Chapter 62 Affair

"...What are you thinking?" 

"Of course not." 

Lu pushed Sebastian away, swimming a distance from him with her tail before furrowing her brow with utmost seriousness. "You must not take advantage of the situation." 

She had yet to forgive him for that sudden kiss he stole when she was caught off guard! 

How dare he come back for more? 

What a brazen dragon! 

Sebastian regarded her steadily for a moment before smiling. "If you are unwilling, then so be it." 

He had thought the little one might finally come to her senses. 

Nevertheless, this outcome was far better than he had anticipated, and he had never intended to force her... perhaps it was a blessing in disguise? 

Lu swallowed hard, turning her face away and muttering to herself, "That is certainly not acceptable; do you wish to force yourself upon me?" 

Although... it didn't feel entirely unpleasant. 

The little mermaid turned her azure eyes in contemplation, suddenly feeling as though she was at a disadvantage—

Just now, she had been so tense that she could hardly recall the details. 

Having already shared a kiss, her mind was surprisingly blank... it felt somewhat stifling. 

However, despite her curiosity, Lu would not voluntarily approach Sebastian, the very person who had just angered her. 

Thus, the mermaid princess pondered for a moment, casting a displeased glance at the young man beside her before letting out a soft huff and turning to swim toward the empty hall. 

After all, he had already taken advantage of her; she had no desire to converse with him and preferred to return to her own space. 

The young man behind her raised an eyebrow, leisurely following her pace. 

Lu placed one hand on the door, turning her head to negotiate amiably, "I'm going back to the palace to rest; you should return from whence you came, alright?" 

She felt utterly unsettled in his presence and thought it best not to see him. 

"Alright." 

...Was he truly so agreeable? 

Lu scrutinized him with suspicion, but after examining him closely, she found no flaws, so she reluctantly opened the door, reiterating with concern, "Just don't stand too close to me; I wouldn't want the sea demons outside to see." 

If any of them went to the Third Prince to report her, she would find herself in serious trouble— 

Her brothers had never appreciated her associating with handsome individuals, and it wasn't the first time they had resorted to underhanded tactics against those she fancied. 

In the past, she had been oblivious, merely thinking that the beautiful little spirits had found new companions and deemed her, a mere mermaid, uninteresting, which was why they avoided her. 

Later, when she discovered that her brothers were behind it all, she gradually stopped chasing after every pretty sea demon she encountered and had even sought a heart-to-heart with her brothers. 

However... her brothers were overly protective, and sometimes their actions lacked the usual calmness and composure, which left Lu quite exasperated. 

Previously, she hadn't paid much heed to it, but now... she didn't want her brothers to target Sebastian, yet she had no good solution. For the time being, she could only keep her brothers in the dark; at the very least—she couldn't let him know that this dragon had kissed her! 

Otherwise, if her brothers got angry, she feared the consequences would be dire! 

With these thoughts in mind, Lu finally managed to pull the tightly shut door open with someone's assistance. 

...It wasn't easy. 

Just as the little mermaid eagerly prepared to dart outside, she was startled by the throng of demons before her, instinctively taking a half-step back and colliding directly into Sebastian's embrace. 

His familiar voice, laced with amusement, casually whispered in her ear, "You came to me, after all." 

Lu's breath caught, and she hurriedly stepped aside, adopting a stern expression as if nothing had happened. 

She feigned ignorance of the entire incident. 

However... why were there so many sea demons at the entrance?! 

Hadn't they been dismissed earlier?! 

Sebastian's smile faded slightly. 

Avoiding him? 

He cast a calm glance over the crowd of sea demons blocking their path before closing his eyes once more. 

So, she didn't want to make their relationship public? 

...Was she unwilling to give him a title? 

The gathered demons whispered among themselves: ...Clearly, there's something illicit going on! 

The princess had practically thrown herself at him, yet he didn't embrace her tightly—what a poor showing! 

He would undoubtedly make a terrible husband!! 

Didn't he notice that the mermaid princess was unhappy? Why didn't he try to comfort her?! 

In the following two days, Sebastian remained steadfastly by the little mermaid's side amidst the fearful and discontented gazes of the sea demons, either feigning sleep with his eyes closed or gazing intently at Lu beside him— 

In essence, he resembled a guardian spirit, and despite the countless curses directed at him in their hearts, the sea demons were compelled to maintain their distance from the mermaid princess. 

Moreover, if anyone grew overly animated in speech or action, he would casually cast a cold glance, effectively quelling their spirits. 

The sea demons dared not voice their frustration: ...What, precisely, did the princess see in this man?! 

Look at his cold, unfeeling demeanor; he is utterly unworthy of the princess! 

Lu felt particularly awkward, believing she was concealing her discomfort well, yet she responded with utmost patience and gentle tones to the eager sea demons who approached her with hopeful expressions, her blue eyes slightly downcast.

After all, with so many demons watching, despite her slight irritation, she was well aware that she needed to be mindful of her behavior in front of them—this outing represented not only herself but the entire merfolk royal family. 

...However, during a brief moment of respite, Lu raised a hand to touch her slightly aching cheek, feeling a twinge of admiration for the dragon beside her, who seemed to smile effortlessly; did he not feel any strain in his face? 

Or perhaps those with thick skin did not tire easily? 

As if sensing her thoughts, Sebastian suddenly looked up, locking eyes with the little mermaid who had been sneaking glances at him and had been caught in the act. "...What are you thinking?" 

"Ah? What did you say? I didn't quite catch that," Lu stammered, then feigned calmness as she averted her gaze, trying not to look at him, the words "guilty" nearly written across her delicate features. 

"By the way—" the little mermaid pretended to contemplate for a moment, "Have you nothing to attend to these days? Weren't you quite busy before?" 

The shift in topic was glaringly obvious. 

Yet, Sebastian did not expose her; he merely glanced at the sea demons being held back by the maidens nearby, a cryptic smile gracing his lips. 

They were animatedly discussing something, occasionally casting longing glances in their direction, torn between concern for the mermaid princess's well-being and wondering why the break was taking so long. 

"...What was busy before is in the past; these past two days have been quite free," Sebastian remarked, maintaining a straight face as he lied, adding with a hint of nostalgia, "The little one has finally learned to show some concern for others." 

With his dragon abilities, creating a few illusions was a trivial matter. 

However, the soul and power he had initially divided were not substantial, and thus, the other side could not withstand for long. 

Lu furrowed her brow in silence. 

What did he mean by her showing concern for others? Had she been unkind to him before? 

Yet, upon reflection, Lu suddenly realized that was not the case; she hadn't felt any concern for him! 

He was not anyone significant to her, so why should she feel for him! 

She nearly fell into his trap! 

"Are you not attending tomorrow's banquet? Will you be returning directly to the merfolk kingdom?" Sebastian asked suddenly, fiddling with the cup in his hand. 

The cup contained nothing but was a crystal chalice, clear and transparent. It was not particularly valuable, yet it resembled the little mermaid's equally translucent blue eyes, which endeared it to him. 

Lu, naturally unaware of this, looked at him in confusion, puzzled by the fascination with an empty cup. 

"My brother has forbidden me from participating in the upcoming events; he said he could manage alone." There was no need for concealment, as she assumed everyone would soon witness her departure. 

Thus, Lu explained without any pressure. 

Although she did not understand her brother's reasoning for sending her back alone... she was so exhausted; returning early was a relief. She vowed never again to eagerly beg her elder brother to attend such celebrations that only led to her own suffering! 

What kind of celebration was this! It was merely a guise for her to serve as free labor, all for the glory of the Eastern Sea! 

"Is that so?" 

Sebastian set down the cup and, taking advantage of the little mermaid's distraction, reached out to ruffle her hair, chuckling softly, "Such a good girl." 

Lu: ?!! 

Who permitted him to touch her head! Her hairstyle!! 

...Three days later. 

Lu languished in her palace, boredom gnawing at her as she lay atop a massive round pearl, her entire form curving gracefully, feeling drowsy. 

...There was no remedy; she was so idle, with nothing to occupy her mind, and confined to the palace, she could only succumb to fatigue. 

Hmm, she wondered when her third brother, still in the Eastern Sea, would return and if he had taken a liking to any of the young ladies at the banquet. 

Perhaps he could provide her with some amusement and lift her spirits. 

Lost in such musings, her maid, Belle, swiftly swam in from outside the hall, her voice reaching Lu before she even arrived—"Your Highness! A visitor from the dragon clan has arrived! His Majesty requests your presence!" 

The sudden shout nearly startled Lu off the pearl. 

She reluctantly opened her eyes, glancing at the breathless Belle, hesitating for a moment before tentatively asking, "Is it Jack again?" 

He hadn't given up, had he?

Sometimes, she admired his tenacity... 

Belle quickly shook her head, "Not at all! It's the genuine dragon clan! A multitude of them is currently engaged in casual conversation with His Majesty. The king requests that you and several princes come at once!" 

Lu took a moment to process this, then reluctantly rose from the pearl. 

She wondered if it was that dragon. 

...Surely it couldn't be that coincidental? After all, he hadn't visited in over a decade, and he likely didn't even know where the merfolk kingdom was. 

Yet, since her brothers were also going, there was no escaping it for her. 

She would have to serve as mere background!