Irate Fish

Lu settled by the water's edge and, still somewhat drowsy, squinted her blue eyes and stifled a small yawn.

She had risen far too early today; even though she had dozed off in the carriage, she still felt quite weary.

However, despite her doubts, she knew Sebastian would not leave her in such a place—unless, perhaps, he had been compelled by someone else?

The little mermaid gazed at the clear water's surface for a moment, contemplating, before deciding to remove her shoes and dip her dainty feet into the pool.

Though she hadn't transformed back into a fish tail, the icy sensation was still delightfully refreshing, prompting Lu to blink and happily splash her feet.

She felt no anxiety about being trapped in an unknown location.

She was remarkably at ease.

Moments later, Jack's figure quietly emerged from the shadows, remaining silent as he lowered his gaze, watching the little mermaid playfully splashing in the water.

Suddenly, he chuckled softly.

Lu paused, still holding a handful of clear water, instinctively turning her head to the side. Upon seeing Jack's face, she was momentarily stunned, then furrowed her brow and asked, "...What are you doing here? Did you bring me here??"

Jack regarded her with an inscrutable expression, responding evasively, "...The human you favor is proving to be more troublesome than I anticipated."

"What?" Lu was taken aback, unable to comprehend.

"However, you likely won't have the chance to see him again," Jack stepped forward, emerging from the shadows, his somber phoenix eyes revealing a gentle smile as he spoke, "I promised I would take you back, Little Lu."

"Now, come with me."

He extended a hand in an inviting gesture, his gaze calm and steady.

"First, tell me what you've done!" Lu swatted his hand away, frowning and poised for an argument.

Honestly!

Every encounter with this slippery serpent ended in a quarrel, and arguing was exhausting enough as it was!

If he wasn't tired, she certainly was!

"...What could I have done?"

Jack withdrew his hand, gazing intently at her. He smirked, his tone flat as he said, "I merely gave a little push when that human's consort attempted to harm you—strangely enough, you seem more inclined to stay by the side of a human woman than return with me."

"What do you mean?" Lu was momentarily stunned, her wariness intensifying at his mention of the push, though she struggled to grasp his words.

That human's consort... was it the Cloud Consort?

Was Cloud Consort not her name after all??

"This country practices polygamy; one of the wives of the person who brought you here wished to harm you. Do you understand?" Jack explained with a smile.

Lu stared at him in bewilderment, pressing her lips together, then hesitantly splashed her feet in the water. "But he clearly told me he has no queen..."

So that previous Cloud Consort was his wife?

Yet her demeanor didn't seem to suggest that at all??

"That's not right; you're not deceiving me, are you?" Lu suddenly recalled Jack's notorious cunning and looked up at the young man with a face full of skepticism.

"...Don't believe me? Then return with me and ask your grandmother; you'll discover whether my words hold truth."

"Moreover, the societal structure here differs from that of the Western humans. Here, the emperor is said to have thousands of beauties in his harem; he certainly would not have only one wife."

Jack, unfazed by the little mermaid's unwavering scrutiny, let out a soft sigh.

It appeared that the human capable of making the mermaid princess abandon the depths of the sea for the land was not as beloved by her as he had imagined.

This was, of course, for the best.

He wouldn't have to devise a way to erase that man's image from her heart.

Yet, what puzzled Jack was that, logically speaking, a mere ordinary human should possess no extraordinary abilities—

And yet, that seemingly worthless human, aside from his looks and lineage, had somehow dispelled the rain clouds merely by standing on the high platform.

He couldn't even discern the reason.

...What could it possibly be?

Jack fell into deep contemplation.

"Impossible?!" Lu withdrew her feet from the pool, her cheeks puffing up in indignation. However, she suddenly reconsidered and realized it seemed rather irrelevant to her.

What did it matter how many wives he had?

After all, she wouldn't be one of them, would she??

Thus, Lu instantly regained her composure, removing the outer robe that the grand eunuch had forcibly draped over her to dry her feet, her expression a mixture of complexity and a hint of pity as she looked at Jack.

Jack: ...?

After observing for a while, Lu finally realized that Jack genuinely did not understand where he had gone wrong. Considering their long-standing friendship, she spoke with earnestness to remind him, "Such matters are private affairs; although they differ from our customs under the sea, we should not discriminate against them, should we?"

Lu neatly folded the robe she had dried her feet with and placed it beside her before standing up, fixing her gaze on the young man and frowning as she instructed, "We must treat everyone equally, you know?"

Jack was momentarily taken aback by the little mermaid's words, but as he prepared to retort, she interrupted him, "Oh, I know you too well; you simply enjoy meddling in others' affairs! But the fact that a human has multiple wives does not concern us at all."

Jack's defense was cut short as Lu regarded him with the expression of someone looking at a child who had not yet matured, yet she managed to remain patient and spoke seriously, "And don't you know? There is a saying among humans: 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'"

Jack: "..."

"Actually, what I meant to say was..."

"Ah, don't say anything! Just hearing you talk gives me a headache."

Lu interrupted him again, turning her head back toward the pool with a troubled expression. "To be honest, you've said far too much over the years, and just seeing you makes me uncomfortable."

It was one thing to talk excessively; he meddled in everything. If it weren't for her father and mother's fondness for him, she would have long since sent him away from the mermaid kingdom!

She would have personally kicked him out!

Jack lowered his gaze. Although he was well aware that Lu did not like him, her bluntness left him at a loss for words—

He felt irritation, of course.

Yet, it seemed he was not as angry as he had imagined.

"...I just want you to listen to me. Isn't it better to be with me?" After a long silence, Jack finally managed to utter this line.

"But I am not your plaything!" Lu exclaimed, her eyes wide. "If you want to play, why not go find your water snake sister?!"

Why did he have to seek her out?!

And to listen to him—who was he to her that she should heed his words?!

Jack narrowed his eyes. "...So you despise me for being a water snake?"

"It seems you remain disobedient."

He stepped forward, his tone authoritative, "Come back with me."

Lu crossed her arms and snorted coldly, responding to his previous statement, "I do not despise water snakes; I despise you!!"

"If I were to return, I would do so on my own; I will not accompany you!!"

Fuming, she sat back down, declaring, "Don't come near me; I do not wish to see you!"

She had thought this water snake had matured, yet after all these years, he was still the same!

Truly infuriating!

Meanwhile, having changed out of the elaborate ceremonial robe, Sebastian returned to the royal palace but did not find the figure he had anticipated.

"Where is the young master?" he inquired of the grand eunuch waiting nearby.

"The young master?" The eunuch was taken aback. "He is likely still resting in the carriage, being attended to by the maidservants. I am unsure if he has been taken to the guest room to rest temporarily. I will go check."

Sebastian frowned. "There is no need; I will go myself."