Chapter 73
“What do you mean it’s not working?”
Could it be that he thought he could charm me with his good looks and get me to stick around? Is this the fabled rattlesnake?
‘He is handsome, I’ll give him that…’
But with so many good-looking faces around, it didn’t impress me much.
I looked at Ska with a pitying expression and patted his back.
“A young man shouldn’t be learning tricks like that already. If you need a way to make a living, then get a proper job fairly.”
“What are you talking about? Who said I needed a way to make a living…?”
Ska let out a laugh of disbelief but trailed off mid-sentence as if he was thinking something over.
“No… actually, I do. I need a way to make a living.”
As he said that, his gaze toward me had completely changed from before.
He had completely abandoned his high-handed attitude and smiled in a friendly way—his sudden change of demeanor was remarkable.
“So, Dana, help me.”
“Why would I?”
“I’m Rian’s friend.”
“You’re not my friend.”
“How cold.”
Ska let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Then I suppose you can be my friend from now on.”
“Hmm… I’m not really keen on that either.”
“Really? If we were friends, I might accidentally tell you what you’re curious about. I do tend to have a loose tongue.”
Now the conversation took a different turn.
‘But is it really okay to take this guy along?’
Judging by what he was saying, it was clear he knew Rian.
But if they were truly close, why would he go so far as to try to use me?
‘He must have some ulterior motive, hence this sneaky approach.’
I kept my suspicious gaze on Ska, and he spread his arms as if to say, “Go ahead, inspect me thoroughly.”
“Can you really tell me?”
“Give and take. If you help me, I might consider it.”
“Ska, I don’t like uncertainty.”
I refused vague promises like “maybe” or “possibly.”
‘That’s basically saying you won’t keep your word.’
So there was only one way.
“Upfront payment.”
I nodded toward Ska.
“Tell me about Rian first, then I’ll help you.”
“Me first?”
“Yes. You said give and take, didn’t you?”
“Hmmm…”
Ska drew out the word with interest.
“You’re a little trader, huh? Trying to negotiate even with me.”
“I just hate taking losses.”
I shrugged, and Ska chuckled like he had when we first met.
“Ah, Dana, I like people like you.”
“People like me?”
“Yes. You don’t pretend to be all high and mighty.”
‘Is that an insult or a compliment?’
I looked at Ska with a slightly puzzled expression. He smiled faintly and tilted his head.
“Fine, upfront payment. I’ll pay first. Should I tell you something by accident with my loose mouth?”
“Rian is a dragon?”
“Uh…”
Ska, who had been relaxed and smiling, suddenly looked dumbfounded.
“Why? Is that too big a secret to spill by accident?”
“No. It’s not that, but I didn’t expect you to ask so directly.”
Annoyed at showing such a reaction even briefly, Ska furrowed his brows and ruffled his hair.
“You noticed that she isn’t an ordinary human, right?”
He hadn’t said it directly, but it was enough of an answer.
“Pretending to not know her in front of me… that’s related to her true identity, right?”
“Dana, give and take.”
‘So he’s going to answer after receiving the payment.’
After a brief consideration, I nodded.
“Fine.”
“You’ll take me to the mansion, right?”
“Yes.”
Before I could finish, Ska confidently started walking toward the mansion. I reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait, not like this.”
“Not like this? Is my outfit too shabby to be a guest of a noble lady?”
Ska looked down at himself as if nothing was wrong.
“No.”
His clothes looked perfectly fine to me, so it wasn’t the outfit.
The problem was him.
“There are three people who would freak out if I brought someone along. So…”
“So?”
“What can you transform into?”
“…Transform?”
I blinked at Ska, confused, and tossed the sly little bluebird I had been using as a shield toward him.
Blanche looked upset and flapped her wings but I had no intention of saving him.
“This one can turn into a bluebird. You don’t have anything?”
“You mean I should turn into an animal?”
“Yes.”
“Dana, that’s not what we agreed on.”
“You only asked me to take you to the mansion. I don’t remember a condition saying ‘in human form.’”
“What nonsense is that? Of course, it’s in human form.”
“Oh my, in this rough world, what’s really ‘of course,’ Ska?”
I shrugged at his protest.
“Now you see? A contract is more important than give and take. You have to check every clause carefully.”
“You cunning human…”
“Why? You said you like people like me.”
Ska ground his teeth at my calm smile.
This is the ultimate humiliation.
The cute cat in my arms muttered in an ill-fitting sharp voice.
‘Transforming into a cat and being held by a human… I should have transformed into a majestic lion…’
“Lions aren’t allowed in the mansion. Only small animals.”
Technically, there was no rule. But could I really bring a lion inside and say, “I found it in the garden!”?
Ska understood that.
‘Yes, I suppose that’s reasonable.’
But understanding and agreeing are different, so Ska continued to grumble in my arms.
As we approached the mansion, the presence of others nearby finally ended Ska’s complaining.
‘Why does the mansion seem noisier than usual?’
As I exited the garden, I quickly realized the source of the strange atmosphere.
Servants were crowded at the entrance, and through the gaps, shapes were becoming visible…
‘…Fish heads?’
Gigantic fish heads were moving among the people. Not just one—dozens of them moved as if it were normal.
‘…Is this a dream?’
I blinked repeatedly, unable to believe my eyes. But no matter how much I blinked, the scene didn’t change.
The fish-headed creatures were real, moving among the people.
“Master!”
Did they notice me too? The butler, Dain, who was among the servants, called out happily.
“You’ve finally arrived!”
It wasn’t just my imagination that Dain looked excessively happy.
I moved toward him, still holding the indigo-furred cat, and he immediately noticed the cat.
“A cat, I see.”
“Yes. I found it in the garden. Thought I’d feed it.”
“I see. An indigo-furred cat—quite rare.”
Dain looked at Ska in amazement. Indeed, indigo-colored cats were uncommon. I asked if he could change to a more common animal, but the answer was no.
‘That’s true, but what’s even rarer is right in front of me…’
I turned slightly to look at the fish heads. Human bodies with fish heads. The strange beings now looked at me with bright eyes.
As they breathed, their large gills flared open.
‘They can breathe underwater too.’
“Ah.”
Dain, recalling their presence, hunched his shoulders and whispered.
“They’re mermaids living in the sea in front of Coral Mansion—the eastern seas of the empire.”
‘Mermaids?’
Normally, mermaids have fish bodies and human heads.
‘So why is it the opposite…?’
