For Persephone

Chapter 55 – After Story (3) | 19

Orpheus was a beautiful man with a short, sharp chin and innocent curved eyebrows. He was famous for poetry, and Persephone also remembered hearing the deadmen underground talk about his prestige a couple of times before crossing the river of oblivion.

He didn’t seem to be naturally gray-haired but looked like someone who’d fit in well with this underground world since there were plenty of gray-haired ‘people’.

Persephone, now dressed, was sitting beside Hades sitting in their thrones and Orpheus afront them was appearing nervous.

Orpheus said, “Just once, one time, send me back to my wife whom I love so much. Her name is Eurydice. And she is young and beautiful, and she was bitten by a serpent and sent to the underworld when she was young. I beg you from the bottom of my heart so that I can meet my wife once again…”

Among the many people who sought after Hades, there was that type: Making a big fuss about bringing the dead back to life.

It was said that sometimes those who reached the underworld, returning at Hades’ mercy, spread rumors. Usually, there weren’t that many people who went back, unable to cross the Acheron River, or gave up without even knowing how to reach the underworld.

‘It won’t work anyway…,’

‘A useless request.’

Persephone thought nonchalantly, and her predictions were just right. Requests such as this rarely succeeds. But as she watched Orpheus, she felt pity for him. A man separated from his lover, doesn’t that sound like her husband?

*

The other day, Sisyphos went up to meet his queen for a very short time thanks to the oath he’d received from him. Naturally, Sisyphos had fled again, and Hades had been furious because of the ungodly man who had dared to swear on Styx.

Orpheus was a slightly different case, but from that day not a single person had been sent back above ground.

“Please. Hades, please!”

“Get out of here.”

“King… Lord of the underworld! Please! My wife, my wife…! Please give me mercy, please, so I can see my wife just one more time…!”

Orpheus looked desperate.

With her chin in her hand, Persephone stared at the lyre hanging on Orpheus’ back. “If I do that, will you perform for me? I’ve heard so much about your rumors. They said your skills are so great that even the grass, streams, trees shed tears of joy. I heard that the sea is made up of the tears of the nymphs who saw your sad performance.”

“You mean, uh, now? Here?”

“Hades, if you want to see his performance then can’t you at least show a little bit of generosity on your face?”

At that, Hades pulled his lips into his mouth as if laughing his ass off and turned to Persephone. Then, he lightly gestured with his chin.

Orpheus hurriedly took out the instrument and began to play. His lyre performance was amazing enough to make even the blind dead of the underworld shed tears. Persephone was also greatly moved. The performance was sufficient for Hades, so he ordered a dead servant, tilting his chin, to bring Eurydice.

The dead servant soon left to go get her. Persephone was calm, savoring Orpheus’ poetry recitation and a couple of lyre pieces.

Soon, a brown-haired woman in a glamorous robe stretched down to her feet appeared alongside the servant from a while ago. A tremendously beautiful goddess. Deep eyes, a graceful nose, full lips, and white skin. So thin and feeble, but her strange spirit was forever young.

“Orpheus…?”

“Eurydice!”

Orpheus embraced her with a sob, and she, who had been called without knowing what was going on, soon burst into tears at her husband’s affection. The warm atmosphere that had been brought through the music and poem turned into an ocean of tears in a flash.

Hades was giving such an indifferent look at the sight of the couple’s reunion in front of him, but the end was clearly left for Eurydice and Orpheus.

Persephone’s forehead drooped down, still in awe at the beautiful goddess. Though Orpheus may feel a bit lacking.

The lyre, which had played a sad tune, rolled on the floor. Persephone turned to look at Hades.

“Hades…”

“Yeah.”

“My heart is tearing apart.”

“Well, sometimes things just don’t go your way.”

The husband had found his wife, who’d died at a very young age, all the way down in the underworld. Hades’ stare fell on Eurydice’s heel. It was at the time of death when traces of the serpent would remain forever.

Persephone silently stared at it, then opened her mouth… Well, she was about to open her mouth. Without even looking her way, Hades affirmed.

“No, I can’t.”

“I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“Didn’t you remind me earlier that the rules of this world and the afterlife are clear?”

“You still have that thought in your head? But this… this isn’t about me and you.”

He couldn’t say that there was no overlapping. Hades had gone out of the underworld to find his wife, and Orpheus had come down from earth for his wife. It was the same situation. Blankly staring at Eurydice, Persephone said,

“That woman, she isn’t some imposter like Sisyphos, and if there is no problem, why don’t you send her back? That way, the great poet will spread music that praises you all over the world about how much of a great, friendly, wonderful god you are.” Persephone pleaded on behalf of the pitiful lovers.

“Why all of a sudden are you on his side?”

“Because my heart aches for them. From now on they won’t be able to meet again; can you just think of it as a present to me?”

“….”

“If you just think of that…”

“….”

“Can you do that?”

Hades’ mouth closed.

The married couple who happened to hear their conversation pressed their hands together in a praying position and looked at them. Two pairs of eyes full of affection and love, all of which were clear to Persephone.

Before Hades laid his decision, she carefully caressed his hand. Softly squeezing it, then grabbing it tightly.

“Hades please.”

“….”