*Eyk's POV*

  I woke up the day, and Hephaestus was already gohat was strange since I usually woke up before her. "It's still really early." I gnced out the window; the sun seemed to have just risen.

  I went to the bathroom, washed my face, and headed to the private dining room we had used yesterday.

  The same maid who served us before was waiting for me.

  "The Goddess said to you eat and the her iraining room," the maid said with a friendly smile, pulling out a chair for me to sit in.

  "That wasn't necessary. You're being way too kind," I said.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. "Of course, it's necessary. You're the Goddess's boyfriend," she said with a ugh, c her mouth. "Speaking of which, what's it like? Being the boyfriend of someone like the Goddess?"

  Her question caught me off guard.

  I started eating, trying to figure out how to respond.

  "Well… How I put it? I guess it's amazing? She's strong, beautiful, and really cares about me. I don't think I could ever find a better wife than her," I said, stuffing a rge bite of food into my mouth.

  "Wife?" the maid asked, fused.

  I almost spat out my food when I realized my mistake.

  I fot no one knows about the "marriage".

  "It's just a manner of speaking. I hope to marry her someday if that's even possible."

  "I see. You seem to care about her a lot, but I think she likes you even more than you like her."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Ever since you two started dating, the Goddess has ged," the maid said, speaking as if we'd been close friends.

  "ged? How?"

  "She used to be very strict about her work. But now, she seems to be living her life more quietly."

  "But isn't that bad? If she's not strict about her work and others' work, low-quality ons might end up being fed and sold. Hephaestus cares deeply about the Familia's reputation."

  "Oh, don't worry about that. Even if she's more rexed now, she'd never let the Familia's reputation drop. That's simply impossible."

  "I see."

  But holy... Is that true?

  Since I arrived in this world, Hephaestus has spent her entire day w. I only see her in the m and at night.

  "It's wonderful hoy she seems now," the maid said warmly. "The Goddess always had a big plex about the deformity in her eye. I'm gd she found someone who doesn't care about that."

  "The Goddess is beautiful, a perfean. A deformity in her eye doesn't take away from her beauty. It doesn't matter to me."

  "I always told her that. I always said she is beautiful and don't o worry about it, but she never believed me. I think now that she's with you, she's learning to like herself and see her owy."

  "Holy, I'm not sure if she's ged her mihat much. Even when we're alone, she refuses to take off her eyepatch."

  "Hmm… I didn't know that. I thought she felt fortable showing her eye to you."

  "I'll ge her mind somehow," I told the maid.

  "Thank you for that. It's so wonderful to see the Goddess smile like she does when she's with you. If you make her smile even more, that'd be amazing!"

  This maid—whose name I don't even know—was the first person who didn't treat me like an annoyance.

  There must be more friendly people like her out there. I hope I meet them soon.

  ####

  After finishing my meal, I went to the training room.

  When I arrived aered, I found Hephaestus sitting and staring at the wall.

  "Goddess?" I called out, and she turo me.

  "Eryk!" She stood up and ran to me with a smile. "Did you eat well? Sorry for not waking you up. I bet you felt sad eating breakfast alone."

  "No, it's fine. I had a nice versation with the maid."

  "Nina? You talked to her?"

  "Nina? Is that her name?" She was a character I'd never seen before. Even though I don't know much about Danmachi and all its characters, I retty sure there wasn't a maid named Nina in the Hephaestus Familia.

  "That's strange. Nina rarely talks to aher than me."

  "Maybe she felt sorry for me since I was alone," I said with a bitter smile.

  "Of course not. Nina isn't like that. Maybe she likes you."

  "If she likes me, I'd be surprised. That's rare in the Familia," I said jokingly.

  "Don't be silly. Many people like you. Lots of them ask me about you, about how your training is going. You o get it out of your head that everyoes you—it's not true."

  "It's just that everyone I've met so far has treated me like a nuisance. But I'm gd not everyoes me."

  "Don't worry. I've started taking care of that."

  "Hm?"

  "Nothing, fet it. You know why I called you here, right?"

  "Yoing to train me? Since Balnan and Luck aren't here…"

  "Unfortunately, I don't have the time," Hephaestus said, disappointed.

  "It's fine. I don't need ao train me. I manage on my own."

  "What!?" Hephaestus looked shocked.

  Then, the door to the room opened.

  A tall, tanned woman walked in.

  "I'm here. So, this is the boyfriend I'm supposed to train? It's the first time I've seen him up close. He is handsome, isn't he?" she said, pg a hand on her hip with a wide smile.

  "You said you don't need ao train you... But I had already called someoo take care of it…" Hephaestus pulled me closer and whispered in my ear.

  "Haha…" I let out a weak ugh.

  "What's so funny?" the woman asked, tilting her head in fusion.

  ParodyGirl