The next day.
Although she hadn't slept for seven days, Alice didn't laze in bed until the sun was high in the sky.
A sound soul dwells within a sound body and a sound mind.
Whether it was her body, her mind, or even her soul, Alice was thoroughly sound—so today, she was as spirited as ever.
In fact, precisely because she hadn't slept properly in a week, Alice felt even more energetic than usual.
She opened the window, and the early morning breeze drifted into the room.
Out here, practically in the countryside, the breeze carried the scent of earth and fresh grass.
Still in her pajamas, Alice stood by the window, rested her hands on the sill, gazed out at the sky, and took a deep breath.
Haaaaaa—
Phew…
"So refreshing," she murmured, a sweet smile gracing her lips. "It's been a while since I've felt this invigorated."
Shanghai and Hourai flew out from behind her just then, carrying her day's outfit in their arms.
"Ara, thank you, you two." Alice spread her arms, and Shanghai and Hourai swiftly dressed her in her gown.
Around this time, the dolls at home should already have started preparing breakfast. And unless something came up, Hestia would be dropping by to mooch a meal.
Once dressed and ready, Alice headed downstairs to eat, after which she planned to take Lili and Hestia to the Soma Familia to handle the transfer.
When Alice stepped into the dining room, she found Hestia already seated at the table with practiced ease, waiting for the dolls to serve the food. Lili, however, was nowhere to be seen—maybe still asleep, though that seemed unlikely. After all, Lili usually woke up even earlier than Alice herself.
"Hestia, you're here early," Alice greeted as she took her own seat at the table. "Where's Bell and the two new members of your Familia?"
"Ahh~ Bell, Daphne, and Cassandra have already headed for the Dungeon. After what happened with Apollo—my being kidnapped and all—Bell's been putting a lot of pressure on himself. So he's working extra hard now."
Just talking about Bell made Hestia's face light up with bliss.
"Mou~ He's really going all out for my sake."
Seeing Hestia's expression, Alice gave a knowing smile. "Hestia, want to hear about your stories from other worlds?"
"Other worlds?" Hestia instantly perked up, looking at Alice with wide, curious eyes. "Tell me, tell me! What was I like in another world?"
"The Hestia of another world, huh…" Alice pretended to ponder.
Hestia watched her eagerly.
With a slight smile, Alice began, "In that other world, you didn't have many stories, you know. Compared to someone like Apollo, your tales were pretty scarce. But that Hestia was also a virgin goddess."
Here, Alice tilted her head curiously at Hestia. "Hephaestus mentioned you were quite the homebody in Heaven, and even after coming to the lower world, you holed up at her place for three whole months until she finally kicked you out."
"Uh…"
Hestia's face fell at the reminder. "Do we have to bring up such old history? Nowadays, the Hestia Familia has carved out its own place in Orario, you know."
"And isn't that thanks to me? Without Daphne and Cassandra, you definitely wouldn't have the money to come mooch meals," Alice shot back, rolling her eyes.
"Hehe…" Hestia chuckled sheepishly. "But still, the otherworldly me really doesn't have many stories? That's a bit disappointing."
Tales of other worlds…
Hestia had seen Apollo's story too. Setting everything else aside, its ending was a classic tragedy—and tragedies, for mortals, often leave a deeper impression. Hestia was sure Apollo's name was well-known in that other world.
If she herself had few stories, she probably wasn't famous over there either.
Not that Hestia cared much for fame, but she didn't want to be forgotten. Being remembered by more people would certainly be wonderful.
"Disappointed?" Alice smiled faintly. "Maybe it's because you're too much of a shut-in, which is why there aren't many stories about you."
"If you could change that a little, it might help. Your current personality, for instance, is quite nice."
"My current personality, huh." Hestia shook her head helplessly. "Gods don't change. Who I am now isn't really different from how I was in Heaven. It's just that now… I have someone I want to take care of. Speaking of which, Alice, is there anyone you want to take care of?"
"Someone I want to take care of?" Alice raised an eyebrow. "No one in particular, no."
"Really? Well, I recommend you find someone, Alice-chan. When you have a person like that, it feels like… everything changes."
Suddenly, Hestia's eyes sparkled. "Hey, what about Lili? She may look young, but as a Pallum, her figure is actually quite good among her kind!"
"Lili, huh." Alice looked up thoughtfully, then shook her head. "Let's not go there. But speaking of Lili—"
"Hestia, come with me to the Soma Familia today," Alice said, meeting her gaze.
"The Soma Familia? Is this about the… books?" Hestia asked, puzzled.
"No, I'm not getting involved with the books anymore. But Lili's situation needs resolving. You know she's part of the Soma Familia, and she doesn't want to stay. I asked her yesterday, and…"
"Between the Loki Familia and the Hestia Familia, she chose you."
"So today, I'm taking her to complete the transfer."
Just then, the dolls flew over with breakfast.
Alice's meal was simple as usual: bread, milk, an egg, and some bacon—nothing more, and not much of any of it.
Hestia's portion included half a baguette (Alice only had a single slice), plus the same egg, bacon, and milk.
But when the food arrived, Hestia didn't dig in. Instead, she sat there, completely stunned by what Alice had said.
"That Lili actually chose my Familia? That… doesn't seem possible at all." Recalling how Lili always scowled at her when she came to freeload, Hestia found it hard to believe.
"It's true," Alice said, eating her breakfast slowly. "You can ask her yourself when she wakes up. Anyway, just come with me to the Soma Familia later."
"I suppose so." Hestia broke off a piece of her baguette. "Now that you mention it, Lili is up late today. Usually by this time, she's already eating with me."
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