Lin Mei was startled by the sudden change in the atmosphere and reflexively attempted to pull back her hand from the angry man's grasp. Unfortunately, Zhen Feng's firm grip on the mermaid's forearm didn't budge. Lin Mei was glad that at least the demon had chosen her other arm to hold, or else he would have seriously hurt her already swollen right wrist in her wrestling. She gazed at the man's face to gauge his expression.
Seeing that the prince was irked for the second time that day, Mei became rather agitated. She decided to speak in a very meek voice in an attempt to appease the furious demon.
"Your majesty, can you release my arm first?" She pleaded with nervous eyes.
"Why do you have this map?" Zhen Feng demanded to know, ignoring her request. Ni Ni's way of addressing him had infuriated him even further, so he glared at her severely.
"Hmm… Zhen Feng, could you not look at me with such frightening eyes?" She asked docilely. "I've been confined inside this estate for months and haven't been allowed to explore the surrounding human town. I had been hoping to ask you if you would be willing to let me visit the region…"
Zhen Feng was not convinced by her explanation. Although the sweet tone that the mermaid had intentionally used when enunciating his name had exerted some effect in calming the man, his reason was still in command.
Could it be that Ni Ni had been planning to run away?
Zhen Feng's head kept reminding him that he couldn't allow the mermaid to escape when he hadn't even confirmed whether or not she had the Ocean's Tear.
The prince had asked a merfolk specialist back at the palace if there was a way for mermaids to hide a pearl inside their bodies or make it invisible to humans.
The old man had answered that it wasn't possible for merfolk to conceal their life pearls. However, he wasn't certain if other magic pearls could be purposely hidden within a mermaid's body or made invisible. The Ocean's Tear seemed to be a very peculiar kind of pearl that didn't belong to a particular individual. Very few magic pearls with that specific characteristic were known to exist and their nature was shrouded in mystery.
The old man had also explicated that in merfolk communities, it was taboo to keep another person's pearl. Even when merfolk died, there was a ritual dictating that their life pearls should be buried alongside them. They believed that only then could their souls be reincarnated.
The elder's advice had left Zhen Feng with more questions than answers.
The Ocean's Tear was of crucial importance to his plan. Only after obtaining the pearl could Zhen Feng have a real chance at exposing the truth behind his mother's lonesome and tragic death. He had been searching for the magic object for seven years.
However, Zhen Feng knew himself well enough to realize that the reason he couldn't let Ni Ni go wasn't so simple.
Not long ago he had even lost control of himself when he thought she had made up her mind to leave. Even now, the cause of his anxiety and anger laid more in the possibility that she had decided to abandon him rather than losing the Ocean's Pearl, the relic he had been hunting for years.
Zhen Feng had felt unreconciled and displeased when he had made sense of his newly discovered emotions. Having feelings for another could not only imperil him but also hamper his plans. A weak spot was not something that he would ever willingly welcome into his life.
Nevertheless, he couldn't fight the growing fondness he had started to feel for the mischievous mermaid. Or his desire to keep her close where he could see her and protect her. In a place where he would make sure she wouldn't become his enemy in the future.
But if she had decided to leave, what could he do to change her mind? As a person who had been taught to depend on himself alone, he was clueless on what to do to make someone else want to stay. Other than forcing her, he knew no other methods.
Beside the pensive crown prince, a perceptive mermaid continued to stare at him probingly. Aware that her story hadn't satisfied Zhen Feng, Lin Mei added:
"The most interesting places to visit are signaled on the map. I asked Liu Ting to write down a few entertaining activities to do as well. I want to know what the regular townspeople enjoy doing in their spare time."
When the man still didn't reply, she pretended to give up on the idea.
"If Your Highness doesn't want to take me, it's alright. I will stay inside the mansion." She put on a somewhat disappointed and resentful visage, hoping to appear as convincing as possible.
Zhen Feng turned his attention to the map to ascertain the veracity of her words and inspected it meticulously.
As Ni Ni had described, the map had been altered in a way that highlighted certain areas of the region that were known for their tourist attractions. The upper right corner of the expensive-looking fabric had been desecrated with barely decipherable penmanship. Zhen Feng could discern that the words hadn't been written by the same person who had penned "The tale of the moon and the sea".
Hearing Ni Ni mentioning that she had been expecting him to take her to visit the town turned Zhen Feng's mood brighter. He decided he would believe her for the time being and finally released the mermaid's forearm.
Lin Mei felt relieved at last when her arm was finally freed from Zhen Feng's strong and calloused hands. Had the prince not believed her words, she didn't know what kind of punishment would have befallen her. Thankfully, the explanations she had made up in advance had been enough to convince the prince.
"This crown prince will take you there sometime." He uttered, finally back to his calm and composed countenance. He carefully folded the map and placed it inside his dark outer robes.
As he finished his words, he paced towards the doors but stopped a few steps from exiting the room. He peered at the confused mermaid he had left behind for a few seconds before informing her:
"Since the Zhao family has come to visit, it's inappropriate for me to spend the daytime in the private library. This crown prince will be staying in the study for the next few days."
After articulating this last statement, the prince hesitated for a moment but ended up walking out of the library without any other words, leaving only a confused mermaid inside the room pondering on his words.
She wondered if he was asking her not to enter the library during this time, or if the prince was actually requesting her to accompany him in his study room throughout the Zhao family's stay.
Tired from such an exhausting and eventful day, Lin Mei returned to her room.