Episode 8

Sweat beaded on her forehead from all the activity. Only after brushing her damp hair away from her face did Hestia exhale.

 

“Phew, one more mouth is a lot of work. Now let’s get you cleaned up.”

 

She quickly stripped off her sweaty clothes and waded into the stream.

 

Even though it was nearing summer, the water was still bitterly cold in the deep forest.

 

But Hestia loved the painful sensation that awakened every sense in her body.

 

It was like the only proof she needed. Proof that she was still a human being, just like everyone else.

 

Fondant.

 

Hestia lowered herself into the water, submerged up to the tips of her hair.

 

If only my breath could be completely taken away if only I could fall asleep forever. When she came up out of the water again……. If only I could return to my world.

 

It was a scenario I’d played out tens of thousands of times already.

 

Pooh!

 

Breaking the surface, Hestia raked her wet hair out of her eyes and stared at the moon, which was still floating in the sky.

 

She wasn’t angry anymore.

 

There had been many times in her centuries of existence when she had cried and begged until she collapsed from exhaustion.

 

But now he knew. Gods don’t grant the prayers of the desperate.

 

And that he was just a very, very unlucky man who had fallen victim to one of the gods’ malicious pranks.

 

Hestia emerged from the water, her fingertips numb and her face pale.

 

Her once-black hair was now a transparent golden brown, soaked through with water.

 

Her white naked body, reflected in the glistening stream, was mysterious.

 

Hestia dried herself in the summer breeze and pulled on the clothes she had brought from the basket. Then she took out a small vial and began to apply it to every inch of her hair.

 

Her moon-brown locks began to turn black again.

 

“Is this the last one? After all these years, this dye hasn’t improved. How do I have to reapply this every time I wash.”

 

Hestia leaned wearily against a large rock and stared blankly at the waning moon reflected in the stream.

 

“.…..I’m tired of it.”

 

Hestia closed her eyes, the words sounding like an all-too-familiar habit.

 

As the night breeze dried her hair, something warm and fluffy wrapped around her body.

 

The warmth made her smile, and she gently stroked the fur that wrapped around her.

 

“You’re the only one, Lou. Can you take me home later?”

 

Lu licked Hestia’s hand in response.

 

“I‘m very tired today, but you did a lot of pretty things, so I’ll give you a reward.”

 

At Hestia’s words, Roo’s head snapped up, her hazel eyes sparkled, her tail wagged, and she stopped abruptly as if realizing something.

 

“No, I can handle it, I don’t want you to suffer.

 

Lou groaned, her head resting on Hestia’s lap, her eyes closed.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

 

Lou’s ears perked up at Hestia’s laughing question, and she twitched.

 

“.…..Sister Finn says that to be a good spirit, you have to know how to be patient.

 

Her voice was weak, but her eyes were still tightly closed.

 

“I told you, you’ve done some things wrong, but you’ve also done some things praiseworthy, so this is my reward.”

 

It had been a mistake to intervene in the life and death of a human being, to almost show himself, but if he had remained silent, it was certain that Theo, a mere child, would have died.

 

It was a difficult thing to do with a whip pointed in one direction.

 

“Are you sure…… I can take that prize?

 

Lou cautiously opened his closed eyes and lifted his head to look at Hestia.

 

His tail wagged happily from side to side, a clear indication of his mood.

 

Hestia smirked in response and placed her hand steadily on Lu’s head.

 

Between Hestia’s hand and Roo’s head, which were touching at that moment,

 

Paaaaat-.

 

A brilliant light, like the light of a transparent sun, emanated from it, enveloping Lu’s entire body and disappearing in an instant.

 

It was a resonance with the spirits from that day. Finn had called it “life force. Of course, it didn’t work on all animals or spirits.

 

It was because they had made a ‘contract‘ to resonate with him.

 

And it allowed for mental communication with them.

 

But to the best of her recollection, Hestia did not remember making a ‘contract‘ to resonate with them.

 

No matter how many times she asked Finn, Elle, or Lu, they all remained tight-lipped, as if embarrassed.

 

“I think I can take her anywhere she wants to go!

 

Lou sat up and wrapped her arms around Hestia, wiggling her ass and licking all over her arms.

 

It was the spot where she’d picked up a bug on the way here.

 

“.…...”

 

Hestia smiled bitterly at her clean, already healing arm.

 

Then she stared blankly at her ankle, exposed in the moonlight.

 

She’d gotten a small wound there once when she’d been in battle with Linus.

 

Hestia hadn’t realized it then.

 

[Linus and Elinor lived happily ever after, sworn to eternal love, blessed by the gods].

 

What kind of epilogue the ending of a poorly written novel would bring her?

 

Alas. Does she even have an ending?

 

Hestia let out a thin, self-deprecating laugh and gently stroked Lu’s hair as he looked up at her, his eyes shining.

 

“In an hour or so, the herbs will be completely dry, and then we can go back.”

 

Hestia muttered, still leaning back against the tree.

 

“I‘ll have to go to town tomorrow, I’m out of hair dye. I’ll have to be more careful with Theo.”

 

Lu lay down beside her, curling her tail around Hestia to keep her from getting cold.

 

“I don’t know if I’ve been this busy in years.”

 

Hestia nuzzled the beast’s neck and leaned into it. It felt soft and warm and fluffy, and she enjoyed the quiet pause.

 

It wasn’t until the moon was already waning and the dusky light of dawn was rising that Hestia slowly pushed herself up. She gathered the moon-dried herbs into a basket,

 

“The sun will be up soon. Let’s go.”

 

Hestia stammered, shoving two baskets into Lu’s mouth and climbing onto her back.

 

“Hold on tight!

 

Hestia settled in and Roo kicked the ground and leapt up. Hestia’s vision shifted rapidly, her black hair flying wildly.

 

Thankfully, she made it home before the sun showed its face. If Lou hadn’t given her a ride, she would have been there well into the morning.

 

“Thanks, Lou.”

 

“Hehe. Good night, sis!

 

Hestia’s brown eyes warmed at the sight of Lu’s cute greeting and her swift disappearance.

 

Hestia turned and was about to shove the door open as usual when she realized that she was going to be sick, so she cautiously stepped inside, holding her breath.

 

Squeak.

 

Thankfully, Theo hadn’t woken up, and the house was as quiet as it had been when she’d first left. She decided to put off organizing the baskets in case she woke him.

 

“Let’s get some sleep.”

 

Hestia wrapped the thin blanket she’d left on the table around her shoulders and flopped down in the chair.

 

It wasn’t long before the silence that had been withdrawn reasserted itself, and she drifted off to sleep with a whimper.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The alarm call of the birds, awakened by the peeking sunlight, woke Theo.

 

“Ha.”

 

A self-deprecating chuckle instinctively escaped him, mocking himself for falling asleep so easily after three days and nights of being kept awake by the threat of possible assassination.

 

“Ah!”

 

Soon something dawned on him, and Theo threw off the covers and opened the door.

 

The old door creaked loudly.

 

Theo’s eyes widened, searching desperately for someone, and he stared into the distance.

 

“.…...”

 

Theo’s clear golden eyes, once trembling with anxiety, gradually stabilized. His shoulders, which had been tense with a new tension he didn’t recognize, relaxed.

 

Theo slowly approached Hestia, keeping his guard up as much as possible.

 

He exhaled evenly, the blanket sliding off her side as she slept.

 

“You didn’t have to do this.”

 

Theo’s guilt turned to self-pity, weighing heavily on his heart.

 

Theo picked up the blanket from the floor and carefully covered Hestia.

 

Whether she was tired or just dull, Hestia was still in a deep sleep.

 

Theo debated for a moment whether to take her back to her room and wake her up or leave her there. Then he found himself slowly taking in Hestia’s face in his eyes.

 

“.…...”

 

Theo didn’t even have time to look away before he met Hestia’s suddenly open gaze head-on.

 

“Ah…… you up?”

 

Theo’s greeting didn’t wake her up, and she still blinked lazily.

 

“.…..Linus?”

 

Staring into Theo’s clear golden eyes, Hestia subconsciously remembered someone’s name she’d forgotten.

 

It wasn’t until she heard the name she’d just spat out that her blurry vision cleared and she relaxed.

 

“Ah, Theo. Good morning.”

 

Hestia turned to Theo and said good morning. She stretched, stretching her arms to rouse her sleepy body.

 

Her face showed none of the nervousness of a night spent with a stranger.

 

“.…..Hestia, I don’t think you slept well.”

 

Theo stared at Hestia’s sleepy face, intrigued by the sight.

 

“Me? No. I slept fine. This is a very comfortable bed. The worst was when I slept suspended in midair.”

 

“What?”

 

“Pretend you didn’t hear that. You look rather unhappy, by the way.”

 

Theo stiffened, opening his mouth as if to say something, then shook his head.

 

He looked like he had a lot to ask and a lot to say,

 

“No, I slept well, too.”

 

She shrugged as if she’d decided to bury the question somewhere, and the words came out as a casual statement.

 

“Hmmm. Really?”

 

Hestia searched Theo’s face with suspicion, looking for something to say, but to no avail.

 

“Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I fell asleep this fast.”

 

Theo softly recited the truth that sounded like an excuse.

 

Still languid-eyed, Hestia reached for his hand, her pace slow and deliberate, as if she didn’t want to startle him.