I've Possessed Persephone - Chapter 66

Oh, of course it was a figurative ‘fainting’, not that I actually fainted.

A god’s body and nerves don’t so easily render their owner incapacitated.

“Why is everyone acting like this?”

Asclepius, who didn’t know the specific disturbance that had occurred in the office, looked around.

Hades, touching his forehead, asked him in a choked voice.

“Uh, Asclepius?”

“Yes, please speak.”

“By any chance… were there any components in that medicine that manipulate the taker’s emotions, like Eros’ golden arrow?”

“How could that be possible?”

Asclepius tightened his lips as if hearing something quite strange.

“The truth serum doesn’t manipulate emotions. It merely draws out the taker’s underlying emotions to their limit.”

“…Or is there a possibility it was made incorrectly?”

“It was made incorrectly, indeed. I tried to make a sleeping pill, but it turned out to be a truth serum. It’s my and my assistant’s oversight.”

Asclepius gazed at the distant high cliffs and mountains of the underworld.

“I should have reviewed the raw materials myself instead of entrusting them to Persephone, but that fellow was so zealous…”

“…”

“I used all my energy removing the bad components from the extract and didn’t have a chance to check myself. I apologize.”

Cold sweat trickled down Hades’ spine. Not only Hermes, who knew the situation, but also Thanatos and even Hydra gradually looked strange.

He asked one last question.

“…Then is there any chance it’s neither a sleeping pill nor a truth serum?”

“No. I counted the missing herbs after the incident occurred.”

Despite Hades’ efforts, Asclepius simply gave a negative answer.

“…”

Hades, burying his face in his palms, rose from his seat very slowly.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the Lord of the Underworld, emitting a pale light from his eyes.

As his large, calloused hand tightly gripped the window frame, bits of stone crumbled and fell.

Crash-!

One side of the office wall collapsed.

Hades’ hand, which had easily demolished the wall, sliced through the air and charged quickly.

Realizing that his next target was another wall, Hermes burst out:

“Hey, no violence, no violence!”

The messenger god, who had darted out first, grabbed Hades’ waist as he tried to turn the office into an open lobby.

From that moment, Hades began to struggle like a fish caught by a fisherman.

“I’ll die, I’ll die.”

“Suicide is not allowed either!”

“Don’t stop me. I’m begging you like this!”

“If you’re going to beg, do it in front of Persephone!”

Hades let out a silent scream.

Finally shaking off Hermes’ arm, he jumped out through the gaping hole.

Of course, the god’s body once again did not allow its owner to be easily injured.

Hades, who had fallen as if collapsing to the ground, gently placed his feet on the surface. Very lightly and refreshingly, quietly.

“…”

【…】

“…”

His colleagues and subordinates gathered in front of the hole in the wall, looking at the back of his head.

As a bonus, murmurs of conversation could be heard, such as ‘Did you know?’ ‘…I heard from mother. Messenger god, what about you?’ ‘Well? I’m not sure.’

Hades, who had reached enlightenment, lifted his head towards the clear sky.

Ah, of all days, the sky is high and blue today…

* * *

Inside the office, after Asclepius left to make an antidote – fortunately, he was sent away before knowing the full context – and the confusion had somewhat subsided.

Except for Hermes, who left smiling following Asclepius, and Thanatos, who was refraining from speaking with a strangely complicated expression…

“Ah, well, so…”

There was only one person here who could barely bring up the topic.

“…Lord Hades, towards Miss Persephone…”

Hydra, who had finally come to her senses, glanced at Hades.

While stammering, she subtly raised the corners of her mouth and continued to revisit the past. She seemed quite pleased with this situation.

“So, so that’s how it was.”

“…”

“Somehow, from the moment the misunderstanding first arose and you vehemently denied her being your bride, to eating meals after a long time for Miss Persephone’s sake, all…”

“That’s not it. I didn’t have feelings back then.”

“Ah, yes…!”

Hydra nodded, with a look of disbelief, but as if agreeing out of courtesy.

【Were you not in a romantic relationship?】

“What are you suddenly talking about? This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

【…My mother said so.】

“…”

Is this the aftermath of Persephone meeting Nyx? Hades contemplated whether he should explain this as well, and finally opened his lips with difficulty.

“It’s not… Just…”

【Just?】

“…It’s my one-sided love.”

【Ah…】

Thanatos let out a deep sigh.

Don’t look at me so pitifully…

“Miss Persephone is a lovable person, isn’t she? So, I don’t think it’s unreasonable.”

“…”

“…Cheer up…”

Hydra smiled, clenching her fists. Hades gave a heartfelt reply.

‘I’m grateful that at least you say that.’

“It’s not comforting at all.”

Before Hades could cover his mouth, Hydra, who had received a great shock, collapsed right there on the floor.

Thanatos grabbed her as she trembled and shook her shoulders, telling her to come to her senses.

“Oh my, what a sight this is again.”

Hermes, who had returned from Asclepius, clicked his tongue at their appearance.

As Hades, who was half out of his soul, raised his head towards Hermes, the messenger god held out a transparent glass bottle.

“Here, the antidote. I quickly received it.”

“If I drink this, will this cursed state be resolved?”

“Well, yes. That’s what they say.”

Hermes, scratching the back of his head, looked over Hades’ assistants rolling on the floor, then lowered his eyes, pretending to be truly regretful.

“Just rest for today. It’s not at all a situation where you can work.”

“…”

“Oh, by the way, I kept my oath? I didn’t spread rumors, right?”

“…Yes, I know.”

That appearance of meticulously claiming it wasn’t his fault was annoying, but there was no time to point it out.

Hades opened the bottle without hesitation. The contents of the glass bottle quickly diminished down his throat.

“How is it?”

“…Well.”

The taste was ordinary, and since it wasn’t a fragrant medicine, he couldn’t tell if his condition had changed.

However, he did feel a bit calmer.

Just as Hades was about to express his customary thanks to Hermes.

“Oh, Miss Persephone?”

Hermes pointed at the hole in the wall behind him.

“…What are you doing there?”

Huh, that fellow is trying to deceive me again with another scheme.

But I won’t fall for it twice. As Hades confidently thought this and skimmed through the dusty documents, it was at that moment.

“Lord Hades?”

…Is it an auditory hallucination?

“Why is there a hole here?”

“…”

“Was there an attack or something?”

A fluttering shadow loomed over the wooden desk.

As long hair came into view, Hades’ legs jumped up like an autumn cricket. It was an uncontrollable physiological response.

Just as his hand was about to wrap around Persephone’s waist.

“I’m sorry, Lord Hades!”

The moment a terrifying impact sound was heard, pain struck his crown. As his head rang like a shepherd’s bell, Hades’ body staggered.

“…But I’m a righteous thief, aren’t I…”

At the edge of his fading vision, a staff with two snakes hissing was caught.

* * *

This time, he really fainted and woke up.

Perhaps because he was hit by Hermes’ strike, the back of his head hurt a little. He touched his slightly swollen head and picked up a glass of water.

Hermes placed his hand close to Hades’ heart and put his other hand to his ear. He solemnly declared.

“It’s a severe case of Persephone addiction.”

Hades let out a hollow laugh and gestured.

‘You should go to the surface now. Haven’t you worked hard enough?’

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll just water this daffodil and let you refute.”

“…”

“…”

“You really are in a serious condition.”

“Shut up.”

Hermes literally shut his mouth, then started chattering with ventriloquism.

“I found out from Asclepius that if the antidote doesn’t work, time is the medicine. Or you achieve ‘what you want’, Lord Hades.”

“…”

“What to do now… It seems the only antidote will be Miss Persephone.”

Hades let out a sigh.

Thanatos and Hydra were watching him, and it seemed that during the very short time he had fainted, they had sent Persephone, who had come through the hole in the wall, away again.

It was around that time that Thanatos asked a question.

【Then how about avoiding the sprout for a while?】

“…That, I can’t do.”

He had already avoided her before. He didn’t want to do anything that might make her misunderstand.

“How about saying you’re sick?”

“She’ll come back saying sick people need to eat.”

“How about staying in Tartarus for a while?”

“She’s a woman who even plucked the scariest hair of Nyx in Tartarus. There’s no way she can’t come.”

“…”

“…And if I’m there, who knows what problems might arise due to my unstable state.”

There was no solution that worked for someone who appeared here and there in the blink of an eye.

“…This is hopeless.”

Hermes sighed and ruffled his bangs.

“Let’s fight power with power.”

“What do you mean-”

“Well, so, Miss Persephone?”

Hermes, who had gone to the office door as if folding space, grabbed the doorknob. As the gap opened, pink hair fluttered.

“Can I come back in?”

“Yes. Sorry for suddenly chasing you out. We were in a hurry.”

Hermes let Persephone back into the office, then pointed at the restless Hades.

“Lord Hades has changed as if he was struck by Eros’ golden arrow.”

“…What?”

“No, he wasn’t actually pierced by an arrow, just drank a potion that has a similar effect, shall we say?”

Hermes, who had brought Persephone, who was about to have a fit, in front of Hades, continued.

“So he wants to act ‘a bit annoying’ towards Miss Persephone, it seems.”

“…”

“But don’t worry. He won’t do anything bad.”

Hermes turned to Hades with a kind face.

“Right, Lord Hades? You’ll swear by the River Styx?”

“…I will.”

Hades’ heart was moistened with about a cup of relief. Because his heart, burning like fire, still knew conscience.

After that, Persephone listened to Hermes’ explanation, interspersed with lies.

The gist of the explanation was this: The effect of the medicine would probably wear off after some time, and until then, what Persephone had to do was to be by his side.

“So…”

Eventually, Persephone wore a determined expression.

“I have to take responsibility for Lord Hades, right?”

“Something like that.”

“Do I need to become the Queen of the Underworld?”

“What?”