(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter Thirty
A long, flowing train of dress spread across the carpet, interspersed with sparkling diamonds. A woman in pure white sat gracefully before her dressing mirror.
She couldn't afford to be anything less than poised. The custom-made gown was incredibly form-fitting, and form-fitting meant…tight.
If she didn't maintain her composure, was she waiting to be strangled by the dress?
They say a woman's wedding day is the most beautiful moment of her life, but Hermella at this moment only wanted to say, she was beautiful enough, but couldn't someone please loosen these straps for her?
"Why do I have to wear this corset? Why? Why?…" Hermella muttered incessantly to her reflection in the mirror, her resentment almost palpable.
"It's just this once, bear with it." Denise patted Hermella's head reassuringly and continued her work.
"Did Tethys and the others wear this to their wedding? I don't remember." Hemera tried to recall, a hint of confusion in her voice. She remembered them moving quite freely back then.
"Do you think everyone's as delicate as you?" Denise said nonchalantly, giving Hemera a disdainful look to add to the authenticity.
Clothing in this world is all about comfort and looseness, especially for men. They simply wrap a few pieces of fabric around their bodies and secure them with brooches or knots—the kind of loose, baggy style that looks like it's about to fall off. Women's clothes are a little better, but they're still essentially just a few pieces of fabric. How could they possibly wear something like what Hemera is wearing, let alone have a corset?
However, Tartarus disliked loose clothing, so he always wore long robes that covered him completely. The Underworld's attire naturally followed his lead, its conservative style becoming a unique anomaly in this generally unrestrained world. In conclusion, Denise was confident she could easily fool Hemera, who had grown up in hell.
Sure enough, the clueless, easily fooled Hemera actually believed her, muttering, "Who's being delicate? You try it!"
A corset, for a typically carefree and unpretentious tomboy, was simply unbearable pain.
Hemera was now incredibly grateful that she was a goddess in this life. At that rate, humans would have suffocated to death long ago!
"I don't want to get married..."
"Don't move!! You'll ruin your hair clip if you move."
Hemera had said "I don't want to get married" countless times since the wedding preparations began. Denise was already unfazed; fixing her hair was definitely more important.
After one last meticulous check, Denise finally nodded in satisfaction. She swore on her eyes, sharpened countless times since becoming a flower spirit, that Hemera was now absolutely perfect from every angle.
Satisfied, Denise finally had time to pay attention to Hemera, and magnanimously declared, "Alright, show some of your usual feminine spirit of sacrificing for beauty. This little problem is nothing to worry about."
Sorry, she always prided herself on being a tough woman, and she certainly didn't have that kind of spirit of sacrificing for beauty. Hemera thought to herself, her face blank.
Whether it was due to the intensive etiquette training provided by Nix in recent days, or the tight-fitting clothes and corset, Hemera behaved with exceptional elegance and poise throughout the entire wedding. She successfully created the illusion for the gods present that the Goddess of Daylight was a dignified and elegant goddess befitting her noble birth, giving her parents, Erebus and Nix, and even Tartarus, who remained hidden in the corner, a sense of relief.
You see, gods have very long lifespans, and long lifespans mean… a lot of free time.
What can they do when they're bored? Find ways to have fun, of course! Besides, one god is boring; it's much more fun when everyone plays together. After meeting, they naturally need to find topics to talk about. Humans have vanity, and gods have it too; a little comparison is normal.
And what could these gods, seasoned members of the "appearance association," possibly compare themselves to? It goes without saying. Face is something we're born with, and comparing it too much is pointless. But comparing demeanor, style, clothing, and jewelry is much more interesting.
Because of her limited power, the goddess, with more free time, indulged her innate love of beauty to the fullest. It's not surprising that she spent centuries creating a single perfume that satisfied her.
And Hermora…
Face: OK (No way around it, genetics are what they are; she can't be ugly even if she wanted to.)
Clothing and Jewelry: OK (Nix's aesthetic sense is always excellent.)
Demeanor and Style…
After these efforts proved fruitless, everyone said, "Hermora is still young, in the prime of her innocent, lively, and active years. Being natural is perfectly fine. These things aren't urgent, not urgent, not urgent. We can take our time."
This delay lasted until Hemera came of age. While it originated from Tartarus's displeasure and his desire to share it with others, and Nyx's brotherly affections and mischievous nature led him to readily agree, it was also because they all found Hemera's manners unbearable.
Furthermore, with the intensive pre-wedding training, the gods of the underworld no longer worried that Hemera would not only embarrass herself but also the entire underworld. They admitted they were quite dedicated to maintaining the image of the underworld.
Standing in the shadows looking towards the light, it always seems brighter than it actually is. In the dazzling radiance, the two stood facing each other, Eros's unique golden divine power tracing graceful arcs in the air, etching their most sincere vows.
Watching her beloved children grow from tiny infants into adults, and finally to have their own families, Nyx, though maintaining the composure befitting a goddess of the night, had tears welling in her eyes. Erebus's face remained unchanged, but Tartarus could easily see the emotion beneath the calm.
Tartarus felt a strange pang of emotion.
Erebus and Nyx were a rare pair of loving parents among the naturally cold gods. In Greek mythology, where fathers and sons often turned against each other, Erebus, though not good at expressing herself, still showed her love for her children in subtle ways.
The bond between mother and child might be one of the few genuine emotions retained among these gods, but even fewer mothers were willing to sacrifice everything for their children like the ones Tartarus had seen in his previous life. And Nyx… Tartarus wasn't sure if she could truly do that, but he could see glimpses of it in her actions.
A fleeting, imperceptible sadness flashed in Tartarus's eyes. Even though he had long since let go, a lingering resentment remained.
A father who loathed his son to the point of personally ordering his assassination; a cowardly and cold mother who took her anger out on her own son due to an unhappy marriage… This was Tartarus's past. From a very young age, he could no longer, and could no longer, expect parental love.
Bringing his thoughts back to normal, Tartarus regained his usual indifference and continued to watch the wedding. The past was past; he was fine now, so why add unnecessary trouble to his life?