He played with me!

The entire journey back to her house was a blur for Venus, her mind consumed by a single, bewildering thought—why had Odin kissed her? No matter how many times she replayed the scene in her head, she couldn't make sense of it. His actions contradicted everything he'd ever said or done, leaving her more confused than ever.

As the carriage rolled to a stop, the coachman opened the door and spoke, his voice cutting through the fog of her thoughts. "We've arrived, Miss."

"Huh?" Venus blinked, suddenly snapping out of her daze. She glanced around, realizing they had indeed reached her home. "Oh. We have arrived," she murmured, more to herself than to the coachman. She descended from the carriage, her legs feeling oddly heavy.

As Venus entered her home, her eyes were drawn to the living room, where she found her mother resting on the sofa, a ledger open in her hand.