Chapter 07
“Wow!”
Overjoyed, Ayla sprang to her feet and suddenly threw her arms around Theodore’s neck.
“I’ve never had a friend before!”
“Ghk—.”
As a result, the nape of Theodore’s neck and the rims of his ears turned a vivid red.
Worried that his flushed face would be noticed, he pulled Ayla off and walked quickly across the beach.
Light footsteps followed close behind.
Catching up with ease, Ayla walked backwards, grinning foolishly.
“Teo being my friend—it makes me so happy!”
“You’re going to trip. Walk properly.”
Theodore grumbled for no real reason, covering his face with the back of his hand. Then he noticed the bulge in Ayla’s pocket.
“What’s that in your pocket?”
“Oh, this? I actually lost my bracelet a while ago, so I was going to make another one…”
Just as Ayla was about to show him the shells she’d carefully gathered, something solid collided with her back.
She hadn’t noticed someone approaching from behind, too focused on Theodore as she walked.
“Ah!”
“Oh dear. You should be more careful, little one.”
If there was ever a moment that proved just how unlucky Ayla was, it was when Grid grabbed her by the shoulder as she stumbled.
His vivid blue eyes bored straight into her hair.
“But you—what a beautiful hair color you have.”
Threads of silver ran through it, yet it was unmistakably familiar.
Upon seeing Ayla, who bore such a striking resemblance to his long-lost sister, Nereia, Grid let out an exultant breath.
At the same time—
Smack.
A sharp, cracking sound rang out.
Theodore had struck Grid’s hand away from Ayla’s shoulder.
“…?”
For a moment, Grid failed to grasp what had happened. A crease formed on his brow.
Then he noticed his reddened hand and twisted his lips into a crooked grin.
“How rude. Little boy—who might you be?”
A damp, unpleasant sensation crawled over Theodore’s skin.
At that repulsive feeling, he bristled like a cornered cat.
He knew instinctively that the man in front of him was dangerous.
Having grown up among cunning nobles, he had learned to recognize hostility from a young age. There was no mistaking the k*lling intent radiating from Grid.
Gulp.
Theodore swallowed hard.
“Ayla, do you know him?”
“No. I’ve never seen him before.”
“Then let’s go.”
Perhaps he should have brought Derek after all.
Fearing that Grid might reach out to him again, Theodore took a step back and pulled Ayla protectively behind him.
Fortunately, Grid didn’t move from where he was standing.
He merely watched them with interest as they kept glancing back.
Once they were a decent distance away, Grid pressed his nose to his palm and inhaled deeply.
“Ah… the scent of a mermaid.”
No matter how convincingly one pretended to be human, a mermaid could never hide their nature from another of their kind.
“What an unexpected harvest. To think I’d stumble upon traces of my sister like this. Don’t you agree, Balkan?”
Grid grinned like a child who had just discovered a new game as he dipped his hand into the sea. Waves surged towards the shore.
From within the white foam emerged Grid’s guard, Balkan, who narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Shall we pursue them?”
“Of course.”
Grid let out a nasal scoff and brushed his chin.
“Balkan. Summon the troops at once.”
“Immediately? Without waiting until the festival?”
Grid was seized by a sudden whim that went against the original plan. He licked his crimson lips.
“I’ve changed my mind. Sitting around is more boring than I expected. This seems like it could be fun.”
***
“A mermaid… you saw a mermaid?”
Meanwhile, upon returning home, Ayla was met with her parents’ ashen faces.
“Nereia, please—calm down first.”
“But Richard, Ayla said the mermaid she saw had blue hair. It’s him. That child — Grid — has finally found me. I’m sure of it.”
“Mom, Dad… what’s wrong? Who is Grid?”
Seeing her parents so visibly shaken left Ayla utterly confused.
Bending her knees, Nereia lowered herself to her daughter’s eye level.
As she moved, her hair, which was as brilliant and blue as Grid’s, swayed like a dance.
Nereia always kept her hair tightly hidden beneath a hood, so Ayla had never realized that it was a symbol of the royal family of Melshid. To Ayla, it was utterly bewildering.
How could she ever have guessed that her parents were the subjects of the rumors — the Melshid princess who had fled after falling in love with a human?
Nereia and Richard had kept this secret in the hope that Ayla would live an ordinary life.
“Ayla, listen carefully. We’re leaving this village immediately.”
“W-Why? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Ayla. Of course not. How could this be your fault?”
With trembling hands, Nereia pulled Ayla into her arms and soothed her.
“It’s all right. It’s nothing serious. We’ve just been in this village for too long. That’s all. That’s why…”
“That’s right, sweetheart. Do you remember when you asked if we could move to a different village? Well, let’s take this chance to go somewhere new and make new friends. What do you say?”
Richard, too, tried to reassure Ayla as he hurriedly began packing their belongings.
Their efforts were earnest—but Ayla wasn’t foolish.
At the very least, she wasn’t so dull as to miss that something serious was happening.
Just then—
Knock. Knock.
A sharp knock echoed through the small cabin.
Knock. Knock.
“…W-Who is it?”
When someone knocked on the door, Nereia raised a finger to her lips.
Instantly, silence engulfed the cabin.
The tension was so intense that it seemed to stop them from breathing.
Into this stillness crept the sound of a blade being carefully drawn.
It was Richard.
Moments ago, he had been packing his belongings into a bag; now, he was holding a longsword.
“…Who is it?”
Just as aura began to gather around Richard’s blade, a young voice came from beyond the wooden door.
“I—I’m Ayla’s friend…”
“…A friend?”
“If I say Teo, she’ll know who I am.”
He spoke politely, but haltingly and awkwardly, as if he were shy. In that instant, the tension in the cabin eased.
Richard’s golden eyes, pushed to their limit, turned towards Ayla.
Seeing how wide her beautiful eyes had grown, it was clear that she was startled.
“Ayla, do you know a boy named Teo? He says he’s your friend.”
“Ah—yes! He really is my friend!”
Upon hearing the unmistakable sound of Theodore’s voice, Ayla hurried over to the door.
Tiptoeing over, she peered through the keyhole and spotted a smart, dark-haired boy outside.
She quickly opened the door.
“Teo, what brings you here? We just parted a little while ago.”
“Oh—I forgot to give you something.”
Theodore rummaged through the inside pocket of his coat, looking for Ayla’s shell bracelet.
He should have given it to her earlier, but he had been distracted by Grid and had forgotten, so he had turned back halfway.
“Second Prince… Your Highness?”
For a split second, Theodore’s ears twitched.
It was because of Richard’s quiet mutter.
‘He recognized me?’
Theodore’s head snapped up.
“Did you say… Teo?”
Their eyes met without warning, yet as if nothing had happened, Richard calmly lifted his daughter into his arms.
“It’s the first time our daughter’s friend has come to visit. But unfortunately, we were just about to head out.”
His tone was gentle, but Richard’s golden eyes were sharply scanning the surroundings outside.
“If you don’t mind, I can walk you back to where you’re staying. Forest paths after sunset can be dangerous.”
“Thank you, but I’ll pass. I’m fine on my own.”
Rejecting the offer bluntly, Theodore narrowed his eyes.
Silver hair and golden eyes.
Such striking features, paired with a body honed through rigorous training, felt oddly out of place in this quiet rural village.
‘Surely not…’
Theodore’s gaze sharpened further.
He vaguely resembled the description of a knight commander who had vanished more than a decade ago—someone Derek occasionally spoke of.
‘But there’s no way that knight commander would be holed up in a place like this.’
Theodore dismissed the absurd thought with a dry chuckle.
Besides which, Nereia had already pulled her hood back over her head in that brief moment.
That alone was enough to put his suspicions to rest.
