67

"Please, be my wife."

"Wha…?"

What did I just hear…?

Wife…?

"A… A wife?"

"Exactly. Marry me."

I was bewildered.

My mind tried to comprehend the situation unfolding before me, but it was no use.

I knew Athena loved me.

She had already whispered countless sweet words of love to me.

But I never imagined it was this intense kind of love.

I thought she cherished me only as family, as a dear friend.

But Athena shattered that thought entirely.

I could only blink in shock at her startling confession.

'This… This is too sudden!'

"I'll love you forever. I'll give you everything you want."

"Wa… Wait…"

"All you have to do is give me your life."

"Hold on…"

"I wanted to confess in a more romantic way, but I just can't hold back anymore."

As she spoke, Athena began to undress.

A sticky fluid trailed between her underwear and skin.

In the face of this provocative sight, I was momentarily dazed.

Athena gently caressed my cheek, urging me to respond.

"Hera. Give me an answer."

Her face appeared gentle, but there was a sense of urgency in her eyes.

"Ah… No, we… we're…"

"If you're going to say we're family, just forget it."

"Wha…?"

Athena pinpointed exactly what I was about to say.

"Hera. We're not blood-related. There's only one way to become family."

"….."

She continued as I sat there in a daze.

"We just need to get married."

"….."

"And also…"

Athena smirked mischievously and slid a finger over my underwear, moving it gently.

"Haah?!"

"Family members don't get wet like this for each other."

A place that had never been touched before.

As Athena rubbed that sensitive area, a high-pitched sound escaped from my mouth.

"Hnngh…?!"

And as her fingers continued without stopping, I stretched out my arms, grasping her hand to pull it away.

"A… Athena… We can't do this…"

"Why not?"

"Be… Because…"

Because we're family.

Because we're both women.

I wanted to say those things, but…

Athena's eyes burned intensely, as if those feeble words would never reach her.

'Ah… But marriage… that's too…'

I had never considered it.

I had always loved her as family.

Of course, I had started feeling strange emotions toward her recently…

But I never thought she would look at me with such desire, so I naturally set those feelings aside.

But it seems I was wrong.

Athena's flushed cheeks and her rough breaths conveyed the truth of her words.

Since when…

Since when did she start liking me this way…?

Could it have been since the moment she made me her servant?

Or perhaps, from the first time we kissed?

As I recalled the memories we shared, too many suspicious moments came to mind.

To think all those actions stemmed from her romantic love for me.

And yet, I had unknowingly accepted all her gestures.

'Uh… What should I do…?'

I had never been confessed to in my life.

Because of that, I had no way of knowing how to handle a situation like this.

And to make it even more confusing, the person in question was none other than Athena.

Not only that, it wasn't just a request to date—it was a proposal.

What on earth should I do?

'F…first, maybe I should refuse…'

"Hera, you think too much."

"Huh?"

Athena began to brush her fingers along my chin, questioning me one by one.

"Hera. Do you love me?"

I answered with a trembling voice.

"I love you… but as family—"

"I'll say it again. We're not family."

"Ugh…"

We may not be family by blood…

But still…

I've always thought of Athena as family…

In an instant, she denied the feelings I've held for her.

"Of course. Can you live alone without me?"

"…."

At her words, which sounded low and calm for a moment, a chill of fear crept over me.

Without Athena…? Alone…?

No. Absolutely not.

Mari likes me too, but I still couldn't fully accept her feelings.

The mysterious love Mari has for me, the interest without reason—it always felt like it might vanish at any moment.

And Lily and Dania… they're people I can no longer meet.

No, I don't want to show them my pitiful self. I don't want to meet them.

They're cherished people within my memories.

The only person by my side now, the only one I can truly feel at ease around, is Athena.

The one and only person who shows me unconditional kindness despite how pathetic and incapable I am.

Without her, I could never survive alone.

I quickly turned my head and replied.

"Ah…no…if you're not here…I…"

Athena looked at me, smiled softly, and gently patted my head.

"That's the same for me, Hera. A world without you has no meaning."

"….."

Her immense affection for me instantly calmed the creeping fear rising within my heart.

"Last question, Hera."

Athena said this and then slid her hand inside my underwear.

She started gently tapping – my private part, a place I hadn't even touched myself, with her fingers.

"Haa..?! Haa-ang?!!"

"Do you feel sexual pleasure with me?"

"Hya-oot…! Hhht…Haa-at…?!"

When the lower abdomen was pressed, it felt completely different. A dizzying sensation flowed down to the sensitive area.

"Don't tell me you're not feeling it. You're completely soaked like this."

As Athena held the fingers that had just been exploring inside my underwear up to my face, I saw her fingers glistening, covered in a sticky liquid.

"This… this is…"

"It's your own arousal, Hera."

"Ugh…"

Embarrassment washed over me at her words.

A liquid that naturally comes from a woman's body when she's excited.

I only knew about it in words. But seeing it for real like this, it was overwhelmingly embarrassing.

Squelch—slurp—

As Athena touched my crack again, the lewd sound of her fingers rubbing against my arousal filled the room.

"Haa… ngh… haa…"

"Tell me. You're feeling it right now, aren't you?"

Athena spoke with a mischievous smile. Feeling a surge of emotion, I raised my voice at her.

"If… if you rub that place like that, of course anyone would…!"

"Not at all?"

"Uh…?"

"Most people, if someone else touches their erogenous zones, would feel nothing but disgust and repulsion."

"Hah… don't… don't touch me…!"

"But you, instead of feeling repulsed, are releasing this kind of fluid."

Squelch, squelch–

"Haa… haah…!"

"I'll ask again, Hera. Do you feel sexual pleasure from me?"

"Ugh… haa…"

I wanted to say no.

But this intense feeling flowing through my body was undeniably pleasure.

And already, my body was responding to her touch, accepting it as pleasure.

In the end, I couldn't help but admit it.

Sigh–creak–

"Haa…!!..It…It feels…so good..!"

Then Athena chuckled softly and whispered in my ear.

"Love each other, can't live without each other, and crave each other like this. Why wouldn't we get married?"

"Ma…marriage…"

"I'll love you every day. I'll take care of you every day. I'll make you happy every day."

She left a deep kiss on my forehead and proposed once again.

"So, Hera. Be my wife."

"….Hnn.."

As her sweet words flowed into my ears,

my heart slowly began to change.

There was nothing wrong with what she said.

I couldn't live without Athena.

I wanted her with my heart, and at some point—my body, too.

Marriage with Athena…

If Athena would love me for a lifetime,

Would it be wrong to become lovers…?

Or rather, if she became my wife, I could have her attention all to myself forever.

Desires began to squirm within my darkened heart.

But for some reason, I still felt a sense of resistance to the word 'marriage.'

In the end, after hesitating for a long time, I cautiously expressed my feelings to Athena.

"Ma… marriage… I'm still… not really sure…"

"…."

Athena flinched at my words.

Having spent more time as a man, I couldn't possibly dislike the idea of a beautiful woman like Athena loving me for a lifetime.

No, rather, I was in love with her, too.

It was just that all this time, I had kept our relationship bound within the walls of family.

But since Athena herself had broken down that wall, the meaning of family no longer applied.

If, as Athena said, I truly wanted to become family with her, then marriage would be the only option.

Yet my heart wasn't ready to enter such a profound relationship like marriage.

But I didn't want to grow distant from her either.

So, I mumbled a response to her confession.

"Can't we… start as a couple?"

If we started as a couple… I think it'd be alright.

After spending time with Athena as lovers, perhaps I'd eventually grow accustomed to this sudden shift in our relationship.

"..."

Athena stared at me blankly for a while.

"…So, you're accepting me as a romantic partner?"

Athena's face was hard to describe in words.

Like a bomb about to explode, a powerful storm of emotions swirled in her eyes.

Blushing shyly, I responded to her.

"Yeah… I think it'll be… okay…"

I was still overwhelmed by her sudden confession.

But accepting this new relationship didn't seem like a bad idea.

"....I love you, Hera."

Athena's face broke into a smile full of joy.

Seeing her face filled with deep emotion, I, too, felt a warmth stirring within.

My dear family… no.

She wouldn't be just family anymore.

My girlfriend… as she laughed happily, my heart felt warm too.

'Come to think of it… Athena is my first…'

I never imagined this.

Before the possession, I had never dated anyone.

I thought I'd never have a romantic relationship in my life.

But now, for the first time in my life, I have a lover.

And it's someone I love. She may not be family…but I still love her.

My first girlfriend.

There wasn't any special reason.

I just wanted to convey this precious feeling to her.

"Athena… Actually… I've never dated anyone before…"

"….."

"You're my first…"

"….."

"S-so… please take care of me…"

Slice

"…What?"

"...It's your fault for tempting me, Hera."

The moment, my mind went completely blank.

Along with the sensation of something deeply piercing my lower body, I felt a tearing pain.

"Huh… huh… ah…?"

In a dizzying shock, it was as if I could see stars sparkling before my eyes.

When I looked down, trembling, to locate the source of the pain,

I saw her finger inside me.

"Huh… ek…?"

Drip—

Scarlet blood started dripping down, tracing her finger and falling onto the bed below.

Athena, watching this scene, stared in a daze for a while.

"Hera's virginity… ha…"

Then, she began muttering in an unnervingly low voice.

"Hera. Hera. Hera. Hera. Hera."

"A… Athena… wait…"

"Shh."

An overpowering energy, unlike anything I'd felt before, started to fill the space around her.

Athena looked at me intently, her gaze fierce, and then spoke to me in a growling voice, as if angry.

"I won't… be gentle with you."

Crack—

And so, Athena's finger plunged deeper inside my body.

"Huh…?"