Chapter 5

“Which Greek god would make the best spouse?”

“Write an essay — minimum 5,000 characters.”

It was a bizarre assignment from Professor Jeousu back in freshman year.

The results were unexpected.

Among the female students, the top pick for “Most Eligible God” wasn’t the shining Apollo or strong Heracles —

It was the grim, terrifying lord of the dead: Hades.

Why?

Because, in a pantheon full of cheaters and playboys, Hades was… oddly domestic.

Strict and distant to others, but tender and devoted to his wife — the textbook “Duke of the North” type.

Looking back, it kind of made sense.

Even the CEO (CEO) of Happy World — a modern stand-in for Hades himself — is famously whipped.

He once allowed Eurydice to be revived, against his own strict rules, just because his wife was moved by Orpheus’ song.

And that same wife bore him a single, cherished daughter—

Melinoe.

A treasure. A gem.

Now, let’s imagine someone messed with her.

And what if that someone…

was me?

OH GODS—

At this rate, I wasn’t just facing a transfer.

I was facing eternal punishment.

Rolling a second boulder next to Sisyphus for all eternity didn’t sound far-fetched anymore.

Just then, Princess Melinoe squinted up at the artificial sun in the ceiling, her pomegranate-red eyes narrowing.

“I heard Happy World was supposed to be gloomy and underpowered from energy shortages… but that sun says otherwise.

That’s because of Sisyphus’ rehabilitation, right?

And the one who did that was this guy.”

“Yes! It’s thanks to Joy that we now have a reliable power grid, that our staff dorms are running efficiently, and that productivity’s tripled!”

Bones bowed low again and even started gushing about how I “accidentally discovered a gold vein.”

“He hasn’t even completed two winters with us, yet we’re already saying we can’t run the department without him!”

Was this… praise?

In every office drama I’ve ever watched, the boss usually hogs the credit.

But this guy? This skeleton? Zero greed.

Well, except for Krates, our department’s poster boy, who sulked loudly:

“Still, this guy was late on an important day. And reeks of booze.”

…Yeah. That part was true.

Chik.

That was the sound of Melinoe’s hand suddenly landing on my shoulder.

“I didn’t know the way here, but this man helped me find it.

Technically, we could’ve arrived on time… but I lost my—”

She stopped herself mid-sentence.

A delicate cough.

“He was late because I overdid it with the drinks.

Sisyphus Energy’s stock was up, so the bar had free-flowing pomegranate wine. We just… kept going.”

“Wait, what?! Drinks were free?”

Krates looked stunned.

Bones, however, beamed like a proud dad:

“So you were assisting Lady Melinoe since last night!

Even working after hours—what loyalty!

Everyone, take note! This is what real company spirit looks like!”

“Stayed out all night drinking with the boss?”

“Dude, I couldn’t do that even if I tried.”

……

How did things end up like this?

While I was reeling, Markius walked up and patted my shoulder.

“Bro… you read the note I left, didn’t you?

You actually hit all the bars after work and found her?

Dude, RESPECT.”

Huh?

I checked my office mailbox.

And sure enough, there it was:

“Got some intel that might help you.

The new executive apparently loves alcohol.

– From your dear colleague, Markius.”

If I’d read this before heading to the bar…

Maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess.

As I stood there, slack-jawed like I’d been conned, Melinoe gently tapped my shoulder again.

“Star employee Joy.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on your future performance.”

“…Y-Yes, ma’am.”

I’m doomed.

I spent the night with the Goddess of Nightmares.

Literal. Nightmare. Fuel.

WHAT THE HAPPY WORLD.

# #

Apollo is the sun god.

In Greek belief, Apollo wasn’t just a god of the sun—

He was the sun.

That’s the nature of gods.

They embody their domains.

They are what they represent.

Anthropomorphized concepts.

So what about Melinoe?

As the goddess of nightmares…

She is the nightmare.

A nightmare made flesh.

When she was appointed as an executive at Happy World, I assumed my own nightmare was about to begin.

And yet…

Two weeks have passed.

And strangely enough, nothing much has changed.

In fact, things have been… peaceful?

“Assistant Manager Joy! Sisyphus has submitted a request to increase his boulder weight!

What did you do to that man?!”

“Assistant Manager Joy! The punishment compliance rate from prisoners listening to Orpheus’ songs has doubled!”

“Joy!”

“Joy!”

“Joooooy!”

Sure, the paperwork was piling up.

And the hell-roaches were still giant and creepy.

But all in all, life at Happy World was strangely routine.

“It scares me how used to this I’ve become…

Maybe human adaptability really has no limits.”

Even all those tedious tasks I did while working under Professor Jeousu during my Master’s were coming in handy now.

Still, Happy World was no paradise.

I couldn’t let my guard down.

Because right now…

“Today, we’re having a welcome party with Vice Director Melinoe!

Wrap up your work by 4 PM and be there—no excuses!”

Click-clack!

Bones dropped the bombshell while snapping his jaw.

A welcome dinner.

With the Goddess of Nightmares.

I felt a hole burning straight through my stomach.

“Of course life was too quiet recently.”

The only reason things had been peaceful up till now…

Was because I hadn’t seen her again.

I’m just a mid-level nobody.

She’s the terrifying CEO’s daughter.

And now we’re sharing a table?

Yeah.

This really is Hell.

“What are the odds of a low-level assistant manager crossing paths with the daughter of the CEO?”

Pretty much zero.

And yet, I somehow defied that impossible probability.

I drank with her.

I spent the night with her.

Even just thinking about that night made my blood run cold.

The same alcohol that tasted heavenly now just tasted bitter.

“Of course, we’ve been acting like nothing happened since that day…”

Which was even more terrifying.

I would’ve preferred if Her Divine Highness had called me in and said,

“Let’s pretend that night never happened.”

Or even,

“Just a one-night mistake—keep it secret.”

At least then I’d have clarity.

Because of the uncertainty, I’d been too nervous to even proceed with my grand plan to transfer to Olympus.

Honestly, I couldn’t remember what happened that night.

I’d been too drunk.

My memories were a foggy blur.

“Maybe nothing did happen? Maybe we just slept… literally.”

I hoped that was the case.

Why?

Because this is the Greek pantheon, where mortals tangled with goddesses end up like Orion—

Dead.

Stuffed into the stars as a cautionary constellation.

Sure, I wanted to transfer from Happy World to Olympus…

But not as a literal constellation.

“This is all that damn nymph’s fault.”

If I’d known Melinoe was a nymph, I might’ve suspected she was an executive and kept my distance.

But her ears hadn’t been pointy—

So I let my guard down.

“She’s a goddess and a nymph?!”

Can that even happen?

A goddess and a nymph are totally different species.

That’s like saying someone is both a cat and a dog.

But then again, gods never make sense.

They are the rules.

Which is exactly why, for the sake of my mental health and Olympus transfer plan,

it was best to avoid divine beings entirely.

Fortunately, I was just a middle-tier peon, and gods (a.k.a. executives) were so far above me that I didn’t even see them unless summoned.

“Assistant Manager Joy! Since you were last year’s top employee, I’ve assigned you a seat right beside the executives for the company dinner!”

Clack—clack—!

That was Manager Bones, chattering his jaw with excitement.

A cold sweat ran down my spine.

“Ahhh! Sorry, I—I think I have stomach cramps! I-I should excuse myself from the dinner… ugh, must’ve eaten something bad the day before—!”

“Nonsense! I have just the thing for that. A fruit from Sisyphus—great for stomach aches from too much protein supplement. Happens all the time with him.”

What the actual hell?!

He’s a skeleton—why is he taking protein supplements?!

I couldn’t even escape the dinner party.

And so, just like that, I was seated beside the divine executives.

The corporate equivalent of a rookie soldier eating next to the General Commander.

“Please, someone kill me.”

Though… even death doesn’t guarantee escape from Happy World.

As I sat there blinking back existential dread, Manager Bones spoke in awe:

“You’re so honored to be seated with the executives, eh? Your company loyalty could pierce right through these old bones! But listen carefully—”

His eye sockets glowed a cool blue.

“There are two absolute rules when dining with executives.”

He raised a bony finger, ticking them off one by one.

“One: Do not speak unless spoken to.

Two: Do not leave your seat before they do.”

Then he gave my back a few light pats, like he was preparing me for battle.

“As long as you follow those, you’ll be fine. Sure, there are other etiquette rules, but I trust you’ll handle those instinctively.”

“…And if I don’t follow them?”

“Then your performance review will suffer.

Worst-case scenario—you could be dismissed.

Stripped of this glorious, sacred job…!”

He said “stripped” like it was some terrifying curse.

Markius and the other junior staff nearby physically shivered.

“Getting fired over a single mistake?

No thanks.

I don’t even wanna look at the execs.”

“This is Soul Society.

One slip-up and you’re out forever.”

“If you get fired here…

you fall below rock bottom.

Rehiring is a myth.”

That moment clarified everything for me.

There were now exactly two things I had to do next: