Beautiful Dream
Ultimately, the ship's helm remained unfixed by the clueless marine creatures—they merely patched the broken wood, arranged the cabin with care, and carried the gifts entrusted to them by the little mermaid onto the deck one by one.
It was only when Lu stealthily approached the cockpit, observing the handsome human frowning as he attempted repairs himself, that she belatedly remembered she could control the waves to guide the ship.
...There was no need for such trouble, nor for anyone to keep a constant watch.
Why hadn't she thought of this sooner!
**Night fell.**
Lu lay on the deck, listening to the rhythmic crashing of the waves, her small face creased with hesitation as she contemplated whether to leap into the sea for a refreshing bath before returning. After all, the ship was no match for the ocean, and in such a short time, she felt as though she had accumulated an unbearable amount of dust upon her!
Yet… she had rushed off with the handsome human without bringing a single change of clothes…
Was she destined to wear this one dress for the foreseeable future?!
Lu pouted, raising her hand to cover her face, suddenly filled with regret—
Had she known, she would have packed a few belongings before embarking on this voyage! Now, apart from a small bag, she possessed nothing at all!
All her beautiful dresses and charming accessories were gone!
**A quarter of an hour later.**
The little mermaid widened her eyes and, summoning her courage, knocked on Sebastian's door.
Upon hearing the commotion, the dim candlelight inside flickered as a shadow moved, stabilizing only after the figure had retreated.
The young man, clad in a simple outer garment, opened the door and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What is it?"
Lu's ears flushed crimson in an instant, and she instinctively averted her gaze, her luminous blue eyes blinking nervously. "I—I just came to ask if you have any spare clothes on this ship. I have nothing to wear."
After all, this vessel belonged to the handsome human before her, so surely… there must be some extra garments available?
"Are you certain… you want my clothes?" Sebastian regarded the little mermaid, who stood nearly a head shorter than himself, with a quizzical expression.
"Hmm? Is that not acceptable?" Lu turned her head back, looking at him with confusion.
After a moment's thought, she added, "I only wish to borrow your clothes for a few days. I'll send a little dolphin tomorrow to fetch my things."
Although the dolphin could enter the merfolk kingdom, she wondered if that somewhat stubborn Belle would actually retrieve her dresses…
"Well, it's just a few pieces of clothing. Feel free to wear them, but… if I recall correctly, I don't have anything brand new." Sebastian mused before turning to enter his room.
Lu paused, unable to resist peeking inside, her curiosity piqued as she surveyed the interior, which bore some resemblance to her own room yet differed in countless subtle ways—
Perhaps it was infused with a hint of liveliness?
Tilting her head in contemplation, she ultimately abandoned her thoughts, her azure eyes fixated on the tall, elegant figure moving within.
The longer she watched, the more pleased she felt.
Indeed, beautiful humans were a feast for the eyes! They were incomparable to that shameless, unattractive water serpent!
Seemingly sensing her gaze, Sebastian turned his head, catching the little mermaid's eyes as she instinctively withdrew. He chuckled softly, "What are you doing lingering at the door? Come in."
Lu hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, murmuring, "Did you find anything for me to wear?"
For some reason, standing in the room filled with the essence of youth made her feel oddly out of place.
Yet, to say she was uncomfortable… it didn't quite feel that way?
The little mermaid bit her lip, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Here, these few sets are for you." Sebastian rummaged through a sealed box by the bed, retrieving several outfits in the shades of blue that the little mermaid typically favored, and handed them to Lu, who eagerly awaited beside him.
Lu stared at the garments in surprise, then quickly reached out to accept them. "Thank you! I'll be off now~ Sweet dreams!"
Without waiting for Sebastian's response, she clutched the clothes, infused with his scent, and hurriedly dashed out—
Before leaving, she remembered to close the door behind her with a soft "bang."
**Sebastian:** …?
He watched the little figure recede into the distance, raising a hand to press against his forehead, a hint of amusement glimmering in his eyes.
What a spirited personality; she was as impulsive as they come!
**On the other side.**
Lu hurried back to her room, crashing onto the soft bed with a pile of clothes in her arms.
Her cheeks flushed, and her sensitive nose was filled with the distinctly unique fragrance of the young man, causing the garments in her hands to feel almost warm to the touch.
She pressed her lips together, quietly pushing the clothes aside, and then sat cross-legged on the bed, staring intently at the fabric before her.
It dawned on her that she might have made a grave mistake.
…She should have asked the handsome human if he had any other clothes that weren't worn by someone else!
This… this all carried his scent. If she wore it, wouldn't that mean she was indirectly… marked in some way?
It was no wonder the little mermaid was overthinking—
After all, in the merfolk kingdom, lovers with strong possessive tendencies often marked each other.
They would imprint their unique scent on their partner to assert their ownership over them, declaring their claim to others.
…
A quarter of an hour later.
Lu stood there, her hands gripping the excessively long robe, the wide sleeves cascading in layers around her wrists—
The mere thought of donning the handsome human's attire, which would undoubtedly carry his essence, had not prepared her for the possibility that it might not fit at all!
The size was entirely beyond her!
Was she to flounder around the ship for the next few days in this ill-fitting ensemble, which could very well trip her up?!
However, the long dress she had changed out of lay crumpled in a corner, and Lu cast a reluctant glance at it—
There was absolutely no way she would retrieve it to wear again.
After standing there, entangled in the fabric for what felt like an eternity, the little mermaid hesitated before ultimately deciding to set aside her worries and simply wear the clothes to sleep for the night.
…After all, she wouldn't be walking in her sleep, so what did it matter if it didn't fit perfectly?
As for tomorrow, she would deal with that when the time came!
With this thought, Lu cast her troubles aside, extinguished the candle, and joyfully flung herself back onto the soft bed that delighted her, rolling twice before swiftly drifting into slumber.
At that moment, Lu was blissfully unaware that by sleeping in such loose garments, her extremely unkempt sleeping position would surely result in an unseemly sight come morning.
The little mermaid curled herself in a soft blanket, her delicate face buried in the pillow, her dark blue hair splayed around her. Unconsciously, she smacked her lips, dreaming of indulging in roasted rabbit on the previous island.