Ch. 103: Meeting Aphrodite, Again
Aphrodite reclined lazily in her lodging, perched atop one ofthe tallest building in Olympus. She wore a cobalt blue jacket that hugged her curves, a crisp white top underneath, and dark leggings that accentuated the sinuous lines of her waist and her voluptuous figure. Her every movement seemed designed to command attention, and even seated, she exuded an effortless sensuality. As usual, the air was thick with the scent of bubblegum — a trademark of hers, frivolous yet strangely intoxicating.
Despite her beauty, there was always something unnervingly childlike about her demeanor. No matter how serious the situation, she never betrayed any hint of resentment, fear, or hatred toward me. Instead, she flitted about like a chirpy high-school girl, the sort who only ever seemed to appear as a main character in some trivial romance. It was as though she wore her lack of depth as a defense.
“Hades,” she cooed, her voice as sweet as the air around her, “you’re finally taking my advice and coming to find true love, aren’t you?”
Her words slid off me like water on stone. Had I been anyone else, her voice might have softened me, might have stirred something warmer inside. But I had long since turned my heart to rock.
Without warning, she sprang from her seat, her eyes bright and mischievous, her chest heaving in a way that was deliberately distracting. She hurtled toward me, her curves bouncing with an exaggerated playfulness, as if to test my resolve. I sidestepped swiftly, and her body whirled past, missing me by inches.
“Aphrodite,” I warned, my voice cold. “A goddess should act like one. Don’t insult me with your… alluring packages.”
She giggled, her laughter high-pitched and childish. “Oh, come on! Don’t be so stiff. Just show me a little love, Hades.” Her tone dripped with mockery as she spun toward me again, arms outstretched. She wasn’t taking this seriously. As usual.
Again, I dodged her approach. This game of hers was tiresome, and I could feel my patience wearing thin. I had come here for something important — and it wasn’t to indulge her in this farce.
“I have something important to say, Aphrodite.” I tried to keep my voice level, but she persisted, as she always did. My patience was thinning rapidly. This time, I decided, she was not going to push me any further.
“Stop!”
My voice thundered with the weight of the underworld, and a plume of black smoke seeped from my eyes, tendrils of shadow swirling around me. Instinctively, she recoiled, pulling back with a pout. Her playful demeanor shifted ever so slightly, revealing just a glimmer of the immortal underneath.
“You don’t have to be so serious, you know,” she muttered, her tone softer now. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. What brings you here?”
In that moment, I let my guard drop for just a fraction of a second, and she seized the opportunity. Without warning, she lunged at me, wrapping her arms tightly around my body. Her large breasts pressed against my chest, their warmth unfamiliar and uncomfortably intimate. A sharp, sweet perfume filled my nostrils, sickeningly strong, making me cough.
“You… witch…” I managed to choke out, trying to pry her off me, but her grip tightened as if she’d been starved for affection.
She leaned in close, her breath tickling my ear. “I really missed you, brother. Just this once, let me hold you.”
For a brief moment, I hesitated. Despite everything, there was a fragility to her words, a genuine plea buried beneath the usual coquettishness. Slowly, I reached out and patted her hair, feeling its silky strands beneath my fingers. Then, with cold detachment, I muttered, “Keep touching me, and I’ll make sure you die a horrible death.”
She jerked away from me in an instant, her face flushing as she tried to compose herself, her giggle betraying the discomfort she tried to mask. “Sorry, sorry,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I just couldn’t help myself.”
I watched her carefully, my eyes tracing her movements. Her lightheartedness had returned, but there was an undercurrent of wariness in her now. It was subtle, but I could sense it. Her playful persona was just that — a mask. And I was here to tear it off.
“What brings you here?” she asked again, her voice laced with curiosity, though her eyes remained guarded.
I took a seat on the couch across from her, deliberately putting distance between us. “You and I both know why I’m here, Aphrodite,” I said, my voice low and steady. I could feel her eyes on me, scrutinizing every word, every gesture. She was trying to figure me out, trying to gauge the real reason I had come.
She arched an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “Is this about love again? Hades, I didn’t think you cared about that sort of thing. Or is there something else?” She leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing as if trying to peer into my thoughts.
The reason why I began the way I did is because I was not sure if she had spoken to the original Hades about her curse, it was a very subtle approach to put her on edge.
I met her gaze, unblinking. “I want you to stay calm before I tell you what I’m about to say.” My tone was deliberate, calculated. This conversation required precision. One wrong move, and she could retreat behind her walls of flirtation and pretense.
She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. “Alright,” she said softly, her tone unusually serious.
“I know about your curse, Aphrodite.”
For the first time, her composure faltered. It was subtle — the slightest widening of her eyes, the briefest tension in her jaw — but I saw it. She quickly smoothed her features, trying to appear unfazed. “My curse?” she asked, her voice carefully neutral. “What are you talking about?”
I rose from my seat, pacing toward the window that overlooked the rooftops of Olympus. The golden city stretched out below us, its shimmering beauty a stark contrast to the shadows of the underworld that clung to me. Without turning to face her, I continued. “You are cursed to make others fall in love but never to experience it yourself. The moment you try, the curse strikes you down with retribution. You’ve spent lifetimes trying to hide it, but it’s there. And you think that because I am the god of the underworld, I might have a solution for you.”
Behind me, I could hear her breath hitch, her playful demeanor cracking under the weight of my words.
“You think I could cure you, that I might have the key to unlocking your heart. You’ve tried to offer me ‘true love’ in exchange for it, haven’t you?”
Her silence was telling. I turned to face her, and for the first time, she looked genuinely vulnerable. Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. Then, in a small voice, she asked, “How do you know?”
I watched her, her eyes a mixture of confusion and fear. She had spent centuries crafting her persona as the carefree, invulnerable goddess of love. But here, now, her true self was laid bare before me.
“I know because you told me,” I said simply. “In your own way. And believe it or not, I want to help you.”
Aphrodite’s eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping back in. “Why? Why would you want to help me?”
“Because I need you to join an alliance,” I said.
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
