《For Persephone》 Chapter 1 - He Has Found Me Chapter 1 ¨C He Has Found Me It was a night where thousands of Nyx¡¯s eyes flickered above the horizon. Persephone, who suddenly felt chills, opened her eyes and looked out the window. The forest was immersed in the shadows of the night. It was silent beyond the tightly closed door. A brief thought passed on how heavy the surveillance from the nymphs would be, and whether it would be possible to sneak out. However, the reluctance that resulted from the wary consideration was brief and the cloak was within reach. Persephone, wearing a cloak dexterously, crawled under the bed and carefully pulled ¡°it¡± out from the box. Then she sneaked out through the back door. She did not feel the presence of the nymphs. Unlike the daytime, the forest at night gave a strange feeling as if anything can be lurking within. When looking at the trail wrapped in the spooky air, humans get a feeling as if they are looking at a path they have entered for the first time in their life. It especially felt like that today. A strange feeling raised the nerves of her whole body. She lifted the lamp and looked around. The fallen leaves and the shadows of the branches made it look like the trees were rushing at her with their mouths wide open. The usual sound of waves coming from the distance sounded as if it was sneering at her. Persephone opened the front yard fence and stepped out as her eyes caught, through the sticky darkness, a yellow Narcissus lying on the ground. Narcissuses weren¡¯t a common blooming species on the island, but a rare flower that could be seen very occasionally when seeds that were tired of flying in the arms of Notus and Boreas took root. Why would it be here? Her favorite flowers. A faint smile hung on the lips of Persephone, who picked up the flower and smelled it. She saw another flower a little further on and approached it as if something possessed her. She began to think something was off as she continued picking up the flowers. Another one, and another one¡­ ¡®¡­What could it be?¡¯ Persephone, preciously holding onto six or seven narcissuses, went off the road and ended up in a small vacant lot inside the forest. As she bowed down to pick up the last Narcissus that stood out, her ears pricked at an abrupt change in the harmonious symphony of nature. Rustles. Her yellow eyes went wide as she went into a state of alert. Persephone stood calmly and looked around. There were only branches and forest trees with drooping leaves everywhere. Her throat went dry and her heart was beating rapidly. ¡°¡­Naiads? Cyane? Or is it Arethusa? Did you follow me?¡± Symphony of nature returned, as the deviations were gone. Only the screams of the wind that scratched the forest and the mocking sounds of the waves could be heard. Persephone threw away the Narcissus bunch she had collected as she ran out onto the trail, but got caught by a grasp that came out of nowhere. Her scream never left her mouth. Clink, clank. She heard the sound of the Cap of invisibility rolling across the grasses and stones. Her mouth was shut, and her eyes were instantly covered. It only took a few seconds for ¡®the invisible goddess¡¯ to become ¡®the goddess who can¡¯t see¡¯. The hand, clasped onto her chin and covering her mouth, belonged to a man, she realized. Persephone did not know how to deal with this strange situation as she had never experienced it before. She began to move vigorously to free herself but it was too late. ¡°Ugh, arghh!¡± This was the most secret and safe place on earth that Demeter, her mother, had achieved. It should have been. Living for several decades on this island, she had never seen a ship of humans passing by, and very occasionally, only the gods who ride the wind like a sleigh would pass by. It was an island with no entrance nor exit. She tried pushing with her feet, shook her head to somehow free herself from the cloth that covered her eyes, but the hands that tied the cloth were too strong. ¡°Who, who the¡­!!¡± Then she felt the man¡¯s hand grab her hair. ¡°Ahh! Ahhhh! Stop it!¡± Persephone, whose head was forced back, felt the teeth of a man nibbling on her neck, then her body stiffened up. Her mother¡¯s voice passed by, in her head. -The world outside the island is not full of great adventures, faith, and happiness like your imagination¡­ A day doesn¡¯t go by without warmongers who are swept away by Ares¡¯ trickery fight, and those like Zeus are scattered all over the earth and will make you frown¡­ When I think of him, I see goosebumps all over my body¡­. How can I send you out to such a world knowing that you, my daughter, would suffer? As if mocking her puny attempt to turn over her body somehow, strong arms pulled her waist towards him. -During the day the island is completely yours, and at night¡­ it¡¯s like the inside of a sneaky, cunning liar¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hush¨D¡± The first thing the ¡®man¡¯ has said was an order. ¡°Demeter hid you away so well¡­I had a lot of trouble finding you.¡± Persephone¡¯s cloak was removed as if it had been ripped off. And her shoulders shivered mercilessly as a cold spell hit her. The man¡¯s chest was up against hers, and in an instant, the hem of her robe was lifted to her belly. Right then, she could recognize his voice. ¡°Persephone, Persephone.¡± Persephone, the way her called her name. The way his tongue slid up her neck. ¡°Why are you acting like a scared sheep? Didn¡¯t you say you were not afraid?¡± And the way he mocked her. She knew all of it. She got goosebumps all over her body. The fear that she was taken captive, unable to see anything while disappearing without a trace, and for a reason different from before, her heart began pounding. ¡°He has found me.¡± Chapter 2 - Demeter’s Daughter | 19 Chapter 2 ¨C Demeter¡¯s Daughter | 19 The hot tongue licked her ear softly. ¡°Are you¡­ Ah, mmm!¡± From the thighs to the waist, the man¡¯s hand, which was wiggling up, slid in between her legs. He laughed at the stiff, helpless woman. ¡°You¡¯re wet even in this situation, a girl like you.¡± A ¡®part¡¯ of the man lying on her body pushed through her. Inward, inward, and further inward in between her tense legs. The flesh was forcibly opened and it brought unspeakable pain. ¡°Ah, ah, it hurts! It hurts, ah!¡± Persephone took a breath and trembled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you like it when you felt pain?¡± She tried to raise her hand and pull the blindfold down, but her wrist was still caught in the man¡¯s grip. The heart¡ª thumping inexorably, beat faster than she ever felt in her life. Whenever the man moved his buttocks back and forth, her waist twisted due to the rubbing of flesh on her lower part. ¡°Ah, hhhh, haa¡­ Ugh.¡± ¡°Did you have fun?¡± ¡°That¡­, Ah, mmm, ah!¡± ¡°Was it fun?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah! mm!¡± Persephone closed her eyes tightly and held her breath. Every time he raised his hips and pushed up against her, a mo@n burst out of control. The man stuffed her stiff body with all his might and grabbed her chin. ¡°¡­I asked if you had fun deceiving me.¡± The pain that filled her belly was difficult to describe. She sobbed his name. ¡°Lord Hades¡­!¡± It was Hades, the lord of the underworld. It was ¡®him¡¯. Her inner wall, starting to get wet, remembered his manhood and began to tremble. The body temperature seemed to burn coolly. Kisses poured out. Tongue chasing tongue, lips biting lips, teeth bumping into teeth, quickening, sucking, pulling, crushing¡­ In the meantime, the man¡¯s hips did not stop and stabbed in between the trembling thighs. ¡°Ah, hhh¡­ Ah!¡± The bunch of Narcissus under her back was ruined by the pressure of their weights. ¡°Did you miss me¡­?¡± The night when the owner of the black carriage ascended to the ground, Persephone was kidnapped. * Twisted Goddess of the Night, guide me out the door¡ª Bring me death at the end of the shore. * Demeter, the goddess of grain and abundance, admired by all, loved her flesh and blood so much that she hid her daughter on an island. The small island sprouted green leaves even in the middle of winter, and the nymphs worshipped it as ¡°a gift from Demeter¡¯s deep motherhood. However, the daughter, the beneficiary of love, knew better than anyone that her mother¡¯s affection was closer to punishment, and that it was a price rather than affection. Because no one knew. The daughter was the product conceived from sin. Decades ago, one day. A man, the god of thunder and lightning who was not bound by the morality of men, forced his insatiable lust unto his sister goddess. Since the daughter¡¯s father was the man and the mother was the goddess, it was difficult for her to say she wasn¡¯t a child conceived in tragic¡ªmaybe repulsive¡ªdisgrace. The mother, who was an innocent goddess with the hubris of self-satisfaction, was worshiped with radiant pride. That is why it would not have been acceptable. -In that way, I gave birth to you. The goddess would not have hoped for a child when she was forced by her sibling, picked like a ripened grain unable to resist. However, the child was conceived, and the goddess loved her daughter because she herself was a life-loving abundance. -Even so, I, your mother, cherish you deeply. ¡®Even then¡¯. Motherhood stems from such treacherous feelings. The existence of this island was perfected based on the intoxication toward oneself that must be compassionate in everything, the sincerity that the beautiful child born from colic does not suffer from contempt, and the desire to exist as if it does not exist at all. That is also considered love. Being safe from the father¡¯s wife, who said she would not forgive her husband¡¯s affair, the small island that was rich in all seasons, and the thought to come and hug her whenever the seasons change were all a form of love. But the daughter was smart, and her awareness of the nature of motherhood was recognized. The world before and after knowing could not be the same. Freedom was an indispensable orientation for self-respect. However, the world beyond the Ionian Sea was unknown to her, who was called a virgin on the island. On the island, there were only nymphs who served her mother, as well as small trees, few wild animals, migratory birds. All that was given to her was only time, and what she could do was as narrow as that. It was all about making a corolla while hanging out with the nymphs and picking flowers, tormenting small beasts, climbing a cliff to enjoy the wind, and drawing in her mind the greatness of Mount Olympus that she had never seen before. A mother¡¯s love that hasn¡¯t changed for decades. A narrow prison that hasn¡¯t changed for decades. The daughter once asked. -When will I leave the island and become free? She asked with courage to her mother who looked disappointed. -I am worried that you may resemble him¡­ Whenever you are so stubborn like this. My little Kore (Persephone¡¯s nickname, meaning ¡°virgin,¡±) don¡¯t you already know? My thoughts of you, the depth is far from measurable¡­ Then the great goddess answered that it would not be possible because of love. -My good daughter. What made you feel uncomfortable that you would try to disappoint your mother? As I had said, the world outside the island is not full of great adventure, trust, and happiness as you might imagine. Insidious and peculiar bugs are infested in the pit, Warfighters swept away by Ares¡¯ subterfuges rise nearly every day, and miscellaneous mobs like Zeus are spread throughout the world making you frown when you meet them. Demeter said endlessly. -The heads of the weak fall like grains in the rice field, and the sight will give you goosebumps. How can I let you go out to the world such as that? -Demeter¡¯s daughter¡¯s suffering? How would I be able to stand it? But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of you safely until the day your mother closes her eyes. -So don¡¯t say that again. ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Persephone obediently said. -If so, would you make a promise? Dedicate your love for your mother to the Styx River¡­ I will do that. -Don¡¯t betray your mother. You know that I love you. I forgave Zeus to love you. Even after everything, I still love you. Chapter 3 - A Dead Man’s World (1) Chapter 3 ¨C A Dead Man¡¯s World (1) ¡®Please forgive me.¡¯ Coming to realize she couldn¡¯t get away from the island, Persephone wallowed in despair. Her heart pricked at her chest, thinking that this is what Prometheus must¡¯ve felt when he was tied up in the Caucasus Mountains, where his insides were gnawed apart by an eagle. She felt so helpless, circling around the island, which was small enough to be sauntered about in just a day. She could hear the island talking to her as if in mocking, telling her that she would stay here forever, and that she would die in her wrath. This was the symbolism of her mother¡¯s love, Demeter. The only love Persephone knew about in her entire life, caging her in this remote island where civilization was out of reach. The only person that loves her is her mother. It was purely a coincidence when she stumbled upon ¡®that thing¡¯ one night, when the sky was pitch-black, stretching endlessly over the horizon. Lying on her bed late at night, her mind kept her awake, thinking about the daffodil she saw earlier at the edge of the cliff. She went out, making sure the nymphs didn¡¯t see her, and headed straight to the shore. She avoided the light of the thousand blinking stars, and saw a firefly dashing fiercely over the cliff. Everything on the island was hers to take, even the fireflies. She leaned close to where the firefly was floating at, and scooped the firefly with her palms. Still lighting and glowing, Persephone used the firefly to light her way going deep into the pit. She reached the very depths of the cave after a short while, and arrived at the dead end. And there it was. A door she had never seen before. It stood there like it had always been there, like it¡¯s an integral part of the cave. ¡°What is this door?¡± Persephone muttered, white hand pushing Pandora¡¯s door open. It was a paradise beyond words for Persephone, who had always been dreaming of a place outside the island. The sight enthralled her breathless, even if it was a door leading to the underworld. Unusual things happened during Hekate¡¯s night; a lapse in time that is indescribable. The goddess¡¯ power stretched from the end of the horizons, down to worlds that were not entirely visible. * Thick fog encompassed her on all sides. The moon hung above the clouds, glowing a bright yellow against the darkness. Persephone, who was taking in her surroundings, stood up. She was right in the middle of the forest, where the mist was overwhelmingly heavy, and only the minute sounds of the wind blowing and the steady flow of the bustling river could be heard within earshot. She wound her cloak tightly to her body, and walked in light footsteps. She glanced around her as she went on her trek until the space turned clearer and clearer, leaving the cloudy haze behind her, and stood in front of a vast body of water. It was the Acheron River¡ª the underworld. Several meters away from where she was, the dead were standing on the dock, the mist silhouetting them from view. They were brought to that spot by Hermes the night before. All of them bore matching, somber faces as they rummaged through their pockets. ¡°I¡¯ll stone you to death, you bastard.¡± ¡°Care to explain why you never had a husband? I plan to offer some psadista to Ancient Greece¡¯s god of death, especially to Elysion¡­¡± ¡°She had always been full of coins, but why is she still so worthless?¡± ¡°I was hit by a horse, how about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯ll be a plentiful harvest this coming fall, but I¡¯m already short in supplies. I¡¯ll make her pay. You¡¯ll see.¡± Persephone heard them in conversation as she neared closer. She put her hood up as she bowed her head low, taking her place at the end of the line. With the surroundings heavily laden with mist, one wouldn¡¯t be able to see that those people who are waiting on the dock didn¡¯t cast any more shadows. Dead people were void of it. But Persephone was different. She was a goddess, and goddesses were immortal. The dead didn¡¯t feel the bitter cold, their blue skins withstanding the chill air, but Persephone trembled shakily. After a short while, a strange looking boat that was covered in cowhide stopped in front of the dock, the current of water hitting sharply against the sides. The person manning the boat was a thin-haired man who resembled a skeleton. He quickly jumped the dock, pulling a rope from the ship and latched it around a pole several times as he secured the boat in place. He jerked his head towards the boat, signaling them to board one at a time. The corpses followed suit without saying anything. End of the line came Persephone. ¡°You again?¡± Kharon the boatman asked, blocking her entry with an oar. ¡°Coin.¡± Kharon said quickly, putting his palm up. ¡°I told you. I don¡¯t have any coins with me.¡± Persephone answered. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to just leave if you can¡¯t pay?¡± Kharon said, clearly agitated for having to repeat himself again. Persephone frowned. He barred her entry for the fourth time now, shouldn¡¯t he feel bad for her at least? The boatman remained unfazed with Persephone¡¯s persistence. He shooed her off away from the boat, and told her that she couldn¡¯t cross Acheron River even if she tried. That is why she hasn¡¯t seen what lies beyond the Acheron River, despite having snuck into the underworld several times. Time was not on her side. She doesn¡¯t know why she¡¯s only allowed to stay in the underworld during the nighttime. When the goddess Hekate stepped away, she would also be brought out of the underworld¡ª just like when the darkness was driven away by the power of Phoibos Apollo. Persephone clenched her fists tightly to her sides. Looking down, she saw how the mist engulfed her torso, fogging her lower limbs. Her journey to the underworld would be a complete waste of time if she didn¡¯t meet ¡®him¡¯ today. The first time she knew of ¡®him¡¯, the ruler of the underworld, was during her third time visiting the place. It was dawn then, just like it is now. Persephone had been interested in the underworld ever since then. Even what went on beyond the river piqued her attention greatly. Chapter 4 - A Dead Man’s World (2) Chapter 4 ¨C A Dead Man¡¯s World (2) According to the tales, the Acheron River was the edge of the land beyond the graves, and it was so vast that the end couldn¡¯t be seen, the water seemed like it was boundless. Persephone wondered how vast the land really was, wanting to see it with her own eyes¡ª the land where everyone returned to. There was also a golden palace located in the underworld, and there was nothing quite like it on the surface of the earth. The lord in charge of the land beyond the grave was also the ruler of the dead¡ª a god that was served and followed by all the affluent people. The myth that said his palace is greater than the temple of the Olympus gods holds true. Persephone wanted to see how everything looked like¡ª gold and silver gleaming brightly as it was stacked up like a hill, fields that are overflowing with coins, and the existence of the finest jewelry man has ever known that seemed limitless. However, she was much more interested in something simpler than those riches¡ª the ¡®invisible helmet¡¯, which makes the one wearing it invisible to the naked eye. Quinair was the treasure of the underworld that even Argos, who had hundreds of eyes, couldn¡¯t see through. But Kharon won¡¯t let her through, his stance unrelenting as he sneered. ¡°Get the hell out of here if you can¡¯t pay.¡± ¡°You vile woman. Don¡¯t you understand what I just said?¡± ¡°This bitch.¡± He was frustratingly resolute, carrying out his duties with an unwavering will. No coin meant no entry, it was simple as that. And it was sadly unfortunate for Persephone, who never even had one in her entire life. She was envious of everyone who boarded the ship without delay. Seething on her spot, she felt a shift in the air, the mist strangely moving to the other side. ¡®He¡¯ got on the boat just when it was about to depart. He need no coin for He was the King, the Lord of the underworld¡ª a powerful entity, and symbolism of the dead. Dead people snickered among themselves at Persephone¡¯s unmoving form. ¡°What is she doing here? She doesn¡¯t look like she belong here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s just here strolling around, she should leave!¡± ¡°Look at that wench over there, with yellow eyes like rice straws. Get rid of her!¡± Kharon exclaimed hoarsely. The man turned his head and followed where Kharon was pointing to. He stared at the woman, and when the woman turned to face him, everything changed from then on. ¡°How foolish is this woman? She didn¡¯t even express her respects to Acheron! Throw her overboard!¡± Listening to the voices around her, Persephone craned her neck upwards the boat, and saw a man staring at her intently. Darkness seemed to be swimming behind the man¡¯s gray orbs, and it was alluringly hypnotizing just like the moon in the night sky. Persephone felt like she was being sucked in as she stared back, nothing but the sound of his name echoing loudly in her head. ¡®We meet again?¡¯ Hades said so in his head. Hades. The ruler of the underworld, and the death of the unseen world. ¡°How did you come all the way here with her shadow following her? Are you lost, little girl?¡± Persephone heard his voice in her mind amidst the ruckus. She replied in haste, ¡°Have you forgotten who I am?¡± No response came, the boat left the docks, and with it was Hades. Persephone had her own perception about ¡®him¡¯ after hearing a lot of tales that speak of him, the god of the underworld. She knew that she had to keep her distance, but his piercing yet gentle voice, and eyes that appeared depthless made her cross boundaries, closing in on the gap that separated the earth, and the underworld. From that moment on, all the judgment she initially had for him vanished in a blink of an eye, bearing her vulnerability out in the open. Death was something foreign to her, having spent the entirety of her life in the island, where everything was laid out for her alone. She saw the warmth behind his penetrating eyes, seeing through his domineering form. ¡°That person over there.¡± Persephone whispered to herself, saying it like a prayer. Would this be the first time a firm believer of Delphos faced the light? It felt like her chest was bursting. She stepped back, her feet dashing the other away as her heart muttered his name repeatedly. She wanted to talk to the Lord of the underworld. Who knows, he might be the key to her freedom. Chapter 5 - The Persistent Girl Chapter 5 ¨C The Persistent Girl Hermes, who had always been composed and patient, was reluctant to visit the underworld when it was filled with ominous, and leering energy. The combined sounds of the Titans howling dreaded him to the core. Hades usually stayed at the Phlegethon area, but when the place was covered in thick fog, he would go out to keep a watchful eye over the outskirts of the district¡ª where madness and insanity lie beneath the surface. Just like today. When he reached the dock at Acheron River, Kharon was so nervous he didn¡¯t even look back. ¡°At last, the King has arrived. And there was that ¡®thing¡¯ again.¡± He said, clearly annoyed. ¡°What do you mean by that ¡®thing¡¯?¡± ¡°The yellow-eyed girl who¡¯s hanging around all the time, always chasing the boat. Phoibos¡¯ free slave.¡± The dead resented the living beings with a fierce passion, holding grudges over the earthlings who spent their days worshipping the sun, including Persephone. Hades was proud of himself for having remembered her at first sight, not needing to rely on anyone¡¯s help. He remembered her face in full detail, and etched it into his memory. The word ¡®goddess¡¯ is what fits her most. The way she hid made herself small inside her cloak, looking around the darkness with a curious gaze. Hades couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from her white skin, the clear indication she was alive and breathing, which was outstandingly different from the paleness of the dead ones. Her pink lips opened, letting out a small puff of air as she breathed. She shivered despite the cloak hugging her tight, and Hades was utterly mesmerized with the sight. Was he entranced by her simply because he had only seen corpses for such a long time? Was it because all of them paled in comparison, leagues away from the beauty she possessed? Hades asked himself as he stared at her retreating form, his gaze unfaltering as she disappeared into the fog. ¡°Where is she heading to?¡± Hades said. ¡°She didn¡¯t ask nor say anything.¡± Hermes clicked his tongue in exasperation. Some living beings lurk around the land of the dead from time to time, either to beg someone to return, or they just accidentally found themselves in the middle of the underworld, and never finding the light of day again. It doesn¡¯t matter what their reasons were, it was infuriating all the same. ¡°Which way did she go?¡± Hades asked. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Hermes countered back. Hades shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°I want to know what she¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Why bother? She just stared at us and ran off to who knows where.¡± Kharon said, positioning the oars on the edge of the boat and spat a ball of phlegm noisily. He pointed towards the fog where the forest lies ahead. Hades then scanned the fog with peering eyes, and changed the direction of his feet. Kharon jogged up to him, panting as he caught up with the King. ¡°There¡¯s no use reasoning with her. Just tear that bloody nose of hers.¡± Kharon reasoned as they snickered mockingly. * Hades, still not at ease, stopped his inspection and started searching for the living girl. He thought she was trying to be a hassle on purpose. But she was a hassle he wanted to get involved with¡ªthe girl who left a strange impression on him. He wanted to explore her and the depths of her emotions, which bothered him even more. Where in the vast Acheron could she have gone? He entered the mouth of the jagged forest, the darkness enveloping his figure. Though agonizing, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to find her, partly because the girl wasn¡¯t leaving the vicinity of Acheron¡¯s port and partly because he knew the land like he knew the back of his hand. He felt it again and again, with every beat of his heart; a feeling hard to explain which could only be felt, as if a brass nail had nailed his foot to the ground. It wasn¡¯t due to her ostensible beauty that had caught his eye, but the emotions that weren¡¯t hidden¡ªthe excitement or affection, for example, began with the eyes. ¨C¡®Have you forgotten who I am?¡¯ Her melodic voice flowed softly to Hades¡¯s ears. His heart felt heavy. It was a surprise how a single meeting could do that to him; it felt like a fanatic affection. The determination that came into his head fiercely resembled that of his mother. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because they were family that he couldn¡¯t shake it off. Sometimes when this happened, he understood his mother with a clear view as if he were staring at a still scenery of the moment when the wind suddenly stopped blowing. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ He saw her sitting in the forest weeds. Her black hair covered her small back, enticing him to run his fingers through the silky length. Her yellow eyes, which gave him the feeling of being struck by lightning, still remained like the first time. Her hard calves and stiff chest; her neck erect as if never bent; slim jaw and plump lips. A vulnerable beauty to her, the beauty of a girl who had been confined to an island and supported only by her mother and nymphs. He decided to have his fun as he appeared in front of her and inquired in a curious voice. ¡°What are you doing just sitting there all alone in this glorious darkness?¡± ¡°Hades¡­?¡± She looked up in sheer surprise. It was quite a welcome for Hades, who had only met a female for the second time in his life. Even when a girl explicitly calls his name. Chapter 6 - The Start Of A Problem (1) Chapter 6 ¨C The Start of a Problem (1) A faint shadow hung over the girl¡¯s feet. Hades carefully scanned her body up and down and flashed a grin as she shot up from the ground. Her feet, her body; they were moving like they were going to pop out at any moment. ¡°You gonna run away today too?¡± The girl put her hands over her bright red cheeks and nodded. Slowly striding towards her, Hades locked his eyes on hers and pulled down the hood covering his head. His thickly braided light brown hair, small earlobes, and gray pupils that were clearly visible in the shadows all appeared shyly from under the hood. ¡°¡­ did you get lost and wander around?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that; I¡­¡± He lowered his hand from his hood, and glanced at the girl¡¯s blue lips. Perhaps she noticed who he was, as she bit her lower lip and smiled. ¡°You look cold.¡± ¡°Just a little.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t belong here, so what¡¯s your reason for bothering the agent of Acheron and wandering around the edge of my territory?¡± Hades stopped talking there and closed his mouth, pressing his lips in a thin line. The situation was unfamiliar and the warm feeling that swept through his gut frightened him. When he looked down with a blink of his gray eyes in embarrassment, he saw the girl with her arms folded around her with all her might. Was she hugging something? No matter how he looked at her, it was nothing other than her waist. ¡°I wanted to meet you again.¡± For a split second, Hades forgot how to think. His heart was beating so fast he didn¡¯t know what to do. * Today was Persephone¡¯s fifth time visiting. Except for the mystifying first day, she constantly just tried to cross the Acheron River. But just like today, it always resulted in rejection. She cursed at Kharon the boatman in her head and wandered around the riverbank early today in search of another way. The strange thing was that even though she had clearly followed the edge of the river, after walking for some time, she had ended up back at the forest entrance. She was taking a rest for a while because she felt like everything was spinning; feeling silly about the situation that wasn¡¯t going her way. ¡°Have you forgotten who I am?¡± she whispered into the night. Just as the girl struggled with a single determination not to be forgotten by this man, her mother had locked herself in a single determination not to release her to the world from the moment she was born. For she is indispensable due to only that ¡®need¡¯. Her wish is to get him. Quinair¡¯s master, the lord of the underworld, the end to which everything on Earth succumbs. ¡°What should I do?¡± If she spent today meaninglessly again, when would she come here again and meet him like this? Everything was distant and hopeless. But right at that moment, without a warning, he appeared and frightened her to death. ¡°What are you doing just sitting there all alone in this glorious darkness?¡± ¡°Hades¡­?¡± ¡°You gonna run away today too?¡± His heavy voice sent her heart racing as she blushed and nodded, not comprehending what he asked, for she was ecstatic that he didn¡¯t forget her nor that day. He asked again with a calm smile, as friendly as ever. ¡°¡­ did you get lost and wander around?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that; I¡­¡± ¡°You look cold.¡± ¡°Just a little.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t belong here, so what¡¯s your reason for bothering the agent of Acheron and wandering around the edge of my territory?¡± Persephone ran at once, her slender arms wrapped themselves tightly around his torso as she confessed. ¡°I was looking for you!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Really, I¡¯m so happy that you have come back to look for me like this.¡± * For quite a while she didn¡¯t let Hades go, and he just stared at the clinging girl, his arms trapped in her grip. Though her height barely reached his shoulders, she was much stronger than he had expected and, above all, more persistent than he had thought she would be. A loud laughter made its way out of his throat. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an expression of my joy of meeting you again.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ve been acquainted enough to express our joy like this?¡± She slowly lifted her head and looked up at him with a nervous smile. Her sharp eyes seemed wide and innocent, and Hades knew he could never hate her. But it would be strange and embarrassing to express how he felt. The underworld was all about the dead and the powerless. Every now and then, she found her way through the underworld, and he knew she had to have a desire. And when she appeared in front of him, he got so anxious. His forehead dropped down as he inhaled deeply, because he had never seen a girl so free. Chapter 7 - The Start Of A Problem (2) Chapter 7 ¨C The Start of a Problem (2) ¡°¡­ummm¡­¡± Hades¡¯s words fumbled as he had no idea what to say. After a minute he suggested to her with a tone that was as stern as possible but not too threatening. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re wishing for, but if you keep this up it will never come true.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hoping for anything from you, Hades. I just wanted to see you again.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was so full of conviction that even Hades was unconsciously convinced. ¡°I remember you were the one who bolted away like a mountain bird.¡± He said, remembering the first time he saw her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help that it felt like my chest was about to burst. What was I supposed to do?¡± Her eyes glancing up at him had Hades looking away. If she hadn¡¯t said his name earlier, he supposed he wouldn¡¯t have any idea who she was. No matter what the truth is, he was always the main one putting fear in others. It was hard to tell whether the hug, which felt like it was from a little brute, had a big meaning for her, or if she was just a thoughtless child. ¡°What is it, Hades¡­?¡± ¡°I have no idea what to say, and I can¡¯t think of anything to say,¡± Hades said with a troubled expression while his hands rubbed his cheeks. ¡°Do you have a goal you¡¯re trying to reach?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in wandering around aimlessly. Wanderers have vague expectations that there will be something at the end of their path, much less a child in the underworld.¡± ¡°Really, I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± He just stared at her disbelievingly. ¡°If I naturally had a reason, it would be to meet you again Hades.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You tell me, Hades. Why would I visit the Acheron river at the same time you return to the underworld?¡± Looking at the girl who was starting to seem either naive or thick-skinned, Hades was wound up with tension. Whatever the child¡¯s purpose, he decided to look it over once more. ¡°So you¡¯re really interested in me. Tell me your story then.¡± What would be the point in hiding their true minds? The chilly darkness, the rising fog, and the wind whistling like screams of the dead were as usual, with the illusion of a warm tremble in his chest. ¡°After following the edge of the river for some time, I just ended up back in the forest.¡± She said grudgingly. ¡°That¡¯s what happens to wanderers like you. But, escaping out of this maze through the Achelon river, I do not suggest it.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Hades started walking as he gave a detailed explanation and looked back at the girl who followed him at a snail¡¯s pace. Her excited steps were light and had no sign of fear of the underworld, but her hands clung to the hem of his himation, like a child anxious of getting lost. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hassle when the living come all this way to cross the river,¡± Hades, who turned his head toward the footpath again, replied. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This feels like a dream.¡± ¡°Apart from your purpose, who gave you directions to the underworld? The last time wasn¡¯t your first time.¡± ¡°You have been keeping track of me?¡± Hades burst into laughter at the sight of her small ears perking up. ¡°Kharon told me. Weren¡¯t you scared of being in a place where no one wants to come in and everyone who makes it in wants to get out of?¡± ¡°The boatman¡± she huffed. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see what lies beyond the river, but it doesn¡¯t scare me. It¡¯s different from the place I used to live, so I still can¡¯t believe a place like this exists. An unseen world¡ª¡± ¡°This is only the edge of the Acheron River, so you¡¯ll change your mind once you cross it.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It is only beyond this river that you will see the true nature of the monsters and the dead from the stories that you might have grown up listening to.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to scare me, but it¡¯s not working.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to scare you, but you should know better.¡± ¡°There are a lot of sick people in this world, and every single day people who take from others are free to walk. But isn¡¯t this place where those people get punished? So, you¡¯re telling me that I should be more afraid of the place of sentencing than the place where the heinous acts are committed?¡± He just blinked at the girl, taken aback by her wise words. ¡°Do you think differently, Hades?¡± Hades cracked a smile and nodded his head. It wasn¡¯t a sign of agreeing, but even the simplest logic made sense. Because if you¡¯re not guilty, there would be no reason to be afraid. ¡°But did you want to cross the river knowing that if you cross the river, you will not be able to leave until I allow you to?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just secretly get out of here?¡± ¡°If the dead were just like you, the guards wouldn¡¯t have to wander the forest for three days straight trying to catch the souls that had fled.¡± He looked down at the girl rubbing her earlobes as if embarrassed, and sympathized with her. He knew she¡¯d be so lovely regardless of whether she was a living creature or not. At least that¡¯s how her eyes looked. He had no idea that was the start of a problem. Chapter 8 - Her Desire To Be Invisible Chapter 8 ¨C Her Desire to Be Invisible The two reached the upper stretches of the Acheron River. Straight ahead of the river was the frontier of Hades¡¯ territory. In the first basin across the river, an active volcano surrounded by a blazing stream of thick molten lava unfolded its picturesque majesty. This attributed to the air on this side of the coast to be relatively warmer. The girl felt the heat and tugged at the knot of her cloak, slightly pulling it loose. Although they talked comfortably, Hades still hadn¡¯t let his guard down. He was waiting for her to slip up at some point, still fully convinced that she had some purpose in mind. She didn¡¯t seem like a human, and it wasn¡¯t exactly clear to him what her existence was. Persephone scooted closer to him and completely careless of any of his suspicions said, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong, right? I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about you since I left that day. You can¡¯t possibly imagine how fearful I was that you had forgotten about me.¡± ¡°You have no idea what it is that I¡¯m thinking right now.¡± Hades cleared his throat. Persephone was quick to guess, ¡°I know you think I¡¯m strange.¡± With this, Hades just quietly raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°But even if you say so, I couldn¡¯t help it, I wanted to see you and the underworld. Please don¡¯t doubt that.¡± What seemed like eons ago, when the decade-long war between the Titanomachy and the Divine ended, there was no one to rule the land of the dead; a far-reaching world under which Hecatoncheires and other monsters like Titan and Typhon were trapped. But someone had to tend to the duty, so Hades became the one. The quiet, calm, mature brother was unobtrusively cast away by the rest of his brothers. He left feeling betrayed by his own brothers for whom he had fought on his life as he was forced to devote himself to an eternity in the land of the dead, to lose his position in Olympus, and to become ¡®invisible¡¯. He wouldn¡¯t wish this unfulfilling life even on a dead man. For all living beings on earth, death was the greatest fear, but the impression was long overwritten by Hades himself by his chosen moniker of death. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t the least bit strange for him to feel an appreciation for the girl. ¡°You¡¯ve received all kinds of love, haven¡¯t you?¡± His indifferent tone hid all the envy he felt in that moment. He imagined a pretty girl, all her emotions evident on her face, how she must have been quite loved on earth. Persephone¡¯s teeth lowered on her lips as she stared at the man in front of her. He seemed so far away even though he was physically right there. ¡°Is it okay if I interlock my arm with yours? Holding hands would be fine too.¡± Hades couldn¡¯t believe how intimate she appeared with him as if she had known him for a long time. But he wasn¡¯t soft-hearted enough to respond to such a request without context, so he looked at her hand for a moment but turned around to step over the jagged rocks without taking it. She gazed up at his back with a slightly disappointed look and followed him to climb up. ¡°Since the fog is thick¡­¡± Hades extended his hand and turned back around, only to see her climbing up on her own. He quickly dropped his hand before she saw, but it was too late as she had finished climbing and had lifted her head up. Hades gave her a nervous smile and turned around again trying to walk leisurely over the carved rocks as his ears burned with unfamiliar heat. She followed him silently and grabbed his arm and internally rejoiced when he didn¡¯t push her off. Persephone stood on the edge of the rock and peered down. Her hand tightened on Hades¡¯ arm as she realized the height they were standing at. Her vision swam and she couldn¡¯t think of any words to describe the world of fog hanging down below. The endless white sea fluttered beneath the cliff. The Acheron River stretched out a vast stream of water under the hazy mist. Hades held Persephone by her shoulder, and pulled her back from the edge. ¡°Careful.¡± As color rose to her cheeks, Hades released her and stepped away. Looking at him regretfully, Persephone soon turned her eyes to a place a little further away. On close observation, there was something special in the fog across the sparsely laid shore. ¡°Is that a flower? It¡¯s my first time seeing that kind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the land of decomposition. Those who have come to pay a small price for an unforgivable sin are growing flowers from the fire in the underworld of Asphodelos. The entrance isn¡¯t here in this place, but you can think of it as Tartarus beneath the pinnacle of Asphodelos.¡± ¡°Tartarus¡­¡± Hades gestured with his chin at the blue smoke coming from the other side of the mountain. ¡°Do you see the blue smoke at the top of that mountain?¡± He continued when she nodded, ¡°It rises from the molten water boiled by the blacksmiths trapped deep in Tartarus.¡± ¡°Blacksmiths? Are they human or are they part of Hephaestus¡¯s family?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not human, nor are they gods who ruled on earth. They¡¯re Titans.¡± She sighed with a sympathetic look. ¡°Many other creatures besides them are trapped in Tartarus and howl every night. Monsters like Typhon.¡± The blue smoke was the sobbing of the fierce rain that gave him and his brothers a symbolic weapon. They wouldn¡¯t have doubted that they were forgiven when the power from his Cap of Invisibility, Zeus¡¯ lightning, and Poseidon¡¯s trident stumped them. ¡°Who¡¯s Titan the blacksmith?¡± ¡°Cyclops.¡± ¡°Cyclops?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard of the three one-eyed Cyclops brothers?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯ll remember if you tell me.¡± ¡°Brontes, Arges, and Steropes. They made lightning that could split and burn anything, and hard spears and caps that could part the sea.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve heard of that. The story about you, and how you fought bravely in the Tempe Gorge with a cap that made you invisible. Is it true that you become invisible if you wear that? How does it feel when you become invisible?¡± Hades tilted his head at the excited girl. He realized how strange it was that while she knew about the Cap of Invisibility and the Tempe Gorge, she knew nothing about Cyclops. The story of the three one-eyed brothers was much more renowned than his performance in the Tempe Gorge. ¡°Can I get a look at them? I¡¯m curious about how they look.¡± ¡°You can when we go down to Tartarus.¡± Chapter 9 - Call Me Kore Chapter 9 ¨C Call Me Kore The girl dithered slightly. ¡°Oh¡­ Tartarus is that scary? Are there that many monsters down there? Have you ever seen a giant, Hades?¡± ¡°Even I don¡¯t want to step into a place that is deeper than the abyss and has unending darkness that no god can reach. The essence is that it is just a deep pit. It has become a horrifying place because it¡¯s full of trapped souls. It¡¯s been a long time since it¡¯s been used to wipe the earth of its insipid things.¡± It was a more cynical sentiment than before. Hades¡¯ stare fell on the speechless girl. Persephone, her head bent down and hands clasped around each other, asked, ¡°Do you hate the gods of Olympus?¡± ¡°You know about my relationship with them?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°If it were you, what do you think you would do?¡± She just shrugged as she couldn¡¯t imagine what she would have done. ¡°I don¡¯t like them. That¡¯s a fact. But they¡¯re not worth hating. It¡¯s been a long time since the earth and the underground were divided. It¡¯s true that if Zeus didn¡¯t cause all kinds of headaches, I won¡¯t have much to do with them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Being in this place for so long, the earth and sky have become irrelevant to me. Sometimes, I even feel more compassion for them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded as she pondered over what he had said. With his waist leaning toward her, Hades returned to his initial warm tone. ¡°There¡¯s something you want to say, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°No, not quite.¡± Persephone shook her head as her lips pressed into a smile. An uncomfortable feeling swamped her desire to say what she wanted to say. Persephone knew that Hades once joined the Titanomachy and that he was pushed down to the underworld by the other gods. Looking back, it had been a long time since the earth and underground were divided, and her mother had never shown any affection for the underworld, so the same would be true for Hades. What would Hades think if he found out that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter? ¡°And I didn¡¯t even ask, what¡¯s your name?¡± He lightly shook his head over how foolish that was. ¡°Oh¡­name?¡± She pointed her finger at herself ¡°My name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± He breathed out a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s N-Niasis¡± ¡°Niasis?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a river nymph.¡± Hades tilted his head at her unpleasant tone, then tested her name out on his tongue. Persephone, who had blurted out the name ¡®Niasis¡¯ in the spur of the moment, curled her toes. ¡°Kore.¡± She nervously intervened Hades¡¯s deep thought. ¡°Kore?¡± ¡°Please call me Kore.¡± With raised eyebrows, Hades leaned back as he crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Virgin? You want to be called that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my nickname, but I like it better. Much better than¡­Niasis.¡± ¡°You really are special. I guessed that why you annoyed Kharon.¡± Hades, still brooding over the nickname Kore, turned to the distant river lost in thought. Persephone shifted her eyes, following his actions to see what was going on, suddenly felt a weak rumble from the ground accompanied by animal sounds roaring into the air. ¡°Did that noise come from over there?¡± ¡°The prisoners in Tartarus complain often.¡± This so-called complain was too generous a roar. As Persephone was about to open her mouth, Hades, who was staring far across the river, said without a glance, ¡°It¡¯s chaotic.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Girl, didn¡¯t I ask you why you were roaming around the edge of the underworld and try to reason with you to go back?¡± ¡°Yes but-¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for Phoibos to get up soon, so you should go back to where you¡¯re staying. No matter where you hide, this place doesn¡¯t fit you.¡± ¡°Well, then will we meet again next time?¡± Hades, who was half-turned to her, let out a low laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll come to see you again, Hades.¡± ¡°There¡¯ll be no point.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you to come to look for me.¡± After a moment of silence, Hades walked up to her and straightened out her cloak. Persephone¡¯s eyes followed the movement of his hands as her heart threatened to bet out of her chest. His hands pulled and tugged, knotting her cloak neatly again. She couldn¡¯t have been more attentive to the god of death hovering over her head. ¡°Death and wealth follow my tracks. Do you know why the two of them are together?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Death, once captured, won¡¯t let anything be locked inside. What should be feared is not death coming to you, but what it will take away from you.¡± She just guilelessly stared at the man. ¡°If you are innocent enough that nothing of the underworld scares you, it would be more appropriate to roam the paradise in the sky than this dark abyss.¡± With a thin smile painted on his face, Hades patted her on the head, his fingers lingering on her hair for a long second and returned to himself; turning his body to the rocks below. ¡°If you walk straight in the direction of that enormous tree over there, you¡¯ll reach Acheron. Since you¡¯re going back the way you came, you can find your way back.¡± ¡°Hades, you¡¯re really like a father.¡± Upon hearing this, Hades twisted to look at the girl in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t have a father, that is. You are like a father figure. I hope to see you soon. Even though you said there would be no point, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Hades looked at the girl for a long time, who wouldn¡¯t listen to a word he said; he turned around and headed down the path in the rocks. Persephone blatantly stared at his back until he was out of her sight. Her neck, the place where death had grazed her, was warm. Chapter 10 - A Drop Of Poison Chapter 10 ¨C A Drop of Poison The golden royal palace, the shimmery shiny exterior that hid all of the ugliness inside. Hades was glad to be back from Olympus, but still felt down in the dumps. He leaned back in his seat, lazily playing with the ring on his finger, sliding it back and forth repeatedly. He groaned as he felt another wave of agony and boredom. To sum his visit up, he had flat out rejected Zeus¡¯s unreasonable demand for retribution arising from a political scandal, but Zeus, who never lost, played his judge. -Brother, you always draw a line with such a noble character. I don¡¯t even know the reason why you¡¯re so isolated. ¡®You imbecile¡¯ Hades was so sick and tired of him chasing girls¡¯ tails and causing minor slip-ups here and there. He looked down at the ring but soon lost interest and put it back down in its place on his finger. He had to accept that Zeus wasn¡¯t the only reason why his thoughts weren¡¯t in order. That little girl was the problem. Kharon had been updating him of every visit while he was gone. -The ragdoll came five days ago. -The nymph snooped around Acheron River again. As the son of Nyx and the acting governor of Acheron, Kharon was quite unhappy with the existence of a living being who kept breaking the rules. -Is she looking for you? Did you scold her that day and make her cry? They say this time she¡¯s looking for you. -When have I ever made a kid cry? -Isn¡¯t that what you normally do? -She knew what she was getting herself into. -Anyways there¡¯s something fishy going on with that ragdoll. Just like last time. -She came the day before yesterday. She even put her foot in the river water; perhaps she¡¯s becoming less afraid. She squatted in the corner, staring at me day after day, and ran away into the woods. -No matter how far out of the zone she is, it¡¯s truly an underground world, so what the hell is she doing? An unknown feeling swept through Hades every time he heard some news about the nymph. Should he start to worry now? Unlike Zeus, he was so busy encompassing the land of the dead that there was no reason to care so much about a girl from the earth. More than anything, she was just an under-ripen fruit. Appetizing on the outside, but since it¡¯s not ripe yet, having it will bring only regret. -King, she¡¯s here again. It bothered Kharon that the girl suddenly appeared, rattled him, killed time doing this and that, and then disappeared. He felt like she was a spy roaming the land and he had to get rid of her. ¡°Again¡­¡± Looking up at the sky, Hades felt the deep night air seeping into the underworld. On a night like this, the citizens of the underworld were swept away by a hell of frenzy, and the Titans trapped in Tartarus were more turbulent than before. From time to time it seemed that they were swept away by the unpleasantness and confusion that the girl spread like an epidemic. Hades, who abandoned that thought for a more silent one, eventually pulled himself up from the seat. ¡°At last he has come; long time no see, King. Do something about her!¡± Kharon, pointed his finger at ¡®that special concern, that ragdoll, that thing¡¯. The girl, with no intent of moving whatsoever, squatted down at a spot not too far from the dock, looking at him with sulky eyes with lips chapped from the cold. She was sitting exhausted from a long tussle with Kharon today and seemed to be in a bad mood. ¡°Why have you come just now?¡± She accused him before he could speak. ¡°You should at least be thankful that I came at all.¡± Her eyes seemed more annoyed than pleased. ¡°I said I¡¯d wait for you.¡± ¡°And I said there was no point.¡± ¡°You liar.¡± Hades clamped his lips. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that he was concerned and ended up going on the outskirts of Acheron again. Persephone stood up and shook off the wet hem of her robe, approached him and hugged him at the waist. Then she whined like a baby. ¡°You almost hurt my feelings.¡± ¡°Why did you come again?¡± ¡°To meet you, Hades.¡± ¡°How many times do you plan on coming back?¡± ¡°Until we become closer; until you¡¯re happy to see me.¡± His pulse was gone. Every time she made her way to the land of the dead, where even the dead wanted to escape, she crawled in and tried to make amends. All Hades could do was smile powerlessly. ¡°You¡¯re stupid.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we all stupid?¡± With the girl¡¯s cold body leaning in his arms, Hades pulled her in lightly and patted her back. Chapter 11 - His Desire To Covet Chapter 11 ¨C His Desire To Covet ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯ he thought. ¡®Why was she so happy to see me? What made her so glad?¡¯ A small drum played in place of his heart. A series of regrets now rose on the side of him that had preferred she not come back. From the back of the dock Kharon could be heard saying, ¡®Get that thing down, get it out¡¯. He much more preferred to have a woman of age crossing the river. The girl¡¯s hands dared to touch Hades¡¯ waist. He was outraged. ¡°Let me ask. Do you see me as your father?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly that. Though it is a little.¡± ¡°So, what is it?¡± ¡°Did I offend you?¡± Hades didn¡¯t answer right away, so the girl continued hastily. ¡°Hades, I¡¯ve never once thought of you as my father. I just had that feeling because I know what kind of person my father is.¡± Hades fixed her gaze on the girl. ¡°What kind of person is he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a great person, like you. So, what I¡¯m saying is¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Have you heard anything about the underworld?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that I have¡­¡± ¡°Then why do you act so fearlessly?¡± The girl gritted her teeth for a moment, her face full of distress, then spoke clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason to pretend to be afraid of things that aren¡¯t scary. The reason why I said you¡¯re like a father is that while growing up, not once did I meet my real father. Therefore, the warmth and comfort that I feel with you is what I imagine a father feels like. So please don¡¯t be cross with me.¡± Hades turned to Kharon after shrugging the girl off. Kharon, with his chin on his oar, was looking out over the mist and waiting for the dead. Kharon, the mist, the white moon, and the air weren¡¯t any different from normal; but whether it was because of the girl or what she had said, Hades couldn¡¯t shake off his restless mood. She would remain in his brain long after turning around. Such things, like her lips, her round eyes, her arms that embrace him so freely. ¡°What I meant was, feeling such a way is wrong. That¡¯s where you messed up at.¡± She was a strange nuisance to him. While they haven¡¯t met that many times, every time they did it reminded him of forgotten feelings. It calmed his temper when she hugged him as she pleased. Whatever the delusion this childish girl possessed of him, Hades himself held fast that there was a distinct difference in his mood when he saw her. That¡¯s why she¡¯s looking to him to find her father¡¯s shadow, which she couldn¡¯t, but to him, no matter how he looked at her, she was a female. A living female. To incite his desire to covet. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Coming here, looking for me.¡± ¡°How could you be so cold-hearted?¡± Hades bent his waist and stared at her softly. He brushed his fingertips over her slightly opened lips. If she knowingly lured him he wouldn¡¯t have known; if she lured him under a false pretense, even Aphrodite would shoot a glare at him. He looked at her yellowish-colored eyes. Like a burning flame flooding the underground world, they were full of vivid vitality. Hades, who held her cheek lightly, tilted his head to make eye contact with the girl. Persephone¡¯s shoulders stiffened naturally. Hades was very pleased with that. ¡°Would your father ever look at you like this?¡± Thoughtfulness in the girl¡¯s eyes was washed away and replaced with passion. ¡°You think your father would do this to you?¡± Hades brought his head down, and his lips touched the girl¡¯s ice-cold lips. It was half a tease, but it was on the peak that even he couldn¡¯t say for sure. Persephone¡¯s shoulders trembled in amazement at the touch of his strange lips. It was a kiss. It was her first time as she hadn¡¯t encountered a single man while being trapped on the island. She held her breath at the sensation and gentle graze of his lips. Her chest was about to burst. Hades opened his half-closed eyes and stared into her wide-open pupils, slowly pulling at the tip of her lip with his teeth and whispered with a smile. ¡°Would you know? I¡¯m not at all like your father, who you don¡¯t even know, and this is the last warning. That means when I let go of you, you get out of here. I know you¡¯re naive, but you need to have some sense.¡± Chapter 12 - A Kiss From Him (1) Chapter 12 ¨C A Kiss from Him (1) Persephone¡¯s earlobes were bright red. Hades had expected her to retreat with fear. He wondered if one day it would be fun for this girl to fall into the underworld; into his arms. But she never showed the reaction he wanted and surprised him like always. Let alone be frightened, she curled her lips into her mouth and clung to his neck at the same time Hades frowned. ¡°This is good, so why are you telling me to run away? Why are you acting like you don¡¯t like it when it¡¯s good?¡± The lips of the clumsy girl met shyly with the lips of the speechless man. A slight touch, then separating again. ¡°Do you do this with other girls too?¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°Does that mean no?¡± Hades¡¯ lips spread into a devilish grin. ¡°Hades, you like me, right? Have you been thinking about me?¡± He was attracted to her from the beginning. He couldn¡¯t hide it. A drop of poison can spoil an entire well. The mistakes of those suffering in the underworld all started with a single drop. ¡°To my disappointment, I even speculated.¡± The ruler¡¯s patience was short, and his lips longed for an old touch. Hades grabbed the back of the girl¡¯s head and kissed her. The moment every calculation lost its meaning. It was like a drop of poison. The point of no return. And regret is the price of sweetness brought by this. * With the rising sun casting a bright hue over the dark night sky, Persephone rushed to her room, trying to get in unseen by anyone. ¡°Kore! Where have you been?¡± A voice, softer than the other nymphs but still sharp enough to make the girl stop short in her tracks, called out. Her plan to readily hide in the room had failed again. She tried her best to relax her frown as she straightened up and turned around. ¡°Cyane, you¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°Kore, what on earth are you doing these days?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You secretly wander out at night. Alone, might I add.¡± Cyane said, worry etched on his face. ¡°Maybe because I want to be left alone.¡± ¡°How could you say that?¡± The little girl just crossed her arms and looked to the side with her nose lifted high. ¡°Kore, we used to be close. Please tell me.¡± She huffed and recalled how that was back when they were very young. They had been close. Despite being trapped on the island forever¡ªin the name of love and being guarded from unknown harm¡ªPersephone believed it was paradise until she realized that the filial affection was too much. ¡°Did you go near the cliff?¡± ¡°Are you spying on me?¡± Persephone questioned indignantly. ¡°No, I can smell the ocean and there¡¯s some sand on your feet.¡± ¡°You can smell the ocean from anywhere.¡± ¡°I may not have as keen a sense as a night hunter, or as many eyes as the god of stars, but please don¡¯t undermine me.¡± Cyane frowned, insulted by the little girl¡¯s distrust. It wasn¡¯t the first time for Persephone to go out in the middle of the night and return in the morning. The island was safer than any other place on earth, but it troubled the nymphs who served her when she went out without telling them. They feared Demeter¡¯s reaction if she ever found out. The last time Persephone disappeared, Naiads was the first to notice. She informed both Aretusa and Cyane. That day, as Cyane had now, Niads warned her with a more brutal attitude than Cyane, since Niads and Aretusa were both fiercer than Cyane. But it was clear that Persephone wasn¡¯t listening to any of them. -Where did you go? -Kore, stop behaving spoiled okay? If you cared how mad Demeter will be if she finds out, how much trouble we¡¯ll be in, you wouldn¡¯t dare think of going out alone! -You said you wouldn¡¯t wander off alone again. -There is no safer place than this island. ¡°Stop it, all of you!¡± Persephone¡¯s cold-hearted attitude forced the nymphs to give up. No matter how much they reminisced her lovely childhood, she was a burden to bear for them now. But Cyane couldn¡¯t abandon Persephone completely. Even when Persephone complain, when she ignored Demeter¡¯s orders and left the island¡¯s grain fields unattended, and even when she tried to hurt everyone by being a brat, Cyane believed that Persephone would one day accept reality. So she always quietly took charge of the consequences. However, Persephone was aware of her affection and tried to use her. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell mother, are you?¡± Chapter 13 - A Kiss From Him (2) Chapter 13 ¨C A Kiss from Him (2) Cyane sighed and dejectedly said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°Naiads and Aretusa too?¡± She nodded her head reluctantly, heaving a deep sigh. ¡°Kore please tell me the truth. Where did you go so early in the morning that your feet got scratched up so much?¡± ¡°I took a walk.¡± ¡°You swear on Styx River that you¡¯re not lying and you only took a walk?¡± Persephone bit her lip, curbing the next lie. ¡°I remember Helios, who took the tragedy in exchange for a vow of sincerity; I can¡¯t believe you mentioned the river¡¯s oath over something so trivial. Isn¡¯t that a bit rash, Cyane?¡± ¡°The circumstances are different. Is it true that you really only just took a walk?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to believe it, then don¡¯t.¡± Persephone entered her room blatantly ignoring Cyane. To her, the nymphs weren¡¯t even worth a branch from a forest tree, and it was enough for her if they didn¡¯t tell Demeter. Lying down on her bed, a shy smile spread over Persephone¡¯s face. Her elated mood hadn¡¯t been spoiled by Cyane¡¯s rebuke. Touching her lips, she buried her face in a pillow and shook her head violently. It was a shame that the tingling sensation had disappeared, but she still remembered how good the feeling was; the feeling of kissing Hades. That kiss, it had been so real. The ruler of the vast world, the epitome of ¡®death¡¯ itself, the owner of the ¡®Cap of Invisibility¡¯ had kissed her! While his tongue had been in her mouth, she felt like it was just an illusion, much to her distress. The first feeling she had felt gave her goosebumps; it was so good that she couldn¡¯t forget it even after the night was over. To her regret, he had told her to never return like he was ashamed of her, or with himself. She tried to console herself by saying that he was just spouting nonsense he really didn¡¯t mean. Hope was the base of all pleasure. The first time she saw him, his voice, which had whispered ¡®her¡¯ obsessively in her mind, brought back memories. Even if he was the existence of the underworld in the flesh, rather that¡¯s why she craved him even more. She broke out of her reverie when she heard Naiads¡¯ voice from outside the door. ¡°Cyane, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Why is your face like that?¡± She asked, seeing Persephone¡¯s beet red face. Persephone opened her eyes with a chilled look and stared over at the closed door. ¡°What about my face?¡± ¡°It seems like something is bothering you. Why is Kore still awake?¡± Annoyed, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it up. -Call me Niasis. She thought back at the moment she had lied to him, remembering his lips twisting with his soft voice saying ¡®Niasis¡¯. Persephone pouted her lips, thinking how useless it was to say her name was Niasis in the confusion of the moment. She had felt extremely jealous without even realising it. With the blanket pulled all the way up to her head, Persephone closed her eyes tightly. How wonderful would it be if the goddess of the evil came every night. How wonderful it would be if the goddess swallowed this entire world. ¡°How free I would be¡ªif I were to be with him.¡± She wondered. Hekate slept beyond the horizon, and time continued when Nyx¡¯s mercy touched the ground peacefully. The tired nymphs fell asleep after running all day. Persephone, who was looking out of the window listening to the sound of a buzzing grasshopper, headed out silently like a thief, holding a magpie¡¯s foot in her dainty hands. After she climbed the cliff and braved the waves, the shallow cave appeared. Without hesitation, Persephone pushed her body into the dark, cramped entrance and crawled through, not caring about her knees. There was a blockage wall just as she expected, but still, she let out a grumpy growl. She knocked on the stone with a balled-up fist before pressing her knees together and squatting down. Cursing at Nyx¡¯s night, she grabbed a stone and picked it up. Even if Hekate¡¯s night doesn¡¯t come, she¡¯ll visit the cave and spend her time scribbling on this narrow wall. ¡®Will Hades come looking for me? Can I ever find a coin? If Kharon says no, should I really just swim? But the river is massive, right? I don¡¯t even know what lurks deep down there.¡¯ She pondered to herself as she pressed down on the wall one letter at a time until the stone was worn out. A crooked letter was written down. Time flies when you¡¯re having fun. Chapter 14 - Hermes The Warrior Chapter 14 ¨C Hermes the Warrior It was fifteen days later that Hekate pushed out Nyx and inherited Phoibos¡¯ (Other name of God of Light, Apollo) territory. Persephone was in a hurry as she pushed through the fog so thick she couldn¡¯t see her feet below. Neither the freezing cold nor the unpleasantness of the swamp, which twisted her mind, were of any importance. Towards a random direction¡ªwith no confidence of knowing the directions of this bizarre forest¡ªshe ran in a straight line, knowing that Kharon¡¯s dock would appear. It wasn¡¯t long before the open river appeared. Persephone¡¯s face was burning red from the exertion. The mood surrounding the dock wasn¡¯t like before. If you asked what was so different, she would say that it was so silent it gave her goosebumps. It was strange seeing the place that had been so noisy day after day, so quiet like this. The dock, which was almost always cluttered with more than a dozen dead people, was empty. All that was seen was a boat made of leather floating above the black water and Kharon; the wicked, heartless boatman. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ she wondered. * Kharon had been lollygagging for the past week. It was an unusual break for him, who had been so busy traveling back and forth between the two sides of the vast Acheron River dozens of times a day. This is because the dead were cut off suddenly, and the earth and the underworld were in turmoil. Kharon was merely a stand-in boatman on behalf of Acheron, not a man of goodness who wished for peace in the underworld. He was just casually lying on the sea. ¡°Kharon.¡± She shook the boatman awake. ¡°Kharon. Wake up.¡± ¡°Where the hell did this ragdoll crawl out of? You came back?¡± Kharon muttered nervously. Actually, he couldn¡¯t help but see the girl again out the corner of his eye and feel a spark inside of him. He noticed early on, that the only day Persephone appeared was the night of the playful goddess, and only today did he come up with the idea that Hekate might¡¯ve turned into that girl. Otherwise, she was just trying to get on his nerves. She seemed to be unbothered even by his warning and stuck her hand out. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Kharon frowned deeply. In the girl¡¯s hand was soft gravel. Gravel weaved by the saltwater. Why this? She looked up at him, chatting triumphantly. ¡°It¡¯s worth more than a coin. You can have it. In return, take me for a ride.¡± Persephone negotiated. ¡°I told you to scram. If you want to sink under the riverbed, go on your own terms.¡± ¡°You cram the dead in your boat by the dozen, but why can¡¯t I ride? And how can the river be endless if there is a riverbed?¡± ¡°Do you even know how much a shadow weighs?¡± ¡°Since when do shadows weigh anything?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Kharon turned around in a flash and, with his back turned to the girl, lay down. * To Persephone, there was no giving up. She docked her head low to avoid Kharon¡¯s notice and slid her toes up on the leather boat. As soon as her foot touched down, the boat sloshed side to side. She herself was so surprised that she jumped back from the disaster. Right away, an angry Kharon¡¯s oar fell into the water. ¡°You stupid little girl! How many times have I told you that if you come here with a shadow you can¡¯t cross without paying?!¡± Persephone was in tears, ¡°You¡¯re so cruel.¡± ¡°You ragdoll! Are you serious?¡± Kharon stood on edge, flashing purple bloodshot eyes and fixing his oar, to see if Persephone would kick something again. ¡°Can¡¯t I just sit here with my eyes closed, not making a sound while you operate the boat? Or can you convince Acheron to let me through? Can you let Hades know that I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°Why should I? Do you have any coins? Dammit¡ª look behind you, you¡¯re a girl who can¡¯t even take off her own shadow. And you¡¯re trying to force me? You are not dead. This is not the land of the living!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t ride?¡± At last, Persephone¡¯s eyes shed tears, that fell steadily. Kharon laughed at her with a ghastly look of indifference. ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll still go, even if I have to swim through the whole river. And if something goes wrong along the way, I wish you feel guilty for not helping me Kharon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be torn to shreds by deep-sea creatures.¡± ¡°They live down there?¡± She nervously looked towards the dark murky water. She wrapped her arms around herself and pretended to wipe away tears, trying to gain some sympathy from Kharon. But he paid her no attention. Persephone noticed this and pursed her lips into a terse smile, while looking at his form with narrowed eyes. ¡°You¡¯re obstinately lazy! Lying down like that, with nothing to do at all. Aren¡¯t you afraid of Hades?¡± ¡°Have you taken a look around, girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been noticing it for a while now.¡± ¡°Is it just me? Or do you also think there¡¯s some turmoil on Earth?¡± Persephone tilted her head in confusion. ¡°I see. You don¡¯t know what the King of Corinth did? For a whole week, I haven¡¯t been able to transport the shadows of the dead, so it¡¯s quite a big deal. You don¡¯t know about that?¡± ¡°Where is Corinth?¡± Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ¡°The land where humans live. You don¡¯t know about Sisyphus either?¡± *T/N: Corinth is a city; Sisyphus is its wise king. ¡°Who is Sisyphus?¡± Kharon glared at Persephone with a fed-up look. She thought he would tell her off again but she was surprised when he answered, although he did so in a riddle. ¡°An impudent human with more wits than yours but fewer than mine.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kharon slowly tilted his head up towards the sky and blew a raspberry with his tongue, rolling his eyes in annoyance at the little girl. Kharon turned towards her and spoke again. ¡°Is it resolved yet?¡± ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Before she could complete her word, she heard another voice speak right beside her. She yelped and jumped aside, almost falling off the dock, but was caught by the man¡¯s cane around her waist. The man who had manifested out of thin air beside her. Chapter 15 - The Absence Of Death Chapter 15 ¨C The Absence of Death ¡°It¡¯s in the works. Sorry for being late, Kharon. Zeus called for Ares yesterday. I managed to find a drunken man lying on the battlefield, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to sober up. So, I just stuffed the message in his pocket and came straight here.¡± He calmly answered Kharon, like it was no big deal that a girl was dangling from his cane; a two-headed snake crawling into the shape of a cane around the girl¡¯s waist. ¡°If your task isn¡¯t even finished, then what did you come here to do?¡± Kharon grumbled but the man didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he stared at her with a small smile on his face that revealed his dimples, he collected his cane and greeted her. ¡°Good evening.¡± ¡°Good as a load of shit.¡± Kharon sneered and huffed. Persephone stared at the innocent looking young man. A man flying around with a two-headed snake cane. Persephone couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to him. But then she all words left her mind anyway, stunned by Kharon¡¯s next words. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave it up to a drunk in a time like this, Hermes?¡± Hermes? Persephone¡¯s knees shook. Hermes was Zeus¡¯ messenger and was a famous trickster among the twelve gods of Olympus. He had visited the island a couple of times when she was on the island. Demeter hid Persephone from all outsiders. So, whenever he visited, Persephone would either stay in her room or steal a glimpse of him standing with her mother. Her heart raced as she panicked. What if he finds out and tells her mother? ¡°My disciple Autolycus was the right choice, though the drinking is no doubt a problem.¡± ¡°Pathetic thieving son of a bitch himself is a problem.¡± Unfortunately, Hermes turned his attention to her and asked Kharon, ¡°Who is our guest?¡± ¡°A leech.¡± She turned to him indignantly, crossing her arms. ¡°Kharon, why do you always use such profanity towards me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a poor, stupid witch.¡± Hermes giggled at the two arguing with each other and shook his head. After a while, he blurted out, ¡°By the way, have we met before? Somewhere else?¡± ¡°No.¡± Persephone quickly denied. ¡°I think we have. I have a good memory, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? Your voice sounds awfully familiar.¡± Persephone didn¡¯t know if it was a compliment to the gods who haven¡¯t been blessed with forgetfulness, but Hermes prided himself on having better memory than any other god. It turned out that he wasn¡¯t a human being, and of course nor was he dead¡ªthough how good it would be if Hermes were dead. Then the current chaos would have been resolved¡ªhe seemed to have flown directly into the underworld unlike the others. ¡°How did you make your way to the underworld? What¡¯s your business here?¡± Embarrassment began to spread over Persephone¡¯s face, but Kharon¡¯s hot temper helped her out for a change. ¡°So, are you going to cross or not?¡± Kharon asked Hermes impatiently. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m certainly going to cross. We need to discuss the arising issue during Thanatos¡¯ absence.¡± A jingling sound rose from Hermes¡¯ waist as he pulled some coins from his pocket. Persephone stared at his pocket in a trance. Of course, he was rich. Hermes felt a burning gaze on himself, and looked back at her, handing Kharon a gold coin. Their gazes locked vacantly. * The gods didn¡¯t doubt their omnipotent powers, and each of them knew that it was forbidden to violate one another¡¯s territory. Among them, only a few invaded the underworld, for the gods respect the greatest difference between humans and themselves; and that was immortality. Sometimes they put aside logic or discipline for a while and helped each other, though it was very odd. Like sometimes when Hades was in the mood, he would send the dead back to the earth. But Zeus and some other petty tricksters started an ¡®immortal human situation¡¯ this time. Sisyphus, King of Corinth, did something that was probably the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever done. He was a witness to Zeus¡¯ kidnapping of Aegina, the daughter of Asopus, the god of the river. As soon as Asopus discovered his daughter¡¯s absence, he searched for her far and wide. Taking advantage of the father¡¯s desperation, Sisyphus offered him a deal. He said he would tell him where his daughter was in return for a spring on the Corinthian Acropolis. After Asopus did what he wanted, Sisyphus revealed that she had been kidnapped by Zeus. The god of river, who had lost all reason in the concern for his daughter¡¯s safety, dared to revolt against Zeus. But of course, a furious Zeus saw no reason like always and struck Asopus with a bolt of his lightning, sending him back to the river, weakened and paralyzed. Then he had turned his canon of fury towards Sisyphus who had ratted him out. Only this time, he didn¡¯t think of the consequence of punishing him at all and borrowed the power of underworld without Hades¡¯ consent. Chapter 16 - Slave Of Desire Chapter 16 ¨C Slave of Desire Not only did Zeus kidnap the girl and almost kill her father, but he also rejected Hades¡¯ request to inform her father of his daughter¡¯s whereabouts. Zeus was well-versed in all sorts of seduction¡ªgirls with mixed blood, young women, married women, maidens¡ªhe had no trouble in getting his way. Shortly after the end of Titanomachy, it was thought that it was only for the sake of the foundation, but over time, chasing tail became a force of habit. Objectively, he was the cause of his kind-hearted sister, Hera, being criticized as a jealous goddess. It was not a hidden fact that Hades was not fond of his ways, but this time he had gone too far. T/N: Titanomachy is the war of the titans. One day, Zeus and Hades had an argument: -All of this has nothing to do with me. -I know you don¡¯t like being too loud and messy, but do it as a favor to your brother. -You¡¯re the one who chases tails for pleasure, and there is no reason why I should always be the one to clear up your messes. -Hey loosen up, will you? Find a girl or two. It¡¯s not important to find a warm-hearted girl. She won¡¯t survive surrounded by all these dead people, anyway. It was insulting all right, but if it had ended there, Hades wouldn¡¯t have cared. But Zeus wasn¡¯t one to give up so easily. Soon after his talk with Hades, he pulled a trick. He approached Thanatos, who had authority over souls before Hades displaced him. Thanatos was fooled by the lies Zeus told him. ¡°Your master is too busy to control the underground world, so you should do his share instead.¡± He went to reap Sisyphus¡¯ life and to trap him in underworld. What Zeus and Thanatos didn¡¯t expect was that Sisyphus was uniquely clever among humans. Taken to the mere temptation of a human, Thanatos was imprisoned in his own chains by Sisyphus. T/N: Thanatos is death. Without him, there would be no more death, that is why the Acheron river is devoid of souls during Persephone¡¯s recent visit. Consequently, death had disappeared. People stopped dying; an old man who was about to die stood up, those who had a deadly disease suffered while hovering between life and death, children didn¡¯t drown even if they spent all day underwater, and a man burned alive walked around with nothing but bones left. That was the reason of the absence of dead in the underworld. Hades, standing on the balcony, was stunned that the situation under his command resulted from a kidnapping of just one girl. His mind wandered to another victim of Zeus¡¯ infidelity. Semele. She was the princess of Thebes who died after being struck by lightning in return for seeing Zeus¡¯ bare form, whom she believed to love. Hades didn¡¯t have anything against desire. Desire was the driving force of prosperity; the prosperity of the earth and the prosperity of the underground were shared in some ways. The headcount on earth has to increase for the headcount in the underworld to increase. However, it was quite annoying when such problems arose across the earth and the underworld. That was why Hades withdrew himself from ¡®her¡¯ even though he foresaw that there would be considerable regret in his heart. On the day he had the urge to kiss the girl, the day he realized his want, he retracted from her. Hades didn¡¯t want to be like his brother, a slave of his own desire. There are many ways to confine the undead to the underworld, but they were wrong; kill someone, or feed them the food of underworld. But forcefully killing the living rather than sending back the dead leads to a more troublesome tragedy, and Hades has enough knowledge to predict the future. As the rules of the underworld remain that way, he must abide by them. He tensed as he heard a rustling sound behind him, and turned around to look. A presence scraped across the platform. Hades looked up at the landscape painting on the plaster wall and found Hermes again. He went to take a seat on his throne and warned implicitly. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a day we¡¯re going to let the blind watch over this place.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to steal it. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Hermes threw his arms out. ¡°I¡¯d like you to respect your aesthetics of turning a blind eye to thieves as much as you respect the underground rules.¡± Hades smirked as he added. ¡°But your hands should be quicker.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so suspicious of me, should I give you a heads up?¡± Chapter 17 - Another Woman (1) Chapter 17 ¨C Another Woman (1) The end of the snake shaped wand held by an amused Hermes¡¯ pointed to the king¡¯s scepter held by Hades. ¡°That¡¯s my next goal!¡± Smiling, Hades relaxed and rubbed his chin. ¡°Utter nonsense.¡± ¡°Just you wait, you¡¯ll see. A thief¡¯s most important virtue¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªis persistence. Yes, yes, I¡¯m sick of hearing that.¡± Hades rolled his eyes. Hermes burst into giggles and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been waiting long enough for the day to beat Sisyphos, haven¡¯t I?¡± A long time ago, Autolycos was caught stealing by Sisyphos. Using that as an excuse, the sly Sisyphos threatened Autolycos to give up his daughter for the night. After doing that, Autolycos committed suicide. The problem was that Autolycos was caught red-handed, so he couldn¡¯t help being punished. But the fact that the daughter, not the thief, had to suffer because of the crime of the father caused Hermes¡¯ displeasure. ¡°What did Zeus say?¡± ¡°He sent for Ares.¡± ¡°Did he respond obediently?¡± Hermes shrugged, not telling him that he hadn¡¯t actually delivered the message. ¡°He will. And once the fire is on, it¡¯s over. If we waste time that guy will instigate humans and go to war in Corinth, but what¡¯s a war if people don¡¯t die? But until then, we need the power of the underworld to take care of the earth.¡± ¡°Bring Ceres.¡± Hermes frowned almost instantly. ¡°She gives me goosebumps.¡± ¡°Shall I do it myself then?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re joking, but if you¡¯re going to do it yourself, I¡¯m all for it¡­¡± Hermes pretended to hurl ¡®hoorah¡¯ with an exaggerated tone. A moment later Hermes noticed Hades staring over his shoulder at something. Hermes bent over backward instead of just looking back, and found a girl hanging from the floor like a bat, in the upside-down landscape. Persephone, soaked to the waist, stood bravely. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve arrived, have you?¡± Hermes straightened up and mused. He had praised the girl¡¯s wild attempt to steal gold coins from him and had gladly allowed her to cross the rivers of Acheron, Kokytos, and Plageton. The Lette River was only waist-deep, so he had thrown her out of the boat because she had tried to steal from him after all. ¡°I ran into this little kid on the way, she said she knew you Hades.¡± He explained to Hades who was looking at him strangely. ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid,¡± Persephone said in a fiery voice. Hades rubbed his forehead and let out a shallow sigh. The two behaved as if they were acquaintances. It wasn¡¯t difficult to grasp the circumstances. He didn¡¯t want to purposely worry, but Hermes was just as nosy as ever. ¡°You don¡¯t like that I¡¯m here Hades?¡± Hades stared at her without saying a word. She was just the same as the first time they met; a face full of excitement, bright red cheeks, and eyes marked with the beginning of disappointment. The girl whose thoughts had been scattering his brain for quite a while was standing right in front of him. His feelings were something quite indescribable, but displeasure was not one of them. ¡°You don¡¯t want me here?¡± She persisted like always. ¡°I never said that.¡± He quickly denied, and saw Hermes tilt his head. ¡°So, it¡¯s okay if I stay?¡± He remained silent, unable to say no to the girl, but unable to say yes too. ¡°It¡¯s okay, right?¡± Persephone ran to Hades and hugged him in excitement that he hadn¡¯t turned her away. Hermes, whose eyes shifted back and forth between the two carefully, scratched his neck deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes widened. ¡®¡­I knew it, I knew she looked familiar¡­I¡¯ve seen her somewhere.¡¯ He thought to himself. After a rollercoaster of emotions, she felt like she was on cloud nine. Persephone¡¯s excitement when she had set foot in the underworld for the first time in a long time, had given way to confusion and fear when she met Hermes, she felt victorious when she was able to cross not only the Acheron River but also the other two large rivers without suffering, but then anger washed over her along with the Lethe river water because Hermes threw her into it and left. The only reason she wasn¡¯t upset anymore was Hades didn¡¯t forget her and didn¡¯t kick her out. But her mood hit rock bottom again, because of a young goddess who appeared at the call of Hades. ¡°Ceres! Good, you¡¯re here. You have to go up, I have a job for you.¡± ¡°If we leave Thanatos in charge of cleaning up, then what about Tartarus?¡± The long black-haired, slim woman was wearing a bow on her shoulders, a sickle on her back, and a doric chiton that exposed one of her legs. ¡®So beautiful.¡¯ Persephone thought. There was another reason why Persephone couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the goddess. She spoke in several voices with a single mouth. ¡®So, are we going?¡¯ ¡®I see, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve gone up to the earth.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s look back at the festivals.¡¯ ¡®Sounds like fun.¡¯ Man¡¯s voice; slave¡¯s voice; woman¡¯s voice. It was bizarre. Before long, Hermes shoved Ceres¡¯s back and said goodbye. ¡°Then I¡¯ll deliver the news.¡± He nodded and disappeared without another word. Now only two people were left in the lonely space. Looking at the door for a long time, Hades explained. ¡°Ceres wears a lot of hats, while enchanting the dead.¡± ¡°Her voice is unusual.¡± ¡°More than ever.¡± ¡°Are you close with that woman?¡± Chapter 18 - Another Woman (2) Chapter 18 ¨C Another Woman (2) The unexpected question evoked a brief silence. Hades looked down at her with a slightly amused face, and gestured towards the door with his chin. Following him outside, Persephone found herself in a royal chamber that looked like a reception room. Regardless of the emptiness of the palace, where it was rare to even see the dead let alone a human, everything from the cleaning to the decorations was perfect, giving it a curious sense of alienation. Sitting on the sofa, she watched his every move. Hades¡¯ broad back was turned to her as he scoured the charcoal with a kindle. His back was carved with hard muscles, and softness arose whenever he moved his arms or tilted his body; making Persephone drool over his gentle shape. When the fire had risen to some extent, Hades turned around and approached her, seating himself next to her. His arm came around the sofa behind her back, much to her pleasure. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± She didn¡¯t answer him, instead asked him her own. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question earlier. Are you close with that woman?¡± Hades lightly pushed her forehead with his fingertips and smiled at her persistence. ¡®She could make a good thief¡¯ he thought to himself and chuckled lightly. ¡°You jealous?¡± ¡°Have you kissed her too?¡± Hades stared at her as his head tilted. He was at a loss for words. While conversing with this girl, he was always swayed by her immature but strong words. ¡°Niasis, are you a nymph from the free river? Or do you have someone you serve?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused as to why you crossed the river and came all the way here? What were you thinking?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me here?¡± ¡°If I say so, will you go back?¡± The girl looked remarkably uncomfortable, gripping her doric chiton and glaring at him deeply. But since she had crossed the Acheron River and completely set foot in his territory, Hades felt the need to know some of the girl¡¯s background. The problems and events carried out by other gods on earth, were already having an unpleasant effect on the underground. He didn¡¯t need any more trouble arising in his land. ¡°You hurt my feelings, Hades.¡± ¡°What?¡± Out of all things that could come out of her mouth, he wasn¡¯t expecting this. ¡°I had been dying for the day so I could see you again, but you were with that pretty lady instead.¡± ¡°She is family and has nothing to do with¡ª¡± he tried to placate her. ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± She scowled at him while growling in a sulky voice. Hades was embarrassed when her eyes, as sharp as a female cat, turned to him. At the same time, however, it was both chilling and hilarious. His temples throbbed with the onslaught of emotions. It was luck to meet Hermes by chance, but it was the girl¡¯s tenacity that made it possible for them to meet. Her stubbornness seemed pretty unusual. When he spoke again, his voice came out strangely soft. ¡°I don¡¯t look at that woman the same way I look at you.¡± ¡°What do you see me as?¡± The girl¡¯s cheeks glowed a bright red. Hades realized that he had unconsciously set his eyes on her lips and had been drawn back in. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be so honest seeing how cute you are, but you shouldn¡¯t mistake my leniency for mercy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re ruthless Hades. Actually, I prefer ruthlessness to mercy. Things like pity and coddling get on my nerves.¡± A long silence settled. Soon Persephone made a fuss as if she were under a false accusation. ¡°If I¡¯m so annoying, then don¡¯t kiss me. You¡¯re the one who looked at me with those kinds of eyes, so why are you being so mean? Why did you make me this way?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s all my fault?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not mine. The way you¡¯re so lovely and wonderful, it¡¯s all your fault, Hades.¡± Hades buried himself in the sofa seat and closed his lips with his chin resting crookedly on his fingertips. So ridiculous, so cute. What does this girl want? ¡°Do this, do that, don¡¯t do this, don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s all getting on my nerves. Are you going to continue to say those tiring words Hades?¡± He wasn¡¯t a man prejudiced against his desires, and hadn¡¯t lived by rejecting desires. It¡¯s just that up until now, no one had ever bewilderedly wanted him this much. He only looked at the girl, whom he was almost ready to embrace because she was so sweet. He was beware of those who whisper sweet words for no reason. A girl who wasted her time looking for the land of the dead¡ªthe land which others wish to leave and never return. Leaning on him with a warm body, destroying parts of the man who doesn¡¯t want to be attached to things on the earth, and slowly planting herself in him. A tree, that he wasn¡¯t sure what fruit it would bear. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m as pretty as that goddess?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with that.¡± ¡°Do you have another woman?¡± ¡°Niasis¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kore.¡± ¡°Kore. Stop acting so childish. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re asking and what consequences it¡¯ll bring. So, it¡¯s better for me to just watch than be played by you.¡± ¡°What did you say to me? You think I¡¯m playing with you?¡± Persephone jerked his shoulder and glared at him. Chapter 19 - Want Me (1) Chapter 19 ¨C Want Me (1) ¡°Playful? You think I¡¯m playing when I avoid the stares from other nymphs and keep the secret of coming into the underworld wandering around just wanting to meet you?¡± ¡°Nias¡ª¡± ¡°I said call me Kore!¡± Persephone shot up and shoved Hades¡¯ shoulder again. Pushed back against the sofa, Hades¡¯ eyes met hers at a slanted angle. Her courage to possess such profanity was almost praiseworthy, so he was left speechless; but far from being angry, he was too caught up in her rage to do anything. Persephone, who had been staring at him for a long time, bent down to an inch away from Hades¡¯ eyebrows, as if she thought she had gone too far, and hugged him. ¡°It hurts my feelings when you talk like that.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting to hate me, right?¡± Sneakily, she throws a question at the nape of his neck, pouting her lips. Her voice faints, as if on the brink of tears. A wet fondle that incites a difficult desire. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°If you keep making me feel bad I¡¯m not going to come again.¡± The thing that was incited from the honest purity was a quasi-affectionate thirst. Hades rested his hand on her chin and lifted her head. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Kiss me.¡± She was like a blind servant who seemed to follow him whenever he ran away and always came running no matter which direction he pushed. Hades caught his breath for a moment and pressed the urge, then, with his eyes glued to his heart¡¯s content, kissed her lips. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Child, tell me what you want.¡± Looking into her eyes, he would gladly nod his head yes even if she asked him to bring back the dead. ¡°Want me.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I want you to want me.¡± Persephone held Hades¡¯ cheeks tightly and said, ¡°Give me death; give me you.¡± She pulled up the drooping tip of his lips. Apart from acknowledging desire, Hades also looked down on Aphrodite¡¯s sexuality and Artemis¡¯ purity. When the promiscuous and the innocent fall into the land of the dead, the difference is not as much as a sheet of paper, and just as those who cried out for spiritual love when they drank the water from the Lette River¡ªHow can they not laugh at him for forgetting as if he has never been in love? But it was quite sweet to say that the girl¡¯s lips were a love that was out of this world. Strangely. ¡°¡­ to ask for the underworld.¡± A hunger for morbid affection apparently set fire to a morbid desire. Death doesn¡¯t send back those held in its arms. That¡¯s why death dominates over wealth, to accumulate wealth like that. Greed is lurking in everything underground and can eat anything, whether bitter or ripe. The nymph was foolish. She had thrown away the chance to escape twice. Her thrusting tongue was bolder than ever. Every time she licked, pressed, and sucked, Hades¡¯ entire head turned chaotic. He groaned with shame at the ferocious thrill and increased his breathing. Lips pressed against cheeks, noses rubbing together, and their bodies pressed together closely. Persephone, who was wrapped around his neck, felt painfully hot in the spot where Hades¡¯ lips touched. She felt a shock all the way down to her feet. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Kore¡ªlike you said.¡± Hades, aware of her stiff arms, whispered in a low groan, ¡°Child, you¡­ don¡¯t have to pull on me like this.¡± Persephone didn¡¯t know what to do with her arms, so she lowered them, lifted them, then wrapped them around him again. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You seduced me first, and now you¡¯re playing dumb?¡± She obviously wanted to ¡®have¡¯ him to herself, but Kore¡ªthe nickname she was known by¡ªdidn¡¯t have any power over the powerful man. Her mother always forced her to remember what she had to go through, so she only knew it by heart. The heat and excitement boiling inside her felt great no matter what. Hades¡¯ hand slid down her waist and grabbed her butt; his breathing exhilarated naturally. Every time his irregular breathing grazed her ears, it felt like a wave crashing into her heart. His tongue licked her earlobe and dug deeper¡­ Persephone couldn¡¯t help but place her ticklish lips on his cheek. ¡°Oh, Hades¡­ you¡¯re so stiff.¡± Hades, who had been tasting her collarbone, neck, lips, and cheeks for some time, groaned low. So low that it was like a feeble plea mixed in with his breathing. Hades gently removed his hand from her lips, grabbed her wrist, and dragged it downward. Her hand stopped between him, who slightly raised his waist, and her lower body. She felt something big and hard. ¡°Oh.¡± Persephone¡¯s lips became so small that they were slightly incomparable to her face. It was new to her. Hades slowly guided her hand and placed it on his penis. ¡°Rub it slowly.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡­¡± It was unimaginably thick, and she didn¡¯t even know it existed inside his cloak. She wasn¡¯t even able to grip it with one hand and couldn¡¯t familiarize herself with it even after realizing what it was. Hades, who frowned, sighed and ordered, ¡°Grip it tightly.¡± ¡°Ummm.¡± ¡°Use all of your strength. Like this.¡± Hades lifted her chin and kissed her, then Persephone¡¯s hand started going up and down. While doing so she realized that it was longer than the palm of her hand. She touched the velvet-like texture and the bulging veins, and when the long shaft entered her hand, she noticed the sticky fluid dripping from the tip and licked her lips unknowingly. ¡°It¡¯s wet.¡± Chapter 20 - Want Me (2) Chapter 20 ¨C Want Me (2) ¡°Can you do it yourself?¡± Hades¡¯ long fingers found their way to Persephone¡¯s petal, it was already slippery. Dripping with sticky liquid. ¡°You¡¯re already wet. Kore¡ª¡± ¡°¡­ if you play with me.¡± ¡°I wanted to make you impatient.¡± His cracked voice melts the savageness that Persephone can¡¯t resist¡ªnot willing to refuse. A perfect god. He seemed to be committing a crime just by looking into her eyes. Persephone¡¯s heated face was about to burst. She crept her hand to his meat and slowly began to str0ke it up and down. Slowly lowering his eyes as if savoring her touch, Hades grinned and whispered to himself, ¡®That¡¯s good, you¡¯re doing it, Kore¡ª,¡¯ and when Persephone heard the compliment she felt good and stroked faster. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He gently lowered his eyelids, endured groaning, and wrinkled his forehead, creating an unbearable excitement. Persephone steadily kept stroking up and down faster. ¡°It feels good when I do it like this, doesn¡¯t it?¡± After a silent bout of just staring at her, Hades made a gesture with his chin and said, ¡°Kore, get down on your knees.¡± As told, Persephone got down on the floor. Hades, who threw off the cloak, sat with his legs spread open. From then, Persephone saw his whole pen!s splayed in front of her eyes. His crimson pole, thicker than her wrist, had a blue vein bulging out as if full of anger, and the embarrassment of facing that for the first time in her life, added to the fact that she touched it a little while ago, made her head dizzy. ¡°Why are you just looking at it? Keep doing what you were doing.¡± Hades, who took a shallow breath, laughed. As Persephone came to her senses and reached out again, Hades¡¯ hand clasped her wrist with force. ¡°It¡¯s better with your lips.¡± Every time his voice melted into sweetness, Persephone felt a shudder down to her toes. ¡°Put your lips on it. You have to suck it.¡± ¡°You mean this?¡± Hades didn¡¯t wait for a reply. Immediately he grabbed the back of her head and brought it closer to his bulging pen!s. ¡°Yes.¡± He felt the dampness of her lips brushing up against the tip. Persephone felt uncomfortable but didn¡¯t want to stop. As she gently opened her lips, Hades, who held the back of her head, pulled her down. His pen!s, which she thought would never be in her mouth, pierced her throat. ¡°Mmmph.¡± A groan filled her throat with pain in her open jaw. It was thick enough to choke her. As she was breathing shallowly and pitifully, not knowing how to move her tongue, Hades said graciously, ¡°You have to suck it.¡± Persephone managed to swallow some saliva. In order not to somehow fall, she gripped his thigh and moved her tongue slowly, licking the shaft and the tip stabbing the roof of her mouth, and pressing hard as if it would shoot right down her throat. Not really knowing what else to do, she clumsily scraped it with her teeth. Hades looked down and frowned at her. Frozen in surprise at her clumsiness, he placed his hand on her head softly and moved it in a wave motion. ¡°Be careful with your teeth.¡± ¡°Mmm hmm. Mmmph.¡± A kind gentleman. She felt a sensation whenever he pushed gently deep into her throat. The t0ngue flicking became more intense, and Hades moaned as if it were quite enough. His thing, soaked in sal!va, was slick and as soft as velvet. Hades eased up on the hand on her head. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Every time Hades¡¯ low m0an fell overhead, Persephone responded more enthusiastically. With his tongue, she rubbed the tip against her lips, suck3d the shaft up and down, swallowing it all the way down her throat. Slurping and licking was her passionate way to win his love. She wanted him. No one but him. She was satisfied now that Hades has shown interest in her and expressed that he wanted her. Persephone¡¯s lips swelled red. Hades gently pulled her head up and stared at her. The tongue of the girl who devoted herself more sincerely than expected was quite good. Every now and then, when she unintentionally scratched her teeth at the tip, Hades felt a thirst for excitement. Without even asking, she put him deep into her throat and gasped for a wet, hot breath. When her hot breath steamed the tip of Hades¡¯ p3nis, which was stimulated to the fullest extent and oozing white liquid, goosebumps spread through his spine. It wasn¡¯t usual. But most obscene of all, she was herself. Her cheeks seemed to burst when she looked up at him with a faint smile as if she were drunk on his seeds; as if possessed by a sweet dream; like Medusa, her eyes seemed as if they would capture anything. ¡°Get up,¡± Hades ordered to her as he pulled her up. Then he grabbed her waist and bent her over on the sofa. He untied the straggling knot holding her robe closed and threw the robe down; a worthless piece of cloth. Her white nude body greeted him. Persephone, who had her cheek buried in the sofa, looked up at him in a clumsy way. Hades felt a hard desire from her position. Very few women can captivate a man with their eyes and breathing as she does. A stream of excitement with such an innocent face. Hades, knee-deep on the sofa, slowly spread her legs open, then looked down at the flesh of her moistened lotus flower. It was as nak3d as ever. ¡°Oh, Hades.¡± ¡°Kore¡ª you said, all this time while you were suck!ng me¡­¡± Persephone closed her eyes tightly. Hades put his hand between her l3gs and started to feel around her w3t lips. Persephone, who didn¡¯t stand a chance against the heat spreading all over her body, groaned and pressed her forehead on the sofa. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± It¡¯s soft, too.¡± ¡°Feels strange.¡± His finger started piercing in and out of her pulsating vag!na. And then he wiggled his finger around the inside like he was playing with it. When Hades rubbed the clitoris with his finger, Persephone¡¯s waist had a knee-jerk reaction. ¡°Oh!¡± Every time his finger was swallowed into the crevice, the sound of liquid swirling around sounded like a kiss. Persephone couldn¡¯t fight the finger piercing her deeper and deeper, and she spread her legs wider. She couldn¡¯t wrap her head around this embarrassment she had never felt before. It was embarrassing every time she felt liquid dripping down her leg. ¡°Oh, Hades. Oh, Hades¡­¡± Chapter 21 - Thoroughly Debauched (1) | 19 Chapter 21 ¨C Thoroughly Debauched (1) | 19 Hades, after pushing his finger in a little deeper, pulling it out, and rubbing the lips of Persephone¡¯s flower as if playing with it, smiled softly. ¡°You have the name of a neat and tidy virg!n.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a name¡­ Ah!¡± She felt his long finger wiggling inside of her. The reply, which she was about to utter, was swallowed up and suffocated by the sensation between her legs that had now been forced open. Persephone wanted to burst into tears with the heat and indescribable joy that spread from the innermost parts of her. She was now being pleasured by Hades¡¯ hand in the ¡®unseen world¡¯, where she came without her mother¡¯s permission. ¡°Oh¡­ Ah!¡± She tried to crawl forward, but Hades¡¯ hand clung to her thigh. ¡°Don¡¯t run away.¡± ¡°Ah! It hurts¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll live.¡± Poking in and out slowly, he then stared at his dripping finger and sped up. Liquid splashed as he poked, twisted, and rubbed; then he pushed it all the way in and stretched her walls. Persephone arched her back in submission to the frantic sense of friction. The flowing liquid soaked Hades¡¯ fingers instantly. ¡°Ah yes, that¡¯s it! Oh, Hades!¡± ¡°You have to loosen up. Squirming around like this is too much for one finger.¡± His other hand slid over her soft rear and smacked it, ¡°Ahh!,¡± so hard there was a faint red handprint branded on her butt0cks. Persephone shed tears of joy spread from the burning sensation. Her slightly contracted body slowly loosened up. ¡°Ease up.¡± She struggled somehow to follow Hades¡¯ humble order. Soon Hades, who had taken out his finger, ordered in a cracked voice, ¡°Get ready.¡± Persephone¡¯s entire body was trembling. It was too much just to grasp. But it was Hades¡¯ order, and she didn¡¯t want to disobey him. She held back a m@an as he lifted her butt in the air. ¡°Oh, ah! Wow!¡± Soon Hades, who had straightened her back, came up behind her. Persephone felt his hand resting and creeping on top of her butt. Soon something hot and thick pressed and rubbed and pierced her insides. She knew exactly what it was. It was his pen!s that she suck3d so much with her lips that she remembered even the shape with her tongue. The more rigid Hades¡¯ breathing became, the more likely she felt like she was going to choke. On the exhilaration. ¡°Just a little bit, even if it¡¯s a little uncomfortable at first¡­¡± A rather rugged grip, contrary to his tender words, pulled her hair back. His touch came as a gift over her wet lips. She felt every movement as he thrust. Here and there, their moans and groans were intertwined. It was ecstatic. At that moment, Persephone¡¯s insides pulsated and were forcefully expanding, and the enormous pressure that she had never felt before scared her. His pen!s was stretching out her vag!nal walls¡ªIn a place too narrow, even if it had been opened, it had begun to push on his shaft. ¡°Ah¡­! Oh my¡­ Yes! Oh! Oh, Hades.¡± He took out his and shook it between her rear, stripping away the purity she once possessed. Flapping and beating, but Hades didn¡¯t stop, and when his entire shaft entered her walls completely, Persephone barely reached the point of panting. ¡°Oooh¡­ ooohh¡­¡± Feeling like her jaw was about to break, her weeping and breathing, like a dying patient, was swallowed up, and she was reduced to pain. Hades pressed himself against her. After the thick tip of his p3nis dug in violently, the pillar-like shaft continued to stretch out her inner walls. Gently pushing himself to Persephone¡¯s deepest chamber, Hades groaned low. ¡°You¡¯re so tight. More than I expected.¡± That¡¯s when he slowly started to move his waist back and forth. He was affectionately violent. He seemed to be worried, and he seemed to be comforting, but he didn¡¯t stop in the end and didn¡¯t even show his will to stop. Persephone was forced to open her legs wider and felt the thickness his crashing through her entire body like a wave. Even at the slightest movement, it was powerful enough to suffocate her. She gripped the sofa and put in all of her strength. ¡°It hurts, it hurts!¡± Hades, who shifted his eyes for a moment and glanced at the veins popping out of Persephone¡¯s hands, licked his dry lips. Soon he grabbed her waist to put more force on her hip. Heavy heat quickly rushed to the narrow entrance where his thick pen!s was thrusting and pounding. It was completely submerged inside. Persephone¡¯s body trembled whenever she felt him rattling inside her lower belly. The mere sight of it made her whole lower abdomen ache, and she was on the brink of tears. But beyond that¡ªwhat the hell happened to the inexplicable joy? ¡°Ah¡­ Hades.¡± ¡°Too tight. It¡¯s a bit uncomfortable for me too¡­¡± Tears streamed down her face, and her breathing grew louder. Hades, who looked down at her, smiled as he gritted his teeth. ¡°Should I keep going?¡± He said while drawing circles on her sensible nub. Persephone couldn¡¯t help but moan. Hades took it as a ¡°yes.¡± His hip movements became more adventurous. He slid out of her and went rushing back in. He sped up his motion and went in deeper. Flap flap flap. The sound of their flesh rang out. A burning heat rose in the spot where Hades¡¯ wet stump hit. He seemed to almost tear her in half. ¡°Ahh!¡± Persephone¡¯s vag!na, which had barely been pierced all the way to the bottom, began to spit out bubbles, and the sound of the liquid clattering soon began to grow loud. Hades thrust his hips even more. When the walls closed to fill the gaps where his pen!s had hit, they pulsated violently. The narrow hot inner walls were unfamiliar enough to make him feel a bit too much, and the girl begging for more was dripping with excitement to the point where she was wet to her thighs. ¡°Oh! Yes. That¡¯s good.¡± Hades pulled at her waist and held her close to him. And her backside jiggled up and down even more. ¡°You make me crazy in so many ways, you little girl.¡± Persephone¡¯s body trembled, and she moaned as he smacked her rear. The inner walls, which had contracted in an instant and had been engulfing his pen!s, were rather relaxed now. The girl¡¯s red face was like a blossomed flower. Tonight, she was thoroughly corrupted by the Lord of the Underworld. Chapter 22 - Thoroughly Debauched (2) Chapter 22 ¨C Thoroughly Debauched (2) The exhausted Persephone hung over Hades¡¯ body like a wet willow. The only thing left in the place where the joy of pain had been was full satisfaction. A good night¡¯s sleep is all they needed now. ¡°This is an unexpected hobby.¡± Persephone muttered. ¡°Who said this was my hobby?¡± Hades tapped her red-hot butt lightly with his fingers and held in a laugh. Persephone closed her thighs, after soon finding out that he had teased her, and dug into his arms. His voice hovered overhead. ¡°Are you going to stay here underground?¡± Persephone looked up at him with huge round eyes and gently pulled his lips in. She wiped off the smudging smile on his face and rubbed her face against his chest. And her heart started beating rapidly. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t do that. My mother will kill me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more afraid of your mother being angry than to walk in and out of the land of the dead with dangerous shadows?¡± ¡°My mother¡­ She doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here. But if I stay here forever, she¡¯s bound to eventually found out.¡± ¡°A bird has to leave the nest at some point.¡± ¡°I want to, but I can¡¯t.¡± Hades looked down at her with curious eyes, as if her stern refusal had been unexpected. Persephone, who noticed the gaze, added impatiently, ¡°You don¡¯t know this, Hades, but I want to be loved.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°My mother hopes that ¡®Kore¡¯ stays with her forever, and when she called me that, the other nymphs heard it and started saying my nickname was ¡®Kore¡¯. Can you imagine that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that your mother¡¯s excessive possessiveness isn¡¯t the only love.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know about other mothers, but mine is different. I¡¯m not the daughter that she wanted.¡± Her increasingly lowering voice sounded like a whisper. ¡®My father raped my mother; that¡¯s how I was born.¡¯ She said in her head. Hades¡¯ hand, which had habitually been sweeping down Persephone¡¯s hair, stopped. Her situation didn¡¯t particularly invoke any sadness or pity. Though it was uncommon. The fact that Sisyphos, who has emerged as the biggest headache in recent years, was out of Zeus¡¯ sight also began with Zeus¡¯ kidnapping and rape of another god¡¯s daughter. The suggestion didn¡¯t mean any pressure in the first place, and Hades was just making conversation because it would be a shame to send her back, the warmth that he is holding on to now. Hades asked suddenly, ¡°Is your mother a nymph, or a god?¡± Since the girl was a nymph, either one of her parents was a god, or both parents were nymphs. If she was birthed by nature, she wouldn¡¯t have mentioned her mother. ¡°Ummm¡­¡± ¡°Ummm?¡± ¡°My mother¡­ is a nymph.¡± She added after a dubious answer, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know even if I told you her name.¡± ¡°And your father?¡± Persephone¡¯s lips closed slowly. While Hades¡¯ interest in her was vaguely good, a deep-seated truth filled his throat. ¡®It¡¯s Zeus, your younger brother. The one who raped my mother and confined me to the island.¡¯ Note: Greek mythology is filled of incestuous relationships, if perceived in the way moral reason dictates. But for one, they are NOT human, but are Gods. Instead of blood, Gods have a golden substance called ichor. Their genetic build is solely unique to them. Hence, while they are obviously relatives, they really don¡¯t have the physical connections by their blood. But there wasn¡¯t a reason to reveal that. At least now. One or two lies will be okay. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about him.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me a few days ago that you knew your father well?¡± ¡°Was that me? I didn¡¯t know saying my father was ¡®this way¡¯ meant that I knew a lot about him.¡± Persephone held Hades even tighter. For a moment doubts crossed Hades¡¯ mind but soon cleared away. He didn¡¯t have the heart to sympathize with each and every one of her circumstances that didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. His gentleness to escape from the vexed situation compared small to his idleness. He held back a laugh and asked, ¡°What will you do if I don¡¯t send you back?¡± ¡°You like me that much?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Are you going to give the underworld to me?¡± Hades slid his fingers through her hair. ¡°Do you want it?¡± ¡°Can you give it to me?¡± ¡°What are you going to do with it if I do?¡± ¡°So, I will be your queen?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be afraid of your mother if you become the queen?¡± The unanswered question only overlapped like a joke, making it irrelevant what the nature of the question was. Persephone had a faint smile on her face. She had sworn to her mother that she wouldn¡¯t betray her by leaving the island alone. ¡°If you want that, I already swore to Styx that I wouldn¡¯t choose to do anything to upset my mother.¡± Hades pulled up her limp body and hugged her. When he pulled her hair behind her ears, he could see her cheeks and earlobes.n¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Has what been?¡± ¡°You must have been raised with a lot of love.¡± ¡°I was.¡± ¡°Not just by your mother.¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I have only met nymphs.¡± ¡°Do you live far away from your siblings like the virgin species of Artemis?¡± Persephone tilted her head. ¡°What is exactly is your nymph identity? Which river territory is your island on?¡± Persephone, who closed her lips with a long face, hugged him. ¡°It¡¯s a long, boring story. It¡¯s much more interesting here. The dead, the hazy river, everything¡ª¡± ¡°Special things.¡± ¡°So, you do like that I¡¯m here.¡± Hades appeared to be deeply thinking. Then, a smile, making his ethereal features softer, made way to his luscious lips, ¡°of course¡±. Chapter 23 - The Besotted King (1) | 19 Chapter 23 ¨C The Besotted King (1) | 19 Persephone glanced out the window with a faint smile on her face. Estimating how much time it would take. It felt like the time spent with Hades had been cut short, as if they were floating off into an endless eternity in separate directions. Persephone, who was chasing the moon with her eyes, murmured, ¡°Have you ever seen Hekate?¡± ¡°She has Titan roots, so occasionally she comes down to see her brothers.¡± ¡°Is she beautiful?¡± ¡°She¡¯s loud and rugged.¡± ¡°Did Nyx want to give birth to her?¡± Hekate, the goddess of sorcery, used to be called the goddess of the wicked night, and she herself didn¡¯t deny it. Nyx was a predator of the night. Persephone has felt some kind of kinship with Hekate over why she allowed her to live in this world. In other words, about the consciousness of whether the mother really wanted to give birth to her. Would Nyx love her daughter, who is trying to take her place every night? Could that daughter love such a mother? Persephone couldn¡¯t ask because she always watched their nights fall like shooting stars over her head. ¡°The mother loves her daughter, and¡­ was it decided from the beginning that she would obey her mother?¡± Her waist twitched at something. She opened her eyes wide and groaned after feeling something hard rub near her thigh. Her body remembers the pain and joy; one of two she still felt deep inside. Without hesitation, Hades pulled her waist in and rubbed between her legs his raging length. ¡°¡­ Oh¡­¡± A heavy sensation of it entering in through her swelled opening crawled up from her lower belly. ¡°At least you¡¯re not obeying your mother anymore.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes, yes.¡± ¡°Kore¡ªthat¡¯s what it was, right?¡± ¡°Oh, Hades¡­ Hades, yes¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already shattered everything your mother hoped for.¡± Every time Persephone pushed her waist toward him she cocked her head back. The dry inner walls soon began to drip wet. It was even before the first feeling of being surprised after receiving him and the swelling sensation subdued. A sensation bouncing between pain and joy of the repeated insertion was twined from the tip of her toes. Persephone held on to his chest and gasped. ¡°Oh, ah, oh¡­.¡± Hades, who had slowed his waist movement, squeezed her hips with both hands. ¡°Why?¡± Persephone raised her head in amazement at Hades¡¯ voice. While thrusting his hips gently and penetrating her, Hades sensed another presence in the chamber. Turning his head, he looked around and saw a maid with a pale face. She had no eyes and was therefore, blind. Upon seeing the maid, Persephone¡¯s face flushed with red. Even redder when Hades shifted their position and let her ride on top of him. ¡°Oh Hades, ahhh!¡± Not convinced that the maid was blind, Persephone tried to slide under his body again, but Hades wouldn¡¯t let go. Instead, he drew a circle and rubbed her clitoris with his big, strong thumb. Heightened pleasure spread all over the girl¡¯s body. ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed, she doesn¡¯t hold a candle to your skills,¡± Hades whispered playfully. As he said, the maid was blind. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Squeak squeak. Her whole body trembled at the sensation of him poking and piercing deep inside. ¡°I have something to say.¡± The blind maid suddenly announced. Her eyes focused on the bed where gasps and mo@ns were coming from. ¡°Is it about Thanatos?¡± Hades replied in a rough, irritated voice. Hades, who glanced at her flaming-red ears, asked back in a voice that had held in a laugh. Then he put more strength in the hands that held her waist and blatantly raised her up and down and up and down. His glistening wet p3nis was pushed through the girl¡¯s tiny hips and then slipped out. ¡°Oh, ah¡­. ah oh¡­¡± Persephone¡¯s shame soon faded into excitement. This was part of her journey in the underworld that wouldn¡¯t be discovered by anyone, naked¡ªliterally naked. Regardless of whether the maid had eyes or not. Every time Hades pounded away at her tiny waist, she wanted to hold on to him; to feel him more. ¡°Radamantis said to tell you, ¡®You must have noticed it was empty.¡¯¡± The blind maid uttered. Instantly, Hades stopped moving as if she had played a joke on him. It was the night that Hekate didn¡¯t leave. The Titans of Tartaros would be even more furious on a day like today. ¡°Hades¡­¡± Persephone couldn¡¯t stand the delay. She hugged his torso, twice the size of hers, with pleading eyes. Everytime she wiggled her waist, the p3nis, which was swallowed in and out, was stimulated with no motion on its own. Hades grabbed the back of Persephone¡¯s head to kiss her forehead and smiled heavily. ¡°That¡¯s enough for now.¡± He said. Persephone hugged his neck and rubbed her lips wildly on his cheeks and chin, ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Hades, who frowned without hiding his annoyance, soon erased the expression off his face neatly and pushed her to her feet. Persephone bit her lips as she stood there still exposing her bare waist. ¡°Do you really have to go now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s late.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± * Chapter 24 - The Besotted King (2) Chapter 24 ¨C The Besotted King (2) Soon after, several other dead servants, who heard the call of the maid with no eyes, came to where they were. Persephone was surprised at their hideous faces, but her mouth remained sealed. Hades explained. ¡®They lied to the masters they¡¯re serving.¡¯ Indeed, they had no mouths. Respectfully, the kneeling servants started to carefully wiped Hade¡¯s body with a thin cloth. Completely, from his calves to his ankles. Then, he wiped his wet groin and reached his arm out from behind to grab his clothing. Hades was again as wonderful as he was at first, returning to his perfect form as if nothing had happened. And without even looking back, he exited. Persephone¡¯s eyes pitifully followed Hades as he left. ¡®He¡¯s gone¡­¡¯ Persephone, who had followed his footsteps, which left nothing but deep regrets, sunk herself onto the bed. Plop. She rolled around on the sheets and scanned the walls of Hades¡¯ bedroom. There was a side room. It took her a long time to figure out what was flashing in the dark room. After lifting herself off the blanket and stepping down onto the floor, she opened the door and went inside. There were only shelves and weapon racks, but Hades¡¯ armor stood out. She felt ecstatic when she imagined a brave god who would have left the weapons to those hard and beautiful bodies and fought against the Titans at the time of Titanomakia. Her hand grazed across a cold metal helmet. The Cap of Invisibility. An invisible warrior. It made anyone who wore it invisible, allowing death to spare them. This is the symbol of Hades and a precious treasure in the underworld. Persephone flashed a grin and reached for the helmet. * After countlessly forgetting that even the goddess of the night wouldn¡¯t save them, the Titans curled up again after receiving countless realizations. Hades has his own attachment to the underworld. Even though he said he didn¡¯t want it to begin with, he eventually became the ruler of the underworld and has spent endless years here. However, he felt complex feelings about the Titans in many ways¡ªa mixture of sympathy, hatred, disgust, and annoyance. It couldn¡¯t have felt good. ¡°Should have stayed calm from the beginning.¡± Radamantis asked when the runaway Titans calmed down and the earth¡¯s axis, which had been raised and split, began to stabilize, ¡°By the way, king, why do you look so happy?¡± Radamantis was one of the judges of the underworld. The one who decided which punishment dead people deserved when they are judged on the nature of their crimes. He also protects Tartaros by staying at the tribunal at its entrance. His words were always straightforward as he had a personal hobby of handing down the biggest punishment to criminals who lie. ¡°I¡¯m in a state of ecstasy.¡± Hades smiled low and looked down at the ghastly iron door. ¡°I found someone I like.¡± ¡°Who is it? Who is the sinful child?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still serving the shadows, so the trial is far from over. ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s one of Phoibos¡¯ free slaves? When did you go up to the earth? King, you said you liked Phoibos¡¯ free slaves?¡± Radamantis blinked as if he was really surprised. Everyone knows, but Hades was the king of the underworld that completely separated the earth from the underground. He was always indifferent to things on earth. Hades ignored his questions and listened to the sobbing, chanting, and moaning that echoed from deep underground. ¡°Don¡¯t listen too much.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Hades turned away. Now that the Titans were calm again, he would return to the golden royal palace. He recalled the tiny body of a girl who had hugged him and was thirsty for him for a long time. The thought filled his entire body with warmth. Even her unexpected lust was so cute and lovely that it made it impossible for him to endure. The dark, gray world¡¯s palace consisting of almost all brilliant gold is approaching. A living swamp protected the inside and outside of the brass fence, which was surrounded by a vast garden. The swamp flowed nonstop through the garden looking for shelter and food. Something caught Hades¡¯ eye, who was walking across the garden, that made him stop for a moment. He saw a dead man who had fallen into the lovely swamp that devoured everything, alive or dead. Apparently, he was a servant of the palace. His soul had been chewed up and his skin peeled off with bones protruding by the swamp¡¯s teeth. The swamp ate anything. Occasionally a servant fell victim to the swamp if they stepped in the wrong place. There can be no other death in death, but tearing one¡¯s soul to shreds will be called a different death. Somehow the dead man caught Hades¡¯ attention, who was staring at the empty eye sockets. He continued walking. The dead servants of the palace were generally similar, and Hades naturally felt indifferent toward them because he never had an eye for them. However, he felt different for Persephone. He cared for her, and even at this moment, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. What could she be doing at this time? There was one way to find out. He must go home. * Chapter 25 - A Surprise Visit Chapter 25 ¨C A Surprise Visit The inside of the palace was full of cold, damp air just like any time before. Jewels, gold, paintings, and works of art, which even the richest kings and queens on earth would envy, lose their shine due to the rigorous air. Standing in front of his bedroom, Hades scanned the inside. Slowly, as if navigating. Everything was just as he had left, but there was a big difference: The girl was gone. Only cold air greeted the king. She was nowhere to be found in the palace. The same was true even when he looked inside and outside the brass fence where the living swamp crawled and the bug-infested dead bodies roamed. ¡®Did she lose her way again?¡¯ Crossing the river that barely came up to his waist, he searched the Lette River basin but couldn¡¯t find the girl. Even though he searched the Plegeton River basin, not a single strand of her hair was seen. He ordered Kelberos to find her. The huge three-headed guard dog, who chased after anything living or dead, bolted out into the garden. But not too long after, Kelberos returned only dragging its tail behind. When Hades crossed over three rivers to ask Karon of Acheron, he was only met with, ¡®I haven¡¯t seen her.¡¯ -King, the girl you¡¯re searching for hasn¡¯t crossed here. Why? Hades looked up at the chilly sky with his head cocked back. The girl was nowhere to be seen under the hazy white moon¡ªas if she had never existed to begin with. * A dark cave. The wick of a small lamp set her body on fire in silence. Persephone, who lifted her body, sat up against the wall while sliding her hands over it. She was in a daze like she still hadn¡¯t wakened up. She returned to Hades¡¯ bedroom, patiently waiting for his return. The night felt short as if it had been cut off. Persephone, who stretched out her palm, stared in confusion at the fine ornament she was holding. It was hanging next to the Cap of Invisibility and looked like a thin bracelet. Staring at it, she threw it without thinking and raised the hem of her robe. It still felt like a dream, so she groped between her legs and gently pouted her lips. As always, there was no trace of what had happened to her just a few while ago. She asked ¡®her,¡¯ ¡®Am I still Kore, the virgin?¡¯ No answer. Persephone pressed down on her racing chest. ¡®Kore¡¯ was murdered while she was gasping like a fish out of water against Hade¡¯s bare body. That woman died. She thought rebelliously to herself. All her life, she was controlled. It needed to end now. While grabbing the wall to stand up, she glanced at the bed and smiled faintly. She hung the lamp, where plenty of embers still remained, on her wrist and headed out of the cave, out of Hade¡¯s infamous world. * If the morning had begun, she had to go home and put off a good night¡¯s sleep. But it was odd. The outside was much darker than normal. A salty draft stuck to her skin. Clearly she was outside¡ª Persephone¡¯s eyes saw the sky over the open mouth of the cave as she stepped out. It was still night. For what reason? Hurriedly, she inched her way back into the cave. There wasn¡¯t a door, so she ran out of the cave again in an ominous premonition. Climbing up the cliff and swiping away the sharp leaves, she ran fast through the tangled bushes and dark forest paths with her chest pounding like crazy. Light leaked out of a log cabin¡¯s window in the forest that should¡¯ve been pitch black. Persephone stopped in front of the fence, panting for breath. Around this time when everyone was supposed to be sleeping, there were nymphs out in the front yard. Persephone felt guilty like she would be choked to death. Niasis, Keane, Aratusa; they were all there. ¡°I apologize, Goddess Demeter. I¡¯ll go look right now¡­¡± ¡°Kore!¡± Keane was delighted. The young woman wrapped in a golden robe lifted her chin and stared at Persephone. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ She missed her every day. Why did they visit the island when they were busy during the harvest season? All of her thoughts stopped. She wiggled her fingers endlessly to shake off the fear that was eating at her. Demeter approached her with open arms. ¡°My Kore.¡± Persephone, who was overwhelmed, jumped into her arms. ¡°Mother¡­ I missed you.¡± Chapter 26 - A Soft Warning (1) Chapter 26 ¨C A Soft Warning (1) The last room down the hall connected to the nymphs¡¯ bedroom. It wasn¡¯t quite a study since it was only half full of bookshelves, and the tables were too small for it to serve as a restaurant. A small pot furnace about the size of four lamps burned quietly. Persephone¡¯s toes twisted with nervousness. On the other hand, the nymphs looked as relieved as if they had been rescued from Hera. Finally, Niasis laid down a cushion and blanket for Demeter respectfully and then withdrew. ¡°Why are you so stiff? Come here.¡± Persephone bit her bottom lip gently and approached her. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Demeter brushed her fingers softly through her daughters¡¯ disheveled hair. If there was one mother in the entire world who was the kindest, it was hers. Having seen her for the first time in weeks, Persephone placed her head up against her neck. ¡°How did you get here, mother?¡± ¡°Something bizarre happened recently, and things are going crazy everywhere.¡± ¡°Something bizarre? Can you tell me?¡± ¡°Some human caused a ruckus. But¡ª¡± Demeter, who gently touched the back of her daughter¡¯s head after an affectionate kiss to her forehead, asked, ¡°It¡¯s awfully late now. Where did you go? My Kore.¡± ¡°The seaside breeze felt good, so¡­ I went out to take a little walk. Then¡ª¡± ¡°I told you that a good girl shouldn¡¯t go out after sunset, but I see you¡¯ve already forgotten that.¡± Persephone¡¯s chest started pounding like crazy. Her mother always had a smile on her face, and no matter what the content was, she never showed any sign of criticism. Just like always. Fear was rising in Persephone¡¯s throat as she looked up because she was afraid of the future when the mercy of the great goddess will no longer be given to her. ¡°But mother¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Wherever I am, at any time I know you love me, so what am I supposed to be afraid of? You are everywhere on earth and I am always safe with your love.¡± Demeter¡¯s, which hand patted Persephone¡¯s back, touched her wounded elbow. ¡°This happened while you were out walking?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Did I say something that hurt you?¡± A distinct blood clot sat on the wound she got when she had escaped from the cave and climbed the cliff. Persephone tried to hide it, but it was useless. ¡°You know that your body will suffer if you go out at night; don¡¯t you ever think about that? You still haven¡¯t learned that when worms gnaw at the edges of their grain, it eventually rots the entire straw. The same is true with disappointment.¡± Persephone¡¯s shoulders trembled. The nymphs must have all come early. ¡°Kore.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Sorry for going out without permission. Please forgive me. Mother, I never meant to disappoint you.¡± ¡°My sweet baby.¡± Demeter skillfully searched the cupboard like someone who lived there and brought a bottle of medicine that the nymphs ground once every spring. Persephone gently extended her elbow toward her. Every time her mother¡¯s soft touch grazed the wound, a pain that shot to her chest made her flinch. Demeter then asked Persephone to show her knees, as she had noticed from the beginning. She knew that Persephone also had cuts on her knees. Despite the bitter, disgusting smell of the medicine, her mother didn¡¯t care. She noticed the deep bags under her mother¡¯s eyes which looked carefully at the scratches. Persephone asked, ¡°How big were all the crops?¡± ¡°Thanks to your stupid father¡¯s perversions and your uncle¡¯s negligence of life, the ground has rotted, causing an infestation of bugs, and the crops have all wilted.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°No-good bastards.¡± The cynicism hanging around Demeter¡¯s mouth¡ªmore specifically her tongue¡ªwas washed away. ¡°But of course, it will all be taken care of. Ares will catch the gruesome scamps and toss them in Tartaros.¡± ¡°Tartaros?¡± ¡°The price of deceiving death is the promise of eternal punishment.¡± ¡°They deceived you?¡± ¡°Your uncle, Hades, was here. He¡¯s a madman who believes that death is lofty.¡± Persephone¡¯s heart thumped through her breasts like a hammer. The Hades that Demeter just mentioned seemed like a completely different person. The man whom she just rolled around in bed with. Her face heated up when she remembered the moment when their bodies had intertwined. She reminded of the pain she felt from accommodating him. And¡ªfor a brief moment she seemed to recall the story about her father raping her mother. But it wasn¡¯t the same pain as her mother had felt¡ªshe actually enjoyed the pain¡ªrather, it was the total opposite because she wanted him so badly. ¡°Do you have a bad relationship with Zeus, too?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean Hades.¡± Chapter 27 - A Soft Warning (2) Chapter 27 ¨C A Soft Warning (2) When Demeter had a strange look in her eyes, Persephone, who felt a pang in her heart, hurriedly spoke. ¡°That, that, so that thing about the humans was a big deal, huh?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? The kids on the island are in a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°¡­ You were so lazy, not listening to a word I said.¡± Demeter¡¯s eyebrows slowly frowned. When Persephone was discovered not taking proper care of the island¡¯s grains, she wanted to kneel down and apologized. But Demeter already settled her anger about that exhausting situation. ¡°But still, it¡¯s going to end soon. Everything will go back to normal when Ares seizes Corinth.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Look, Kore. Outside this island, there are mean, nasty humans who even deceive God. Robbers, crooks, and bandits not only plunder grains, but they do everything for their own sake. They certainly have exceptional intelligence, and they don¡¯t even fear God because they¡¯re so arrogant. You have to look back every day and live like you¡¯re walking on thin ice.¡± ¡°Those¡­ What made them that way?¡± ¡°Sometimes a human being will do anything to escape death. Because no one wants to be in the underworld.¡± ¡°They¡¯re that smart?¡± ¡°Sisyphos of Corinth is smart, cunning, and bold.¡± Persephone closed her mouth slowly. Demeter added in a friendly tone how she accepted her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. This place is safe. With everything going on, this is the safest place. Demeter clasped Persephone¡¯s hand with her slightly scented hand and pressed her lips against the back of it. ¡°My sweet baby. My Kore.¡± Persephone smiled gently and grabbed her hand as well. ¡°Yes, mother. I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me. Even if you disappoint me and act without thinking, it will really bother me; even if I do say I love you.¡± Persephone intuitively understood the hidden meaning behind the words. Even if I do say I love you, I will severe your love like a sickle slices grain crops. You will never receive such affection just as the same wheat won¡¯t grow in the same spot once it¡¯s cut off. ¡°I know. The day that I betray you will never come. Ever.¡± Only then did Demeter¡¯s smile bear a strange shadow. Persephone slipped Demeter¡¯s hair into his finger and played around with it. ¡°But you know what. Mother. There is one thing that I want¡ª¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°Coins, I¡¯m curious about them.¡± ¡°Coins?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­ If it¡¯s what I think you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Demeter placed both hands behind her neck to take off the necklace she was wearing. Persephone hurriedly nodded her head. One of Demeter¡¯s precious items that she wore every day was similar to that of a coin. But as only the shape was similar to a coin, it wasn¡¯t a real one. ¡°Not that, I mean a real coin. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Demeter¡¯s watery eyes looked down at Persephone as if it were a big deal. However, she was always generous with what was ¡®outside of the island,¡¯ so she didn¡¯t ask in-depth. ¡°Tomorrow, when Notus passes through the neighborhood, let¡¯s ask him about it.¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Persephone clung to Demeter¡¯s neck as she hugged her. Demeter, who smiled a little, held Persephone¡¯s small body in her arms. ¡°Kore.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°Just remember¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°In the daytime, the island is yours to the fullest, but at night¡ª¡± ¡°¡®It¡¯s like the mouth of those who are secretive and cunning.¡¯ I always remember everything you say, and I live by your words.¡± Demeter¡¯s merciful hand swept down Persephone¡¯s arm. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl. Caring for the island for so long and finally finding the time to rest, you can go lay down and rest for today.¡± Persephone, who tried to walk out of the room, suddenly felt eyes on her and turned her head. Her mother¡¯s benevolent blue eyes were cold¡ªBut still, she looked at her with a warm expression. Demeter asked Persephone, who stood bewitched, ¡°Do you love me?¡± Persephone replied, ¡°More than anything in the world.¡± And it didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°The best mother in the world.¡± Then she asked her mother, ¡°Do you love me too, mother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. Of course, I do.¡± When Demeter gave her the preciousness, she didn¡¯t know what her daughter was peeking at in her eyes; the love ¡®despite that.¡¯ The prisoner deeply loved the jailer who held the key to the most solitary prison on earth. With the one and only love that could never be lost. Before going to bed, Persephone looked up at her fingertips and reflected on the creases carved on the cave walls. A smile flashed across her face. Chapter 28 - The Fear Of Losing Someone (1) Chapter 28 ¨C The Fear of Losing Someone (1) The autumn harvest has ended. Over the past two months, an ominous night knocked on the island¡¯s door three times. But when Demeter returned and began to stay, Persephone couldn¡¯t even go out when the sun went down. Even though she enjoyed her mother¡¯s attention at first, Persephone became nervous as time went by that Hades would forget about her. As she waited for the right time, a chance to break free for a bit finally came. When her mother left the island for a moment. On the night after Demeter left, Persephone left her abode¡­ Persephone checked that the nymphs were sleeping and headed to the cave with her cloak on. The door opened on its own as if waiting for her return, and she stepped down inside without an ounce of fear. A breeze of wind rushed between her fingers. Bugs were living in the dreary fog, and every time she breathed, she heard them scattering. She was in the basin of the Acheron River. After her mother had left, the one thing that satisfied Persephone was the fact that she had gotten a gold coin. God of the western wind Zephyros, who dominates the world, brought it at Demeter¡¯s request. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± Kharon¡¯s eyes burst open wide when Persephone appeared in front of his boat holding a gold coin. Earlier, the dead people on board glanced toward her, then lost interest and turned their eyes beyond the fog. Their expressions were as if they had no idea what stood in the distance. Kharon¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡°You, uh¡­¡± ¡°Can I ride?¡± ¡°What are you doing here again? Where the hell did you come from?¡± Persephone was very suspicious because it was not his unusual neurotic tone. Was he warming up to her? She was going to tell him off but then decided not to. She threw a gold coin into his old hat and got on her tippy toes just in case, but nothing happened and Kharon didn¡¯t stop her. The highly satisfied Persephone grabbed the support beam and carefully made her way on board. ¡°What are you looking at? It¡¯s insulting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the insulting one. You cheeky little bitch. Hades¡ª¡± Kharon, who stared at her with a twisted expression the whole time, stopped talking. ¡°What about Hades? Did he say anything about me? Kharon. Kharon! Answer me!¡± ¡°No, just forget about it.¡± Kharon remained silent; the boat soon took off. Persephone tried to pry more but was swept away by the greater excitement and caught off guard by hazy fog. Her heart raced as she felt like she had become one of the dead bodies that roam the underworld. She didn¡¯t even feel the cold, dry air. As the boat docked, the dead people got off one by one and began walking to a sign pointing toward the Plegeton River like they were on a mission. Persephone also followed behind. Kharon grabbed her and said, ¡°Look here, little kid.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Wait. You¡¯re not even completely dead, so where do you think you¡¯re running off to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying when you talk to me like that.¡± Kharon¡¯s tone was neurotic, so Persephone also naturally changed her tone. ¡°Whatever, you¡¯re going to go see the king.¡± Kharon concluded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I have to. So, what were you about to say earlier?¡± ¡°You cunning bitch.¡± ¡°I know I am.¡± Kharon stared at Persephone with annoyance in his eyes, scratching his bearded chin. ¡°Pathetic. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± ¡°What would I do?¡± ¡°What you said earlier. It¡¯s not too late to return now, girl. It¡¯s dangerous here.¡± Persephone sucked her teeth as if laughing at him and turned around to continue following the dead people. ¡°I said don¡¯t go! You ragdoll.¡± Kharon bent over and started rummaging through a box on the boat. Judging by the concerned look on his face, it seemed like he was finally warming up to Persephone after meeting her about six or seven times. Kharon pulled out a huge blow horn. After muttering ¡°I didn¡¯t want to blow this,¡± he blew it so loudly, the deep sound that echoed through his stomach spread like a ripple. Persephone rubbed the goosebumps on her arm and screamed, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Now you wait here.¡± Without further explanation, Kharon drove the boat back to the fog. Slosh, slosh. The sound of the oars hitting the water faded away. Persephone, who didn¡¯t have a clue what the blow horn was for, looked around with nervous eyes as she waited. The dead people she had ridden along with had disappeared without a trace. It remained still all around for a long time. Persephone, who had been waiting calmly, thought of the fact that Kharon would be picking her up soon and that she was wasting time now. ¡®Why did I believe him?¡¯ The night was short and the time more precious than ever. Persephone changed her mind after looking at the sign with eyes full of anguish. And she began walking without any more delay. Walking for so long, all she saw was thick, hazy fog. Doubt raised whether she was actually able to follow the direction that the sign was pointing to. With no clue about of vast this place was, her steps became even more impatient. After walking like that for a while she came to a stop. Suddenly, unfamiliar eyes fell on her pale skin. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. ¡®Oh my¡­¡¯ Dozens of eyeballs floated through the mist and approached her. Chapter 29 - The Fear Of Losing Someone (2) Chapter 29 ¨C The Fear of Losing Someone (2) Walking corpses narrowed in closer like a net¡ªPersephone froze. The closer they got, the more she could see their features and her stomach turned in knots. Half torn faces, hearts beating through exposed ribs, crawling with no legs¡­ A chill swept through Persephone¡¯s body. She dropped down, frantically felt around the ground through the broken branches, and found something hard and thick. But she immediately regretted that. The ground was covered in skeleton bones. At that moment, a bony-faced beast with a bent spine like a camel rushed in. That¡¯s when it started. ¡°Grrrrraaaaaa!¡± Persephone swung the bone pieces to avoid the claws of the bizarre beasts who were rushing in from all over. The beast¡¯s teeth were easily broken, but sharp enough to tear her cloak, and one of them soon landed an attack on her flesh. She barely managed to endure the screaming and ran away; she swung without getting a clear look at the beast that was chasing her again, then fell down and kicked it off. That repeated several times. When Hermes helped her the other day, she was flying in the sky and never expected the beasts lurking in the fog. ¡®No. Don¡¯t.¡¯ She was covered in a cold sweat. And her heart thumping. ¡®I have to see Hades.¡¯ To make matters worse, the group of dead bodies began to mix with human-like zombies. The dead bodies were slower than the beasts but approached her more densely. This was her first time ever coming face-to-face with fear in the underworld. The fog that hid the lowly beasts was only waist-high. There was nowhere to run, so Persephone was on the brink of tears. ¡®Where are you, Hades?¡¯ Now the beast with the black mane, which had a rotten smell, started to rush toward her. With no possible way of avoiding its attack, Persephone immediately closed her eyes. At that moment a hot wind blew and an unimaginably huge roar blasted through the air. The beasts were all swept away by the wind in an instant. The dead people shrieking and roaming around her began to flee. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ A huge shadow came over Persephone, who was crawling backward stutteringly on her butt. Her head was frozen stiff with a hard, strange feeling that rubbed up against her back. She was better off fighting the herd of beasts and walking corpses. A giant beast with a red eye as big as a human¡¯s head looked straight down at her. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Slither, slither. The same enormous head of the beast appeared one after another on the left and right sides. She thought it was a three-headed monster, but the necks were all connected. Persephone covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming out loud. Right when she realized that she was leaning up against its leg¡ªshe was swallowed. * It was the day that Sisyphos was captured and decided to come to be judged by the underworld. Hades may not have been the only one who expected Sisyphos when the sound of Kharon¡¯s horn spread wide enough to reach the royal palace. The one who Kerberos spit out¡ªalmost throwing up¡ªto the bottom certainly mustn¡¯t have been Sisyphos. For now, it was the girl. Clever Kerberos was intoxicated with the satisfaction of the performance that he has just now only carried out the order from days ago, and the snake¡¯s scales wagged its tight tail. Hades, who sent Kerberos a knock on the head, stared at the girl covered in wounds. With a feeling too difficult to explain for himself. Dead servants crossed the river and washed off Persephone¡¯s body. She couldn¡¯t get her head straight after getting a good look at the inside of Kerberos¡¯ mouth. Hades just stood there looking at her. He was a mess. She had disappeared just like that, and now she has returned. The time during the past two months or so, Hades felt as if he were being eaten up inside day by day. At first, he thought that maybe she had gotten lost at the palace¡¯s entrance. Then later on he wondered if she had ventured off to look for some other place. When the girl who didn¡¯t go back to Acheron had disappeared completely, he couldn¡¯t argue that she had been mutilated. Hades had searched everywhere because he couldn¡¯t accept that, including the swamp that regurgitated what it ate and even cut open the stomachs of his dead servants; searching every nook and cranny for any possible evidence of her disappearance. But there was no way that even Kerberos could find her. When he had to accept the fact that the lovely girl that had been brought to him had been mutilated in the underworld, he first felt angry at everything around him without any reason or consciousness. His warmth was gone. Even before his warmth of the lovely girl was completely shaken for the first time in hundreds of years, this underground world had eaten her up. He even felt empty as if someone had dug his heart out. He should have taken better care of her and let her know the risks, but it was his mistake to laugh at her when he knew she wasn¡¯t afraid. That¡¯s what Hades felt after she disappeared. ¡®What in the world are you?¡¯ And now, staring at her in front of him, this is the fear he felt. The girl¡¯s complexion was surprisingly good. No one would ever think that she had wandered around the underworld for the last two months or so. A tight line was drawn between his urge to embrace her immediately and listen to her voice in relief of being alive and the suspicion of something have gone wrong. If she is the reason why Kharon blew the horn, it meant that she had crossed the Acheron River again. It was of Kharon protecting her, so Kerberos would go and rescue her from the sea of skeleton. But how did she disappear without a trace before? Hades was muddled. Kharon swore he had never seen her go back over the river two months ago, and it didn¡¯t make sense because the rule stated that she couldn¡¯t go back if she didn¡¯t get on the boat. The only way someone could cross the Acheron River unseen is if they wear the Cap of Invisibility. Or the equivalent of God. Chapter 30 - What Are You? Chapter 30 ¨C What Are You? Either this girl is a nymph, or the rules of the underworld are broken. As soon as she woke up, she saw the face of a man drawn by the dried up rain and jagged rocks. Persephone thought she might be really dead or just wandering around aimlessly in Morpheus¡¯ dreams. The dreamy man spoke. ¡°You should have waited for Kerberos.¡± Kerberos was a three-headed dog who fected Persephone when she was in danger. It sounded like a scolding, so it was certainly not one of Morpheus¡¯ hoaxes. The glowing Persephone crept up and hugged Hades¡¯ waist. ¡°¡­ Hades, I thought I would never see you again. Just in case we can¡¯t meet.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait. Since the hopeless Kronos is cruel to all of us.¡± ¡°What in the hell happened?¡± Persephone raised her head and caught Hades¡¯ eyes, who wasn¡¯t smiling. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± Doubt, suspicion; all of the feelings she didn¡¯t want to put up with all poured out. Persephone gently kissed his lips as she stroked his hand, who didn¡¯t say a word. Then, a little bolder, bent down to lick his neck. Just as a little beast rubs against its master, but it was a little bit more sexual. ¡°We¡¯re here together again, so why is that so important?¡± Hades was aroused immediately. Anger was forgotten when Persephone reached for his robe and took hold of his manhood. The girl¡¯s small red tongue now lapped his anger. ¡°Niasis.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me th¡ª? ¡°You¡¯re a nymph?¡± Persephone looked into his eyes carefully. Not a single look of embarrassment or awkwardness; only annoyance. Hades gave out such a look in a flash. Persephone soon shook her head with a bitter smile spread across her face. Her tender red tongue sucked him, groping around in her warm mouth. With no regard to his intentions. As if¡ªbeing raped. With his manhood rubbing the inside of her cheek, she wiggled her tongue around it, pulled it out slightly, and pushed it back in. Persephone looked up at him with eyes soaked with satiety as if she had reflected the memory of first kissing him, and put all her might into sliding his length down her throat. A relaxed sweet taste. ¡°Say something strange, Hades.¡± He was at a loss for words at the girl smiling innocently, looking up at him with a fascinated expression. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve met; are you gonna hurt my feelings?¡± Hades removed himself from her lips, and Persephone¡¯s hanging jaw closed shut. His breathing quickly became rough, his tongue twitching a little. Persephone¡¯s lips puckered up as if she couldn¡¯t let go of him for even a second. Excitement flared up in her head as if she had been waiting. Then, suddenly, Hades stepped out of the hallucination of sinking into a swamp. ¡°You¡¯re really a nymph?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask you a third time.¡± Hade¡¯s voice was strained a little, resisting her charms. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I don¡¯t like being called that.¡± ¡°Well why can¡¯t you answer me? Niasis. Because you know that a mere nymph can¡¯t leave my territory without crossing Acheron again.¡± Persephone regretted her own lie. If she had imagined him to recite the name Niasis with such gusto, she would never have chosen it. How long has she waited for this day of freedom again only to be treated so cold-heartedly? She looked up at him, frowning at the surging sorrow coming from inside. However, she was able to feel the distance between them just by looking in the eyes of the man whom she pleased just a moment ago. ¡°Nia¡ª¡± Persephone pleaded, holding Hades¡¯ hand tightly. ¡°Hades, even though my feelings are hurt, I still end up coming back to you. I couldn¡¯t be honest with my adored mother¡­ Breaking away from those annoying other nymphs, you¡¯re the only one I want to see. It¡¯s been that way since I first met you. Don¡¯t you believe me? If so, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Niasis.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t call me Kore¡­¡± Kneeling on the bed, Persephone¡¯s quick hands grabbed Hades¡¯ cheeks. She squeezed so hard that her fingers were all worn out. The fingernails dug in and made a long cut. Hades looked down at Persephone with a look of indifference and ridicule because he couldn¡¯t even feel pain. ¡°I¡¯m upset. You pissed me off so much it made me attack you, Hades.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought of only you this whole time, but you¡¯ve only been suspicious about me being a nymph?¡± ¡°¡­. Kore.¡± In an instant, she spread her arms and wrapped them around his head. ¡°I really missed you. But I couldn¡¯t come out because my mother was always around. I didn¡¯t know what to do since it was like being in a jail cell. Have you been waiting for me? For how long? Tell me. I¡¯ll never know if you don¡¯t tell me.¡± Sometimes when Hades talked to her, there were moments where he felt out of place. It was she who liked and chased him from the beginning, and her feelings have been consistent the whole time. Hades, who was listening to her ever-racing heartbeat, sneeringly blurted out, ¡°There¡¯s a lot more that you don¡¯t know. For example¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What it is that I¡¯m thinking right now.¡± Persephone felt a hunch, but her reasoning didn¡¯t work properly. Hades¡¯ arms crept around the girl¡¯s back. Her body heat, her warmth; whatever it was, it made his heart flutter. Hades, who had let out a soft groan, pulled her in tighter. ¡°What in the world are you?¡± Chapter 31 - The Devoted Follower Chapter 31 ¨C The Devoted Follower ¡°Hades, you¡¯re hurting me. I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°You little brat; what the hell are you?¡± Persephone, who was hugging him back, tapped her fingers on his shoulder blades. ¡°It feels so good that you¡¯re hugging me like this, so I¡¯m not thinking about anything else but you. I guess this is love. Do you feel the same way too, Hades?¡± Through all the years of his life being cut off from the earth, Hades has neglected both Eros¡¯ spiritual love and Aphrodite¡¯s sexual love. Because of that, the word ¡®love¡¯ just flew over his head. He repeatedly, and rudely, turned a blind eye to this little girl because she was cute, and he didn¡¯t think she would say the word ¡®love¡¯ even though she didn¡¯t hesitate to run up to him and hug him all day; he had lost his mind and wandered madly because he couldn¡¯t accept the time that had disappeared right before his eyes. A thorn sinking deeper into his heart rather than something that can be washed away by the river of oblivion. That¡¯s what the girl was. Carelessly, he blurted out, ¡°I¡¯ll give you this underworld.¡± ¡°Hades.¡± ¡°Will you be freed from being one of Phoibos¡¯ slaves and join me in my world?¡± ¡°¡­ You mean live here?¡± Persephone asked as she pushed him away. ¡°There are treasures in the underworld overflowing with all the wealth on earth; this place is filled with death, suffering, and the cries of the dead, so it can terrify you, but¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m really really¡­. happy, but I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It would break my mother¡¯s heart. I have to be a good daughter to her. I want to see you every day, but¡­ I swore to her that I wouldn¡¯t disappoint her. But more than anything, Hades¡ª¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t really said that you love me. So I definitely can¡¯t turn a blind eye to my mother and live down here. Do you love me enough to force me to stay?¡± A brief silence fell. Hades, groaning softly, put his hand on his forehead and sucked his teeth. The moan soon turned into something like a sarcastic laugh or sneer. ¡°Seeing you now, it looks like you¡¯re about to poke my head and make fun of me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡ª¡± ¡°You were the one who wanted me first.¡± Hades smiled. ¡°I still feel the same way now.¡± ¡°No matter how much I say I¡¯m attracted to you, you think I would force you to stay here? I don¡¯t even know why you followed me around so much in the first place.¡± ¡°Why are you questioning me like that, Hades?¡± ¡°King.¡± The voice of another woman interrupted. ¡°What¡¯s that scar on your face?¡± Ceres stood at the front of the door. Hades, who thoughtlessly rubbed his cheek, looked at her with a frown. ¡°What do you want?¡± Persephone rolled her eyes, then quickly wiped the frown off of her face. She didn¡¯t like her, but she hated her name even more. She was clueless at why this woman, who had the same second name as her mother, stood next to Hades of all places. Ceres slowly frowned and glared at Persephone¡¯s hand. Hades, speaking in a rather nervous tone, turned away. ¡°Is Hermes here?¡± ¡°Yes. He crossed Lette River just a while ago.¡± His glare turned to Persephone for a second. ¡°You¡¯re gonna leave just like that, Hades? We were in the middle of a conversation. I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time, and you¡¯re going to go back in such a bad mood?¡± ¡°Hermes is waiting. He also brought a message from Zeus.¡± Ceres words sliced through Persephone¡¯s. Persephone balled up her fists and glared at the woman. ¡°When I get back.¡± Persephone fully guessed what Hades¡¯ cut-off sentence was. It meant ¡®be here when I get back¡¯. But seeing Ceres in the flesh made her even more irritated than that. That bitch who barged into the room. ¡°I¡¯ll be a good girl and stay here.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I promise. So please hurry back. Sending you off like this in an angry mood also makes me sad.¡± Persephone hoped today would be a little more¡ªa constructive and pleasant reunion. She¡¯s happy he didn¡¯t forget her, but seeing him leave so angrily left her with a heavy heart. It would¡¯ve been just fine if Ceres the Homewrecker hadn¡¯t come in. Meanwhile, while her thoughts were restless, she was really hurt. ¡®What¡¯s more important than expressing affection to me right now?¡¯ Persephone was about to get out of bed when she heard footsteps outside. ¡®Just as I thought, he¡¯s coming back because he doesn¡¯t want to leave me alone,¡¯ she thought, but the smile across her face slowly faded away. Ceres, who had left with Hades, stood leaning heavily against the wall. With eyes as sharp as knives. ¡°Long time, no see.¡± With a serious look on her face, Persephone felt goosebumps on her back. Ceres looked quite unpleased because no matter how she looked at the girl sitting on Hades¡¯ bed, she thought she was shady. A couple of months ago, Hades had given her orders to find the girl and had told Ceres that she was a nymph, which is why it was hard to believe. Nothing more than a nymph. The underworld hasn¡¯t settled in the last two months since the girl lured Hades and disappeared. Seeing how she angered Hades, Ceres couldn¡¯t sit idly by any means. ¡°Who do you think you are? ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°If you ran away, you shouldn¡¯t have come back.¡± A suspicious look from Ceres fell on Persephone, who closed her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re really a nymph?¡± Persephone remained silent with her lips clamped shut. She recalled Hades saying that today, and that¡¯s why she was convinced of his suspicion from when Ceres barged in. Persephone asked, ¡°You love Hades? That¡¯s why you told him that I wouldn¡¯t be a nymph?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the king; it¡¯s like when free slaves on earth like you come down here to roam around freely. I have no choice but to love and respect him.¡± ¡°Does he love you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m his most devoted follower. I love him with all I am.¡± Chapter 32 - A Sin Committed (1) Chapter 32 ¨C A Sin Committed (1) The woman with the mean smile was more beautiful than anyone Persephone had ever seen. From the beginning, she looked good together with Hades, like a portrait. Those who she has met throughout her life have heard of Ceres only through rumors, and Aphrodite, who had numerous followers, would also blush in front of the goddess, as well as princesses known for their beauty. Persephone felt nauseous. Having such a woman next to Hades while she was away stirred up a fit of hard jealousy. ¡°Only I will love Hades, not you.¡± ¡°Crazy bitch¡­¡± Without a warning, Ceres darted forward and gripped her fingers around Persephone¡¯s neck. ¡°Kerberos was supposed to tear you apart and swallow you, you bitch.¡± Her fingers were ice cold and strong, so Persephone felt like a small animal being attacked. ¡°Ugh!¡± Persephone, who was struggling to breathe, grabbed the backs of Ceres¡¯ hands with her fingernails. ¡°Are you scared to die now?¡± The woman¡¯s grip grew teasingly stronger. Persephone felt like her neck was going to snap. Her face turned blue with fear, and tears started falling out of her wide-open eyes while Ceres grinned devilishly; she then loosened her grip. ¡°Weak, little bitch.¡± Persephone¡¯s head staggered and fell on the bed. Her world was disturbed by anger. ¡°Do¡­ you know¡­¡± Persephone was so full of rage that she could barely open her mouth to speak. ¡®Do you know who I am? Look at me! How dare you attack Demeter¡¯s daughter like this?¡¯ ¡°What the hell did you say?¡± ¡°You know who I am; are you crazy?¡± Ceres¡¯ lips closed shut as Persephone tightened her trembling shoulders and opened her eyes. A brief silence fell between the two. The voices lurking inside Ceres began to open their lips and rumble. A boy; a girl; a man; an old woman. ¡®Who is she?¡¯ ¡®Look at her eyes.¡¯ ¡®I thought they were strange from the beginning.¡± ¡®Let¡¯s secretly throw her into Tartaros.¡¯ ¡®Secretly how? If you say something blasphemous like that again I¡¯ll slap you.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t! Why do you have to hurt me?¡¯¡¯ Ceres, who was annoyed by them, screamed obscenities into the air and put the voices to rest. ¡°Who are you then?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Just tell me little by little. Little child, I see you haven¡¯t learned to respect gods and goddesses.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Did you say Hades forgave your insulting behavior? Does he know that your eyes are so presumptuous and you¡¯re trying to dismiss death? You, you¡¯re not a nymph; you¡¯re just a little girl.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not crazy about madness, there¡¯s no way you can be such a nymph.¡± ¡°¡­ I am a nymph. I¡­ The river¡­¡± ¡°You swear to Styx River?¡± Persephone couldn¡¯t say a word. Ceres¡¯ lips formed a chilling grin, similar to the intoxication of a victory. It was a rope that bound Persephone¡¯s neck. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not. Don¡¯t come between Hades and me.¡± ¡°The king of the underworld who is standing at the end of this mess is my master, and I can look past a little girl who tries to toy with him. You¡¯re just one of Phoibos¡¯ slaves; whose fate were you going to destroy this place with? Did your master not learn anything? It¡¯s so clear why you have to worship down here before your death comes.¡± Ceres turned around and walked away, leaving only a threat wrapped in elegance. * Standing in front of the secret room¡¯s weapon cabinet, Persephone stared at the Cap of Invisibility. That was a symbol of Hades and a treasure in the unseeable world. She ran her fingers over it for a while, then, with both hands, took it off the hook. Clank. The sound of the metal clanking could be felt down to her bones. A mystical voice, Reason, then whispered in her ears, ¡®You want to kill her?¡¯ Persephone was sorry for her mother who gave her everything on the island but wasn¡¯t grateful for it at all. Her island doesn¡¯t even have clear seasons, it¡¯s a blue paradise all year round. The same nymphs every day, the same flowers every day, the same animals on the same island, the same sea every day¡­ It was like living in a box. Very often, when the island¡¯s indigenous yellow daffodils bloomed or the acorns bore fruit, it was so insignificant that she lost three or four days in excitement. Considering her position as the owner of a worthless island, she sometimes has felt that even she was worthless. Furthermore, it became unclear if she was even alive, and when she was¡ª Only the small animals rustling in her hands comforted her. At first, it was only small island mice or birds in a nest. The mice rolling around in her hand seemed to be looking at her. ¡®I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡¯ Baby birds sometimes followed her big eyes into the nest like a mother, opening their beaks and chirping; the full vitality gave her joy. So before they learned how to fly, they quietly dug up the soil. A memory then struck Persphone as she touched the Cap of Invisibility. -Kore, what are you doing now? The nymphs looked at her with astonishing eyes and talked among themselves. But Persephone thought they were hilarious. They said there would be nowhere to live if she left paradise¡ª prison. Do they mourn for the children who will remain here forever? -They say it¡¯s dangerous out there. A little more time went by, and her attention was drawn to the animals larger than the ones in the palm of Persephone hand. Rabbits, wild cats, and large birds that sometimes flew alongside her mother entertained her Because she let them eat her island¡¯s food carelessly. Because she let them peck at her favorite flowers. Because they tried to leave at their own will. They had freedom she never had. Hence, Persephone threw them under cliffs, crush them to death with stones, or hanged them like decorations by attaching a string to a flower crown woven while laughing and talking with nymphs. As the animals grew bigger, Persephone was more likely to get cuts and bruises on her hands and arms, so she was criticized by the nymphs. -Kore. What in the world happened to you? Why do you scare us like that? They said she was pretty, but the animals by her side left. She said she would do her own thing, but the nymphs didn¡¯t understand her at all and criticized her. When angry, very often, when uncontrollable anger came, Persephone paid the price. Persephone stood outside the royal palace. ¡®Kill her.¡¯ The voice again whispered to her. Chapter 33 - A Sin Committed (2) Chapter 33 ¨C A Sin Committed (2) Persephone looked for Ceres and she found her not far from the palace. Only her backside was showing. The thin, beautiful Goddess Ceres didn¡¯t turn to look at her. She couldn¡¯t see Persephone, who was wearing the Cap of Invisibility, slowly approach her from behind. Since those who wore Hades¡¯ invisible cap were able to avoid even Argos¡¯ one-hundred eyes, there will be no match to be detected by someone with only two eyes. Up and down she flicked the knife hidden in her hand. A scream tore through the air. Persephone gathered all her strength and screamed again. The woman who had the same name as her mother. She hated her from the start. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you, Ceres! I¡¯m gonna kill you! Who do you think you are treating me like¡ª¡± She dragged Ceres¡¯ ankle and threw her into the swamp she was standing nearby. Soon after, she took off her cloak and used it to wipe the blood off the invisible cap, then threw the cloak into the swamp. The way the rising swamp swallowed Ceres and the cloak looked like something being eaten by a snake. The coldness in her heart went away and a cold chill pervaded in. When the swamp completely covered Ceres¡¯ body, a smile spread across Persephone¡¯s sweaty face. A realization of the aftereffects that followed satisfaction slowly began to wriggle. That woman who up until yesterday made Persephone mad was clearly a different existence than the others. She wouldn¡¯t die that instantly. Immortal, Ceres was immortal just like her. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ ¡®Will Hades forgive me? But that¡¯s what Demeter said about the underworld. She said, ¡®They will not forgive anyone who deceives death, and that is why a human named Sisyphos will face the most terrible eternal punishment.¡¯ To make matters worse, Hades was now suspicious of her and angry at her. He can¡¯t keep her from knowing this for good. It was almost impossible to be forgiven now. Fortunately, this golden palace is an empty and dead place, regardless of its size. The only thing Persephone found here is a couple of dead men who often appeared from somewhere, and most of the living and breathing swamp crawling around the courtyard in front of the palace. There wasn¡¯t a need to worry about any witnesses. Persephone, nibbling on her bottom lip, looked down at the remains of the body in the swamp. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach. Persephone tried to take off the invisible cap that ruined her hair but changed her mind and went out to look for Hades. She stood at the mouth of the entrance to where Hades normally entered. Hades was with Hermes, and by their side was a strange man in a shabby prison uniform on his knees. He looked as dark as the average dead, but she could see his dignity. Persephone, who couldn¡¯t even get close to them, realized who the man was. ¡®That¡¯s Sisyphos.¡¯ Demeter has repeatedly mentioned Sisyphos as an extreme example of a man who even deceived God and did anything for himself. How the god of death, Thanatos, was so badly beaten, and how Ares, angry at the deathless war, saved Thanatos; if anyone can fool Styx for his own gain, it¡¯s him. He was nothing but scum. And in exchange for deceiving death, he said he would fall to Tartaros. If he falls to Tartaros in return for deceiving death, what kind of sin should Persephone pay for the murder she committed? Frightened, Persephone squatted in a shady corner and peeped at them. Soon, the dead servants brought in an iron cage and pushed the man in. Hermes and Hades turned almost simultaneously as if they finished their business with him. Persephone came to her senses and ran into the palace. Returning to Hades¡¯ bedroom, after quickly hanging the invisible cap back on its original hook, she sat down in front of the mirror. To check if there was any blood splatter on her legs, to check if she left any bloody footprints. She checked thoroughly. Her heart didn¡¯t calm down. She sat there waiting for Hades as if nothing had happened, there was no word whether his business with Hermes was finished or not. In the midst of that, some time went by. Kronos, betrayed by Zeus, brought him down into living in the same flow as humans. It was a petty retribution for the gods who lived close to eternity. But not to Persephone. It was so painful to think that before she came back, that bitch Ceres would dare to cross between Hades and her. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Persephone asked in her head ¡®How about this?¡¯ The voice replied. Persephone, who was pinching her forehead and nervously chewing her lips, looked up. ¡®There¡¯s no other way.¡¯ Chapter 34 - Fever Of Desire (1) Chapter 34 ¨C Fever of Desire (1) Sisyphos is the king of Corinth. A king without an interesting twist is known to be infinitely generous in his own life, by no means necessary. He had a strong belief that the title of king was suitable for himself, but the least validity existed because what was good for him was good for the kingdom. If a king has enough soldiers, his country will become strong, and if a king is wealthy, his country will become wealthy. Of course, people¡¯s livelihood is a separate matter. However, in an era where the gods could easily reach anything with their hands, there was a limit to the tricks that humans could play. His wife, Merope, always told Sisyphos that, ¡°Zeus wouldn¡¯t budge if you were born a god.¡¯ Sisyphos¡¯ pent-up anger swelled. Because his sensible wife¡¯s words proved right. He would have become a greater king if there were no gods above his head. No, maybe he was born a god, who had to live in a bigger body of water. Such existence is¡ª How could it be Tartaros? Although he was guilty of holding Thanatos under arrest, he had no reason to pay the price for the fact that the god of death was stupid. Stuck in a square cage left on one side of the palace¡¯s courtyard, a loud thud rang out when Sisyphos loosened his hands. Now he was able to see around. The golden palace was a magnificent place that displayed lights that were traditionally passed down. However, there were no guards, soldiers, nor gardeners seen anywhere in the courtyard. He couldn¡¯t imagine this sight had it been his palace. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone to keep an eye on the criminal, it was worth asking himself, ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ He crossed his arms firmly and lowered his chin. When he had become aware that he couldn¡¯t run away anymore, he was stricken with grief, but then put his last wits to use. He gave up running away and was caught but asked his wife, Merope, not to hold a funeral for him. Before capturing Thanatos, it was a decision that allowed him to eavesdrop on Thanatos, who could never shut up, on the sincerity of the underworld¡¯s ruler. It was cold-hearted and careless, but he cherished those in the underworld and showed his compassion to Titans from time to time because he was so merciful to those in his power. It wasn¡¯t decided easily, but in the end, it was a gamble because there wasn¡¯t any other path left to take. Because of that, while being held down by Hermes, Hermes¡¯ boundaries were cleared under the guise of obedience. Sisyphos just wanted him to take his side when he won Hades over. One has to have a life in order to have self-respect, for the gods had blind pride that they were above the kings¡¯ heads. And today he finally met the ruler of the underworld. Sisyphos pleaded by acting as the most miserable man on earth. ¡ªMy ungrateful wife couldn¡¯t learn to eat properly, and I didn¡¯t even pay a single penny after I died. How can I not be so bitter? But much different from what Thanatos had said, Hades wasn¡¯t the type of king to show ¡®compassion¡¯. The only thing that fit his expectations was the indifference without anger. A literal indifference. No, Sisyphos wondered if maybe Hades hadn¡¯t even listened to his appeal. It doesn¡¯t make sense to be so indifferent after seeing his acting. ¡®I¡¯m really in trouble. What should I do now?¡¯ It was foolish of him to wait for their verdict while being locked up like this. His worrying fell deeper as he was sure he would end up falling into Tartaros. Like the trials of the other deadmen, he had to wait for his turn and seemed to have about fifteen days to spare. That was when ¡®she¡¯ came looking for him. ¡°¡­ Are you Sisyphos? You are clever enough to deceive any god.¡± Sisyphos looked her in the eyes. * Zeus sent his decision through Hermes as if he didn¡¯t need a verdict for Sisyphos and wanted to just toss him into Tartaros right now. However, Hades insisted that the process couldn¡¯t be ignored because sending someone off to Tartaros required nominations. Because of such disagreements, it took quite a while for Hermes to return after a tiring argument. The room was empty again when Hades returned. ¡®¡­.¡¯ Now that he thought about it this wasn¡¯t the first time this has happened. It was her who whispered so sweetly, but it was also her who was lifting her foot as if she were going to step down at any time. Hades thought whether he should release the deadmen, bring Kerberos out, and capture her before she completely disappeared, but he soon gave up. Something was wrong. The way he looked now was as if he wanted to be alone with the girl. He couldn¡¯t laugh away the mockery of asking if he wanted to keep her by his side because truthfully, he kind of wanted her. But to belittle the earth¡¯s existence only because he wanted it to be, he broke his own boundaries about the earth¡¯s eccentricity and the underground he had adhered to so far. But he started to feel serious anguish about that. As to how to keep a woman completely bound, ¡®If you feed her and don¡¯t let her leave¡ª¡¯ ¡°Hades. You¡¯re back?¡± Chapter 35 - Fever Of Desire (2) | 19 Chapter 35 ¨C Fever of Desire (2) | 19 Hades lifted his head to look at the girl standing in the doorway. She came up and hugged him as he showed his natural frown. ¡°You didn¡¯t come¡­ so I was wondering if I should look for you.¡± She brought with her a faint scent from outside. Hades¡¯ fingertips softly brushed her bright red earlobe. And he was about to ask what she was doing but stopped himself. He had to decide right now what to do about her. These past two months have been a wake-up call. He has already given too much affection to the things on earth. No, he didn¡¯t mean affection; it felt like he was being dragged. ¡°What are you thinking about with me in front of you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about what exactly your identity is.¡± The girl¡¯s hands pushed him toward the bed and peeled off his robe. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have much time, don¡¯t waste your time about that, Hades.¡± Then she covered his eyes with an unknown thin cloth. Hades slowly hugged her and gr0aned as he tried to lift his hand. ¡°You can¡¯t see a thing if your eyes are closed. But when that happens, the world feels clearer¡­ Don¡¯t doubt it, just trust me.¡± Persephone slid her hand down his tight abs and asked, ¡°Can you feel how much I want you?¡± Her behavior was much different than before. A sense of incompatibility was clear. When Hades was about to push her off, Persephone bent her waist. And without hesitation, her lips went around his manhood. She started to suck with the force from when he taught her how to do it the first time. Tongue sliding down the length; lips touching the base; tip piercing the back of her thr0at; she wouldn¡¯t stop even if she felt like vomiting. Hades tried to remove the blindfold but lost all strength in his arms. Even eyes penetrating the darkness couldn¡¯t see the world beyond the thin blindfold. All he could feel is desire. An unthinkable fever rushed to his head. ¡®Oh¡­¡± Smack. Persephone¡¯s head popped up after releasing her lips from the tip of his length. ¡°You like that?¡± Then she fell on his stomach and whispered, ¡°Hades, I knew you were ¡®the one¡¯ the moment I saw you. Oh, this is the one I¡¯ve been looking for.¡± Her soft words burrowed deep into Hades¡¯ heart. Even Siren couldn¡¯t afford to lose such a determination. ¡°Niasis.¡± Her hand softly pinched his chin. She gave him a deep kiss and whispered a warning. ¡°I said don¡¯t call me that¡­ Can¡¯t you do that for me?¡± Suck. Slurp. Hades¡¯ waist stiffened whenever her lips, which held his n!pples, breathed a warm breath. His hands groping her b*tt became impatient. He brushed his hand over the soft, squishy flesh of her rears and squeezed hard; Persephone¡¯s breathing sped up. With his vision impaired his lips and hands were left to her as if she were committed to him. The girl, rubbing his legs between her thighs, m0aned a short m0an and whispered while rubbing the pen!s below, ¡®Wait a second.¡± Hades thought the weight of her body would ease up from his thigh but then something hot enough to make him flinch fell on his chest. Melted candle wax. ¡°You! What the hell!¡± He was so shocked he pushed her off and removed the blindfold, but she, faster than expected, rushed back to him and wrapped her hands around his head. ¡°Ooomph.¡± ¡°You feel that?¡± Hades gave out a good moan and grabbed the back of her waist. ¡°That excessive practical joke.¡± Her voice melted over his head. ¡°I¡­ That¡¯s how I feel when I think of you, Hades.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°My chest gets hot like that. Like it¡¯s burning. I wanted you to feel it, too. Can you feel it?¡± What is wrong with this girl? She has lost her mind. She was turned on by the burning pain. Turned on so much that even Hades couldn¡¯t understand it. Why does she love pain so much? Hades patted her cheek and kissed her deeply. The thirst was overwritten by a pain that had never been felt before. When Persephone, who had rolled over, began to rub the nodding pen!s below her legs, Hades stopped thinking about whether he should push her away or not. ¡°Little girl.¡± ¡°You like that? That feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Girl, stay here with me.¡± She slowly began to shift her weight. The pen!s was swallowed in her soft spot but not wet enough. Her opening was too tight. It brought a feeling of being eaten. Hades knew she wasn¡¯t ready, and she was hurting. Nonetheless, her waist bounced on its own as the inner walls grabbed his member as if to tear it apart. Hades gritted his teeth, grabbing and pressing down on her th!ghs. ¡°Oh! Ah¡­! It¡¯s too big. It hurts, Hades.¡± ¡°You¡­ ah.¡± The sensation of a long shaft digging along a path opened by a thick tip. Persephone¡¯s th!ghs were trembling. However, she can never run away with her body crouched like this. She soon rose gently, then sank again and began to turn her back gently. ¡°Do you like it, Hades?¡± Hades felt like his brain was melting. ¡°Do you like me, Hades?¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯re making me crazy.¡± Hades no longer had the will to deny the current situation. ¡°Oh¡­ Did you f*ck that other girl like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re speculating¡­ ohh¡­ again.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± The girl¡¯s movements became increasingly bold. ¡°You¡¯re so big I think you¡¯re gonna tear me in half. It¡¯s killing me.¡± ¡°That again.¡± As her vag!na got wetter and wetter, Hades¡¯ member, which pounded in and out of her, also glistened. It was his first time noticing this. Eventually, Hades, who had been patient for some time, moved his waist up and down to match her speed. ¡°Oh! Yes!¡± ¡°Ooomph.¡± Every time he pounded, her body flinched. The heat from her insides being pounded by Hades only caused more excitement. Every time Hades hit her butt, her moans were shortened like a bobbed scream. Every time his pen!s slid out, the liquid that had soaked down to his test!cles made the sound of watery leather. ¡°Ahh¡­ Oh! Oh¡­ Hades¡­ Hades¡­¡± Hades, who was soaking in sweat, held her waist and rapidly sped up his pounding. ¡°Ooooo! Yes, Hades. Yes. I have wanted you like this for so long. Ahhh!¡± ¡°Ugh. Be quiet.¡± In the end, Hades, who couldn¡¯t stand it and took off his blindfold, knocked Persephone¡¯s body down. The spot below her abdomen pulsated bright red. There was nothing left to reason with, but he couldn¡¯t stand it whenever he saw her shivering with pain. Chapter 36 - The Punishment For The Sinner (1) | 19 Chapter 36 ¨C The Punishment for The Sinner (1) | 19 With one arm resting on the bed, Hades rubbed Persephone¡¯s, pleasuring her. Persephone, trapped between him and the bed, lifted her head and begged, ¡°I love it. I love you.¡± He dared to suck the lips of her, who spoke of love, ¡°Stay here with me if you really do,¡± He uttered. ¡°Do you love me?¡± ¡°Those words, if you really need to hear them, then I¡¯ll say it a million times. Yes, I do love you.¡± The beastly excitement leftover in the place of the reason he fled was embarrassing for himself, but he felt a great sense of compassion about the fact that this girl was in his arms. It was love. He told her, ¡°I love you. Stay here, and I will do anything for you¡± as if he were possessed and constantly brainwashed. ¡°Yes, more, more, harder, more, hurt me! Ah!¡± ¡°Make it hurt? Why do you always say that?¡± ¡°Because it feels good.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I hate to feel mercy. I¡¯m tired of you having mercy on me.¡± Hades had heard that before. Among those who entered the underworld, there were many people with strange barriers, and she was one of them. Hades pushed his whole body up and raised his chin. The trick she had played on him was a clear candle burning shyly, peeping into their affair. ¡°You mean just like you did to me?¡± He remembered when she poured candle wax on his back before. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Your disgusting habits.¡± Hades, who was now holding a half-melted candle, lifted his waist and tilted it right over her breasts. Drip. Drip. The hot wax flowed over her pale chest. ¡°Ow! Whoa, ahhh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s hot! Ow!¡± With her waist twisted, Persephone¡¯s breasts swelled seductively. Whenever her white, slender body and narrow waist moved from side to side, the inner walls that were swallowing Hades tightened. She gasped, ¡°It hurts, it hurts¡± and followed it up, ¡°More, more.¡± Hades looked down at her body, flapping naked, and trembled with unfamiliar excitement that he had never felt before. Her cheeks were burning like fire and her saliva-soaked nibbles were hard as she moaned endlessly. As beautiful and sensual as the painter¡¯s masterpiece, the excitement was forgotten for a moment. Persephone¡¯s lips in line with Hades drew a thin arc. ¡°Feels good.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It feels really good, Hades.¡± The faint excitement within him has awakened again. ¡°Niasis.¡± ¡°I said call¡­ me Kore, ahh!¡± Hades, after blowing the candle out and setting it back down, pressed down on her thighs. When he thrust in and pulled back as if to pull out his penis, the inner walls held onto him in a roar. He put off all his thoughts as Persephone scream and moaned. ¡°Oh! Ah! Ohh!¡± Hades waist gyrated back and forth. Persephone, who was gasping and crying every time he pounded her with all his might, was so stimulated she started rubbing her clitoris. The view of her doing that was perfectly sensational, and Hades grabbed and spread her soft, round thighs, and gave a stronger thrust. Different from before, when it had been dry, clear liquid gushed out from inside Persephone. ¡°I love you, Hades.¡± ¡°You love me, do you?¡± ¡°Yes, ah! Hades, I do love you. From when I first saw you¡ª just everything about you¡­ ah!¡± Hades, who pushed in with all his strength and pressed her waist tightly, couldn¡¯t repress his laughter. This damn little girl really loved him. The moment he felt a rush and slapped her butt, Persephone¡¯s moan grew longer. ¡°Ahhhh¡­!¡± Her entire body wiggled and began to tremble. And the inner walls tightened him relentlessly. The liquid flowing out of her rolled down to his testicles. It was a clear climax that swept her. Persephone closed her eyes as her breasts bounced up and down. Her insides swallowing Hades with convulsions was a surprisingly real reaction. She shuddered again as Hades kissed her forehead and rubbed her clitoris. ¡°Seeing you now¡­¡± ¡°Ahh¡­. Oh, Hades, yes¡­!¡± Persephone¡¯s face was as red as a beet. She was still madly adorable, so Hades hugged her harder and bent his back. ¡°I underestimated you.¡± Their skin clattering continued for a long time, and as soon as Hades felt a strain in his thighs, he stopped. He dug in deeper, and she begged. The heat from his entire body swept away, and what remained in its place was pleasant fatigue full of languid. ¡°How much do you want me, Hades?¡± Was this pillow talk? If that¡¯s what it was, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to listen. With Persephone¡¯s naked body hugged up against Hades¡¯, he was so deep in the satisfaction that he could forgive her for what she had done. ¡°So much that I¡¯m troubled by your pain.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, could you forgive anything?¡± ¡°Forgive?¡± ¡°What do you do when someone does something that angers you?¡± ¡°I would have to punish that person,¡± Hades answered truthfully. The underworld was also a place that distinguished between what was right and what was wrong. Judging was one of his duties, and even though Hades didn¡¯t respond with a passionate belief, he didn¡¯t neglect to fulfill his duties and rules. ¡°No matter what? Do you punish them somehow? Even if they didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡± Hades noticed that her previous question had penetrated him a completely different way from the one she had asked to check what his thoughts were. Looking down at her, she looked uncomfortable as if she had done something wrong. ¡°Actually committing a crime is a whole different issue. Why do you ask?¡± Chapter 37 - The Punishment For The Sinner (2) Chapter 37 ¨C The Punishment for The Sinner (2) Persephone, who ducked her head and avoided his gaze, gently closed her lips. ¡°I was just¡­. curious since I heard that someone named Sisyphos was captured recently. Did he really get thrown into the frightening Tartaros?¡± ¡°I could never forgive the sin of deceiving death.¡± ¡°What if someone kills death?¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. You don¡¯t know that death is the only thing that never dies? If someone does that, they won¡¯t be forgiven. All beings who aren¡¯t gods will eventually return to the arms of death and be punished. Why did you ask such a thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m concerned that¡­ you might get hurt or something.¡± Her concern warmed up Hades¡¯ heart and numbed his head. The time that had been burned into anguish seemed to be a lie. Hades flashed a faint smile across his face and ran his fingers through Persephone¡¯s hair. She, who was slowly rolling her eyes along with his hand, murmured sluggishly, ¡°It¡¯ll be nice if we stayed together from now on. How great would that be?¡± ¡°Only if you stay here in my territory. The choice is yours. How did you make your way back here after leaving last time? ¡°Don¡¯t you want to persuade me?¡± Hades closed his mouth for a moment and laid his head down on her stomach gently. The hand that was touching her squishy breast passed over her chin and reached her cheek. When he tilted his head and kissed the other cheek, she said, ¡°It tickles.¡± That was Hades¡¯ signature move. ¡°The time to be served by a shadow is short, and the journey of the underworld is eternity, so I can¡¯t force it. Even if it¡¯s not right now, someday you¡¯ll be back here.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a nymph.¡± Persephone smiled faintly and pulled his face in for a kiss. Like she couldn¡¯t bear the overflowed feeling of affection. ¡°How are you going to love me until then?¡± ¡°Just remember that I never said that I loved you.¡± ¡°You love me, Hades. I know you do.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s destiny. Our destiny.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I knew it from the first day we met, but you didn¡¯t know?¡± It seemed so as she kept saying that. Hades couldn¡¯t fight the bizarre feeling from the day he first met her. It was a spell cast onto him. A deeply embedded impression that was too much to justify that it had been a long time since he met a human from above. The feeling, like a piercing thorn, never went away¡­ Persephone¡¯s face folded as Hades fell deep in thought about it. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What if you change your mind, Hades? It¡¯s good now, but what if I make a small mistake and you hate me for it?¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Is that going to happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Because you¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t have a justification for Moirai a while ago.¡± Her silence was an obvious indicator that she was hurt. Even though she annoyed him, she was still lovely, so he soon added, ¡°You really want to hear it?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so pretty I want to hold you. I was really worried when you disappeared and when you changed. So, from now on¡ª¡± ¡°You said that the tongue has two rights: the right to tell the truth, and the right to tell a lie.¡± Hades, who was interrupted, couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Veretas. How could I understand the mind of another person as great as you?¡± ¡°Even though I said what you wanted to hear¡­¡± ¡°Can you promise me? No, wait. Can you swear to Styx River?¡± Styx River. The river that flowed around the golden palace was the power of Styx herself. Styx and vows entered into one sentence meant he could never disobey it. If he abandoned that, gods would lose their immortality or Tartaros, and humans would pay the appropriate price after death. Hades, who knew the weight of the situation better than anyone else, had some qualms only about the oath of Styx River. ¡°I have to do that for you to believe me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Since I don¡¯t know how much you really want me¡­ And there will be a lot of beautiful women here in the underworld¡­¡± Hades felt an unexplainably confusing affection at her shy jealousy. He hugged her head tightly, exhaling a cold groan on her neck. ¡°Little girl, what¡¯s a big deal that¡¯s worth mentioning Styx?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not a big deal, then you can do it.¡± Like a hummingbird opening its beak begging for food, Persephone, who was strangled and pressed for love, literally softened his wariness. How could he have suspected that she was naive enough to fade away? Even a little obsessive. Hades asked back as if teasing her, ¡°And you said you loved me. You swear?¡± ¡°I do love you. I have no choice but to. I knew that from the first day we met. I swear.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll walk that river?¡± ¡°Forever, with Styx as my witness.¡± She didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second. How could she swear on eternity? Hades placed his lips on her forehead for some time and replied, ¡°If you can honestly tell me how you got away from me, and who led you to the underworld.¡± ¡°If I do that, will you give me an answer?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m convinced¡­¡± ¡°It was Hekate,¡± she replied promptly. Hades frowned, wondering what she was talking about, and she whispered again, ¡°A playful goddess secretly guided me here, only me. I happened¡­ to find the door, and that¡¯s where it was¡­¡± Hades suddenly recalled a fact he had overlooked. On the day he first met Persephone and the day she disappeared, both times, the goddess with the twisted body appeared at night. And today as well. Ever since Nyx gave birth to Hekate, there has always been something curious about her nights. However, Hades had never thought deeply about her power, as the impact on the underworld was minimal and only excited the Titans of Tartaros. Chapter 38 - Forever And Ever Chapter 38 ¨C Forever and Ever In general, the essence of Hekate was close to the magic of darkness, and she was a symbol of disaster and sinister on earth, but underground, she was just a vulgar person who caused small problems. ¡°Door?¡± ¡°There was a cave near where I live, and I remembered that my favorite Narcissus flowers bloomed, so I went out to look for flowers at dawn. And then I followed her into the cave¡­ Every time, I see her only at night. I hoped I would see her every day¡­¡± Hades was able to draw a mental picture to a certain extent by organizing his thoughts thoroughly. One day, traces of the door that had been shut and erased were revealed in the goddess¡¯s tricks, and an immature girl crawled in through the gap. ¡°That¡¯s the honest truth, Hades.¡± Hades remained silent for a while, then asked, ¡°Did you really have to go in?¡± ¡°Did you not want me to?¡± ¡°Though I¡¯m not saying that. Weren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Persephone was lost in the eyes that looked clearly at her. Hades didn¡¯t know why he was so fascinated by just one nymph. However, he did not want to run away from the provocative question, so he nodded his head, leaving the uncomfortable feeling behind. ¡°If it¡¯s more comfortable to go in.¡± ¡°Could you look after me? Could you do that? Would you continue to love me like this? Will you forgive whatever I do and love me? No matter what anyone says?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What this nonsense?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to cheat when you swear on Styx River.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger if you don¡¯t recklessly wander around the underworld, but it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford to protect you. As long as you¡¯re in my zone, I will cherish¡ª¡± ¡°Are you saying you will love me?¡± ¡°That too; I can keep you safe.¡± ¡°With Styx as your witness?¡± ¡°With Styx as my witness.¡± Hades smiled as he said so. Forever and ever?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t promise forever. I¡¯m pleased enough now. This is great.¡± Her face was in full bloom. ¡°Instead, you can¡¯t look at other girls.¡± ¡°You really have your speculations. There¡¯s no time for me to even try.¡± ¡°I¡¯m mad.¡± A low laugh burst from Hades, then he rubbed his hand on Persephone¡¯s head, messing up her hair. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°We are now lovers.¡± Hades, who was about to laugh at her, realized that her words weren¡¯t different in meaning and once again fell into a strange mood. For the first time in his life, he didn¡¯t think it was strange to be called a lover. Actually, it was the first time for him. It seemed like at some point he ended up in a position just like Persephone had wanted. He suddenly got the chills. However, he felt rewarded by the girl for everything he could enjoy on earth. It was a type of comfort, and he couldn¡¯t deny that Eros, whom he despised, would be small in his snobby, flattering love. ¡°You say that you couldn¡¯t stay because it would worry your mother.¡± ¡°Do you want me no matter what?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me with eyes like that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Hades refrained from confessing his impulses when she said ¡®want me.¡¯ There was no need to hurry. She was now living as one of Phoibos¡¯ many free slaves, but someday, this girl will be perfectly in his arms. Since that¡¯s bound to happen, he decided not to be impatient, putting aside his thoughts and doubts for a while. A while later, Persephone, who was looking into Hades¡¯ face who fell fast asleep, slowly rose from the bed. It was a silent night. The time for Hekate to pass back through the horizon was approaching. Persephone got off the bed, looked back once, walked a few steps again, and looked back. She held back a grin as she opened the door of the side room to reveal Hades¡¯ weapons hanging on the wall. Hades woke up to an empty bedside. He even felt an unexpected feeling that Morpheus had visited because last night seemed to be a lie. However, there was still a sense of satisfaction that hadn¡¯t been there before, and he couldn¡¯t be as nervous or worried as the first time Persephone had disappeared. At some point, she will suddenly appear. That girl. She was as lovely as a gift from a strange night, all the way down to the discomfort that made him feel even more anxious that it didn¡¯t seem like she was completely his. Of course, he didn¡¯t truly believe that she was really his. He has already weighed in that she¡¯s not a nymph. No matter how much of a joke Hekate was, a nymph can¡¯t just skip her way out of Hades¡¯ territory ¡®I¡¯ll find out, little by little.¡¯ Hades said in his head. Since Persephone loved him, and he obviously longed for her, it didn¡¯t feel important now. Chapter 39 - Killing Death Chapter 39 ¨C Killing Death Hades, who leisurely put on his robe, felt an atmosphere different from normal and turned his head. Dead men were concentrated near the main gate of his palace. Now that he has stepped out, he could see that the swamp was spitting out what it had eaten, almost as if straight up vomiting. The swamp, which served as a scavenger who ate up anything, was no different from the palace guard dog. It devoured the souls of those who blindly hid here and, using them as nourishment, split their bodies and continued its life close to eternity. Just like a god. That¡¯s why it was unusual to see it spit up what it had eaten. Hades stared at the scene in front of him, wondering what on earth made it vomit like that, and soon found an unexpected answer. While throwing up a rotten cloak, bone fragments like those of an animal, pieces of ragged cloth and metal, a half-digested woman with half her flesh gone crawled out. Still alive. The roaring dead men huddled together and kneeled down. ¡°¡­.. raaauuuuggghhh¡­¡± Hades, without blinking, looked down at the scene of a living corpse wiggling around. Her melted hair was soaked in muddy water, making it difficult to distinguish it from the swamp floor, but it was obvious who it was. That woman who used to talk a million miles an hour couldn¡¯t say half a word now. The only sounds that were heard from the gap in her sliced throat were that of gargling and bubbles popping. The swamp couldn¡¯t break its habit of swallowing anything and devoured the goddess, but it was as if the swamp that was surprised by her was spitting out black goo. Hades stepped into the swamp, that came up to his feet, and squatted next to the mangled corpse. ¡°What the hell did you eat that made you suffer like this..?¡± Ceres, who in two days was found looking horrendous and grumbled, was scratching the ground with her skeleton fingers. She was the goddess of death and destruction; one of the few gods who could influence the underworld born by Nyx and Erebos, and was the gatekeeper of the entrance to Tartaros. ¡°I see that you¡¯re more concerned with your safety. How in the hell did you end up like this, Ceres?¡± Ceres shrugged her shoulders where white bones were exposed. She couldn¡¯t understand a thing about this situation. Simple. She was cut to shreds by a knife, then thrown in a man-eating swamp. There wasn¡¯t anyone around when she was initially attacked. However, she was alone but not alone. In the midst of all this, she was so confused about her entire body being torn up by a single sharp knife. Someone clearly had ill will toward her. There was only one conclusion she could come up with during the time she was being swallowed up in the swamp¡¯s belly. The cap of invisibility. It was a trick done by someone who wore the invisible helmet. But in the underworld, the only one who possessed that was Hades. However, Ceres could only suspect one person, because a tolerant owner wouldn¡¯t punish her for no reason. It was a near-instinct insight. A nymph, that little girl. As she was always in Hades¡¯ bed, she had access to his weapon closet; a creature capable of ill will. That bitch. ¡°Raaauuuughhhh¡­¡­ uuuuhhhhhggggg.¡± No audible words were coming from Ceres¡¯ throat. Hades looked down at her for a while, wondering what she wanted to say, and made a gesture to the dead men. ¡°Take her to the Styx River.¡± Ceres, using all of her strength, reached her skeleton hand out to Hades¡¯ ankle and grabbed it. She tried to write letters on the ground near the muddy swamp, but they were covered in mud before even a single letter was completed. And the writing finger snapped in half. Hades stopped and looked at Ceres who was groaning strangely. He quietly bent down to her and asked, ¡°What?¡± She managed to utter something¡­ ¡°The nymph, the nymph, the nymph, the nymph¡­. nymph¡­ nymph¡­¡± She gasped desperately as if reciting the name of her admiration. However, Hades had for some time listened to her breathing and moaning¡ªa noise she had sought to convey to the ears of the king of the underworld¡ªand only stood up frowning. It wasn¡¯t that Hades didn¡¯t understand what she had said. Even in such a hideous appearance, he happened to understand the sound of spitting out. He knew it was ¡®nymph¡¯. If it was the nymph who had her attention on him lately, then it was Niasas, and there was only one nymph that Ceres could refer to. Even a broken clock was right twice a day. Despite that, what he just noticed was that the correlation between Ceres foolishly falling in the swamp and the nymph didn¡¯t add up. For a brief moment, he recalled the voice of the girl from last night. -What if someone kills death? It may have been a coincidence, but the bleak mood made him frown. Very briefly. He didn¡¯t think she had the talent to make the goddess of death go away. Just give it some time and Ceres will naturally recover, so it wasn¡¯t a big problem to him. It wouldn¡¯t be too late to hear the whole story afterward. Now, he would have to wait for Persephone to come back to find the truth. * Chapter 40 - A Trickster’s Words Chapter 40 ¨C A Trickster¡¯s Words Hades savored her faint flow of energy into the underworld. He was already waiting for her, depressed, as he got busy dealing with the unwelcomed goddess of the ominous night. The word ¡®lovers¡¯ still clank around the inside of his head. He habitually pondered on the embarrassing word. Persephone went there by herself because she was worried that she might get cursed at again or go through dangerous obstacles on the Acheron River. It was even comical to Hades that she moved around so diligently. At this rate, who would deny the ¡®love¡¯ that she talked about? There were only a few dead men and Kharon on the foggy dock of the Acheron River. ¡°The king is taking a walk again?¡± Kharon looked at Hades, who frequently appeared on the Acheron River dock these days, and rolled his eyes. Hades, who was too annoyed to explain in detail, brought up the matter. ¡°Did that girl come through here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone again? That ragdoll, what in the world is¡ª¡± ¡°If she didn¡¯t, that¡¯s enough. Just take care of your work.¡± ¡°What is she doing?¡± ¡°Just¡­¡± Hades laughed out the answer and dragged an old tree stump onto the ferry and sat down. From the other side, he could see the dead men walking in twos and threes. His eyes wandering around the fate of the unfamiliar underworld were full of fear. He rubbed his chin, gave a slick look at them, and made a gesture to Kharon. The dead men all boarded, and Kharon¡¯s boat sailed off until it disappeared. Hades was left to himself. But he didn¡¯t feel that lonely rather he became very angsty, waiting for her arrival. There will be a reason because he didn¡¯t know what kind of life she led outside the underworld, and she didn¡¯t say she would come by on this day, so it was okay to let it go, but he didn¡¯t feel like he could. Hades told Kharon to let him know if she came without any coins; he left three coins with him just in case, and now it¡¯s been three days since. Standing in the Styx River, Hades stared at Ceres who was submerged in the water. Ceres was a goddess, and Persephone was just a lost nymph. He never thought that a nymph could do something like this to a goddess. There was no rhyme or reason for her behavior. Most of all, she took the goddess Styx as her witness and swore love, and as expected, Hades also believed her without question. But the question of how she could love him only made the hole in his heart grow bigger. ¡®Why hasn¡¯t she come?¡¯ * The fact that Hades was waiting for Hekate¡¯s night, which disturbed the underworld, was absurd. It was only after a few days that he devoted himself to the ups and downs and worries of emotions. One day, when Hades faced Sisyphos, who was waiting for Radamantis¡¯ trial, something bizarre happened¡­ Trapped in a cage, Sisyphos was squatting like a hobo in the slums. It was hilarious to see his confident eyes as if he hadn¡¯t yet escaped the glory of the moments when he was the king himself. Any self-conscious being had a little affection and expectation for themselves, and when they were frustrated, they inevitably felt despair, but the man seemed to know no frustration. No different from the day he was dragged in. There was no other reason why Hades became interested in Sisyphos again. ¡°I know something that you would like to hear, sir. It¡¯s about that girl!¡± Sisyphos caught his attention. Hades didn¡¯t intend to listen to a man of many small tricks but couldn¡¯t help but wonder since it was about ¡®her¡¯. Soon there would be a trial for him. He didn¡¯t forget that he was a human being who must have had his head filled with all kinds of schemes to survive, so it was a possibility that had to be filtered out in moderation. ¡°People have told me the truth from long ago. Even if it¡¯s not the full truth, I looked into such information. Oh, Delphos eyes aren¡¯t what you think. He had different goals in many ways to be indebted to Phoibos, so he was quite popular and had good eyesight. But despite that, I didn¡¯t know I would become famous down here in the underworld. I feel like I¡¯m being recognized as someone equivalent to that of a great person.¡± ¡°So what do you want to say?¡± ¡°Please listen. That girl coming to see you, who is she, sir?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Your so-called lover, sir.¡± The mention of ¡®that girl¡¯ from Sisyphos¡¯ lips made Hades lose his ability to speak. Instead, Sisyphos, who smiled thickly, laughed deftly and continued. ¡°You know who I mean, right? I leaned my ear closer and just listened to what they were saying, and they were talking about¡­ Can¡¯t I wait to see if the person on surveillance is going to slap me up and down with their hand? At least when I, the king of Corinth, am ready to serve¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what my father did. The dignity of a species is determined by the glory of the master.¡± Hades was highly suspicious of Sisyphos¡¯ plan. He couldn¡¯t figure out when the girl could have met Sisyphos; there was no reason. And even so, he couldn¡¯t believe what was said from the mouth of a man who was talking out of his ass. However, his not responding was attributed to the fact that few people knew the relationship between him and the girl. There was no reason to dismiss the dead men as ¡®existing¡¯ because they were souls left with no self-consciousness, so only a few people came to mind. But he didn¡¯t think they would tell Sisyphos about him. Then how exactly did this guy know Hades? How did he know the girl¡¯s existence? How did he know Hades was involved with her? And how could he be so determined to choose such a negative word that caused delusion? Hades¡¯ thoughts were blank, like a large hole carved in the middle of a thick book. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about or what you¡¯re planning to do, but one thing is for sure. You¡¯re trying to trick me.¡± Chapter 41 - Because Of Love Chapter 41 ¨C Because of Love ¡°I don¡¯t care if you say you can¡¯t trust me because you have your doubts about me, but didn¡¯t your precious girl disappear?¡± Sisyphos spoke vaguely while looking at Hades with pity. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°I think otherwise. She¡¯s gone.¡± For the first time, strangeness rose over Sisyphos¡¯ face. However, he soon wiped his face clean like a skilled merchant when Hades had nothing to say. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m glad she¡¯s gone. That girl, ¡®the one¡¯ who made a fool out of you.¡± ¡°Made a fool out of me?¡± After having his teeth clenched for a while, Hades burst out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time, I see. If it¡¯s true that she came, then tell me what she said.¡± ¡°Then, in return, one time, just once can you go up and speak to my wife? I feel rage just thinking about my wife who couldn¡¯t even give her husband a proper funeral.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be the end of it.¡± As soon as Sisyphos¡¯ inner thoughts became clearer, Hades sternly turned away from feeling the need to hear more. And the smiling Sisyphos threw away his relaxed attitude and clung to the cage bars. ¡°Hades! Hades, sir, you¡¯ll regret your decision if you walk away like this. You have to know how she played a trick on¡ªWait¡­ Shouldn¡¯t you keep your self-pride? You have a reputation, sir. If you do that, everyone will laugh at you.¡± Hades¡¯ walk back to the palace was as slow as flowing molasses but constant as if belittling laziness. His only response to Sisyphos had been to ignore him. It had been revealed in detail that Sisyphos was just trying to avoid the judge¡¯s blade that was approaching him. So why should Hades listen to him? He marveled at the situation for a short moment. The bastard who read the embarrassment and confusion that occurred deep inside Hades wasn¡¯t just a mere mortal. Such distribution would have been the power of Sisyphos to bully the gods. But even now, Hades couldn¡¯t say he didn¡¯t listen to him. He couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that some things were shaken, one or two at a time. Why did she love him for herself? This was why he once felt a sense of incompatibility with concentrated affection, which was hard to explain by saying ¡®fate¡¯. The more days went by that he couldn¡¯t meet her, the more his doubts intensified. As soon as he reached the bedroom, a cold gust of air rushed to him and hugged him. The thoughts were deep enough to reach the floor, almost reaching Ceres¡¯ words. Even though she had repeatedly said that it was nonsense and that Hades was just swayed by human mischief, he couldn¡¯t easily shake it off. If he hadn¡¯t confirmed it from her, it wasn¡¯t a doubt that would disappear if he let it go. Something suddenly pulled on Hades¡¯ heel. He walked across the quiet bedroom and opened the door to a side room that hadn¡¯t been used for a while. The inside was dark, but darkness was no match for the ruler¡¯s eyes. Hades¡¯ mystic eyes slowly scanned around, then stopped at a familiar spot. It was a nest of old things that didn¡¯t really feel special. The armor that protected him in the fight against the Titans, the sword that cut the ankles of countless giants, and the spear that pierced their necks were triumphantly hung there. Everything was in its proper place. Everything except for just one thing, the most priceless treasure in all the underworld: the cap of invisibility. Hades never doubted that the girl was in love with him. Just like her love for him was the only reason for coming to the underworld, she never made any demands, nor did she ever show any other desires. The only thing she wanted was him, and therefore felt the need to eradicate Ceres the death. Her jealousy revealed her true colors in moments that were hard to understand even for Hades, and even he considered them affectionate. That trust was the same now¡­ That¡¯s why she swore on Styx. Because of ¡®love¡¯. Even the gods of the earth used to use it for their convenience, but the oath to the Styx River was a leader of the only truth that was so meaningful and effective that it was natural to provide its convenience. No one could look sideways at the weight of oath and Styx in one sentence and doubt the meaning. This was the truth that all the strange things that happened on goddess Hekate¡¯s night were ¡®because it¡¯s her night¡¯ and that many people¡¯s faiths were gained and the truth was ungrateful. No one knew as much about their weight as those in the underworld. No one can swear a lie. The proposition states that if there¡¯s a lie, the immortal¡¯s existence falls to Tartaros, or, depending on its gravity, the martyr¡¯s existence also falls to an inescapable hell. Nevertheless, it was inevitable that Ceres¡¯ sincerity and Sisyphos¡¯ mockery, which couldn¡¯t be true, were in his head. Chapter 42 - Revelation (1) Chapter 42 ¨C Revelation (1) Hades called the dead servants and asked them if the cap of invisibility had been moved to somewhere else, but everyone shook their heads. After that, the first thing Hades did was meet Kharon, the one who the girl ran into the most. She tried to cross the Acheron River even before she knew who Hades was, a past that could no longer be overlooked. Could it be that she only made a big fuss wanting to cross the Acheron River? Whether or not she simply wanted to see the underworld, suspicions about her were raised. What he did after that was an investigation on Niasis. All he did was wait for her without any doubts, it was his own problem to neglect what should have been preceded. However, three days after sending a message up to the ground, a message returned to the underworld. -No one knows where the nymph girl Niasis is. That was impossible. After a night of chaos, a second night of embarrassment, and a third night of anxiety, he sat on the throne again. The door opened. Creak. The head of a crane was caught between the crack in the door. This was shortly after the dead servants had left. A two-headed snake design on the cane was seen by the door. It was always more eager to present itself more than its owner, so the mystery of its owner used to be unknown. It wasn¡¯t long before a young man pushed in the door and entered. ¡°Is there a final ruling for that one guy?¡± Hermes had never crossed the Acheron River after leading Sisyphos back to the underworld, so it had been a while since he has seen Hades. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s taking so long?¡± Zeus hoped that as soon as Sisyphos was captured, he would be thrown into Tartarus without delay. However, Hades said against Zeus¡¯s will that whatever punishment should be taken was the jurisdiction of the underworld. It wasn¡¯t a small assessment of Sisyphos¡¯ sin, but because it was the definition of the land of the dead. A court-appointed trial was indispensable. He had made his deputy, Hermes, blush. That day. ¡°The judgment will proceed according to the sequence and procedures.¡± The day she last disappeared. Hermes yawned loudly and asked, ¡°You look very upset today¡­ If it¡¯s not business about that guy, I think I have something else to do, so what is going on, sir?¡± ¡°Hermes, you are the only earth messenger I trust and you are more diligent and capable than any god.¡± ¡°A bit much, but thank you for your kind words, sir. But we can¡¯t mess this up. We must not mess this up.¡± Hermes, who quickly noticed that Hades would ask for a difficult favor, pretended to shake his finger. However, Hades immediately brought up the matter because he didn¡¯t want to play along with his jokes. ¡°I¡¯m looking for some nymph¡­ And I think you¡¯re the right person to help me.¡± ¡°A nymph? Has one of your servants escaped, sir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a live one. That nymph girl, wherever she may be, I want to check where she is from. I¡¯m not even sure if she¡¯s really a nymph.¡± Suspicion arose on Hermes¡¯ face, who listened carefully as Hades spoke in a flattering manner. ¡°You don¡¯t plan on investigating a kidnapping or something like that, right, sir?¡± Hermes threw his cane down when he heard that. One time he insisted on letting Zeus, who was closest to him, use him when he kidnapped a girl, and sometimes it was quite difficult to use him as a shield to avoid Hera¡¯s eyes. ¡°The first thing is to find her.¡± ¡°What about your¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask about details, just go find her. A nymph named Niasis. If you know where on earth she is¡ª¡± Hermes, who turned away as if he was fed up with just imagining it, suddenly recalled a fact while still engraving the name Niasis in his brain. About a girl from a while back who made a fuss about how she was a nymph and wanted to find Hades. It wasn¡¯t something that popped in his head just now but rather something he had been thinking of for quite a while and just forgot about. The girl he let cross the river, like it wasn¡¯t a big deal, a few days ago. No matter how much he thought about it, she looked familiar. For him, who was proud of his own eyesight, it wasn¡¯t right to dwell on memories that induced subtle, complicated feelings in his mind. For thieves, distraction was their most attentive vice. That¡¯s why it came to his mind after several days of contemplation, the fact that he has seen her before. Hermes blinked his good-hearted eyes and lifted the bottom end of his cane. ¡°Oh, right. I had something to ask. How in the world does Demeter¡¯s daughter know you, sir? Were you two close?¡± Hermes had his conviction. Although he had never spoken to her, heard her voice once chatting with the nymphs over a wall, and only glanced at her face once or twice, he was certain that it was Demeter¡¯s daughter. One can¡¯t mistake a thief¡¯s keen eyes. But today, Hades, who openly welcomed women, looked at him with strange eyes as if he had never heard of Persephone before. ¡°Why are you looking like that, sir?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Why does it matter whose daughter that is?¡± ¡°The girl who came all this way looking for you that day. She is Demeter¡¯s daughter. Don¡¯t you know?¡± Chapter 43 - Revelation (2) Chapter 43 ¨C Revelation (2) ¡°That day?¡± Hades¡¯ face slowly stiffened. Hermes, who had thoughtlessly blurted it out, felt a belated awkwardness and blinked. Hermes couldn¡¯t tell whether Hades was deliberately making excuses or if he really didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. If it were the former, it wasn¡¯t worth the headache, but then he wondered what would happen if it were the latter. For years, Demeter cared for her daughter and kept her hidden on a secret island that no one could reach. The fact that the goddess of that place, where only Hermes and Notos could pass to and from, entered the underworld wasn¡¯t a good look. However, Hermes usually gave up to care enough for trivial circumstances that he didn¡¯t know, so he stopped worrying over it. Hermes, who tapped the back of his neck with his cane head, tilted his head slightly. ¡°It was Persephone. That girl.¡± Hades clenched his jaw. * Hades, again, looked Sisyphos in the eyes. Sisyphos was smiling with torn lips like he had been given a second chance, and Hades was silent because of the arrogance that fumed off of him. Sisyphus said in a very excited voice, ¡°If I tell you, sir, will you send me back up to my wife? Even for just one day?¡± ¡°The truth will come back and bite you in the ass.¡± ¡°Swear to the Styx River, sir.¡± The oath to the Styx River, the emotion it evokes, wasn¡¯t awe but contempt and anger as the ruler of the faithful underworld. ¡°Because a human placed in front of a god doesn¡¯t have any respect or humility. You scoundrel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what my father used to call me. My strength is choosing wisely at any time without forgetting where I am. On top of that, my destiny is so amazing that no king from any kingdom will be able to touch it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If otherwise, would I have gotten a chance to look this good in front of the underworld¡¯s king like this now?¡± A human who dared disrespect the Styx River with such a foul mouth was totally unacceptable. How dare the little bug of a man. Anger from a deep pit reminded Hades of another oath. ¡°I do love you. I have no choice but to. I knew that from the first day we met. I swear.¡± -Walk to that river. -Forever, with Styx as my witness. A super easy oath. She didn¡¯t hesitate for a second, so it had to be true; it was a whisper of affection that wouldn¡¯t make sense to doubt its truth. The sensation of her fingers tapping on Hades¡¯ chest was already nowhere to be found, so it was only blurred like a faint memory. -No matter what happens, you will love me and swear, with Styx as your witness, that you will never betray me. -Will you forgive whatever I do? In retrospect, there was a reason for the requests on that day: her gestures, words, and everything else seemed to be filled with affection. Oh, how heavy that oath was. She must have tried everything in her power. Hades¡¯ oath was now in shackles. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to let me live. I just want to slap my wife¡¯s butt, who couldn¡¯t give me a proper funeral after my death. After that, I¡¯ll willingly return here, sir. Hermes, I like Hermes quite a lot, and he enjoyed running around with me, so why don¡¯t you put him on lookout duty? Merope, she¡¯s gonna be eating up my kingdom. I¡¯m sure of that. So please, Hades. Sir, I have regretted all my faults.¡± The three tongues between Sisyphos¡¯ thin lips were like slithering snakes. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do that. Speak up, now.¡± ¡°This is what I¡¯m saying, sir. What happened that day was¡­¡± Sisyphus recited the full story of that day without stopping to breathe as if he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of not telling it. His tone was exaggerated and seemed to be more blatantly inflated, making it less realistic. Hades just quietly stared at him until the end of the bogus story that seeped into his lungs like a thick fog. It wasn¡¯t long before Sisyphos¡¯ tongue got twisted. ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s all true, sir.¡± Hades stood up and turned around. Everything became clear now: From how a nymph was able to leave Hades¡¯ realm without permission to how she could love him so blindly. He trusted women, and only after he trusted them did he reflect on why he did so easily. It was his blindfolded heart. He felt an unworldly confusion, betrayal, and deceit. He couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the tongue of a human or the tongue of a goddess that shattered him to pieces now. Loving one of Nyx¡¯s children, the god of lies in Greek mythology, couldn¡¯t have been so miserable. * Chapter 44 - Strange Behavior Chapter 44 ¨C Strange Behavior Niasis¡¯ opened eyes fell upon the little goddess leaning against the window in the room. She had been trying to figure out the reason for her behavior, who seemed to be out of her mind for the past few days, but she also was discouraged because it was in vain. ¡®What in the world is wrong with her?¡¯ She stayed locked up in her room all during the day and didn¡¯t move, but at night she avoided the nymphs and went outside. No one could guess why she behaved in such a way. ¡°Kore, isn¡¯t she a bit strange these days?¡± Aratusa, who held the herbs that had been scattered in the room, replied, ¡°Strange? She has seemed well-mannered to me.¡± ¡°I think she went out again last night.¡± ¡°Demeter hasn¡¯t scolded her enough. But what should we do about her? We ought to be thankful that there haven¡¯t been any mishaps. It¡¯s not like we can lock her up so she can¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Niasis couldn¡¯t help but agree with Aratusa. The servants¡¯ roles were limited as they weren¡¯t allowed to force their masters to do anything. But at that time, Keane¡¯s voice abruptly butted in. ¡°I saw her.¡± Niasis and Aratusa turned around simultaneously. Keane had a very dark face, but she seemed to be shriveled by the concern that Persephone would hear her voice. Niasis and Aratusa tried to follow Persephone a couple of times but strangely, completely lost her in the process. ¡°Where is it that she keeps going off to?¡± ¡°Though I¡¯m not entirely sure of it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re gonna talk like that, then why did you butt in? Keane!¡± ¡°She disappeared off toward the coastal cliff.¡± Persephone usually liked to stand on the cliff and stare off in the distance, so it didn¡¯t seem too farfetched. Aratusa burst out laughing and sarcastically mocked her. ¡°If she jumps off, so what.¡± ¡°Aratusa!! How could you say such a thing?¡± Niasis waved her hand in between the two when Keane frowned at Aratusa. However, Aratusa raised her eyes as if she were frustrated. ¡°Kore was the first one to change ¡®like that¡¯. She ignores us and treats us like nothing, so what if I say a few jokes about her when she isn¡¯t around?¡± ¡°You do that because you¡¯re frustrated.¡± ¡°What about us? We¡¯re tied up on this island because of Kore. You think she¡¯s the only one who¡¯s frustrated?¡± With a single sharp stroke from Aratusa, Keane¡¯s lips closed shut. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t understand the feelings of her fellow nymphs, but obedience to the master of service always deserved to be in a greater position. ¡°But still, she¡¯s feeling better these days.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s not doing that ¡®certain thing¡¯. She doesn¡¯t seem all that well. Rather, she has become more suspicious. That¡¯s what Niasis is worried about.¡± When Demeter is on the island, Persephone was a good-hearted goddess, but that wasn¡¯t all of her. Would it have been a problem if she violated Demeter¡¯s orders and left the grains unattended? Persephone didn¡¯t hesitate to embarrass the nymphs, for example, by killing some of the already-rare island animals or destroying birds¡¯ nests. However, they didn¡¯t tell on her to Demeter because she always cried over it and said it was a mistake, and the nymphs also hoped it really was a mistake. Niasis said in a low voice, ¡°You two, stop arguing.¡± ¡°The way she¡¯s talking makes it sound like we¡¯re the ones who did something wrong.¡± ¡°Aratusa, there¡¯s no point in arguing meaninglessly between us. How about each of us one by one keep a night watch on Kore to see what she¡¯s doing?¡± Keane and Aratusa looked at each other, pondering on Niasis¡¯ suggestion. Rather than arguing amongst themselves, they should be trying to find out what has been distracting Persephone lately. However, they didn¡¯t want to give the impression that they were watching Persephone¡¯s nightly outings, so their answers were stirred. Aratusa was the first up to bat. ¡°Keane, I agree. How about you? It¡¯s our duty to be concerned over Kore. Isn¡¯t it the same thing as not wanting to be scolded by Demeter, like last time?¡± Keane suppressed the annoyed feeling boiling inside her and balled her fists. From that day, the nymphs all agreed to keep an eye out at night, one person at a time. * ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed now.¡± ¡°Sleep tight, Kore.¡± Click. Persephone closed and locked the door. After not being able to see Hekate¡¯s night for the third night in a row, she had stopped visiting the cave every night and had been resting for the past few days. The nymphs now watched her with thoughts of hiding their intentions. A nymph who was awake somewhere nearby every night did that even when Persephone wasn¡¯t under surveillance. His gorgeous face couldn¡¯t help but cross her mind. She tricked him, hence, she could no longer allow herself to visit him. Chapter 45 - A Trail Of Narcissuses (1) Chapter 45 ¨C A Trail of Narcissuses (1) But the nymph¡¯s surveillance wasn¡¯t the reason for Persephone locking herself up in the house. In fact, that was the least of her worries. Let alone unimportant, but it was pointless. She was now in possession of the cap of invisibility, and if she wanted, she could slither herself outside at any time. Persephone overheard the nymphs¡¯ movements for some time by leaning her ear on the door and smiled softly at the sound of Aretusa and Naiads entering the room. ¡®I guess tonight is Aretusa¡¯s night.¡¯ Shortly after, she opened up the secret box hidden under her bed. It was a kind of treasure box that she has been using since her childhood for presents she received from Demeter, like a still-living corolla flower, a flower ring, a whistle, a shell, etc. When she stuck her hand inside to feel around the random items, she felt the cap of invisibility grace her hand and she lifted it out. An unbreakable smile spread across her entire face. ¡®Hades¡­¡¯ How much did Hades know by now? The thought alone made her anxious. However, as well as the Ceres situation, she was somewhat convinced by Sisyphos¡¯ advice, so she would be satisfied with it for the time being. Persephone could hide anywhere at any time if she held onto the invisible helmet. She can possibly also go as far as to secretly leaving the island without the nymphs knowing! Oh my, what a dream came true! Of course, her wishes were big. And it was a long list. She¡¯d been locked in this island all her life, there was a lot of things in life that she missed. Now, no one could stop her from experiencing those¡­ Persephone, after kissing the cold metal helmet, placed it back into the box again. With all the struggle in sneaking in and out of the cave to visit the underworld, all ten of her fingertips were torn and cut, she planned to stick around for a few days and behave well like the nymphs hoped she would. She was about to fall into a deep sleep at Hypnos¡¯ hand gesture. It was a night when thousands of Nyx¡¯s eyes were flickering over the horizon. Persephone, who opened her eyes with a sudden chill, looked out the window. Night shadows hovered over the forest. It was silent outside of the locked door. No matter the degree of the nymphs¡¯ stakeout, getting out was easy. A small worry crossed her mind. But it was only for a split second and her cloak was within a hand¡¯s reach. Persephone slid underneath the bed and carefully pulled ¡®that thing¡¯ out from inside. And stealthily escaped out the back door. She didn¡¯t even feel the presence of a single nymph. The forest at night had an unfamiliarity that seemed to be lurking all around, unlike the day. Looking at the narrow path engulfed in the bleak air, she got caught up in the vague feeling of looking down a road she had never walked in her life. That was especially so today. A bizarre premonition lifted the nerves all over her body¡­ She lifted the lamp and looked around. The fallen leaves and the shadows of the branches made it look like the trees were rushing at her with their mouths wide open. The usual sound of waves coming from the distance sounded as if it was sneering at her. She opened the fence in the front yard. Then noticed a yellow Narcissus lying in the sticky darkness. ¡®A Narcissus?¡¯ Narcissuses weren¡¯t a common blooming species on the island, but a rare flower that could be seen very occasionally when seeds that were tired of flying in the arms of Notus and Boreas took root. Why would it be here? *T/N: Notus and Boreas are two of the Greek Gods of the wind. Her favorite flowers. Just how lucky could she be? A faint smile fell on Persephone¡¯s lips, who lifted the flower and smelled it. This made her heart feel at ease. She then discovered another one not too far from where she stood and approached it. When she picked up the second one, the situation felt a bit peculiar. And another flower, another one, another¡­ ¡®¡­ What is going on?¡¯ Persephone, who had been following about six or seven wilted Narcissuses in a beautiful embrace, had already reached a secret vacant lot inside the forest that was off the main path. She bent down and picked up the last Narcissus. Rustles. Her yellow eyes went wide as she went into a state of alert. Persephone stood rather calmly and looked around. But in all directions was the forest trees with thin branches and leaves. Her throat went dry, and her heart was racing. Then she carefully screamed out, ¡°¡­ Naiads? Cyane? Or Aretusa? Are you following me?¡± All she heard in return were the screams of the wind breezing through the forest. But there was ¡®clearly¡¯ someone else there. Persephone, who was about to throw down the bunch of Narcissuss and run out to the main path, was caught by a hand that had reached out at some point. The grip was harder than any other branch and hurt like being caught in an animal¡¯s jaw. She screamed, but her scream, it never left her mouth¡­ Chapter 46 - A Trail Of Narcissuses (2) | 19 Chapter 46 ¨C A Trail of Narcissuses (2) | 19 Clink, clank. And she could hear the cap rolling across the grasses and stones. Her mouth was shut, and her eyes were instantly covered. It only took a few seconds for ¡®the invisible goddess¡¯ to become ¡®the goddess who can¡¯t see¡¯. The hand, clasped onto her chin and covering her mouth, belonged to a man, she realized. Persephone did not know how to deal with this strange situation as she had never experienced it before. She began to move vigorously to free herself but it was too late. ¡°Ugh, arghh!¡± However, it wasn¡¯t even loud enough. This was the most secret and safe place on earth that Demeter, her mother, had achieved. It should have been. Living for several decades on this island, she had never seen a ship of humans passing by, and very occasionally, only the gods who ride the wind like a sleigh would pass by. It was an island with no entrance nor exit. She tried pushing with her feet, shook her head to somehow free herself from the cloth that covered her eyes, but the hands that tied the cloth were too strong. ¡°Who, who the¡­!!¡± Then she felt the man¡¯s hand grab her hair. ¡°Ahh! Ahhhh! Stop it!¡± Persephone, whose head was forced back, felt the teeth of a man nibbling on her neck, then her body stiffened up. Her mother¡¯s voice passed by in her head. -The world outside the island is not full of great adventures, faith, and happiness like your imagination¡­ A day doesn¡¯t go by without warmongers who are swept away by Ares¡¯ trickery fight, and those like Zeus are scattered all over the earth and will make you frown¡­ When I think of him, I see goosebumps all over my body¡­. How can I send you out to such a world knowing that you, my daughter, would suffer? As if mocking her puny attempt to turn over her body somehow, strong arms pulled her waist towards him. -During the day the island is completely yours, and at night¡­ it¡¯s like the inside of a sneaky, cunning liar¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hush,¡± The first thing the ¡®man¡¯ has said was an order. ¡°Demeter hid you away so well¡­I had a lot of trouble finding you.¡± Persephone¡¯s cloak was removed as if it had been ripped off. And her shoulders shivered mercilessly as a cold spell hit her. The man¡¯s chest was up against hers, and in an instant, the hem of her robe was lifted to her belly. Right then, she could recognize his voice. ¡°Persephone, Persephone.¡± The way he called her name. The way his tongue slid up her neck. ¡°Why are you acting so afraid? Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t scared?¡± And the way he mocked her. She knew all of it. She got goosebumps all over her body. The fear that she was taken captive, unable to see anything while disappearing without a trace, and for a reason different from before, her heart began pounding. ¡®He has found me.¡¯ The lips of the man in anger touched the back of her ear. As soon as the hot breath brushed it, Persephone became rigid. His hot tongue clung to her earlobe. ¡®He has come all this way.¡¯ The thing between the man¡¯s legs was creeping up between Persephone¡¯s thighs. He was clearly turned on, and it wasn¡¯t anger, and Persephone shuddered as much as his weight pressed onto her. ¡°In the meantime, did you have fun?¡± At that moment, the man¡¯s hot thing came rushing in between Persephone¡¯s shrunken legs. The pain of her rigid flesh being forced to spread open gave an indescribable pain. ¡°Oh¡­ ah!¡± ¡°You had fun?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah! Ow¡­¡± Persephone breathed in and closed her eyes tightly. Every time her waist moved up, an uncontrollable moan broke out. The man held her jaw open as he thrust in and out. ¡°¡­ You had fun deceiving me?¡± ¡°Hades¡­ Oh, w-were, y-y-you looking for m-me?¡± It was indeed Hades, king of the underworld¡ªThe lovely girl¡¯s death. ¡®In the end, you found me.¡¯ For Hades, darkness was like a second shadow. The night view had no misgivings. However, she expected him to have a hard time finding her because she had his helmet. The cap of invisibility was unseen even by Titans¡¯ eyes and a perfect weapon that made Phoibos¡¯ eyes, which penetrate all truths, steer away. If one were to run away with it on, they¡¯d never ever ever get caught. As Hades watched yellow Narcissuses disappear into the dark, he was able to catch the cunning girl. Persephone was caught red-handed. Hades couldn¡¯t understand. If the only thing she wanted from the beginning was to steal the treasure of the underworld, why did she swear under the pretext of love? Why hasn¡¯t she fallen to Tartaros yet? And why can¡¯t he shake the illusion that her love is real? Hades held tight against Persephone¡¯s slender waist, so she couldn¡¯t escape, and lifted her buttocks. ¡°Oww! It hurts, it hurts. Ah!¡± She complained as her folds met his raging manhood roughly. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it like that? When it hurts. Was that also one of your lies?¡± Chapter 47 - Deceived Chapter 47 ¨C Deceived Her endless moaning and her hand that couldn¡¯t find anything to grab shook like the forest¡¯s tree branches. The more she did, the more Hades lost his mind. At this moment, the thing he couldn¡¯t stand most was himself. The girl didn¡¯t love him, but from the moment he knew that, he seemed to be losing reason. He couldn¡¯t allow her to deceive him and run away from him, from he who became a mess like his insides had been torn apart. While roaming around above ground, determined to find Demeter¡¯s island, he suffered more anger day by day. I was deceived, he thought. Whose fault was it that I was just a puppet in the young goddess¡¯ hands, he thought. If he could get over that, that would be enough. However, that was impossible. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find you? You really believed that? Did you believe that Demeter¡¯s protection was that great? Huh?¡± The perfect mockery. -That¡¯s Demeter¡¯s daughter. Didn¡¯t you know that since you two are close? I wasn¡¯t sure at first, but I definitely saw it. You didn¡¯t hear the story about the virgin daughter that Demeter madly cherished so much that she trapped her on an island. Hermes¡¯ words rang in his ears¡­ Hades didn¡¯t forget Persephone¡¯s words when she introduced herself to him. -My mother is concerned about me because she loves me too much. My mother called me Kore because she wanted me to be Kore forever, and the other nymphs who heard her call me that, so it became a nickname. ¡®It all made sense¡­¡¯ ¡°It was your biggest mistake to confess to believing a human being.¡± He said, referring on the cunning Sisyphos, whom Persephone once confided to. Sisyphos was a trickster, however, when he mentioned Persephone to Hades, the lord of the underworld believed him. Hades then chose to take on the problems of Zeus and Sisyphos, whom he had never expected would become important to him. He said he would show mercy to the human who deceived death. -¡°I¡¯ve been wondering sir. That is, which goddess has offended you? I see, sir, you¡¯re afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be forgiven by you for doing something. She said she was almost done, but something went wrong, and she wanted something from the beginning, so she stayed by your side¡­¡± Sisyphos had said. -¡°How, how dare you undermine my authority and¡­¡± Everything pointed to Persephone¡¯s dishonesty. She was even crueler than Sisyphos. She had even squeezed the oath from Hades on the premise of ¡®no matter what I would do, you must forgive me¡¯. Whether or not this feeling of care, love, and betrayal was an obsession with vows, Hades has lost himself. He lost his former calm and impassiveness¡­ The ire he felt now was a proof to this. It was difficult to judge whether Hades was working himself up right now, or if he was caught up in a tornado of anger. He wasn¡¯t even this riled up in the Vale of Tempe, which was the fiercest battle with the Titans. ¡°Oh, Hades! Ohh!¡± ¡°You like it when it hurts, huh? I can feel you getting wet already.¡± Her rebellious behavior was no more. Persephone welcomed him, accepting his flesh inside of her. With Hades¡¯ penis pumping deeply in and out of her, she grazed its sticky shaft with her fingers. The sensitivity made her head spin. ¡°Girl, who do you think you are?¡± Now she wasn¡¯t the girl who called herself ¡®Niasis¡¯. Hermes had said that she was the daughter of Demeter, but Hades didn¡¯t know her. He just felt that only the girl who hid everything from him remained in his heart, still bound by the oath. Persephone. That¡¯s what her real name was. He didn¡¯t care one bit that she was Demeter¡¯s daughter nor that she was still living her life on earth. ¡°You really thought that Demeter could hide you from me forever?¡± It was like a byproduct of life to be someone¡¯s god, someone¡¯s friend, someone¡¯s child. The same went for the issue of being involved with a girl who lived above ground. She had already deceived him, and Hades didn¡¯t feel that he had a reason to respect her life anymore. It was her who laid her hands on the invisible helmet and caused the situation with Ceres. It was sinister how someone with a gentle, soft face could do such a thing, but it was indeed her. It wouldn¡¯t have been a coincidence to get an oath on the Styx River from her on that same day. As Sisyphus had said, it was to avoid getting into trouble. The price of sin against someone who deceits death¡ªfor she has already made an oath¡ªwill be kept secret forever. Chapter 48 - The Cave By The Cliff (1) | 19 Chapter 48 ¨C The Cave by the Cliff (1) | 19 Just like that she seduced him with her whole body and pushed him under the illusion of love. ¡°Kore¡ª¡± He had waited three nights when she didn¡¯t go looking for him, longing to be n@ked with her to caress his shameful heart. Waiting for her to come back and put him to sleep¡­ What drove him crazier now more than anything else was that he still thought of her oath and consoled himself that her love for him couldn¡¯t be fake. If she made the oath without really loving him, she may have lost her immortality or already fell into Tartaros. Hades hugged Persephone¡¯s body tightly and thrust his hips. The heat-induced connection took away her sanity. She begged and wept while struggling with his heavy body. ¡°H-h-hand, ah! Your hand¡­ Loosen it up, Hades! Please loosen it. Take off¡­ oh yes¡­ the blindfold! Hades!¡± ¡°You were the one who said that it felt better when you can¡¯t see anything. You feel it now? Oh, how much¡­¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going crazy¡­¡± Hades roughly rubbed his lips against her pampered lips. And Persephone¡¯s body gyrated like he was about to tear her in half. He pushed his tongue in and rubbed and licked the tongue that had deceived him. Persephone¡¯s breathing reached a high point, and she barely escaped suffocation. As soon as Hades pulled and bit her lips tightly, the vag!nal walls, which were tightening his genitals, contracted as if twitching. Hades, who laughed devilishly and raised his teeth to bite Persephone¡¯s lips, calmly slowed down his waist movement and whispered, ¡°You like it when I bite like that¡ª¡± ¡°Oh! Ah!¡± ¡°Would it be a crime if I don¡¯t make it hurt?¡± Persephone shook her head, moving up and down on Hades¡¯ chest. ¡°Ahhh, ohh, Hades. Yes, oh yes!¡± ¡°If your ulterior motive was to steal my thing and run away with it, then you shouldn¡¯t have made that irrevocable oath.¡± ¡°You misunderstood, Hades, that¡¯s¡­ Ah! I did¡­ oh!¡± ¡°No other woman has made me this angry, you¡¯re a real piece of work. I look down on people like you.¡± Hades bent his waist and pushed deeper inside her, and Persephone buried her forehead in his neck. ¡°W-w-while I was go-g-gone, did you do this to an-an-another girl? Did y-you?¡± Hades stopped for a moment to stare at her. As the silence grew longer, Persephone drew her teeth and bit his neck. The sharp pain from her tight jaw traveled all the way down to Hades¡¯ hips. ¡°If you did, you really hurt me, Hades.¡± It was a truly bizarre deception. ¡°So what if I did?¡± ¡°If you did¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna find her, ahhh, and kill her¡­.¡± She was likely to say this even after having putting Phoibos in front of her and standing naked before the eyes of truth. Hades didn¡¯t know if he should believe her or not from now on. He no longer had a choice. At the moment when he couldn¡¯t forgive her, he was overwhelmed by her pathetic cry of hope that her oath was sincere. Did she really love me? How long will he move his hips like a beast and embrace her again and again? Splat, splat. Hades put his arms around Persephone and moved his hips, then slowly raised his head. A naked woman and the man ravaging her are in the forest that couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± * The brown eyes lurking in fear lost their gloss in the dark forest. Cyane was on night watch tonight, her mind was on none other than Persephone. For a few days, Persephone remained calm enough to keep the nymphs¡¯ concerns at bay. However, Cyane was not someone to be fooled so easily. She felt like Persephone had a plan, and she couldn¡¯t shake this thought off her head. ¡°Let¡¯s see where you really go at night.¡± There was definitely a reason why Persephone left without the other nymphs knowing. Nowadays, the nymphs had also noticed Persephone¡¯s fingertips were all torn or bruised and slightly scarred. Niasis and Aretusa even made up a joke about it. ¡°She¡¯s probably secretly building a boat to leave the island.¡± Even though it wasn¡¯t funny, Cyane didn¡¯t find it too farfetched. Because she knew how much Persephone loathed this island. Up until now, Persephone never overly rebelled against Demeter as she was scared of losing her mother¡¯s mercy and love. That¡¯s why she never tried to leave. After finding that Persephone was no longer insider her bedroom, Cyane quickly left her spot, which was outside the girl¡¯s chamber door, and went outside. Trusting her luck, she searched the island, and soon found herself standing on the edge of the coastal cliff. Cyane had some skills, although not as much as Artemis¡¯ maidservants whose hobbies were hunting and tracking. After crawling along the edge of the cliff, hearing the sound of the waves pound against the rocks, a darkness she had never known greeted her. After looking closely, a cave entrance emerged. It was filled with shallow water and so low that a person could barely fit inside. Upon close inspection, she saw traces of a sure visitor. Could it be Persephone? Chapter 49 - The Cave By The Cliff (2) Chapter 49 ¨C The Cave by the Cliff (2) ¡®This cave has been here all this time?¡¯ The moonlight didn¡¯t reach the bottom of the cliff, and the embers of the lantern she brought were long lost to the sea breeze. She didn¡¯t believe there was anything scary on this island but didn¡¯t want to get lost in an unknown cave. ¡®Should I come back on a sunny day¡­?¡¯ As she just found the cave by chance, she didn¡¯t even know if it had anything to do with Persephone¡¯s night activities. The thought never even crossed her mind. Despite that, a hidden cave on an island she lived on for years was worth checking out. Neigh! From somewhere, something sounded like a horse. As she looked around, she spotted a random carriage on a sharp boulder out toward the sea; a creepy black carriage led by six black horses. They had fiery manes that burned black, and the carriage looked so creepy she didn¡¯t want to go near it. Cyane was frozen by an attack from a cold chill. Since when on earth, why here¡ªit was so bizarre like an uncontrollable dream! Cyane came to her senses and rushed to the house in the forest to let the other nymphs know about it. But then, see she saw something that stopped her from her tracks¡­ A short moan rang out. ¡°H-h-hand, ah! Your hand¡­ Loosen it up, Hades! Please loosen it. Take off¡­ oh yes¡­ the blindfold! Hades! ¡°You were the one who said that it felt better when you can¡¯t see anything. You feel it now? Oh, how much¡­ -Oh, yes! ¡°I¡¯m going crazy¡­ The name ¡®Hades¡¯ hooked onto Cyane¡¯s ears, and her whole mind felt confused. Persephone was being ¡®raped¡¯ with her wrists tied. No, well at least that¡¯s what she was thinking. At first. -W-w-while I was go-g-gone, did you this to an-an-another girl? Did y-you? -¡­. -If you did¡­ -I¡¯m gonna find her, ahhh, and kill her¡­. Cyane covered her mouth and held her breath. And at a sudden moment like a lightning strike, the ¡®master of death¡¯ had discovered the nymph. -Close your eyes. Cyane closed her eyes as a suffocating fear swept her entire body. And the endless sounds of moaning and flesh flapping tore her ears. As she was crawling backward on her butt and hands, she screamed a terrible scream and bolted away. And a few hours later, just before Phoibos¡¯ power shone upon the world, the black carriage disappeared over the horizon. Dawn was rising. Cyane sat there, her face as pale as a corpse. ¡®It¡¯s all a dream,¡® she said over and over. ¡°Where is Kore?¡± ¡°Cyane, it was your turn last night. Did Kore leave again?¡± ¡°What the hell is wrong with her? Kore! Where is she?¡± The nymphs were fussing at the top of the morning. Persephone was nowhere in her room. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Cyane? I said tell me!¡± When Niasis could no longer stand it and hit Cyane on the shoulder, only then did she become conscious of her two fellow nymphs. But then fell into a spell once again. She saw the twinkling of dawn beyond the other nymphs¡¯ shoulders. The darkness faded, and the warmth, not the cold, began to permeate their skin. Cyane started to cry. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°I asked where¡¯s Kore? Did she sneak off last night again?¡± Cyane, who had been blankly staring at them for some time, pushed them out the way like she was possessed by something. The cave was narrow and deep, and there was evidence of activity here and there. Cyane had followed the path like an ant in a tunnel and wandered around for a long time but reached a dead end. The space inside was high enough for her to stretch. There had been traces left behind like a lamp wick left. Stuff that looked recently placed. She had slowly looked over the floor with a small lantern that was too small to push away the darkness. Then, she had turned her head to a sharp pain in her elbow that made her eyes grow big. I¡¯m a good girl. Come here. Take me, You¡¯re mine. Gonna kill you. I¡¯m gonna kill that other bitch when I see her, You¡¯re mine, Make it hurt, I¡¯m waiting for you, You¡¯re mine, Come here, Come. The wall was crammed with scribble scrabble which made no sense. And bits of fingernails were splayed out on the stone floor. Her lantern fell and shattered. And a death-like darkness filled the inner cave. Chapter 50 - This Is My Fate Chapter 50 ¨C This Is My Fate Hades¡¯ hand riddled with blue veins gripped a pomegranate, then split it. The crushed peel cracked, and red grains were revealed. Juice from the crushed pomegranate flowed down his forearm. Persephone studied Hades¡¯ cold, frozen face. ¡°Eat this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to listen to my story¡­? My mother, she will have a fit when she finds out that you kidnapped me.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my sister,¡± Hades whispered, touching Persephone¡¯s face. ¡®Persephone, my sister¡¯s daughter, goddess of the island¡¯ ¡°No matter how much I say I love you, I can¡¯t let my mother down. I can¡¯t choose yo¡ª¡± ¡°She would never give up on you. That woman, she¡¯s as stubborn as a horse.¡± Crimson-red pomegranate juice leaked from his balled-up fist. ¡°Eat this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Eat.¡± ¡°If I eat on my own, I betray my mother. I don¡¯t want to end up in Tartaros. I already swore on the river to my mothe¡ª¡± Hades scooped up some of the pomegranate grains and force Persephone¡¯s mouth open. Before she could even feel the pain of his grip, the sweet fruit taste hit her tongue. Persephone grabbed Hades¡¯ robe with her fingertips. And saliva-soaked juice dripped down her chin. The grainy fruit pushed between her lips was like her mother¡¯s seed. The fruit slice burst in her mouth, an irreversible moment. ¡°But still, if you were scared of her from the beginning, you shouldn¡¯t have said you love me.¡± Persephone, who was touching her red-stained lips, flashed a faint smile. ¡®I can¡¯t help it then. Mother¡­ Death wants me so much.¡¯ * Flashback It was the third dawn that led her to think about ¡®him,¡¯ the ruler of the underworld. Until then, Persephone had only been interested in the unknown world, in the small things beyond the river based on her very microscopic view. The Acheron River, which was said to be the outermost part of the underworld, was so vast that there was no end in sight; and it made her wonder how vast the underworld that everyone went back to was. On top of that, down there was a vast palace that nothing above ground could top. The king of the underworld was the ruler of death, a god served and followed by all the wealthy. The myth that his palace was greater than the Olympians¡¯ temple may have been true. Of course, Persephone was curious about the gold and silver treasures piled up in a hill, the coins which filled up the fields, and the jewels and accessories that flowed like a river, but she was mainly interested in smaller things. The ¡®cap of invisibility¡¯ that could erase you from the world once you put it on. A precious treasure of the underworld that not even Argos, who had hundreds of eyes, could stand a chance against. And she met him. ¡°Has he come? The king?¡± Persephone had asked the Kharon, who refused to acknowledge her presence, They called him ¡®king¡¯. Lord of the underworld, a great being worshipped by the death of everything. And he was related to Persephone¡¯s mother and father. ¡°That ragdoll needs to stop being silly and do something special for once.¡± The river was filled with souls waiting to ride the Kharon¡¯s boat. Persephone could hear them whispering about her. ¡°Ragdoll?¡± ¡°That girl over there with yellow eyes like rice straw. Get rid of her!¡± They hated her. She had no place in the underworld, she was breathing. Not in any way lifeless. ¡°How did she get all the way here without a servant shadow? Oh wow, did she lose her way?¡± It was on that day when everything changed at that moment. When a man stared at her, and she stared back at him. ¡®She¡¯, who lived in Persephone¡¯s head, whispered, ¡®Him, he¡¯s the king.¡¯ Persephone was obsessed with ¡®her whispers.¡¯ The voice had always been her companion, whispering to her like a dear friend. Persephone set her gaze on Hades. To her, he was wonderful, handsome, relaxed, and soft. There in front of her was a man who ruled the lowest place where she didn¡¯t need to look up at the sky or down at the ground. Her future was already destined for a dead end to live as an invisible goddess on an island that no one knew about and go crazy without being remembered by anyone. But, with him, this dreaded future of her might took a turn¡­ ¡®You swore on Styx, but he¡¯s the master who Styx serves.¡¯ Persephone¡¯s gaze faltered. Extreme dignity and noble darkness lurked deep in those gray eyes like the moon. At the beginning of time, Protogenoi¡¯s night had given birth to fascination, discord, sleep, destruction, law, ruin, dreams, old age¡­ Deception had also been born. Persephone was a prisoner who could betray the prison guard. In order to not lose the love of her one and only mother, she had given up her freedom and swore. It was the most pathetic begging of affection and an irreversible regret. There was no match for swallowing a prison cell key. The moment she laid eyes on Hades once again, got lost in his dark orbs, she had given up her love for her mother to Styx¡­ The voice whispered again, ¡®You know? It¡¯s that person right there.¡¯ An endless whisper. ¡®Right over there.¡¯ ¡®He is the only one that can get you out of here. He will take you to a whole new world.¡¯ It was like falling in love. At the beginning of time, Protogenoi¡¯s night also gave birth to ¡®fate¡¯. Persephone then understood what her fate was. ¡®He might save my mother before I kill her out of hate.¡¯ She smiled, ¡®This is my fate.¡¯ *** Chapter 51 - Sisyphos’ Confession Chapter 51 ¨C Sisyphos¡¯ confession Persephone had escaped from the underworld not long ago. She was allowed only one day under Hermes¡¯ watch, but why would she be a good girl and go back? While spending a few days looking for somewhere to hide, she just now barely managed to outrun the gods. Now she¡¯s going to make a record of a few things that happened there, which will remain a secret that the world will never know. Sisyphos heard that Persephone was kidnapped a few days ago¡­ The underground world was indeed a gloomy place, where breathing alone created the illusion of inhaling death. And there he met the daughter whom Demeter adored. To sum it up in a few words, Demeter¡¯s daughter was out of her mind. ¡°Hades said we¡¯re lovers.¡± The girl had told her. But now she was in trouble and in a situation similar to Sisyphos. Because of that trouble, she had no choice but to come to him, the evil one. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you did, but now I¡­¡± At first, he thought the goddess came to get advice. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°I¡¯m going to get Hades¡¯ love. But Hades was so sweet and acted lukewarmly¡­ so I had to spend more time at it; I acted a little rashly. I stabbed Ceres, master of death and destruction, then a few days ago I fed her to a swamp. I was all ready to be thrown into Tartaros for deceiving death but had also killed death, so how much punishment would I get? There¡¯s no way. And truth be told, even if my mother said she¡¯d save me from the underworld¡¯s rules, Hades would never look at me the same again.¡± ¡°Who is your mother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus.¡± She revealed herself to be a virgin trapped on an island, daughter of a rich grain goddess. Demeter¡¯s daughter was so secretly hidden that no one living would have been able to talk to her face-to-face like this. It was probably Sisyphos¡¯ first time, too. ¡°Anyway, Sisyphos. I¡¯m going to get Hades before the night is over.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°In the sense that we must remain together forever.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Well, I can¡¯t really say this, but ¡®the sin of killing death¡¯ will never be forgiven. Since you¡¯re going to be discovered anyway, do you really have a reason to do that? Since you¡¯re Demeter¡¯s daughter, Hades won¡¯t be able to mess with you, and it¡¯s best he runs away.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t change a thing. What I want is the underworld.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a strange one. So, if you two really are lovers, you can just find forgiveness in him and get married, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let my mother down. I have to remain her sweet daughter forever. If I tell her that I¡¯m going to get the god of death, how could I claim to be a sweet daughter to her? Are you thinking straight?¡± ¡°You certainly are greedy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of roping his neck and running away with him¡­ He¡¯s really well-mannered, and he doesn¡¯t want me that bad yet. Even though I couldn¡¯t find him during these past few months, he didn¡¯t go looking for me; if that happens this time, he¡¯d just forget about me. And I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°So? What is your solution?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about taking one of his precious objects, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll look at me suspiciously right away. Even that lady I killed might come back, but she will never know that it was I who killed her. Just keep watching the situation, and when she¡¯s found, can you take the blame for me? The strange sinner who claims that he is the culprit. Everything you say will point to being guilty, so how could Hades think you¡¯re sane?¡± ¡°What benefit do I get if I do that for you?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re an evil bastard who does everything for himself; if that¡¯s true, then I¡¯ll do my best, for you at least. It doesn¡¯t matter if you get a new life in return.¡± Were gods born with different thought structures from humans? As Merope had said, Sisyphos was proud to be the cleverness of the gods, but she realized that he would never understand any aspect of them. ¡°This is something unrelated, but a while ago you said you want to receive Hades¡¯ love. However, now you¡¯re driving a wedge between you two?¡± ¡°How is that driving a wedge between us?¡± ¡°But if you do that, you¡¯re going to be hated, and everyone will discredit you. It¡¯s better to seek trust than to try to make everyone love you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be honored for helping me. Got that? I¡¯m saying help me.¡± Persephone¡¯s glowing complexion made her look more dangerous. So much that it made Sisyphos feel uneasy. But at that time, she didn¡¯t have any other tricks and didn¡¯t behave badly. If she was Hades¡¯ lover, she may be able to buy his trust. ¡°I want him to go completely crazy over me.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough if I¡¯m going to replace my mother¡¯s love with his. If he¡¯s crazy in love with me, if he loves me every day, if he only does that¡­ It will be fantastic. I want him to love me so much, yes, so he won¡¯t have to look at other women and only love me forever. Only me. I want him to love me. I¡¯m sick and tired of mercy. Why would I love him if he was like my mother?¡± She made a creepy face as if imagining Hades acting like her mother. However, it could be a breakthrough in its own. Smart people are never afraid of opportunities. ¡°And one last thing, Sisyphos.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about this when you go out¡­ Please.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do for me?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tear you to shreds.¡± Persephone acknowledged the fear that Sisyphos felt at that time. ¡°Yeah, sure. And one more thing, if this all works out, send me back above ground. I can¡¯t forgive my wife¡¯s disgracefulness. Can you do that for me? My wife, Merope¡­ She didn¡¯t even spend a penny for my funeral.¡± This is what Sisyphos knew about the Persephone abduction: She seemed to have really succeeded at catching the lord of the underworld by remaining a good daughter. This is a secret of course. If that secret leaks, one day, a demon that captured the lord¡¯s heart would come to tear him to pieces. * Chapter 52 - The Queen Of The Underworld’s Plan Chapter 52 ¨C The Queen of the Underworld¡¯s Plan Shortly after her daughter disappeared, Demeter, the goddess of grains and riches, searched for Persephone in every way. However, no one knew about her daughter¡¯s disappearance with one other nymph, and Demeter soon fell into despair. All the grains in the ground died when the goddess didn¡¯t take good care of them. It was months ago that Sisyphos caused trouble above ground, so the gods of Olympus also felt great distress. Everyone was starving to death. Then one day, a nymph swore that he saw a black carriage on the horizon on the same day Persephone had disappeared. The carriage was that of the underworld, Demeter soon understood the conundrum. Demeter was furious when she found out that Hades had kidnapped her daughter! The incident had become a matter of life or death. Zeus and some other gods expressed great regret over this and tried to resolve it somehow, but Demeter was pathologically stubborn, and Hades had already declared Persephone queen of the underworld. ¡°They say she ate the death fruit.¡± The mother fell into grief. Her poor, innocent daughter fell into the king¡¯s underworld scheme! Persephone had expected that, so it was neither surprising nor heartbreaking when Hermes came to tell the news. Around that time, Persephone was out on a foggy dock on the Acheron River about to catch a ride with Kharon, who scolded her. ¡°You are showing disloyalty.¡± ¡°Silence, My Queen. In my eyes, you¡¯re still nothing but a cheeky little girl. What the hell has gotten into you?¡± He asked her incredulously. ¡°Why don¡¯t you be nice to me for once?¡± She was relaxed and not afraid of anything underworld-related. It was only after Kharon nervously turned his head around with his arms folded that she realized that they have a visitor. Hermes. ¡°Hermes.¡± Hermes, whose face was frozen to some extent, glared at Persephone. She was enjoying herself. Even though she was from the ground above. ¡°Are you¡­ enjoying yourself, Queen? Are you? This is not a joke.¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t forever mourn my confinement, right?¡± She looked at him with her innocent eyes and a frown to match with. Her sad face gave Hermes a strange feeling. From the beginning, she had always made him feel as such. Turning the tables with one forlorn look. Persephone, who had been looking at Hermes for some time, smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re really making me sad, so don¡¯t look at me like that. Shall we take a walk and talk?¡± They walked alongside the banks of the Acheron River. Persephone was now completely adjusted to the lifestyle of the underworld. Neither the ferocious deadmen nor the skeletal remains at Pledgeton basin attacked her anymore, she was able to use Kharon¡¯s boat at any time without paying, and she could freely use the countless wealth in the palace. Her life had totally changed. Hermes quietly delivered to her the news about what was happening above ground; about how much hatred for Hades burned inside Demeter, and how concerned she was about the safety of her daughter. When he closed his mouth, having said what he had to say, Persephone laughed softly. ¡°Then I can be fair and spend half the year with my mother and the other half with Hades.¡± Persephone laid out the last step of her plans. Hermes was at a loss for words. She was showing no regret, nor reluctance in living here. Zeus had a power to nullify the marriage. There were a lot of speculations that Hades had forced her to eat the pomegranate, but when faced with Persephone, Hermes couldn¡¯t get rid of the premonition that there may have been another secret story. ¡°Why did you eat it? It¡¯d be okay if you hadn¡¯t. Oh, this is all a big mess¡ª¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know. How did I know I wasn¡¯t supposed to eat? I was a virgin trapped on that island. My mother trapped me there and raised me like that, it wasn¡¯t my fault.¡± She feigned innocence. Hermes sighed, losing his will to refute those words. It was a well-spread story that Demeter secretly hid her daughter like she was a prisoner. Persephone calmly turned her head to look at the other side of the river. Way over there, that pitch-black place was now very familiar to her. She could now imagine the Styx River flowing through the palace as if it were right under her nose. Every morning, staring at it as she woke up¡ª. ¡°Anyway, half a year is enough to reach an agreement on. I¡¯ll go let Hades know.¡± Hermes said. Before he could leave, Persephone spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him I told you.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°He might not like it. Me moving back and forth, here and there; I have to live by his side.¡± Hermes¡¯ lips quivered like he wanted to say more but just gave up and only nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Persephone, who was looking at Hermes¡¯s back as he went away, squatted carefully by the river. And took her time to dip her hands in the Acheron River. The black water consuming her pale hands. ¡®Making my mother sad is better than hating her to the point of wanting to kill her, right?¡¯ Chapter 53 - After Story (1) | 19 Chapter 53 ¨C After Story (1) | 19 The laughter of Hekate, goddess of the ominous night, flowed all the way down to the underworld. Persephone stopped his hand sweeping her hair and staring at the fog surrounding the palace. It looked like a monster was lurking somewhere deep in the hazy fog. She glanced away and studied the half-open door of the side room. Inside, objects were hanging, things she didn¡¯t have much interest in, such as a dagger that had slashed and dashed Titans, a long whip, and the cap of invisibility. Shortly after, the door opened, and she heard ¡®him¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± He was a man whose every aspect of his being was reminiscent of the superficial meaning of death, including his soft black hair falling past his ears, broad shoulders, hard chest, and beautiful calves. Her husband Hades, king of the underworld. Leaning with his back against the door, his eyes looked edgier than ever before. More than around this time last year. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You look excited.¡± Cheering herself up was her habitual routine. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Hades.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°How can I not? Even though the day when I have to go back above ground has come, I will come back to you¡­ You know that. I love you.¡± Tonight, she was to go back to earth and Hades had always hated her leaving. Spending half the year here, and the other half there was a promise she made to the gods of Olympus. A consolation to the mother who had inevitably lost her daughter and a minimal compromise was concluded. Each time she¡¯s in the underworld, Persephone was soaked in the sensation of pointy birch leaves tickling her feet. Hades had gifted her with a garden she adored. He brought enough joy to her imagination. This happiness, would it be just like Tartaros, to which dropping an iron needle couldn¡¯t reach the ground for ten days? Is there no end to this happiness, like the bottomless Acheron? ¡°Are you going to spend the rest of your days staring at me with such grieving eyes?¡± The man who she had caused a great scandal did not forsake her, did not abandon her, did not punish her¡ªhe did not want to do any of that. Instead, Hades loved her, and with her every return to Earth he would be thoroughly disgruntled. Why can¡¯t he have his wife all for himself? ¡°Sometimes I feel like I¡¯m going to fall victim to that face of yours. Just sometimes.¡± He said in a grave tone. ¡°If you¡¯re that uneasy to let me go, then do what I want you to do. Just love me more.¡± Persephone naturally hugged his neck. It didn¡¯t take long for Hades to sit her up on the table next to the neatly seated pomegranates, vases, and gray quill. With her head tilted to the side, Persephone looked at him with a trembling heart. Indeed the beautiful god of death; who would deny his loftiness? ¡°Return quickly if it¡¯s possible¡­ Fast, if you can.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Persephone.¡± Hades gently sucked on her tongue and slowly pushed his tongue inwards. Since days and nights are unclear in the underworld, they count the time when it is only by measuring the sunset. She was staying in his world long enough to get used to his kiss. As her body temperature gradually increased, and the hand feeling around her waist gripped tighter, Hades¡¯ kiss became intense. His kindness¡ªsuch a thing was ravishingly washed away as if it were not there from the beginning¡ªand his tongue was entangled deeper by bending his jaw at an angle. It was like he was digging a hole under Persephone¡¯s tongue. Then, she soon released herself from his lips. ¡°Do you love me?¡± He asked her. ¡°Of course. I swear to Styx, I love you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I love you, I love you. No one else on this planet will love you like I do. We were destined to be together.¡± She comforted him with her sweet words. Hades placed his enormous hands on the table and swept everything away with one swipe. All at once, they were thrown down to the floor, like all of the anguish and trouble inside of him. The vase holding daffodils fell and shattered. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Persephone¡¯s breath moved to his ears. Her body tingled whenever the tip of his tongue penetrated her ear like a snake. ¡°I know that, so I¡­ have no reason to act foul like this. I know.¡± He was talking to himself. His robe lifted, and his gentle hands, which had been caressing her white calves for a long time, soon opened her thighs as if he was tired of only kissing. It felt like her flesh had been crushed by his grip. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hit rock bottom. There is no point of return possible.¡± Hades murmured to himself. His love for Persephone was beyond words. Every time he hugged her, he felt that he¡¯d become perfect. Like he was stuck in a remote abyss. The king who ruled the deep underground world more than anyone else¡ªhe knows that he could never get rid of this feeling. ¡°My back hurts.¡± In a mousy voice, Persephone raised a little complain. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you liked pain?¡± ¡°Ouch, Hades.¡± ¡°I know you also like stiff, hard things.¡± He snatched off her robe like he¡¯d been annoyed by it and trampled it like a rag. Hades grabbed her waist and pulled her down to the edge to fit between her thighs. His erect penis grazed between her thighs. And he mocked her as he looked down to see her red genitals already getting wet. ¡°I haven¡¯t even started yet, and you¡¯re already wet¡ª¡± He said, sliding his finger inside down of Persephone¡¯s widely spread legs. With no warning, he pushed two fingers in and out, tickling her inner walls, and watched the clear liquid flow out. Persephone lost her breath. ¡°Oh¡­ Ah!¡± The wandering fingers entered deeper and sped up, almost rubbing the deepest point, making a gushing noise. Persephone looked up at him with his eyes down, even his ears reddening. Hades¡¯ eyes filling with excitement looked good to her. He continued to loosen the inner flesh by pushing in with barbaric hand movements. Chapter 54 - After Story (2) | 19 Chapter 54 ¨C After Story (2) | 19 ¡°Ahhh!¡± He didn¡¯t even tolerate it when her breathing, finding familiarity with his fingers, began to regain very slight stability. The fingers were thrusted one more time. Then he pressed her cl!toris with his thumb; the dull composure¡ªsomething the king of the underworld had no choice but to possess¡ªdisappeared as if washed away with the rapid fingers. Persephone¡¯s skin heated even more. The soft wet thumb rubbed the narrow and sensitive cl!toris everywhere. She didn¡¯t want it this way. The dense caressing caused excitement all over her body, wetting her butt0cks. ¡°St-stop it¡­ Oh¡­¡± ¡°While my fingers are thrusting like this?¡± ¡°Ah, oww!¡± Hades, who continued to wiggle his fingers around inside, tickled her with his fingertips. Persephone¡¯s body trembled. The inside of her head totally blacked out. As her toes flinched, Hades lifted her legs high and pressed his lips against one of her trembling calves. The sensation of his scratching teeth and licking t0ngue stopped at her ankle. The thrusting fingers also came out around then. When all of the stimulating senses disappeared, she felt empty. ¡°Ah¡­ Hades¡­¡± ¡°I want to take my time just a little bit more though.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re all heated up down there, so I have to put something inside.¡± Persephone, who gasped heavily, grabbed the table. Hades¡¯ hot pen!s tip touched her opening. She could feel it hot with excitement, making her heart almost burst. He grabbed tightly at her waist and pushed in. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°You will never know how furious I have always felt at this time of your leaving.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± His thing stopped wandering around the vag!na and opened up a familiar path, heating up relentlessly. It was thicker than her wrist, and it was a mockery to compare the indescribable tip to her finger. She had become used to his kissing and feeling, but not just that but the penetrating manh0od tip forcing her tight insides open. When it was barely in, the next sensation was the shaft stomping down the squeezing tight path. By the time she felt the sensation of having his entire member inside her, filling up every possible nook and cranny, hitting her deepest core, Persephone had forgotten how to breathe. ¡°Aaaah!¡± However, just like any other time, Hades didn¡¯t stop, and he started moving his body. Every time he pushed harder and harder inside like a blunt spear, Persephone felt like he was crushing her insides. He pushed in deep, then pulled out, went deep again, and pull back out. The heavy pain was soon to go. ¡°More, ohh, ahh yes!¡± She hooked on to his neck, hanging like a heavy necklace. Bent at the waist, Hades kept his body close to her and pounded so hard she couldn¡¯t pull him in any closer. The flesh on Persephone¡¯s thighs and butt0cks quickly turned red. The s3x was closer to the feeling of being swallowed and eaten than to being fully engaged like normal coupling is. Liquid flowed out from inside her. The soft wetness gradually accelerated the pace, and his hip muscles were tight, unable to loosen up. ¡°Ah¡­ It hu-hurts!¡± ¡°But you still like it. Isn¡¯t that right? You¡¯re so wet.¡± ¡°Oh yes, yes.¡± ¡°Tell me you want more¡­¡± No mercy came from him crashing through her. The table was almost about to crash to the floor, and the rattle sound made her heart pound. A shackled beast in a fit of temper and a girl promised the eternal love of that beast. ¡°Oh, Hades! Oh!¡± Rationality was exploited. Persephone groped his jaw and searched for his lips. She felt like she would choke if she didn¡¯t kiss him. Her t0ngue grazed his, hot breath burning her neck, their excited bodies dancing in the rambunctious rhythm. They clung together as their bare skin rubbed away. When their kiss got deeper, Hades slowed his waist thrusting down and made it more shallow. He gripped Persephone¡¯s jaw and did not utter a single moan; it was only through his lips that a thin breath of air flowed out. His eyes and sweat-drenched body full of anguish like a mad dog. She raised her legs higher. Slightly licking his lips, Hades¡¯ hand poked into the upper corner of Persephone¡¯s robe. Like someone who knew exactly what to do, he rubbed her hard n!pple. Gripping it tightly with his big hand, he squeezed and rubbed, sending pleasant shivers all the way to the soles of her feet. ¡°Please¡­ Please¡­! Ah, ah, oh.¡± ¡°Please what?¡± ¡°Now, please¡­ Ah!¡± The moment she was groaning with tears of joy and pain, there was a light knocking sound. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°I¡¯m here, Hades.¡± It was Hermes¡¯ voice. Squeak, squeak, squeak. Hades¡¯ shallow waist movement subsided completely. Persephone, who closed her lips tightly and held back the trembles all over her body, shook her head. Her entire body glossy with sweat. Hades, looking down for a long time at her, whose ears were even shining red, shed a gentle smile. He bent down toward her and pressed his lips against hers. ¡°I brought Orpheus here, who I mentioned last time. Are you busy?¡± Persephone frantically hugged his waist. ¡°Please don¡¯t stop, Hades. Don¡¯t go. You know it¡¯s my last night here, ah¡­¡± The kiss was ever so rough. She felt the beating heart from his hard, muscular chest. After the long kiss, a bitter little whisper seeped through. ¡°How could this be the last time?¡± He asked her in a raised brow. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Hades. You know I can¡¯t sleep alone. While I¡¯m waiting for my departure,¡± Slightly smiling, he lifted himself and left her side. Then, he quickly wiped off his sweaty, gorgeous body, and put back on his robe that had fallen. ¡°You said you will be sleeping? You have an obligation in the underworld before you go back above ground, My Queen. Come.¡± He, the god of death, turned back around in an instant to go to the gaudy Hermes outside the door. By now, the heat all over Persephone¡¯s body had subsided, and silence took over. How could she forget? As a queen, she was expected to join Hades in his duties. She shook her head and laughed. Then fixed her messy robe and tried hard to shake off her disappointment. * Chapter 55 - After Story (3) | 19 Chapter 55 ¨C After Story (3) | 19 Orpheus was a beautiful man with a short, sharp chin and innocent curved eyebrows. He was famous for poetry, and Persephone also remembered hearing the deadmen underground talk about his prestige a couple of times before crossing the river of oblivion. He didn¡¯t seem to be naturally gray-haired but looked like someone who¡¯d fit in well with this underground world since there were plenty of gray-haired ¡®people¡¯. Persephone, now dressed, was sitting beside Hades sitting in their thrones and Orpheus afront them was appearing nervous. Orpheus said, ¡°Just once, one time, send me back to my wife whom I love so much. Her name is Eurydice. And she is young and beautiful, and she was bitten by a serpent and sent to the underworld when she was young. I beg you from the bottom of my heart so that I can meet my wife once again¡­¡± Among the many people who sought after Hades, there was that type: Making a big fuss about bringing the dead back to life. It was said that sometimes those who reached the underworld, returning at Hades¡¯ mercy, spread rumors. Usually, there weren¡¯t that many people who went back, unable to cross the Acheron River, or gave up without even knowing how to reach the underworld. ¡®It won¡¯t work anyway¡­,¡¯ ¡®A useless request.¡¯ Persephone thought nonchalantly, and her predictions were just right. Requests such as this rarely succeeds. But as she watched Orpheus, she felt pity for him. A man separated from his lover, doesn¡¯t that sound like her husband? * The other day, Sisyphos went up to meet his queen for a very short time thanks to the oath he¡¯d received from him. Naturally, Sisyphos had fled again, and Hades had been furious because of the ungodly man who had dared to swear on Styx. Orpheus was a slightly different case, but from that day not a single person had been sent back above ground. ¡°Please. Hades, please!¡± ¡°Get out of here.¡± ¡°King¡­ Lord of the underworld! Please! My wife, my wife¡­! Please give me mercy, please, so I can see my wife just one more time¡­!¡± Orpheus looked desperate. With her chin in her hand, Persephone stared at the lyre hanging on Orpheus¡¯ back. ¡°If I do that, will you perform for me? I¡¯ve heard so much about your rumors. They said your skills are so great that even the grass, streams, trees shed tears of joy. I heard that the sea is made up of the tears of the nymphs who saw your sad performance.¡± ¡°You mean, uh, now? Here?¡± ¡°Hades, if you want to see his performance then can¡¯t you at least show a little bit of generosity on your face?¡± At that, Hades pulled his lips into his mouth as if laughing his ass off and turned to Persephone. Then, he lightly gestured with his chin. Orpheus hurriedly took out the instrument and began to play. His lyre performance was amazing enough to make even the blind dead of the underworld shed tears. Persephone was also greatly moved. The performance was sufficient for Hades, so he ordered a dead servant, tilting his chin, to bring Eurydice. The dead servant soon left to go get her. Persephone was calm, savoring Orpheus¡¯ poetry recitation and a couple of lyre pieces. Soon, a brown-haired woman in a glamorous robe stretched down to her feet appeared alongside the servant from a while ago. A tremendously beautiful goddess. Deep eyes, a graceful nose, full lips, and white skin. So thin and feeble, but her strange spirit was forever young. ¡°Orpheus¡­?¡± ¡°Eurydice!¡± Orpheus embraced her with a sob, and she, who had been called without knowing what was going on, soon burst into tears at her husband¡¯s affection. The warm atmosphere that had been brought through the music and poem turned into an ocean of tears in a flash. Hades was giving such an indifferent look at the sight of the couple¡¯s reunion in front of him, but the end was clearly left for Eurydice and Orpheus. Persephone¡¯s forehead drooped down, still in awe at the beautiful goddess. Though Orpheus may feel a bit lacking. The lyre, which had played a sad tune, rolled on the floor. Persephone turned to look at Hades. ¡°Hades¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°My heart is tearing apart.¡± ¡°Well, sometimes things just don¡¯t go your way.¡± The husband had found his wife, who¡¯d died at a very young age, all the way down in the underworld. Hades¡¯ stare fell on Eurydice¡¯s heel. It was at the time of death when traces of the serpent would remain forever. Persephone silently stared at it, then opened her mouth¡­ Well, she was about to open her mouth. Without even looking her way, Hades affirmed. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything yet.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you remind me earlier that the rules of this world and the afterlife are clear?¡± ¡°You still have that thought in your head? But this¡­ this isn¡¯t about me and you.¡± He couldn¡¯t say that there was no overlapping. Hades had gone out of the underworld to find his wife, and Orpheus had come down from earth for his wife. It was the same situation. Blankly staring at Eurydice, Persephone said, ¡°That woman, she isn¡¯t some imposter like Sisyphos, and if there is no problem, why don¡¯t you send her back? That way, the great poet will spread music that praises you all over the world about how much of a great, friendly, wonderful god you are.¡± Persephone pleaded on behalf of the pitiful lovers. ¡°Why all of a sudden are you on his side?¡± ¡°Because my heart aches for them. From now on they won¡¯t be able to meet again; can you just think of it as a present to me?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If you just think of that¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Can you do that?¡± Hades¡¯ mouth closed. The married couple who happened to hear their conversation pressed their hands together in a praying position and looked at them. Two pairs of eyes full of affection and love, all of which were clear to Persephone. Before Hades laid his decision, she carefully caressed his hand. Softly squeezing it, then grabbing it tightly. ¡°Hades please.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Chapter 56 - After Story (4) | 19 Chapter 56 ¨C After Story (4) | 19 ¡°I once missed you so much that I was miserably knocking down the closed door of a cave at dawn. So I know how it feels to long for someone. They¡¯re extremely sad, and if you take good care of them, they¡¯d forever be indebted in your gracefulness and someday become your faithful servants. Hades, look at them. I know you¡¯re that kind of person. I love you even more because of that. So please save their love. According to the rules of the underworld, if Orpheus doesn¡¯t look back before stepping on the ground with his dead wife, he¡¯ll get a second chance. If a man deserves it, he will protect his wife and take her up, but if he doesn¡¯t, he will lose her and not be able to do the shameless act of asking for her again because it¡¯s his responsibility.¡± Hades was also worried about their circumstances because they were a little uncomfortable. He just might show them mercy. However, the reason why he was unable to speak was that sometimes, or more often, things flow well according to Persephone¡¯s sense. Hades silently looked at her for some time, then shortly replied, ¡°That won¡¯t be so bad¡­ If he doesn¡¯t turn to look at her until he steps foot on the ground, his wife will have a second chance at life, if he looks back under suspicion, he will lose her forever.¡± Hermes, who was leaning against the door when he came out the side door, smirked. Hades didn¡¯t do anything ungodly, not until now. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you because you¡¯ve already heard us. Lead them out, Hermes.¡± Hades ordered Hermes. ¡°Are you stupid? How could you play with humans¡¯ love like this? This, this¡­¡± Hermes tried to dissuade but when he heard Orpheus and his wife¡¯s cheers, he became silent. In the room, the couple¡¯s voice burst into tears of joy, thanking Persephone and Hades. Hermes puckered her lips. ¡°Persephone¡¯s living well. Terribly well, I¡¯m surprised.¡± He commented. ¡°And when she goes back above ground?¡± Hades¡¯s eyes zeroed at him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll keep an eye on her. I¡¯ve already been doing it for years, every time. You, too, Hades. One of the virtues of thieves¡ª¡± ¡°If a difficult problem lingers in your mind, give up or rule it out.¡± Hermes, with a cane hanging on his waist, stared past the door, which was far invisible from his clear, curved eyes. ¡°About Persephone, for some reason, she now looks different in person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pointless to say.¡± Hades blew him off and strode out. Hermes, chasing after him with his eyes, hummed with his hands folded against the back of his head. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s Orpheus and Eurydice, I¡¯m betting on their failure!¡± A thief also had the temperament of a gambler. They¡¯re not exactly the same idiots in the sense that they¡¯re aiming for a fortune. * Hermes lead Orpheus and started on his long journey again. To shoot for the star and succeed at what many people had only hoped for. Joy tickled his fingers, which had always felt sad tunes. When he gets back above ground, he¡¯ll play a joyful song on the lyre. He had been lucky enough to get Persephone¡¯s sympathy and get his beloved wife back; was there any more reason to shed tears? However, the road from Hades¡¯ palace to the underworld¡¯s exit gate was a long one. Hermes had said she¡¯d follow close behind him, but he couldn¡¯t even hear his wife¡¯s footsteps. Shuffle. The sounds from his shoes were naturally silent, but he wondered why he couldn¡¯t feel Eurydice¡¯s presence around. If she¡¯d show some kind of sign that she was nearby, Orpheus probably wouldn¡¯t be bothered about it. Even when he leaned his ear toward the back, all that was heard was the sound of Hermes¡¯ feet hitting the dirt before him. So he said to Hermes, who took the lead a few steps ahead, ¡°I really appreciate this, Hermes. Thank you so much. My wife will also thank you. Sincerely. That¡¯s true.¡± His voice echoed in the wide cave. Eurydice¡¯s voice, which he hoped would answer back in a small voice, was not heard. As an honest woman, she was bound to at least say something. No, they had received orders not to say one word to one another. Sure enough, Hermes was the one to reply. ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself trying to talk; follow me quietly and get out. Hades was generous enough to do this. So don¡¯t mess it up. You must be tired from doing all that crying after singing so many loves songs.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m sorry. Thank you. I¡¯m yes¡­ uneasy.¡± ¡°I can hear your tears flowing.¡± ¡°Sorry. Hey, uh, I¡¯m really going back with Eurydice, right? What if she gets lost on the way out? She has no sense of direction. So¡­ though I can¡¯t turn around and look, Hermes¡­¡± Eurydice was following, smiling silently behind Orpheus three steps away. Hermes turned back ahead and muttered, ¡°What do you think it¡¯ll be like outside?¡± He asked her. Eurydice¡¯s heart throbbed at his question, but she kept her emotions under control and did not answer, as what she was expected to do. However, her silence further troubled her husband. No matter what, a god would never deceive Orpheus. There wasn¡¯t even a reason for that, plus Persephone had really looked like a good-natured queen. They crossed the Styx River, cut across a forest path, stepped over skeleton graves, and headed to the exit. However, the sound of her footsteps hadn¡¯t been heard for over half the day. What kind of expression was on Eurydice¡¯s face right now? Orpheus seriously wondered if his beloved wife¡¯s feet were hurting from stepping on the rough stone ground, or if her feet had gotten dirty in the mud, or, even worse, if she really was trailing behind him and Hermes. Orpheus froze as soon as he saw the exit in the distance leading to above the ground. Chapter 57 - After Story (5) | 19 Chapter 57 ¨C After Story (5) | 19 He dared to annoy the ruler of the underworld. What if Hades had lied just to get him out of the underworld as fast as he could, he who had been constantly begging with tears? If it wasn¡¯t a lie, did he really have to send Orpheus out under the condition that he couldn¡¯t turn back to look at his wife? If Hades decided to send them out together anyway, would it matter whether or not they walked side by side? How could he walk like this and still not feel her presence? Hermes stopped and turned around to Orpheus. ¡°Keep going, we¡¯re almost there. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Eu-Eurydice?¡± Only his beautiful voice echoed in the cave. Hermes¡¯ forehead wrinkled with intensity. ¡°I said don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Is-is-is she really b-b-behind me?¡± ¡°Walk! It¡¯s right over there.¡± Hermes pointed his cane at the light shining brightly on the opposite side. Orpheus was crazy jealous of Hermes who was able to turn around. He wouldn¡¯t be talking if Eurydice wasn¡¯t there, right? Orpheus felt a sudden urge to turn around. But he had made a pact with the king and queen of the underworld. ¡®If you turn around, you lose your chance.¡¯ However, was there really a reason for Hades to do that if he hadn¡¯t said anything that he didn¡¯t mean and just wanted to throw him out again? Question after question arose in his mind. ¡®What if she really isn¡¯t behind me¡­ What if she¡¯s still in that deep underworld¡­ What if I abandoned my wife¡­¡¯ Anxiety engulfed reason, and his patience was worn away by the outline of the twinkling light. Orpheus turned around. And right away, his eyes met Eurydice¡¯s eyes. ¡°E-Eurydice.¡± ¡°Why did you turn around¡­?¡± A stream of tears fell from her eye. Orpheus belatedly realized his mistake and desperately reached out for her. His wife was then sucked back into the deep, dark cave¡¯s abyss. ¡°Eurydice!!¡± His sobbing shook the cave walls. Hermes turned around in a state of shock and despair. ¡°I told you¡­¡± The light, which shriveled down behind him, was warm. When he held his neck out of the exit and looked up with one hand shading his face, he could see the break of dawn. Orpheus had questioned his obedient wife¡¯s existence, and this scene eventually made him wonder if men were all the same. Orpheus knelt down on the spot like he¡¯d received a death sentence after half a day of torture, unable to gain the strength to go outside or back inside. ¡®He must feel like shit. I think he was aiming for this for a long time.¡¯ Persephone seemed to know well when anxiety grew the most. Even a quick-witted, good-natured person sometimes made her feel difficult and anxious. Hades, who had made Persephone the queen, had been in constant anxiety for years. So, it wasn¡¯t enough for her to speculate. She had a strong belief. Hermes stared at the sobbing man banging his head against the cave floor. He had won the bet, but the aftertaste was sour. ¡°Damn idiot¡­ Why couldn¡¯t you keep your eyes only looking forward? You can¡¯t do something as easy as that?¡± Hermes walked out into the glorious world of light. Phoibos¡¯ tram ran through the blue sky. And the magnificent Mt. Olympus was watching over their heads. * The door opened. Persephone, who returned to her bedroom, hummed along to the sounds of Orpheus¡¯ lyre performance coming from the audience chamber. It felt good to hear such good music from an amazing performer. She put down a blunt object wrapped in cloth. It was about half the length of her arm, and red blotches stained the cloth here and there. When she pushed it to the edge of the table and sat down, some dead servants approached and trimmed the queen¡¯s hair with their squeaky skeleton fingers. ¡®He was a good man¡­ I, too, love Hades that much.¡¯ Persephone, lifting her chin and smiling softly, didn¡¯t stop humming and put one arm on the table. Suddenly a basket full of fresh pomegranates caught her eyes. Pomegranates were Hades¡¯ most precious gift to her. Evidence of his never-ending love for her. From that day she had been free from the island. Holding the fruit in her hand, Persephone brought it up to her nose as if savoring its sweet scent. A scent that wasn¡¯t too strong and thick. The servants left after fixing her hair up. She carefully studied the pomegranate, then she untied the bundle of cloth she had set down earlier. From it, a blood-stained dagger fell with a tapping sound. And she used the blood-stained cloth to wipe it clean with all her might. Before long, the knife was as clean as a new one. She used it to cut a pomegranate in half. The blood-red insides gave off a coveted scent. Right when she opened her mouth to take a bite, the door opened. Setting the fruit back down, she stared at Ceres whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Chapter 58 - After Story (6) | 19 Chapter 58 ¨C After Story (6) | 19 ¡°Naturally, I assumed you were sleeping.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I guess you were in the middle of eating something; am I disturbing you? You aren¡¯t angry, right?¡± The goddess of death and destruction had a hell of an ego. Persephone smiled faintly and lifted the fruit back up. ¡°I won¡¯t scold you. You want one, Cer?¡± Ceres¡¯ lips quivered. ¡°It looks delicious but I don¡¯t want to eat it. More than that, if I drink that nectar¡­¡± Soon, however, a look began to spread over her face, and she became quiet. Ceres, who had been yapping nonstop, shut her mouth. ¡°Where is Hades at? I heard you were on guard duty in Pandena. You¡¯re back already?¡± Ceres had not forgotten about the previous incident; she had been sent to another underworld region under Hades¡¯ orders as soon as she recovered. By the time she had awakened, Hades had already taken Persephone as his own and even kidnapped her, so she didn¡¯t know the full truth about the two. So, she had quietly gone on her mission, and now she was back. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Persephone asked her/ ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯m your enemy or something.¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what you did, queen? Stealing Hades¡¯ invisible cap and¡­¡± Persephone, grinning low, shook her head. ¡°Oh, I see that you¡¯re still clinging onto old things.¡± Ceres, looking at the shape of Persephone¡¯s mouth, clenched her jaw. Then her gaze fell on the bloody cloth on the table. ¡°What¡¯s that blood?¡± Persephone calmly looked into her eyes and smiled refreshingly. ¡°I know you feel uncomfortable just looking at it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving Hades here alone soon to go back above ground for half a year. I can¡¯t help being a human being, the life is so beautiful. I was hoping things would work out a little bit. Just a tiny bit.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Persephone, who ignored Ceres¡¯ question, slowly pushed in her chair and stood up. And grabbed the knife again that she¡¯d tossed away. ¡°But now that it¡¯s been settled, you¡¯ve crawled back into his¡ªmy¡ª palace.¡± After flashing a picture-esque smile, a cruel and fierce possessiveness was lurking inside her that no Titan could ever possess. An evil so deep that it would cut Ceres from head to toe if she were to cross the line. Ceres shrugged her shoulders and backed away. * When it came about time for Persephone to leave, Hades was caught up with anxiety and disbelief that just filled his heart. He didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d lie about and sometimes suspected that she was a woman who could even fool Styx. He on the other hand couldn¡¯t do that. The greater the volume of love he had for her, the greater his anxiety and the less certain he had for her. No, now it would be right to call it an obsession created by anxiety. Persephone went up to him and hugged him softly. ¡°You¡¯re here, Hades. I was wondering if you¡¯d come or not¡­¡± He slowly caressed her cheeks and rubbed her lips, then he took a gentle breath and looked into her eyelids, which remained closed. She had been longing for him the whole time she was above ground, and he had cried out for poor Persephone and felt sad without her every single day. ¡°You did something good for that married couple. So smile.¡± Hades still occasionally recalled that day. Persephone¡¯s tiny island¡ªthe moment he¡¯d wrecked her nest. He couldn¡¯t stand it when she stood up like a fire. The thought of giving up on a little girl that he wanted to hold for the first time in hundreds of years didn¡¯t even exist in his mind at first. Perhaps it was from the moment they¡¯d first looked into each other¡¯s eyes. It may have been from the day when he couldn¡¯t move as if a brass nail had nailed him down. A prelude to falling for a woman¡¯s mockery and swearing eternity on the Styx River, which had become a reality. Doubt seemed to last forever. Why she had, and still could, blindly loved and deceived him. Hades, who was caressing Persephone¡¯s red cheeks, made an order with a stone-cold voice. ¡°Say you love me.¡± ¡°I love you. I can say it a million times. Up there, I love my mother the most, but in the underworld, I love you the most. So¡­ Don¡¯t forget me while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mother might coerce you to something.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t doubt that my heart will be shaken. Hades¡­¡± All of a sudden, he stared at the cloth stained in red on the table. ¡°What¡¯s that thing?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± Persephone smiled calmly. Then grabbed Hades¡¯ neck with both hands and kissed him. ¡°Pomegranate juice just bleeding through.¡± A pomegranate split in half sparkled in her coveted eyes. With a father, who raped her mother, in the skies, and a mother whom she loved and hated, the invisible world under their eyes was the most perfect cradle for Persephone. In this place lived the person who could replace her one and only mother¡¯s affection. She was happy at once. Tonight, a sinister night will be knocking at the door. -THE END- If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!)