‘Somehow I feel like I’m being stared at.’

At first, even Livia didn’t recognize him. His head and face were completely covered, and only his eyes were barely visible in the black shadow. Only when she discovered the lightning-like golden gleam in those black shadows did she recognize him.

Zagreus.

Though considerably surprised inside, she didn’t show it.

Still, worried that Triton might notice something strange, she was about to quickly check his reaction when Persephone acknowledged Livia.

“We’re already acquainted, aren’t we?”

At Persephone’s words, both Demeter and Triton’s gazes turned to Livia.

Not only Zagreus’s gaze from under the helmet, but also the gazes of all living things whispering throughout the temple silently clung to Livia.

Though she felt the gazes pressing down on her entire body like humid heat sticking to her under the blazing sun, Livia remained composed.

It’s not like being afraid would change anything.

After all, with Triton keeping her at his side and making such a show of kissing her as they entered, there was no avoiding the attention.

“Yes, you helped me then. Thank you.”

“I thought we might meet again, but I didn’t expect it would be like this…”

Persephone’s trailing words turned toward Triton.

The corners of the sea god’s mouth created deep creases as he met the goddess’s gaze head-on, like swirling waves.

“My thanks to the queen of the underworld for safely returning my human.”

“…To hear the words ‘my human’ from your mouth, what a sight to see after living so long.”

Was there any god who didn’t know of his hatred for humans? This god, who was particularly strict and exclusive towards humans, had captured a human who challenged him and made her his own.

Though he had never openly said it, the rumor that had spread secretly was well-known even in the divine realm. Being the most shocking rumor in recent times, it drew everyone’s interest.

Persephone looked around with lowered eyelids but consciously withdrew her gaze.

‘It’s not my concern.’

She immediately corrected her unconsciously drifting attention. Though she had given birth to him, she had never thought of him as her flesh and blood. She had merely lent her womb unwillingly; ‘that thing’ was not hers.

She thought she had fulfilled her duty to that thing that was born cutting through her flesh and bone by simply ignoring it appropriately. It would be excessive impudence if it dared to want a mother’s heart from her after being born against her will. Fortunately, ‘that thing’ seemed to know its place from birth and had never shown such impudence….

Persephone, forcibly cutting off her attention, looked at the human woman standing before her.

Though her skin tone had been tanned as if baked by sunlight when they first met, it had now turned pale and white as if washed away by seawater, but those vivid green eyes remained the same.

The eyes of the living.

Eyes of one who has goals and purpose, and is ready to throw away anything for them.

No matter how much she lowered her gaze and pretended to be docile with sealed lips, that fierce temperament engraved in her soul couldn’t be easily hidden. For a human whose life could flutter away at a single breath from a god, it was quite admirable that she remained unintimidated.

Persephone smiled slightly and spoke in a rather friendly voice.

“Livia, are you making good use of the gift I gave you?”

At Persephone’s question, Livia quickly thanked her again while grabbing her wrist bearing Persephone’s seal with her other hand.

“Thanks to you. Thank you, Lady Persephone. You’ve helped me in many ways.”

“To hear it’s been helpful, that’s good news.”

Livia blushed and smiled at her kind words. Then Triton, who had been quietly listening to Livia and Persephone’s conversation, narrowed his eyes as they twitched. Triton, smirking as if frowning, pulled Livia even closer to his side and spoke indifferently.

“That’s enough greetings… It seems everyone who should be here has arrived, so shall we start the banquet, Demeter?”

At Triton’s words, Demeter looked around the temple and nodded. The garden, which had already become crowded, had heated up to just the right atmosphere to announce the start of the banquet.

“Indeed. It seems everyone is hesitant to fully enjoy themselves without an official start.”

Demeter and Persephone rose from their seats. Along with them, Triton also pulled Livia by the waist as he moved to find his place. As Livia took her steps, she unconsciously turned her head to look back at where Persephone was.

More precisely, at Zagreus who stood guard behind Persephone.

He was looking at her too. She could see his golden eyes, sparkling like the morning star under the black helmet, intently following her.

‘He really came.’

Her heart pounded at the thought that she would soon see Lete.

Lete, my Lete.

How damaged would his soul be? What if she had to see something too horrible…

Though her love for that child wouldn’t change no matter what state she was in, she worried she might lose her composure and cry from pity.

‘Stay calm. I can’t let my guard down until I meet Lete.’

Livia regulated her scattered breathing and turned away her lingering gaze.

As the red sunset fell over the golden fields, the nymphs of dusk ran across the garden, swirling their skirts. Their splendid and beautiful dance movements were announcing the beginning of the banquet.

Demeter and Persephone, now standing side by side in the center of the temple, looked around at their guests. The goddesses’ appearance, with elegant and radiant smiles across their faces, was abundant and even benevolent.

“Just as sprouts inevitably peek their heads out when the weather warms, spring has come again. Everyone, please enjoy this banquet more boisterously than ever. Let that commotion announce to heaven and earth that spring has arrived.”

As Persephone’s silk-like soft voice resonated widely, the god of shepherds blew his syrinx hard, raising the sound of his pipe.

Pwooo-

With that as the start, the music that had momentarily stopped began again cheerfully.

***

When Triton gestured, a beautiful winged boy flew over and filled Triton’s golden cup with wine. Even though he had merely filled the cup, the sweet fragrance reached Livia’s nose.

Livia glanced at his cup with curious eyes.

From what she had observed, that boy only filled the cups of gods who were considered great. So probably the wine in that jar was also exclusively for gods.

“Is this perhaps…”

When she carefully asked, unable to contain her curiosity, Triton nodded with a slight smile.

“It’s nectar. Though it can’t be considered the real thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s diluted. Nectar isn’t as easily obtainable as it used to be… So now we mix it with Dionysus’s wine.”

Triton, who had swirled the cup to spread the fragrance, quietly pulled Livia into his embrace and tilted the wine cup to her lips.

“Still, the taste is similar. Try it.”

“…Is it really okay for me to drink this?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Saying that, he personally tilted the cup to pour the nectar into her mouth. The red drops that flowed in stirred Livia’s tongue and taste buds.

The sweet taste on the tip of her tongue, the mysterious flavor tickling her taste buds, even the texture flowing smoothly down her throat…

An ecstasy that penetrated her entire body beyond taste shook Livia’s soul. As she unconsciously closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a low laugh was heard above her head.

“Come to think of it, you quite like alcohol too.”

Livia, who had already grabbed Triton’s golden cup and was tilting it again, blushed and quickly added.

“Even someone who doesn’t like alcohol couldn’t refuse something like this.”

“Then drink plenty, Livia. Though it’s diluted, it’s still the food said to make humans immortal.”

Triton’s oily eyes curved. He wiped the nectar from the corner of Livia’s mouth with his fingertip and rubbed it on her hesitating tongue.

As Livia tried to pull her head back asking what he was doing, he leaned in and whispered in a low voice.

“Suck it well, Livia. Before I make you suck something else here…”

When she looked at him startled, Triton smiled coldly while suggestively running his finger between her parted lips and tongue.

“I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have brought you.”

The voice that flowed into her ear seemed affectionate at first glance, but was subtly twisted. The same went for his gaze that appeared caring.

“This is mine… Yet everyone is showing too much interest.”

“……”

“It’s making me feel much dirtier than I expected.”

…Just where did this sea god’s mood go wrong again?