For a moment, a strong appetite and curiosity arose.

‘Meat?’

Hydra craned her neck more flexibly than Persephone.

What came into view was a pot hanging on a tripod-like stand, with a brazier holding firewood underneath.

[Sprout, the meat is going to burn.]

…And her colleague and friend Thanatos as well.

Hydra’s mouth fell open.

‘Wait, where did the prisoner go and why is that guy here?’

Thanatos was tending to the fire near the brazier.

Hydra, who was glaring at him with an incredulous expression, pointed at the fool whose appetite seemed to have become voracious for some reason in the past few days.

“Why… I mean, why is Thanatos here?”

“Oh, he caught some meat because you ate too much of what I made last time. It’s beef.”

“And where did that prisoner go?”

“He got annoyed at Thanatos for putting too much herbs and launched a preemptive attack, so…”

Just then, Thanatos called out rather irritably.

[Persephone, hurry up and leave that one behind! If there are more mouths to feed, there won’t be any left for us!]

Hydra’s eyes narrowed into sharp triangles.

“Hey, you’ve said enough!”

Her steps headed towards the brazier as she shouted at Thanatos.

Up close, the scent of olive oil and basil wafted from the heated pot.

Pieces of meat sizzled inside. Hydra’s saliva-filled mouth opened slightly.

‘This isn’t right!’

Realizing that her eyes were gradually losing focus, she hurriedly grabbed her chin.

Persephone had somehow followed them to their side, and picked up a metal skewer close to the brazier. She picked up a piece of meat and held it out to Hydra, who was swallowing her saliva.

“Would you like one?”

Persephone’s gaze pierced into Hydra’s face.

‘Can I eat it?’

Hydra’s long tongue swept the inside of her mouth, brushing against her venomous fangs.

Her venom not only paralyzed nerves, but once it touched the skin, it would burrow in and coagulate the blood.

It wasn’t the typical kind found in ordinary venomous snakes, so it had the advantage of being extremely difficult to neutralize, but…

‘The problem is that it solidifies the meat when eating too.’

Snakes weren’t creatures that tore their food apart, so it was fine to swallow it whole, but meat eaten that way took longer to absorb.

“I’m not sure, I probably won’t be able to properly taste or feel the texture even if I eat it.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a venomous snake. The venom will probably come out and solidify it when I eat?”

“Have you ever eaten in human form?”

“…”

No, she hadn’t.

She had only swallowed prey whole and digested it when she was a monster.

Since taking on a human form, she hadn’t experienced eating anything other than drinking water.

Persephone fixed her gaze on her teeth.

“Your canines just look long and sharp, but everything else seems human. Come on, give it a try.”

“Still, now I’ll have to chew and swallow, so more venom will probably come out…”

“It’s okay, if the taste is strange, I’ll give you more.”

Persephone lowered the skewer slightly and began stabbing the meat repeatedly. In an instant, she had made a kebab and held out the handle part.

“Oh, you won’t die from the venom, right?”

“No, not from that…”

Hydra lowered her head awkwardly.

The monster’s instincts still remained within her.

Now that she had a human esophagus and couldn’t swallow in one go, she’d have to chew each piece to release the juices.

Is it really okay to eat?

She took a bite of the kebab with a face full of skepticism.

“…”

She chewed the meat with her molars and front teeth, careful not to let it touch her fangs.

The distinctive olive flavor and savory taste spread in her mouth.

The meat was adequately tender with a grilled flavor that naturally stimulated her appetite. Her chewing speed gradually increased.

Hydra’s cloudy complexion slowly cleared and took on a bright hue. She finished one kebab without even realizing whether venom was coming out or not.

Persephone, with a pleased expression, skillfully wedged skewers between her fingers like daggers.

When she extended the back of her hand to Hydra, her hand hovered hesitantly around the skewers.

“…Can I have more?”

“Of course!”

Persephone readily affirmed and held out the back of her hand.

After confirming that Hydra had taken all the skewers, she unhesitatingly picked up a piece of meat with her front teeth and pushed it to one side as if pulling a string.

Her mouth, which looked much larger than expected, bit down on the skewer end where the meat had gathered all at once.

Surprised by this sight, Hydra turned her gaze towards Thanatos.

As expected, Thanatos was even worse.

He swallowed the meat without even chewing. It seemed like it might get stuck in his throat.

“…”

Hydra silently eyed the glistening meat.

One thing was certain now. People who hardly ever ate were now falling for the food Persephone had made.

‘…But isn’t someone who gives you food always a good person?’

Hydra chewed and swallowed the meat, thinking it was a dangerous idea.

Just as she was about to ask if she could have another one.

“Um, could we eat together like this from time to time in the future? Even if it’s just once a day.”

Yellow eyes like full moons intersected with moist lime-green irises.

“Uh… Miss Persephone, what did you just say?”

“I asked if you’d like to have meals together.”

Hydra, wiping the meat grease from her lips, furrowed her brows.

“…Why?”

“I always used to eat with my mom.”

Persephone’s eyebrows drooped into a frown.

“But this is the first time I’ve been away from family… so eating alone feels a bit lonely. I didn’t have any siblings either.”

“…Ah…”

For a moment, she wondered if the earth goddess really had no other children, but…

What this seed goddess was saying now was a story that naturally invoked guilt, so reason quickly blurred.

‘Oh, what should I do.’

Honestly, she felt sorry for her.

Hydra herself, well, even if they weren’t close, she at least had Cerberus staying by the gate as a sibling…

This child had essentially been separated from her only family by coming to the underworld…

‘…But Lord Hades said not to get too close.’

Hydra held her breath and tensed her eyelids.

‘You, you shouldn’t do this!’

Just as she was about to wave her hand and speak, having decided to follow orders.

“Okay!”

Hydra nodded vigorously and answered instinctively.

[This is the timeline separator]

At that time, inside Hades’ office.

“…Why isn’t she coming?”

Hydra’s superior muttered in a slightly sulky tone.

Hades’ eyes, which had been wandering the sky outside the window, turned to the hourglass.

It had been quite a while since all the morning hours had been consumed. Concern clouded Hades’ eyes.

He stood up and made a light gesture.

The darkness that had been writhing at his feet spread out like a carpet, creating a single path leading to Persephone’s domain.

Hades sank down that path without hesitation.

[This is the timeline separator] [Sprout, were you always good at cooking?]

Thanatos, who had been planting bean seeds at regular intervals using shadows, suddenly threw an out-of-the-blue question at Persephone.

She, who had finished cleaning up all the skewers with Hydra, shook her head.

“No? Of course not. I burned things multiple times, overflowed water, and even started fires in the kitchen.”

[…As expected.]

Thanatos shook his head with a sour expression.

Persephone raised both index fingers.

“No, what’s with that expression!”

[It’s a face of understanding, what else?]

“How can someone be good without trial and error!”

[Well, I’ve never had any trial and error.]

Persephone narrowed her eyes and said, “Ugh.”

‘How unpleasant.’

She already knew she didn’t have any outstanding talents.

Her clumsy nature and the optimism that had become a trait due to her mother’s overprotective attitude were now beyond Persephone’s control.

In fact, the reason she started cooking was because of her mother Demeter’s worry.

It was possible because she didn’t know about the unfortunate ‘prophecy’ that had come down at that time… Her past self wanted to reassure Demeter, who wouldn’t even let her enter the kitchen.

So she worked hard to prepare dinner in a place with dangerous fire and sharp objects.

Although she was scolded a bit when caught cooking, the result wasn’t bad for a first attempt, perhaps due to luck.

After Demeter realized she could no longer stop Persephone, she even began to teach cooking enthusiastically…

[So how is it now?]

“I’m good at it now. Thanks to Mom.”

Persephone, who had been lost in recollection for a moment, replied confidently.

“I guess I was better at cooking than farming. For the past few years, Mom would cultivate and harvest, and I would prepare the meals.”

[I see…]

Thanatos trailed off slowly.

“But why are you asking this? You wouldn’t be curious about whether I was good at cooking from the beginning.”

[…There’s something I want to ask.]

“Just verbally?”

Persephone playfully made an OK sign with her hand, but.

[I’ll give you any compensation you want, be it money or manpower.]

Thanatos shook his head with a serious expression.

[What I’m about to say is about Lord Hades.]

Persephone also pursed her lips at Thanatos’ suddenly heavy atmosphere.

After a moment, he asked carefully.

[Persephone, could you help Lord Hades eat again?]