“Hoo...”
Rustle—
“Hm?”
While resting in the cool night breeze, I turned toward the sound of someone suddenly approaching from the opposite direction.
“...Astellon.”
“...You are... Goddess Artemis?”
The figure who appeared before me, just as I was remaining wary of the noise, was none other than the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis—the same goddess I had met once before to lift Atalanta’s curse.
If there was one difference, it was that her aura seemed far more relaxed than it had been during our previous encounter.
“...What brings you here, Goddess?”
Puzzled by her sudden appearance, I politely asked the purpose of her visit.
“...You seem to have forgotten, but this mountain is a hunting ground I designated as my own.”
At those words, I briefly looked around at my surroundings.
“...Is that so? I had forgotten for a moment.”
I bowed my head slightly in response to the goddess.
“In that case, I believe I have been an intruder. I shall leave at once.”
Just as I turned to depart,
“...Wait.”
Artemis called out to stop me.
“...Yes?”
I turned back and looked at her.
“....”
However, Artemis, who had stopped me, said nothing.
She simply gazed at me.
“...Goddess?”
“...Astellon.”
When I finally spoke, she softly called my name.
“...Why are you looking at me like that?”
Sensing that there was something hidden in her gaze, I asked.
“...I don’t know.”
Artemis answered, her eyes still locked onto mine.
“Pardon? What do you mean...”
“It’s strange.”
Whether she had even heard my question was unclear, as Artemis merely murmured to herself.
“Until just a moment ago... everything felt the same as always.”
Her gaze remained fixed on my face, refusing to waver.
“...But now...”
Trailing off, Artemis stopped speaking and began to approach me—slowly, very slowly.
One step.
Then another.
Flustered by her advance, I asked,
“...Goddess?”
“...Stay still.”
At her command, I froze. Artemis came to a halt directly in front of me and raised her hand, stopping it just inches from my face.
“....”
Then, her hand lightly brushed against my cheek.
“...You are warm.”
“...Pardon?”
“You are human, so it is only natural. And yet... strangely, I find myself wanting to keep confirming it.”
As she spoke, her hand remained pressed against my skin.
Sensing that the situation was becoming precarious, I hurriedly spoke up.
“...Goddess. This is...”
“Be quiet. I am thinking.”
Despite my words, she narrowed her eyes, studying me intently.
The look in her eyes resembled that of a hunter analyzing its prey, yet there was something fundamentally different about it.
“...My heart is racing.”
“...What?”
“It is not battle, nor is it the hunt. This is truly strange.”
She fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.
“...Astellon.”
“...Yes.”
“...When I look at you... I feel as though I don't want to let you go.”
Artemis slowly closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, the look in her pupils had changed completely.
“....I see.”
She spoke in a tiny voice, now filled with absolute certainty.
“...So this... is love.”
There, beneath the light of the full moon, the Goddess of the Hunt became aware of her own heart.
Her words drifted quietly through the night air.
Unable to find any words of my own, I could only stare at the goddess before me.
“...”
Eventually, Artemis slowly withdrew her hand.
The warmth on my cheek gradually faded away.
“...I see.”
Murmuring softly, Artemis looked at me one last time.
“...I shall return for today.”
“...Pardon?”
“The hunt is over as well... Astellon.”
“...Yes, Goddess.”
“...We shall meet again.”
Leaving behind that single promise, Artemis vanished into the moonlight.
“...What on earth... was that just now?”
I remained standing in that spot for a long time.
“...Just what kind of day is today?”
I muttered to myself, running a hand through my hair in disbelief.
Two deities had descended in one day; one had tried to seduce me, and the other had confessed her love.
“...Ha.”
I let out a short, weary sigh.
“Let’s go back.”
With that, I made my way down the mountain.
Time flowed quietly after that.
I returned to my duties as king.
I cleared the backlog of paperwork, discussed state affairs with my ministers,
and resolved the grievances of my people.
“Now, to the next item on the agenda.”
“...Your Majesty, regarding this matter...”
“Postpone it. We will handle this other one first.”
My days returned to their usual routine, yet whenever a full moon rose in the night sky, I found myself gazing upward for no particular reason.
And every time I did, I felt as though a certain gaze was watching me from somewhere far away.
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