I've Possessed Persephone (9 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 1
“Kore, men are all meant to return to the earth’s embrace,” they say.
A cool breeze blew in from beyond the cliffs, together with the waves.
Remembering her mother’s words, Persephone furrowed her brow at the salty scent reaching her nose. She turned toward the nymph who was weaving a garland.
“Cyane.”
“Yes?”
“When Mother talks about men, she always mentions ‘the earth’s embrace’—that means death, right?”
Doubt clouded Persephone’s eyes. Seeing her expression, the water nymph Cyane flinched and stammered in surprise.
“W-why are you suddenly bringing up such a frightening topic?”
“Hmm…”
Persephone let out a soft hum and tilted her cheek. Resting her chin in her hand, she asked Cyane once more.
“Anyway, it seems like Mother wishes to use all men as fertilizer for the soil? That’s no different from wanting to kill them outright.”
“Surely, she must mean it metaphorically. The Earth Goddess, who nurtures all humans on this land—surely she couldn’t have meant it so literally!”
“Do you really think so?”
Unable to withstand Persephone’s persistently gleaming gaze, Cyane hurriedly bowed her head, flustered by the girl’s relentless questions, like a curious child impossible to ignore.
A long silence settled between them.
In the end, it was Cyane who yielded, showing her reluctant agreement with Persephone.
“…Well, it’s certainly clear she isn’t fond of them.”
“…”
“Honestly, I do understand Madam, but Miss, you’re all grown up now—it’s really too much to forbid you from falling in love.”
At her chatter, Persephone gave an ambiguous smile.
Her mother Demeter was constantly fretting over not being able to keep her daughter close at all times. Whenever they moved residences, Demeter always looked after Persephone first and foremost, and whenever the topic of lovers or men arose, she became utterly beside herself.
Exasperated, Persephone once bluntly questioned Demeter, who kept repeating the same cautions over and over:
“What about Lord Hades, the King of the Underworld? Should he return to ‘the earth’s embrace’ too?”
“W-what?”
“He is a man, yes, but he’s also the ruler of death! Even if you sent him back to your ‘earth’s embrace,’ he wouldn’t die!”
Caught off guard by her daughter’s sharp question, Demeter uncharacteristically gaped silently for a while, unable to speak.
“…That fellow is no exception either, Kore.”
“Hmm, really?”
“Yes, really. And besides, dear, ‘the earth’s embrace’ I speak of isn’t death at all—you cheeky thing.”
Demeter’s flustered cough still lingered vividly in Persephone’s memory.
Persephone ran her fingers over the smooth rock she used as a seat. Wild green grass danced playfully beneath her feet.
Though her mother’s pessimistic attitude was somewhat stifling, when she considered the famous myth tied to her own name…
‘Perhaps it’s still far, far better that she cares for me with all her might.’
Having savored the spring breeze, Persephone brushed off her fluttering robes and rose from her seat.
“I’m the one who should apologize more to you, Cyane. Because you’re always by my side, you never get any time for yourself.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. I’m actually much more comfortable this way.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And besides, the scenery on this island is truly beautiful, isn’t it?”
With a gentle smile, Cyane placed the garland atop Persephone’s head. A single dewdrop fell from her fingertips.
“You, Lady Kore, suit this scenery perfectly.”
She pointed toward somewhere within the island’s forest.
“Shall we all go make garlands together?”
At the spot where Cyane’s finger pointed, nymphs—the daughters of the sea god—were playing merrily.
Hearing their cheerful laughter, Persephone’s heart lifted instinctively. Swinging her arms alternately, she began walking briskly toward the flower field.
“Alright, I’ll have to show off my skills!”
“You won’t tear it apart in frustration halfway through, will you?”
“Of course not! Don’t you know I’m actually pretty good with my hands? I’m great at cooking too!”
“It’s true you do surprisingly well with food, unlike your usual self…”
“What was that?”
“Ah—nothing at all!”
Persephone snorted disdainfully and swept back her wind-tousled hair. She kicked aside pebbles underfoot, clearing her path as she walked.
It was then, at the end of her carefree steps, that she spotted the narcissus.
“…”
For the first time, the smile that had lingered on Persephone’s face vanished completely.
“Lady Kore?”
Sensing something odd, Cyane studied Persephone carefully.
“Is… something wrong?”
“…No.”
Persephone shook her head lightly with a smile.
“I was just admiring how pretty the narcissus is.”
Of course, it was a lie.
“You’re talking nonsense again—it’s always been beautiful, hasn’t it?”
Yes, that’s right. It was beautiful. Still is. She gave a vague reply and bit softly on the inside of her lip, unnoticed by Cyane.
This place was an island, and Persephone herself was playing with nymphs.
And if there were narcissus here too, then…
‘Am I about to get abducted soon?’
A chill ran down Persephone’s spine, and she shuddered.
* * *
Indeed. ‘Persephone’ already knew she would be abducted in the future.
She hadn’t known this future since birth as a goddess in mainland Greece—after all, ‘Persephone’ possessed no prophetic ability to foresee events like an oracle.
However, after falling gravely ill at age ten, she realized she had a past life.
In that past life, she had lived in a rural peninsula country filled with mountains and seas but no tall buildings—a place where myths were vividly passed down among people.
Because of those memories, she now understood she was ‘Persephone’ from Greek and Roman mythology.
And any myth concerning ‘Persephone’ inevitably centered on her infamous abduction and marriage.
Persephone’s husband was Hades, King of the Underworld.
In the myth, Hades, instantly smitten upon seeing Persephone, abducts her to make her his wife.
“I really don’t want to get abducted…”
Persephone muttered under her breath, barely audible to anyone else as she followed Cyane.
How could she, a goddess of seeds, possibly live in the Underworld filled only with the dead?
Before she knew the myth’s plot, Persephone had set a goal: someday she would live independently, with a fine house and temple of her own.
She believed that if Demeter saw her thriving happily, her mother would finally ease her anxieties and rest assured.
Persephone’s dream had also been simple: tending a small garden, cooking meals from her harvested crops, and living leisurely while receiving offerings from her worshippers.
But that long-cherished dream would be utterly impossible if she were abducted by the King of the Underworld.
That was precisely why Persephone, usually called a chatterbox, had been quietly gazing at the scenery ever since—they couldn’t afford to draw Hades’ attention by making any noise.
‘Besides, how can I possibly marry my own uncle? That’s absurd!’
Recalling the family ties between Hades and herself, Persephone puffed out her cheeks sulkily.
Hades and Demeter were siblings, so for Demeter’s daughter to marry him would essentially be incest.
Although blood-related marriages were unavoidable in the world of Greek and Roman myths, now that she knew the myth, she had no desire to become its protagonist—especially since her past life’s society strictly forbade such unions.
‘Well, myths are kind of sloppy anyway. If I just avoid trouble for now, I should be fine, right?’
Reassured by this optimistic thought, Persephone relaxed a little.
After all, myths were oral tales passed down over generations—since she now inhabited Persephone’s body and knew the future, there should be plenty of ways to avoid Hades’ abduction.
For example, she could simply become the obedient child who always returns home before sunset, just as Demeter instructed.
Or better yet…
‘She wouldn’t go pluck the narcissus blooming abundantly at the edge of that cliff.’
Persephone stopped following Cyane and stood still where she was.
In the myth, Hades tempted Persephone—with her and the nymphs playing on the island—using the sweet-scented narcissus. He lured her toward the boundary between the living world and the Underworld, then suddenly emerged the moment she reached for the flower, whisking her away instantly.
Persephone narrowed her eyes at the dense cluster of narcissus, each blossom unusually large.
Roughly a hundred blooms, she estimated.
Their fragrance was strong enough to reach her even from this distance, and their petals shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight—but to her, who knew the myth, they were nothing more than a trap, neither more nor less.
Just as she pouted and decisively turned away from the narcissus…
Rumble…
“…What?”
Persephone suddenly looked up.
The ground trembled uneasily.
In the distance, Cyane and the nymphs screamed sharply. Persephone, losing her balance, staggered and fell to the ground.
Her body slid down the sloping hill, coming dangerously close to a fissure in the cliffside.
‘Could it be Hades?’
Persephone quickly dug her fingers into the soil. Clinging to the grass like a spider, she sat up, spitting out a mouthful of weeds she’d inadvertently grabbed.
‘No one’s here, right?’
Fortunately, Hades wasn’t in sight—not even a glimpse.
Relieved, Persephone let out a sigh and stood up, waving reassuringly toward Cyane, who was rushing toward her.
At that very instant—
A gray shadow fell over her head.
Persephone’s eyes shot upward. Glossy black fur filled her vision.
“Eh…?”
The horse’s jet-black hoof hovered just above her crown.
The reins whipped through the air like a lash. Her gaze naturally followed them upward to their source.
It wasn’t merely a carriage—it was a chariot.
Against a background as dark as the abyss, golden ornaments gleamed, proclaiming its owner’s immense wealth. Whose chariot this was needed no guessing.
It was Hades’ chariot.
Instinctively sensing danger, Persephone’s face turned deathly pale.
No one had yet stepped out of the chariot to seize her—but there was an even bigger problem.
Namely, the chariot looming before her was dozens of times her own size…
‘Is it going to run me over?’
The garland atop her head floated upward.
“Miss!”
At the sound of Cyane’s cry, Persephone’s vision turned pitch black.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (6)
Haha, I feel like Hades is cute, I just hope he’s not really her uncle.
They’re not telling us the most important thing: is he really her uncle?
Oh my God, poor, pitiful Hades! I hope he finds happiness with Persephone.
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Miioo
What is this? Is the hero really her uncle? Will she marry him and fall in love with him? 😑