As the day’s work came to an end and everyone fell into a deep sleep at night.
“Da-da-da-daaaaaaaaa~ Aller vue baby~”
In the Artemis Temple, where the lights were all off except for a torch in the shower area, a humming voice echoed through the empty halls.
Of course, the owner of that voice was none other than me, invited by Artemis herself for this evening.
The Priest’s Residence didn’t even have a shower, so all we could do was splash water on our faces. That’s why I snuck over to the Temple to properly bathe.
So what about the Female Priestesses who are supposed to be on duty tonight?
Hahaha, don’t worry.
Today is special, so I’ve already informed the priestesses on duty that I’ll take over for them and they should go rest deeply.
Thus, as I scrub my skin practically raw, no one will interrupt my loud humming.
“Sigh~ I aimed to take things step by step in our relationship, but is this situation where the calm cat climbs up the stove first what you’re referring to?”
Despite my attempts to be careful…
When the other party becomes so proactive, I, as her boyfriend, need to accept everything gracefully so she doesn’t feel embarrassed.
Yup, that’s the way it is.
“Men~ don’t mock their tears~”
I dried my body thoroughly with a towel, admiring my handsome reflection in the mirror.
Though not overly muscular, my skin looked unusually smooth today, likely due to using almost an entire bottle of body wash. Even mosquitoes would surely slip and fall off my skin if they tried to bite me.
“Though excess can sometimes be bad, there’s nothing wrong with a little excess today, right?”
In my sleepwear, I performed some stretches to relax and then headed toward Artemis’s private chambers.
Tonight, I’ll become a lone wolf.
Knock knock.
I knocked on the door to her chamber, which wasn’t locked from the start and opened slightly on its own.
The scent of orange filled the narrow gap, so strong it made my head spin as if I had walked into a room drenched in perfume.
“Come in.”
With permission, I carefully pushed the door open and entered her private room.
She sat at her vanity with her back turned to me, confirming my presence through the mirror before proceeding to remove her makeup.
I leaned against the door, waiting as she continued.
While I wore a regular night outfit, Artemis was adorned in a princess-like negligee.
The line from her neck, visible through her short black hair, down to her graceful shoulders was so enchanting it could captivate not just humans, but even gods themselves.
Mesmerized by her silhouette, I could only swallow my dry mouth as she turned around 180 degrees to look up at me.
Her gaze resembled that of a she-lion determined to devour her prey, far from ordinary.
Her cheeks flushed, possibly from the lighting or perhaps she was mentally prepared for something.
“Glug… A, Artemis…”
“Did you come? Boyfriend.”
Boom!
My body stiffened like I had a heart attack, and my heart dropped.
Boyfriend…
Boyfriend…?
With her legs crossed, Artemis smiled at me and called me her boyfriend.
Titles aside, the fact that the Goddess of Purity, Artemis, recognized me filled me with immense happiness.
“B, bu… what…? You sent a message through the deer… what does it mean…? Do you want a kiss?”
Though I came here determined, confident as a man…
In a moment, I crumbled under just a small hint of her charm and regressed into my inexperienced self.
Ugh, what an idiot.
Who in the world would ask if they want a kiss?
Even if the answer were yes, bringing it up verbally kills the mood…
But words are like water; once spoken, they can’t be taken back. I regretfully crumpled my face like a piece of paper.
“Hahahaha! You were so bold with your confession earlier, but what happened?”
Holding her stomach with laughter, Artemis stood from her seat, approached me, and gently traced my chin with the tip of her index finger.
She gave me a mischievous smile, spun around once, and sat on the couch.
Ugh…
Seductive… No, bewitching!
She’s bewitching!
Artemis, you’re far too bewitching!
The overwhelming sweetness exceeded my threshold, making my head spin.
“Hey, boyfriend. Are you going to stand there forever? Come sit down.”
“Huh… Uuh…”
Having surrendered control to Artemis in a flash, my movements became sluggish like a tin-robot, and I sat across from her.
Unable to relax, I sat rigidly, feeling like I was in a job interview, which made me look ridiculous.
“Boyfriend, why are you so tense?”
“Eh? Eh? …Ah, I’m just a little nervous. There’s nothing I can do though.”
“Hahahahaha! You look like a frozen penguin!”
“Uh… But what about you? Artemis, why aren’t you nervous? It’s only us, a man and a woman, in your bedroom? There are no priestesses on duty tonight because I sent them away!”
Feeling teased, I lightly countered.
Then, Artemis grinned knowingly, revealing her white teeth. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, placing her elbow on the couch and cradling her chin.
Nevertheless, it seemed like she was hesitant to say something, her peach-colored lips opening and closing repeatedly.
Finally, she covered her cheeks and whispered her sweetness in a slightly shamed tone.
“This night is too long to be nervous, isn’t it?”
“!!!”
That was the end.
When did this servant of purity become a goddess of love?
She’s bewitching!
Artemis, you’re far too bewitching!
“Artemis!!!”
My racing heart felt like a ticking bomb about to explode.
To convey this bomb of affection to her, I stood up suddenly.
With great force, I leaped over the table like a diving champion, arms outstretched, aiming straight for her.
“A~r~te~mis~ S-s-s-s-s-su…!!!”
“Your insanity is back again!”
Activating her turret-like defenses, Artemis, while seated, pushed off the couch with her arms, lifted her legs, and struck my face as I lunged towards her.
KABOOM!
With the combined force of my rush and the hard hit, I tumbled backwards over the couch.
“Ah, Artemis?”
Rubbing my swollen face while raising my eyes full of question marks, I looked at her.
She grimaced as if I was exasperating.
“Men are all the same! You’re just going crazy because you want to kiss me, seriously! Who gave you permission?!”
“B, but back at the clock tower, you closed your eyes and offered your lips—”
“QUIET!!!”
Rapidly reddening, Artemis placed one hand on her waist and pointed with the other to a large basket on the bedside table.
The basket contained well over fifty oranges.
“Oranges? Isn’t the harvest season for oranges in December?… Wait, you don’t mean to? Artemis, you didn’t send that message through your sacred deer for this?”
Correct, she replied with a wry smile, nodding her head vigorously.
“Yep. I need to read a novel all night long, so you can peel these oranges for me.”
“…”
“Are you just going to stare? Peel them quickly.”
“You… is this why you sent that message?”
“Is there any other reason? I can’t figure out your meaning. Boy… friend?”
Though she tried to look serious, her occasionally twitching lips betrayed her.
This girl…
Artemis, you’re using my affection for you to play tricks.
Though usually, I would scold her for manipulating my feelings…
But now, we’re officially dating.
As a boyfriend, it was nothing but playful teasing, so I couldn’t do anything but laugh it off.
But as I laugh…
It’s because I actually have to peel all those numerous oranges.
“I can’t, or rather, I won’t peel!”
“Whaaaat? Your boyfriend can’t even do this for you? Are you even a man?”
“The oranges are yours to peel. There’s no way I could handle all of them; it would take more than two hours.”
“Doesn’t spending two hours in the same space with you mean you should enjoy it instead? If anything, I should be the one receiving thanks!”
Whatever…
Her comments hit me like a one-two combination, followed by a straight punch.
The guard-breaking attack makes my head spin, but I can’t back down now.
Once a ranking or hierarchy is established, it’s hard to overturn.
“We can peel them together then.”
When I suggested joint labor, she jutted her lips out and narrowed her eyes.
She clicked her tongue and lightly kicked my shin.
Why?
I thought my proposal was the most rational, but I felt wronged.
“Then my hands and fingernails will turn yellow!”
“Will mine not?”
“Where are the goddesses with yellow-stained nails!! And this is a limited edition novel. I don’t want the pages touched by orange juice!!! Also—uh!”
She suddenly cut herself off mid-rant as if realizing how rude she sounded.
Then, she began sucking on her finger.
“Aaaa~aaanngggg~”
She gave a cute expression, wiggling her body and showing off her puppy eyes.
For her finishing blow, she jumped up and down in place, pouting her dampened bottom lip.
But I stretched out my arm and firmly refused.
“That kind of cuteness won’t sway me! I absolutely have no intention of peeling orange peels!!”
“Hmm~?”
“…”
—One hour later.
Defeated by Artemis’ adorable hamster-like expression, I was still peeling orange peels in the corner of her room.
“Artemis. Have I peeled enough orange peels…?”
“Ah, I also dislike the white pith on the oranges. Please remove the albedo as well.”
“…Okay.”
“Tch! If you were going to cave under my cuteness, why did you even try resisting?!”
Page 1 of the Love Notebook.
The person who likes someone more will inevitably lose.
It was a bittersweet dawn lesson I learned firsthand.
