(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter 58
After getting past Nyx, there were no further obstacles. Gaia, renowned throughout the three realms for her amorous nature, naturally had no objections to Aphrodite. Erebus was more than happy for Eros and Aphrodite to be together, so Eros wouldn't have time to bother him and Nyx. Moreover, Erebus didn't think Eros, a male god, would suffer any loss. Therefore, Eros smoothly married Aphrodite.
Although Nyx still had objections to Aphrodite ╮(╯▽╰)╭
However, after actually meeting Aphrodite, Nyx's impression of her wasn't so bad. Nyx considered himself a fairly accurate judge of character; he could see that Aphrodite genuinely liked Eros. Considering Aphrodite's difficulties, Nyx softened his attitude slightly, finally managing to respond with a neutral attitude of neither disliking nor disliking her.
A charming blonde woman smiled sweetly, secretly relieved. Once relaxed, Aphrodite realized her palms were sweaty, but her ability to conceal her emotions was superb; she remained composed and amiable throughout, showing no sign of awkwardness.
This feeling of meeting the in-laws...don't you all really think something's off?
After meeting Nyx, Aphrodite was taken away by Amy and Eris, along with Hemera and the accompanying Tarasa.
As the goddess of love and beauty with virtually no room for improvement in her power, after a period of fruitless efforts, Aphrodite resigned herself to her fate. She dutifully fulfilled her role as a weak, decorative object, diligently performing her duties as a beautiful ornament. Her daily tasks consisted of constantly striving to make herself even more beautiful.
A dazzling array of perfumes, clothing… even Hemera, who always considered herself a tomboy, was captivated by the exquisite trinkets. Aphrodite successfully won the favor of the goddesses of the underworld.
Always playing the innocent victim, the target of the goddesses' hostility, Aphrodite, surrounded by goddesses' friendliness for the first time, felt quite uncomfortable.
However, comparing the beauty of the goddesses before her, well, she had nothing to be resented.
Aphrodite was undoubtedly beautiful, that much was certain, but while few could rival her in looks alone, there were some. Eris, Hemera, and Tarasa were among this minority, only lacking Aphrodite's divine status as a goddess of beauty.
The first generation of gods, created by Chaos himself, excelled in every aspect, including appearance. Even with her divine status as a goddess of beauty, Aphrodite was slightly inferior to Gaia and Nyx, and naturally, couldn't compare to Amy, who was even more beautiful than her sisters.
So Aphrodite was abruptly reduced from a goddess of beauty admired by all the gods to an average-looking one, which was truly so sad.
The drop from a precious vase to an ordinary water glass was quite significant; her only advantage was gone. One can only imagine the psychological trauma Aphrodite must have felt at that moment.
The news of Eros and Aphrodite's marriage shocked countless gods, successfully drawing even more hatred from the goddesses towards Aphrodite.
"That useless, flirtatious woman, how dare she marry Lord Eros? It's just her face!" The envious and jealous goddesses were on the verge of despair in this world obsessed with looks.
However, none of this soothed Aphrodite's wounded heart. "They should really take a trip to Hell," Aphrodite muttered, her face darkened by the average attractiveness of Hell.
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The marriage brought a series of repercussions. First, Aphrodite's position as the chief goddess was finally secured.
Aphrodite, having helped Rhea, the second queen of the gods, rescue Zeus and the other six, gained the position of chief goddess after the war. However, lacking both power and powerful backing, she was clearly the weakest target. Many gods coveted her position, but now that problem was solved.
Indeed, power is everything, Aphrodite couldn't help but sigh.
Then, Hephaestus's wife changed from Aphrodite to Aglaia, one of the Three Graces, the goddess of light. Well, actually, it wasn't exactly a change of goddess, as Aglaia was originally Hephaestus's second wife.
The story begins like this →_→
Regarding Hephaestus, it must be said that the queen of the gods practically asked for trouble.
Hephaestus was Hera's first child, a legitimate heir, no explanation needed. However, whether due to Hera's trauma causing premature birth or some other reason, Hera was not only ugly but also lame. Lacking maternal love, Hera simply abandoned her eldest son.
If it weren't for the sea nymph Thetis taking Hephaestus in and raising him, this noble son of Zeus and Hera would likely have been left to wander the streets—how tragic!
Well, Hephaestus wasn't actually ugly; by human standards, he'd be considered quite handsome. Unfortunately, his comparison was with the entire divine race, all of whom were beautiful men and women, making Hephaestus's fate tragic.
So, it's all the fault of average appearance.
Average appearance: My fault, you say?
Perhaps as compensation, compared to his tragic appearance, Hephaestus's talent in forging was astonishing, simply phenomenal.
And so, Her Majesty the Queen was unfortunately trapped in the chair made by her eldest son, whose forging skills were off the charts.
The Gods: My companions and I were stunned.
Hera: I never expected my eldest son to be such a promising talent.
So, it's better not to be too willful as a god. You abandoned your son because you disliked him, and now you're getting your comeuppance. You won't die if you don't court death. You already learned your lesson from chasing Leto and his mother; why haven't you learned your lesson, Your Majesty?
Chapter 58