episode_0035

035 – My Wife Doesn’t Go to Her Parents’ Home # 1

The love story of the CEO and his madam was very famous even on the surface world.

While patrolling the surface world, which was cracked in places due to Typhon’s rampage, the CEO coincidentally saw a girl and fell in love at first sight. And he ended up kidnapping her to the underworld, so they say?

“Heh heh heh, come here!”

“Gasp!”

The girl was actually Kore, the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and seasons. Demeter abandoned all her duties and searched for her daughter. As a result, a harsh winter came upon the surface world, turning it into a hell.

‘Did they say Krates’ family also died in that winter?’

Eventually, several gods came forward and had to mediate the situation. It was agreed that the girl would live for 9 months out of the year on the surface world where her mother Demeter resided, and the remaining 3 months in the underworld.

“Why does my daughter have to stay in the underworld for 3 months?!”

“Because Kore already ate three pomegranate seeds in the underworld and became bound to it.”

And so, during the 3 months the girl stayed in the underworld, Demeter, lost in sorrow, stopped working, and it is said that a long winter came, preventing crops from growing.

That is to say—

The girl—Persephone, the madam of Soul Society—if she did not go up to the surface world, it was said that a long winter would come to the surface.

“But my wife hasn’t returned to her parents’ home for several years now. I can’t understand the reason at all, whether she had a fight with her mother or something. And it’s a bit awkward to ask her directly.”

Could it be related to the unusual temperatures occurring on Earth recently?

“By the way, if the madam stays in this underworld for a long time, isn’t that a good thing for the CEO? You don’t have to be separated from your beloved wife, do you?”

At my words, the CEO made a very serious expression. Perhaps because the contours of his face were distinct, just by frowning, shadows fell around his eyes.

“You might not know yet, but because they love, there are times when they need to be separated. There are times when a man needs his own time. Time when he must focus solely on himself.”

It didn’t fully resonate, but I felt like I somewhat understood what it meant. Is it that kind of story, where married men rejoice if their wives take the kids and go to their parents’ home?

“Also, my wife has recently started displaying ‘torture implements’ all over the house… I’m worried if her mental state has become strange because she spent a long time in the underworld….”

“‘Torture implements’?”

The CEO cleared his throat with an ‘ehm’ sound.

“Joy, you owe me. You dared to overturn Orpheus’s punishment, which I personally carried out. You showed an arrogant and disrespectful attitude towards me in the assistant manager promotion exam. If you want to be forgiven for that offense, work properly.”

As expected, the CEO really did hate me! Should I call it an honor instead that he recognizes and remembers my existence, like a fly? It’s so unfair that tears are falling. So as I was keeping quiet, the CEO continued speaking.

“Assistant Manager Joy, if the task I entrusted you with turns out well, you will be able to hear directly from me one answer to the question you are most curious about. For example, something about a certain Nymph wouldn’t be bad.”

Really not bad, huh? As it was, there were many things I was curious about. So many things I couldn’t ask carelessly.

“But. If you fail in the work, you will have to take responsibility.”

“How can I take responsibility?”

“You would have to leave this glorious Soul Society. We cannot keep someone who failed after having been deeply involved in the CEO’s family’s secrets. If you want to refuse the offer, now is the only time.”

*Reach.*

It was the CEO extending his hand to me.

“Of course, it’s a huge risk. In this Soul Society, it’s safe to say there’s no greater risk than this. Even if you don’t take this hand, I won’t resent it.”

“That job!!!”

I clasped his palm.

“Please, I want to do it!!!!”

“Assistant Manager Joy, you would risk being fired. Do you really like Nymphs that much? Do you really want to hear stories about Nymphs from me that much?”

“No, that’s….”

*Whoosh—*

Just then, Melinoye nim passed through the wall and returned to the CEO’s office. In her hand, she held a drink made from ground pomegranates.

“What were you two talking about? I just heard something about ‘Nymphs’?”

Of all times, at this moment? What should I say? As I was racking my brain, the CEO filled the space with a loud voice.

“Orpheus, who was the Nymph’s husband. We were discussing the issue of responsibility for arbitrarily overturning his punishment. Because that man’s punishment was something I personally devised.”

But I was talking about the madam, you see. It seems that he wanted to keep that matter a secret from everyone. To entrust such an extremely personal matter to me, to the extent that it must be kept secret even from his daughter! In some ways, would it be good to see it as the great CEO recognizing me? So my stomach churned. My stomach would surely get a hole in it.

‘If I get deeply entangled with the secrets of this Soul Society, I’ll gradually become unable to escape.’

Fortunately, if I fail this task, there’s a high probability that I’ll have to take responsibility and lose my job. And the success rate for this task was very low. Why Persephone nim isn’t returning to the surface world. Figuring out that reason and solving it, would that be easy? It would be easy if I met her and asked, but. Could I possibly dare to meet the CEO’s madam?

Just then, Melinoye nim made a ‘hmm’ sound through her nose.

“Orpheus’s punishment, you mean. There’s no way Assistant Manager Joy, who overturned that absurd punishment regulation, is responsible. To begin with, that punishment was something Orpheus himself requested.”

“What? Himself?”

Because it was quite a surprising story, I was greatly surprised. Orpheus’s punishment, ‘memory loss.’ Living by forgetting the memories of his lover. The one who requested that was Orpheus himself?

“Melinoye, regarding that matter, we promised to keep it a thorough secret, but.”

“It’s fine. Assistant Manager Joy would already have known.”

…I didn’t know.

*Ahem*—then the CEO cleared his throat loudly.

“Then leave now. And Assistant Manager Joy. Well then, how about you continue to live arrogantly and disrespectfully from now on.”

*Fwoosh—!*

The CEO’s gaze burned like hellfire. Soon, an astonishing thing happened, along with a feeling as if my body was pierced and penetrated by something.

[One Under the CEO’s Scrutiny] [Punishment Execution and Assistant Manager Joy]

As I looked at my body, strange characters had appeared. It was a ‘divine effect’ that I had seen on Admetus ssi or Prince Zagreus.

# # #

They said I had to undergo a baggage check when leaving the main office. Lest someone steal an important item and run away. My inspection, in particular, was carried out even more thoroughly. They checked even a speck of dust inside my pocket.

[One Under the CEO’s Scrutiny] [Punishment Execution and Assistant Manager Joy]

Could it be because of this strange title? Seeing me even take off my shoes, Melinoye nim chuckled ‘hoo hoo’.

“A long time ago, Zagreus once fled to the surface world holding a ‘dud lightning bolt.’ Since then, they started inspecting so strictly.”

“To escape from such a heavily guarded place, the Prince is truly amazing.”

It was half admiration, half sarcasm. At that, Melinoye nim slowly shook her head.

“Zagreus has never done things like running away from home or escaping. At least on paper. So Joy, you too, wherever you go, you shouldn’t speak such things carelessly. Especially in front of Zagreus.”

I trudged out of the main office like that. I didn’t realize it earlier, but as the tension drained from my body, my whole body went limp, like a marionette doll with its strings cut. Would the feeling of a boneless squid be exactly like mine?

‘That I met the CEO and still lived. It’s a miracle.’

So what should I do now? My work today is practically over here, but.

“This is a souvenir, so take it. Main office employees receive pomegranate wine, which my mother personally squeezed, as a holiday gift every year, you see. Joy, you are certainly qualified to receive it too.”

*Slide.*

Melinoye nim offered me a bottle of pomegranate wine. Seeing this, it made me curious in many ways.

“Melinoye nim’s mother ate three pomegranate seeds in the underworld and became bound to this Soul Society, didn’t she? What about this pomegranate wine?”

“What do you mean by ‘what about it’?”

“If I drink this, would I also become bound to this Soul Society?”

“Assistant Manager Joy, just as you signed the documents upon joining the company, nothing will bind you. Because the regulations regarding food disappeared after the ‘work reform’.”

It’s just as I knew. In fact, upon joining the company, I did see a document with the regulation: ‘Even if you eat any food, you will not be bound to Soul Society.’ So even if I ate a lot of food from this world, unlike Persephone nim, I wasn’t bound to the underworld. But why can’t I leave?

‘I can only leave if I get fired.’

In that case, what about Persephone nim? Why hasn’t she returned to the surface world for the past few years?

“Did your mother truly return to the surface world for about 9 months, as the story goes?”

“—Ah, that story.”

*Fwoosh—.*

Melinoye nim’s red gaze flickered like a bonfire that consumed a lot of dry firewood in the cold winter. As I wondered what the various emotions reflected in her eyes were, Melinoye nim herself explained.

“In my childhood, I couldn’t understand why I had to be separated from my mother for a long time. Although I was a perfect goddess from birth, separating from my mother was quite a sad thing even for someone like me.”

There’s no way there would be a child who likes separating from their parents. I too was extremely sad when my father passed away in my childhood.

“Of course, the current me is a full-fledged member of society. The time to be sad about separating from my mother for a few months has long passed. But—recently, it seems my mother hasn’t returned to the surface world.”

Melinoye nim too seemed to notice the strangeness only then. Why on earth? I’m curious about the reason, but— It’s a matter unrelated to me. Why, you ask? I intended to endure without resolving the request given by the CEO. Then the CEO himself would fire me from this Soul Society, right? I stopped working like that and idled around.

“Why doesn’t Assistant Manager Joy seem to be working since becoming assistant manager?”

“Don’t you see that title? She’s surely handling a special task given by the CEO.”

“Oh, I see!”

Idiots! I’m just playing around! But playing around without doing anything was quite difficult. I was bored and it was tedious. Then, I saw one post.

[Plant Gallery Regular Meeting Notice – Posted by: Chicoreta] [I want to determine the number of participants for food preparation] [Those who wish to participate, please leave a comment *^^*]

A ‘Plant Gallery’ regular meeting? Time hadn’t even passed these past few days, so this works out well.

“Section Chief, I’ll go out for some external work tomorrow.”

Since I’m already playing around, I’ll definitely play around, even skipping work! Using external work as an excuse, you see!

# # #

The man returned home, aiming for when it became dark. As he passed the entrance and living room, which had no room to step due to the continuously increasing ‘torture implements’ in a few days, he saw a table heavily set in the kitchen.

“Why did you come so late?”

“……!”

As the man was greatly surprised and turned his head, his wife was holding a ‘torture implement’ in her hand.

“Today, I tried making cactus kimchi, which you said was delicious. Try eating the cactus kkakdugi and cactus jangajji too.”

“…No, I ate dinner outside and came.”

“Hoo hoo, what a shame. I was waiting to eat together.”

His wife smiled brightly. But the man somehow felt as if shadows had fallen around her eyes and felt afraid.

*Slide—.*

His wife soon carefully put the lavishly prepared side dishes into packing containers. And then, as she neatly packed them into her bag, her appearance was exactly like someone preparing for a long outing.

“Why are you packing that? Are you perhaps going to your parents’ home?”

The man asked, full of hope. At that, his wife chuckled ‘hoo hoo’.

“No. I’m going to distribute them to the members at tomorrow’s meeting. Don’t worry anyway. I’ve left enough for you to eat for breakfast tomorrow before going to work.”

Piled-up kimchi containers. Seeing that, the man felt like bile was rising.

—What the Happy World.

The man felt his lifespan shortening day by day. Because he couldn’t eat kimchi made with ‘torture implements’ forever.

‘Assistant Manager Joy! You must complete your task!’