"Hoo..."
rustle
"Hm?"
Resting in the night breeze, I turned toward the sound of someone suddenly approaching from the opposite side.
"...Astellon."
"...You are... Goddess Artemis?"
The one who appeared before me, as I remained wary of the source of the sound, was none other than the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, whom I had once met in order to lift Atalanta's curse.
The only difference was that her atmosphere seemed far more relaxed than when I had seen her before.
"...What brings you here, Goddess?"
Feeling uncertain, I politely asked Artemis the purpose of her visit.
"...You seem to have forgotten, but this mountain is the hunting ground I designated."
At those words, I briefly looked around.
"...I see. I had forgotten for a moment."
At the goddess's words, I lowered my head slightly.
"Then I suppose I was the one causing the disturbance. I'll leave at once."
Just as I turned to go,
"...Wait."
Artemis called me back.
"...Yes?"
I turned again and looked at her.
"...."
But Artemis, who had stopped me, said nothing.
She simply looked at me.
"...Goddess?"
"...Astellon."
Then, when I spoke, she called my name.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
And sensing something in her gaze, I asked another question.
"...I don't know."
Yet Artemis answered while staring at me.
"Yes? What do you mean..."
"It's strange."
I wasn't sure whether she heard me, but Artemis murmured softly.
"Until just a moment ago... it was clearly the same as always."
And her gaze never left my face.
"...But now..."
As she spoke, Artemis stopped herself and slowly, very slowly, approached me.
One step.
Then another.
Startled, I asked Artemis,
"...Goddess?"
"...Stay still."
At that, I did not move again. Artemis came right up to me and raised a hand, stopping it just before my face.
"...."
Then her hand lightly touched my cheek.
"...Warm."
"...Yes?"
"It's only natural, since you're human. And yet... strangely, I keep wanting to confirm it."
Even as she said that, her hand did not leave my face.
Feeling that something was terribly amiss, I hurriedly tried to speak.
"...Goddess. This is..."
"Be quiet. I'm thinking."
But even then, she narrowed her eyes and looked at me.
That gaze resembled that of a hunter analyzing prey, yet somehow it felt different.
"...My heart is racing."
"...Yes?"
"It's neither battle nor hunt. This is strange."
She fell silent for a moment, then soon opened her mouth again.
"...Astellon."
"...Yes."
"...When I look at you... I find that I don't want to let go of something."
Then Artemis slowly closed her eyes.
And when she opened them again, those eyes had changed completely from before.
"....I see."
Then, in a very small voice filled with certainty, she said,
"...So this is... love."
Thus, beneath the full moon, the goddess of the hunt became aware of her own feelings.
That single sentence quietly spread through the night air.
And I could say nothing, only stare at Artemis before me.
"..."
Then, in that stillness, Artemis slowly withdrew her hand.
The warmth that had rested on my cheek gradually faded.
"...I see."
After murmuring softly, Artemis looked at me for a moment.
"...I'll return for today."
"...Yes?"
"The hunt is over as well....Astellon."
"...Yes, Goddess."
"...We will meet again."
Leaving those words behind, Artemis vanished into the moonlight.
"...What... was that just now?"
And I stood there for a long while.
"...What on earth is today?"
Muttering under my breath, I ran a hand through my hair.
Two gods had descended, one had tried to seduce me, and the other had spoken of love.
"...Ha."
I let out a short sigh.
"Let's go back."
And so I descended the mountain.
After that, time passed quietly.
I returned to my place as king.
I dealt with the backlog of work, discussed state affairs with my retainers,
and resolved the problems of the people.
"Now, the next matter."
"...Your Majesty, this matter is..."
"Postpone it. Handle this one first."
It was an ordinary day, but whenever a full moon rose, I would find myself looking up at the sky for no reason.
And each time, I felt as though someone's gaze was upon me from somewhere far away.
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