The God of Underworld - Chapter 209

209: Chapter 53 209: Chapter 53 The grape rested in his mouth, its sweetness mixing with the warmth of her lips.

Hades froze, his mind fracturing between duty, instinct, and something he refused to name.

His hands, which usually never faltered when holding the balance of the dead, trembled slightly at his sides.

Foolish woman… why do she force this on him?

Doesn’t she know that he was not good at this kind of thing?

Romance or whatever, he knew nothing about them!

Although he himself have laid with women, but those were not out of love.

With Gaia, it was his own desperation to ascend, and with Nyx, it was a momentary lust brought about by their domains.

Love?

Don’t make him laugh.

He closed his eyes, his jaw tightening.

Centuries of discipline screamed at him to end this now, to swallow the grape, to let her go.

That was the safest path.

The cleanest.

She would remain free, unbound to this realm, and he could retreat into his fortress of solitude, convinced once more that he had done the right thing.

But the taste lingered.

Not just of the grape, but of her.

Her breath, her warmth, her persistence that had plagued him for so long.

He told himself a thousand times that he found her irritating.

That she was too bright, too stubborn, too reckless to ever belong here.

Yet… why did he feel uncomfortable at the thought of her leaving?

Why did the idea of watching her walk away feel heavier than all the burdens of the Underworld combined?

His heart pounded, a foreign rhythm that felt almost… dangerous.

His hand twitched at his side.

He wanted to push her away, to end this game, to retreat into the safety of silence.

But then he felt her fingers brush against his jaw, delicate yet firm, as if she were silently telling him-decide, Hades.

Do not hesitate, do not make excuses.

Just decide.

His eyes opened.

The sight of her so close, eyes burning with defiance and devotion alike, tore through the last of his indifference.

For the first time in centuries, the Lord of the Dead felt cornered not by enemies, not by fate, but by his own heart.

If he swallow… she will leave.

She will forget him.

She will smile at someone else one day.

Perhaps she will even curse him for never answering her love.

And he will remain as always, managing the underworld, and worrying about the threat from the outside.

If he return it… she stays.

She will be his.

Bound here, in his realm, in his shadow, for eternity.

A goddess of love trapped in the land of the dead.

Is it selfish?

Cruel?

Or… is it what he have longed for, but dared not admit?

A thousand thoughts warred inside him.

He hated the game, hated being cornered.

But more than that-he hated the thought of her vanishing from his days, of her laughter fading from his halls, of his desk sitting empty of her perfume, her presence.

He leaned back, watching as her eyes widened, watering, her body trembling.

Her mouth opened, as if wanting to say something, but she closed it, not knowing what to say.

His lips moved, ever so slightly.

His pride still held strong, even as his heart betrayed him.

His voice, muffled against her, was a whisper.

“…you are insufferable.” But instead of swallowing the grape, Hades leaned forward, pressing the grape back into her mouth, sealing the decision with the force of his kiss.

Aphrodite’s eyes widened, then softened, her smile blooming even as her lips pressed harder against his.

The grape slid back into her mouth, and with it, a truth that could no longer be undone.

Aphrodite closed her eyes, savoring the kiss, not because she had forced him into it, but because he had chosen her.

She lingered for a moment longer, before pulling back with a radiant smile, her lips still tinged with the sweetness of fruit and victory.

“Ah, what a disaster this is.” She said, dramatically, “It seems like I have eaten a food from underworld.” He watched, his face betraying no emotion.

Though a small curve of his lips shows his amusement.

“Whatever shall I do?

If only there is a god who would take responsibility for a beautiful, frail, and poor goddess like me?” Hades chuckled, he stood up, cupping her chin as he stared at her eyes.

“Well, there just happens to be a lonely, brooding god, constantly drowning in work right here.

If that poor goddess doesn’t mind, she can live with him.” Aphrodite stared straight his eyes, enjoying this very moment.

“…Hades,” she whispered, her voice soft yet trembling with joy, “you finally stopped running from me.” Her chest rose and fell quickly, her hands resting against his shoulders as if she could keep him there, afraid he might vanish if she let go.

She laughed, quiet at first, then bubbling into something freer, warmer.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?

Do you know how many times I almost gave up?

But I couldn’t.

Because I knew… I knew you felt it too, even if you buried it under all that cold, indifference.” Hades smiled teasingly, “Really?

I don’t feel a thing.

Maybe this is just a momentary lapse of judgement.

Be careful, I might ignore you tomorrow.” Aphrodite tilted her head, her smile sly and wicked, yet her eyes glowed with tenderness.

“Oh dear, abandoning this poor goddess after playing with her, how ruthless you are.” She took a step forward, “But it doesn’t matter.

You can play with me as much as you like.

You can abandon me if you wanted to…” Her eyes glowed with a terrifying glint, “But Hades, you can never escape from me.” He scowled, trying to summon back his indifference, but it faltered, crumbling in the weight of her gaze.

He raised a hand, covering his eyes as if ashamed.

“…you’ve doomed yourself to this realm.

Do you even understand what that means?

The Underworld is not Olympus.

It is not a garden of roses or a palace of gold.

It is endless shadow.

A cage.” Aphrodite reached up, gently prying his hand away from his face, forcing him to meet her eyes.

Her smile softened into something deeper, truer.

“If it means being with you, then let it be my cage.

Because Hades… the world without you is emptier than the darkest pit of Tartarus.” He froze, her words striking deeper than any blade.

For centuries, he had worn his solitude like armor, convincing himself he needed no one, that his strength is all he needed.

And yet here she was, choosing him even when he tried to push her away.

His throat tightened, words catching.

“…you are a fool.” “Then let me be your fool,” she whispered, leaning in until her forehead touched his.

“Because I’d rather be a fool in love than a goddess who spends eternity regretting the man she let slip away.” The silence stretched between them, heavy, charged, but no longer cold.

Hades closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, his hands finally lifting to rest against her waist.

It wasn’t a passionate embrace, not yet, but it was acceptance.

A small crack in the walls he had built, but enough for her light to pour in.

Aphrodite’s smile grew, her heart swelling as she whispered, almost like a vow, “From this day on, I am yours.

Whether you want me or not, I belong to you.” And though Hades said nothing, his grip on her waist tightened ever so slightly, as if he was afraid that if he let go, she would vanish.

Aphrodite laughed, soft and bright.

She tugged at his hand like a child dragging a prize.

“Let’s celebrate,” she said.

“You chose me.

That calls for celebration.” Hades blinked.

He cleared his throat and made his face hard.

“This is ridiculous,” he said.

His voice did not match the heat in his chest.

“I still have work to do.” “It’s fine.

I’ll help you later.” She ignored the protest.

She stood and slipped an arm through his.

She steered him away from the desk, away from the piled scrolls and the cold ink.

The office smelled of parchment and old commands, definitely not a good place to celibrate.

She wanted something more relaxing and colorful.

He let her pull him.

He walked like a man who was only pretending to resist.

His shoulders were stiff.

His fingers twitched, then relaxed.

They walked out of his office and onto the long corridors.

The usually gloomy and silent fortress corridors felt different with her at his side.

Her warmth seeped into the stones, her joy brightening the scenes.

He found himself watching her hands.

Soft and gentle.

He never really noticed it before.

A pair of guardian spirits bowed as they passed.

Few minutes later, they reached a small private garden inside the fortress.

Hades had built it to relax his mind once in awhile.

It had black marble paths and a narrow pool.

And also some flowers brought by Persephone and mints planted by Minthe.

She brought him to the pool, observing the glistening water.

“…

You have no idea how happy I am.” she said, sitting on the edge of the pool and dipping her toes in.

“To be accepted and chosen by you…

I feel so happy I could live for another eternity.” “You know, people usually say they feel so happy they can die, not live for another eternity” he said.

His voice was low.

It did not carry the barbed cold from before.

“Well, if I die, you will be sad, and I would be sad too.

That’s why I have to keep living.” She grinned and patted the stone beside her.

He hesitated, then sat.

He kept distance, but close enough to feel the heat from her dress.

She took out a grape from…somewhere, and fed it to him.

He accepted it, but did not swallow at once.

He held it in his mouth as he looked at her.

She met his gaze without flinching.

“You might really come to regret this, you know,” he muttered, “I’m sure you already know, but the underworld isn’t a good place.

And I’m not a fun person to be around.

I might not be able to give you the love that you wanted.” “Hades, look at me.” Said Aphrodite.

Hades raised a brow and stared at her.

Just then, Aphrodite leaned forward and kissed him again.

His eyes widened a little, but he did not shove her off.

He let the kiss last a heartbeat longer than he intended.

Then he pulled back and scowled like he was scolding a child.

“You are impossible,” he said.

She smiled, “Maybe.

But does that kiss answer everything?” He stared at her.

He did not say yes, nor did he say no.

He sighed as he set his palm on the cool marble beside hers.

“How long do you think I’ve been living here?

How long do you think I’ve known you?

Hades, if I did like all that you are, I would’ve long since left.” “Well, you’re right.” Aphrodite laughed, pleased.

She planted a quick kiss on his forehead, then reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Tonight,” she said, “come to my temple.

I’ve prepared a simple candlelight dinner for just the two of us.

I promise, you will enjoy it.” Hades simply nodded.

Was it simply a candlelit dinner?

Of course not.

And he knew it, and she knew that he knew.

Aphrodite might be the Goddess of Beauty, but she is also the goddess of love and sexual desires.

In the past, she had held herself back from just directly pouncing on him, but now, when they are finally officially together, there is no reason for her to hold back.

Thousand years of suppressed sexual desire will surely erupt tonight.

She squeezed his hand and stood.

“Entrust your work to Thanatos for today, so we can enjoy ourselves to the fullest.” Hades tilted his head, “Didn’t you say you will help me with my work?” She chuckled, “Yeah, that was a lie.

Besides, I need to make sure our dinner is perfect.” Hades nodded.

Truthfully, Thanatos still hasn’t woken up and has been asleep since Hades returned from overworld, and all of his work were being done by his sister, Keres.

He promised to let him rest, but it seems he can only trouble him once again.

Don’t worry Thanatos, I will increase your reward.