Chapter 37.2 Marriage Proposals
Thanatos watched the spectacle of gods standing to propose, unsure of how to feel.
He had come to eavesdrop on secret matters, but instead, he had stumbled upon this huge gossip.
For someone like Thanatos, who was usually inept at handling social situations, it was truly shocking that Venus could charm so many gods at once. It would leave him in awe for the next three hundred years.
Hephaestus, the God of Fire, was equally stunned.
He still hadn’t fully processed what was happening.
From the very beginning, Hephaestus had never imagined that he would be the center of attention at this banquet. He was used to being the invisible god. Even though he had briefly shone at Venus’ coming-of-age banquet, it had been a fleeting moment. Afterward, he was back to being the same humble craftsman, covered in soot, hammering away at the forge by the fire, his face always covered in dirt and ash.
An ugly duckling would always remain an ugly duckling. Never could it become a beautiful swan.
His father said…… Venus had feelings for him and asked his father to arrange their marriage?
How could that be possible?
Hephaestus himself couldn’t believe it, and the other gods were even more convinced it was impossible.
They knew that Venus and Hephaestus had a good relationship, but the most they had ever expected was for Venus to invite Hephaestus to dance first at the ball, or even to be the first to share a bed with him. That, they thought, was the limit.
As the God of Pleasure, Venus’ very nature made it impossible for him to willingly submit to the constraints of marriage — although marriage had no restraint on the Olympian gods in the first place. Being married didn’t prevent any of them from having lovers, and marriage itself was nothing more than a fragile piece of paper that could be torn apart at any moment. It held none of the sacred or solemn significance that it did for mortals.
But Venus shouldn’t have even had that fragile piece of paper in the first place.
He was born incapable of fidelity, destined to flit from one lover to another. How could he ever willingly choose to marry?
Ares, his words dripping with spite, voiced his doubts. “Father, this can’t be true. Hephaestus is hideous, a cripple, and spends all his time hammering away at the forge. There’s no way Venus would fall for him.”
He paid no mind to the fact that Hephaestus was his half-brother. All that filled his heart was jealousy, and with the cruelest words, he attacked the rival who had taken Venus from him.
The other gods said nothing, but many of them nodded in agreement.
Hephaestus silently lowered his head.
The collective proposal from the gods of Olympus made Hephaestus fully realize just how beautiful and radiant Venus was. So many gods loved him.
Why would he ever dare to dream of possessing this rose that every god desired to pluck? He was already uneasy just walking past it, catching a whiff of its scent. How could he ever bring the flower home and care for it tenderly?
He couldn’t bring himself to believe that what Zeus said was true. The gods of Olympus often made fun of him at banquets, and perhaps this was just another trick to mock him.
Zeus, with a malicious glint in his eyes, turned toward Venus. “Is that so? Venus, do you despise my son?”
Venus turned his gaze away in disgust.
He saw right through Zeus’ intentions. Having rejected Zeus’ advances, Zeus was now trying to humiliate him by marrying him off to the “ugly, crippled” Hephaestus. In Zeus’ eyes, Hephaestus was nothing more than a tool to shame him. It was Zeus who truly despised Hephaestus.
Yet, Zeus had the audacity to call Hephaestus “my son” at this moment, making it seem as though Venus was rejecting the King of the Gods’ son. If Venus refused, it would imply he was looking down on Zeus’ son. Even though nearly everyone on Mount Olympus, including Zeus and Hera, despised Hephaestus for his ugliness and disability, if Venus refused to marry him, Zeus would use it as an excuse to punish Venus. It was nothing more than a pretext to start trouble.
Venus could have said outright that he never intended to marry Hephaestus. It was Zeus, in his frustration over being rejected, twisting the truth. He could reveal the truth, but what would the consequences be?
Zeus had done far worse things, and this was nothing new. With his grip on power, even Hera, the Queen of the Gods, could do nothing about Zeus’ infidelities. Revealing the truth would have no effect. The King of the Gods would still have the final say and could force Venus into marriage with Hephaestus.
At that moment, Venus might have earned the sympathy of the gods, but how would they view Hephaestus?
The gods would mock him mercilessly. “Of course, the God of Fire is useless. How could the God of Beauty ever look at him? He should be grateful that the King of the Gods gave him to him. Otherwise, he’d never find a wife in his life. No one would ever like him.”
The little confidence Hephaestus had painstakingly rebuilt would be shattered. He had never known acceptance or affection, and even the slightest blow would send him spiraling into the abyss.
Zeus, in his relentless desire to ruin what he could not have, never considered how it would destroy his already insecure son.
Venus suddenly stood up. “The proposal was mine. I like him. I want to marry him.”
The room fell completely silent.
Hephaestus looked up in astonishment.
Ares shook his head. “No, Venus, this is impossible. What could you possibly see in him? He’s clearly useless……”
“He isn’t ugly at all. He’s very handsome. That birthmark is cool. It’s a fiery pattern given to him by the heaven. If you think it’s ugly, that’s just a difference in taste. But I am the God of Beauty, and my taste is the standard.” Venus was extremely assertive, almost to the point of saying, “You’re just blind.”
The gods: “……”
Ares, still unwilling to accept it, muttered, “You’re just lying for him—”
“He’s beautiful, and what’s wrong if he’s not? Does being unattractive mean you don’t deserve to be liked? Ares, he’s your brother. Again and again, you use the cruelest, most venomous words to belittle him. You all look down on him, mock him, insult him, and yet, he’s never spoken ill of any god in my presence. His inner beauty far surpasses any outer appearance I’ve ever seen.
“You despise his disability? His disability was caused by others.” Venus’ gaze sharpened as she glanced meaningfully at Hera, sneering. “The one who should feel ashamed is the one who caused it. Why should the victim bear all the hatred, while the perpetrator faces no consequences?
“You say he’s nothing but a craftsman who spends his days by the fire?” Venus laughed aloud now, his eyes scanning the hall. “All the temples on this mountain were built by him. Your jewelry, your weapons, they were all forged by him. Your armor, your shields, your scepters, they were all made by him. I’ve seen him work, and it’s grueling. You live in palaces he built, use weapons he made, and yet you say he’s worthless?”
Under the weight of Venus’ reproach, the gods couldn’t help but look away, feeling guilty.
Venus moved to the table where Hephaestus sat, positioning himself protectively in front of him. “He is worthy of love. At least, I love him.”
He turned to face Hephaestus, placing his hands on the table as he lowered his head to meet his eyes. “Hephaestus, last time I asked if you would dance with me. This time, I’m asking you if you will marry me?”
As the farce seemed to come to a close, the God of Death quietly slipped away, returning to the underworld and returning his Helmet of Invisibility to Hades.
Hades, resting with his eyes closed on his throne, finally opened them. “Have you gathered information?”
Thanatos fell silent for a moment, carefully organizing his thoughts. “The King of Gods arranged a marriage between the God of Beauty and the God of Fire, and the gods all proposed to the God of Beauty, but he insisted on choosing the God of Fire.”
Thanatos tried to convey all the overwhelming information from the divine mountain in the briefest sentences possible.
Hades: “……I sent you to gather information, and you went to listen to gossip?”
Thanatos didn’t respond.
Hades, accustomed to his subordinate’s few words, wasn’t bothered by the lack of a response. He himself didn’t speak much either, so their communication felt natural. “Go back and investigate further.”
Thanatos finally spoke again. “No need.”
Hades glanced up. “Why?”
Thanatos replied, “They don’t look very smart.”
There probably wasn’t any grand plan at all.
He was a little unhappy that his hard work of spending several days and nights holding a dictionary to learn Chinese was wasted.
Hades: “……”
Hades rubbed his temples. “Poseidon told me that Zeus has no brain, and I didn’t believe him. Seems like it’s true. Do you have anything else to do now?”
Thanatos kept his response short and to the point. “Reaping souls.” That was his main job, after all.
Hades frowned. “Anything other than that?”
Thanatos shook his head. There was nothing else.
“I’ll send a few of the heroic souls, empower them temporarily with divine power to replace you,” Hades said. “You’re the strongest warrior of the underworld, so go assist Poseidon in the sea. If the sea realm falls, we’re not safe either. Also, tell Hypnos to warn Mount Olympus…… no, forget it, Poseidon’s done it already. Let them die.”
Thanatos nodded, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.
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