Fright

"I'm not in need of that." 

Sebastian raised his hand to press his fingers against his temple, a resigned smile gracing his lips. "You should keep whatever you have for yourself." 

He could see that this girl was quite innocent, but the truth was, he truly lacked for none of these peculiar trinkets. 

"No, no, no! You will absolutely love it!" Lu insisted, shaking her head with unwavering conviction. 

"Really, it's unnecessary." Sebastian sighed. "I'm not as fragile as you imagine, nor do I require these trivial items to… please me." 

Though he wished to convey that the little girl need not visit him so frequently, for some reason, the words lingered on the tip of his tongue but were swallowed back down. 

Lu stared at him, momentarily taken aback, her mouth opening and closing in uncertainty. "But… but I want to!" 

She merely wished to be kind to him… Was that so wrong? 

"I'm not worthy of such gestures." Sebastian gently closed his eyes, idly prodding the embers of the fire with a long stick. 

If this little girl truly understood him, she would not utter such naïve sentiments. 

"Well, I still want to!" Lu pouted, her large eyes wide and cheeks slightly puffed. 

The young man, however, turned his gaze away in silence, signaling an end to the conversation. 

Lu was taken aback, her azure eyes sweeping across the tranquil beach before settling on the fire, and she too felt the urge to remain silent. 

The little mermaid curled her legs beneath her, tentatively extending a withered branch towards the flames, which eagerly consumed it, sending up a shower of sparkling yellow embers. 

She sighed softly, her brow furrowing with worry— 

She hadn't even had the chance to show the handsome human her gifts before being so directly rejected. 

And upon reflection, it seemed this was not the first time… 

Lu quietly pouted at the fire, suddenly recalling her grandmother's words, which seemed to ring somewhat false— 

It was indeed worth a try, but the other party must be willing! 

Yet, it was clear that he had no desire to engage with her! 

The little mermaid felt a deep sense of grievance. 

She hadn't done anything wrong… So why did the beautiful human she admired seem unable to accept her? 

She genuinely wished to foster a good relationship with him. 

But he was unwilling. 

Sebastian feigned interest in the flickering flames, though his peripheral vision caught the girl lost in thought. Following her gaze back to the fire, he remained silent for a moment before speaking, "...What do you wish to give me?" 

Lu's crystalline blue eyes sparkled with a hint of confusion as she turned to face the young man. After a brief pause, she suddenly realized, puffing her cheeks in displeasure, yet she murmured softly, "I've repaired your grand ship." 

"Ship?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow. 

...Is it the one he was thinking of? 

"Yes, you did say it had sunk…" 

At this mention, Lu felt a twinge of guilt, her cerulean eyes darting down to the sandy ground. "I had the little ones help me retrieve it. Some of the items on board were damaged by seawater; we repaired what we could, and for the rest, we collected some… um, unique items from the seabed to fill it." 

However, none of them knew how to operate the ship, and boarding it proved challenging, which delayed their progress until nightfall without a sight of the grand vessel. 

...She had hoped the handsome human might be pleasantly surprised to see it. 

Sebastian's phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly, a complex emotion flickering within them as he regarded the little mermaid. 

After hearing her words, he had many questions, yet the foremost thought that crossed his mind was that he would soon be leaving… and what would become of this innocent, stubborn girl? 

But then he chided himself, thinking it was not his concern. 

Sebastian dismissed the thought, beginning to understand the origins of the unusual storm that had swept through. 

"Did you manage to get the crew from my previous ship to shore?" he inquired calmly. 

He bore no intent to reprimand the little mermaid; the current situation was far from clear— 

The troubling aspect was not merely the potentially damaged ship, but whether those who had been rescued would act against his interests. 

After all, those crew members did not share his goals. 

"The crew?" 

Lu blinked and recalled, "I remember the little dolphin mentioning that they were taken to the nearest shore, where your kind... resides. Would you like me to inquire further?" 

For a moment, Lu almost misspoke, causing her to lower her head in embarrassment, unable to meet the young man's gaze. 

Sebastian, who had mentally mapped the entire area, began to piece together the situation. 

He collected his thoughts and, seeing the little mermaid curled up as if trying to hide, couldn't help but chuckle, "What's with that expression? Do you think I might actually eat you?" 

It seemed he hadn't said anything too harsh, after all. 

Wasn't it this little girl who had insisted on clinging to him earlier? 

Eat... eat what? Eat fish?! 

Lu was suddenly taken aback, instantly contemplating a certain possibility. 

Cautiously, the little mermaid glanced up at the young man, hesitated, and tentatively asked, "W-why would you eat me? I'm not tasty." 

As she spoke, she subtly shifted her position, trying to distance herself from Sebastian, her little face stern. 

Sebastian: … 

Though he had been preoccupied with the thought of keeping this girl at bay, ideally avoiding any further encounters or attachments, 

the moment she genuinely distanced herself, he felt an unexpected urge to keep her close, to make her stay by his side. 

He narrowed his eyes, casting a mysterious glance at the little mermaid, who was now awkwardly chuckling, and ultimately decided not to hold it against her. 

After all, it wouldn't be kind to frighten her.