His words about feeling disgusted seemed true, as his seemingly calm gaze gradually grew fiercer.

How could those onlookers’ stares be directed at him alone?

Though they were surely looking curiously at the sea god who had descended upon the earth as well, Triton appeared not to care about such things at all.

As if only the gazes directed at Livia bothered him, he kept her pressed close to his body without letting her go for a moment.

‘This is troublesome….’

She needed to escape from him to meet Zagreus, but it seemed impossible in this state. Moreover, she felt anxious that if she upset his mood any further here, he might declare he was returning to the sea right away.

She had no choice but to gauge his mood. Reluctantly, Livia glanced at him, then carefully took his fingers that were touching her lips into her mouth and gently sucked.

“……”

Though the nectar that had been on his fingertips was already gone, she gently licked the fingertips in her mouth with her tongue. He paused and looked at Livia with narrowed eyes.

Thinking this might be enough, Livia glanced up at him and froze her tongue in surprise.

If his earlier gaze had shown mild displeasure, now his eyes were churning dangerously like a fierce storm approaching.

When Livia hastily withdrew her tongue at his look that suggested he might do something right away, he immediately grabbed the nape of her neck. Before she could react, her body tilted and his wet tongue parted her lips and pressed against them.

Though the twilight had receded and the bluish early evening darkness had settled, it was still far too bright.

Though it was a feast full of hundreds of nymphs and various gods, as well as the beasts they commanded, that didn’t mean Triton and Livia’s presence was hidden.

She could sense surprised gasps and whispers from those who had been secretly watching them here and there.

However, the sea god who paid no mind to anyone’s gaze mercilessly worked his tongue until he finally drew out Livia’s tongue that had been hiding deep in her mouth.

“Ah….”

Shuddering at the sensation of being sucked, Livia urgently bit Triton’s lips and pushed him away. Such was his persistence that their lips separated with her still biting his lower lip. When she glared at him in disbelief, he smiled crookedly and released the lip he’d been holding.

“What’s this, being so obediently sweet?”

As if his foul mood had never existed, he stroked Livia’s lips gently with his fingertips while narrowing his eyes. Just then, as she was pushing his hand away to tell him to stop teasing her, she suddenly noticed the surroundings growing noisy. Even more so than when they had kissed.

Had some great god arrived?

Just as she was about to turn around in confusion, Triton’s hand touched the back of Livia’s head. She found herself suddenly trapped in his embrace. Under the pressure of his hand firmly pressing the back of her head, Livia ended up with her face buried in Triton’s firm chest.

Just as she was moving her lips in confusion.

“Why are you…”

“How interesting…. Did you bring a human, Triton?”

An unfamiliar voice suddenly cut in.

***

An annoying one had approached.

Triton sighed briefly in self-mockery. Feeling the small head under his palm grow stiff, it seemed Livia had also recognized the owner of that voice.

“Selene.”

His voice was so devoid of emotion it came across as cold instead. The goddess who had been approaching him without hesitation suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her eyes twitched and crinkled as she stared intently at Triton.

Triton slowly swept his gaze over Selene, the dozen or so members of her lunar halo that she had brought, and another dozen beautiful men who followed her like devotees.

Though she had stormed off in such anger the last time they met, as expected of an ancient goddess, it seemed she had overcome it well and found new pleasures.

When he let out a sneering laugh as if he’d known this would happen, a vein stood out on Selene’s jaw. She seemed to be holding back her anger while gritting her teeth.

Selene narrowed her eyes as she looked at Triton, who was reclining as if lying on a bed of water, and the red-haired woman in his arms. She twisted her lips as she stared at his leisurely behavior as if beneath her notice.

“You rarely venture outside the sea, so what brings you here, Triton?”

From her words alone, it sounded as if she had arrived first.

The white gleam in her beautiful face was eerie. Her greedy eyes still looked at him as if licking him, but unresolved resentment remained within them.

It was a look that suggested trouble if one crossed her wrong. Not for him of course, but for Livia.

“Does the tide need a reason to rise?”

Triton replied as though he were bored and pulled Livia’s stiff shoulders deeper into his embrace. The woman remained motionless in his arms. When he glanced down, her face wasn’t clearly visible. He could only see her trembling eyelashes casting faint shadows.

What could she be thinking?

Perhaps, are you feeling that same emotion I felt when other gods looked you over with their disgusting gazes?

That extremely unpleasant and irritating feeling, like sticky black impurities had intruded…

That strange emotion that suddenly rages until you want to gouge out each eyeball directed this way?

If that’s what she was thinking, he didn’t feel too bad about it.

However… would this woman really think the same as him? Conquering that small mind full of clumsy and blind revenge wasn’t as easy as expected.

As if forgetting Selene was before him, Triton gently pressed his lips to Livia’s forehead. When he continued placing kisses densely even on her well-groomed hair, the body in his arms trembled slightly. Finding it quite adorable, he smiled faintly, causing Selene standing opposite to flutter her dry lips as if dumbfounded.

“You…”

Triton just looked at the woman with raised eyes without responding. Though he knew such behavior would provoke that goddess, he didn’t care much. He knew Selene’s nature.

She was proud, greedy, and cold.

Though now she might be furious thinking she had lost him when she’d thought she would soon have him, before long she would find another target. As she had done with Zeus, with Endymion, and with the countless men who had passed through her hands.

‘Just watch.’

Selene’s expression that had been twitching gradually began to settle. Selene had finally realized it. That holding onto lingering attachment would be pointless. That for the sake of her noble pride, it would be better to withdraw her moonlight herself rather than engage in unelegant arguments here.

“…Foolish Triton.”

Selene, having composed her expression, suddenly reached out to grasp the ends of Livia’s hair as she whispered.

“I warned you to beware the red one.”

The words of warning she had once given him. Of course Triton remembered them too.

However, avoiding a path he wished to take out of fear of warnings didn’t suit his nature.

“If it could be avoided through caution, then it wouldn’t be fate.”

“This choice will ultimately ruin you, Triton.”

Triton softly laughed as he retrieved Livia’s hair from Selene’s hand and replied.

“You’re right, Selene. In fact, I’m curious to see just how ruined I can become because of a mere human.”

“Humans die. They are not eternal.”

“That’s not your concern.”

“You couldn’t…”

Selene’s eyes wavered as if she had gauged his intentions. Staring at Triton with dumbfounded eyes, Selene shook her head and said.

“…Such stubbornness. Fine. I shall look down from above, eagerly awaiting the day you destroy yourself.”

Selene muttered coldly before whirling around.

The nymphs who had been holding their breath somewhere listening to their conversation hurriedly raised their songs again.

Rather than providing great entertainment through a scene, the goddess seemed to have chosen her pride. Well, even without one sea god, Selene had numerous lovers….

Though it was somewhat amusing to see her unable to have the man she had pursued for years, her status wasn’t one to fall for such things. Selene showed off her authority by taking her lunar halo and lovers to the most splendid and brilliant spot to enjoy the feast.

Fragmented moonlight draped over the goddess’s head. When the goddess began dancing to the merry songs, the murmuring sounds soon changed to exclamations of admiration.

Around when everyone’s attention had completely shifted that way, Livia, who had been frozen like stone, raised her head to quietly gaze at Triton.

Firm blue eyes showing no wavering in his choice and green eyes shaking with confusion tangled in the air for a long while.

“…Why are you going this far?”

A soft, cool hand gently cupped Livia’s cheek. With a leisurely smile, he kissed various spots on Livia’s face as he whispered.

“I have chosen you, and you will share immortality with me, Livia.”

Immortality…?

The word he uttered felt muffled, as if coming from far away. His words made Livia’s heart pound heavily.

Though it couldn’t be, his words were as if he might even love her….

‘No. No. That’s not it. It can’t be. But if really… if Triton….’

If he loved her as a companion….

Her rapidly beating heart suddenly burned hot. Despite denying that it couldn’t be possible, her chest swelled as if thousands of flower petals were flying up inside her heart. Livia, who had been staring at him blankly with a face flushed pink, suddenly lowered her head.