Chapter 22: Hestia Installs a New Preference.
....
After parting ways with Aiz, Kihara made his way back from the plaza through a gauntlet of stares from adventurers whose feelings toward him ranged from envy to something approaching personal grievance.
Hestia and Lili were waiting at the front gate. Arms crossed. Identical postures. Identical death glares. They had the specific energy of wives who had been counting the minutes and had thoughts about every single one of them.
"Who could possibly have upset my dear Hestia and Lili like this?"
He delivered this with theatrical concern and pulled both of them into his arms before either could mount a proper defence.
Lili bit the inside of her cheek, fighting to stay functional against the combined assault of warmth and smooth talking, and glanced sideways to establish a tactical alliance with Hestia — only to find her already tilting her face up toward him with a delighted, entirely helpless smile, angling for a kiss.
"Lady Hestia! You can't fall for it this easily—"
"But — but he called me dear—"
She's completely gone. I cannot count on her as a teammate.
Lili squared her shoulders and prepared to conduct the interrogation solo — and then his fingers found the spot at her waist, and her spine dissolved, and she ended up listing against his arm with pink cheeks and very little recollection of what she'd been planning to say.
"You're terrible," she managed, with feeling.
She directed this at him. He looked mildly pleased.
Kihara assumed the matter had been settled. He was wrong.
The moment they were inside, Hestia's demeanour underwent a rapid recalibration. She pushed him onto the sofa, produced facial cleanser from somewhere, and began applying it to him with the focused energy of someone performing a ritual.
Lili watched the operation with wide eyes. "Lady Hestia... what exactly are you doing?"
"I can smell that Sword-whatever woman on him. He needs to be re-scented immediately. Mine and yours, preferably."
"Lili can help with that!"
"Good. You take the lower half."
"...R-really?!"
Lili's breath caught.
Hestia, entirely unaware of the ambiguity she had just introduced, waved her hand impatiently. "Don't just stand there — we need to finish before we go clothes shopping. When Sword-whatever shows up again, he'll be wearing our scent. Let her try to compete with that."
"U-understood — Lili is moving in—!"
Kihara, who had been suffering and enjoying Hestia's frankly remarkable massage in approximately equal measure, raised his head from the considerable softness it had been pressed into. His eyes had gone wide. Several questions formed and were set aside.
Hestia noticed none of this. She was deep in the satisfaction of her own bold and highly effective intimacy strategy, maternal instincts fully activated, cradling his head against her and beginning — without apparent irony — to hum a lullaby.
She bent close to his ear.
"Mama's going to stay right here with you~"
Every muscle in Kihara's body went rigid.
He felt, with absolute clarity, the sensation of a previously dormant preference being permanently activated and branded into his psyche without his consent.
"Pfft — cough — cough cough—"
"Lili, are you alright?"
"Fine — Lili just drank too much water too fast — Lady Hestia please maintain your current position, Lili will just clean up the water that... spilled."
"Of course~"
Five minutes later, Hestia confirmed to her satisfaction that the foreign scent had been thoroughly replaced, released Kihara, and turned to find Lili with faintly reddened eyes.
"Drink more slowly next time."
"Lili will be more careful." Her voice was slightly hoarse. She rubbed her throat, then slid a glance toward Kihara — an expression that managed to contain both something warm and something distinctly competitive.
He's never been that generous with me.
The clothing disturbance resolved, Kihara accompanied them to the tailoring shop on the twenty-ninth floor of Babel — a boutique that catered exclusively to divine clientele.
The interior announced its prices before anyone spoke a word. Crystal chandeliers caught the light and scattered it amber across walls hung with dark-patterned paper. The display cases were lacquered gold and polished to mirror finish, the garments inside arranged with ceremonial care — silk evening gowns studded with pearl, ceremonial cloaks embroidered in gold thread, each piece lit by soft magic-stone lamps that made everything look like it had been extracted from a dream.
Hestia and Lili took it all in with initial delight, which lasted precisely until Lili read the price of the least expensive item and said the number out loud.
Ten million falis. For a standard everyday outfit.
"Kihara... maybe we should just go."
"Lili agrees. This seems unreasonable."
"Ten million is fine. Especially for you." He turned to the proprietress before either of them could continue. "Could you take Lady Hestia's measurements? I'll need three everyday outfits and one formal piece — keep the formal one conservative."
He placed thirty million falis on the counter with the energy of someone settling a minor inconvenience.
Both women experienced physical pain watching this.
"Understood. Goddess Hestia, if you'll follow me to the fitting room—"
Kihara's gaze shifted to Lili. She grabbed his arm immediately and shook her head with conviction.
"Lord Kihara. Lili is a supporter. Lili does not need formal wear. If there is money to spend, it should go toward your equipment."
"I don't particularly need equipment upgrades right now. What about you?"
"Lili's current gear is completely sufficient for support work. Please."
"I can't justify the difference in treatment. I'd like to get you something."
Lili pulled him down by the sleeve, brought her lips close to his ear, and lowered her voice.
"If you really feel that way — show Lili more of your love at night instead. I'm going to walk into the Soma Familia one day and defeat the divine wine through sheer willpower and the feelings I have for you. That's worth more to me than any dress."
He looked at her for a moment, then let it go.
"Alright. But if you want something later — clothes, equipment, anything — just say so."
The proprietress reappeared from the fitting room. "Sir, the goddess's measurements are complete. If you have a moment, would you follow me to the sample floor to select a general style for the formal piece?"
"Of course. Lili — if Hestia finishes before I'm back, stay with her."
"I will!"
The tailoring commission handled, the three of them went to the Hostess of Fertility for dinner. No Loki Familia in sight — the absence visibly improved Hestia's appetite by a noticeable margin.
Afterward, she leaned back in her chair, eyes half-closed in contentment, and extended her stomach toward Kihara with the comfortable expectation of someone who has established a service arrangement and finds it satisfactory.
He rubbed her stomach without comment.
"Kihara — Lili and I are going to see Hephaestos after this. You head home."
"What do you need from her?"
"I asked her to find some books for me a while ago. Just picking them up."
"Alright."
...
Thank you for reading.