For Persephone - Chapter 24 – 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—a 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.

*