Responsibility

"Regarding the former empress... she is now to be addressed as the Empress Dowager. She moved to the Cining Palace over a decade ago. If you wish to meet her, I can certainly take you to see her in a few days." 

Sebastian extended a hand, pulling the indignant little mermaid from the edge of the bathing pool, and with a gentle smile, he remarked, "By the way, why are you sitting by the pool?" 

Had he not overheard the raucous commotion from Princess Yun, he would not have entered so boldly, as it did not seem she was already bathing. 

"I... I never expressed a desire to meet that, um, Empress Dowager." 

Lu furrowed her brows and swatted away Sebastian's hand, lifting her chin defiantly. "Furthermore, I can rise on my own; you needn't pull me! Keep your distance!!" 

She had not forgotten how this person had deceived her! They were not so close!! 

"As for this pool," Lu continued, her anger intensifying as her cerulean eyes widened in disbelief, "the water you use for bathing is far too hot; I simply cannot step in. It is one thing for it to be hot, but I have waited here for ages without it cooling down, wasting my time entirely!" 

She had foolishly believed that waiting a little longer would allow her to bathe, only to endure the oppressive steam that had raised the temperature of the entire hall! 

It nearly suffocated her to the point of drowsiness... 

"The water here is all live water, continuously supplied from the underground channels. Unless the source is cut off, the temperature remains constant. Moreover, as the steam rises, the room temperature will gradually align with that of the pool water, so it is natural for you to feel warm." 

Sebastian explained as he strode to the other side of the grand hall, pointing to a delicate phoenix statue, then glanced back at the bewildered little mermaid standing there, her crystalline blue eyes wide with confusion, and smiled, "Do you see this? Just turn it, and you can stop the inflow of live water." 

"Just turn it?" Lu's attention was captured as she gazed at the exquisite yet unobtrusive sculpture, intrigued. "Is it really that simple? Do I turn it up and down or side to side??" 

"Come here, and I shall teach you." Sebastian raised an eyebrow. 

Lu: ... 

A tea's worth of time later.

After successfully operating the mechanism a few times, Lu turned to look at Sebastian, who had been watching her intently, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It's truly remarkable! How fascinating~~" 

Such intricate devices were not entirely absent in the Kingdom of Mermaids, but most were merely decorative. Merfolk typically relied on their own efforts to alter their surroundings and seldom sought to replace manual labor with inventions— 

For mermaids, if they could use their hands, they would certainly prefer not to engage their minds. 

"Please step outside; I need to bathe~~" Lu said, glancing at the vividly depicted phoenix in mid-flight and then at the now steam-free bathing pool, eager to usher him away. 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I rushed over the moment I heard Princess Yun was looking for you, and I kindly taught you how to use the bathing pool… only for you to abandon it afterward?" 

"Princess Yun?" Lu turned to meet his gaze. "Is she the one from just now?" 

"Yes." 

"Didn't you send her away yourself?" Lu tilted her head, feeling perplexed. "Though she was a bit talkative and had a fiery temperament… she truly didn't do anything to me." 

It was just that she had felt a bit drowsy and was not particularly inclined to engage with Princess Yun; perhaps the woman was simply displeased. 

Sebastian replied, "...She harbors no ill intentions but is easily manipulated by others, which may lead her to act unkindly towards you." 

He rubbed his temples, somewhat exasperated by Lu's unguarded demeanor. "If you encounter anyone else who speaks oddly, just ignore them. I will handle it later." 

With her disposition, if she ventured outside… she might easily be deceived. 

"Oh, that's fine," Lu contemplated, then, in a serious tone, warned, "But if they attempt to strike me, I will certainly retaliate!" 

Sebastian paused, then chuckled softly. "Very well, retaliate. I'll take responsibility if anything happens." 

"Who needs you to take responsibility? I can handle my own business!" Lu huffed, attempting to push him away while trying to step past him. "You should hurry and leave; I want to bathe and then get some sleep!!" 

"Sleep?" Sebastian stood firm, effortlessly holding her in place with one hand, smiling as he leisurely proposed, "Then when you wake up, I shall take you to meet the Empress Dowager?" 

"I have no desire to meet your former empress!" Lu glared, tugging at her wrist, which he had gently grasped yet could not free herself from, feeling both anxious and frustrated. "Are you going to leave or not?!" 

Why couldn't he just go? She needed to bathe and catch up on sleep! 

He, seemingly unaffected by fatigue, had no right to hold her back! 

She had no interest in discovering what kind of person his former empress was!! 

"That simply won't do; after all, I have brought you here and settled you in. It would be remiss not to introduce you to my mother," Sebastian replied leisurely. 

"Mother?" Lu froze, her face a mask of shock. "You… actually married your mother as the empress??" 

So, humans were that open-minded after all. 

Sebastian paused. "...What are you thinking? She is the empress of my father. Upon my ascension, she became the Empress Dowager." 

He had assumed that with a hint of clarity, this little girl would grasp the situation herself. 

Clearly, he had overestimated her. 

Lu blinked. "...Oh." 

"It's your own failure to communicate clearly." 

"Not my fault for misunderstanding!" 

After all, they were all empresses; how was she to know which empress was which?! 

"Then, what about what Princess Yun said regarding the empresses of past generations...?" Lu pondered. 

"Indeed." 

The little mermaid felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. 

But it wasn't her fault! 

It was all this human's responsibility for not being clear from the outset!