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Since Lu intended to follow her grandmother's tale, she would adhere meticulously to every detail— 

Although some aspects had already diverged, it mattered not, for she had successfully saved her prince~~ 

"By the way, now I must find a beach to place the prince upon," the little mermaid's eyes sparkled with excitement. 

It had to be a golden, shimmering beach, with soft, gleaming sand that felt delightful beneath her feet, for she wanted her prince to be comfortable while lying there! 

Lu declined the dolphins' assistance, allowing those who had already delivered the stranded humans to the nearby dock to disperse and play, while she, with some effort, cradled the young man who towered a full head above her. Her tail thrashed in the water as she strained to swim, her cheeks flushed from exertion. "I remember… there should be an uninhabited island ahead." 

Before setting out to sea, she had been briefed by a few of her royal brothers on some essential knowledge, thus she was relatively familiar with the waters in this vicinity.

However, the practical application proved to be far more challenging than the theory. 

By the time the mermaid princess cautiously carried the young man ashore, the horizon had begun to lighten with a faint glow of dawn. 

Lu gently laid the drenched young man on the relatively dry sand, lowering her head to listen to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, which brought her a sense of relief. 

With her azure eyes blinking, she took hold of one of his hands and, regardless of whether he could hear her, murmured softly, "I saved you! You are now my prince!" 

He mustn't deny this later. 

Lost in her thoughts, Lu smiled and was about to say more when she felt the hand she was holding twitch slightly. 

Taken aback, she watched as the young man fluttered his eyelids and frowned, clearly on the verge of awakening. 

A surge of panic coursed through Lu, and she instinctively released his hand, feeling flustered. 

Oh no, this is bad! 

How long has it been? He was supposed to be unconscious… Do humans possess such remarkable physical resilience?! 

For reasons unknown, the first instinct of the little mermaid was to hide; she absolutely could not let this human see her current appearance! 

Thus, as Sebastian slowly opened his eyes, a resounding splash echoed nearby, accompanied by an inexplicable sense of urgency amidst the brief sound of water. 

He instinctively furrowed his brow and braced himself against the sand, sitting up. 

His phoenix-like eyes scanned the surroundings, slightly arched in surprise. 

To his astonishment… there was no one around. 

Naturally, there were no signs of life in the crystal-clear waters not far from the shore. 

Sebastian pressed a hand to his temple, feeling a slight dizziness from being submerged in seawater for an entire night. 

So, had he been specially cared for by the marine creatures? Was he merely abandoned on this island? Or had he simply drifted here on his own? 

…This is quite troublesome. 

The disappearance of an entire ship would surely be less alarming than the mere vanishing of an emperor. Moreover, if those individuals returned to the capital first and spread rumors… 

However, inaction was not in Sebastian's nature. 

Though he often preferred to be lazy and showed little interest in most matters, causing his officials to fret since before his ascension, 

now, if he did not swiftly return to the public eye, the entire nation would likely descend into chaos. 

After sitting on the beach for a while, Sebastian finally regained his composure from the slight discomfort in his body. He first fixed his gaze on the area where the sound of water had originated, confirming that it was now empty before turning his attention back to himself and beginning to remove his drenched garments. 

As his clothes fell to the ground, they landed on the soft sand with a distinct sound. 

Sebastian paused, squatting down to retrieve the already soaked dark robe. 

Amidst the wet sand, he discovered a beautifully crafted pearl bracelet, adorned with exquisite dangling charms of unknown materials, standing out remarkably. 

He squinted slightly. 

Not far away, 

the little mermaid, hidden behind a reef, released a series of bubbles that varied in size, her cheeks puffed in impatience as she was forced to remain patient and wait.

She yearned to surface and see how that human was faring, yet she was apprehensive that emerging so boldly might not be wise. After all, she herself was uncertain whether the hurried splash of her escape had been heard by him. 

Even if it had not, how could she possibly explain her origins upon reemerging? 

For the first time, Lu felt a pang of distress, even beginning to regret her earlier impulsiveness in knocking him unconscious; now, should she venture out, she would undoubtedly be perceived as a villainous creature. 

Perhaps, she mused, if she claimed to have saved him, he might not even believe her. 

Moreover… Lu raised her head, gazing through the surface of the water at the sky, which was already tinged with light, hesitating as she bit her lip. 

Having only spent a single night above the sea, she realized dawn was approaching, and if she did not return soon, her father, the king, her mother, and several of her brothers would surely come searching for her. 

The mermaid princess hesitated for a moment, reluctantly casting a final glance toward the island, silently praying for her prince's safety. Then, clutching her small satchel, she flicked her tail and swiftly swam toward the depths of the ocean. 

As she swam, a forgotten detail from her grandmother's tale suddenly resurfaced in her mind— 

It seemed that after the mermaid princess saved the prince, a wicked human had claimed the credit for himself? 

This simply would not do! 

Lu abruptly halted her movements, immediately turning to swim back, but was joyfully intercepted by Belle and several other handmaidens, who respectfully exclaimed, "Your Highness, welcome back! The King and Queen, along with several princes, are already waiting for you in the Great Hall!" 

The little mermaid, preoccupied with thoughts of her prince, sighed inwardly: …Well, she would deal with that wicked human later; it should… suffice for now.