Chapter 58 Melancholy

"Stay here for now. I will find a more suitable place and take you there." 

Jack led Lu to a secluded and hidden underwater cave, forcibly pulling the resistant little mermaid inside. 

"I refuse!" Lu frowned fiercely, her expression sour. "What kind of wretched place is this? I want to go back and find my brother!" 

Jack glanced at her expressionlessly and reached out to block Lu's attempt to escape the cave. "You will remain here." 

After a brief pause, he slowed his speech and explained somewhat awkwardly, "...It's only temporary; I won't allow you to suffer too much." 

He rarely felt the need to offer explanations, but this was different; it was indeed unfair to confine a pampered mermaid princess to such a desolate cave. 

Yet, he had acted on a whim and had little time to find a more suitable refuge for Lu— 

The Eastern Sea was his domain, and he knew well where the remote spots were located. 

"Unfair?" Lu looked at him incredulously, her blue eyes wide with disbelief. "What I desire is not to be treated unfairly! I want freedom! I want to go back!" 

"And what about your serpent clan's Four Seas Festival? Have you considered that your disruptions might cause chaos outside?!" 

"Let me out!" 

She swatted aside the hand blocking her path and, flicking her tail, attempted to escape the cave. 

A curtain of water instantly enveloped the cave entrance, radiating a shimmering light. 

Lu took a deep breath and pressed her hand against the seemingly fragile water barrier; it wouldn't yield, not even a ripple. 

She turned her head, "What exactly do you intend to do?" 

Jack smiled, though the amusement did not reach his eyes. "I told you, as long as you stay here temporarily… I won't harm you." 

"Be good, won't you, little Lu?" 

Again, he insisted she be obedient. 

Throughout his life, he had often urged her to listen to him and behave. 

Did he ever stop to consider whether she had ever complied? 

He didn't find it bothersome, but she was already tired of hearing it! 

"You must understand, I owe you nothing." Lu pressed her lips together, once again attempting to reason with Jack after many years. 

"If you let me go, I'll let you go; it would be mutually beneficial." 

"You are the youngest son of the Clan Jack; what is it that you cannot have? Why must you insist on this conflict with me? It is hardly worth it." 

"Besides, there are certainly people searching for me outside. If word gets out, it won't reflect well on your serpent clan either." 

...She was still just a newly adult mermaid, yet here she was, trying to reason with a serpent! 

She had never worried so much over her brothers or the charming humans! 

This was truly too much for a mermaid to bear! 

"...The serpent clan?" Jack raised his gaze slowly, a smile gracing his lips. "The future heir of the Clan Jack is not me; its development and reputation among other clans are of little consequence to me." 

After all, the Clan Jack would ultimately not fall into his hands. 

Furthermore, the clan's deep-rooted heritage ensured its stability in the short term, and the connection with the dragon clan would prevent any outsiders from openly speaking ill of them. 

Thus, what did it matter if he acted with a bit more audacity? 

He had seen through all of this long ago, even as a child. 

"It may not concern you much, but abducting my people—are you not afraid of the trouble it might bring to the Clan Jack... or to the young master of the Clan Jack?" 

A languid, husky voice drifted in from outside the cave, carrying a hint of discernible coldness. 

Jack was momentarily taken aback, turning to meet a pair of golden eyes, separated only by a curtain of water. 

An unwelcome chill crept up his spine. 

Jack moved his lips but found himself at a loss for words, ultimately falling into silence. 

Lu turned her head in the direction of the voice, her blue eyes widening slightly. 

"You… you've come?" 

She glanced at Sebastian outside, then at Jack beside her, finally fixing her gaze on the former, blinking in a daze. 

It was only yesterday that they had met, yet now the figure adorned in resplendent garments outside the cave seemed almost unreal. 

Nevertheless, he was indeed present; surely he couldn't possibly overpower Jack? 

Lu furrowed her brow, a hint of worry creeping in. 

After all, the handsome human seemed to possess little beyond his looks, relying on others for assistance in every endeavor, and even when he did attempt to act, it required tools—which were nowhere to be found here… She hoped he wouldn't do anything foolish. 

"...You jest, Your Excellency; how could little Lu possibly belong to you?" Jack forced a smile, stepping forward to obstruct Sebastian's view of Lu. 

He furrowed his brow slightly, sensing the situation was becoming troublesome— 

Yet, the thought of easily relinquishing Lu was something he could not bear. 

Jack understood that this dragon's possessiveness over Lu was no less than his own, and the very essence of the word "dragon" carried far greater weight than the entire Clan Jack… Missing this opportunity would make it exceedingly difficult to act again under his watchful gaze. 

However, the conch shells used by the merfolk for communication should have been rendered ineffective within the established barriers— 

To ensure the stability of the sea, all factors that could disrupt the waters were to be suppressed during various celebrations. The merfolk royal family had always been willing to cooperate with such matters. 

As for any disturbances… the barrier would dissipate in due time. 

So, how could this dragon possibly know he had brought Lu here? 

"Jest?" Sebastian's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and the water barrier shattered instantly, dissolving into the surrounding sea. 

He stepped into the cave, casting a half-smile at the little mermaid with sparkling blue eyes gazing at him, then turned his attention back to Jack, leisurely curling his lips. "It seems your lesson was insufficient." 

A lesson? 

What lesson? 

Lu looked at Sebastian in confusion, cautiously glancing at the displeased Jack. 

...Had she truly been taught a lesson? 

But was the dragon truly that formidable? Did he require the assistance of other humans for protection? 

Lu blinked, her expression one of bewilderment. 

Jack pressed his lips together, his gaze darkening. "I have no idea what you are talking about." 

"No, you do." Sebastian's hand reached over Jack, pulling the still-dazed Lu to his side. 

Her vibrant blue tail glided gracefully through the tranquil waters, yet her expression was one of distraction, instinctively meeting the elongated gaze of Sebastian. 

"...Hmm?" Sebastian inclined his head slightly. 

"What is it?" 

Lu snapped back to reality, her ears inexplicably flushing red as she averted her gaze, mumbling, "I was just wondering… when you might be able to teach someone a lesson." 

After all, he had been the one she had carried to the small island. 

Despite being a dragon, he pretended not to know how to swim! 

Jack observed their interaction, taking a deep breath, his fists clenched, his gaze fixed intently on Lu as he lowered his voice. "Little Lu, come here." 

At the sound of his voice, Lu looked at him but shook her head. "No." 

"If you intend to keep me here, I am not foolish enough to walk over." 

She frowned and took a step back behind Sebastian, revealing only half her head, speaking earnestly. "My brother is surely searching for me!" 

She had no intention of causing her brother concern over this wretched serpent! 

"Indeed." 

Jack studied Sebastian for a long moment, weighing the pros and cons before ultimately relinquishing his intent to act against him— 

He hadn't realized it before, but if he still hadn't recognized that it was this very person who had ensnared him with seaweed yesterday, he would have no place left in the Eastern Sea. 

"Return now; I will seek you out another day." Jack appeared to have swiftly forgotten his earlier actions, calmly addressing Lu. 

Not a hint of guilt showed on his face. 

Lu's blue eyes widened in disbelief as she retorted, "Do you truly think I would still trust you?" 

Did he believe she was so naïve in his eyes, after all he had attempted? 

With that thought, Lu boldly voiced her question. 

"...Indeed, rather foolish."

Jack's expression darkened, and before he could speak, Sebastian chuckled softly, curling his lips as he reached out to tousle the little mermaid's hair. 

A myriad of inscrutable emotions shimmered in his brilliant golden eyes. 

"Though, she's adorably foolish." 

It was truly perplexing how the merfolk royal family could have raised such a princess. 

"You're the foolish one!" Lu retorted, her fleeting gratitude for Sebastian's arrival extinguished by his words and the gesture of ruffling her hair. 

Irritated, she swatted his hand away and disregarded the increasingly sullen Jack, turning to swim towards the cave's exit. 

…She should seek her brother instead. 

There was no point in wasting time with these two! 

Once the little mermaid's azure figure vanished into the depths of the dark sea, Sebastian turned back to meet Jack's unwavering gaze. 

Jack inquired, "Aren't you going after her?" 

Sebastian replied, "After all, she is a mermaid; she won't struggle to find her way back." 

Had he not ventured into the sea, he would have remained unaware that during their initial meeting, Lu had been traversing between that small island and the merfolk kingdom day and night— 

In contrast, while this place was remote, it was not far from where she had been; at full speed, she could return in a mere quarter of an hour. 

Moreover, she had a little companion with her, so there was little cause for concern. 

Jack raised his eyes, his expression still devoid of any sign of easing. "You should treat her well." 

Even he was cautious about Lu, refraining from straying too far, yet this dragon had allowed her to return alone… 

"That is not for you to dictate," Sebastian shot him a cryptic glance. 

"Do not stir up trouble; the consequences are beyond your capacity to bear." 

He would certainly take good care of his own— 

And it was certainly not Jack, this immature little serpent, who could undermine him. 

Jack replied, "…How can one know if they can bear the consequences without trying?" 

Furthermore, having heard that dragons were notoriously exclusive and placed great importance on the continuation of their bloodlines, this was merely playful banter; should he tire of the game, he might carelessly abandon Lu…