Episode 5
Theodore glared at Ayla with a sulky face.
“Do I look like some ungrateful jerk to you? Like the kind of guy who causes trouble for someone who saved his life?”
“N-no…! Not at all!”
“Then that’s that.”
Hmph.
Snorting haughtily, Theodore averted his gaze again.
“…Hey, Theo. Don’t you dislike me? Aren’t you scared of me?”
“Should I be?”
“Because I’m a mermaid. People always freak out when they hear that.”
“Not me. You’re not scary at all.”
His blank face and indifferent tone made him seem almost annoyed.
Still, despite that, his touch as he secured Ayla’s injured ankle was gentle and careful.
“…Theo, you’re kind of weird.”
“People say that a lot.”
It was something Hayden often said, so Theodore’s reaction was as indifferent as ever.
But then, when a drop of water suddenly landed on the back of his hand, he panicked.
“Are you crying? Is it because of your ankle? Does it hurt that much?”
“Huh…? That’s weird, why am I crying all of a sudden?”
Ayla was just as flustered.
Even though she frantically wiped the tears streaming down like a faucet, her big eyes quickly welled up again.
“Ugh. It’s just, you’re the first person besides my parents who’s said they don’t hate me, sniff. So I was… surprised…”
“…”
“Everyone’s always hated me and bullied me…”
Her voice, as she tried to hold back the tears, was thick with sorrow.
Well.
He had wondered how a child could be so resilient despite being mistreated.
It seemed she had been bottling up her sadness all along. No wonder a few kind words had made her break down like this.
“I was actually really scared earlier too, sniff… The storage room was so dark.”
“Yeah, I bet it was scary.”
“Hic, huaaah. You really are weird. Why are you being, sniff, nice to me? You’re not pretending just to sell me off to some traveling troupe, are you?”
“What?”
“I can’t even throw a ball, sniff.”
“…Wow.”
As Theodore rubbed Ayla’s tear-streaked face, he let out a short laugh.
What in the world was this little mermaid saying?
She must’ve heard rumors about shady troupes buying mermaids to display them, but still—what kind of wild thoughts was she having with that tiny little head of hers? It was laughably absurd.
ChatGPT said:
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, seriously.”
“Don’t you really find me gross? I mean, I had pointy ears, scales and everything…”
“Not at all.”
At the very least, it was clear that she looked much more at ease now than when she was forcing herself to act okay.
Even just looking at Ayla no longer irritated him like it used to.
Rather, he had to try hard to suppress the smile that kept creeping up when he saw the way her nose had turned red—it was kind of cute.
“Ahem.”
Barely managing to pull down the corners of his mouth, Theodore was certain of one thing:
At the very least, Ayla was clearly different from any mermaid he had ever heard of.
She was harmless.
Just as Theodore’s curiosity about Ayla was beginning to shift into something more like interest, an urgent telegram arrived at the estate addressed to Hayden.
“Is this true? That Melshid is preparing for war—and against our very own Kingdom of Gaiern, no less!”
Hayden slammed the telegram onto the table.
“Melshid and Gaiern have upheld a non-aggression pact for years. Could this not be an error, Duke?”
The gravity of the situation quickly drew all the nobles’ eyes toward Duke Seamores.
The Seamores family was one of the founding houses of the kingdom and the only one that had never rebelled against the royal family.
The Duke himself had stayed behind at the estate to rest after attending the banquet.
Leaning on his cane and pacing by the window, the duke stroked his beard with a troubled look.
“Prince Greed has just ascended the throne of Melshid. Unlike the former king, he is aggressive and harbors a deep hatred for humans, Your Highness.”
“Then that means, sigh…”
“Yes. Greed will likely pay no heed to things like peace treaties between kingdoms.”
Melshid and Gaiern shared a border and had preserved peace through that treaty.
If that meant nothing now, it could spell serious trouble.
Gaiern was already facing internal unrest—there could be no greater threat than this.
“I can’t just sit here. I must return to the capital and report to His Majesty at once.”
“Please remain calm, Your Highness. His Majesty has already sent word that you are to stay here where it is safe, while renegotiations with Melshid proceed.”
The duke was right.
This place was far from the border, and even if war were to break out, there would be no safer place than this.
But Hayden couldn’t shake the unease growing inside him.
His instincts were warning him—he needed to leave, and soon.
“If that is truly Your Highness’s wish, I will deliver your message to the royal court.”
“If you would do that, I’d appreciate it.”
Hayden handed over a piece of parchment with his original plan to return to the capital as scheduled.
Duke Simoas immediately left the room and headed to where the carrier pigeon was kept.
His every move was precise and restrained, the very embodiment of a loyal subject faithfully carrying out Hayden’s orders.
However, upon reaching the pigeon, the duke’s expression quickly turned cold.
“Trusting people so easily… how careless.”
“Exactly. To think he can’t even recognize an enemy standing right beside him. That’s no way for a crown prince to behave.”
The duke muttered darkly, his face twisting with menace.
There was someone else already in the space he believed empty.
“…! Have you lost your mind? What are you doing here? What if someone sees you?”
A man in a black robe bent over, chuckling.
“You’re far too skittish, Duke. Don’t worry, no one saw me.”
His every word dripped with arrogance, his tone anything but ordinary.
Apparently annoyed, the man pulled back his robe, and long hair tumbled down like waves.
Duke Simoas’s green eyes scanned the man from head to toe.
Though he had a sly look about him, the man exuded an undeniably striking presence.
If not for the eerie shimmering scales beneath his translucent skin, one might even call him handsome.
Yes—this man was a mermaid.
And not just any mermaid, but one with the royal family’s signature trait: bright blue hair.
“Prince Grid,” Duke Simoas murmured the man’s name.
“Tsk, that won’t do. I’m king now, remember? Use the proper title, Duke.”
Yes, the man standing before him was none other than the new king of Melshid—Grid von Panopéa.
The very man whose name was currently being debated just one floor below, in Hayden’s office.
“Who would’ve guessed,” Grid sneered, revealing sharp fangs, “that I’d be here instead of at the border?”
His piercing blue eyes swept over the village beyond the window like a predator searching for prey.
“So you’re sure my sister is here?”
“Yes. I’ll give you the exact location once you’ve completed what we agreed on.”
“How insolent. This is why humans are unbearable.”
Grid’s irritable tone made the duke grit his teeth.
‘Does he think I want to be doing this with him?’
The duke glared at Grid, gripping his cane tightly.
‘If not for this matter, I wouldn’t be caught dead dealing with a fish-smelling monster like him.’
Duke Simoas still wasn’t sure if involving this creature had been the right decision.
“Relax, Duke. This benefits us both, doesn’t it? I find my sister, you get your power.”
“Keep your voice down! What if someone hears?”
“Now then, what was it the Duke asked me to do again?”
Grid sneered, not even pretending to listen to the Duke’s words.
“I trust you haven’t forgotten, but I’ll explain once more. While the troops are focused on the border—”
Grid, staring idly out the window, casually flicked his fingers and cut off Duke Simoas mid-sentence.
“Ah, right, I remember now. It was that crown prince, Hayden or whatever—just rough him up enough that he doesn’t die—”
His fingers spread in a threatening gesture, and Grid’s eyes curved with sinister amusement.
“Was it to intimidate him and take him hostage?”
“Ahem… yes, that’s correct.”
Duke Simoas turned his head away, unable to hide his displeasure.
