Loki managed to hold herself together through the entire auction, all the way back to the Familia, and even into her own room—only then did she finally burst out laughing.
"Pffft—ahahahaha!"
"Ishtar, that poor fool. Freya practically spelled it out for her, and she still walked straight into the trap! She's even dumber than that little runt!"
"Don't laugh too hard—you're going to hurt yourself."
Tsuna appeared behind her, warning quietly.
But Loki was already doubled over, gasping for breath.
"Ahahaha—ow, ow, ow! Tsuna, help me—my stomach!"
"I told you to take it easy."
He sighed and reached around from behind, gently pressing his hand against her abdomen to ease the cramp.
His palm met a smooth, taut belly with no trace of excess flesh. He could feel the twitch of her muscles beneath his fingers—it really was from laughing too much.
"Was it really that funny?"
"Of course it was!"
Her voice rose slightly—and immediately, her stomach spasmed again.
"Watch your volume. Did you already forget your stomach's still cramping?"
"Mmm…"
Loki made a small whimper before going completely quiet.
She could feel the warmth of Tsuna's fingers against her skin—so soft and steady it made her skin prickle with sensitivity. The gentle tracing of his fingertips left faint trails of warmth that made her shiver pleasantly.
It felt unexpectedly good—comforting, even.
Her laughter-induced cramps began to ease, but she didn't want him to stop. She simply leaned back against him, letting his hand continue to move softly over her stomach.
Tsuna didn't rush it. But standing there wasn't ideal—it was tiring.
"Loki, let's sit down."
"…Yeah."
He guided her to sit at the edge of the bed, and Loki shifted sideways to perch on his lap.
Before he could say anything, she caught his hand and pressed it back to her stomach.
"Keep it there. Still hurts."
Tsuna blinked but didn't argue. He simply continued the gentle massage.
Loki closed her eyes, letting out a content sigh as she rested against his chest.
"Honestly, that woman Ishtar doesn't have a single brain cell to spare. Freya told her outright not to fall for it, and she still went in headfirst."
"Loki, even if Ishtar hadn't fallen for it directly, Lady Freya would've driven the bidding so high she'd regret it anyway."
"You don't think Ishtar could've turned the tables on Freya?"
"If she could, she wouldn't be Freya's plaything."
"Pfft—"
His blunt remark showed no mercy at all. Loki couldn't help but snort out a laugh.
Her stomach twitched again, forcing her to stifle it quickly.
"The thing is, Ishtar's never going to let Freya have her way. She's been opposing her from the start."
"As long as Freya keeps bidding, Ishtar will keep pushing back. In the end, Freya's trap works either way—Ishtar can't avoid falling for it unless she gives up completely."
"Impossible. Asking Ishtar to back off from Freya is a joke. If she could let it go, she wouldn't be Ishtar anymore."
Loki dismissed the notion instantly.
That possibility was as good as zero.
Ishtar and Freya stood on opposite ends of a war. Freya didn't even view Ishtar as a serious rival, yet Ishtar convinced herself she could challenge Freya.
That was precisely why she'd always end up dancing in Freya's palm.
Freya understood Ishtar's nature far too well.
"So everything went exactly how you two predicted?"
"Not exactly. It's just that Ishtar was the most likely buyer. She can't resist what she sees as a chance to strike at Freya."
"That woman… always the same."
Loki knew Ishtar's temperament all too well.
Expecting her to drop her grudge against Freya was harder than killing her outright.
That was why she'd always end up dragged along by Freya's schemes—because Freya knew precisely how she'd react.
"This auction wasn't just about promoting Hephaestus Familia's new project, was it?"
"No. The real reason we leaked news of the 'Excellia' was to make it clear that a newcomer in the Hephaestus Familia achieved something impossible. With Tsubaki openly acknowledging that I'm with Hephaestus Familia, no god will doubt it."
"That way, my two identities are neatly divided. No god will ever think to connect the rookie of the Hephaestus Familia with the rookie of the Loki Familia."
"You're really cautious, huh."
Loki couldn't help but remark.
"It's just to be safe. Lady Hephaestus agrees with the plan—both identities will remain hidden, and no god will be able to confirm either connection. But the key is that I must never appear before Lady Freya."
It was a flawless plan.
As long as both identities were registered with the Guild and officially recognized by both Hephaestus and Loki, no one would ever suspect they were the same person.
The only problem—the unpredictable factor—was Freya.
Unlike the other gods, who could only sense lies, Freya possessed the power to see directly into a person's soul.
"You're worried she might see through your soul and recognize you as the same person?"
Tsuna shook his head slightly.
"It's not that I think my soul is special, or that someone like me would ever catch Lady Freya's attention. What I'm worried about is how her ability actually works—whether souls can resemble one another, whether she might realize my two identities share the same essence through that."
"So the best solution is for me to never stand before her."
"As long as she doesn't see me, even her eyes won't turn my way."
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Note: Guys, you're asking me to write smut scenes BUT TSUNA IS LITERALLY 13!!!
No, seriously—do you REALLY want me to write that?!?
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You can read up to chapter 230 on patreon.com/NiaXD.