King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 105

The King of the Underworld is Tired 105

The Story of Eros and Psyche – (4)

As if entranced, Psyche entered the palace and looked around, a gentle melody drifting from an unseen source.

A beautiful lyre [a stringed instrument similar to a harp] sound softly caressed her ears, easing her tension.

Inside, there was an abundance of food, including numerous fruits.

The dishes were in no way inferior to what Psyche, as a princess, usually ate.

Feeling hungry, she slowly picked a grape and brought it to her mouth.

Pop—the fruit burst in her mouth, a taste filled with the blessings of Lady Demeter [the Greek goddess of agriculture, harvest, and nourishment].

‘How could they create such exquisite fruits and dishes?’ As the oracle had initially warned, her husband might indeed be a monster.

Still, it was said that if she lived with him without seeing her husband’s face for 100 days, she could avoid the fate of marrying a monster…

Before she knew it, darkness fell, and fatigue washed over her. She lay down on the bed.

‘Will my husband appear today… Judging by the fact that he hasn’t appeared until evening, maybe tomorrow…’

Psyche, lost in thought, couldn’t fall asleep.

Pulling the blanket over herself, she heard a strange sound.

Thud. Thud. Whoosh—

“Gasp…!”

Turning her head towards the sound of wind blowing in from the open window, she saw a dark figure that hadn’t been there moments before.

‘Who is that person who came into the house? A monster? Her husband? Did he come through the window…?’

Psyche trembled with fear, but soon realized she didn’t need to.

Because of what the dark figure, hesitating slightly, said…

“Um. Nice to meet you, Psyche. I am your husband… no, suitor.”

“Sui… suitor?”

A low, deep, handsome voice. Similar to the voice of a man her age.

But a suitor? What does that mean? Wasn’t she supposed to live without seeing her husband’s face for 100 days?

For now, could she trust that figure whose face she couldn’t see because of the darkness?

“Suitor… Th, then now I…”

“Hmm. Please don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of laying a hand on you.”

“Yes?”

“I have busy work during the day, so I will only come here in the evening to spend time getting to know you.”

Psyche couldn’t understand what was happening. Marriage… involves a relationship between a man and a woman…

And living together… That’s what she knew. Wait, he introduced himself as a suitor.

“…You said you were a suitor.”

“That’s right.”

“Th, then… am I not married to you?”

At those words, the dark figure hesitated before opening his mouth.

Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, Psyche felt that he was shy.

“Not yet. So…”

“…?”

“Please decide whether you will accept my heart after 100 days. I will not lay a hand on you for 100 days and then I will propose to you.”

‘Is that true?’ A sense of relief washed over her, the relief of not having to get married by force. Hope that he is a better person than she thought.

Along with that, curiosity and a bit of doubt arose.

But her suitor didn’t entertain any more questions.

“Um…”

“I think you must have been very flustered on the first day, so I will go back now and come again at this time tomorrow. And everything in this palace is yours, so you can use it as you please. You can take a walk or write letters as long as you don’t leave the palace altogether. My invisible servants will help you.”

Whoosh—

Psyche’s suitor disappeared again with the sound of wind.

‘Because of shyness.’ The only thought that came to her mind about him, who quickly finished what he had to say and left, was:

‘He didn’t close the window before leaving…’

It’s cold in the evening.

* * *

From then on, their strange cohabitation began.

It might be cohabitation, but the suitor came every night…

He would talk with her for a while and then fall asleep. Of course, he would be gone by the time she woke up in the morning.

Still, it was really impressive that he never touched her.

A week. Two weeks. After more than 30 days, Psyche’s wariness slowly subsided.

She was a little scared on the first day, but as she talked with him every day, she found that he had a somewhat innocent side, and it seemed that he really had feelings for her.

His attitude of respecting her and never crossing the line also played a part.

So one day, Psyche asked a question first.

“Um. I have a question.”

“I will answer anything you ask, so tell me.”

“Why don’t you touch me?”

A very valid and natural question. No man dislikes beautiful women.

Could it be that he is not moved by her beauty, which was praised as the most beautiful by most Greek men, even gods?

At this point, Psyche’s pride was slightly hurt.

The suitor, upon receiving the question, seemed to pause for a moment before slowly speaking.

“I was actually going to take you by force. But… if I had done that, you would never have opened your heart to me.”

“Then why did you change your mind? Haa… I’m not good at martial arts, so I can’t resist…”

“…The fairest and most merciful person in the world gave me enlightenment. That a human heart is not to be taken, but to be earned…”

Even though she couldn’t see his face in the darkness, she felt that he was smiling gently.

Respect emanating from his tone. ‘Who on earth is the fair and merciful person he is talking about?’

The fairest and most merciful in the world… The best in one field would be a god.

Wait. Then perhaps?

Despite the pouring sleepiness, the puzzle pieces fit together in Psyche’s head.
The new oracle her mother and father received from Pluto’s [the god of the Underworld in classical mythology] temple, and Pluto’s other name is…

“Please accept my proposal and think about it for the next 100 days. I truly love you.”

A god in charge of the underworld, wealth, and mercy.

The king of the underworld who makes strict judgments with fair standards at the end of life.

However, a benevolent god who is rumored to be never ruthless to mortals.

“Rest comfortably. You must have been very tired today.”

‘I see. Thank you, God Pluto…’

* * *

The 100 days passed quickly.

On the evening of the exact 100th day, Psyche greeted her suitor familiarly.

“…Today is the 100th day.”

“That’s right.”

Psyche recalled the events of the past 100 days.

Her husband, no, her suitor, was very kind to her. He treated her quite respectfully and well…

When she slept next to him every night, the body she touched was also quite firm.

Life here was more luxurious than when she was in the palace, and it wasn’t bad.

A large garden and a mansion full of jewels, invisible and loyal servants, and a suitor who courts her but never crosses the line.

Following the oracle that her parents had mentioned several times, she had never seen her husband’s face even once.

Her two older sisters, who had exchanged letters with her in the middle, had also repeatedly urged her.

– Psyche, you must never look at his face. Just bear with it for about 60 more days.

– Following the pigeon that delivered the letter, I know where you are. About three days away from the kingdom…

Before receiving Pluto’s oracle, it was a far cry from what her sisters, who had come to visit Psyche trembling with fear in the kingdom, had said.

At that time, they told her to secretly examine her husband with a torch and stab him with a sword if he was a monster.

‘My sisters were very worried about me… I want to see my sisters soon.’

To Psyche, who was reminiscing about the past, her husband slowly approached.

He didn’t lie down on the bed, but for some reason, he just sat on the edge.

“Why aren’t you lying down next to me today?”

“…Actually, the reason why you didn’t have any suitors was all because of me.”

“Yes?”

“You can think of it as I used a little bit of power because I fell in love with you at first sight…”

Psyche was flustered by the voice filled with a bit of sadness and trembling.

The fact that there were no suitors because of him, and why is he telling her this? It’s a fact that she wouldn’t have known if he just hadn’t told the truth.

“Why are you suddenly telling me this? If you just hadn’t told me…”

“…I wanted to be honest with myself. Even if I deceive you and get married, Hades [another name for Pluto] would not allow it… Tomorrow, it will be decided whether you will accept my proposal, and I thought it wouldn’t be right to have something to hide… I’m sorry.”

As he said, Hades. No mortal calls his name carelessly unless they are his priests.

Death is as fearful as the lightning of the sky and the depths of the deep sea.

But instead of calling him Pluto, he calls him Hades.

As Psyche had vaguely guessed, he was indeed a god.

“It’s… okay.”

“…What did you say?”

“It’s okay. If you hadn’t done that, I would have been sold to a nearby kingdom as a pawn in a political marriage anyway.”

The reason why Psyche was able to be more resilient than she thought was also because of this.

For a princess of the kingdom who only had beauty, the best outcome was to be sold to a prince who would treat her well.

In that sense, this unidentified suitor she had seen for 100 days was not bad.

And… if she thought that he wouldn’t be in her bed from tomorrow, she felt something was missing.

The fact that he is a god is a bit concerning, but…

“If I get old and lose my beauty, will you still love me?”

“If that’s what you’re worried about…! I swear on the River Styx [a river in Greek mythology that forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld]… and I will ask Zeus [the king of the gods in Greek mythology] to make you a goddess.”

Confirming each other’s feelings, they finally had a relationship after 100 days of subtle cohabitation,

And exactly when midnight passed at 12 o’clock… Psyche was finally able to see her fiancé’s face.

The face of a god, sculpturally beautiful and handsome, wings made of pure white feathers. This is…

“Thank you so much for trusting me, Psyche. I am the god of love, Eros.”

“Ah… Eros…”

The 100 days of patience were a preparatory stage and test to be qualified to face the face of a god.

Having passed this, even Aphrodite [the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation] will have no choice but to acknowledge them.