Proverb
"Is Lu not with you?" the mermaid queen inquired in surprise, holding a delicate little box that she had intended as a gift for her beloved princess.
The mermaid grandmother calmly cleared her throat and smiled, "No, she isn't here. Perhaps she has gone off to play."
The queen hesitated, her blue eyes, strikingly similar to Lu's, partially closing with concern. "But… little Lu hasn't returned to the palace for several days. I thought she might be with you."
After all, Lu had always enjoyed visiting her grandmother, and the fact that she hadn't seen the little mermaid for several consecutive days naturally led her to assume she was here. Little did she know…
The mermaid grandmother raised an eyebrow at her words, fully aware of Lu's whereabouts, yet maintaining a calm facade. "Lu hasn't returned to the palace? She did come by a few days ago but left rather quickly."
The queen furrowed her brow in thought, her beautiful face reflecting irritation. "This child truly lacks awareness! At her age, she should not be running about without a care, completely disregarding our worries for her!"
Though mermaids were expected to be independent after reaching adulthood, her little princess was still quite young and often reckless; how could she not be concerned?
Moreover, it seemed as though Lu was frolicking about without a hint of psychological burden—one could even say she was utterly heedless!
"I must go find her," the queen sighed, rising to her feet and apologizing to her grandmother. "I'll have to visit you another day."
"Oh, don't be in such a hurry," the mermaid grandmother said leisurely, taking a bite of her snack and smiling reassuringly at the clearly agitated queen. "Little Lu is not a child anymore; you needn't worry too much. She knows her limits."
The mermaid queen frowned, "No, but she…" How could this child possibly know her limits?
It was likely that the concept of limits had never even graced her dictionary!
"Enough, the ocean is vast; how long do you intend to search? Are you really going to mobilize the guards for a little princess who is off playing who-knows-where?"
As she spoke, the mermaid grandmother slowly rose, swishing her tail, and gently pulled the departing queen back, urging, "Since you've come all this way, why not sit and chat with this old woman for a while longer?"
With her grandmother saying so, the queen naturally did not refuse. Following her grandmother's lead, she sat back down, though her brow remained tightly knit with worry.
The mermaid grandmother noted this and chuckled, "You're simply too concerned about little Lu. It's only been a few days, and look how worried you are! What will you do when she gets married?"
"Married?" The queen's expression shifted, and suddenly a thought struck her. She narrowed her blue eyes and fell silent, contemplating.
…She was quite curious as to which audacious individual would dare to take her little princess away.
Ah, I'm wet." Lu tugged at her sleeves, feeling somewhat bewildered.
The sensation of this fabric clinging to her… to be honest, it felt rather unfamiliar?
Her previous dresses had never felt like this!
Sebastian took a step toward the side hall of the Yining Palace, his phoenix eyes narrowing as he yawned lazily. "...Of course I'm wet; I've been out in the rain all this time."
"Where are you going?" Lu blinked and instinctively followed him.
"To change my clothes."
Sebastian suddenly halted, turning to regard her with an amused expression. "Do you wish to join me?"
"...Of course not!" Lu stammered, her ears flushing red with embarrassment as she quickly retreated, looking as if she wished to distance herself as much as possible.
"Just go quickly if you're going! Who wants to join you?"
Lu turned her head awkwardly, adding, "You humans are so fragile; you really should change your clothes after getting soaked. It wouldn't be good if you fell ill."
Her grandmother had once told her that some particularly delicate humans could faint from just a gust of wind!
With that thought, the little mermaid puffed up her cheeks, unable to suppress a twinge of regret.
…Indeed, she should refrain from jesting about this human body in the future.
After all, if something were to go awry, she wouldn't be able to heal him; what if this human were to perish just like that?
That wouldn't do at all.
"Wait, since you're changing your clothes, you might as well take a bath," Lu suddenly recalled how the rain had come about and promptly advised him with concern.
"Why?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
Lu was momentarily taken aback, "What's with all the questions? Is it wrong that I dislike the scent on you?"
"Scent?" Sebastian paused, slightly surprised, unaware that aside from the lingering fragrance of dragon's saliva, he might carry any other odors—
In fact, even with that long-standing scent, it was quite difficult for him to be tainted by other smells.
Lu nodded thoughtfully and earnestly cautioned, "Make sure to wash thoroughly."
After all, that water snake was no good.
The thought of it made her uneasy.
As she pondered, Lu found herself unable to tolerate the rainwater that had once felt refreshing, hesitating before awkwardly glancing away with her blue eyes. "Um, where do you bathe? I'd like to wash up too."
If he wasn't using that large bath, she would have to go wash over there!
She hadn't realized it before, but now, the thought of the rain mingling with the scent of that water snake made it unbearable!
Sebastian asked, "Are you certain?"
He then added, "There's a saying here: men and women should not have close physical contact. I wonder if you've ever heard of it?"
Lu stared blankly, meeting his gaze in confusion. "...No."
Besides, what did that have to do with her wanting to take a bath?
"I… was just joking; you needn't take it seriously," Sebastian explained after a moment of silence.
…Could it be that his usual carefree demeanor had led the little mermaid astray?
Contemplating Lu's remark about washing up, Sebastian felt a twinge of complexity within himself.
Lu: …She hadn't taken it seriously either!
What on earth was he talking about?