Memories

Thus, half a month passed by. 

During this time, the Empress braved the torrential rain to visit the Yining Palace, where she merely sat and engaged in light conversation before taking her leave. 

It was only then that Lu realized the amiable woman who had accompanied her in the garden for an entire afternoon was, in fact, Sebastian's mother— 

Wasn't it said that the age difference between human mothers and their children was quite pronounced? Why was this case so different?! 

As Lu escorted the Empress out of the Yining Palace, she found herself still pondering this perplexing question. 

Yet, upon reflection, she no longer harbored such a desire to marry a handsome human. Even if she were temporarily residing in his domain, she would inevitably depart in the future; the nature of his mother seemed rather irrelevant to her. 

Although she did quite like the Empress. 

Still, the little mermaid adhered to the principle that, since she had no intention of marrying, it was best to limit her interactions with parents, promptly diverting her interest away from Sebastian's mother—after all, becoming overly concerned with someone else's parents might lead them to think she had her sights set on their son! 

Well, although… perhaps just a tiny bit? 

Lu lay on the soft couch, clutching a plush pillow and gazing out at the rain-soaked scenery she had grown weary of over the past few days. 

"This rain truly seems never-ending." 

Jack showed no signs of relenting. The last time she tentatively suggested to Sebastian that she might return home, he, as if aware of something, insisted she remain, claiming he would resolve the rain situation. 

Yet… so many days had passed, and there was no evidence of him doing anything about it! 

Moreover, she was dreadfully bored!! 

If it weren't for the relentless downpour preventing her from going outside, confining her to this one spot from dawn till dusk, she would have ventured out to seek some amusement! 

Who knows, perhaps there was an even more handsome human waiting for her out there~~ 

She had been eager to see the wonders her grandmother had described from the depths of the sea. Now that she had finally made it to the land, she had meticulously planned an array of activities for her journey— 

But with the onset of this rain, all her plans were dashed. She couldn't even step outside the door, let alone go shopping. 

She was on the verge of succumbing to melancholy! 

…All thanks to that wretched water snake. 

It was far better to be free beneath the sea!! 

Thus, when Sebastian came to the Yining Palace to keep the little mermaid company, Lu sprang up from the couch, sitting upright with a serious expression. "There is something I wish to discuss with you." 

"Go ahead," Sebastian replied, raising an eyebrow as he settled into a nearby chair, idly toying with a glass bead in his hand. 

"This… um, the rain here has been incessant. Perhaps I should return to the sea and come back to visit you another time," Lu suggested, her gaze inadvertently drawn to the glimmering, colorful bead. 

Her cerulean eyes blinked in wonder. 

What is this? 

A pearl? A gem? It seemed to be neither… but it was truly beautiful~ 

It would make a splendid dress or exquisite jewelry! 

"When will you return next?" Sebastian asked, lifting his gaze to meet hers for a moment before letting out a soft hum and offering her the glass bead. 

"For me?" Lu tilted her head, her dark blue hair swaying slightly with the motion. 

The little mermaid reached out to accept the bead, holding it up to her eyes for a closer inspection, her blue pupils sparkling with delight. 

"Yes. This is known among the common folk as the Five-Colored Stone, forged under exceedingly stringent conditions, and is a rare find." 

Sebastian poured himself a cup of warm tea from the teapot on the table, then lazily propped his chin on his hand, half-closing his phoenix eyes as he regarded the little mermaid. "…Are you planning to leave because of this rain?" 

"Indeed," Lu frowned, irked. "As long as this rain persists, I cannot go out to play. If I remain here while the rain continues, it would be better not to trouble you any further." 

After all, her grandmother had mentioned that human crops heavily depended on the weather. Although she didn't fully comprehend what crops were, it seemed best not to disrupt the lives of those who already faced hardships— 

Although, judging by the opulence of Sebastian's residence, it certainly didn't appear that they lived in misery. 

While the palace looked quite different from the underwater merfolk kingdom, it showed no signs of struggle. 

Her mermaid grandmother had always painted a picture of humans toiling diligently in agriculture, yet suffering from natural disasters that merfolk had never worried about. A flood or drought could obliterate all their hard work in an instant. 

It was precisely because her grandmother often shared whimsical tales with her, unlike her father and mother, who consistently depicted the darker aspects of humanity in an attempt to dissuade her from forming any bonds with humans, that she frequently sought solace with her mermaid grandmother.

Over time, her grandmother had introduced her to numerous wonders she had never encountered in the depths of the sea.

"If that is the case… this is exactly what I wanted to ask you. Tomorrow, I intend to go out to pray for the rain to cease. Would you care to join me?"

"Pray? Cease the rain??" Lu exclaimed, her expression one of utter bewilderment. "What does that mean??"

Was it possible that humans possessed such extraordinary powers?

Yet, her grandmother had never mentioned this!

Weren't humans supposed to be quite fragile?!

"Then why didn't you stop the rain earlier if you had the ability to do so?" Lu puffed up her cheeks and asked sullenly.

She had been so vexed for so long!

Meanwhile, the person in question seemed utterly unbothered!

"Praying is not something one can do so casually," Sebastian chuckled. "It requires that significant damage has occurred first."

Such rituals, which demand considerable human and material resources, would only lead the populace to perceive them as excessive if performed too frequently.

Moreover, even if they were effective, their occurrence would need to be limited to enhance the royal family's prestige.

"Then why does the rain stop after praying?" Lu asked, fiddling with the glass bead in her palm while tilting her head to regard the young man with curiosity.

"Throughout history, emperors and legitimate heirs have found that prayers hold certain efficacy." Sebastian smiled, adding, "In fact, the majority of ministers in the previous dynasty did not support my ascension."

"However, the crown prince they favored died unexpectedly during a grand ceremony where he prayed for favorable weather."

Lu's eyes widened in disbelief. "He could die unexpectedly?"

Wasn't it a prayer?

Can one die while praying?

Such human activities seemed utterly terrifying!

In the merfolk kingdom, where freedom in love was revered, any dissatisfaction led to a change in partners, resulting in an alarmingly low birth rate for merfolk, each one being highly valued by their kingdom—

Of course, the nature of merfolk also inclined them to favor their young. Yet, despite this affection, their long lifespans meant they were not in a hurry to bear offspring.

Thus, after a significant number of merfolk were deceived, imprisoned, or even sold by humans in recent years, the merfolk kingdom, with limited resources, had issued a ban on venturing into the sea.

During that time, nearly all humans who approached the ocean with various intentions were swiftly dealt with by the merfolk guards, leaving no trace behind.

Now, a century has passed, and merchant ships traversing the waters have gradually increased, yet the population of merfolk has remained remarkably stable, growing at a very slow pace under the encouragement of their king.

Those merfolk who had ventured to the land with humans for various reasons rarely returned to the merfolk kingdom.

Naturally, these bloody and tragic tales were never shared with the mermaid princess, who had been raised in love and adoration; Lu was only aware of her parents' inexplicable disdain and wariness toward humans—

Yet she had never understood the reason behind it.

But… her grandfather was also a human.

Though she had never laid eyes on him, he must have been a remarkably kind man to elicit such a gentle smile from her mermaid grandmother!

A beautiful human who treated her grandmother with utmost kindness!!

"He merely took what did not belong to him and thus faced divine retribution," Sebastian remarked, his casual smile betraying a barely perceptible chill in his gaze.

He did not mention that the late emperor had more than just two princes.

In truth, due to the late emperor's romantic escapades and the concubines' fierce competition for favor, there were as many as seven or eight contenders for the throne alongside him.

Initially, he had little interest in the position, but he could not withstand the relentless deaths of the princes—each one occurring during the grand ceremonies of prayer.

They died without any forewarning.

Despite the numerous coroner examinations, no discernible issues could be identified.

The late emperor remained nonchalant, continuing his flirtations, while systematically replacing the crown prince, always assigning the new heir to preside over the prayer ceremony in the very first year.

Eventually, the surviving princes grew fearful and, during another succession ceremony, they pushed him forward.

Thus, he came to possess the throne he holds today.

"Divine retribution," Lu mused, casting a hesitant glance at him.

So, humans too experience divine retribution?

Yet, does it not seem a bit too easily invoked?

For merfolk, divine retribution merely entails a loss of fortune, resulting in a shortened lifespan—but such consequences arise only from committing heinous acts.

Moreover, the term "divine retribution" was something she had learned from her grandmother, who spoke of the existence of laws and rules governing all things in this world.

Yet, when applied to humans, it appears that merely wishing for a blessing to improve one's life can lead to divine retribution and even sudden death?!

Life seems extraordinarily difficult!

"It's merely a saying; who can truly know?" Sebastian remarked, extending a hand to gently tap the forehead of the bewildered little mermaid, smiling. "What do you say, little one? Would you like to accompany me to the ceremony?"

"Though the proceedings may be dull, it is still quite lively."

"Who are you calling 'little one'?!" Lu exclaimed, her ears flushing with embarrassment as she swatted away the young man's outstretched finger, fuming in indignation. "Don't touch me!"

Had she permitted him to lay a finger on her?

How utterly shameless!

"What should I call you, then?" Sebastian replied, unabashed, his smile unwavering.

"Lu, ah!!" Lu glared.

She had clearly told him her name!

"Little Lu, Lu, Lu Lu? How unoriginal." Sebastian squinted his eyes playfully, feigning disinterest.

"But you can't call me 'little one'!"

"...What do you suggest I call you?"

"Certainly not 'little one'! I am an adult now!"