Beauty is such a curse.

It was what Kim Chungha thought in her walks of life. And it was the same thought she had pictured as she was standing on a cliff, looking onto the edge after being abandoned by her father. That abandonment only made her conclude that it had something to do with herself.

People have such mystery in each one, hence of the uniqueness. But sometimes, they were grouped into special ones, like ones who were descendants of famous figures, even mythical beings and objects over the ages. For Chungha, she was one of them and was a descendant from Psyche herself, given the physical perfection so complete and unique that she was worshipped and was misconceptualized of being the descendant of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. With that, real time human lovers were too intimidated even to approach her.

Chungha sat down, remembering the motive of her own commotion. According to her father, she saw a woman by the name of Lim Nayoung, who acclaimed herself as the descendant of Apollo, the God of Light, Reason, and Prophecy, he was told to abandon her on this rocky crag and she would marry and cruel, savage, serpent-like winged evil.

Alone and cold onto the rocky crag, she felt despair. She then heard footsteps as she turned around. She saw a woman like her.

"Who are you?" Chungha asked. "What had brought you here to this crag?"

"I have come to help you, descendant of Psyche." The girl spoke. "I am Choi Yoojung, the descendant of Zephyr, the west wind."

Chungha would've refuted but Yoojung snapped her finger and she was lifted onto the air gently, where it set her off before a palace.

"You are home." Yoojung appeared again. "Your wife awaits you throughout those doors, by the bedroom...if you dare to meet her."

Yoojung disappeared as Chungha thought that she'd be brave enough to do such a task. Nonetheless, she obeyed and got inside the palace. With her steps, the room got dimmer and dimmer. She got to the bedroom and as she got inside, it was pitch-dark. It was so dark that she couldn't see her wife, all while she thought of what her father shared of such a prophecy.

Chungha reached until she felt something. She guessed it was her said to be wife. But unlike in the said prophecy, she didn't feel serpent-like at all. She didn't even have wings. On the contrary, she had soft skin and a deep voice of gentleness and good mannerism.

"Who are you?" Chungha asked.

She felt a raspy breath by her lips and Chungha didn't understand herself. How could she go all mushy towards a woman, let alone a stranger? She was lost as her hands got to a cheek. She even felt the woman's hand beyond hers.

"It's a particular question that I can never answer..." The girl spoke deeply, her distance inches away from Chungha. "...because if you love me, you need not to know."

The events fell onto place at that moment as Chungha indulged onto ravishing lust.

+++

Ever since then, Chungha stayed onto that palace. She would be alone on that room and never had the thinking to light it up at night, all prior to her wife's request. During night, it was always dark. Her wife came and go, making all of her visits at night and their moments hot and pleasurable.

It occured night after night after night. And not before long, Chungha was pregnant.

A part of her rejoiced and another was conflicted. With all the caresses and sensual kisses, she questions herself. How could she get pregnant when she had a wife? And how could she raise her baby with a woman she had never seen?

It was the aftermath of lust on that recent night. Chungha made her instinct and decided to eagerly meet her wife personally. That night, she approached her sleeping wife, holding an oil lamp. What she found was a girl with bangs, all messed up with some strands stuck by her large forehead. She saw a scar by her eye and a familiar birthmark. And seeing a bunch of arrows and a bow on one end, it hit Chungha, causing her to lose hold of the oil lamp.

The prophecy was no joke. She was lusting and has been sleeping with a woman who was a descendant of Eros, the god who has sent other gods and mortals lusting onto each other with the prinpricks of his arrows.

The blazes of red and yellow greeted Chungha's orbs and a scream was heard. She saw the woman cover herself as she levitated by the window. The woman was burnt by her waist as Chungha asked, "Who are you?"

The woman relieves herself before she faces Chungha. "I am Kim Sejeong, the descendant of Eros...and I'm in love with you, Kim Chungha."

"How do you know me?" Chungha panicked.

"The prophecy of the descendant of Apollo was right, that I'd be married to the descendant of Psyche. And that's you, Chungha." Sejeong said. 

"How do you even know I was the descendant of Psyche?" Chungha asked.

"The descendant of Apollo also told me that in order to know that it was really you, she told me that I must ask Jung Chaeyeon herself, the Queen of our country." Sejeong said. "Our Queen knows everyone, and as you must know..." Sejeong continued. "...she was acclaimed to be the descendant of Aphrodite herself."

"I don't understand. What does she want with me?" Chungha panicked even more.

"The Queen is jealous of the descendant of Psyche. She wanted to hunt you down and embarrass you. And knowing that I was a descendant of Eros, she tasked me." Sejeong huffed and got closer. "I followed you silently and planned to use my arrow on you. But seeing you..." She held Chungha's hand. "...I was mesmerized by you and I fell in love with you as I used the arrow on myself."

Chungha couldn't believe, as if fate replayed on their time. She never thought that she really did fall in love with Sejeong through the ravishing lusts. Chungha reached to hold back when Sejeong backed away, a hand by the burn.

"But how can I love you...now that you know who I am?" Sejeong asked as she got her arrows and bow. "We may love each other and we're both descendants of famous figures, the fact of that stands. We may never love each other as equals."

Chungha felt devastated, tears rolling down her face. Sejeong even added. "This was a mishap. I'm sorry, Chungha. Our hope towards this...is ravished."

Sejeong left her. Chungha was left to grief.

+++

Chungha went on with her despair and pains of the inevitability of labor. She was left of that predicament when Yoojung returned, appearing before her as the wind blew.

"What are you doing here, descendant of Psyche?" Yoojung started. "Do not be afraid. The prophecy from Apollo and his descendants are never wrong. A equality of union of you and the descendant of Eros in indeed possible."

She disappeared again yet she left encouragement towards Chungha. After their confrontation, she went off on her journey to look for Sejeong. But then, a familiar woman intercepted her path. It was the Queen.

"Chaeyeon." Chungha gasped.

"Hmm...how prideful of you to lose honorifics in front of the descendant of Aphrodite, descendant of Psyche." Chaeyeon huffed. "Looking for Sejeong?"

"Do you know where she is?" Chungha asked, not wanting to waste time.

"If I knew, would I even take you to her and would I let you marry her?" Chaeyeon batted. "Prophecy or not, I care nonetheless. Because I also have the same prophecy for the both of us."

"What do you mean?" Chungha asked.

"Sejeong is off, healing and acting like the idiot she is after your little scheme of miscarrying an oil lamp. I could just show you where she is and let you see her but I won't let you marry her."

"Please..." Chungha begged. "...I love Sejeong and she loves me too. I'll do anything."

Chaeyeon was somehow drawn to Chungha's proposition. "Anything?"

+++

It was almost nighttime. Chungha remembered what Chaeyeon said of her and Sejeong. Yoojung had her point of the possibility but Chaeyeon had her conditions. She said that she and Sejeong could only wed if only she succeeds a series of impossible tasks. The first one was to sort a large pile of messy pebbles in a single night.

Chungha did the task but her efforts were never enough. The dawn was up ahead and Chungha only sorted less than half of the pile. Feeling hopeless, she got devastated. But then, someone appeared.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Fret not, descendant of Psyche." A red-haired woman spoke. "I am Yoo Yeunjung, the descendant of Artemis, the Goddess of Nature." She got to the remaining pile. "The night is almost over and surely you cannot sort this on time. The Queen had to be a cocky son of a ."

"You know about this?" Chungha asked.

"You could say that. How about we speed up the process up a notch?" Yeunjung spoke.

She got some dust and sprinkled it on the pile of stones. Colonies of fire ants emerged from the sides and in less than a snap, all stones were sorted. Chungha couldn't believe it.

"Consider that as my part of the prophecy." Yeunjung said. 

Chungha wasn't able to thank Yeunjung as she disappeared. The sun rose and Chaeyeon appeared. She was bemused of Chungha's success.

"Well done." Chaeyeon said. "But that's just the tip of the iceberg."

Chungha was shocked as Chaeyeon gave her a sewing kit and grinned. "Your second task is to get some wool and make me a fleece."

Chungha looked around and far by, was a flock of sheep. Chungha sighed in relief while Chaeyeon ridiculed her.

"It won't be from an ordinary sheep." Chaeyeon said. "It needs to be from the Golden Sheep itself and you only have until sunset to give it to me."

+++

The Golden Sheep was a creation of Artemis, and it had a reputation for disemboweling stray adventurers. Although it was bemusing to expect guidance from above, Chungha thought Yeunjung would just get her to a place where the Golden Sheep would rest.

With the expedition, she had gone thirsty. She got to a river and went to drink.

"Please. Enjoy yourself. Obey your thirst."

Chungha stopped and looked around. She looked at one end and there was a woman bathing on that river. Chungha spat.

"Rude." She spoke. "You do not spit out what the gods bestow towards your resources."

"But you bathe on the river!" Chungha hissed. "You think I'll just drink?"

"Fret not. The river is always clean as long as the descendant of Achelous is around."

The girl got out and Chungha was shocked that she bathed in wet clothes. She got closer to her and lent a hand. "Greetings, descendant of Psyche. Chungha, right?"

"Yes." Chungha nodded.

"The Queen has gone rancid again." She sighed. "Anyways, I'm Kim Sohye, the descendant of the river god Achelous. You're looking for the Golden Sheep, right?"

"Right." Chungha answered.

Sohye walked ahead. Somehow, Chungha couldn't help but follow her.

"Due to its trait of disemboweling adventurers, it never has a specific place to rest. But there's a way to get its wool to make a fleece." Sohye pointed at some bushes. "Bits of it get stuck on the bushes and briars."

Sohye went throughout Chungha's journey and showed her every bush and briar with bits of wool. Chungha gathered all and sews a fleece. Sohye even volunteered to help.

"It's sunset already?" Chungha asked.

"Probably. But we finished sewing a fleece." Sohye said.

"Thank you." Chungha bowed.

"Anything for a fellow descendant." Sohye smiled and dove onto the river.

Just as Sohye disappeared, Chaeyeon came back again. Chungha got her fleece and showed it to her. Chaeyeon held onto it and she loved it. 

"Good job." Chaeyeon said. "Another one."

Chungha could almost kill the woman in front of her but she had to do anything for Sejeong so she nodded.

"Go and get some beauty from the descendant of Persephone, the Queen of the Dead." 

+++

The Underworld was creepy and Chungha hissed and loathed of it. She was by the gate, holding a bag of tangerine cakes and a bag of Korean won coins on the other, as told by Yoojung. She was going in when a forcefield stopped her. Not only that, a cute yet deadly woman appeared.

"Thou shall not pass." She spoke. 

"Who are you?" Chungha asked.

"I'm Kang Mina, the descendant of Cerberus, the guardian dog to the Underworld." Mina spoke. "And you, mortal, cannot go in."

Chungha hissed when Mina sniffed. Her eyes glowed. "I smell...tangerine cakes?"

Yoojung was right.

"You do." Chungha said as she got a bag.

Mina got the bag and wowed of the abundance of tangerine cakes in that one bag. Chungha was relieved that there was a silver lining on this plan.

"You can only have that if you let me in." Chungha said as she retrieved the bag.

Mina waned like the cute puppy she was and pouted, begging for a treat. Chungha tossed one cake slowly and Mina ate. With that, Chungha slowly got in. With her steps, she continued to toss more tangerine cakes to Mina. Once she was on the preffered side, she gave Mina the whole bag and the cutie ate wholeheartedly.

"Yosh." Chungha cheered and ran silently inside the Underworld.

Chungha was also careful as she held her growing stomach with the baby inside. Feeling its kick, Chungha was eager to do the task to have Sejeong and have a family with her. Nonetheless, she got to the River Styx and there was a tall woman wearing a hood.

"Hm? Descendant of Psyche?" She called.

"You know me?" Chungha asked.

"Everyone in the Underworld knows you, Kim Chungha. We got the gist from Chaeyeon, the Queen and the descendant of Aphrodite." She said as she lent a hand. "I'm Kim Doyeon, descendant of the boatman Charon."

Chungha shook hands with Doyeon but Doyeon still reached that hand. Chungha got something from her pocket and got the bag of coins. Doyeon checks and she chuckled.

"The descendant of Zephyr has guided you so well. She even got a love letter for me." Doyeon said as she showed a piece of paper to Chungha. "This payment will suffice a lifetime so when you visit the Underworld again, you're always free of charge."

Chungha thanked her as Doyeon lets her hop in the boat. Doyeon rowed along the River Styx with Chungha as her passenger.

"So what brings you to the Underworld, Chungha?" Doyeon asked.

"A task from Chaeyeon." Chungha answered.

"Duh. I know, but what is your task?" Doyeon asked.

"To get some beauty from the descendant of Persephone." Chungha answered.

"What a target for someone who is already a descendant of beauty and love itself." Doyeon chuckled.

"Tell me about it." Chungha mumbled.

Doyeon and Chungha have arrived at the palace. Chungha got off and thanked Doyeon for the ride.

"No probs. If you get out, send my regards to Yoojung for me." Doyeon said and rowed back.

Chungha responded with a little wave and got inside the palace with the big box Chaeyeon got her. She saw the throne and there was a Chinese woman sitting on it, almost bemused of Chungha's presence.

"What is your business, mortal?" She spoke.

"I have come for your drop of beauty, great descendant of Persephone." Chungha bowed.

She heard a sickening laugh. Chungha looked up and the woman had been laughing. She stopped and told Chungha to get up.

"It seems Chaeyeon didn't orient your visit here but it's nice that Yoojung guided you, Mina is a food lover, and Doyeon is a nice boatman." She said. "I'm Zhou Jieqiong, the descendant of Persephone. Now, open that box."

Chungha got closer and bowed as the box was open. Jieqiong got a petal from her crown and dropped it on the box. Chungha closed it and got up. Jieqiong sighed.

"I do not tolerate unexpected visits but I make an exception of you, Chungha. Anyways..." She tossed a pearl in which Chungha caught. "...think of where you need to go, step on the said pearl and go back."

Chungha obeyed instantly and she was teleported back on the land of the living, just by the palace. Chaeyeon said that she'll be visiting her so she waited.

She was thirsty and she saw a riverbank so she drank then saw a reflection of herself and she was stressed. She thought that as she looked at herself, she wasn't that beautiful anymore. And that's where she decided to submit herself into temptation as she opened the box and get some of Jieqiong's beauty and keep some for herself.

Inside was the petal but it turned into an emblem. Chungha thought she was fooled. It was an emblem for sleep.

Sleep was inside, not beauty. Chungha felt unconsciousness but she was able to mumble something before she passed out.

"Sejeong..."

+++

Sejeong...

"Chungha..." Sejeong heard her in her thoughts as she teared up.

"She succeeded." Chaeyeon smirked. "I am a descendant of Aphrodite. Why would I ask for beauty?"

Sejeong wanted to kill her right there. She glared at Chaeyeon. "Why make her suffer? Can't you just give me to her?"

"And why blame me? You taunted her." Chaeyeon batted. "And you had to be incompetent of doing my task and abandoned her to face the unknown." 

"It's because I love Chungha." Sejeong hissed. "I'm fine now and Chungha has proven herself."

Chaeyeon shrugged and didn't do anything. Sejeong hissed and teleported to where Chungha was. And with her stomach with their baby inside, Sejeong grew worried. 

"Chungha!" Sejeong got to her and held her in her arms. "Chungha..."

Chungha was motionless. Sejeong nudged her lightly, a hand cupping her cheek. Sejeong huffed and teared up. "I had been wrong and foolish, my love. You facing everything proved that you are more than my equal..."

Sejeong knew it was foolish even to talk now. But she had to act. She carried her sleeping bride and teleported to a resting place. She laid Chungha on a bed and got some liquid. She lets her drink and Sejeong held her hand, hoping that she wakes up.

A hold signalled Sejeong and Chungha was awake. Sejeong was relieved that she hugged her. Chungha, realizing that it was Sejeong, hugged back tighter.

"I almost lost you..." Sejeong whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

"I thought I wouldn't have you back." Chungha sniffled.

"Shhh...it's okay now. We can finally be together." Sejeong said.

Sejeong looked at Chungha and she had gone more beautiful. Chungha looked at herself, seeing herself glow lightly like Sejeong.

"How did I..." Chungha wondered.

"You lost consciousness. Jieqiong gave you an emblem of sleep and Chaeyeon cheated you. I had to get to you. I fear to lose you and our baby." Sejeong began. "I carried you here and gave you ambrosia, the nectar of the gods."

"So what happens to me?" Chungha asked.

"You were a descendant of a mortal so you weren't that much special. In our cases, we were descendants of mythical beings so we got their abilities. But now, you're like me-no..." Sejeong caressed Chungha's cheek. "...you're more than of what I am now."

Sejeong got Chungha to lie back down. Chungha thought it was another time of ravishing lust as Sejeong kissed her. Chungha hummed and kissed back, holding Sejeong tight.

Sejeong broke and pecked her forehead. Chungha then felt a pain on het stomach. Sejeong calms her. "Our baby will come out in a moment. I'll take care o you. Just relax."

Chungha trusted Sejeong. Sejeong got a hand by her stomach and the room glowed. Not long after, a cry of a baby was heard. Chungha and Sejeong were happy as Chungha was relieved and had a cute baby in her arms.

"She has a symbol." Chungha said as she sae a mark by her hand.

"You and I too." Sejeong said as she showed her shoulder and Chungha's pulse. "Our baby's symbol is a fuse of ours. She's the descendant of Hedon, just like in the prophecy."

Chungha and Sejeong shared another kiss and looked at their baby. She opened her eyes and was the cutest baby they've ever seen.

"You name her, love." Sejeong said.

"Okay." Chungha nodded. "Let's name her Somi."

Sejeong thought it wss a wondeful name. Now the three of them became a family after a mishap of love.