Hades frowned and discreetly bit the inside of his lip. He stood up from his seat.

‘What on earth was that child doing in the underworld in such a short time?’

Darkness flickered like flames beneath Hades’ feet. The elongated darkness eventually spat out a helmet.

【Are you going to see Demeter’s daughter?】

“You’re going yourself? Is there a reason you need to face Kore in person?”

“…I caused the trouble, so I should be the one to resolve it.”

Hydra, who had been moving her reed pen, gaped.

“I will go to greet Demeter’s daughter myself.”

Hades threw on a pitch-black cloak. His divine form was hidden behind the veil of night.

Silence instantly fell over the office.

Thanatos and Hydra, looking at the spot where Hades had disappeared, began to gauge each other’s reactions.

“Well.”

Hydra was the first to break the silence.

【Just seeing her caused such a commotion.】

“He.”

Grumbling, Hydra glanced outside furtively.

“By the way, did you see Hades’ eyes just now?”

She asked with a worried tone.

Occasionally, the king of the underworld would emit such strange golden light from his eyes, a rare phenomenon that occurred when his emotions were intense or his thoughts sank deep into his consciousness.

【Hydra. Don’t say strange things. Doesn’t that look also appear when he’s concentrating?】

“That’s true, but…”

Hydra’s voice trailed off ambiguously.

Silence again.

Unable to bear the quiet any longer, she tidied her clothes.

“But there’s one thing I’m curious about.”

【What is it?】

“The meaning of ‘causing trouble’… is it really just the literal meaning?”

【…】

Thanatos, who had taken out his scythe, paused for a moment.

They didn’t know what conversation had taken place between Hermes and Hades, or what exactly had happened between Hades and Kore.

They only knew that Kore was not Hades’ marriage partner, and that he was not trying to renovate the palace for her.

Thanatos glanced at Hydra with a look of disdain, but his eyes also showed clear cracks.

Hydra added, as if to say “isn’t that right?”

“I mean, he’s not looking for a bride, and he firmly stated he’s not getting married, so how can he ‘take responsibility’ for an ‘incident’? Don’t you think it doesn’t make sense?”

【…He must have his reasons.】

Thanatos nodded readily.

Their irreverent misunderstanding about their superior was not yet over.

Hydra grumbled lightly, saying she couldn’t understand what those reasons could be.

Just as she was about to follow Thanatos out, she spoke up.

“Hey, but I have one more thing to ask.”

【What is it?】

“Didn’t you send messenger birds to the soldiers saying that Lady Kore was Lord Hades’ bride?”

【…】

“…”

After a long silence, finally.

【…Ah.】

The god of death realized his mistake.

“Escort her!”

Breath caught in her throat.

Persephone glanced at the guards chasing her.

They were slower than when Demeter had chased her for stealing the seed pouch, but that didn’t mean the guards weren’t fast.

At this rate, she was about to be caught.

As Persephone turned the corner of the castle wall, she quickly scanned her surroundings.

‘A weapon, a weapon! Anything!’

At the edge of her vision, heated by exertion, she spotted a shovel.

It seemed to be something the soldiers used for digging.

Clang-!

Persephone grabbed the shovel and struck the arm that suddenly protruded towards her side. The thick forearm that seemed unlikely to budge flew back a considerable distance.

The guards who had lost Persephone cried out loudly.

“Please come with us!”

“Won’t you reconsider just once more, Lady Kore?”

“We don’t want to act so disgracefully either, but we have no choice!”

Persephone frowned.

‘Why are the ones I hit crying like children?’

It was truly strange. When had she ever met these soldiers for them to be so desperate to ‘escort’ her?

‘Don’t tell me these people actually believe I’m the bride of the Underworld King?’

Persephone turned around quickly and scanned the soldiers with a look of disbelief.

Her eyes met those of the soldiers.

And then…

“You looked back at us!”

“Does this mean you’re reconsidering after all? Right?”

“Wooah!”

A fierce cheer shook the castle walls.

Frightened by the intensity, Persephone turned her back coldly.

“No!”

“Don’t go!”

Screams as if stabbed by knives erupted from behind her.

This is really driving me crazy. What on earth had that god Thanatos heard to think she was the queen of the underworld?

He even knew that she was Kore. It seemed that Charon had told him her identity.

‘That boatman, even after I gave him such a precious ‘gift’…!’

Persephone’s molars ground in anger.

Is this how he repays kindness?

‘That skull without even hair!’

She might never come to the underworld again, but if they were to meet again, she’d pluck out all his non-existent hair and scatter it in the Acheron River.

Persephone vowed revenge as she secured her cloak tightly.

She also gripped the shovel handle more firmly in her other hand to prevent it from slipping.

Fortunately, it seemed that no one was trying to harm her, as not a single soldier had drawn a weapon yet.

Did she look weak? If so, this might be her chance to escape.

With a sneer, she raised the corner of her mouth and was about to turn along the castle wall.

At that moment, soldiers sprang out from every corner in perfect unison.

“What the!”

Persephone shouted in surprise.

“Lady Kore!”

The soldiers knelt before Persephone.

Some even bowed so low they prostrated themselves.

As Persephone scanned them with an irritated gaze, the one who seemed to be the leader of the soldiers blinked his large eyes at her.

“Is the underworld not to your liking?”

“That’s right, I don’t like it!”

“Please tell us what displeases you, and we will fix it! So please don’t leave!”

Persephone, with the shovel on her shoulder, pointed accusingly.

“The underworld is damp and dark!”

A gasp of shock escaped from the soldiers.

“If, if that’s the problem, we’ll make this area more splendid! We’ll even install air purifiers!”

“Air purifiers? Are you going to hang pinwheels?”

“…”

At Persephone’s retort, the soldiers’ mouths clamped shut like clams. It seemed she had hit the nail on the head.

Lowering her body, she looked around.

“Anyway, I’m leaving. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I couldn’t go home, my mother will be worried about me!”

“Uh, h-how about we bring your mother here-”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Just as Persephone shouted and was about to turn along the castle wall.

“…!”

Her senses prickled sharply.

Her face turned pale. Her limbs stretched out in an instant as if trying to grasp the ground, anticipating danger.

Clatter!

As she did a noisy forward roll, stepping on the backs of the soldiers, a large hand with bulging veins appeared where her shoulder should have been.

Persephone’s hair ornament shook for a moment. She tore off the cumbersome ornament and looked up sharply.

“Huh…”

A low chuckle mixed with astonishment.

“You dodged that?”

A self-murmur mingled with admiration.

The hem of the storm-purple chiton, swollen by the wind, fell heavily, unable to withstand gravity.

The darkness, whether it was flame or bloodstain, pooled at the feet of the man who had suddenly appeared in midair.

“It’s truly difficult to see your face again.”

Persephone’s eyes slowly widened as she looked up.

“If I had known this meeting would be so rare…”

“…”

“I should have been more careful in that moment.”

Hades.

The king of the underworld had finally reached the castle wall.