Our journey pressed on, the path ahead stretching under the muted light of an overcast sky.
But after what had happened the night before… things felt heavier.
More awkward. Like an invisible wall had settled between us.
Even though we'd kissed while doing it, the goddess had spent most of today keeping her distance. She walked slightly ahead of me or just out of reach, eyes focused anywhere but mine, her expression unreadable.
What was going on?
Was I nothing more than a way for her to warm herself in the cold? A temporary comfort? A distraction she used to relieve herself and then quietly step away from?
That thought itched at the back of my mind. But no… I didn't want to believe that.
The goddess wasn't that kind of person. She wasn't cruel. She might've been ridiculous, stubborn, and way too full of herself—but not cold-hearted.
At least… that's what I chose to believe.
Still, there was always that sliver of doubt.
What if she was just that good at pretending? What if the air-headed act was a front, and beneath it all, she was just manipulating me?
I shook the thought away.
But the awkwardness of our situation wasn't just about her anymore.
There was also Cecilia.
She walked with us, sure—but she kept her distance.
Not too far, but far enough to make it clear that she wasn't comfortable.
Her gaze kept flickering toward us, and every time I caught her looking, her cheeks were flushed.
She quickly turned away, pretending to look at trees or rocks or the sky.
Was something wrong?
Even though I was walking ahead, alert and scanning for threats, I couldn't help but glance back at her now and then.
My attention was split between the path and the strange tension between all of us.
The wilderness around us was strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
I was still unnerved by the total absence of monsters in the area.
Even considering the signs of a large-scale monster movement we'd seen, it felt… unnatural.
Calling it a "movement" didn't feel right, considering all the variables—especially with what Cecilia had said.
Still, despite all the unease, the day passed without incident.
We made it through without encountering any danger, and by some stroke of luck, managed to gather enough food along the way.
Enough to sustain ourselves for a while longer.
According to our rough estimate, we were just two days away from the next village.
When dusk finally settled in, the forest dimming into hues of deep violet and amber, I turned to them.
"We should start preparing. This is going to be our resting point tonight," I said.
Without waiting, I got to work.
I gathered what dry wood I could find and built a fire.
The warmth crackled to life, casting dancing shadows on our tired faces.
We sat around it, eating quietly.
There wasn't much to say.
Once we finished, we arranged our sleeping gear in silence.
***
Cecilia and the goddess shared a sleeping bag—one not meant for two people—which left them pressed together more closely than either of them would've liked.
It was tight. Suffocatingly so.
But there was no other option.
Still, Cecilia couldn't sleep.
Her eyes were open, staring at the night sky as thoughts churned relentlessly in her mind. Her cheeks felt warm for reasons she wasn't sure she wanted to admit.
Eventually, unable to keep her curiosity bottled up any longer, she whispered into the cramped air between them.
"Um, Lady Goddess… are you asleep?"
"I'm not," came the soft reply.
Her eyes were closed, but clearly, she wasn't asleep yet.
Probably due to how cramped the bag was.
"I… I didn't ask this before," Cecilia began hesitantly, her voice quiet, "so it's kind of awkward to bring it up now, but… are you and Sirius… lovers?"
"H-Hrmmmmmmm?!"
The goddess's eyes flew open wide, her entire face freezing in disbelief.
And then, slowly, the color began to rise in her cheeks, creeping like fire up to the tips of her ears.
"M-Me and Sirius?! No way… hahaha…" Her laugh was nervous, too high-pitched to be genuine. "I couldn't possibly… I mean, a goddess like me falling in love? Much less with a mortal? That's… that's just not possible."
Despite how fiercely she denied it, her voice wavered.
The stutters came uninvited.
Her body was tense.
Cecilia looked at her quietly. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
They turned to face each other, and the motion brought their chests together... firmly.
The sleeping bag wasn't made for space or modesty, and the sudden press of softness made the goddess squirm slightly.
"It's not like I like him or anything," she added quickly. "Sirius is a jerk. And besides, do you really think someone like me—a goddess—would fall for him, a mortal?"
Cecilia didn't answer.
Not because she didn't have one, but because she couldn't tell what the truth was anymore.
If the goddess was telling the truth, then they weren't lovers.
But maybe… maybe she was just too embarrassed to admit what was really going on.
Cecilia hesitated, then tried again.
"Can I ask you another question?"
"S-Sure," the goddess replied, visibly flustered. "As long as it's not about me and Sirius being lovers, which is, again, completely impossible, then go ahead."
"Why are you… traveling with Sirius?"
It was a simple question, yet one that had never been answered.
Even though they'd been traveling together for days, Cecilia had never gotten a clear reason why the goddess was with him in the first place.
It wasn't like she completely forgot to ask.
Well… part of it was forgetting.
But the other part was that she didn't want to pry.
She figured something must've happened between the two of them to lead to this situation.
Cecilia wasn't the nosy type, and she kept telling herself it wasn't her business.
But given how things had been lately… she couldn't stop herself from asking.
"T-There's no other reason, really…" the goddess said. "If I had to give one, well… let's just say I'm being forced to be with him…"
All because of that blessing—one that randomly activated just because he punched her in the face.
That single moment somehow dragged her down from the divine realm, where she'd been peacefully handing out blessings, and now she was stuck here, in the mortal world, traveling with him.
"I don't think I have much of a choice, honestly. I'm stuck supporting him all the way now. Back when I was still in that realm, I only ever did three things. Watch the mortal world, talk to the chosen ones I'd bless… then go back to watching the mortal world again."
"I-Isn't that just two things?" Cecilia pointed out.
The goddess didn't even acknowledge it. "But now I have to do everything. I'm lighting campfires with my fire magic, walking these ridiculously long distances, and then not even getting a bath for days… or weeks. This is honestly hell. But I've got no choice but to stick with him. I mean, what else can I even do? If I don't stay with him, he's probably just going to mess everything up. Though, in the end, he's the one helping me…"
Cecilia silently stared at the goddess.
She loves him…
That was the only thought running through her mind as she watched her.
Even though the goddess was trying so hard to act indifferent—pretending to hate Sirius with every word—it was obvious. She was in love with him.
She just couldn't admit it to herself.
And deep down… Cecilia felt like Sirius had feelings for the goddess too.
Where does that leave me? she asked herself.
If those two were already at that kind of level of affection… then what was left for her?
Was there even any space in this party for someone like her?
There wasn't.
From the very beginning… there never was room for her to squeeze in.
"Hey, Cecilia, are you even listening?" the goddess asked, snapping her from her thoughts.
"Yeah. Well… I guess that satisfies my curiosity for now. I'm gonna sleep," Cecilia replied.
She turned over in her sleeping bag, making sure her back was to the goddess. She didn't want to see her face anymore.
The goddess tilted her head, clearly confused about why Cecilia had even asked all of that in the first place.
Later that night… the goddess quietly slipped out of her sleeping bag and crawled into Sirius's.
And there—once again—they started doing it.
***
It happened again the night after that…
Once more, the goddess slipped out of her sleeping bag, and Sirius ended up doing it with her again.
Cecilia barely got any sleep through most of the night.
They were always at it.
She was having a hard time herself.
Not because of anything serious...
But because of the sounds—those damn moans—they kept making.
It was impossible to ignore them, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but get off to it.
It was honestly frustrating—just lying there under her sleeping bag, her hand buried down there, trying to rub herself to sleep while hearing that.
She was at her breaking point.
"Ahhhh, hnngghhh, hnnn, haaannnnn~~♥..."
The goddess's voice echoed through the forest.
It was maddening how loud she was, and how completely unaware the two of them were that she was awake the entire time.
"Hnngghhh~... Hnnn...♥... Hnnnnn..."
While the two were doing it, Cecilia was pressing her thighs together while rubbing herself through her panties.
"Ahhhh...~ I-It feels good down there...~ D-Do you feel good too, Sirius?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't."
"Fufufu~ T-That's right… My body is divine, right? Of course it feels good. I'm the goddess, after all…"
The goddess and Sirius were clearly enjoying themselves.
And Cecilia... she was left alone.
Left to just touch herself, trying to chase some hollow climax in the dark.
She envied them.
They were having so much fun.
And she was here—frustrated, horny, and stuck listening to their moans while trying to get herself off.
'You two… This isn't fair. So not fair at all…'
She pouted, her fingers still moving through the damp fabric of her panties.
Her frustration was boiling over.
It was crawling under her skin.
She couldn't even cum properly anymore.
'Didn't Lady Goddess say she wasn't in a relationship with him?' Cecilia thought. 'Then she can't complain if I decided to join in too, right?'
It was a selfish thought.
And maybe, it was something she shouldn't do.
But it felt like a good idea.
She liked Sirius too.
So it only felt natural to take her shot.
With that, she sat up.
"Eeeekkk!!!"
The goddess let out a high-pitched shriek the moment she saw Cecilia suddenly rise.
Her eyes went wide as Cecilia stepped forward, rising from her sleeping bag.
The goddess immediately backed off, her whole body trembling in surprise.
Both she and Sirius tried to act like nothing was happening.
But it was too late.
Cecilia had heard everything.
She stood near them, hands on her hips, glaring straight down at the two of them.
She looked like she was about to scold them like a pissed-off older sister.
"I know you two are doing it," Cecilia said bluntly.
"D-Doing what?" the goddess asked, trying to play dumb.
"You're having sex under that sleeping bag, aren't you?"