Wife Won't Visit Her Parents #3
Who would've thought the administrator of the Plant Gallery, Chicoreta, was none other than Lady Persephone. Looking back, there were plenty of clues I could've pieced together. The "Core" in Chi'coreta meant "maiden," which was Persephone's childhood name.
I'd assumed it was just a cute motif based on that adorable grass-type Pokémon, ChikoXta. But no.
'From the start, both Persephone and ChikoXta are grass-types. Jo Iseo, if you were truly gunning for dismissal, you should've seen this coming! This is a mistake!'
I subjected myself to some harsh self-criticism in my head.
If you asked whether this situation was a gain or a loss for me, honestly, judging by everything that's happened so far, it felt like I'd lose more than I'd gain.
So I tried to slip away under the pretext of audit duties.
"You don't need to worry about the audit team."
Lady Persephone called her son, Prince Zagreus, and put the brakes on the audit team's activities entirely. Behold this unchecked power. In some ways, the goddess before me surpassed even the CEO—she was practically the greatest authority in the entire Soul Society.
"Jo Iseo, come with me to prep some drinks real quick."
That's when Crates nudged my side.
I wanted out of there just as badly, so I followed him into the room with the fridge. Crates glanced around, then whispered very quietly.
"Jo Iseo, that promotion-obsessed devil. Who knew he'd go this far. A heads-up would've been nice!"
How was I supposed to give you a heads-up? I didn't know either. I'd nearly passed out standing up for two seconds straight when I saw Cerberus earlier.
Before I could rattle off my excuses, Crates let out a deep sigh.
"Did you see those kimchi jars made with Hell Cactus? That's torture equipment. No mortal body could handle it. I'll eat them all, so don't push yourself."
"Kimchi?"
"This is me repaying the debt I owe you. A promotion-and-performance maniac like you was probably planning to chow down on the lady of the house's kimchi to score points, right?"
Why would I ever think that? Sure, I liked Hell Cactus, but only as a barrier against hell cockroaches—not something I wanted to eat. It was like loving insecticide but not wanting to chug the stuff as a beverage.
"I'm already dead. Eating side dishes made from that torture equipment won't kill me again. It'll hurt like hell, but... leave this to me!"
It was kinda touching, in its own way. He must've felt that guilty.
"If we drag this out, they'll get suspicious. Let's head back. Today, for the family I've barely held onto, I'll give it my all here!"
Whoosh—he bolted out first. I slowly made my way back to the tables in front of the flower shop.
Several kimchi jars lined the tables. Lady Persephone chuckled and showed me the contents.
The red, square chunks immediately caught my eye.
"Oh, you diced the cactus into cubes for kkakdugi?"
"Exactly. My own recipe. Want to try some?"
Try it? Even so, tasting cactus seemed a bit... I glanced sideways, and Crates nodded. He'd step up, like he said.
Crates picked up a plate and gulped nervously.
"...Hoo..."
That's when Mrs. Kshalri chimed in.
"The lady of the house says eating this kkakdugi emits a wavelength that repels pests—no more mosquitoes or hell cockroaches. Isn't that amazing?"
What the—!!! A food with that dream-come-true effect?! For someone like me who'd nearly been ambushed by deputy-level cockroaches recently, this was a must-have!
"Crates! Hand that over!"
I lunged, snatched the plate from him, and shoveled the side dish into my mouth like mad.
Right now, I was no different from a nymph eyeing special honey candy.
But as I chewed, I had to admit—it was surprisingly good. Crunch crunch.
...No, this is actually delicious!
Like the kkakdugi you get at a seolleongtang joint? Who knew cactus had a texture like firm radish.
"Tastes like you added soda water. Am I right?"
"Hehehe, Vice Chairman Jo Iseo, you really know your food. I used a lime-infused drink to bring out the sweetness. My husband never notices, no matter how much he eats."
"Back in grad school, I stayed at my professor's place for a few days and made nothing but kimchi. Tried just about every method out there. I can really taste the care you put into it."
Kimchi was the one thing I'd made more than my thesis. Maybe that's why this cactus kimchi blew me away—I was genuinely impressed.
The intimidating lady of the house bloomed into a smile like a radiant flower.
"It's nice when someone appreciates the effort. When you're making it for your son, daughter, and husband, you can't help but pour your heart into it. It turned out great this time—I wish more people could've tried it..."
She gazed at the empty spots, seeming a bit wistful, then sighed at the piled-up jars.
"Oh well, guess we'll just share it among ourselves."
"Mind if I share some with people I know?"
"Of course. Better than letting it rot."
Maybe pass some out at the office. That'd sort out the hell cockroach infestation crawling everywhere. Sounded perfect. Hell, make it a permanent cafeteria side dish.
"Vice Chairman Jo Iseo lives alone, right? Don't get too buried in work—eat properly while you can. I'll send you extras whenever I make a big batch."
For real? It was a tempting offer. But it also made my stomach churn.
I'd unintentionally racked up major points with the Soul Society's lady of the house. Not exactly aligning with my plan to tank my reputation and get fired.
Maybe I should knock my image down a peg here. Like, bring up something she'd hate to hear.
Something along these lines.
"Just occurred to me—if you made too much, why not take some to your mom? Your family home's in Eleusis, right?"
There had to be a temple in Greek Eleusis dedicated to Goddess Demeter.
At my subtle probe, a faint wrinkle creased her smooth brow.
Did that upset her?
Her frown looked just like Lady Melinoë's. Well, more like Melinoë took after her mother.
"No need to give any to my mom. She still treats me like a kid. My eldest is all grown up with grandkids on the way—last thing I want is a visit full of nagging."
Nagging. Yeah, Demeter was the obsessive type of mother. She'd once locked her daughter Kore away on Sicily, not letting her set foot outside.
Maybe she'd had enough of that overprotectiveness?
"But... don't you only stay down here for about three months? The other nine, aren't you supposed to spend with your mom up top...?"
"Oh, that? You know about the Business Renewal a few years back? It revised the rules on food and bindings, and it applied retroactively to everything."
Hold up—retroactive?
That means...
"No matter how many pomegranate seeds I ate here, I'm free now. I can stay as long as I want."
Ah, so that's how it was! The Business Renewal had lifted even the binding forcing Persephone to stay underground for three months.
Then Mrs. Kshalri asked,
"So you can visit your mom anytime now?"
"Miss Kshalri, once you're married, you get it. Sometimes your home with your sons, daughters, and husband just feels comfier than your parents' place."
"Ah, kinda get that... At my parents', I was always watching Mom's mood and couldn't relax. But at home, they treat me like a crown princess. With my husband and son."
Aha, now I got it. There was no real reason for Persephone not to go topside. She just didn't want to.
Hmm-hmm~.
The man's wife returned home humming happily, in a great mood.
It was still early, before dinner even.
"Everyone loved the kimchi I made today—they scraped the bowls clean."
"...Indeed. A fine outcome. Your cooking's always top-notch, after all."
"All thanks to you."
"...Me? What did I do?"
"Vice Chairman Jo Iseo. With so few people at the plant club meetup, I was worried I'd be disappointed or sad—but you sent him, right? I knew it when I saw the title you gave him. I pretended not to notice, though."
Was there a Jo Iseo in the Plant Gallery? The man had no clue.
But he was a wise being.
"Ahem, you caught on, huh. That fool Jo Iseo must have terrible acting skills."
"Don't blame Vice Chairman Jo Iseo. I'm just sharp. Still, it touched me. You're the only one who thinks of me that much."
Squeeze! His wife pulled the man into a hug.
"I've had a lot on my mind lately. But now it's decided. From now on, no more visits to my parents'. I'll live forever as the Soul Society's lady of the house—a mom and a wife."
"...What!? Such a huge decision...!? You don't have to—"
"Don't say what you don't mean! You're thrilled we'll never part again! We're together forever now! Forever!"
Forever—, forever—, foreveeeeer—.
The woman's voice echoed in the man's ears like a terrifying nightmare.
Splashhhh—.
As his wife headed off to wash up, the man scowled at the fishing rod hidden in the corner.
He pulled out a box labeled "Permanent Seal" and stashed the rod inside.
─Huff, huff...!
─Huff...!
The night before the big meeting. As I tried to sleep, some ghosts knocked on my door.
They led me to the pier on the fiery river Phlegethon, where the CEO waited, cloaked in black robes.
I hurriedly bowed in shock, but the CEO's words struck like lightning, faster.
"You bastard, Jo Iseo. Whatever you said, my wife declared she won't go back to her parents' anymore."
"I get why she doesn't—thanks to the new rules from the Business Renewal applying retroactively, the bindings on her are gone—"
"Enough, I don't want to hear it. That damned Business Renewal. My son Zagreus—my own flesh and blood—strangling his father's neck. Must be that rebel streak from Cronus's blood."
Roooar—.
His rage made the fiery river churn. I sneaked a peek; the CEO stared at the flames, his crimson eyes flickering like a bonfire fed with winter logs.
That bittersweet gaze reminded me of Melinoë. Eyebrows like her mother's, but those irises took after her father.
"So—how's that man doing."
After a heavy silence, like dusting off an ancient tome to open it, the CEO spoke.
Who'd he mean?
"That man?"
"That cursed old coot. I hear you meet him often, Vice Chairman Jo Iseo. A sly fox like you already knows who."
"If you mean Lord Cronus..."
Was he doing well? Hard to say definitively—I'd gotten plenty of bitter drinks on that old man's account. As I hesitated,
The CEO snorted.
"Never mind. Not that I care to hear. Anyway, you've handled your task, so I'll keep my promise. Ask what you want. One chance only—choose wisely."
It wasn't intentional, but things had snowballed smoothly into this. I was almost deluded into thinking I was actually competent.
Either way, not a bad opportunity. What I'd been curious about.
"What exactly is Nymph Melinoi?"