After my encounter with Dionysus,
three days have passed since I returned to Luna.
However, during this time, there has been absolutely no conversation between Artemis and me.
Not only that, Artemis has locked herself inside her room, making it as difficult to see her as plucking stars from the sky.
The one who first noticed that the atmosphere had changed after our visit to Herai’s place was Maia.
My secretary, Maia, who holds a rank of 9, truly acts like a secretary—she not only manages my schedule but also pays meticulous attention to my well-being, ensuring that I’m not troubled.
Even if it’s just avoiding mentioning Artemis,
“Maia, how’s the request for monetary aid from Athena going?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, but it hasn’t been approved by the Goddess yet… Should I get the approval now?”
“…Let’s postpone it.”
In our position, needing Artemis’s approval while she is in seclusion, made it impossible not to mention her.
After finishing my daily tasks, I thought about heading to the temple’s cafeteria to grab a quick bite,
but fearing an awkward encounter with Artemis, I hurriedly returned to my quarters and prepared an early dinner alone.
Dinner, just like yesterday’s, consisted of dried meat and cheese.
The thought of eating this salty meat made me feel nauseous, but given the current atmosphere in the temple, there wasn’t much I could do about it.
“I never understood why privates sneak snacks in the restroom… Hmm, I guess I get it now. Alright, let’s eat.”
Just like how the restroom might be the only peaceful spot for a private,
I sit in my crumbling quarters to start this solitary meal.
As I lift a piece of meat with my fork,
there comes a knock on the door.
“Hey, it’s me.”
The voice belongs to Maia, my secretary.
She’s become so familiar that she now calls my name casually after work—wondering what could bring her here this time?
“Come in.”
As soon as I give permission, Maia carefully opens the door, which looks like it could fall apart at any moment.
In her hands, she carries a basket of fruits.
“You can’t eat just meat. You need a balanced diet.”
“I forgot. It’s just too troublesome to return to the cafeteria…”
“Not scared of running into Artemis there, are you?”
“What… what do you mean?”
“Once you start avoiding someone, it only makes things more awkward.”
Maia, with her gentle tone, easily exposes the inner thoughts I had been trying to hide.
I try to think of an excuse to deflect, but Maia holds my gaze with hers, showing that she already knows everything, which ultimately forces me to admit defeat.
Right.
Maia is also a goddess.
Though she is now in this humble position, perhaps her life experiences, stored in her mind, could still be of help to me?
Rather than suffering alone, I decide to lay it all out.
Who knows?
Maybe this could lead to some good advice.
Having braced myself, I recount everything that happened between Artemis and me from start to finish.
“Dear me, so that’s what happened?”
“I… didn’t know she’d get so upset about the sweat-smell comment, and I also didn’t anticipate her being especially hostile toward Dionysus.”
“So, you came back with nothing accomplished except a distant relationship between the two of you.”
Maia nods repeatedly, recalling the tense atmosphere of the past three days.
“Yes. That’s the result.”
“Ark… Artemis is the Goddess of Purity. She embodies immaculate perfection. You’re probably the only person who’s survived teasing her about sweat.”
Her voice was warm, but the underlying meaning was sharp like a whip.
I involuntarily feel a cool sensation where my neck seems to have been pierced by an arrow and instinctively rub the area.
However, on the carriage that day, I had already told her that,
it wasn’t my intention to ridicule or disdain her.
In modern terms, there’s a phrase called ‘girl crush.’
It’s a new term referring to a type of strong and carefree woman, moving away from the traditional image of shy and delicate femininity.
But how many so-called ‘girl crushes’ are just talkative women who can’t even do a push-up and quietly endure injustice, only excelling in arguments?
From that perspective, Artemis can truly be called a ‘girl crush’ in the real sense.
Her incredible stamina, proven by her ability to run through the mountains all day without tiring, attests to that.
I find Artemis, with her healthy sweat, extremely charming.
That impression hasn’t changed.
“I have never wrinkled my nose at the smell of her sweat. In fact, I find it comforting. I teased her lightly out of that sentiment…”
“Ark? That’s just your unilateral thought.”
“Excuse me?”
“I understand that Ark had no ill intent. But do you think Artemis, who dislikes being told she smells of sweat, will take it as you didn’t mean any harm?”
I stay silent.
Maia points out that you must consider the receiver’s feelings, regardless of your own intentions.
I agree.
After all, there are so many tactless and unsympathetic people in modern times, aren’t there?
I just stated the truth, right?
Was anything wrong with it?
My intention wasn’t malicious, so why are you trying to misinterpret it?
Such people, with their sharp edges, always judged everything by their standards, leaving their remarks rough and crude.
It’s like when victims of theft complain the stolen ones are the fools, arrogantly disregarding others’ feelings. I disliked that attitude too.
Could it be that, in this situation, I was one of those people?
“Did you apologize?”
“I said something to try to cheer her up by saying it wasn’t a big deal…”
“But you didn’t actually say ‘I’m sorry,’ did you?”
Maia sharply distinguishes between an acknowledgment of fault and an apology.
She brings out the fact that I didn’t offer any apology while acknowledging my mistake, reframing the events.
With a firm decision, Maia bangs her hands on her knees.
“Guilty, for teasing not once, but twice, and also for failing to understand our Lady’s true feelings the first time around.”
She then snaps her fingers three times, declaring the first issue concluded.
But wait, that makes me feel wronged!
I have my counterarguments too!
“Your honor!!”
“Ho ho ho. Calling your secretary ‘judge’? What’s this?”
“Artemis casually held arms with me while climbing the mountain. Doesn’t that indicate she had already forgiven me?”
“Hmm… Even I am not sure about that. No matter what, our Goddess, usually dignified, wouldn’t casually hold arms…”
“Right?”
“Yes. But even so, it might be her way of trying to return to the original playful relationship with you despite her hurt feelings.”
“An effort?”
“This is just my speculation, so take it with a grain of salt. Perhaps she was making an effort to mend the relationship because you’re important to her, despite her mood being soured.”
Artemis’s effort.
I see my own reflection in those attempts to break the uncomfortable silence by repeatedly trying to talk to her.
Why did I not try to understand Artemis’s true feelings?
And why did she not express them in words?
“Women… no, goddesses’ hearts are indeed complex.”
“Ha ha ha. Women’s hearts are complex, but if you take the time to observe, they’re surprisingly simple.”
Right.
No matter how I romanticize it—women’s sweat is like perfume—
if the recipient finds it hard to accept, it becomes not a compliment but an insult.
Right.
Guilt?
I admit it.
Still, there’s one thing I don’t quite understand.
“Why was Artemis so hostile toward Dionysus? Was there some past conflict between them?”
Dionysus had been somewhat of a madman.
However, he seemed reasonable, engaged in meaningful conversation, and pursued reason and benefit.
Perhaps the curse could have been lifted easily by giving him a few casks of wine.
Yet Artemis’s animosity destroyed all chances of negotiation.
“Um… As far as I know… there was nothing. But even if they had a grudge, it wasn’t the reason this time.”
“What is it then?”
Maia smirked and poked my shoulder with her index finger.
“Me again? Was it me again?”
“Of course! Our Lady Artemis protected you by harshly attacking Dionysus.”
“Excuse me?”
Thinking she was saying something absurd, I asked again with an exasperated tone.
Then Maia, gazing at the setting sun through the window for a moment, returned her eyes to me and spoke.
“Dionysus asked our Lady if she liked you, right?”
“Yes, he saw us holding arms. I thought his comment was more taunting or mocking, suggesting that it was inappropriate for the Goddess of Purity.”
“Yes, exactly. But to our Goddess, that question wasn’t just a taunt.”
“Then what else could it be?”
“Do you like Artemis? Aren’t you trying to become her boyfriend by undergoing the Twelve Labors?”
“Yes. You already know all this.”
Her reconfirmation of well-known information felt like setting up for the final blow.
Feeling increasingly uneasy, I tapped my spoon on the table, urging her for an answer.
“Yes. This is all just your one-sided feelings. What do you think Artemis feels?”
“Neither likes nor dislikes me. It’s just human affection beyond gender… and I’m trying to gain her feelings through this ordeal, but it’s not going well.”
“That’s to be expected. There’s bound to be a barrier in her heart. Fact is, if Artemis were to love someone, it would mean that person’s death.”
“What?”
“If she had reacted seriously to Dionysus’s taunt, it might have marked your deathly fate… maybe that’s why she lashed out so aggressively against him.”
Maia, like a master detective, deduces Artemis’s inner thoughts.
But I fail to understand any of her deductions, and the more the conversation progresses, the more confused I become.
“Wait! Wait a moment! I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”
“Dear me, Ark. You don’t know who ‘he’ is?”
“Who…?”
“Orion.”
At the name Maia mentioned,
the spoon I was holding dropped to the floor.
Simultaneously, the last rays of the sunset finally disappeared behind the mountaintops.
