The front doors of the Hearth Mansion swung open, allowing the soft afternoon light to spill into the lively main living area.
The Hestia Familia had been gathered around the large central table, discussing their own upcoming schedules, but the entire room fell into a collective silence the moment Yuuya and Alfia stepped across the threshold.
Hestia blinked, her jaw dropping slightly as she jumped up from her chair. Lili paused mid-sentence, while Welf, Mikoto, and Haruhime simply stared in utter amazement. Bell, who had been reviewing a dungeon map, looked up and let out a soft breath of awe.
"Wow..." Haruhime was the first to speak, her fox ears twitching as she clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. "Lady Alfia, you look absolutely breathtaking! The royal blue... it matches your hair and eyes so beautifully."
"It's beautiful, Lady Alfia." Mikoto agreed. "It suits you very well."
"You actually managed to pick out something decent for once." Hestia hummingly admitted, crossing her arms with a proud nod. "I gotta hand it to you, Alfia. It suits you perfectly. You look like royalty."
"It's a big change compared to Yuuya's oversized clothes." Added Welf.
"Lili agrees, it's like a breath of fresh air."
Alfia stood near the entryway, the gold embroidery of her overskirt catching the warm hearth fire.
Throughout her entire life in the Hera Familia, she had been showered with praise, but those compliments had always been laced with fear, reverence, or sometimes even out of political necessity.
People had praised her power, her talent, or her presence as the "Silence."
There's no one, as far as she could remember until now—except for Meteria—had ever just looked at her as a person and offered a genuine compliment about a simple dress.
For the first time in her life, a strange, blossoming warmth expanded inside her chest. The praise didn't feel heavy or tedious, it actually felt genuinely good.
'They are truly happy for us.' Her other self murmured gently. 'There is no fear in their eyes, no hidden motives. They just want us to feel welcome. It's a beautiful feeling, isn't it? Go ahead and answer them.'
A soft, nearly imperceptible smile touched Alfia's lips. She looked toward the goddess and the others, her posture straight and dignified as she addressed them in her formal tone—the one she typically uses when talking to someone who isn't Bell or Yuuya.
"Your kind words are deeply appreciated, Goddess Hestia, Mikoto, Haruhime, and the others. The seamstresses at the boutique were remarkably thorough in their craft. I am pleased that the appearance is acceptable to the house."
Then, her gaze shifted to her nephew, who was still grinning broadly from the table. Her expression softened instantly, her casual, relaxed voice returning without a single shred of hesitation.
"And what about you, Bell? Do you intend to simply gawk at your aunt all afternoon, or do you actually have an opinion to offer?"
Bell rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing slightly as he laughed.
"Ah! Sorry, mom. I was just really surprised. You look amazing! The colors really fit you, and Yuuya did a great job helping you choose."
"He has a surprisingly decent eye when he isn't being loud." Alfia noted smoothly, though the slight warmth in her eyes betrayed her casual teasing.
A few paces behind her, Yuuya remained leaning against the doorframe. He had quietly set down the remaining shopping parcels, opting to step back and watch the interaction unfold from the shadows of the entryway.
As he watched Alfia converse with Bell, seeing the genuine comfort in her posture and the soft, beautiful smile gracing her features, a bittersweet warmth settled behind his ribs.
Alfia was surrounded by the Hestia Familia, her expression open and warm in a way he had rarely seen. She was laughing softly at something Hestia said, her heterochromatic eyes bright with genuine happiness.
She looked happy. Truly, unreservedly happy.
And the sight of it made Yuuya's chest ache with a quiet, bittersweet warmth.
'Look at her.' He thought, his gaze lingering on the soft curve of her smile. 'She's radiant. She's finally starting to heal. She's finding joy in the little things—in being surrounded by people who care about her, in feeling beautiful, in simply being alive.'
A faint, quiet smile touched his lips, but it didn't reach his dark eyes.
'She's happy...' Yuuya thought to himself, his gaze locked entirely on her silhouette. 'When she looks like that... how can I possibly confess? How can I ever tell her... that I like her?'
Yuuya was fully, undeniably aware of his own emotions.
He had fallen for her completely.
He didn't know when it had happened—when the protective fondness had quietly deepened into something more.
He didn't know exactly when his gaze had started lingering on her a moment too long, when her smile had started making his heart race, when the thought of her happiness had become more important to him than his own.
But he knew it had happened.
He had fallen for her. Completely, irretrievably, hopelessly fallen for the woman who had once been nothing more than a tragic figure from a story, a shadow from a past he had only read about in digital archives.
He loved the quiet strength she possessed, the sharp wit she used to tease him, and the vulnerable, honest sides she only ever showed when the two of them were alone.
Yet, a stubborn doubt held his tongue, keeping him locked in silence.
'What if I risk it, and I'm wrong?'
He didn't know the truth behind her actions.
Was she staying close to him, leaning on his arm, and seeking his comfort and presence because she was genuinely developing romantic feelings for him?
Or was it simply the result of her trauma?
She had spent seven years in isolation, tortured by the things her mind makes up and whatever's down there in the seventieth floor. It was entirely possible that her attachment to him was just a deep, psychological dependence born from relief and lingering emotional wounds.
If he let his selfish desires win and risked a confession, and the answer turned out to be the latter... he would ruin everything.
He would force an unbearable weight onto her shoulders.
It would make things incredibly odd and uncomfortable between them.
Worse yet, it might shatter the fragile peace she was finally finding within the Hestia Familia.
If she felt pressured or guilty, she might never be able to smile as happily as she was smiling right now.
They couldn't just magically roll back the clock and pretend nothing happened.
You cannot simply go back to being friends with someone you used to love, someone for whom you harbor deep, burning romantic feelings.
The relationship would be fundamentally broken.
And Yuuya was entirely unwilling to risk her peace for the sake of his own heart.
'I can't risk that.' He thought, his resolve hardening even as his heart ached. 'I can't risk losing her completely. I can't risk making her unhappy. If I confess and it goes wrong, she might never be this happy again. She might never feel comfortable around me again. And that... that would be worse than anything.'
He had already made a promise to himself: he would always prioritize Alfia's happiness over his own.
He would stand true to that vow, no matter what the cost.
If keeping her safe, smiling, and whole meant carrying this affection to his grave, then he would willingly endure it.
So Yuuya decided, that until the very day he dies, or until the day he finally broke beneath the weight of his own unspoken feelings—whichever of the two came first—he would remain right here.
He would watch from the side, a permanent shadow in her light, more than happy enough as long as Alfia was happy.
The laughter of the Hestia Familia echoed through the warm room, drawing a soft, beautiful chuckle from Alfia as she replied to something Welf said.
Yuuya lowered his gaze, looking down at his own boots as a weak, self-deprecating laugh escaped his throat.
The sound was entirely silent, swallowed by the ambient joy of the mansion.
He shook his head slowly, a bitter taste lingering in his mouth.
"I'm such a coward..." Yuuya whispered to himself, his voice a barely audible, pathetic murmur meant for no one to hear. "Just a pathetic person. Just a coward..."
He shook his head slowly again, a sad, resigned smile settling on his face as he stared at Alfia again.
'But I'd rather be a coward than lose her.'
∆∆∆∆
While Bell continued to talk animatedly about the map on the table, Alfia's gaze subtly drifted toward the edge of the room.
No matter how much the others distracted her, and no matter how engaging the conversation with her nephew became, her awareness never truly left the person who had brought her here.
Through her peripheral vision, she kept a constant watch on Yuuya.
She saw him leaning casually against the doorframe, a familiar, easy smile resting on his face.
From her position across the room, that smile looked entirely genuine.
A soft sense of reassurance settled into her chest.
'He truly is happy for me.' Alfia thought, a quiet wave of warmth washing over her as her cheeks developed a slight blush.
She thought he must be happy.
Happy for her.
Happy that she was getting along with his Familia, that she was finally starting to feel like she belonged.
Happy that she was smiling and laughing and enjoying herself.
While that wasn't entirely wrong, she failed to notice the faint, lingering shadow of sadness hidden deep behind his eyes, nor could she hear the quiet, self-deprecating words he whispered to himself.
To her, he simply looked content.
'Look at him...' Her other self suddenly whispered. 'Look at how completely we have fallen for that boy. You can't even look away from him for more than a few seconds without checking. Every single glance, every thought... it always loops right back to Yuuya. We can't even enjoy a simple conversation with our own son without checking to see if he's watching.'
Alfia didn't frown, and her mental voice lacked any of its old annoyance as she offered a quiet deflection. Though, there was still some hint of exasperation.
'You are being ridiculous. My life has always been riddled with loss.' Alfia thought back. 'I do not even understand what love truly is. I have never experienced it. I do not know how to recognize it, let alone define it.'
Her inner voice let out a laugh.
'And yet, here you are. Blushing at his smile. Seeking his presence even when you are surrounded by others. Feeling a warmth in your chest that has nothing to do with the temperature of the room.'
Alfia's blush deepened, but she didn't respond.
'Your denial is the dangerous part.' Her inner voice continued, its tone gentle but firm. 'You keep telling yourself that you are simply grateful, that you are simply clinging to him because of your trauma. But that is not the full truth, and you know it.'
Alfia's gaze flickered toward Yuuya again, her heart giving a small, painful flutter.
'When will you finally disappear?' She thought, her mental voice carrying a note of quiet resignation. 'This voice... this constant commentary... when will it end?'
The mental voice didn't waver, answering instantly with a calm certainty.
'Until the day you finally become honest to yourself. That is the only time I will fall silent. You should confess.' The voice urged, its tone carrying a quiet, earnest warmth. 'You should make your feelings clear to him. Clarify to him just in case he thinks that you are staying close to him because of your trauma. Tell him that you are staying close to him because of who he is. Because of how he makes you feel. Because you want to be by his side.'
Alfia remained silent, her jaw tightening slightly.
'You are not being close to him because you are broken, Alfia. You are being close to him because you are falling in love with him.'
The word hung in her mind like a delicate, fragile thing.
Love.
Was that what this was?
This warm, aching feeling in her chest?
This desperate desire to be near him, to hear his voice, to see his smile?
She didn't know. She didn't understand.
'I am not going to confess.' She thought back, her mental voice carrying a note of stubborn finality. 'I do not even know what I feel. How could I possibly confess something I cannot even name?'
Her inner voice let out a soft, knowing sigh.
'Then at least stop pretending. Stop telling yourself that this is nothing. Stop hiding behind your trauma and your confusion. You know, deep down, that this is more than just gratitude.'
Alfia didn't reply.
'If you continue to do nothing... you will risk losing him.''
For the first time, Alfia remained entirely silent. She didn't push the voice away, nor did she demand for it to shut itself up. She simply let the words hang in the quiet corners of her mind, her eyes still tracing Yuuya's bright, forced grin.
Then, her other self sighed. It was a sigh of deep annoyance and frustration, the same thing she does when something annoys her back in the day.
'You are being pathetic.' Her other self continued, the tone shifting into a sharp, uncompromising reminder. 'Again, if you choose to sit back and do absolutely nothing, you risk losing him entirely. And I am not talking about another woman stepping in to take him away from us. If my guess were true, that Yuuya does indeed think you are staying close to him because of your trauma—then one day, Yuuya might just have enough. He might finally tire of the silence, grow exhausted from carrying the weight alone, and simply walk away. One day, he might get tired of waiting. Tired of hoping.'
Alfia's heart clenched painfully at the thought. A cold, sharp spike of fear lanced through her chest.
But she pushed it down.
She pushed it down with all the stubborn, fierce willpower she possessed.
And it's in place, a surge of stubborn pride flared within Alfia's chest, completely rejecting the warning.
She simply refused to believe it.
Her trust in Yuuya was just as stubborn as she is, carved from the very moment he had reached into the jaws of death to pull her back into the living world.
He was the one who had made the choice.
He had looked at her, fading and cursed, and declared that he chose her over everything else.
'No. He won't get tired of me.' Alfia resolved silently, a fierce, firm certainty settling into her mind. 'He brought me into his life, and he gave me a future. I will make sure he takes full responsibility for me. He isn't going anywhere.'
Alfia paused.
'...He said he chose me.' She thought, her mental voice slightly trembling. 'He said he would stay by my side... He promised. Yuuya does not break his promises.'
Her inner voice was silent for a moment.
It realized that it was too harsh—judging by the small shakiness in Alfia's voice.
So when it finally spoke, its tone was softer, carrying a note of gentle warning.
'He said he chose you, yes. But what happens when that silence starts to crush him, Alfia? What happens when his feelings become too heavy to bear? What happens when he decides that the best way to make you happy is to step away from you?'
Alfia's hands trembled slightly, but she didn't respond.
'He is human, Alfia. He has limits. He has needs. He cannot live in the shadows of your uncertainty forever.'
Alfia felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye, but she blinked it away. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't let the fear consume her.
'You are wrong.' She thought, her mental voice carrying a note of stubborn defiance. 'He will not leave. He promised. I trust him.'
Her inner voice let out a soft, sad sigh.
'As stubborn as always...' The voice fading into a distant, melancholy whisper. 'Very well. If the day ever comes when something happens that you cannot undo, do not come back to the dark, to me, regretting your choices and crying over what you broke. Remember that I tried to warn you.'
Alfia didn't reply. She stopped listening. She pushed the words to the back of her mind, burying them beneath the warmth and comfort of the moment.
She allowed herself to sink fully into a state of blissful ignorance, completely shielded by her stubborn trust in Yuuya.
She knew him. She trusted him.
And in her mind, as long as he was standing there smiling at her, nothing bad could ever happen.
She looked at Yuuya again, watching his smile, feeling the familiar flutter in her chest.
'He won't leave.' She thought, a quiet, almost desperate certainty settling in her heart. 'He promised. I trust him.'
She let the warmth of the moment wash over her, basking in the glow of his presence, refusing to let the shadows of doubt creep in.
She was happy. He was happy. Everything was fine.
She didn't notice the faint, lingering sadness in his eyes. She didn't see the quiet ache in his smile.
All she saw was warmth. All she felt was trust.
And for now, that was enough.
∆∆∆∆
Author: Well... even I was surprised by what I wrote.
Read this part also before we begin the OMAKE, as this concerns Yuuya and Alfia's relationship. As well as my thoughts about the chapter while making it.
This is one of the chapters I really put my mind into. I put myself in Yuuya's position, trying to imagine myself in a similar situation and this is what came out.
Truly, you cannot remain friends with someone you used to harbor feelings for. I experienced that myself so I know it very well. You began to view and treat that person different after that kind of event.
For those who are frustrated at their situation, please try to understand Yuuya and Alfia's circumstances.
Nothing goes easy in life. Not everything is all sunshines and rainbows. They just cannot simply go and say "Hey I like you." to each other and live happily ever after.
Additionally, I'm trying to make their relationship, especially its build up, realistic.
For us readers, it might be easy because we can see their thoughts and feelings, but for the two of them? They are entirely blind unless they speak up.
And that's the thing, they can't speak up.
If Yuuya tries to ask Alfia how does she really see him, about what they really are, that's basically the equivalent of a confession.
As for Alfia, she's stubborn. She trusts Yuuya way too much. Personally? I would blame it upon the experiences she has gone through in her life.
She had lost Meteria, she left Bell to become a villain—even though she told Bell she chooses him, and everything that follows after that.
In her long existence, this is the first time she's happy again. She's experiencing happiness again. She was feeling human, feeling this pleasant, addicting warmth that she had never experienced or perhaps, forgotten.
And most of all, she is trusting someone. And it's not just a simple trust, she put her entire trust into Yuuya. For a person like Alfia, trust is no simple thing. Especially her level of trust on Yuuya.
And if I were to be completely honest, even if Yuuya confesses now, Alfia might not accept it. Not in a way she rejects Yuuya, but simply because like she said, she doesn't understand love. If I were to give a reference, it'll be something close to Kimi wa Meido-sama.
Oof, I've spoken too much. Well, I don't really want to argue with my readers. I suggest you guys just try to see it in my own point of view, as well as Alfia and Yuuya's.
And to wash away the bitterness left by this chapter, here, enjoy the OMAKE. Though obviously, it's not canon. (I can't believe I have the urge to point this out. It's just that... some readers are sometimes dumb and make ridiculous comments.)
∆∆∆∆
OMAKE
∆∆∆∆
The Hostess of Fertility was alive with its usual roar of laughter, clinking glass mugs, and the rich aroma of roasted meats.
Tonight, the pub's grand center tables had been completely pushed together to accommodate a rare, massive joint dinner between the Hestia and Loki Familias.
At one end of the long table, Loki and Hestia were already locked in a loud, childish argument over the last piece of fried chicken, while Lili and Welf tried desperately to keep the peace.
Bell sat politely answering questions from a cheerful Tiona, though his eyes frequently darted toward Ais, who was entirely focused on her plate of potato puffs.
Nearby, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth shared a quiet drink, observing the chaotic youth, while Mikoto and Haruhime neatly organized the incoming platters brought out by the waitresses.
Sitting comfortably near the center of the fray, Alfia took a small, delicate bite of a sweet fruit tart, her long silver hair draping over her shoulders. She was dressed in her royal blue gown, her posture perfectly relaxed as she leaned subtly against Yuuya's side.
Yuuya, enjoying a cup of juice, offered her a warm smile, completely content with the peaceful domesticity of the evening.
Even Bete's occasional loud grumbling from across the table couldn't ruin the atmosphere.
Then, the air in the center of the tavern violently fractured.
A sharp, deafening pop echoed through the room, instantly silencing the laughter and chatter. The temperature plummeted in a split second, a heavy wave of pressure rippling outward that caused Finn, Riveria, and Yuuya to drop their cups and instinctively put up their guard.
Right in the middle of the open floorboards, a swirling, iridescent rift in space tore open. The portal crackled with unstable violet energy, hovered for a brief three seconds, and then abruptly dropped a small object onto the floor before vanishing into nothingness with a loud snap.
Every single adventurer stood up, those who have their weapons have it half drawn, eyes locked onto the center of the room. Mia stepped out from behind the bar, her iron ladle held high, a fierce scowl on her face.
But as the smoke cleared, the tense silence shifted into bewilderment.
Sitting on the wooden floorboards was a child. She looked to be around five years old. As she slowly pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, a curtain of sleek, unmistakable silver hair cascaded over her small shoulders.
The little girl shook her head, letting out a soft, frightened sniffle. She raised her face to look at her strange surroundings, revealing her eyes to the crowded room. Her right eye was a brilliant, vibrant green, while her left eye was a clear, misty gray.
For all intents and purposes, she looks like a flawless, miniature copy of Alfia.
(Author: yep, in the future or 'after story' segment of this book, this is Alfia and Yuuya's first born. And yes, Yuuya's genes didn't even try lol.)
Riveria's jade eyes widened to the size of saucers, her gaze darting restlessly between the child and the mage sitting at the table.
Alfia herself completely froze, her fork slipping from her gloved fingers and clattering loudly against her plate. Her heterochromatic eye locked onto the little girl, her breath catching squarely in her throat as she stared at a face that looked impossibly like her own.
"What in the world..." Loki muttered, her usual squint opening completely as she stared at the kid. "Hey, Riveria... am I drunk, or does that brat look exactly like—"
"A child?" Finn interrupted, his intellect working a mile a minute as he looked at the spatial distortion that had just closed. "Where did she come from?"
The sudden movement and the sea of towering, unfamiliar faces completely overwhelmed the little girl.
Seeing the fierce looking wolf beastman Bete scowling in confusion, and the massive, imposing figure of Gareth, her tiny lower lip began to tremble violently.
Her heterochromatic eyes shimmered with a layer of tears, and a frightened, breathless sob escaped her lips as she shrunk back, looking thoroughly distressed and lost in the massive pub.
She turned her head frantically, searching the crowd of strangers for anything familiar, her chest heaving with panic.
Then, her frantic gaze swept past Bell, past the stunned form of Alfia, and locked squarely onto Yuuya.
The little girl instantly froze.
The tears welling in her eyes stopped entirely. A sudden, radiant warmth flushed over her small face, wiping away every single ounce of her terror.
Her eyes brightened with recognition, and a massive, beaming smile broke across her features, lighting up the entire room.
Without a single second of hesitation, she scrambled to her small feet, extended her tiny arms wide, and sprinted straight toward Yuuya's chair, her voice echoing through the silent tavern with joyful happiness.
"Papa!" The child exclaimed as she hugged Yuuya's leg.
Every single person present in the tavern froze into solid stone.
The word echoed off the wooden beams of the tavern, hanging in the air like a thunderclap.
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Nobody even breathed.
Then, the Hostess of Fertility exploded into chaos.
"WHAT?!" Hestia screamed, slamming both hands onto the table so hard the remaining plates of food hopped into the air. Her face going through a spectrum of color, her twin ponytails practically shaking with shock. "Yuuya! You have a child?! Since when?! Why wasn't this registered in the Hestia Familia ledger?! Who allowed you to hide a secret toddler from your Goddess?!"
Right beside her, Lefiya pushed her chair back, pointing a dramatic, trembling finger at Yuuya as her ears flushed a deep pink.
"A secret lover?! I knew it! Human adventurers are all the same! You put on a flashy, noble front with your high level, but behind the scenes, you're hiding scandalous, forbidden relationships! Who is the mother, Yuuya-san?! Speak the truth!"
"Oh ho ho! Did someone say scandalous secrets and secret children?"
Out of nowhere, the tavern's side window slid open with a smooth click.
Hermes materialized on the windowsill, leaning inward with that usual grin plastered across his face.
He was already holding a small leather notebook, his eyes sparkling with glee.
"Please, don't mind me, everyone! Carry on! I wouldn't miss this level of premium Orario gossip for all the Valis in the Guild vault! Tell me, Yuuya, is she from the Far East? Or perhaps a hidden noble line?"
In the middle of the shouting, Bell completely short circuited. He sat rigidly in his chair, his white hair practically standing on end, his eyes spinning in literal circles.
He looked at Yuuya, then at the silver
haired child, and then back to Yuuya, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. He was entirely, beautifully bamboozled.
"Y-Yuuya-bro... a father?" Bell squeaked, his voice cracking horribly. "But... but how? When did you even have time to... to become a papa?!"
Loki was howling with laughter, pounding her fist on the table, while Tiona bounced up and down in her seat, squealing about how cute the child was.
Even Mia stood behind the bar, her jaw slack as she stared at the little girl currently clinging to Yuuya's leg.
"Hold on! Wait a single minute! Everyone, shut up for a second!" Yuuya yelled, his hands flying up in a state of panic. His face was pale, and a river of nervous sweat was pouring down his neck as the entire tavern at him.
"I don't even know what is happening right now! I've been single for years! I don't have a secret lover! I don't have a kid!"
The little girl didn't care about his denial. Hearing his loud voice, she simply giggled, her tiny, chubby arms wrapping tighter around his knee as she buried her face into his dark trousers, completely attached to him.
Desperate to get a grasp on the insane situation, Yuuya slowly knelt down on one knee, bringing himself to the little girl's eye level. He braced his hands on his thighs, his heart hammering against his ribs. He looked closely at her sleek silver hair, then at her striking, heterochromatic eyes—the right a vibrant green, the left a misty, clear gray.
He swallowed hard, forcing his voice to become as gentle and unthreatening as possible.
"Hey there, little one... let's calm down a bit, okay? Can you do me a big favor and tell me what your name is?"
The little girl let go of his leg, wiping the last of her tears with the back of her sleeve. She looked up at him, her large eyes blinking once, twice, before she beamed with pure angelic sweetness.
"Meteria!" she chirped happily.
The entire tavern collectively gasped.
Bell flinched, his head snapping toward the child. Across the table, Riveria's hand froze on her staff, and Finn's eyes narrowed.
But the person hit hardest was Alfia.
Her entire body turned rigid, her breath catching squarely in her throat.
Meteria.
It was the name of her deceased twin sister—Bell's mother. The weight of the name dropped like an anvil, but before anyone could even process the shock, Yuuya pressed on, not letting the significance of it weigh too much on anyone who's aware of Alfia's sister. Especially on Alfia herself.
"Meteria... okay..." Yuuya muttered, rubbing his temples as he tried to think logically. "That's a very pretty name. But where are your parents, Meteria? Who brought you through that weird portal?"
Meteria giggled, finding his confused, strained expression utterly adorable. She raised a tiny, chubby finger and pointed it right at Yuuya's chest.
"Papa!" She said firmly.
Then, without missing a beat, the little girl turned her head. Her bright, heterochromatic eyes locked squarely onto the frozen, wide eyed form of Alfia sitting right next to him.
Meteria's smile widened, her tiny hand shifting to point directly at the silver haired mage.
"Mama!"
The air in the Hostess of Fertility instantly plummeted to absolute zero.
The roaring laughter from Loki died in her throat. Hestia's jaw literally dropped so low it looked like it would unhinge. Bell looked like he had just witnessed the gods fall from heaven, his brain completely melting down.
Every single gaze in the room shifted from the child, to Yuuya, and finally landed square on Alfia.
Yuuya sat frozen on his knee. He processed the words. He processed the pointing finger.
Slowly... mechanically... his neck turned. His head rotated toward Alfia with the stiff, creaking movement of an unoiled machine.
His face completely contorted, shifting into the exact expression of a thoroughly heartbroken, deeply wounded, betrayed dog. His dark eyes trembled with a mixture of sheer shock and comical despair as he looked up at her.
Completely ignoring the fact that the child had just literally called him Papa, Yuuya blurted out the first ridiculous thought that entered his panicked brain.
"You had a kid, Alfia?!" Yuuya gasped, his voice full of dramatic, accusing betrayal. "And you didn't tell me?!"
Alfia, who had been trying to process the impossibility of the situation, slowly turned her glare down toward him. Her right green eye and left gray eye narrowed as she looked into him.
"Yuuya..." Alfia whispered, her casual voice dropping into a quiet, terrifying purr that made the floorboards vibrate. "If you do not use your brain within the next three seconds, I will personally ensure you never speak again."
But before Yuuya or Alfia can speak another word, the silence in the pub shattered into a spectacular, comically chaotic uproar.
"YOU TWO?!" Hestia's voice reached a pitch that could have shattered every window in Orario. Her face went entirely pale before flushing a furious, repeating shade of red. She pointed a shaking finger back and forth between Yuuya and Alfia, her twin ponytails practically standing on end. "The two of you were hiding this?! A whole child?! Alfia, you've only been out of bed for a short while, how is the timeline even working right now?!"
(Author: if I were to give this a timeline, this would occur after Alfia was announced to be alive in the public.)
"Oh, this is gold!" Loki shouted, clutching her stomach as she practically slid off her chair from laughing so hard, tears pricking the corners of her closed eyes. "The terrifying Silence and the Incarnation of Talent?! I knew you two were acting way too close, but a whole miniature copy?! Finn, write this down! Orario's history books just got a massive rewrite!"
Across the table, Bell let out a strangled, pathetic squeak before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, form slumping sideways straight into Welf's arms.
"Bell! Stay with us, buddy!" Welf yelled, shaking the short circuited boy while trying to process the news himself.
Beside them, Haruhime was frantically covering her blushing face with her wide sleeves, letting out tiny, high pitched fox noises of pure romantic overload.
Even Riveria looked completely derailed. Her eyes darted between the tiny silver haired girl and the adult version, her mind completely breaking down as she tried to calculate the impossible spatial magic and genetics on display.
"Silence your tongues, all of you!" Alfia suddenly barked, slamming her gloved hand onto the table. The sheer force of her voice caused the entire tavern to flinch, instantly silencing the roaring crowd.
She stood up fully, her royal blue gown shifting elegantly, though her face was a fierce, burning crimson.
Alfia leveled a formal, freezing glare at the Loki and Hestia executives.
"I assure you all, I do not possess a child. It is entirely impossible and completely nonsense. I have spent the last seven years in isolation, and I have certainly never given birth to a daughter!"
But the moment her booming voice echoed through the room, the little girl clinging to Yuuya's leg flinched violently.
Meteria's large, heterochromatic eyes widened as she looked up at the tall, shouting woman.
Seeing her mother looking so loud, fierce, and scary—not the gentle mother she was used to, the toddler's lower lip began to tremble uncontrollably. The bright, angelic smile vanished from her face, replaced by a sudden look of heartbreak.
"Mama is being loud..." Meteria whispered, her tiny voice cracking as big, fat tears began to well up in her green and gray eyes. She looked at Alfia with tragic betrayal. "Mama is being... mean. Does mama... not want Meteria?"
"Wait, no, that is not what I—" Alfia stuttered, her defensive mask instantly slipping as a sudden wave of panic hit her.
She had faced down the OEBD without blinking, but the sight of a weeping, miniature version of herself made her completely freeze.
Meteria burst into a loud, dramatic sob. She turned completely away from Alfia, climbed onto Yuuya, and burying her face straight into Yuuya's chest as he quickly gathered her up into his arms to soothe her.
Clinging tightly to Yuuya's shirt with her tiny, chubby hands, the little girl began to wail, her complaints pouring out in a remarkably familiar, stubborn, and articulate fashion that made everyone's jaws drop.
"Idiot mama!" Meteria wailed through her tears, her voice carrying the exact, dramatic tone Alfia used when she was being difficult. "She's being entirely unhelpful and completely unreasonable! She wants to reject me and leave me behind like a forgotten ornament! She's about to turn me into a lonely, pathetic orphan! Papa! Tell mama if she continues opposing us like this, I am going to be grumpy and ignore her for a whole week!"
The entire tavern stared in stunned silence. The vocabulary, the specific phrasing, the stubbornness—it was an identical, five year old carbon copy of Alfia's personality.
Yuuya, who was gently patting the toddler's back to calm her down, slowly turned his head back toward Alfia. He still held a tiny bit of that comically betrayed expression on his face, but a deeply mischievous, teasing smirk quickly cut through his panic.
Seeing a golden opportunity to get back at Alfia for always calling him a brat, he decided to lean entirely into his daughter's fiasco.
"Shh, it's okay, Meteria. Don't cry." Yuuya said in a loud, comforting voice, deliberately making sure the entire room could hear him. He glared playfully at Alfia, shifting the little girl securely onto his hip. "You're completely right. Your mama is a massive meanie indeed. An heartless human blizzard. Don't worry, Papa's got you. We don't need her attitude anyway."
Alfia's jaw dropped slightly, her green and gray eye twitching as she stared at the two of them.
"Yuuya... you unmitigated brat. Stop fueling her delusions this instant!"
"Waaaah!"
Alfia's command had the exact opposite effect she intended.
Little Meteria's crying escalated from a soft whimper into a full blown, heartbreaking meltdown. She buried her small face even deeper into the crook of Yuuya's neck, her tiny fists clutching the fabric of his shirt as her silver hair ruffled against his collar.
"See, Papa?! I told you!" Meteria wailed through her dramatic tears, her voice muffled but perfectly audible in the quiet pub. "She is using her scary, strict voice again! She is completely trying to disown me! She is going to pack my bags, abandon me in the middle of a dark alley, and leave me in a cold, lonely adoption center! I am going to be a neglected orphan!"
"Wait, no! I never said anything about an adoption center!" Alfia stuttered, her demeanor instantly crumbling into a frantic panic. She took a half step forward, her hands hovering awkwardly in the air as she tried to figure out how to stop a five year old from accusing her of child abandonment. "Listen to me, child, I am not abandoning—"
"There, there, Meteria. Papa's got you." Yuuya interrupted in a loud, incredibly soothing voice, rubbing the little girl's back as he gently swayed her from side to side. He looked up at Alfia, his face shifting into a thoroughly smug, challenging look that practically radiated mischief. "Don't listen to her, sweetie. Papa won't let her send you away. Even if your mama tries to deport you to a adoption center, I'll protect you from her wrath. She might be the Silence, but she can't break through a father's love."
"Yuuya!" Alfia hissed, her cheeks burning a bright, furious crimson as she glared at him. "You are actively making this worse!"
Meanwhile, the surrounding audience of adventurers, who had been completely frozen in shock just a moment ago, underwent a total transformation.
The initial terror of a spatial anomaly and the confusion of a timeline breaking child completely faded away, replaced by the collective realization that they were witnessing something truly historic.
The legendary Silence, the same woman who had killed the Leviathan, is currently being completely and utterly defeated by a toddler.
The tension in the pub snapped, and the crowd began to thoroughly enjoy the domestic drama unfolding right before their eyes.
Loki slammed her empty mug onto the table, a grin splitting her face as she gestured wildly toward the bar.
"Hey, Mama Mia! Bring out another three rounds of ale and a giant bowl of those roasted nuts! Nobody move a single inch! I am not missing a second of this! This is a million times better than any theater performance!"
"Go get her, Yuuya!" Tiona cheered loudly, bouncing up and down in her chair with a giant sparkle in her eyes. "You make an awesome dad! Don't let the scary silver haired lady bully the cute little baby!"
Even Riveria had to quickly raise her sleeve to cover the lower half of her face. Her shoulders were trembling slightly, a soft, rare amusement glinting in her eyes as she watched her rival completely lose control of a shouting match to a five year old version of herself.
Gareth let out a deep, booming laugh that shook the dust from the ceiling beams.
"To think the strongest mage of the Hera Familia would meet her match in a pint sized mirror. The universe has a twisted sense of humor, that's for sure!"
Hestia, while still a bit pouting about the mystery of where the kid came from, crossed her arms and proudly puffed out her chest.
"Well, if Yuuya is the dad, that technically makes me a grandmother! And as a Goddess of the Hearth, I demand that my grandchild be treated with the utmost care! You tell her, little Meteria! Don't let that mean, stubborn woman scare you!"
"Mama is a big, heartless human blizzard!" Meteria hiccuped from Yuuya's shoulder, instantly adopting his phrasing as she pointed a watery, accusing glare at Alfia.
Alfia felt the temperature in her face skyrocket to unprecedented levels.
She looked around the long table, finding absolutely zero allies. Her nephew, Bell, was still completely unconscious, his head slumped lifelessly onto Welf's shoulder as Welf quietly snickered at the show.
Everyone else was actively cheering for her complete social downfall.
She looked back at Yuuya, who was rocking their supposed daughter with a perfectly punchable, victorious smirk on his face.
"You..." Alfia muttered, her right green eye and left gray eye narrowing as she took a deep, steadying breath, trying to summon every ounce of her willpower to not blow up the entire tavern. "Both of you are being completely unacceptable."
Alfia stood frozen, her chest rising and falling as she tried to maintain her ground.
She is Alfia, a woman whose name once caused entire nations to tremble in silence. She was not supposed to be defeated by a three foot tall child and a smug adventurer.
'This is merely an illusion. A very strong one.' Alfia reasoned to herself, her mind desperately grasping for any logical explanation. 'A temporal anomaly designed to confuse me. I will not be beaten by it.'
But right then, little Meteria stopped her loud wailing. Hearing her mother's silence, the toddler slowly pulled her face away from Yuuya's collar. She turned her head, her glassy eyes peeking over his shoulder to look directly at Alfia.
The child's heterochromatic eyes were wide and shimmering with unshed tears. Her tiny nose was flushed a bright, healthy pink, and her small lower lip stuck out in a pathetic, trembling pout that perfectly mirrored the expression Alfia made whenever Yuuya bought the wrong type of tea leaves.
Meteria sniffled softly, letting out a tiny, adorable hiccup. Then, she slowly let go of Yuuya's shirt and extended her small, chubby arms out toward Alfia, her tiny fingers making a weak, grasping motion in the air.
"Mama..." Meteria whispered, her voice incredibly soft, fragile, and completely devoid of its earlier dramatic flair. "Up? Please?"
That was the final nail in the coffin.
The sight of her own unique traits, wrapped inside such a small, vulnerable, and completely innocent form, hit Alfia squarely in her heart.
A strange, overwhelming wave of maternal instinct completely bypassed her stubborn pride. The tension in her shoulders vanished, and her clenched fists slowly uncurled at her sides.
Letting out a long, defeated sigh, Alfia took two steps forward, stepping right up to Yuuya's side.
"You are a remarkably difficult creature." Alfia murmured, her voice dropping into a soft, unexpectedly gentle register that surprised everyone in the room.
She reached out her gloved hands and carefully took the little girl from Yuuya. The moment Meteria was transferred into her arms, the toddler immediately wrapped her tiny limbs around Alfia's neck, burying her face into the soft white ruffles of her collar.
"Mama smells like sweet sugar and winter flowers..." Meteria mumbled happily, her tears instantly drying up as she snuggled comfortably against her mother's chest.
A burning crimson rushed across Alfia's face at the child's innocent words. She quickly shifted her gaze away from the grinning crowd, holding the little girl securely against her shoulder. Despite her intense embarrassment, her hold on the child was remarkably steady and protective.
Yuuya crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair with that punchable, victorious grin.
"See? I told you she was just a big softie underneath all that scary magic. You handled that beautifully, mama."
Alfia leveled a glare at him over the child's silver head.
"Silence, brat. Do not think you are absolved from this. The very moment we return to the manor, you and I are going to have an incredibly long, detailed discussion about your choice of words."
"Hey, I'm just supporting our daughter." Yuuya laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender.
The domestic peace, however, was short lived.
Just as Loki was about to call for a toast to celebrate Alfia's sudden maternal defeat, the air in the center of the Hostess of Fertility fractured once again.
The same violent, iridescent violet rift tore open, crackling with a strange, humming resonance that drew everyone's attention.
Little Meteria blinked sleepily, her head lifting from Alfia's shoulder as she looked at the glowing portal. A look of sudden realization crossed her small face.
"Ah... so soon..." Meteria noted, her small voice carrying a surprisingly mature, calm tone that made her sound exactly like a mini-Hera executive. She looked up at Alfia, then down at Yuuya, her tiny arms giving them both one final, tight squeeze. "My time is up. I have to go back to the future manor now."
Yuuya's playful smirk faded, replaced by a soft, genuine warmth as he reached up to gently pat the little girl's head.
"Take care of yourself, kiddo. Don't cause too much trouble for the future versions of us."
"I won't! Papa is the one who always gets scolded anyway!" Meteria chirped happily, sliding down from Alfia's arms.
She took a few steps toward the swirling violet rift, but right before she stepped through the threshold, she paused and turned back to face them.
Her green and gray eyes sparkled with mischief as she placed her small hands on her hips, delivering one final parting shot.
"Oh, and papa? Mama?" Meteria beamed, her voice echoing clearly across the entire silent tavern. "Future big brother Bell told me to remind you! You two need to stop being so incredibly stubborn, especially you mama! And just get married already! If you don't confess soon, I'm never going to be born, and papa will have to keep sleeping on the ground for another three years! Bye-bye!"
With a joyful wave of her tiny hand, the little girl turned and hopped straight into the portal. The violet rift snapped shut with a sharp, echoing pop, leaving behind nothing but a few lingering stray sparks and a completely stunned atmosphere.
The silence in the pub lasted for a full five seconds.
Then, the entire tavern erupted into a hurricane of roaring laughter, teasing whistles, and slamming mugs.
Loki was practically rolling on the floorboards, howling so hard she couldn't breathe, while Hestia was screaming about a forbidden future wedding.
Across the room, Bell had somehow fainted a second time, his white hair practically smoking from pure embarrassment for his family's sake.
Right in the center of the chaotic storm, Yuuya and Alfia stood completely frozen side by side.
Both of their faces were painted in an identical shade of burning, radiant crimson.
The weight of the child's final words hung heavily between them, shattering their usual easy, casual banter.
For the first time in their lives, neither of them could summon a single word to break the silence, completely unable to even look each other in the eye as the tavern celebrated around them.
End of OMAKE.
∆∆∆∆
Author: damn, that actually made me curious and gave me an urge to make a side story where little Meteria doesn't return to the future but instead stays.
But meh, I could barely manage one chapter per week. But I'll surely think about it. If I do proceed with it, it'll probably be a short series.