Persephius

Something strange was happening.

‘What on earth is going on?’

I walked down the corridor with my chest puffed out like a peacock, deliberately making a show of myself. I acted like my head was full of mischievous ideas, suggesting that if someone didn’t stop me right away, I might cause an unimaginable accident. 

Usually, even when I was just smiling because I was in a good mood, someone would grab me and shake me from head to toe, then inevitably drag me before the throne. 

Most often it was Thanatos, but lately even the bald one who complained about everything and the large goddess with her unpleasant smirk had been giving me a hard time. 

But for the past few days, no one in the palace had shown any interest in me. More than lack of interest, they were acting like I wasn’t even visible.

Gods rushed through the palace like the wind, crossing back and forth, while the attending nymphs moved in silent groups with obvious worry layered on their already pale faces. 

The judges who normally gathered carrying enough judgment scrolls to fill a cart were nowhere to be seen. And, truly strange, even the groans of the dead had quieted. They seemed to be fearful of something. What could already dead people possibly be watching out for?

At this rate, I could walk right into the Underworld King’s treasure vault and still be ignored. If even I could feel this, something was definitely wrong.

‘Come to think of it, where is Hadeia? The throne room is empty, and she shows no sign of appearing even when I loiter near the fortress walls.’

She generally left me to my own devices. Well, she was the only ruler of this vast Underworld, so no matter how handsome and energizing I might be, she couldn’t focus solely on me. I understood that. 

Still, whenever I lingered too long in one place with a suspicious look, she would appear literally like death itself. With a quiet face that mixed doubt, annoyance, and thread-thin but silver-bright interest.

She clearly had goodwill toward me. With each passing day, this fact was proven by how she rescued me, and by the countless hours I spent loitering near the ruins with no particular thought other than to draw her out.

Honestly, even I knew I was being a nuisance to her and the Underworld. Yet she still respected me enough to leave me free, saved my life, and now even provided me with some safe food. 

If she disliked me, she wouldn’t do that. Even if my mother was Demeter. The beautiful Hell Queen’s generosity was shown only to me. It was thrilling enough to brag about and made me feel proud.

I suddenly stopped walking. Not only was strutting around quite tiring, but I also spotted Hypnos crossing the colonnade toward the office. His face was sleepy, his eyelids barely lifted. I recognized the scrolls he was carrying in his arms. 

They looked exactly like the documents Hadeia always had piled up beside her. The pale parchments, the ebony and paulownia wood staffs carved into eerie skulls or wolf heads, all looked the same.

Just then, a bald man in purple clothes followed Hypnos into the office. 

Hmm, paperwork for the god of sleep and the god of complaints? The worst possible task assignment. Who in their right mind would entrust such work to them? Only if they were extremely short-handed, or in an unavoidable situation.

I’m as perceptive as I am handsome. And intelligent too.

‘Could something be wrong with her?’

I’m also a remarkably perfect man with drive. The moment the thought occurred that Hadeia might have a problem, I could no longer afford to be complacent like bait on a fishing hook. I immediately ran after Hypnos and the bald one.

My sandals, accustomed to soft grass and sweet flower petals, made a wearing sound against the cold, rough stone floor of the Underworld. One of the straps seemed broken or loose. 

The sound was like someone slapping a cheek, or perhaps like the breathing of a dying animal struggling for air.

“What’s this?”

Unfortunately, the office door was open. So I had to save my grand entrance of kicking the door for another time. 

Inside were only Hypnos, the bald one, and a large goddess with an eagle-like face. While Hypnos was one thing, I was quite uncomfortable with those other two. I ignored the bald one’s grumbling and examined the room more carefully.

Everything was in disarray, unlike the typically stark and clean Underworld palace. Parchments had fallen like autumn leaves everywhere, and the three gods looked thoroughly stressed about how to handle this mess. 

I turned my head toward Hadeia’s place. Her wide desk was completely covered with various scrolls and letters. But her marble chair was empty. Only black fabric hung down gloomily to the floor like a fallen flag. My lips went dry.

“Where is my aunt?”

“Get out, get out, kid. Can’t you see we’re swamped with work? Don’t interfere, just move!”

“This is my aunt’s office, so why are you here? Why are you scattering her work as you please?”

“Look at this! How dare you say ‘as you please’! Listen, you blond country boy, we’ve been serving Hades since long before you were even conceived in your mother’s womb. We know better than anyone what needs to be done and how to do it. Hades trusts us.”

The bald one flared up, dumped the scrolls he was holding onto Hypnos, and approached me, pointing his finger. I straightened my shoulders and didn’t back down a single step.

“Do you think we’ll be impressed by your pretending to be close, calling her ‘aunt’ this and ‘aunt’ that? What aunt! It was your father who caused all this suffering for Hades. Do you think Hades will find it cute and indulge you when you annoy her by calling her aunt? Good grief, even a complete stranger would be more welcome than you.”

“My, Momus, that’s harsh.”

The goddess in navy clothes giggled. Her tone didn’t sound at all like she was trying to stop him.

“I’ve been meaning to say this for a while. Not only do you defy royal orders and act however you please, but now you’re insulting us loyal servants. How can we tolerate this? Besides, do you know why Hades is sick in bed right now? Isn’t it all because of your father? If I were you, I wouldn’t be able to show my face, you shameless fellow.”

“Aunt is sick in bed?”

When I jumped up in surprise, suddenly bald Momus closed his mouth. From behind him, I heard Hypnos exhale a sleepy sigh.

Impossible! The god of death, sick in bed? I had never heard anything more bizarre. 

I pressed for answers.

“Tell me properly. Is my aunt sick? What’s wrong with her? Why is she ill? Isn’t she a god? A great one at that? How can she be sick? No, more importantly, is there a doctor… any medicine? If she’s ill, she needs treatment right away!”

“Youth is wonderful, wonderful. So full of energy.”

“He’s more than a little annoying.”

No pointed answers came back. Momus grumbled but soon rolled his eyes and seemed ready to back away, apparently regretting having revealed the secret himself. So I turned my head to the goddess who was smiling unpleasantly beside him. 

Recalling how she often questioned me and brought me to the throne room on various pretexts, she was clearly one of Hadeia’s close associates. She must know something.

“Handsome son of Demeter, it’s admirable how concerned you are for our king. If she knew, she would surely be impressed.”

“Where is my aunt now? Can I see her?”

“Oh dear, that won’t be possible.”

“Why not?”

“Such an impatient temper. Well, we haven’t been formally introduced, have we? I am Eris. Though we’ve already met.”

Eris smiled broadly, showing her even teeth.

“Why don’t we forget about past incidents? I was only following orders to watch you, so I had no choice.”

Her suddenly friendly attitude seemed suspicious. I didn’t answer and looked her up and down, examining her like checking if a snake was coiled inside a jar before opening it.

Seeing my cautious attitude, Eris seemed even more pleased for some reason.

“But it wasn’t a loss for you, was it? Our sovereign isn’t someone easily granted an audience with. What better excuse than me personally escorting you? With someone like Hades, even a scolding can sometimes be sweet, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Ha, ha, you know very well!”

I kept my mouth shut. My ears grew hot for no reason.

“Tell me about my aunt. Since I’m indebted to her hospitality here, if she’s unwell, it’s only right that I visit her personally to pay my respects.”

“Hmm, yes, that would be appropriate. If it were an ordinary illness.”

“Eris!”

Momus, who had been quietly retreating to unfold scrolls and work, called out in warning. But Eris acted like she couldn’t hear him.

“That complainer has a point. This is an issue of our Underworld. It’s very intimate and private, also Hades’ secret. Since you belong to the flower clusters under the sunlight, I can’t carelessly tell you… Oh, but now that I think about it.”

She acted exactly like a performer in a play. She began to manipulate me with dramatic sighs and clever words that tested my patience.

“Perhaps you could be of help. You, with your torch-like warmth, shining and vibrant like a daffodil.”

“Me? What kind of help?”

“Sharing with our king. The things you possess.”

I was like a calf born in spring. My mother had raised me as an eternal child, a virgin Kore, so I hadn’t fully learned the ways of the world. Especially matters between men and women.

Of course, I knew why eggs appeared in nests when sparrows pressed their bellies together. I wasn’t naive, just pure. Under my mother’s blessing, livestock mated and gave birth. 

So I couldn’t help but know about the act of conception. But applying the frogs’ all-night croaking in the pond, the female mantis eating the male’s head, or the stallion biting the mare’s mane while mounting her to my situation was quite a peculiar problem.

So I asked foolishly:

“How exactly?”

The goddess of discord smiled until her mouth couldn’t stretch any further.

“Go see the attendant who manages her chambers. He will tell you.”