Hades clasped his hands together and carefully broached the subject.
“…I was going to say that while I’m the eldest among the six siblings, I’m considered young among the gods of the previous generation.”
“Ah.”
Persephone covered her mouth.
“T-then, may I ask how old you are?”
“…How old…?”
“…Should I say ‘age’ instead?”
“…”
Silence fell between Persephone and Hades.
Finally, Hades let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“If your mother Demeter is a mature woman, then I would be like a man in his 20s in human terms. What about you?”
“I turned 20 this year.”
Hearing her innocent answer, Hades’ eyes squeezed shut.
He spoke in a crawling voice.
“…I dared to be presumptuous before a life that’s practically primordial.”
“Then shall I call you uncle affectionately? Or perhaps elder?”
“No, please don’t. Just call me Lord Hades. I find those titles difficult to bear.”
Laughter escaped from between Persephone’s lips.
“Then Lord Hades, do you know who my father is? I mean, my biological father.”
“…Don’t you know?”
“No.”
As Persephone shook her head, Hades answered immediately.
“You are the late-born daughter of Demeter and Iasion, god of fields and sowing.”
Persephone, who had just put bread in her mouth, furrowed her brow.
Iasion?
‘Who is that?’
She didn’t know any such minor… no, lower-ranking god.
Finding Persephone’s lukewarm reaction strange, Hades asked a question.
“Did you really not know who your father was?”
“…No.”
Persephone moistened her lips with her tongue and brushed her bangs.
Her childhood memories were hazy except for a few recollections. There were no memories of being with her father.
Especially after falling seriously ill at age 10 and recalling her past life, her early childhood in this life became foggy.
This was also why she thought her father was Zeus and her mother was Demeter, as in the myth.
In her twenty years of life as a new god, Persephone had never once questioned her birth.
“I wonder why Sister Demeter never told you anything.”
“…”
“Haven’t you been curious about your father all this time?”
Blinking quizzically, Hades met Persephone’s eyes.
She quietly lowered her eyelids.
Hades then gestured, saying “If it’s uncomfortable, that’s fine.” As if to end this topic.
“By the way, are you finished eating?”
“Ah, yes. It was delicious. Thank you.”
“Now… ahem.”
Hades cleared his throat.
“It seems it’s time to hear an explanation about ‘that word’ in question.”
“…Ah.”
A small exclamation escaped Persephone’s mouth.
Of course, it was close to nonsense, but she had thought of one excuse. She had already decided what attitude to take.
‘But shouldn’t I say something that fits the context in this situation?’
Yes, they had just been talking about Hades’ and Persephone’s blood relations after all.
“You see, Persephone. This is how frightening a ‘name’ can be.”
Hades must surely be a god who places great importance on identity and self.
“Actually, I…”
Focusing more clearly on a different point…
“I was wondering if my parents had me out of love.”
Let’s talk about birth.
Persephone’s voice dropped low for a moment.
“…What?”
Hades’ eyes widened slightly.
In his view, Persephone became strangely dim.
‘Her expression doesn’t look good.’
He wasn’t sure what connection there was between mentioning ‘that problematic word’ and Persephone’s own birth.
But one thing was clear – this was a story that shouldn’t be carelessly told to anyone, nor should it be known to others.
“Remember when I mentioned ‘erotic literature’ on the ramparts?”
“…Yes.”
Hades, who had inconspicuously wrapped the room in darkness, responded.
“Right. It’s embarrassing, but… honestly, out of curiosity, I read some when I had the chance. Until then, I thought it was just a normal story.”
“…How did you get the chance? You don’t have to tell me if it’s uncomfortable.”
“I was following my mother and we went to a human village. There were many clay tablets at the school there, probably for teaching writing. I was curious about the clay tablets, so while looking around, I ended up reading them.”
Hades lowered his chin slightly.
‘Clay tablets… must be from the central area where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers cross the land.’
Then, a question arose in Hades’ mind.
‘But if it’s writing used in schools… aren’t most of them stories about the local gods?’
No matter how much the stories of gods are distorted to be sensational and stimulating according to human tastes.
Surely even humans attending school wouldn’t have written the literature in question…
Hades’ brain stopped at that thought.
‘Wait, could it be?’
Surprised, he opened his mouth slightly towards Persephone.
‘Does this child think that stories that are merely local myths are… erotic?’
Hades bit the inside of his lip.
The erotic literature he had seen originated when papyrus technology was introduced from Aigyptos (*Egypt), when some crazy god of the underworld who presided over love between couples took the somewhat clumsy papyrus and wrote on it.
In other words, to put it simply…
‘What this child saw and what I read must have had completely different levels of description.’
What Persephone saw was the mythology of another people, but.
What Hades saw was the intimate acts between men and women written by some madman with great passion and effort – and in great detail!
As soon as the realization hit, self-loathing washed over him like a wave.
“Ugh…”
Hades buried his face in one hand. His expression contorted as if being tortured.
“Lord Hades? Are you alright?”
“…Yes. I’m fine. Don’t mind me and continue your story.”
Hades sat Persephone back down as she was about to get up again. She pulled her chair closer and suddenly banged on the table.
“But when I actually read those writings, most of them were about bastards who mistreated their wives or lovers…!”
“…It seems that was the case.”
“I had expected there to be at least some heartwarming love stories, so I was a bit hopeful…”
Persephone ranted, describing how unjust the unions depicted in the writings she read were.
“Of course, those bastards were punished and couldn’t stay with their wives, lovers, or children, but my anger didn’t subside even after that.”
Persephone, who had been panting, let out a sigh.
How much time had passed?
“But after reading it all and thinking about it…”
“…Yes.”
“…I-I realized that my father wasn’t by my side either.”
Hades’ lips tightened into a line.
“Like the children born from unwanted pregnancies in those erotic writings…”
Persephone, who had been angry until just now, started to sob.
“So, I, the truth is, I as a god…”
“…”
“Actually, my father was trash, and m-my mother…”
“…”
“Uh…”
Persephone’s eyes quickly turned bright red.
“Hic, I’m sorry…!”
Unable to contain her welling emotions, Persephone buried her face in her hands.
“The truth is, I’ve been anxious about what if my mom hates me…!”
Hades’ lips plummeted.
‘To think she had been seriously worrying about her birth.’
No wonder it seemed strange that she thought Zeus was her philandering father!
His words from earlier flashed through his mind.
“Anyway, that fellow must feel wronged too. Even a young god like you was treating him as a philanderer.”
You, you crazy bastard. You heartless wretch.
Did you laugh there saying it’s funny that Zeus was misunderstood as a philanderer? Why on earth did you chuckle there, are you insane?
Hades raised his trembling hand.
“N-no. Your father is not Zeus, and you were surely loved by your biological father Iasion. Don’t cry.”
“Hic…”
“Just look at how well you’ve grown up with your mother until now, right?”
“Can a child be born from a loveless relationship?”
Persephone sniffled, wiping her eyes with the tablecloth.
“I still can’t forget that shocking content… That’s why I mentioned erotic literature to you, Lord Hades, and said you might treat me carelessly. It was because ‘that problematic word’ was the worst thing I could think of. I wanted to go to the surface somehow.”
“…”
Hades, blinking rapidly, hastily added.
“There must be some reason your father isn’t by your side.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. And I’ve never heard that Demeter beat him up and chased him away. Though I’m not well-informed about news from the surface…”
“…”
“Your mother and he had a good relationship.”
Hades looked at Persephone’s red face as he rubbed his lips.
‘How should I comfort her?’
After carefully thinking for a moment.
Hades suddenly stood up and took out a pouch of gold coins from his bosom.
As Hades tried to hand the pouch to Persephone, she waved her hands vigorously.
“N-no. I don’t need something like this.”
“It’s alright, take it. Not to brag, but I have a lot of money.”
“Really, it’s okay-”
“You could give Hermes a few gold coins later and ask him to bring you things from the world of the living, couldn’t you?”
Uncharacteristically interrupting midway, Hades took Persephone’s hand and opened it.
The pouch of gold coins was placed in her palm.
Persephone, who had been staring at the pouch for a long time, nodded to Hades.
“…Then, I’ll accept it gratefully. I won’t forget your kindness.”
“Good. You can go now. Thank you for keeping me company.”
Hades wiped away Persephone’s tears, which were still sniffling, and sent her down to her room.
“Hah…”
He let out a deep breath and clicked his tongue.
The young god who had agonized intensely over her birth, the King of the Underworld could only pity.
After the meal with Hades.
Persephone returned to her room and closed the door.
“…”
As she spread her palm wide, cold sweat from tension was caked thickly on her hand.
She glared at that cold sweat while fiddling with her slightly loosened belt.
Thud-.
At the same time, a plump pouch of gold coins fell to the floor.
“Ah…!”
Persephone quickly snatched up the pouch as if someone might steal it.
As she carefully examined the inside of the pouch, she scratched her cheek as if somewhat embarrassed by what she had done…
“Hmm, did the lie work too well?”
Soon, as if to show that her true nature hadn’t gone anywhere, she smiled honestly at her desire.
Top Celebrity Younger Brother Bears Her Child (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: Forced to live stream romance with a top celebrity in a female-dominant world.
Yan Jin transmigrated into a brothel, with a fellow transmigrated junior beside her.
Hearing the obscene words coming from outside, the unfortunate junior covered his ears tightly, his cheeks flushed red, and whispered to comfort her, “Don’t worry, I will definitely help you escape.”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely defend your chastity.” Yan Jin looked at the flawless and delicate features of the unfortunate junior and gently comforted, “Because we have transmigrated into a female-dominant world.”
※※※
Top celebrity Yu Shu suddenly fell into a coma during a concert.
Research scientist Yan Jin fainted in the lab after working overtime.
Two people with no connection were rushed to the same hospital.
Three days later, neither of them had woken up.
Suddenly, the entire nation discovered that a live streaming app had been forcibly installed on their phones.
Upon opening it, they heard the two discussing how to escape from the brothel.
The entire internet was in an uproar.
After the two successfully escaped from the brothel, Yu Shu’s fan group rushed to make a banner and sent it to the hospital overnight.
“Big sister bravely took action to defend the chastity of our idol!”
※※※
When Yu Shu was diagnosed with pregnancy, Yan Jin stared at his belly for a long time.
Covering his stomach, he muttered gloomily, “If you don’t like it, I’ll go get an abortion.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Yan Jin hugged Yu Shu and said softly, “I just feel like I’m not human.”
Yu Shu comforted Yan Jin, “I was already an adult when we got together.”
Yan Jin hesitated, “But you won’t be of legal marriageable age even after giving birth to the child.”
At the same time, a flood of bullet comments appeared in the live streaming room that the two couldn’t see.
[Although it’s inappropriate, I also want a young and handsome boyfriend to have my child.]
①Male pregnancy (highlighted)
The female lead is five years older than the male lead, and the male lead is already an adult when he appears.
