Chapter 155 - 155: 150- Date With The Goddess (1)

A few days later.

Luki stood before the mirror, combing his hair. He was wearing the same slightly stylish formal outfit he had bought earlier, splashing on the same cologne, and styling his hair the exact same way.

'Talk about déjà vu.'

Why was Luki dressing like this again? Simple: the day of his date with Freya had finally arrived.

"It's ten minutes to eleven. If Luki-sama doesn't hurry, he'll be late."

Luki turned his gaze, the sense of déjà vu growing stronger by the second.

Unlike that other day, this time Lili was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning slightly forward with her hands gripping the wooden frame. She was already wearing her Hostess uniform—that signature light green and white waitress dress.

"You know, that outfit actually suits you well," Luki remarked casually, offering a friendly smile.

Lili blinked, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she quickly looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Hmph... You really are something else. Hestia-san was right about your sweet-talking, Luki-sama."

"Don't say that," Luki laughed softly, shaking his head. "You know I never intended for any of this to happen."

"I know..." Lili sighed, shifting her weight on the bed. "But you also didn't intend to get yourself dragged into a date with a Goddess, yet here we are."

"Ehhh... you got me there. Touché, Lili... Touché."

Coincidentally, today was one of Lili's workdays at the Hostess of Fertility. As agreed, her shift started early—right at noon—and ran until nine at night. A nine-hour workday for a girl her age was undoubtedly tough, but she took it in stride.

While Luki was prepping for his date, she was busy getting ready for her own long day ahead.

"See you later, Lili. Take care," Luki said, stepping closer.

He gently took her hand and pulled her into a careful, comforting embrace. Making sure to keep it brief, mindful not to mess up her hairstyle or any of those complex "girl things" he didn't quite understand.

Lili, however, didn't seem to care about the details at all.

"Mmmm!!!" she tightening her arms around him, pressing her head against his stomach.

She stepped back with a reassuring look. "You take care too, Luki-sama. Come back safe and sound to Lili—and especially sane, given who you are meeting."

With a bit of reluctance, the two finally parted ways, and Luki stepped out of the hotel. He began making his way toward the tower of Babel, blending into the crowd as if it were just another ordinary workday. But deep down, he knew today would be anything but simple.

...

Meanwhile, at the very top of Babel, on the 50th floor...

"Uhm... Maybe this one? No, it's way too revealing. He specifically asked for something casual."

A completely unbelievable scene was unfolding inside the private chambers of the Goddess of Beauty.

Freya, the supreme deity of love and war whose divine charm could bring nations to their knees, was currently surrounded by piles of clothes scattered across the floor.

She was materializing garment after garment from thin air, pressing them against herself in front of a full-length mirror, only to toss them aside with a frustrated sigh. Acting exactly like a nervous teenage girl prepping for her very first date.

Which, truth be told, was a quite accurate description of her current state.

"Ottar, what do you think of this one?" Freya asked, turning around to showcase a sleeveless white sundress decorated with faint lilac floral patterns, cinched gently at the waist. She reached up, holding her silver hair into two playful side-pigtails. "If I pair this with some cute hair ties, it would look pretty endearing, wouldn't it?"

Standing like an immovable statue amidst the sea of discarded fabrics, the towering Boaz captain didn't blink. "Freya-sama looks absolutely breathtaking in any attire she chooses to wear."

"You've said that before. Multiple times, in fact," Freya pouted slightly, letting her hair drop back down. "What a generic response."

"I speak only the truth, Goddess," Ottar replied, his deep voice remaining flat and disciplined. "Anyone should feel thoroughly honored that you are exerting this much effort just to choose a casual outfit."

Freya let out a soft, amused chuckle, throwing a playful glare at her captain. "Heh. Ottar, you really are useless when it comes to this."

Frustrated, Freya decided to take a break and walked out onto her expansive open terrace, stepping up to the stone ledge to gaze down at the sprawling city below—her absolute favorite pastime.

Today was the long-awaited day of her date with Luki, her true soulmate, or at least that was what she believed with every fiber of her being. Yet, despite having an entire week to prepare, she still didn't feel ready.

This had never happened to her before.

Freya was genuinely nervous; she wanted everything to be flawless. She wanted to look perfect!

As far as her mortal brain memory could recall, she had never felt an emotion quite this intense—and surprisingly, she was thoroughly enjoying it. To her, it was just further proof that Luki was the one.

Of course, saying she was entirely unprepared was an exaggeration.

She had meticulously selected a breathtaking, shimmering black gown that sensually hugged her curves and left her back completely exposed. It was a masterpiece... but then Luki had to go and ask her to wear something casual.

Thud!

Freya smacked the wall in mild frustration. "Honestly... playing with a Goddess's feelings like this," she muttered, a mock pout on her lips. "Would it have killed you to tell me that at least five days earlier?"

Letting out a resigned sigh, Freya leaned over the low stone ledge of the balcony, pressing her breasts against the stone as her gaze drifted across Orario. But the moment her eyes locked onto the central plaza below, she froze.

Down by the grand fountain, exactly as they had agreed, stood Luki. He was already there, patiently waiting for her.

With an uncharacteristically stiff movement, Freya slowly turned her head toward the grand grandfather clock ticking away in the corner of her room.

A cruel, undeniable reality struck her.

"Oh, shit..." she muttered under her breath.

Ottar's eyes widened slightly in surprise, completely taken aback to hear such unrefined language slip from his usually elegant deity's lips.

She was late. For her own date. In her own home.

"I'm late!"

In an instant, Freya's regal posture vanished, replaced by a whirlwind of pure panic.

She spun on her heel, her silver hair whipping through the air as she dashed back inside from the terrace.

"Yup!"

But them, her foot caught the edge of a stray silk nightgown, sending her stumbling forward into a spectacularly ungraceful face-plant straight into a mountain of fabrics on her bed.

She scrambled right back up, tossing pillows aside, kicking discarded hangers across the floor, and frantically searching through the chaotic sea of clothes she had created.

"Ottar! Don't just stand there like a statue, pass me the lavender sundress! No, wait, the blue one! Ah, forget it, just give me whatever is closest to your hands!"

Still frozen in surprise, his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, Ottar looked around. Abandoning any attempt to overthink his options, he reached out without ceremony and grabbed the very first garment his fingers brushed against.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit! My hair—I didn't do my hair! I need to wash it. No, I'll ruin my mak—shit, I forgot to put on makeup! Screw it, I need a shower! I'm going to be late! I'm already late!!"

In a sheer frenzy, Freya snatched a heap of things from his hands and dashed toward the bathroom... only to halt and return a second later, her head hanging low in temporary embarrassment upon realizing she had sprinted in the wrong direction.

Bam!

Freya slammed the actual bathroom door so hard that thin cracks spiderwebbed across the surrounding wall.

From the other side, a chaotic symphony immediately erupted: the rustle of fabric, light objects being frantically tossed onto the floor, and the rush of running water.

Meanwhile, Ottar remained standing in the middle of the room, staring at the closed door. In the end, he simply shook his head, a faint, contented smile spreading across his scarred face.

For as long as he could remember, Ottar had been by Freya's side. To him, she was his savior, his goddess, and the closest thing to family he had ever known. He was one of the few who truly understood her; beneath all the dazzling smiles and divine elegance, he knew just how heavy the burden of her immortal existence could be.

But lately—ever since she started spending time with that fellow named Luki Bryan—Freya had been changing. It wasn't a disguise or a temporary whim to amuse herself. For the first time in centuries, her joy felt completely real.

Silently, the Level 7 captain offered a brief prayer that everything would turn out well today, hoping that whatever was bringing this new light into her life would last.

...

Down in the central plaza,

Luki stood near the edge of the stone fountain, his arms crossed over his chest as he tapped his foot in a slow, impatient rhythm. His gaze remained fixed entirely on the grand entrance of the Babel tower, watching each passing figure with the expectation that someone would finally emerge from the massive structure.

'Where is she? Did I arrive too early?' He mused—not necessarily anxious about the possibility that she wouldn't show up and he'd miss the date, yet still finding it odd.

Suddenly, a voice echoed directly inside his mind—smooth, velvety, and dripping with an effortless grace that could only belong to one person.

'Forgive me, Luki-kun. I am running just a few minutes late. Would you mind waiting a little longer for me?'

Luki blinked, looking up toward the towering height of Babel before shaking his head with a wry smile. 'A few minutes? Sure, take your time. I'm already here anyway.'

'Thank you. You are quite the gentleman,' her voice purred softly in his thoughts before fading away, leaving him alone with the sound of the fountain.

That was at eleven o'clock.

One hour passed. Then, another.

Two hours. He had been standing by a fountain, looking like an idiot, for two full hours. The casual charm of the day had officially vanished, replaced by a deep irritation.

"A few minutes, my ass," Luki muttered under his breath, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "Good thing there's a light breeze blowing; otherwise, I'd be frying by now...."

"My, what a dreadful expression for such a handsome face."

Luki turned around on his heel, the sharp retort already forming on his lips, but the words died instantly in his throat. Standing just a couple of steps away was Freya.

She wasn't wearing her usual extravagant, divine gowns. Instead, she wore a simple white linen blouse that showed her collarbones, tucked into high-waisted lavender trousers with a thin brown belt, and flat sandals on her feet. Her signature silver hair was pulled back into a high, slightly messy ponytail, with a few stray strands framing her face.

She looked undeniably beautiful—a fact Luki noted with detached clarity—but that was it. His mind remained entirely clear, untouched by the overwhelming divine allure that usually brought men to their knees.

"You're late," Luki said flatly, crossing his arms and fixing her with an unamused stare. "Two hours late, to be exact. I was about to leave."

Freya offered a smooth, apologetic smile, though her eyes held a spark of genuine amusement as she observed his calm, stubborn demeanor. "My deepest apologies, Luki-kun I hope a gentleman like you can find it in his heart to forgive a lady's slight delay."

"Slight delay?" Luki let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Right. Well, at least you actually listened to me about the clothes. You look... normal."

Freya's smile widened slightly at his compliment. "You like it? I'm glad. It was quite difficult picking out an outfit... something casual for a low-key first date, so to speak. Most women's clothing in Orario consists of long skirts, highly revealing outfits, or shorts so short they could easily pass for underwear. Because of that, I decided to try something completely new by adopting a slightly more masculine style—like these fitted trousers."

"Yeah, I can agree with that," Luki replied, recalling the images of various women he had seen around the city—all of whom perfectly matched her description. "Wait a minute, what did you just say? You made that?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"No, it's just..." Luki rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a defeated breath. "Ugh, never mind. You're a goddess. Why am I even surprised?"

"Fufufu..." Freya let out a soft, melodious laugh at his reaction. "So... Luki-kun."

"Just call me Luki. Where I come from, we don't use honorifics after names."

"Very well... Luki," she corrected herself smoothly, her eyes locked onto his. "What do we do now?"

"Honestly... I have no idea."

Freya blinked, genuinely caught off guard. "What?"

"What is it? Surprised that your supposed 'other half' isn't doing his absolute best to win you over?"

"Fufufu, you truly are full of surprises, Luki."

"No, I mean... wait, I'm sorry," Luki sighed, his tone softening as his defensive walls dropped a bit. "I think I'm being too rude to you again, for no reason."

"No, it's quite fine, I understand," Freya murmured gently. "You must be nervous, right?"

"...A little, but that's no excuse to act like that toward you. It's unfair."

Luki raised his hand to his head, running his fingers through his hair to smooth it out. Hours of waiting under the sun had naturally tousled it, leaving a few damp strands sticking to his forehead from a light sheen of sweat.

"Freya... I can call you that, right?"

"I thought we'd already agreed on that before," she noted smoothly.

"I say the same," Luki replied, letting out a soft sigh. "Look... I'm sure nothing romantic will come of this, but I'm still going to try to make this a good experience for you, okay? For today, at least, let's... just act like normal people on a first date. Getting to know each other, showing some interest. Sound good?"

Freya stared at him for a long moment without saying a single word. Her violet eyes searched his face, trying to read the baffling sincerity of a mortal who stood before her entirely unfazed, yet showing a grounded, respectful maturity.

There was no lust in his gaze, no desperate urge to please her. Just a honest proposal to treat her like a human being.

"I couldn't agree more," she finally replied, a soft, genuine smile gracing her lips.

"So... shall we go?" Luki asked, shifting his weight. "Ah, I should offer you my arm, or-"

"I would be up for it," Freya interjected playfully, tilting her head. "But the way you want things, the most probable answer would be no. We are just getting to know each other today, after all."

"Yeah... fair point."

"I know a quiet coffee shop nearby. Up for grabbing a drink?" She offered it while pointing somewhere.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." He replied with a touch of forced optimism—not because he disliked the concept, but simply to avoid sounding rude by giving too curt of an answer.