King of Underworld

Chapter 186: Side Story – The Queen of the Underworld Is Tired (TS)

The master of the underworld, feared by all mortals.

One of the three great gods alongside Poseidon and Zeus, the god of the underworld renowned for fairness and mercy was…

“Hades-nim. Poseidon-nim wishes to visit the underworld. He suggested going on an outing together to the mortal world…”

“Tell him to get lost.”

…a very beautiful goddess.

“Hades-nim! Zeus-nim sent golden apples and other treasures as gifts…”

“Send them back. And tell him that if he tries such tricks again, I’ll march the army of the underworld to Olympus.”

A goddess whose beauty was said to rival that of Aphrodite.

The queen of the underworld, who rejected the courtship of the two gods, brushed her beautiful black hair back and thought.

In my previous life, I was surely a man, and the Hades of Greek mythology was also a male god.

So why was I reborn as a goddess?

“Haah…”

Holding a document in one hand and pressing her forehead with the other, the queen of the underworld looked like a painting.

The subtle decadence emanating from her numerous tasks, her languid yet gentle gaze, and her entirely black toga attire.

Her beauty was so striking that one could understand why many arrogant male gods sought her affection.

Although the underworld’s nature might be a drawback, her personality, perceived as merciful and fair, made it impossible for others not to fall for her.

As the queen of the underworld reviewed a document, a servant’s voice called out to her from outside.

“Hades-si. King Salmoneus, who impersonated Zeus and met his death, has arrived in the underworld.”

“It is customary for me to judge heinous criminals personally. Feed him the waters of the River of Memory and bring him to me.”

Salmoneus.

This was the madman who hurled torches at his people, calling it lightning, and rode a chariot, claiming it thundered.

A lunatic tyrant who demanded to be addressed as Zeus.

In the end, he was struck by Zeus’s thunderbolt and obliterated, kingdom and all.

After some time, King Salmoneus was dragged before the queen of the underworld.

“Are you the man who impersonated Zeus and threw torches at your people?”

“And who are you?”

“I am Hades. I am the one who will pass judgment upon you. Anyway, you claim to be Salmoneus…”

“Oh! You are truly beautiful. The rumors that the goddess Pluto of the underworld rivals Aphrodite’s beauty are true!”

As expected, Salmoneus displayed a madness that could rival Dionysus.

In his eyes, there was only the beautiful queen of the underworld. Had he forgotten his own state of being dead?

“…Pluck out his eyes and send him to Tartarus.”

“No. Wait a moment…!”

Turning her gaze away from the dragged-off Salmoneus, the goddess of mercy pressed her temple again.

The widespread tales of her beauty among humans were probably due to pervasive rumors.

Heroes like Cadmus and Perseus had seen the queen of the underworld themselves.

Even the gods of Olympus and nymphs all praised Hades’s beauty.

When Cadmus, the great hero who deceived Typhon, confessed to her, it was so troubling.

“Oh, so this is the temple of the goddess Pluto?”

“Such a large portrait… Ahem! Did Pluto also govern beauty?”

“I want to ask the dead. Is the queen of the underworld truly this beautiful?”

“This statue… Hm. It seems to capture the goddess’s benevolence quite well.”

Thus, the temples of Pluto in the mortal world were filled with portraits of the queen of the underworld.

Though these were undoubtedly expressions of faith and were offered as tributes, receiving them still felt deeply unsettling.

Perhaps it was for this reason that many men visited the temples of the underworld and wealth.

It wasn’t something she could reject entirely, but it was genuinely troublesome for Hades.

* * *

Today was the day of a banquet on Olympus.

It had been hundreds of years since she last accepted an invitation, avoiding Olympus due to her status as ruler of the underworld and the intrusive gazes of the male gods.

As Hades pondered whether it was time to attend, a goddess approached her.

It was none other than Styx, the goddess of the River Styx.

“Hades! Surely you’re not thinking of going to the banquet dressed like that?”

“…Pardon? What’s wrong with this attire?”

The queen of the underworld glanced down at her outfit.

Was there anything particularly wrong with it? It wasn’t overly casual.

“Your attire is the same as usual! How can you be so indifferent to clothing?”

“Well, it’s just to drink some nectar. Does it really matter that much?”

“Tsk! Tsk! Wasting such beauty is outrageous! Come here, quickly!”

And thus began the rampage of the goddess Styx.

Somehow, she produced an assortment of exquisite garments and began trying them on Hades one by one.

Before long, other goddesses gathered as if rumors had spread, swarming around Hades.

“Oh my. Oh my. Look how pretty you are when dressed up. How can you always wear such dull clothing?”

“Eris-nim, I can take care of this now…”

“What nonsense. Hey, Lethe, grab that over there. Let’s try this one next.”

“Hades… Just stay still…”

At this moment, the goddesses shared the same thought.

They couldn’t allow Olympus to think that goddesses of the underworld didn’t know how to dress up properly!

Hades’s body was forcibly adorned with beautiful garments, and her face was smeared with honey and olive oil.

From head to toe, every part of her was transformed under the hands of the goddesses.

* * *

This was Olympus.

The gods attending the banquet kept glancing at the entrance.

Especially the male gods.

Today was the day Hades, the queen of the underworld, had announced her intention to attend the banquet.

Many male gods came just to see the beautiful queen of the underworld, whose beauty was said to rival the goddess of beauty.

“I heard Hades-nim is coming today. She hasn’t arrived yet, though.”

“When I saw her last time, it was incredible. I thought, ‘Isn’t this what the goddess of beauty should look like?’”

“Hmph! What nonsense. Goddess Aphrodite exists, after all.”

“Just wait until you see her. The image of the two standing side by side will be etched into your memory.”

“There seem to be plenty who came just to propose to the queen of the underworld.”

As time passed and Hades still hadn’t arrived, the fervor in the banquet hall began to cool.

Boredom crept onto the faces of the male gods, and one by one, they began to leave.

Then, just as the doors opened, a beautiful goddess entered.

*Creaaak.*

“Gasp…!”

“Wow…”

“Hades-nim?”

Her hair, black as midnight, flowed down to her waist.

Her obsidian-like dark eyes complemented by a figure-hugging dress that accentuated her curves.

Her languid and tired-looking eyes and subtly applied makeup added to her charm.

The queen of the underworld was already known for her beauty that rivaled Aphrodite’s.

But dressed with such intent, her radiance shone even brighter.

The male gods, mesmerized by her beauty, shook off their stupor and flocked toward her.

Yet none of them could control their gaze as it wandered over her form.

“H-Hades-nim! Do you remember me? I’m the god of wind…”

“Ahem! Hades, next time there’s a banquet by the sea, you should come as well.”

“You’re especially stunning today. Perhaps after the banquet, you and I could…”

“As expected of the goddess of the underworld. I happen to have an accessory that suits your beauty perfectly.”

“…Move aside, all of you.”

Hades frowned and drove them all away.

However, she had already drawn too much attention, making it impossible to remain unnoticed.

She decided to quietly sit in the most secluded corner and drink nectar before leaving.

Even so, the intense gazes of those intent on committing every small action of hers to memory burned into her.

Zeus’s occasional glances her way made her feel guilty toward Hera.

In any case, it was another exhausting day for the queen of the underworld.

“Hmph. Hmph. Hades, you’ve dressed up quite nicely today, haven’t you?”

“Yes. It’s been a while, Aphrodite.”

“What is that? Such a weak response! How could the only goddess who could rival my beauty act so indifferent?”

“Don’t spout nonsense. I already have a headache.”

Even the goddesses were no exception.

On the contrary, because they were sensitive to beauty, the emotions reflected in their eyes were unsettling.

Jealousy, admiration, and pure praise for her beauty.

*Gulp. Gulp.*

“Ohhh…!”

“I-I’ve seen something extraordinary…!”

“Truly remarkable. You should come to banquets more often.”

As the queen of the underworld drank her nectar, the male gods’ gazes locked onto the pristine whiteness of her exposed nape.

Naturally, Hades was well aware of this.

As she contemplated simply returning to the underworld, someone approached her.

“Ahem. Hades-noona. How is the situation in the underworld these days?”

Zeus, the king of the gods, approached, forcing himself to ignore the disapproving stares of the other gods.

Although he attempted to maintain a public pretense, his quickly darting eyes betrayed him as they scanned over Hades.

“If the underworld feels lonely, feel free to visit Olympus more often. Or, if you’d like, you and I could enjoy some time together…”

“Take a look behind you and say that again.”

“Hm?!”

Zeus turned around to find Hera, Metis, Leto, and Maia glaring daggers at him.

Hera, the queen of the gods, teetering on the verge of an outburst, spoke in a low voice.

“Zeus… Let’s have a little talk, shall we?”

“Oh. Uh-oh.”

The god of infidelity was quietly dragged away.