What do you want?" She snaps.
I look at her in confusion as I lower my hand.
"…Hello." I greet calmly. "I'm looking for Riven. Is he available?"
"No." She says flatly. "He's sleeping."
Sleeping?
At this hour?
I lift an eyebrow slightly but don't comment.
"I see…" I reply evenly. "Then please let him know I stopped by."
I turn slightly, already resigning myself to a wasted trip—
"You're… Miach's child, right?"
I pause and look back.
"Yes." I answer. "I'm Naaza."
She studies me for a moment, suspicion written plainly on her face. "Alright. I'll tell him."
She's just about to close the door when I notice something behind her.
It's Riven.
He walks closer silently, one finger raised to his lips.
'When did he appear?' I think in shock. 'I don't hear any footsteps, much less notice him before he got this close.'
As a Level 2, I should've noticed him much sooner. The realisation sends a faint chill through me.
The poor Goddess, unfortunately, doesn't notice him at all.
"Hey!" She snaps at me. "Are you even listening to—"
"AAAAH—!"
She shrieks as arms wrap around her from behind.
"Y-you're awake?!" She yelps, twisting in his hold.
"Yep." Riven answers easily, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, making her face burn crimson.
"Y-you can't do that! People are watching!" She squeaks, glancing at me nervously.
"Serves you right." He says lightly. "It's payback."
Her eyes widen.
"…You were awake?" She whispers.
"The whole time." He replies with a laugh.
"You're awful!" She blurts, torn between outrage and embarrassment.
I watch in silence.
'…I don't understand this dynamic.' I think dryly.
Nor do I particularly care.
When they finally settle, Riven's attention shifts to me. The change is subtle, but immediate. His playful edge fades, replaced by a calm and observant air.
"Hello." I say, inclining my head slightly. "It's been a while."
"Naaza." He replies, smiling. "Nice to see you again."
The Goddess quiets, remaining in his arms without protest.
'So that's how it is.' I note. 'They got together… but that's none of my business.'
"I've finished the potion." I continue, skipping pleasantries. "I came to discuss how we'll split it."
"That's great." He says, but his calm smile remains. "What do you suggest?"
Here it is.
The test.
My fingers curl slowly at my sides.
If I'm too generous, we won't make much money, making it harder to pay off our debts. And if I'm too stingy, he could crush us effortlessly, by selling a better formula to Dian Cecht.
That cannot happen.
I inhale, steadying myself.
"The Miach Familia will handle production and distribution." I say. "Miach and I have discussed it already, and propose a seventy–thirty split."
The words taste bitter as my fists tighten, nails pressing into my palms.
It's unfair.
But…
'What choice do I have?'
I lift my gaze to meet his, keeping my expression neutral.
And wait, hoping that he'll accept it.
*********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So, for this chapter, there's not much to say about Hestia's POV, but for Naaza's... She's kinda hard to write. She's inherently like this in my opinion, just that Bell is a pushover, so she can mess around with him. Riven... Yeah, I'd be scared of him too.
Hopefully I didn't overdo it. I don't want to seem like I'm glazing him, since he technically did do a veiled threat before, and showed he could back it up. So her worries are justified. Although... I do wonder if I should tone it down. Anyway, the slice of life will mostly end for a while after this as he goes back to the dungeon.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
Beyond that, I don't have much to say, so I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day/night 😁