Chapter 55 - Deceived!
The phone began dialing the person whom Megaera contacted, Alexander Great who is supposed to be the perfect man for Allecto.
Allecto couldn't do anything to stop it as even Hades wants to meet the person himself.
Eventually, the call was picked and there was a man's voice behind the phone-
[Hello?]
"H-hello, yes, hi." Allecto immediately answered with butterflies in her stomach.
[... who is this?]
"Alexander, it's me, Allecto. Sorry for suddenly calling you." Allecto grinned while looking at Megaera and the others with an 'I told you he's real' face.
"Allecto? Huh? Y-you're a girl?"
"Um, yes? Don't be silly, of course, I'm a girl."
[R-r-really? O-oh…]
The man's voice then began to panic for some reason.
"Tell him to turn on the video." Megaera whispered to Allecto after some whisperings with Hades.
Even Thanatos went behind Allecto, curious to see this Alexander Great.
"Umm, Alexander, can you turn on the video? I'll be turning on mine." Allecto said with a huge grin on her face.
[Is that fine? Wait-]
Allecto then requested the video through the phone and a notification popped up on the other side, asking for permission for both parties to open their cameras.
[I'm not ready yet…!]
"It's fine, it's fine, there's nothing to be worried about." Allecto said before asking as if she just found it out just now, "Also, you seemed to be acting different today. Did something happen?"
Hades' face twitched at how Allecto can shamelessly speak in a flirtatious tone in front of them, especially with a guest involved.
[D-different? Haha… what's different?]
"... Allecto…" Megaera could only sigh at how gullible her sister is since that man is definitely suspicious.
"Come on, hurry up. I want to see your cute face." Allecto then began giggling.
[-ah]
The audio call then turned into a video call as 'Alexander' had finally shown his close-up face. With a surprised look, he looked down on the camera with his double chin hiding his real chin.
Allecto was petrified with her jaw unhinged.
"That's Alexander? He's very far from his profile picture, what a surprise." Megaera commented with a monotone.
[E-eh? You're so cu- I mean, you really look like the real Goddess Allecto!]
'Alexander' got excited when he found out the true identity of his girlfriend.
[Also, the one besides you look like the real Goddess Megaera! Wow! Are you all cosplayers?]
[Then, that man really looked like the God of Death, Thanatos…]
[... and… that one… looks like a very very very angry Hades…]
[...]
Just like Allecto, 'Alexander' got petrified with his jaw unhinged once he realized the reality of the situation.
"So this man is truly lying to you!?" Hades shouted in wrath, making the whole palace tremble from his sheer voice. Joren felt like his ear will split if Megaera was any late in stopping Hades.
"Wait, Lord! Maybe this is not this man's fault!"
Since Hades seemed to be not listening, Megaera immediately asked the man. Afterward, the man immediately explained that he met Allecto on a role-playing page of the social media they were on. The account was forged after he snapped a picture of a 'handsome' sleeping man on the streets about a week ago.
Everything that he said was a part of the role play and thought that Allecto too was aware of it.
This stopped Hades' wrath as he was reasonable enough to understand that it's Allecto's naivety that got her into that.
Allecto dropped to her knees.
"I-I was deceived!"
Deceived!
"No, didn't you just hear a word on that man's explanation!?" Megaera rebutted, "How gullible for love can you be?! Don't you dare be angry at anyone but you on this one!"
"We're as old as time yet we still don't have any lovers, Megaera! Are you fine with this!?" Allecto hugged Megaera's thighs, "It's because we're depicted as ugly hags by the humans, those fucking humans, I will slaughter them all—!!!" her voice eerily multiplied, making anyone who hears it, even Hades, go temporarily numb.
"Stop it, Allecto! It's just a misunderstanding on their part…" Megaera panicked, not knowing how to calm Allecto's wrath before seeing Joren again and recalling what he said earlier, "See, this man wants you. You're not an ugly hag, right!?"
She threateningly looked at Joren to which he found as his signal to act on his part. He stepped forward and kneeled down once again to meet Allecto face to face.
"For me, Allecto is the most beautiful and no one can change that-"
"Are you saying that she's more beautiful than me!?"
Joren's collar was then lifted by Megaera as she growled at him.
"..." Allecto was stunned for a while before reacting to what Megaera did, "Release him! Control your jealousy at least for once, Megaera."
Noticing this, Megaera released Joren and apologized, "S-sorry, I guess old habits die hard… and you're the last person who I want to hear that, Allecto!" she pointed a finger at her sister.
Thanatos then slowly stepped away since another fight is going to begin again.
"Stop raising your voices!" Hades raised his voice.
"..."
However, in the presence of the UnderWorld's Lord, Megaera and Allecto couldn't argue.
"Since Allecto doesn't have any man right now, I allow Joren to court her in one condition."
Hades sat down on his chair. Of course, as a lesser undead, Joren wouldn't have any right to even talk to the Goddess of Anger, much less take her in for marriage which everyone assumed was what Joren was talking about.
"You'll have to prove you are worthy first."
Hades said and looked at Joren, non-verbally telling him 'You should've expected this, right?'
Teren stood up and nodded.
"Everything for Allecto." he said without restraint.
"..." Allecto frowned towards this and muttered, "As if he's able to pass the Lord's tests anyway."
"Alright, we have an agreement-"
Hades stopped as the door banged open behind him.
"What's with all the noise?"
Everyone was then silenced while Thanatos knew that his chance of escaping was lost.
"P-persephone?" Hades looked over the chair and saw a grumpy woman who was disrupted in her sleep.
Persophone, a fair woman even with her face frowning, walked into the hall. Her hair was red and curly, her body an hourglass, and her face pristine. She was in the league of Megaera and Allecto.
After all, she's also a Goddess. And compared to the Furies, she's a real Goddess, daughter of Demeter, one of the twelve Olympian Gods, and queen of the UnderWorld.
"What is this!? Why are the food on the table in the middle of the night?! Why are the servants gathered here!? Why is Thanatos here?!"
"I-I can't…?"
Hades and the Furies just glared at Thanatos to shut him up.
"Finally, who is this stranger!?"
Persephone pointed at Joren while shouting at Hades. Joren didn't know if he was hallucinating but Hades was now just as tall as Persephone, even shorter than him.
Instead of a frown, he was wearing a smile. It was as if Hades disappeared and a new person appeared.
Hades was about to explain but before that he ordered Nebarius, "Nebarius, give Joren a room to stay for the night!"
He then accompanied his grumpy wife out, who was lashing out on him but he patiently explained what happened. It seemed that the night was just beginning for the Lord of the UnderWorld.
When they left the room, Thanatos waved his goodbye immediately right after as if he just found his escape.
"Wow, Lord's able to transform quickly today." Allecto muttered to which Megaera replied.
"It means that he knows he's in the wrong. If he stayed frowning, Persephone would've been madder."
Allecto glanced at Joren first before leaving when Nebarius came forward and said.
"Follow me, Guest Joren." the middle head stayed polite but the other two heads did not.
"Guest? Tsk!"
"Shh!"
Joren ignored this while left dissatisfied by the anti-climatic event. It ended abruptly.
He looked at where Hades left with Persephone. He was wondering what trials would Hades test on him. Something that will make him deem worthy for a Goddess…
Eventually, Nebarius led him to a guest room where he found it pleasant to be in. It was a complete renovation from what he expected to be a room with a grim theme. It's better than the love hotel that he and Ness stayed in, actually, although falling short compared to the cruise.
Falling onto the bed, Joren was about to close his eyes and rethink of what happened today when the door suddenly opened, making him jump out of his bed.
Even with lights turned off, he could see her ashen skin. He immediately knew who this was based on her ponytail.
Megaera closed the door before looking at Joren and asking with an interrogative gaze.
"Cousin Gyges, can I ask you something?"
'Gangsta God, protect me.' Joren prayed before calming himself and replying, "Sure, whatever it is."
"Who are you lying to? Me or the Lord?" Megaera squinted her eyes.. The fear she had back then on him was nowhere to be seen.