If she had met that doctor, her impression of Hades himself might have worsened.

Deep down, he was also afraid she might perceive him as a two-faced king.

“…How was the god of medicine?”

Hades cautiously asked Persephone.

“Yes, he was fine.”

She replied casually as always, washing the cutting board in running water.

Persephone was sincere, but Hades, unaware of this fact, stared at her even more intently.

Judging by her words and expression alone, it was hard to tell if she really was alright.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Hades began to probe further.

“In what specific way?”

“He was eccentric, but his nature was extremely moral.”

“And?”

“He was worried about me?”

“How so?”

A smile spread across her face as she placed a chunk of meat on the cutting board.

“He asked if Hades would say anything about me making a watermill, but I told him you’re not that kind of person.”

“…”

“I did well, didn’t I?”

Persephone’s clear eyes briefly met Hades’.

As she put the knife to the meat, Hades belatedly added.

“…Ah, yes. Yes, you did well. You did well.”

Hades took a deep breath and asked her.

“But was it your own will to become Asclepius’ assistant?”

Persephone answered as she cut the meat into pinky-length pieces and sliced the onions along the grain.

“Well, half of it was. But someday I’ll become his master.”

“You’re quite confident.”

“As a god, one should aim for a bit of insubordination, don’t you think?”

Hades couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Thank you for bringing Asclepius out. That god had only been in Elysium since coming to the underworld.”

“Is there nothing else you’d like to praise me for?”

“Of course, I also commend you for thinking of installing a watermill. It was an ingenious idea.”

“Just with words?”

“Should I give you an incentive payment?”

“Well? I’m not sure if you’d be okay with something other than money now.”

“What is it?”

Persephone, having finished chopping all the vegetables, smiled while hiding her mischief.

What she wanted was a capable worker.

Of course, the god of death and the prisoners of Tartarus would be suitable as laborers, but the one person she most wanted to recruit was just one.

Because that person would be an all-around resource capable of administrative processing and budget support.

Having thought that far, Persephone pointed at the man in front of her.

“Lord Hades?”

He abruptly stopped breathing.

If earlier he had felt like smacking his forehead, now he felt like tearing his hair out.

Just as Hades was about to open his mouth with “So, that’s,”

“Ah!”

Persephone, who had first put the meat in the pan, frowned and stepped back.

The hearth must have been overheated, as flames had risen up to her elbow.

Hades, startled, was about to reopen the faucet to catch the water inside when

“Are you trying to pour water on oil?”

Persephone shouted at Hades.

Realizing his mistake, he froze in place.

…That was a close call.

In the meantime, Persephone had already extinguished the fire by adding cabbage.

Hades, dumping the water he had gathered in his hands, shook his head.

“No, I was just flustered for a moment. I’m sorry.”

“Have you ever put out a fire before?”

“Well, when fighting, I just stepped on flames as I passed by. They would go out on their own.”

“…”

Hades slowly bowed his head, as if ashamed.

“…I really need to take care of you.”

Persephone whispered softly.

Hades jerked his head up.

Was he getting unexpected backlash here because of what was said earlier about needing to be taken care of?

“Wait, Persephone. Don’t do that.”

Hades, feeling anxious, waved his hands.

“What just happened was because I forgot too. I know you shouldn’t pour water on hot oil.”

“…”

“In the first place…”

Hades bit the inside of his lip and spoke.

“Do I really look like someone who could treat you as a caretaker?”

Persephone’s pupils dilated slightly.

She raised her eyebrows as she stepped on the small lever protruding from the hearth to adjust the fire.

You’re taking this quite seriously when it was just a joke.

Persephone, who had been blinking quietly, smiled brightly.

“Well, it was half a joke anyway, but I understand.”

Hades secretly swallowed a sigh, thinking, ‘So the other half was sincere?’

“But honestly, Lord Hades, you’re smarter than me, but I feel like you don’t know the things I know.”

“…”

“Even if I’m not taking care of you, it seems like it would be fun to teach and enlighten you.”

She giggled, covering her mouth.

“I can at least show you the small joys of daily life, right? Among food, clothing, and shelter, I’m confident in eating.”

Persephone put another pan on a different hearth and started boiling butter and flour together.

“…”

Hades watched Persephone skillfully making soup.

‘She said it would be fun to teach and enlighten.’

He swallowed hard, resting his chin on his hand.

That’s right.

Hades, the lord of the underworld, may know how to fight or handle administration, but it’s fair to say he doesn’t know most of what Persephone, the goddess of seeds, knows.

She would probably make a good teacher.

However, the woman before him was a goddess who treated everyone with familiarity.

That’s why she was also a goddess loved by all.

Others might feel differently, but at least to Hades, Persephone’s nature seemed kind.

And for now, he also felt hesitant, thinking that kindness might become poison to him.

Rubbing his face, he asked in a voice that seemed crawling, yet quite impulsive.

“Um, Persephone?”

“Yes?”

“About food and other things you know well and do, other people are just as ignorant as I am.”

“…”

“Is there any reason it has to be me you teach these things to?”

Hades smiled faintly.

“…It doesn’t seem like I have any special qualification to receive your kindness.”

The moment he spoke, he regretted it. What he had just said was not a very mature statement.

Earlier he had asked Persephone if she thought she could treat him as a caretaker, but now Hades himself was acting like a firstborn throwing a tantrum to a mother who had just had a second child.

Damn it, really, I of all people shouldn’t be like this…

“So, I find your kindness strange…”

He casually added words as if talking about something trivial.

“There are really few gods who treat me so candidly from the start, as an equal.”

Hoping his words would sound natural to Persephone.

“What grows where wheat is planted?”

It was then that Persephone threw out a question.

Hades, blinking his eyes, belatedly gave an answer.

“…Well, wheat ears would grow.”

“And where beans are planted?”

“Bean stalks would grow.”

“Right?”

Persephone tilted her head.

“The field always returns what the owner does to it.”

In her mind, a bean field that was slowly bearing fruit was already floating.

The field she had cultivated in the underworld was now covered with bean leaves. They had grown very quickly and robustly, having been fed with divine power little by little over time.

To Persephone, they were beings that returned affection and effort.

“My origin is also a field.”

So, it was inevitable that gentleness seeped through her demeanor as she thought of the fields.

“I always react the way others treat me. If there are cases where I don’t react that way, it’s only when that person is not important to me.”

The cheerful voice, like a lyre, touched Hades’ ears.

“If someone is not kind to me or acts unreasonably, I absolutely won’t be nice either.”

“…”

“So in my opinion, if you feel that I’m being kind to you, then that’s…”

Persephone smiled as she wrapped the pan handle with a cloth.

“I think it’s because Lord Hades is being gentle to me.”

The reason Persephone persisted in seeking out Hades was actually simple.

‘Doesn’t Lord Hades find it regrettable to drift apart without reason?’

Well, it seems there are humans who don’t try to hold onto people who are leaving.

But Persephone couldn’t be like that.

It wasn’t because she was particularly clingy or sentimental…

‘Because he’s a warm person.’

She might not be able to make the lord of the underworld a friend like Cyane, but now Persephone didn’t think of him as the abductor from the original story.

No, to be precise, she couldn’t.

Persephone had been quite bothersome to Hades over the past few days. She knew that much.

But the king of the underworld didn’t show even a bit of annoyance towards Persephone.

“To avoid bees, it’s better to go into a lake or river than to climb high. Do you understand?”

“…Why are you here again? Isn’t it dangerous?”

He even worried about her.

Persephone gained confidence from his kind demeanor.

That’s why she persisted, undeterred by his continued avoidance.

Believing that there must be a reason for his lukewarm attitude.

Persephone, who had added cabbage and meat to the pan with the roux, glanced back.

“…”

Hades was frowning and not saying anything.

Somehow, she had a feeling that cold sweat was running down his spine.

Persephone opened her eyes wide and exaggeratedly covered her mouth.

“Could it be that you’ve just now realized how kind you are?”