“…It’s not what you’re thinking.”

Hades, who had finally calmed down, spread his hands to Hermes.

“How old do you think I am, to be linked with that wo- no, child? There’s a limit to rudeness.”

“No, doesn’t age not really matter between gods? Rather, mental age is what counts, right?”

“……”

In other words, Hermes meant that a god with an adult body would have a mental age not too different from a fully grown human.

…He wasn’t wrong.

It was all the more painful because there was no way to refute it.

But shouldn’t there really be no impure thoughts towards that woman? How could one have such feelings for someone they’ve just met?

For the king who had lived in the quiet underworld, this was like lightning passing by.

So this isn’t what Hermes is imagining…

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

Bang!

Hades quickly slammed his head on the desk.

“Mom, what the!”

“……”

“Huh… You’ve really gone crazy.”

Surprised, Hermes let out a hollow laugh, then grinned so wide his cheeks nearly popped out.

Hades glared straight at Hermes. Rubbing his reddened forehead, he spat out:

“Anyway, it’s really not like that. I’m just… more concerned than before.”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s how everyone starts out being concerned, then ends up hugging and rolling around, right?”

“Don’t say such vulgar things!”

Finally, unable to hold back, Hades shouted.

Coughing and sputtering, he clenched his molars and fiddled with his Adam’s apple.

“I said it’s not like that. Please stop adding fuel to the fire. Don’t jump to conclusions either. It’s confusing me too.”

“Oh… You’re confused?”

“……”

Hades just shut his mouth and buried his eyes in the documents.

“Pft, at this point you should be self-aware…”

But Hermes, who had been snickering the whole time, started to bend over as if his stomach hurt, then began exaggeratedly rolling on the floor like a pillbug.

It was a sight far too undignified for one of the 12 Olympian gods. Almost unbearable to watch.

I guess he finds his own antics quite funny.

“Get up before I use you as a mop.”

“Ah, now the mystery is solved!”

“What mystery.”

“Remember when I was bragging about the birthday cake I got from Miss Persephone? Your expression soured then.”

Hades’ face soured just like back then.

“I thought only I got a birthday cake, but that wasn’t the case, so you were disappointed?”

“……”

His insides were boiling, but he kept his mouth shut.

Hermes stretched out his legs and arms like a cat. Peeking at Hades’ gloomy face, he hopped off the chair.

“Oh, what a mood!”

Hermes exclaimed cheerfully.

“I may not be able to replace Miss Persephone, but I can at least repay you with quantity over quality, and with my own strategy.”

Busily searching the underworld calendar marked by the moon’s movements on one wall of the office, he pointed to a number.

‘Is it still early summer?’

The corners of Hermes’ mouth lifted high. His eyes shone with wisdom and scheming.

“I’ll make sure you get that birthday gift from Miss Persephone one more time.”

* * *

Near Hades’ office.

As usual, Persephone was heading to the kitchen when she witnessed boxes piling up in the hallway near Hades’ office.

These wooden boxes were all empty, but interestingly, each had a name written on it.

As Persephone was rummaging through the boxes, an unexpected figure appeared at the end of the hallway.

“Lord Asclepius?”

Asclepius had neatly trimmed his previously bushy eyebrows and beard like a dandy, and surprisingly, he too was holding a wooden box with his name on it.

Persephone trotted over to him and pointed at the empty wooden boxes.

“What is all this?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but…”

Asclepius replied calmly.

“Apparently we’ve learned of a high-ranking person’s birthday, so Lord Hermes suggested that we should celebrate their special day from now on.”

A suspicious green gaze flew to the box her mentor was holding. Asclepius then kindly explained while tapping the box.

“In other words, the item in this box is a birthday gift for Lord Hades.”

“……”

“I got a haircut and groomed myself to deliver the birthday gift in person. At least I’m nominally his subordinate.”

Doubt clouded Persephone’s gaze.

“…But I already gave him a birthday gift?”

“That was just your gift, Persephone. We haven’t given him anything yet.”

“……”

Persephone’s eyes began to tremble uncontrollably.

Looking back and forth between the box and her mentor, she intertwined her index fingers.

“Um, could it be that today is Lord Hades’ birthday?”

“No, that’s not the case. I came early because I thought I should see him in person and have a longer conversation rather than just timing it precisely.”

“That’s right, Miss Persephone!”

As if confirming Asclepius’ words, someone’s bright voice chimed in.

It was the messenger god, who had arrived unnoticed.

“I asked a human farmer on the surface when the longest day is, and it’s the 21st of Skirophorion (*June)?”

“…Skirophorion?”

“Yes, the day of Lord Hades’ birthday, as Miss Persephone mentioned.”

“How much time is left?”

“Hmm… I looked at the underworld calendar…”

Hermes’ eyes rolled upwards. He held up his index finger.

“Three days from today?”

Persephone’s eyelids began to flutter rapidly like moth wings.

Hermes took Persephone’s hand politely with a kind expression. He smiled as if things had worked out well.

“Ah, but thanks to Miss Persephone, we can now celebrate Lord Hades’ birthday on the ‘proper day’ from now on.”

“……”

“Thank you so much.”

Persephone’s arm fell limply. Furrowing her brows, she asked in a murmur.

“…Then, will everyone give their gifts exactly at midnight on the 21st of Skirophorion? Except for exceptions like Lord Asclepius?”

“Most likely? I will too.”

“……”

“Especially me, I’ll give mine precisely at midnight.”

Following Hermes’ explanation, a tense silence enveloped the three.

“…So I was the only one who gave it on the 1st…?”

Eventually, Persephone mumbled blankly.

Hermes, who had been doing somersaults in the air while watching her, swam like a fish around Persephone.

“Why, Miss Persephone. Is there a problem?”

He pursed his lips.

“But Miss Persephone was the first person to give Lord Hades a gift anyway…”

Hermes trailed off, his lips curving.

“Shouldn’t that be enough to satisfy you?”

Persephone’s gaze, filled with determination, turned towards Hermes.

“…Ha, as if!”

Snorting, Persephone squared her shoulders proudly.

“I’ll just give a gift twice then.”

She vaguely pointed towards where Hermes’ box might be.

“I’ll give my gift at a more precise time than the messenger god Hermes.”

“Hmm, you’re going to beat one of the 12 Olympians?”

Rubbing his chin, Hermes shrugged.

“Don’t you think you’d need to invoke Demeter’s name to beat me, Miss Persephone? That seems necessary, doesn’t it?”

That was a tremendous provocation for Persephone, who wanted to stand on her own without relying on her mother’s name.

Her face instantly flushed red and blue. Persephone clenched her fists and shouted loudly.

“I’ll succeed with my own strength!”

Shouting “Just watch!”, she quickly moved away from Hermes and Asclepius.

And so, in the hallway in front of the office where Persephone had just caused a commotion.

“……”

“……”

Hermes, who had been waving goodbye to Persephone, and Asclepius, who was holding the box expressionlessly, slowly looked at each other.

“Is this enough?”

“Yes, well done.”

Hermes grinned and nodded vigorously at Asclepius.

Contrary to what he had said about meeting Hades in person, Asclepius didn’t enter the office and just left the box in the hallway.

Instead, Hermes darted into the office and called out to Hades.

“Lord Hades, I did well, didn’t I?”

“……”

Hades’ trembling gaze fell on Hermes.

“Come on, why are you like that? It’s a good strategy, isn’t it?”

“…What is. Hiding a branch in the forest like this?”

“Yes!”

That’s right.

Hermes had devised a plan for Hades to receive a second gift from Persephone.

The conditions necessary for smoothly executing the plan were as follows:

1. Find out when the ‘longest day’ is on the surface, then spread that date throughout the underworld.

2. Use excellent oratory and persuasion skills to convince the underworld residents, ensuring that key figures will definitely give Hades a commemorative gift.

By laying this suitable background, Persephone would surely feel a sense of crisis despite giving a gift on the 1st day of early summer – or rather, because she gave a gift on the ‘wrong day’.

Especially since Persephone, who needs people, can’t stand being alienated from those she feels a sense of belonging to, the more others go along with it, the more effective it would be.

Then, if they could easily provoke Persephone into preparing a gift… the messenger god’s plan would succeed.

In fact, Persephone had run off saying she would prepare a gift, so Hermes was now sparkling his eyes, asking for praise for his achievement.

“Haah…”

Hades sighed and stood up from his chair.

Going out into the hallway, he surveyed the endlessly growing pile of boxes with worried eyes.

Boxes belonging to key underworld figures like Thanatos, Hydra, Hermes, as well as various other gods and fairies, and most surprisingly, even some humans including Sisyphus, were placed there.

‘Some already have gifts inside.’

In cases like Asclepius, who came all the way to the office, or Nyx, who as a primordial deity wasn’t interested in such childish games, gifts were already inside the boxes.

Unlike Hermes and Persephone competing to give gifts at the most precise time.

“However, Hermes.”

“Yes?”

“I’m quite uneasy about receiving everyone’s gifts with such a hastily arranged plan…”

Hermes raised his eyebrows as if wondering why he would worry about such a thing.

“Come on, you shouldn’t just receive gifts, you should return the favor too, right?”

He approached Hades closely and whispered.

“You know? You can use reciprocation as a pretext.”

Hades looked at Hermes with suspicious eyes.

Is this really okay…?

* * *

And the next day.

“Is there anything you want from me?”

…Persephone came to the office in person.