This was the second time he had fully revealed his divinity before Livia.

The first time, when Livia had ruined his feast and was caught in his enormous grasp, came to mind.

Back then, she had felt similarly overwhelmed to her very soul by his mountainous and imposing divine form, but her current impression was somewhat different.

‘…How beautiful.’

Her fear had faded while her sense of wonder deepened.

This wasn’t solely because her feelings toward him had changed. She could feel with her entire being that the look in Triton’s eyes as he gazed at her was completely different from back then.

At that time, Triton had been contemplating how to torment and kill her, and he hadn’t even tried to hide those cruel thoughts.

Hadn’t he casually killed her with a single gesture when she had irritated him with her defiance?

But that cold and terrifying gaze that had looked down upon her as something worthless, useless, and deeply irritating had completely vanished.

You brazen thing.

And what remained was pure attachment.

That lukewarm warmth that lingered helplessly in his eyes burning with anger. While acting as though he wanted to kill her right away, there were traces of that persistent and twisted affection that wouldn’t allow even the slightest harm to come to her, let alone death.

His inner self, now even more clearly visible due to his enlarged size, made Livia tremble.

This beautiful god desires me.

Even though he was furious to his core, to the point where he couldn’t kill me.

‘Ah, Triton.’

Panting, Livia reached out with trembling hands and carefully embraced one of Triton’s fingers that was supporting her.

Triton’s eyes narrowed at the unexpected action. A soft sigh of exasperation could be heard, but Livia paid it no mind.

She hugged his finger with all her might as if it were something precious, and rubbed her cheek against it.

You….

At his voice that seemed to express disbelief, Livia looked up at him again.

His widely rippling silver hair was as beautiful as moonlight scattered across the sea’s surface, and his enormous body that dominated the space was like waves and tsunami incarnate.

Truly a magnificent and beautiful being of the sea.

My god, Triton.

Having placed Livia on his palm, he quietly looked down at her. Though his ice-cold eyes were sharp as frost, Livia sat on his palm and did not avoid his gaze.

At that moment, Triton moved his hand. She felt herself floating slightly before moving closer to him.

What am I to do with you?

His voice, transmitted directly to her mind rather than through her ears, stirred her senses. She shivered as tiny chills ran down her spine and whispered again softly.

“I really was going to tell you. Really. It’s just….”

You say you were going to, but in the end those were just words. In the end, it’s no different from having done nothing at all.

“But, really…!”

And the fact that you kissed that bastard behind my back is also true.

Livia, who had been desperately making excuses, closed her mouth. She had nothing more to say about that. Not because she felt sorry toward Triton, but because she wasn’t sorry, and that’s why she had nothing to say.

Even if she could go back to the past, she would still promise a kiss to Zagreus who had offered to save Lete.

As if sensing that stubbornness, the corner of Triton’s mouth twisted upward as he looked down at Livia.

There were times when I found your bold selfishness charming – how you would use even gods to achieve your goals.

“……”

…Well, what would a woman who would give up her life and stubbornly endure even trials have to fear?

Though he spoke calmly, Livia somehow felt a chill.

At the same time, the fact that she still found his words unfair suggested that her defiant spirit might be ingrained in her very nature.

“I don’t understand why you’re this angry with me.”

Livia appealed to him in a trembling voice. While she did feel some remorse, she couldn’t understand why he was so furiously angry about it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything, but kissing Zagreus…”

Zagreus was the only god and helping hand who had aided her when Triton had imposed sadistic trials solely to torment her. Without him, could she have saved Lete?

“It was unavoidable.”

No, absolutely not.

“…To save Lete.”

Therefore, Livia did not regret it. She could not regret it.

…I thought I had shown you all of myself, but it seems you didn’t even try to see me properly.

Triton’s gaze, which had calmed somewhat, grew fierce again. He didn’t seem to accept her explanation that it had been unavoidable.

“No, Triton. I also…!”

Livia’s urgent cry was cut short. She had remembered Echidna’s words.

If she were to tell Triton here that she too was growing fond of him, and if that were to lead to him saying he loved her.

‘What if something bad happens to Triton?’

Fear comes from ignorance. She was afraid because she didn’t know what would happen. But she had a feeling that if she stopped here again, Triton would become angry once more.

Biting her tongue inside her mouth, she added very carefully.

“…I feel the same way about you.”

But perhaps he interpreted her hesitation and uncertain voice differently.

Triton’s mouth twisted fiercely. Haha, a self-mocking laugh could be heard. Then a cold voice pierced sharply into Livia’s mind.

How gracious of you, human, to bestow your feelings upon this worthless god! What an honor indeed!

That wasn’t it. She was just being careful out of concern for Triton, but he seemed to think Livia’s feelings were false.

“It’s true! It’s true, Triton. Really…”

Triton cut off her urgent words and whispered softly.

Yes, then perhaps you could prove that your feelings are real. Right, Livia?

Hearing his voice, which came seductively gentle, made it seem as if his anger had disappeared, and Livia’s heart naively swelled.

“Prove it? How…?”

You haven’t forgotten, have you? That you’re currently in my fifth trial?

At his words, Livia looked around anew at their surroundings. The endless ocean where nothing could be seen.

The storm covering the sea was his anger, and the waves became his teeth to toss her about. This entire vast world was Triton.

Being swallowed by Triton’s sea apparently wasn’t his fifth trial.

I’ll show you the real me, Livia. My pure desires, completely unmasked….

The real ‘Triton’? Unmasked pure desires…?

Before she could even contemplate the meaning, her body suddenly began to tremble. Before her mind could even register the fear, her body was shaking involuntarily like prey before a predator.

Though she had thought her fear of him had disappeared, why was she feeling this dread?

Livia clenched her fists, suppressing her terror. She tried to convince herself that it was just Triton’s majesty weighing more heavily on her because she was in his trial.

No matter what happened, Triton would not allow her death.

But he could inflict suffering worse than death. After all, not once had his trials ever been easy.

Accept all of me completely.

Triton closed his palm, gripping Livia in his hand. Her body reacted first due to past experience. She started and looked up at him with a tense face.

Just as she flinched at his smiling face.

That will be your proof.

Livia, caught in his grasp, was instantly dragged down to the bottom of the deep sea.

***

Even with her eyes open, there was nothing but darkness all around.

As the density of the pitch-black darkness that blocked Livia’s vision increased, her senses came sharply alive.

“Ugh…!”

Something writhing firmly gripped the small body that was starting in surprise. Various parts of her sensitized body were pressed and twisted.

What startled Livia even more was that the cold, cool, and slippery thing wasn’t just one.

Squish. Squish….

One of them brushed across her heated palm. Reflexively grabbing the thing that tickled her palm as it passed, Livia muttered in shock.

“What is this…?”

…N-no way, tentacles?