I Became Artemis’ Boyfriend

The God of Love, Eros, came directly to the Artemis Temple and asked me to give my mother Aphrodite the Golden Pen as a gift.

I pondered over how to respond.

The conclusion was that I couldn’t give any answer right away.

First, I needed to understand why Eros was making this request.

“Lord Eros, may I inquire why you’re asking for this first?”

“Hmm… Mother has been terribly disheartened lately. Her sadness is so deep that the sky of Ditesia is still full of dark clouds.”

After being rejected by me,

and crossed by Artemis,

and unable to even open her mouth in front of Athena,

it was demeaning yet she experienced all three at once. This was enough to sadden Aphrodite, who prides herself on her dignity.

“So Lord Eros, you want to uplift your mother’s spirit, is that correct?”

“Yes. If you present her the Golden Pen you received, she will surely regain her energy.”

“But I… am the person who rejected Lady Aphrodite. Would she really want to see me again in such a way?”

“Mother is not only the Goddess of Love but also the Goddess of Beauty. Do you understand what I mean?”

Understanding Eros’ intention without much difficulty, I nodded heavily.

In short, it’s about saving face.

Though I am a priest, at heart, I am human.

Aphrodite, who used numerous tactics to meet with me, directly confessed her love.

And I rejected her.

Regardless of my circumstances and feelings, the fact remains that the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, was rejected by a mere human.

Aphrodite’s heart must be in shambles now.

The gods around her must be pointing fingers, mocking her love being rejected by a lowly human,

And if this news spreads to the human realm, what will her followers and humans think and mock?

Her self-esteem, which soared high, must have plummeted.

That’s why Eros wants me to help restore his mother’s honor through this.

For example, if I present Aphrodite the Golden Pen with the words “To the most beautiful goddess,”

Even though she couldn’t obtain my love, she could preserve her title and dignity as the most beautiful goddess.

Just by saving her face,

I can achieve a promotion to the eighth rank, improve my relationship with Aphrodite, and incur a favor from Eros.

Indeed, this is an excellent trade where I can gain both political justification and benefits.

Eros, this guy…

He’s not someone to underestimate.

It would be wrong to go against someone like him.

Instead, having him as an ally would be beneficial, so accepting this deal would be wise.

But…

“Stop messing around!”

Artemis, who had been silently listening and understanding Eros’ intent just like me, burst out angrily.

Making a fuss, she approached Eros and shoved him with both hands on his shoulders,

and Eros fell back and collapsed like a snapped sugarcane.

However, without any change in expression, he brushed off the dust from his wings and stood up.

Even to Artemis, who treated him coldly and hostilely, he wore a faint smile.

At this point, a ridiculous suspicion arose that Eros might have wanted someone to push him.

“Sister Artemis, right now, I’m negotiating with Ark.”

“Bullshit! That lady tried to kill me and Ark with a ruby explosion! What negotiation is this?”

“If we regard one disagreement as making someone an enemy, we’ll only become lonely. I believe that even if we have one thing in common, we can negotiate.”

“Shit! You go befriend someone who tried to kill you, little bastard!”

Unlike the calm response from Eros, Artemis, whose emotions were escalating, began to curse more.

From Artemis’ perspective, it was an incident where she almost lost both Athena and me due to sowing discord.

Although she’s emotional even in normal times, her sharp edge on this matter was justified.

Still, this approach is only advantageous to the other side.

I need to intervene.

“Milady Artemis, please calm down—”

“Shut up! Stay out of it!”

She shoved me back with the palm of her hand as she tried to stop me, then glared at Eros again.

Eros, who didn’t back down, stared straight at her as if it were no big deal.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Artemis revealed her fangs and showed deep hostility.

“Shit! Because of Aphrodite’s selfish and wicked love, we’ve been hurt deeply, but her son’s face looks so peaceful. What makes him so shameless?”

“Where there is fighting, there is also reconciliation, sister.”

“That negotiation of yours is basically telling Ark to cut ties with Athena.”

“The choice is Ark’s. Whichever choice Ark makes, there are advantages for him. And Ark understands this. I only wish for mother’s honor to be restored.”

“Fucking nonsense. How can there be any honor in Aphrodite’s ugly and vile love?”

The words “ugly and vile love” must have hit a nerve.

Eros, who had never shown a change in his gentle expression, furrowed his eyebrows for the first time and his face darkened.

Then he smiled again, laughing briefly, but the laugh felt like a false smile to hide his dark inner thoughts, making the hair on my neck stand up.

“Sister Artemis.”

“What, shit.”

“Do you truly hold such an arrogant belief that you can divide love into good and evil?”

“What?”

Thrown off by this sudden philosophical question, Artemis squinted and asked in return.

However, Eros didn’t feel the need to provide an answer,

he smirked and turned his body around, raising both hands.

“Beautiful love, passionate love, ugly love, sad love, dirty love, base love—unfiltered, all of it is love.”

“…”

“We are the gods who govern love. Humans may selectively take the good parts and call it love, but love originally has no form. We are the origin of all kinds of love.”

As Eros praised love itself, our gazes followed his movements.

Seemingly aware of our gazes, Eros paused for a moment then turned back to approach us.

Then, with the condescending gaze of someone treating an opinion from a child as trivial, he looked down on us.

This gaze carried a sense of arrogance that only he could define justice.

“I have one question. If violence is evil, is a punch thrown to save the weak also evil? If true love, which focuses on one person, is good, can binding that person and obsessing over them also be considered good?”

“…”

“Thus, I ask again: how do you intend to divide the love that Aphrodite feels for Ark into good and evil? You cannot divide it. Why? Because it simply exists as love.”

“…”

“Do you have no words to say?”

Seeming to suggest that not being able to counter is a defeat, Eros smiled cunningly and provoked.

In response, Artemis stepped forward and countered his provocation.

“I was listening quietly, and all you’re saying is nonsense.”

“What is nonsense?”

“Don’t try to rationalize the love of Aphrodite who deceived her husband! Throw that dirty, vile, and impure thing to the dogs!”

Eros’ praise of love,

Aphrodite’s love,

was rejected and discredited outright by Artemis.

“…”

“…”

This ended their conversation flow.

As a new atmosphere swept through the central hall amidst the stillness, it surrounded us.

This dark and dull atmosphere felt as if it carried a blade, and the fear that one step could lead to being cut was overwhelming.

“Did you… just call it a ‘dog,’ sister Artemis?”

“What? Shit. How do you package that dirty adulterous act as love? You’re all crazy!”

Artemis was overtly expressing her contempt.

Her strong language was somewhat off-putting, but I fully agreed with Artemis’ standpoint.

Just because you can’t distinguish it, doesn’t mean you should accept every lump of it as love, right?

I want to choose the parts of love I want, like a half-and-half pizza.

I want a love that gets applause from everyone.

If it doesn’t exist, then I will find it.

I will never allow the eyes of Artemis to fill with tears due to sorrowful love.

Because I didn’t learn that way.

That’s when it happened.

Eros tilted his head slightly and glared at Artemis disdainfully.

“Huh… Dealing with morons is such a headache. Sister, do you really think you’re mature just because I call you ‘sister’? You’re such a conceited woman.”

“What…?!”

Artemis flinched and opened her mouth like a fool.

It wasn’t because she was overwhelmed by Eros’ authority and dignity.

She was surprised by the sudden 180-degree attitude change from Eros, who had always addressed her with respect.

And the longer she was surprised, the more it became a weapon for Eros to seize control.

It’s not like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but how can someone’s personality change so drastically?

Perhaps…

Is this Eros’ true character?!

“As mother says, you Artemis, how could such a conceited woman understand love?”

“What? Conceited? Hey! Did you finish talking?”

“Hah! All those wasted moments talking to your kind who fears natural emotions.”

“Shit! How can you talk about love when all this meddling is mixed in?”

“Meddling? You’re so laughable. If you had truly trusted Ark, no meddling could have worked. How dare you blame mother for your immature mistakes?”

“…”

Eros pressured her with a strong aura.

He had seen through the fact that Artemis couldn’t fully shake off the guilt of hastily misjudging Ark.

When her weakness was struck, she finally avoided his gaze and took a step back.

Seeing his chance, Eros advanced.

Another step.

Another step closer.

Facing each other at such a close distance that they could touch arms, Eros with his chilling grin raised his right hand.

Pointing a direction, he slowly placed an outstretched finger on Artemis’ forehead.

Then he softly pushed her forehead back.

“How can you be called a god when you hide your own naivety and blame others?”

“No! I… Ark…”

Eros, who belittled and disrespected Artemis as a goddess,

Smacked her forehead again with his finger.

“Is it not laughable that a woman who fears intense feelings hunts scared wild animals?”

“I… I…”

Realizing her guilt towards Ark, she was trapped in her confusion and couldn’t retaliate.

Eros, aware of this fact, smirked and pressed on further.

“Haha! Thus, there is no one around! You stupid woman!”

Eros’ disdainful gaze resembled that of Aphrodite’s who looked down on Artemis.

This back-and-forth continues between the two.

“…Phew, this is difficult.”

I don’t know how to solve this complex issue of the definition of love.

I’m just an ignorant fool who never studied such things.

However, there is one thing I know well.

[Anyone who disrespects the woman I love is my enemy.]

This very simple fact.

“Hey, stupid woman. That shove earlier was quite a move, wasn’t it? It’s your turn to fall now for fairness.”

The vindictive Eros placed his finger on her forehead again.

As he was about to exert full force to knock her down,

Thud!

I grabbed Eros’ finger.

With the other arm, I protected Artemis.

“What?”

“It’s me. The priest of Artemis, Ark.”

As I answered, I brutally twisted Eros’ finger in the opposite direction.

Then the central hall of the Artemis Temple was filled with a spine-chilling sound.

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