I Became Artemis’ Boyfriend

The next morning.

The sun rose brightly, heralding the start of my first date with Artemis.

The weather was perfectly clear, not a cloud in sight.

A cool breeze was blowing, but with my coat ready, there was no problem.

“Why do I have to carry this bag?!”

“Tsk, Goddess. You should take care of your own tent.”

“Not only the tent, but there are all sorts of random food supplies stuffed in here too! It’s heavy, I tell you!”

“Anyway, all this stuff will be gone after lunch and dinner, so what’s with all the complaints?!!”

Our voices arguing in front of the Temple’s entrance steadily grew louder.

My attempt to lighten her load with the sudden addition of this bag before our hike had backfired, trapping us here before we even set off.

Considering I’d only packed camping supplies that would all be consumed, I didn’t understand her complaints.

Besides, she is stronger than me anyway.

The expressions of the Female Priestesses who’d come to bid us farewell fell flat.

They looked as if watching their parents bicker from the doorway just as the family was about to go on a rare, pleasant trip.

Artemis is usually harsh with the priestesses, treating them like mice, but I remain a Priest, devoted to Artemis.

I have an obligation to protect and lead the priestesses who worship Artemis, but also to guide the direction we should take.

Though we don’t have much dignity or authority to preserve, I’d rather not be the center of attention for arguments.

“Alright, I’ll carry the bag. Stop whining.”

“Ah! Fine already? You’re so irritating, really!”

When I extended my arm to take her bag too, Artemis, seemingly annoyed by something else, quickly hid it behind her back.

Dealing with Artemis, whose mood swings are like clockwork, makes me feel like my soul is fleeing.

Pfft!

Had she correctly read my face, which said I was feeling both annoyed and tired?

Artemis swiftly kicked me in the shin out of irritation, then turned her back and looked around for something.

A moment later, she waved happily at something invisible and smiled.

Then, she made a circle with her thumb and index finger, putting it in her mouth and let out a loud whistle.

A large stag leapt over and affectionately rubbed its head against her chest.

Artemis reciprocated by caressing the stag’s antlers.

“Alright, alright. Just drop this bag off at the summit for me.”

After putting the bag on the stag’s back, Artemis pointed to our destination with her finger.

The stag bowed its head briefly before starting to leap back up toward the summit.

“Ahahaha. Excuse me… Lord Artemis, who governs the moon and nature? Could you also take care of my bag…?”

“You can carry your own bag, can’t you?”

She ignored my small request, sniffing dismissively as she walked ahead.

Would it really twist her stomach to grant even one small wish of her servant?

Tch, that’s too much.

I left a request with the priestesses to take care of the temple today and followed Artemis’s back.

It took less than an hour to reach the summit.

After all, it wasn’t that tall a mountain, and the temple itself was built on a flattened part of the middle slope.

“Ark, prepare the tent and all the food quickly.”

“Yeah~ Lady.”

“W-W-W-Who said I’m ‘lady’?! How disgusting!”

Artemis, suddenly red-faced, burst out angrily and left the camping site, claiming to go for a walk.

Damn, can’t she take a joke?

Still, it was a good thing Artemis stepped away for a bit.

If she had hung around and nagged while I set up the tent, I might have snapped and snapped back.

We came for a vacation in this lush forest to breathe in the clean air, not to argue all day, which would be putting the cart before the horse.

After first tidying the surrounding area, I pulled out the tent from the bag.

Setting up a personal tent is as easy as eating cold gruel for a priest like me.

I set up my tent first, followed by Artemis’s.

The goddess’s tent, being twice the size of mine, was a bit tricky due to the large central pole, but otherwise, it was fairly smooth.

“What? Are you already done?”

Artemis returned from her walk.

Dragging along the tail of a live wild boar.

“…What’s with the boar?”

“What else? I brought it here to cook.”

Isn’t it usually referred to as “caught” rather than “brought”?

Buhiik!!!

The boar, sensing its unfortunate fate, tried to run in the opposite direction.

However, since it was held by its tail by our goddess, it could only run in circles like a squirrel in a wheel.

Why does such a fearsome boar look so pitiful?

“Let it go.”

“Why? What about dinner?”

“I’ve taken care of it.”

“From what I briefly saw, all there is is bread, vegetables, and meat. Won’t that be a bit lacking?”

Exactly how much does this goddess intend to eat that she finds even that insufficient?

Letting my head hang low, Artemis stuck out her lips and released the boar’s tail.

The boar bolted away instantly.

And we watched its fleeing back for a moment before picking up a large rock to sit on.

“What do you plan to make?”

Her elbows resting on knees drawn up, she prodded impatiently, seemingly a little hungry now.

Alright.

It’s time to bring out the delicious food that will captivate her taste buds.

I hope this can be an opportunity for her to look at me in a new light.

I stacked the firewood I had prepared and placed all the food ingredients in front of me.

“Artemis, can you start a fire?”

“Ah… why are you being so troublesome?”

“The later we start, the later lunch will be. Service, please.”

“I said I’ll do it, didn’t I!”

With a fierce scowl, Artemis unsheathed an arrow.

She ran the tip across a pole a few times and sparks flew, setting the fire immediately.

Hmm, a human fire starter is unparalleled.

I’d like an excuse to use her skill more often.

“So? What’s the lunch menu? You asked me to do a job, now hurry up and tell me.”

“Hamburger.”

“Hamburger?”

Artemis frowned and tilted her head, hearing the unfamiliar word for the first time.

Surely the weirdness of the food name unsettled her.

Glancing at the skillet I had just picked up, her distrust only deepened.

“What’s a hamburger? What are you planning to do with this skillet? Hmph, and you didn’t even bring a frying pan!”

“Don’t worry. I prepared all the ingredients last night.”

“Huh, I don’t get it. Believing you was stupid. I’m going back inside.”

Looking thoroughly disappointed, Artemis abruptly got to her feet and stormed into her tent.

But I paid no mind.

When she smells the bulgogi filling the air around here, she will surely come back.

Like a snake charmed by the flute.

“Alright! Let’s get started?”

The food I’m making is a hamburger.

Specifically, bulgogi burgers.

But these are no ordinary bulgogi burgers.

It’s none other than the famous Eunyang (temperature-controlled) sirloin bulgogi burger!

It’s the reason I asked Liam to grind the beef sirloin and pork loin.

“First, mix the beef sirloin and pork loin in a ratio of 8:2…”

Gloved hands combined the appropriate amounts of the two meats and kneaded it thoroughly.

I then spread it out into a pancake-like thickness and inserted it into the skillet.

“The key is this seasonings!”

The bulgogi seasoning recipe I learned during a childhood field trip.

I added a small amount of cornstarch to create a slightly thicker texture, similar to sweet-and-sour pork sauce.

Chee-e-eek!

As the skillet was placed over the wooden fire, the patties quickly browned.

I continuously brushed the patties with cooking brushes to spread the seasoning.

“Flip and repeat.”

Brush again with the seasoning.

The ground meats were slightly cracking as they cooked, but it wasn’t a big deal.

After all, the patties were intended to be cut down to hamburger size.

The red meat turned into a golden, appetizing color.

The sweet and savory marinade was deeply infused into the meat, the aroma of which stimulated my nose.

“What is this? What smell is that?”

The bulgogi aroma had not only captured my nose but also tempted Artemis’s, as she peeked out from her tent.

She sniffed, widening her nostrils slightly, and fixed her gaze on the well-cooked bulgogi.

She looked like a little kid trailing after their mother in the kitchen, incredibly cute.

Salivating, she toddled over and reached for the food.

“Are you eating this? Ow!”

Smacking the rude hand with a spoon, I crossed my hands into an X.

Artemis puffed up her cheeks in protest.

Of course, it would taste good even eaten like this.

But what I’m presenting is the Eunyang Sirloin Bulgogi Burger!

Just wait a little longer.

Instead of the hard rye bread, I chose soft white bread and cut it in half.

Stacking the ingredients of the hamburger is also a crucial point.

I understand well that stacking ingredients is an art!

First, I placed the marinated sirloin bulgogi on the bread.

This allows the juice and sauce from the patty to seep into the bottom piece of bread.

Next, I added some cheese, which melts slightly from the heat of the hot meat, enhancing its flavor.

Following this, I layered vegetables like lettuce, tomato, and onion to create a cohesive blend.

Finally, I covered it with the top piece of bread! The finishing touch!

“Here, try it.”

I handed her the hamburger.

She looked curiously at the hamburger tower teetering on her palm.

All traces of her previous disappointment with me were gone, and now her focus was fully on this strange new food item called a hamburger.

Finally, Artemis carefully grabbed it with both hands and took a big bite.

“……!!!”

Chewing the hamburger, her pupils widened as she savored the taste.

As if confirming whether the flavor was real, she took another big bite.

Once again, skeptically.

And another time.

In the blink of an eye, the hamburger in her hand disappeared completely.

“How is it?”

“W-W-What is this? How does it taste like this?”

“Isn’t the hamburger delicious?”

At my question about the taste, Artemis turned sharply to look at me.

Her expression was so bright that it made even me feel a little self-conscious!

“S-S-It’s just delicious?! Combining bland bread and vegetables with these savory meats creates a fantastic harmony! And the melted cheese smoothly coats and blends with the vegetables, but most importantly, the meat just melts in your mouth!”

“What about the crisp textures of the lettuce and tomato that balance out the intense flavors? And especially the crunchy onions between the soft ingredients—they’re just the best!”

“R-Really? Thank you.”

Artemis’s dramatic reaction could be straight out of a cooking anime.

After getting immersed in novel writing recently, my description skills have greatly improved.

Even I felt good and puffed out my chest at the warm reception.

That girl even has a brilliant talent for tasting and reviewing food.

She probably deserves the first dibs on any new dishes I cook in the future.

“Hey! Give me more! More!”

Artemis extended her hand, marveling at how such a sumptuous taste could be created.

Hmm… what should I do?

I’m extremely happy to see her enjoy the food so much,

But at the same time, I want to make her even more desperate by teasing her longer.

“I don’t have any more.”

“What’s that in your hand?”

At her chin point, I looked down at the hamburger in my hand.

Wow, this troublemaker goddess. Now she’s trying to steal my food?

“Give it to me! Give it to me! Hmm? I want more…!!!”

In a somewhat babyish voice, she begged with pleading cat-like eyes.

Is this… cuteness?

“Give it to me. Give it to me. Huh? Hmmmm?”

I lose.

Total KO.

I’m completely defeated by her cuteness, which I’ve never seen before.

Which father can ignore the adorable charms of his own daughter?

Zeus, who dotes on his daughter!

I understand how you feel now!

“Here you go. Eat slowly.”

When I finally handed over my remaining hamburger, she was delighted like a child on Christmas morning.

This time, probably trying not to make the same mistake, she chewed carefully, like a squirrel eating an acorn.

“You don’t need to eat too slowly.”

“Why? Isn’t this the last one? Right! Hey, Ark! Make me a hamburger tomorrow at the temple, okay?”

“It’s not necessary to wait until tomorrow.”

“Why?”

I showed her the ingredients left in the food container.

Realizing its meaning, Artemis’s face lit up.

“Hamburgers tonight?! Nice! Nice!”

Artemis danced joyfully.

Well, enjoy yourself, Lady Goddess.

Having a full stomach will surely make you listen better to the ghost stories later tonight.

Hehehehe!

It seems that even the heavens are eager to see my grand plan unfold quickly, as they fast forward the clock to turn the world into a dark night!

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