Chapter 1
Grand Duke Elpheus was staring curiously at a creature he had never seen before in his life.
“…I’m your daughter.”
“I don’t have a weak, high-maintenance daughter.”
No—wait. Not that.
“I mean… I’m the Sea God’s daughter….”
I blinked. My vision blurred, then slowly cleared.
‘Don’t shake! You can do this!’
I clenched my tiny fists and puffed out my chest proudly.
Though really, all I did was stick out my round little belly.
When those sea-blue eyes stared straight at me, my puffed-up chest immediately shrank.
My heart thumped wildly.
‘He’s way scarier in person!’
Tap. Tap.
I flinched as the Grand Duke tapped the armrest of his chair.
“So you’re saying you figured all of this out yourself?”
“Y-Yes…”
Leaning back in his chair, the Grand Duke narrowed his eyes. His golden hair sparkled in the sunlight as his sharp gaze swept over me.
‘He’s suspicious!’
Well, of course he was. A child suddenly showing up with a map claiming it marked land chosen by the Sea God was suspicious.
But I couldn’t back down.
I had to be adopted.
By Pierre Elpheus, the Grand Duke standing in front of me.
“How am I supposed to believe this?”
“If—if you look at my hair color, it’s blue, like the sea….”
“It could be dyed.”
Huh! That’s true—but still! What kind of kid dyes their hair?!
I panicked and shouted,
“I—I can use power!”
“Hm. You can use water?”
I nodded.
I hadn’t had time to test it properly since I came here right after waking up in the sea, but it should be fine.
…Right?
The Elpheus family was blessed by the sea god.
And the man staring at me with an indifferent expression was none other than the Grand Duke himself.
Even seated, his tall, broad frame stood out.
He looked down at me as if I were insignificant, yet his blue eyes held a strange mix of suspicion and curiosity.
That gaze felt like needles poking my heart.
It was too scary to handle.
I shook my head hard.
If I backed down now, everything I’d worked for would be wasted.
This was the only way to survive and get revenge.
‘Ariel, you can do this!’
I wiggled my small fingers and looked straight at him, then gathered both hands together with determination.
“Huuup!”
The moment I focused all my strength on my fingertips—
Pop.
A very, very tiny—truly pitiful—droplet of water formed.
I did it!
I proudly lifted my head to show the Grand Duke.
“…Pfft.”
He laughed.
That was not the reaction I expected.
That’s so mean!
“Only babies are allowed to laugh at other babies!”
“…What?”
“Just wait a little! I can do more!”
I tried again. Another water droplet formed. His lips twitched again.
“Ah—still! It’s small, but… still!”
Plop.
The droplet burst.
No, no, no —!
This wasn’t part of the plan!
Panicking, I hurriedly focused again.
Pop.
‘Why does it keep popping?!’
Another droplet formed—and burst again.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
“Huuup!”
Again and again.
Each time, the droplet popped right in front of me.
What do I do?
Even I had to admit—this power was way too pathetic for the daughter of a sea god.
Think. There has to be a better way.
“I-I heard that showing everything from the start is stupid!”
“That sounds more like you can’t show it at all. And honestly, that seems accurate.”
Gah. He caught me!
But I couldn’t retreat, so I decided to be shameless.
“…That’s not true?”
“It’s not?”
“No, it’s not.”
“It’s not?”
Ugh, seriously! Why is this adult acting so childish?!
Neither of us backed down.
Flustered but pretending to be calm, I nodded.
If he wanted to know whether I couldn’t or just wasn’t showing it, he could raise me and see for himself.
“This was just a preview. If you raise me, Grand Duke, you’ll find out naturally.”
I blinked my golden eyes and looked up at him.
He twisted his lips into a smile.
…Why does that smile look so scary?
But it felt like he was completely dominating the atmosphere.
So I slowly copied him and lifted my own lips.
Grin—
“Huh?”
He let out a hollow laugh. I grinned wider and even winked.
It felt like I was gaining momentum.
This might work! He might accept me!
The Grand Duke stepped closer.
“If I raise you, I’ll find out? That just means you might not be able to use your power properly.”
“…B-But you saw it. I made water.”
“And what use is a water droplet?”
It felt like I was about to be kicked out.
Don’t lose heart, Ariel!
“But this is still amazing! Can you make a water droplet, Grand Duke?!”
From nothing, too! Other people can’t do that!
I lifted my head boldly—then immediately shrank back under his wavering blue gaze and lowered my head.
“The Elpheus family worships the Sea God… and I’m His daughter.”
“So you want me to worship you?”
Scary! I’m telling Dad on you!
Isn’t he supposed to protect me? Why is he so scary?!
“N-No, that’s not what I mean! I don’t want worship! Just… please let me stay nearby….”
“I’m not even sure you’re His daughter. Why should I?”
His gaze burned.
I flinched and clamped my mouth shut. His predator-like eyes made my hands fold neatly together without thinking.
“I have nowhere to go….”
He wouldn’t heartlessly kick out a child with nowhere to go, right?
He didn’t seem convinced—nor like he would accept me.
I quickly calculated the situation.
‘I came too fast.’
If I’d tested my power properly, I wouldn’t have looked so suspicious.
I bowed my head politely.
“I’m sorry. I’ll get stronger. Please wait five years—no, ten years.”
* * *
Ariel Berenice.
‘I can’t believe I came back….’
A body not even one meter tall.
Chubby, red-tinted cheeks.
Short, pale arms and legs.
No matter how much I denied it, the reflection in the shallow water at my feet showed the truth.
‘I’m four years old. That’s too cruel.’
I slapped the water, sending small ripples outward.
“Eek! This is bad.”
Sea-blue hair, golden eyes like a sunlit beach, and hair flowing like waves.
I was the Sea God’s daughter.
I could use the power of water—
bringing water to drought-stricken lands, finding fertile ground, and summoning floods and typhoons against enemies.
An incredible power.
But life was never that simple.
“Ugh….”
I splashed the water gloomily.
“How could they send a child alone to be a guardian?!”
I was a gift to a family that worshipped the Sea God—their guardian.
The god had told them to love and cherish the child with this power.
But the Victuar family did not.
“I am the one chosen by the Sea God. You will be my daughter and be loved.”
The Sea God couldn’t interfere in human affairs.
So he sent me to the human world to help them.
A guardian sent to a sea god-worshipping family.
That was me.
Victuar woke me as I slept curled inside a droplet of water and showed me Mermaid’s Tear, the proof of the pact with the Sea God.
I followed him without doubt.
And in my past life, that lying Duke Victor took advantage of me.
I never imagined the one who woke me from the cold sea would lie.
‘Idiot. Stupid Ariel.’
And that’s how I was used by Victuar—and died.
