Eros turned her back to Catia and made an imperceptible gesture towards a certain direction deep within the mist of the Styx, a flicker of cunning appearing on her small face.
At the other end of the mist, Metis, who had vanished from sight, received the signal. The tense strings of her heart relaxed slightly, but then an even deeper anxiety washed over her.
She sent back a silent message with an undeniable warning: "Follow the plan, but never let her know of my existence."
All of this was clearly 'seen' by Hades, who sat on the obsidian throne, his will enveloping all of Hades.
His violet eyes reflected this farce—secretly orchestrated by the Queen of the Underworld, performed on stage by little Eros, and unknowingly participated in by the princess.
He watched in silence, like an observer awaiting the results of an experiment, hoping that this absurd attempt might truly break the shackles imposed by boundless wisdom.
Eros received confirmation, turned back, and gave Catia an encouraging smile, but a hint of mischief was hidden within it.
"The plan is very simple~" She leaned close to Catia's ear and whispered.
"You just need to find an opportunity to offer a glass of wine to your great Father God, expressing your 'filial piety' and... well, your wish to 'yearn for a new family member'. Leave the rest to me! ♡"
The plan was outrageously straightforward, almost the simplest and crudest use of divine power, carrying a certain fatalistic irony—much like when Zeus made Cronus drink the emetic potion.
Catia was uneasy, but she didn't look back.
She carefully selected the softest and darkest wine from the cellars of Hades, holding the golden cup in both hands, and step by step approached the obsidian throne.
Her heart pounded like a drum, clearly audible in the silent hall.
She tried to make her voice smooth, with due respect.
"You have worked hard for the Underworld. Please... please drink this cup and rest."
On the throne, Hades's gaze fell upon her, a cold look that nearly froze Catia.
He saw the undisguised nervousness and anticipation in his daughter's eyes, and he also 'saw' the cup of wine, quietly infused with Eros's divine power and glowing with an unusual pink shimmer.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant.
Then, just as Catia could barely endure the pressure of the silence, Hades slowly extended his pale, slender hand and took the cup.
His movements showed no hesitation, as if it were an ordinary interaction between father and daughter.
He didn't even glance at the wine, and under Catia's gaze, full of a mix of surprise, guilt, and disbelief, he brought the cup to his lips, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
At that moment, the wine containing the unusual divine power slid down his throat and began to merge with his divine body—
The warning was so sharp it nearly tore through her soul, like a belated bolt of lightning suddenly exploding from the source of Metis's wisdom!
This isn't right!
Hades... How could he so easily accept the offer? Especially right after Catia's 'inappropriate' request?
With his reason and suspicion, this in itself was a huge anomaly! He had never been a father who went along with such childish dramas!
He drank it! He knew there was a problem, yet he drank it! He wasn't deceived; he... did it on purpose?!
Metis's figure, hiding behind the mist, trembled violently, her face instantly turning as pale as paper.
She realized she had made a huge mistake.
She thought she was using Catia and Eros to advance her plan, not knowing that she might have already been under Hades's observation of the events unfolding!
The wine went down his throat, and Hades set down the cup, his face still expressionless.
But he felt a restless and warm power, not belonging to Hades, trying to stir a wave in his cursed, frozen lake of emotions, attempting to breach the law that absolutely forbade 'love'.
He sat quietly on the throne, as if waiting—waiting for the outcome, or for... the approaching storm.
Below, Catia looked at the empty wine cup, her heart full of confusion and a slight sense of foreboding.
Eros was so excited she nearly jumped for joy, thinking the plan had worked.
Only Metis, the wise orchestrator, felt a piercing chill.
A cold and clear conclusion struck Metis—he had not lost interest in her!
On the contrary, there must be a deeper reason behind his action, a reason closely connected to her and the state between them!
Otherwise, why would he walk into this obvious trap?
The mist that had long settled in her heart, the self-doubt arising from her inability to conceive new life, the fear of Hades's emotional transference... At this moment, most of these phantoms, like ghosts pierced by the sun, suddenly dissipated.
A mix of relief, confusion, and renewed courage filled her chest.
She no longer hid her figure, stepping out of the mist on the banks of the Styx and approaching the obsidian throne.
Her steps were no longer panicked, and her eyes regained the clarity and sharpness befitting a goddess of wisdom, immediately locking onto Hades's fathomless gaze.
"Why?" Metis spoke, her voice level but with an undeniable force.
"You knew there was something wrong with that cup. You knew that behind Catia's request lay my shadow, and even Eros's power at work. Why did you still drink it?"
She no longer circled or succumbed to temptation, choosing the most direct question.
On the throne, Hades silently watched the Queen of Hades, who had finally stepped onto the stage.
He showed not the slightest resentment at her question, nor any irritation at having his plans disrupted.
He had no reason to hide the curse; he hadn't mentioned it before, but Metis hadn't asked.
Therefore, he did not evade or embellish.
He used that calm voice, like pronouncing the law of the Underworld, to directly reveal the cruel truth:
"Because 'the wise do not fall in love'."
He paused slightly, as if trying to find the most precise words, and his violet eyes reflected Metis's suddenly frozen expression.
"That was a curse placed on me by another Metis—a different you—before activating the 'Negation Ritual' and dissolving. Its core effect is: 'Never fall in love with anyone'."
Each word was like an ice axe carving into Metis's heart. She felt dizzy, almost unable to stand steady.
"Another me... a curse... cannot love..." These words collided and wildly reorganized in her wise mind.