King of Underworld-Chapter 186

“Phew...”

Holding paperwork in one hand and pressing her temple with the other, the Queen of the Underworld looked like a painting.

Her languid gaze, accentuated by her exhaustion from endless work, and the subtle decadence in her expression were enough to captivate anyone.

From her eyes to her black toga, her elegance was undeniable.

With such breathtaking beauty, it wasn’t hard to understand why so many prideful gods were captivated by her.

The somber setting of the Underworld might be a hindrance, but her reputation for fairness and mercy only added to her charm.

While the Queen of the Underworld was buried in paperwork, a servant’s voice called to her from outside.

“Lord Hades, King Salmoneus, who mocked Zeus and met his death, has arrived in the Underworld.”

“As is the rule, I shall judge the wicked personally. Have him drink from the Spring of Memory and bring him to me.”

Salmoneus.

The madman who threw torches at his people, claiming they were Zeus’s lightning bolts, and rode his chariot while calling it thunder.

A lunatic tyrant who demanded to be worshipped as Zeus, only to be struck down by Zeus’s lightning, wiping out his kingdom in the process.

Before long, King Salmoneus was dragged before the Queen of the Underworld.

“So you’re the human who mimicked Zeus and threw torches at your people?”

“And you are...? Who are you?”

“I am Hades, the one who will now judge you. So you’re the one they call Salmoneus—”

“Oh! How beautiful! The rumors are true! The goddess of Pluto possesses beauty that rivals Aphrodite herself!”

As expected, Salmoneus, whose madness could rival Dionysus, could see nothing but the Queen of the Underworld’s beauty.

Did he forget that he was already dead?

“...Gouge out his eyes and send him to Tartarus.”

“Wait, no—just a moment!”

Turning away from the screaming Salmoneus, the Goddess of Mercy pressed her temple once again.

Her beauty had spread among mortals, no doubt because of the countless rumors.

Heroes such as Cadmus and Perseus had seen her directly, and even the gods of Olympus and the nymphs had praised her beauty.

When Cadmus, the great hero who once tricked Typhon, confessed his feelings to her, she had found herself utterly speechless.

“Oh-ho. Is this the temple of the Pluto Goddess?”

“What a grand painting... Ahem! Did Pluto also govern beauty?”

“I’d like to ask the dead. Is the Queen of the Underworld truly so beautiful?”

“This statue... Hmm. Yes, it captures the goddess’s merciful heart well.”

As a result, temples of Pluto in the mortal world were now filled with portraits depicting the Queen of the Underworld.

Though these paintings and offerings were meant to reflect faith and devotion, they still left her feeling deeply unsettled.

The increasing number of male visitors to her temples of death and wealth was undoubtedly due to such images.

She couldn’t outright reject them, which only made it more troublesome for Hades.

Today was the day of a grand feast on Olympus.

For centuries, Hades had ignored Olympus’s invitations, weary of both her status as ruler of the Underworld and the attention of the gods.

But now, she was beginning to wonder if she should attend.

It was then that Styx, Goddess of the River Styx, approached.

“Hades! You’re not planning to attend the feast dressed like that, are you?”

“...What? What’s wrong with this?”

The Queen of the Underworld looked down at her attire.

There was nothing wrong with it — it wasn’t as if she was going in dressed casually.

“Your outfit is exactly the same as always! How can you be so indifferent to fashion?!”

“But... I’m just going there to drink some nectar. It’s not that serious.”

“Tch! Wasting that beauty of yours... Come here!”

And so began Styx’s rampage.

Where she had found them was a mystery, but she began dressing Hades in countless stunning garments.

It wasn’t long before other goddesses caught wind of this and joined in.

“Oh my! Look at you. When you dress up like this, you’re absolutely stunning. How can you always wear such drab clothes?”

“Lady Eris, please, I can manage this myself...”

“Nonsense. Let’s try this one next, Lethe, hold her for me.”

“Hades... just stay still...”

In that moment, the goddesses were united in their thoughts:

We cannot let the gods say that the Underworld goddess has no sense of style.

The Queen of the Underworld was forcefully adorned in beautiful garments, her face covered in honey and olive oil.

From head to toe, every inch of her was transformed by the goddesses’ hands.

Olympus.

The gods attending the feast kept glancing toward the entrance, particularly the male gods.

After all, this was the day the Queen of the Underworld had announced her intention to attend. Many gods had come just to see the stunning ruler, whose beauty was said to rival Aphrodite’s.

“Lord Hades is supposed to attend today, but she hasn’t arrived yet.”

“When I saw her last time, I thought to myself, so this is what a goddess of beauty looks like.”

“Hey! Watch what you’re saying. Lady Aphrodite is right here.”

“You’ll understand when you see her. I still can’t forget the image of the two standing side by side...”

“It seems many have come here just to propose to the Queen of the Underworld.”

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As time dragged on, the excitement in the banquet hall began to wane.

Just as the gods were growing restless, the doors opened, and an exquisitely beautiful goddess stepped inside.

Creak.

“...Gasp!”

“Wow...”

“Is that... Hades?”

Her waist-length black hair, her obsidian eyes, the form-fitting gown that accentuated her curves — every detail of her appearance was flawless.

Her languid eyes and soft makeup only served to enhance her already breathtaking beauty.

The male gods, momentarily stunned by Hades’s beauty, quickly snapped out of it and swarmed around her.

But there was no managing the gazes fixated on the Queen of the Underworld.

“L-Lord Hades! Do you remember me? I am the god of the wind—”

“Ahem! Hades, there will be a feast in the sea soon. Would you join us there?”

“You are especially beautiful today. Perhaps after the feast, you and I could...”

“As expected of the goddess of the Underworld. I happen to have jewelry that would perfectly match your beauty.”

“...Out of my way.”

Frowning, Hades pushed them all aside.

But it was too late — she had already attracted far too much attention to remain unnoticed.

She tried to sit in the most isolated corner and quietly sip her nectar.

But the gods’ eyes followed her every movement, as though etching her image into their memories. Even Zeus was watching her, much to Hera’s dismay.

“Hmph. Hades, you actually dressed up today?”

“Yeah. Long time no see, Aphrodite.”

“Ugh! What kind of response is that?! The only goddess who could rival my beauty, and this is your attitude?”

“Stop saying such nonsense. I already have a headache.”

Even the goddesses weren’t exceptions. With their sharp sensitivity to beauty, their gazes carried jealousy, admiration, and reverence.

Gulp, gulp.

“Ooooh!”

“What a sight to behold...”

“Incredible. She should attend the feasts more often.”

As the Queen of the Underworld tilted her head back and drank, the male gods’ eyes locked onto her exposed, snow-white neck.

Of course, Hades was fully aware of this. She began contemplating an immediate return to the Underworld.

Just then, a familiar presence approached.

“Ahem. Hades, sister. How is the Underworld these days?”

Ignoring the astonished stares of the surrounding gods, Zeus, the King of Olympus, strode forward.

His words feigned propriety, but his eyes flickered as they openly scanned her.

“If you’re lonely in the Underworld, feel free to visit Olympus more often. Or perhaps, if you’re interested, you and I could spend some—”

“Turn around and say that again.”

“Hm?”

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

Hera, the Queen of the Gods, whispered ominously.

“Zeus... We need to have a little chat.”

“Oh. Oh dear.”

The god of infidelity was quietly dragged away.