"I'm going to tell Himeko! You're interested in Clorinde!" Furina threatened Akio, hands on her hips. "I've got you now, haven't I? Hmph, if you buy me a sweet treat, I won't tell Himeko."
"I'm not afraid," Akio said with a laugh.
"Huh?" Furina looked at Akio suspiciously. "You're not trying to turn the tables on me, are you? You must be scared."
"What do I have to be scared of? Do I look scared to you?" Akio shrugged.
"You are scared!" Furina said, as if she had seen through him.
"I'm not scared at all. If you don't believe me, let's make a bet?" Akio said with a smile. "Let's bet on whether Himeko cares about this or not."
"Fine! You're done for! What's the bet?" Furina asked, hands on her hips. What woman wouldn't care if her lover was interested in someone else?
"If Himeko cares, you win, and I'll cover all your and Clorinde's expenses in Inazuma," Akio said with a smile. "If Himeko doesn't care, I win, and you'll have to agree to the condition I mentioned earlier, and it'll include you too."
"Including me?" Furina pointed at herself in shock. She looked at Akio, her voice filled with disbelief. "Akio, you're that ambitious? You even want… me? I'm the God of Justice! The God of Justice!"
"So what? I'm the Great Divine Sovereign of Heaven, and I admit, my ambitions have always been big," Akio said with a light chuckle.
"Alright, alright, you're something else," Furina nodded. "Fine, I'll take the bet! I don't believe Himeko won't teach you a lesson!"
With that, Furina quickly walked over to Murata Himeko and called out, "Himeko! I need to tell you something."
"Huh? Furina? What is it?" Murata Himeko stopped and looked at Furina, the God of Justice, with curiosity.
"I need to tell you something," Furina pulled Murata Himeko aside and whispered in her ear, making sure no one else could hear.
"That's it! He's your lover, and yet he's interested in Clorinde," Furina said triumphantly, thinking that Himeko would surely scold Akio now.
But to her surprise, Murata Himeko showed no sign of displeasure after hearing Furina's words. Instead, she looked Clorinde up and down and nodded in approval.
"Great figure, beautiful, and though she looks a bit cold, she's a real beauty."
Furina was dumbfounded by Murata Himeko's words. She stared at her in disbelief and asked, "Wait, Himeko, aren't you angry?"
"Huh? Why would I be angry?" Murata Himeko asked, confused.
"What do you mean? He's your lover! And he's interested in other women! Aren't you angry?" Furina asked.
"Oh, that? Of course, I'm not angry," Murata Himeko said with a smile.
"What?" Furina stared at Murata Himeko in shock. Had the world gone mad?
"Akio is so powerful, it's only natural for him to be attracted to beautiful women," Murata Himeko said calmly. "Besides, I'm not his only lover. He has several, and we're all very happy."
"…" Furina was speechless. Her worldview had been shattered. Were there really women this open-minded?
All those cases she'd seen in the opera house, where women filed for divorce and demanded compensation because their husbands cheated—were they all just drama?
Moreover, Furina realized that she had lost the bet. Not only was Akio unscathed, but she had also ended up offering herself and Clorinde as part of the deal.
"No, no…" Furina shook her head, but she couldn't back out. She was the God of Justice!
Seeing Furina walk over to him with the look of a defeated dog, Akio couldn't help but laugh.
"So? Did you get your answer?"
"…Did you plan this from the start?" Furina asked, still in shock.
"Don't I know my own wife? Where did you get the courage to make this bet with me?" Akio said with a laugh. "Furina, you're so silly."
"Wah…" Furina whimpered as she noticed Akio's change in how he addressed her. "Akio, can we change the bet?"
"Change the bet?" Akio rubbed his chin, pretending to think.
Furina looked at him expectantly. Was there room for negotiation?
"Nope," Akio's words shattered Furina's hopes.
"If a bet can't be honored, can it still be called justice?" Akio looked at Furina.
"Mm… I understand," Furina's eyes lost their sparkle. Not honoring a bet was certainly not justice. As the God of Justice, she couldn't do something unjust.
"But! But how am I supposed to explain this to Clorinde?" Furina was at a loss. Had she just inexplicably given herself away?
Akio hummed a tune as he walked ahead. He had only been joking with Furina at first, though he did genuinely like Clorinde, the cool and composed beauty.
Who would've thought that the silly Furina would fall right into the trap and even try to threaten him? Now, Akio was in a great mood, while Furina had lost both her dignity and her bet.
"Lady Furina, what did you and the Great Sovereign talk about earlier?" Clorinde walked over, looking puzzled. "You seem off."
"Ahaha… I'm fine…" Furina laughed awkwardly, but inside she was crying. This was a disaster. How was she supposed to tell Clorinde that she had lost her in a bet? Would Clorinde be furious?
"Really?" Clorinde frowned.
"Uh… Clorinde, there's something I need to tell you… Brace yourself," Furina thought for a moment and decided it was better to come clean. She spoke cautiously.
"Lady Furina, go ahead," Clorinde nodded.
"…Well… it's like this…" Furina took a deep breath and whispered the whole story into Clorinde's ear.
"???" Clorinde was stunned, then looked at Furina in disbelief.
"Lady Furina, are you saying that, just for a few days' worth of food and lodging, you sold me to the Great Sovereign?" Clorinde's face darkened.
"o(╥﹏╥)o" Furina whimpered. "Clorinde, it's not just you. I sold myself to Akio too! That Akio, he's so unfair, bullying me…"
"Sigh…" Clorinde facepalmed. She didn't know what to say. She knew her god was unreliable, but this was on another level!
For a few days' worth of food and lodging, she had sold both of them.
"Clorinde… what do we do now? o(╥﹏╥)o" Furina looked at Clorinde, her eyes filled with tears.
"What can we do at this point? We'll have to honor the bet…" Clorinde sighed.
This wasn't some childish game. It was a bet between two gods, and it couldn't be broken. Even Furina couldn't do anything about it. What could she do?
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol