Persephone snorted and turned her head as if she had said all she needed to say. Hades’ gaze fell sideways for a moment, and a golden star swirled around his pupil.

He exhaled a hot breath and carefully opened his lips.

“……Even if you were the only one who could solve it, that’s just my own feeling. You shouldn’t have to take responsibility for it.”

“Then will you take responsibility if I become like that?”

“……”

A dry swallow went down his throat.

What does she mean?

Why is she suddenly acting like this?

……What did I do?

All sorts of questions tore at his chest. Hades, watching her pink hair ripple with his eyes, murmured as if soothing her.

“……The word ‘responsibility’ is a bit much.”

“What?”

Just as Persephone was about to retort if that meant he wasn’t going to take responsibility.

“Because you are not a burden I have to take on.”

Her eyes flickered once.

“Responsibility refers to a burden or obligation, doesn’t it?”

“……Was it?”

“Usually, yes.”

The responsibility Persephone spoke of was synonymous with paying attention and taking care of him. It was similar to how Demeter or Cyane cared for her.

However, Hades imagined a relationship more confined by duty.

Realizing that their definitions of ‘responsibility’ differed, Persephone scratched her cheek as if embarrassed.

Hades crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand.

“Anyway, I don’t find you burdensome.”

“Why?”

“Well……”

His lips moved slightly as he muttered.

“……It’s nice to have you around.”

“……What?”

Persephone’s eyebrows twisted as she stuck a needle into the linen.

Hades continued as if making an excuse.

“To begin with, don’t you take pride in what you do?”

“I do.”

“Speaking as the ruler of the underworld, I think it’s very fortunate that you came here.”

“……”

“It’s not something a ruler should say, but the underworld is a place where the dead gather, so it’s stagnant. It’s just rolling along like a wheel without any change, so it’s not very interesting.”

Feeling he might have engaged in too much self-deprecation, Hades quickly added.

“Of course, I do want to make it a better place, but……”

“I think it’s fine as it is.”

“Huh?”

That’s when Hades was surprised.

His gaze, which had been fixed on the floor, rose like the sun. Persephone continued to stick the needle in and out of the linen repeatedly.

“The underworld is cozy, isn’t it? Quiet.”

“……”

“The surface is bright and warm, but thinking about it now, it seems it was quite chaotic. I think that might be why I was a bit scattered too.”

It might be an excuse, and it’s not that she disliked the surface, but there were certainly too many things above ground that could distract her attention.

“By the way, you can tell from my expression that I’m being sincere.”

“……I know.”

Hades’ sight caught her thin eyebrows bent in a ν shape.

He secretly placed his hand on his chest.

His heart was beating fiercely, to the point of bewilderment, no, even fear.

He pressed down on his heated thoughts as calmly as possible. His reason reconnected the finely cut thread of thought.

“The underworld is cozy, isn’t it? Quiet.”

For some reason, the goddess of seeds had grown attached to the underworld.

“You said I concern you.”

He said she concerned him.

Then…….

At that moment, a deeply buried passion stretched.

In his eyes like the night sky, a bright yellow full moon peeked out.

‘Can I grab her?’

If I grab her…… will she let herself be grabbed?

Hades glanced at the knitting made with Nyx’s hair in the basket and clenched his fist.

Alright. This will be the last ‘knitting’.

He rubbed around his neck, pretending to be nonchalant.

“But your home must be quite cozy too.”

“……”

“The underworld is quiet, but I’m not sure if it’s as comfortable as Lady Demeter’s house in Sicily. I’m glad if you felt that way.”

Hades glanced at Persephone after cutting off his words lightly as if it wasn’t a big deal.

Persephone lifted the linen to see if the sewing was done properly.

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat and stuck the needle deep into the fabric she had turned over again.

“You know the house on the Sicilian plateau?”

“……Yes.”

“Actually, that’s not home.”

Suddenly, Hades’ breathing quickened.

“No, I did live there, but……”

“Then……?”

“It’s a vacation home. Not my real home.”

What’s the difference between a vacation home and a real home? Just as he was wondering why she was telling this story.

“When I was younger than I am now, I moved around quite a lot.”

Her needle, having finished stitching one corner of the linen, went straight to the next corner.

That’s right. Even in her early teens, Persephone moved countless times following Demeter.

She had fun experiencing new things and accumulating various knowledge every time they moved, but perhaps it was because her nature was like a field that stays in one place.

“……Moving so much, I didn’t have many friends in my early teens.”

Separate from her curiosity, frequently changing residences in a short time wasn’t comfortable.

“After I grew up a bit, my mother stopped moving, but……”

“……”

“I’m still a bit anxious that we might move again. I’d have to part with my friends and the fields I’ve cultivated.”

Cyane was the first nymph she became close to in Sicily. It had already been five years since they became friends.

If she had to part with such a friend again, even the always optimistic Persephone would inevitably feel down for a while.

‘It’s fortunate that I became friends with water nymphs.’

Unlike fixed forests or rocks, water circulates.

There was probably a reason why most of Persephone’s friends in Sicily, including Cyane, were water nymphs – she had unconsciously chosen those she could meet ‘again someday’.

“So the ‘vacation home’ in Sicily, while warm, pleasant to live in, and not lonely with many people around, wasn’t a completely comfortable place.”

“……”

“Because I might have to leave someday.”

Observing the gentle smile on her lips and her still raised eyebrows, Hades moved his tongue with difficulty.

“……It must have been hard.”

“Not really.”

Persephone laughed it off as if it was nothing, but Hades was sincere. He had no idea she had such a past.

‘But did she mean I should leave, and not think about anything else?’

You trash. I should have realized that just because she’s always smiling doesn’t mean her inner self is always the same……!

Hades rubbed his temples after repeatedly punching himself in the head in his mind.

After numerous thoughts gathered and collapsed repeatedly, his mind now drew only one conclusion.

……Still, he had a card that could dig into Persephone’s emotions.

Hades, having regained his composure, posed a question.

“Persephone. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“……By any chance, even after leaving the underworld, would you be willing to return here?”

Persephone turned to look at Hades with wide eyes.

“Is that possible?”

“It’s not impossible. Looking at the cases of the messenger god and Thanatos, there are clearly those who can enter and exit the surface and underground without limit.”

They could go to the surface even after eating food made from ingredients from the underworld.

It was because the king of gods allowed it.

“If you wish…… I’ll even make a request to my little brother to allow you to visit this place, even if briefly.”

So if Hades ‘asks’ the king of gods to allow Persephone, who has returned to the surface, to come and go to the underworld even for a short while…….

“……Because we will always be here.”

It would be perfect.

“Even if you leave the underworld, even if you move residences following Demeter, we will always be in the underworld. This is our ‘home’, and unlike the ‘vacation home’ on the surface, it’s always underground.”

Hades’ irises were filled with a clear golden color.

“As long as you find the entrance properly, you’ll be able to find my palace quickly.”

The man showing his will was reflected in her clear light green eyes.

Hades barely managed to pull out the words he had intended to end with just thoughts.

“I will leave everything as you cultivated it.”

“……”

“So come back to the underworld anytime.”

Even a short rest was fine. It would be even better if treated as a sanctuary.

At least, if they could continue after the short 6 months…….

Hades silently met Persephone’s eyes.

It was still burdensome to wait for her answer, but now he could at least outwardly propose with composure.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

The king of the underworld smiled.

* * *

“Lord Asclepius!”

“Oh my, you startled me.”

Here, a woman burst into Asclepius’ research room cum personal room.

Asclepius shouted at Persephone.

“The door’s going to break! Enter more gently!”

“That’s not important right now.”

“Why, what’s so important then?”

“……”

Persephone, who had been biting her gums with the tip of her tongue, asked roughly.

“……Has Lord Hades’ medicine worn off?”

What nonsense is she talking about, bursting in suddenly? Asclepius scratched between his bushy furrowed brows.

“Yes, it has. I confirmed it.”

“……”

“Why do you ask?”

Persephone, who had been staring blatantly at Asclepius, soon raised her cheekbones as if it really was nothing.

“……Oh, it’s nothing! Never mind!”

It was a transformation that would make onlookers marvel.

‘Why is she suddenly acting like this?’

Just as Asclepius picked up the mortar again to grind the dried herbs that had become hard lumps.

“Anyway, today was an exciting day.”

Persephone laughed, ha ha, and spread a handful of dried lavender from the herb drawer.

“Is it because what Lord Hades drank was a love potion?”

“……What?”

“I didn’t know there was such a thing besides Eros’ golden arrows!”

Asclepius’ brain stopped for a moment.

‘Love potion?’

The circular motion of the pestle also stopped.

“Should I make him drink it again next time……?”

Persephone muttered to herself softly between her twitching eyelids.

She waved goodbye to the bewildered Asclepius with a big smile.

“Well then, I have something to make, so I’ll be going now! Take care!”

“No, wait−”

Before Asclepius could stop Persephone, she had already dashed out of the room.

The door slammed shut, striking his dazed mind.

“……”

Silence filled the room.

Then, as Asclepius grasped the situation, he collapsed in his seat like a sandcastle before a wave.

……He didn’t want to know the inner thoughts of his superiors!