Chapter 4

The mermaid princess had sent the word with the messenger to her brothers about the merman she had seen the day before. But she hadn't expected them to come so soon.

She found herself embracing her hyung tightly, her face hidden in his chest and body in the safety of his arms.

It's been three days.

Three long days.

She had missed her Jungkook hyung. She was worried about them. She had cried her eyes out when she saw a fading scar on jungkook's arm.

Mermaids and mermen healed fast, but she couldn't push away the thought of her hyung getting injured because of her foolishness.

'I am fine Lisa,' Jungkook cooes into her ears, gently patting her on the back, 'Lisa I've got - like - twenty pearls here.' He says making Lalisa laugh lightly.

He stops a drop of tear rolling down her right cheek, watching it turn into a pearl onto his palm.

'Where is father? And the hyungs?' Lalisa asks moving away slightly and frowning.

'Ain't I enough to find and punish that bastard?' Jungkook teases.

'Of course you are!' The queen enters the house - who had gone out, pushing Lalisa away and taking Jungkook's face in her hands. 'Oh!' She frowns, 'My child,' She glares at Lalisa standing beside them, as if accusing her for Jungkook's injury.

Jungkook rolls his eyes, for his little scratch was getting so much attention. He wonders what makes his mother dislike Lalisa so much? After all, she is her child too. And Lalisa has always been a well behaved princess. She cared about their mother albeit her getting chastised without exception. Now it's as if Lalisa is used to her mother's such behaviour toward her

After Lalisa told him how the scoundrel looked like and the exchange between them, Jungkook just knew who she was talking about.

Kim Jae Wook.

That good-for-nothing whoreson!

It's because of him that he had almost lost one of his brothers. He couldn't tell Lalisa about it. That was the reason the hyungs stayed behind.

Jungkook has come to the market where Lalisa had told him she saw Kim Jae Wook. He is not expecting him to be here, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

He saunters around the market, his tranquil gaze searching for Wook, not letting his wrath out. He stumbles into a figure, but disregards it. He feels someone hold his arm, someone as strong as him, Jungkook notes and decides against attacking someone who dared to touch him.

He shrugs the hand off him, turning to face a man in all black, long hair tied neatly, and he recognizes him immediately. He curses himself for letting someone like him know he was on the land. He should have paid attention.

"Apologize." A figure behind him commands and Jungkook takes no notice of him, looking straight at the prince.

Although they might not know who he was, but Jungkook knew better than to mess with the prince of the land. He had been to land before, multiple times. And he knew the prince executed sinners publicly, if he suspected them even a bit. He showed no mercy for the outlaws.

And he knew he was being suspected.

The figure behind the prince of land moves but is immediately stopped by the prince.

"Isn't he a pretty boy hyung?" The prince asks looking at Jungkook, smiling his rectangular smile, "Let's do away with him after I play a bit with him."

As anticipated of Kim Taehyung. He would undeniably play with him. And why not? Isn't this what he is known for?

Jungkook grits his teeth for getting such a treatment, being a prince. No one has ever dared to spit words as such in front of him.

Not yet. He can't let his cover blow till he finds that bastard. Not now. He has to find the scoundrel and punish him.

"I am sorry." He forces out, not letting his pride in.

As much as he wants to hit them all, he knows he shouldn't. They are doing their duty. He was certainly going to get questioned for looking so out of place. He is wearing Jackson's clothes which was his father's uniform when he was a guard at the palace. These were not used now-a-days.

He tries to restrain himself for his wrath might cause humans as well as his merpeople on land to suffer.

Before the prince could make any snide remark, a shrill voice catches their attention.

The prince signals his men to head in the direction of the cry, giving Jungkook one last look.

Jungkook furrows his brow and follows the prince, silently, curiosity getting the best of him. If there is even a slight chance of Kim Jae Wook being the reason of the woman's cry they just heard, he must find out.

Jungkook clenches his teeth as soon as his eyes lay on the woman lying dead in the middle of the market, blood covering her face and neck with deep cuts around her neck which he could tell where made by teeth - merman teeth, while her face chiseled with sharp merman nails, making it nearly impossible to make out her face, humans surrounding her, whispering to each other.

Even if he couldn't recognize who she was, he clearly knew it was a mermaid. He could identify his kind easily. He shuts his eyes tightly, cursing himself for not being able to protect his merpeople even on land!

'I swear Wook!' He screams internally for any mermaid or merman present in the market to hear, knowing if Wook did this, he would still be in the market and would hear his threat, 'I will find you and trust me I will fucking cut you into pieces and kill you!'

Prince's men arrive in no time and surround the people encircling the dead woman so that no one can get out of the market without being checked and questioned. Jungkook internally facepalms himself for he won't be able to capture Wook if he is anywhere in the market and tries to escape.

"Who did this?" An enraged voice asks and Jungkook can clearly tell how the voice is trying not to scream and just punish everyone present in the market.

Silence.

"Your highness, the wounds are not fresh, looks like someone has tortured her and had left her here when she died." A human who was examining the body informs the prince. Although his voice is low, the silence created is so dreadful that everyone nearby can listen to what he just said, and Jungkook being a merman could clearly hear being at a distance.

If she had died already, it was not her who screamed, thinks Taehyung, "Who was here?" Taehyung asks, loud and clear for everyone gathered around to hear, pointing at a stall nearest to the dead woman.

A woman in her fifties stumbles forward and mutters a weak response.

The prince lets himself to soften a bit while approaching the lady so that she won't tremble as much as she is trembling now, and answer his questions clearly.

"Ajumma," Taehyung begins in a normal voice, "Was it you who screamed?" The old lady nods while a trembled 'yes' spills from her lips.

"Did you see who left her here?" He asks.

"H-her body," She pauses to breathe. Jungkook notices she is not scared of the murder as much as is scared because of the prince's proximity. Who wouldn't be? If Kim Taehyung suspected you, you'd be executed anytime he wished, "Someone threw it from there," She breathes out pointing towards an opening at the top of a hanok.

(Hanok is a traditional Korean house)

"I," she continues, "was not able to see his face, he was dressed in old black clothes."

The prince signals his men to what Jungkook can tell, is inspect everyone. He soon realizes Taehyung's men are only taking men dressed in black out of the crowd. He looks down at his clothes and groans.

Soon he finds himself being taken out of the crowd and he cooperates.

The prince takes out his sword and strides over to the men dressed in black, taken out of the crowd by the soldiers. He places his sword on the shoulder of the first man he sees and asks the old lady if it was him, "Ajumma? Tell me when my sword finds the right one."

The old woman shakes her head, indicating it was not him. Kim Taehyung places his sword on all the men one by one and ajumma shakes her head everytime.

He finally places his sword on Jungkook's shoulder, without looking at him.

"H-he was dressed like that," The old woman stutters.

What?

Jungkook's head snaps up just when Taehyung notices who he has placed his sword on. Taehyung looks at him as if not believing what the ajumma just said. Well, how was he supposed to, when the man he has placed his sword on, was in front of him when they heard the cry?

"But that's not him." She continues, "h-he looked taller."

"Who else saw her falling down?" Taehyung swirls round with his sword swinging, pointing threateningly at another stall.

A little boy squeezes himself out of the crowd, "I saw him! He ran that way." he points towards the hanok, "he pushed her and then ran very fast from above the roof and then he jumped on that side." he says, his little hands moving in a dramatic way to explain the prince what he had witnessed.

Jungkook's eyes widen in realization and he turns around and takes off as fast as his feet could take him to Rose's house where Lalisa and his mother are.

He sighs in relief watching Lalisa playing with the baby mermaid, whose mother was the first one to get killed by the sharks and Lalisa had decided to take the baby with her to the land.

He regrets for not being able to save the baby mermaid's mother. But promises himself he will protect the baby mermaid.

He has to admit, his sister is strong-willed and is handling the situation well. He had expected her to eat herself from inside out by blaming herself for the situation. But she is doing fine. She knows, the least she could do to help merpeople now, is by keeping herself out of danger and not worrying her hyungs or their father.

He sighs, and knows, if that scoundrel comes anywhere near her, she could easily take care of him.

After seeing his mother and Lalisa, he walks back out of the door without letting them notice and wanders around, thinking how everything had changed in past few days. How his merpeople had to suffer in sea and as well as land. How he had almost lost his Sehun hyung, the 6th prince of the sea, and how their life is constantly in danger. He has been fighting. He has to protect his kind. Today's event has disturbed him. He could have saved the mermaid. If only he had apologized the prince instead of staring at him as if challenging him.

"Watch out!" Someone from behind grabs his arm, holding him back, before he steps on the axe laying on the ground, unknowingly.

He looks around to find a man of short stature, inches apart from his face, his brows furrowed in concern, golden locks of hair covering the ends of his slightly wide eyes, and his pout lips below his little nose forming an 'o'.

Jungkook blinks and pulls himself away in a flash, looking embarrassed where as the short man is away with the fairies.

The merman looks around himself clearing his throat, "I um, wher- where am I?" he asks without thinking.

"A farm?" The short man answers which sounds more like a question.

Jungkook facepalms himself internally for the second time today. Why would I ask that? He curses himself.

"Of course. I uh, that, I" He pauses and inhales sharply, "Sorry," he breaths out and somehow manages to embarrass himself even more. This is the first time in his life that Jeon Jungkook is stuttering and embarrassing himself. Why did the man have to get so close to him?

The short man laughs lightly making the other feel a little at ease and Jungkook smiles sheepishly.

"You mean thank you? For I saved your life," The man states dramatically, "And no one would have noticed the axe lying there." he finishes smiling.

"I was not, uh," Jungkook finds himself looking for correct words again.

"You were lost," The man makes it easy for Jungkook to say, "in your thoughts." and Jungkook nods, not trusting his own voice.

After a moment of awkward silence, Jungkook asks, "Do you always leave your farm open?" The merman bites his tongue for another dense words make their way out of his mouth.

"Well, de..pends." The man replies, not knowing how to respond to that question, raising his right eyebrow.

Jungkook breathes, not letting anything out of his mouth this time, looking anywhere but in the man's eyes. He turns awkwardly, not knowing whether he should say something before leaving or at least wave his hand or nod. The man breaks into a beautiful smile again making Jungkook look away and get as far away as he could from the man.

He had totally forgotten about Wook, his task incomplete.

Lalisa finds herself standing below the cool shade of the big tree in Jimin's farm again, this time smiling and not feeling out of place like the last time when she had visited.

Rose and Jimin had been discussing on where to go today. Lalisa noticed how Jimin was trying to be her friend. He was polite to her everytime he spoke to her. She felt guilty whenever he looked disappointed because of lack of her speech. But she can't be blamed.

She is trying to speak. Her words still come out slurred, but she is trying.

"I am telling you let's go to the shore. It's beautiful at this time," Jimin huffs. Rose looks at Lalisa's way hoping she is not paying attention and is busy enjoying on the swing. Lalisa pretends not to listen. She knows Rose is trying to avoid going to the shore because of her, "That is the best place you could show someone who has come from as far as Yuan." Jimin continues, his someone implying to Lalisa.

Rose had told Jimin that their guests were from Yuan. And he had been excited to show Lalisa around his village since it had many things Joseon was known for.

Lalisa smiles to herself. It is fun watching Rose and Jimin bicker like siblings. Guess not all humans are bad after all. Jimin is a good human. She likes him. When she goes back to the sea, she will remember him as a good memory on land. And if she starts spending her days in his farm everyday till the time they are on land, she might even miss him when she returns home - the sea.

"No. We can even - "

"Let's go to the shore." Lalisa cuts in. Her words hanging in the air, for Rose did not want to oppose the princess' wish. Jimin smiles widely at Lalisa and looks back at Rose teasingly. Lalisa smiles again at his child like behaviour and follows her excited friend to the shore, assuring Rose that she would be fine.

It indeed is beautiful. She tries to not let her hair color change. Even though she is wearing a scarf because it was getting difficult for her to pay attention to her hair every time her mood changed, she can't help but not let the color change. As the hair that the scarf cannot cover are still visible. She looks at the shade of the sky and the sea that meet together at the far end, in awe. She has had the pleasure of watching the sunset a very few times, as they nearly never came to the surface because of the human boats on the sea.

She smiles to herself, looking at the half drown sun, reflecting in the water, its rays tearing through the slightly purple sky, making her feel giddy and she finds herself going walking towards it, slowly. If it was not for Rose's voice, she would have unknowingly went into the sea.

Although Jackson was a fisherman, they did not live near the sea. So Lalisa was looking at her home after three days and it was long enough for her to miss it, even if the land was beautiful and she had a lot of new things to see and do everyday, the sea was her home anyway and she had spent eighteen years of her life in it.

I trust you father. And she smiles lightly again.

She sits down on the sand, making sure the water isn't touching her, and waits for Rose and Jimin to join her.

"What are you doing?" Jimin asks, looking at Lalisa playing with the sand.

"Making a fort!" Rose answers smiling, remembering how they used to do it deep down the sea.

She nods enthusiastically. Jimin looks at them questioningly. Making a fort? With sand? He wonders if it is something normal people do with their friends at the shore. He remembers never doing anything as such. But then again, he has never had friends to play with and had never come to the shore until recently.

Lalisa tugs at Jimin's hanbok, asking him to sit.

He watches them forming shapes with the sand and tries to imitate, failing miserably. Lalisa giggles looking at his pouting face.

Jimin ends up just watching Rose and Lalisa make the fort effortlessly, laughing and enjoying themselves. His work looking like cow dung.

The children of fishermen playing nearby watch them from distance. Rose waves at them signalling to come near. They run towards her, sitting down beside the fort looking at it in awe. Jimin writes something on the sand with his index finger, which Lalisa doesn't understands and they get up to head back.

Lalisa hears a soft 'who are you' at a distance and turns around to find a man standing near the fort they had made looking at her. His eyes widen when they meet hers and she smiles not aware of it herself.

Kim Taehyung and his men had arrested a theif today. He couldn't help but let the thief go when he was told the thief had stolen food. He instead helped him with money and commanded him to get a job instead of stealing. He couldn't find the murderer though. The mystery was eating him from inside. Why did the woman had to die so brutally?

He had come to the shore to relax his mind and had had the pleasure of seeing the girl he saw at the farm again.

She looks beautiful. And Taehyung couldn't help but notice how beautiful her smile is.

He ogles her from some distance away, for he can't come up with any excuse to talk with her, or approach her. And he does not even want to scare her away. Hoseok hyung was right. There is something about this lady that had caught his attention that he falls silent every time he comes across her.

And he notices it again.

Her hair. Although she has covered them with a scarf, he can see a lock on her back uncovered. And he felt like the color slightly changed. Why do I keep seeing things like these? He wonders. He walks over to the sand fort she has made, looking at her back, going away from him. He does not follow.

His black hair flows on his forehead like the waves of the sea, the cool moist wind hitting his face, making him squint his eyes. The purple color of sky and orange of sun reflecting in the sea, as well as his beautifully curved face.

"Who are you?" He whispers, and she turns her head to look straight into his wide eyes, smiling.

That is the most beautiful smile he had ever witnessed.

He looks down at the fort she had made and reads the writing beside it, "Lalisa".

Lalisa had not been able to understand why her heart had started to beat fast every time she imagined the green eyes she saw today at the shore. It was as if, the moment the green eyes flashed in her mind, her heart had decided to pump slightly faster than usual for a couple of seconds.

"I have heard the prince is in the town. He has been punishing scoundrels." Rose's voice takes Lalisa out of her questioning thoughts.

Jimin simply nods, leading the way to his farm.

"Have you ever seen him?" She asks next.

"It's the first time the prince is in this part of the empire. I don't think anyone has ever seen him except the merchants. No one would recognize him unless we see someone with a lot of soldiers." Jimin replies.

"Oh. Did you hear about the murder in the market? A woman was killed. They say she was tortured to death."

Jimin's eyebrows shoot up at this piece of information. Sure their village had witnessed thefts, but murder was something he never thought would happen in their vilage.

"Isn't is a bit skeptical? I mean, the prince comes to the village and two people are murdered already?"

"Two?" Jimin asks.

"Not sure about the second one," Rose shrugs, "Also, the king has sent the prince here to make him learn things, but I hear he is not the crown prince."

"So?" He asks confusingly.

"Well, the king has sent prince here to - what I guess is - get to know the people and handle crimes and all the things soon to be king or the crown prince does. But the youngest prince is around, not the crown prince." Rose finishes her rant and Lalisa does not understand a word. She does not even mind asking. She keeps her mouth shut, following them, not uttering any word, listing to her friends.

"Where do you even get to know these things from?" Jimin questions.

Rose shrugs again, "But don't you think there's foul play somewhere? I mean, what if the prince himself is planning murders and catching the sinners just to prove his father he can handle situations?"

Jimin laughs at this and shakes his head, "Trust you to apply such stupid logic," Rose pouts and Jimin continues, "The king is a good human. He helps every person in need."

"And?"

"Well, I believe, if he is a good human, his son has to be one too."

Rose huffs, "And my logic was stupid." She mutters.

Lalisa giggles at the duo, and by now is sure are children in adult bodies.

Jimin looks back at her and smiles sheepishly. He had completely forgotten she was with them.

They reach his farm and Jimin notices the axe lying down on the same place he had left it. He remembers the man from before and how close he had been.

The thought of revealing his only three friends that he is into men had been going through his mind today all day. He did not know how they would react to that. And he is afraid he might have to start living alone again if he lets anyone know.

But true friends would support you anyway, right? he wonders but decides to not let it out for now.

Lalisa waves her hand in front of Jimin's face, and he looks up at them, his brows raised.

"I said, we are leaving." Rose looks concerned, "Are you alright?"

"Oh. Yes." Jimin smiles reassuringly.