After that, I spent the night in one bed with the three of them... and was, quite literally, wrung dry.
For real.
As for Hippolyta, after some discussion, she too was finally accepted. When morning came, I left the bedroom and spent my time with my retainers, discussing our next steps.
I felt that if I stepped foot outside now, I'd be seized by any one of those four. To avoid that, I deliberately used the meeting to keep my retainers pinned down, forcing them to review the backlog of pending matters that had piled up.
Countless gazes turned toward me, silently begging me to end the meeting already, but...
If they don't like it, they can be the king.
Ignoring their silent pleas, I forcibly extended the session. It was only four hours after the scheduled end that the meeting finally concluded.
“...Haa.”
Once the retainers had all left, I let out a deep, heavy sigh.
For now, I had somehow managed to kill some time.
But just as I was feeling a brief sense of relief,
Creak—
a very familiar sound echoed from behind me.
I slowly turned my head.
The door opened once more, and I saw the women approaching.
“...I wondered where you’d gone.”
“...So you were here.”
“Just as the retainers said.”
I thought I had barely escaped, but at the sight before me, I simply closed my eyes.
Time passed, and the night of the full moon arrived.
Three had clearly come looking for me, but by the end, four women had fallen asleep by my side. After watching them, I climbed out of bed and left the room.
Feeling overwhelmed by the chaotic situation, I wandered through the castle gardens for a while, hoping the fresh air would clear my head.
However, the suffocating feeling persisted, so I decided to climb the nearby mountain instead.
***
Meanwhile, on Olympus,
“I heard the others are not only skilled, but extraordinarily handsome...”
As she idly looked down upon the mortal world, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, happened to spot Astellon alone on the mountain. Gradually, her cheeks began to flush.
“...He really is strikingly handsome. A face that rivals even the gods...!”
Aphrodite gazed at Astellon, her eyes tracing his features with increasing intensity, until finally...
“...Just once wouldn't hurt. And after that... I'll decide if I want more once I've actually tried him.”
With that, she descended to where Astellon stood.
***
“Haa... this is better than before.”
Under the light of the full moon, I rested partway up the mountain, breathing in the crisp night air.
Suddenly, I felt an ominous presence behind me and jerked upright.
This presence... it's a Divine Spirit!
Thanks to my training with Hecate, I could tell that the being approaching was no ordinary mortal, but a god. I immediately shifted into a defensive stance.
As the brilliant light faded, a woman of breathtaking beauty appeared, possessing vibrant red hair and magnificent wings.
“You are...”
When I questioned her, she smiled and spoke.
“I am the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite.”
Identifying herself, Aphrodite began to approach me slowly.
“Indeed... it is quite different seeing you up close than looking down from above. Your looks are even more radiant in person.”
She stared fixedly at my face.
An irresistible scent of roses drifted from her, filling the night air. The embodiment of beauty itself, a presence so overwhelming it seemed to swallow all other colors around her, closed the distance until she was right in front of me.
She extended a slender finger and lightly tilted my chin upward.
“Astellon... that steadfast gaze of yours is truly desirable. Not a single male god on Olympus possesses a spirit as human, yet as noble, as yours.”
Aphrodite's voice was sweet, sounding like tens of thousands of butterflies whispering in my ear.
She leaned softly against my shoulder, looking up at me with a seductive gaze that promised every pleasure the world had to offer.
“The women by your side are beautiful, yes, but if you were with me, you could spend every night enveloped in eternal beauty and divine blessing. What do you say? I shall grant you, and you alone, the love that even Zeus covets.”
The moment her breath brushed against my neck, an instinctive desire threatened to wipe my mind blank.
But in that split second, the faces of the four women I had left at the castle flashed through my mind.
Remembering them, I drew a trembling breath and firmly pushed her gentle hand away.
“Goddess, your proposal is an honor beyond what any human could dare imagine. However, I have already made precious promises to those I must protect. To me, the sincerity of the women who breathe, suffer, and grow old beside me is far more valuable than the eternal love of a god.”
I took a step back, meeting her eyes with a courteous but unwavering expression.
“Beauty pleases the eye, but love sustains the soul. Your temptation is sweet, but my heart is already full; there is no room left for anyone else to force their way in. Therefore... I must ask you to withdraw your offer.”
At my answer, Aphrodite's expression froze instantly.
It seemed I had just become the first person to ever reject the goddess of beauty, wounding a pride that had never known defeat.
“A rejection... did you just say that? To me? To Aphrodite?”
The moment I finished speaking, the sweet fragrance surrounding us vanished, replaced by a chilling, oppressive pressure.
“How dare you... do you intend to commit such an insult?”
“I apologize, but I have wives, and I cannot accept your offer. It seems I have no choice but to be insulting.”
At my resolute words, Aphrodite glared at me with blazing eyes.
“...You will regret this. In the end... you will come to me.”
With those final words, the goddess vanished, leaving me alone to ponder the warning she had left behind.
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