The first thing Felis felt upon waking was warmth—soft, familiar, and entirely wrapped around him.
Hestia's arms were loosely draped over his chest, her small body pressed against his side, one leg hooked over his. Her rhythmic breathing tickled his neck, and every now and then, she nuzzled closer, murmuring something incoherent in her sleep.
'…Again, huh?' Felis exhaled quietly, feeling the usual weight of the goddess tangled around him. He had gotten used to waking up like this, though he wouldn't deny that his self-control was tested every morning.
Normally, he let her be—what harm was there in a few more minutes of peace? But today, he had a plan. He wanted to ease up after his dungeon dives, spend the day outside, and finally get their home patched up.
Which meant he needed to get up.
Slowly, carefully, Felis tried to untangle himself.
"…Nn… nooo…"
Hestia whined in her sleep and tightened her grip, pressing her face against his neck like a stubborn cat unwilling to leave its warm spot.
Felis sighed. 'Alright, guess I need to be a little tricky about this.'
Using his feline agility, he shifted his weight just enough to slip an arm free, then rolled her slightly onto the mattress. She stirred, but he was quick to replace himself with a pillow, stuffing it under her arms before she could react.
Hestia mumbled something—her fingers grasped the pillow in confusion—but after a few seconds, she relaxed and fell back into steady breathing.
Felis sat up, victorious.
'Not bad. Maybe I should level up my escaping skills while I'm at it.'
With that, he stretched, ran a hand through his hair, and quietly left the bed to start breakfast.
---
By the time Felis finished cooking, the scent of warm food had roused Hestia from her slumber. She shuffled out of bed, hair a complete mess, rubbing her eyes as she sniffed the air.
"…You left me," she grumbled groggily, plopping onto a chair at the small dining table.
"I made breakfast," Felis countered, placing a plate in front of her. "That's a fair trade, right?"
Hestia gave a slow, sleepy blink before happily digging in.
"…Mmh, okay, you're forgiven."
Felis smirked, taking a seat.
As they ate, he casually brought up the topic.
"By the way, I was thinking," he said between bites. "We should get some repairs done for the church. You know, fix up the floors, patch the walls, maybe even upgrade the kitchen a little."
Hestia paused mid-bite, blinking at him. "Huh?"
"The place could use some work," he continued. "And since I can earn money now, I figured we don't have to live in a crumbling ruin forever."
Her expression shifted to concern. "Wait, where are you getting the money for this? You just started going into the dungeon—you don't have to push yourself so hard."
Felis waved a hand. "Relax. I have savings. And now that I can fight, I don't need to be so stingy anymore."
Hestia still looked uncertain. "How much would it even cost?"
Felis shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe around 200,000? Well, we can haggle when we get there to know the exact price."
Hestia nearly dropped her fork. "T-Two hundred thousand!?"
Felis chuckled. "That's just a guess. I'm not paying that much without a fight."
Hestia let out an exaggerated sigh, dramatically slumping against the table. "That's still a lot… but if it means we don't wake up with the floor caving in, I guess it's worth it…"
Felis smirked. "Exactly. So, we'll go talk to the Goibniu Familia today."
Hestia stretched her arms above her head, still drowsy but now looking a bit more excited. "Mmh… okay. If we're going out, can we make a day of it? We haven't done something fun together in a while."
Felis already had that plan in mind. He smirked. "Of course. I was thinking we could stop by the market, grab lunch somewhere, maybe even check out the park."
Hestia beamed. "Ooooh, I like that!" Then, after a short pause, she mumbled under her breath, barely loud enough to hear, "…Still, you didn't have to get up so fast…"
Felis raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What was that?"
Her face flushed instantly. "N-Nothing! Hurry up and finish eating! We've got places to go!"
Felis only chuckled, finishing the last bite of his food. 'Heh. Cute.'
And with that, their plan for the day was set.
---
Felis came to a stop and turned to look at Hestia, who was lagging behind with a small pout, her steps sluggish. "Haaah… why do we have to walk so much…?" she grumbled, stretching her arms above her head.
He smirked. "What, getting tired already? Maybe you're getting heavier, Hestia-sama."
Her eyes snapped to him. "Excuse me!?"
"Well, we have been eating better lately," he mused, rubbing his chin as if in deep thought. "All those extra meals… they're bound to show somewhere."
Hestia gasped dramatically before glaring at him. "Are you calling me fat?!"
"Not fat. Just… pleasantly heavier," he teased, flashing her a grin.
Her face turned red, both from embarrassment and outrage. "Take that back right now, or I'm kicking you!"
He chuckled, sidestepping slightly just in case. "Alright, alright. But if you're too tired to walk, I suppose I could carry you—for a fee."
She crossed her arms, eyeing him suspiciously. "And what's the catch?"
Felis suddenly bent down, reaching for her. Realizing his intent, Hestia immediately took a step back. "W-wait a second! I didn't say you could—!"
Too late. With one smooth motion, he scooped her up into his arms.
"H-hey! Put me down, you dummy!" She wriggled in protest, lightly smacking his chest, but Felis held firm.
"If you keep squirming, I might just drop you," he warned playfully, tightening his grip slightly. "And I doubt you'd enjoy landing on the stone pavement."
Hestia froze for a moment, then huffed, turning her head away with a stubborn pout. "…T-this doesn't mean I wanted to be carried, okay?"
Felis chuckled, adjusting his hold on her. "Yeah, yeah. But I think your body pressing against me is more than enough payment."
Her face went scarlet. "W-wha—!? You… you pervy cat!" She smacked his shoulder again, but the strength behind it was noticeably weaker this time.
He grinned. "I take that as permission to carry you all the way there?"
Hestia grumbled, burying her face against his chest. "…Just don't drop me, okay?"
"Never," he murmured, holding her a little closer as he continued walking.
---
Felis and Hestia arrived at the Goibniu Familia's workshop district, where the rhythmic clang of hammers and the scent of sawdust filled the air. Craftsmen bustled about, shouting instructions, hauling materials, and inspecting blueprints with sharp, practiced eyes. Unlike the extravagant designs of Hephaestus Familia's smiths, Goibniu's work was all about practicality—strong, reliable, and built to last.
A burly dwarf with a thick, braided beard and muscular arms dusted with stone powder turned toward them. His sharp eyes appraised the pair before he grunted.
"Hestia-sama and… this one," he muttered, squinting at Felis.
"Felis Veltheris," Felis introduced himself, offering a casual nod. "We're here for some repairs—reinforcement work on an old church."
The dwarf crossed his arms. "Ahh, you're the ones shacked up in that crumbling heap." He let out a short, gruff laugh. "Damn thing's still standing? Thought it'd be rubble by now."
Hestia let out a nervous chuckle. "It's, uh… got character?"
"Sure. Like a one-legged chair's got 'character.'" The dwarf snorted. "Alright, let's talk business." He pulled out a notepad and began scribbling. "Basic floor reinforcement, wall patching, kitchen fix-up, furniture… factoring in material costs, labor, and transportation, I'd say…" He paused for effect, then smirked.
"180,000 Valis."
Hestia gulped.
Felis merely tilted his head. "That's quite the price tag. What's included? A golden hammer blessing the beams?"
The dwarf barked a laugh. "You want premium work, you pay premium prices."
"Premium?" Felis smirked. "I'm asking for reinforcement, not a palace."
The craftsman shrugged. "Strong materials, skilled labor, and a job done right ain't cheap."
"True, but let's be real here," Felis countered. "The place isn't about to collapse, and we don't need luxury—just solid patchwork. We both know reinforcement doesn't cost that much unless you're slipping in a 'hero's discount' for good measure."
The dwarf raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what do you think it should cost?"
Felis held up a hand, fingers ticking down. "Reinforcement, wall patching, kitchen upgrades, basic furniture… 145,000 Valis."
The dwarf let out a harsh laugh. "Hah! That's damn near charity."
Felis shrugged. "Only if you let me walk away with it."
The dwarf stroked his beard, eyes twinkling. "You're not bad at this, kid. But we got standards to uphold."
"If it collapses, I'll come back and haunt you," Felis said with a smirk. "That's a lifetime guarantee right there."
Hestia, who had been watching in silent fascination, let out a small giggle. The craftsman, amused but unmoved, folded his arms.
"165,000. My final offer."
Before Felis could counter, Hestia muttered absentmindedly, "Felis always finds a way to make things cheaper…"
The dwarf's expression darkened. "Oh? So you're a notorious cheapskate, huh?"
Felis shot Hestia a flat look.
Then, just as the craftsman was about to hold firm, Hestia tilted her head, tapping her chin. "You know, Felis, if we can't afford it, we could just fix the church ourselves… We can borrow tools, right?"
The dwarf visibly stiffened.
"...You'd do the work yourselves?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
Hestia nodded innocently. "Yeah! I mean, I've never done construction before, but if we just follow what we see—"
"Stop," the craftsman groaned, rubbing his temples. "I can already picture you two making a disaster of things."
Felis grinned. "So, 145,000?"
The dwarf let out a long sigh. "Fine. 145,000. But if I hear even a whisper of you two trying to 'fix' anything yourselves, I'll double the price just to fix your mess."
Hestia beamed. "See? My idea helped!"
Felis just exhaled, shaking his head. "Yeah… Let's go with that."
With the price settled, the craftsman went over the final list. "Alright. Reinforce the floor and walls, fix up the kitchen, two sofas, one table, and one large bed."
Hestia, who had been nodding along, suddenly paused. "…Wait." Her brows furrowed. "Why is there just one bed?"
Felis, still focused on signing the paperwork, replied half-heartedly, "Budget's a little tight."
The dwarf gave him a long, knowing look, then smirked. "Hah. As if your place could fit two of such a bed."
Hestia blinked. "Huh?"
Felis's pen stopped mid-stroke.
The dwarf, still smirking, gave Felis one last glance before turning away. "Well, enjoy your… reinforcement." His voice carried a note of amusement as he strode off.
Hestia tilted her head. Then glanced at Felis. Then back at the dwarf's retreating form.
"…Wait. Wait, what did he mean by that?"
Felis coughed into his fist. "No idea. Let's go."
Hestia, however, stayed put, still mulling over the dwarf's words, her brows furrowing in deep thought. She muttered something under her breath, eyes narrowing as if she were piecing together a puzzle.
Felis sighed, then smirked. In one smooth motion, he slipped both hands right under her armpits, fingers pressing lightly against the soft skin there.
"What?" His voice took on a slow, teasing drawl. "Did you want me to carry you again?"
Hestia jolted. A startled squeak left her lips, her body instinctively tensing. The sensation of his fingers right there sent a shudder up her spine, her legs twitching just enough to remind her of last time.
"H-Hey!" She squirmed, her breath hitching. "That's not—! I was just—!"
Felis tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming. "You're awfully flustered for someone who wasn't asking." His grip remained firm, just enough to make her realize he could lift her effortlessly if he wanted to.
Hestia's cheeks puffed, her hands gripping his wrists, though she didn't push him away completely. "…Y-You're impossible."
Felis chuckled, finally releasing her. "You were taking too long. Now, let's go before the dwarf changes his mind."
Still red-faced, Hestia huffed but hurried after him—stubbornly refusing to look at his smirking face.
---