"That mark on your lips, was that from my little sister, Zeus?"
Hades licked her lips, a strange look flashing through her eyes.
"I didn’t recognize it at first, but just now, when you made your move, you let out a burst of sky authority. That’s what reminded who that familiar feeling ca from."
Mark on his lips?
Eros thought back. The only lips he’d kissed recently were Styx’s. And the mark she left had been absorbed into Oceanus’ ring-shaped river, forming a special tributary. Then again...
"Ah, yeah, it was Zeus."
Eros’s gaze drifted slightly. He had to cover for Hera on this one. That secret was only useful if he was the only one who knew it—once too many people found out, the leverage was gone.
Besides, what was Zeus thinking, leaving a mark on his mouth of all places? Did she think no one would notice? Good thing he could bla her for everything.
"Huh?"
Persephone, who had been quietly listening in the background, suddenly made a confused noise.
She hadn’t expected Eros to have any connection to her father deity.
Eros = lover of Father = sa generation as Mother = her senior.
She’d wanted to get to know him, but now this whole situation felt like it was spiraling. Just imagining herself calling this handso man "stepmom" made Persephone feel gloomy.
She was the goddess of budding life and spring. If she didn’t feel lustful, what was the point?
"Just a friend, really. Just a friend."
Eros gave a half-hearted explanation under the pressure of their stares. Sure, he’d nibbled once—but he was the one being nibbled. And the whole situation had been so explosive he couldn’t even recall what Zeus’s lips had felt like.
So, "a very close friend" seed totally reasonable.
"Heh."
Hades chuckled silently. She clearly didn’t believe him.
Neither did Persephone, who was still tangled up in this increasingly ssy family tree.
"Let’s drop it. Why are you even fighting with Deter like this? Did she wrong you?"
Eros quickly tried to steer the conversation away from his relationship with Zeus. He couldn’t let Hades dodge the question again.
"Impossible. Mother’s always had a gentle temper. She wouldn’t do anything like that."
Hades hadn’t even replied before Persephone jumped in.
But Eros just recalled the Deter he knew.
Sure, she’d seed graceful and dignified at first, an agricultural goddess through and through. But after that day, with her endlessly grinding sickle and the way she tried to chop Hades, co on, she was a total lunatic.
That’s a "good temper"?
Eros felt even Hera had better self-control. At least you could coax her when she was angry.
Even dogs passing by Deter had to shiver and keep their legs closed, scared she’d castrate them with that damn blade.
Though to be fair, part of Eros’s fear probably ca from how much psychological damage her weapon had done. He couldn’t help wondering: if Aphrodite ever saw Deter waving around her own birthing blade, what would her face look like?
"She didn’t really wrong ," Hades finally said, her tone a little nostalgic. "She’s my elder sister, after all. What could she have done to ?"
"At most, she stole the sickle I had my eye on, beat up a few tis when we were kids, and constantly mocked for being a loner nobody loved."
Eros fell silent.
It hadn’t sounded like much at first, but when she listed it out like that... yeah, Deter had done a lot of damage. It might’ve all been little things, but the fact she rembered them so clearly ant she really had suffered.
"Is that what Mother’s really like?" Persephone hesitated. Hades’s version of Deter seed totally different from the loving figure she knew.
"So... is it because you love her?"
Eros glanced at Hades, then at Persephone. By all rights, Eros, son of Aphrodite, shouldn’t even exist yet. Could this really be love at first sight?
He knew himself and Zeus were more about lust than love. Sure, maybe feelings could develop later on, but in Zeus’s case, who knew?
But Hades clearly wasn’t the sa. Even Poseidon wouldn’t go naming soone Sea Queen just because they looked good.
"Love, huh..."
Hades looked around and saw everyone waiting curiously.
"The real reason isn’t sothing I can’t say," she finally said, "but you might find a little strange."
Even she didn’t fully understand her own heart sotis.
"I think I was just... jealous of them. A little hatred mixed in with that jealousy."
Every ti she thought about it, a surge of bitterness would rise inside her.
"We were all six sisters, born the sa way, so why did the eldest get to abandon us and escape without guilt?"
"Why do Deter and Hera get to live so happily, while I was sent to this desolate underworld, always alone?"
Her gentle deanor began to crack. Her sharp black nails etched deep grooves into the smooth tabletop.
"Oh, and Zeus too, my dearest little sister. Ever since she beca King of the Gods, I can’t read her at all."
"What is she thinking? What does she want? I don’t know anything anymore!"
Unspoken jealousy and smoldering rage burned inside her.
She didn’t even understand why she felt this way. It wasn’t like anyone forced her, she’d chosen not to run like Hestia.
But even so, the decision had twisted sothing in her heart.
And just as her emotions were spiraling out of control—
"What about Poseidon?" Eros asked suddenly.
Hades blinked, stunned.
"What about her?"
Eros spread his hands. "You nad four of the five sisters, but not her. Aren’t you mad at Poseidon?"
"That sea-brain?" Hades gave a deadpan look. "I’ve got nothing to say about her."
Even her anger hit a snag at that point.
"I see."
Eros folded his arms. Yeah, Poseidon was definitely the odd one out.
Still, sothing about Hades’s story didn’t sit right with him. He carefully replayed what she’d said in his mind and started piecing things together... though he wasn’t quite sure yet.
"So you took Persephone... to vent your emotions? To make Deter suffer the way you did?"
If she had to stay in the underworld out of duty, then dragging Deter’s daughter here made it fair?
"Sothing like that."
Hades composed herself again, regaining that soft-spoken grace.
"Well, that’s just..." Eros didn’t even know how to finish the sentence. Choosing a Queen of the Underworld had nothing to do with Persephone herself. Poor girl had just gotten caught in the crossfire.
He glanced at her, she was biting her finger, clearly thinking the sa thing.
"I’ve told you my story, so now, Eros, what do you think?"
Even though this was only their second eting, their conversation flowed like they were old friends. Chalk it up to Hades’s personality or Eros’s habit of flirting with every beautiful woman he t.
"What do I think?"
"Don’t you rember what you said? You wanted to see what kind of goddess the Queen of the Underworld was."
"Well, now you’ve seen . You understand . So, what’s your impression?"
Hades propped her chin on one hand, smiling slyly at Eros like she was waiting for a grade.
"Oh, and by the way, you also said you’d praise my looks. We’ve got plenty of ti now. Go ahead and shower with complints."
"And if I do a good job, is there a reward?"
Eros raised an eyebrow.
"That depends on how good your complints are. If I’m satisfied, maybe I’ll reward you."
Hades crossed her long legs and gave him a teasing smirk.
Their playful banter made both Persephone and Minta feel like third wheels. How were they still so comfortable with each other?
"Oh, and one more thing—letting you go won’t be part of the reward."
A dangerous glint flickered in Hades’s eyes.
"I want to steal soone Zeus has set her sights on. I want to see if she’ll panic, or if she’ll co down here herself to snatch you back."
So that’s it. Being "Zeus-certified" was basically a trophy now?
But Zeus hadn’t even gotten a proper taste yet! Even if you suck on him now, you’re not getting her flavor.
Eros rolled his eyes and completely lost interest in continuing this ridiculous topic.
Hades stood and smiled. "I’ve got other matters to handle. You two can stay here for now. Once Hades Palace is fully rebuilt, we’ll move you there."
"Don’t even think about escaping. In the underworld, I know everything."
"Like right now, your mother and that sleepy little god are trying to gather backup to rescue you. I already know all about it."
Poseidon, are you watching? This is how you run a domain.
The Sea King didn’t even know what was going on in her own oceans. What a disgrace.
Well... Eros was just saying that for show.
Hades had complete dominion over the underworld only because Nyx chose not to intervene. Poseidon still had to deal with Oceanus, so of course things weren’t the sa.
Hades left for real this ti. She did have plenty to take care of. She hadn’t placed heavy restrictions on Eros and Persephone either, because her confidence was absolute.
But honestly, Eros had never intended to leave in the first place.
If he really wanted out, he could just call on Nyx and get sent directly to the border of the underworld.
As for why he didn’t.
He turned to look at Persephone.
Now that Deter was out of the picture and his worries about Hades were gone, wasn’t this the perfect ti to make a move on the innocent Queen of the Underworld?
Poor Hades... when you think about the three great queens of Heaven, Sea, and Underworld, only the underworld queen hadn’t been taken by Zeus yet.
That’s rough.
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