Kui watched as the guy, slowly as a snail, removed all his clothes, wiped down, and changed into sleepwear. 'He is going to sleep now… maybe the guards around this place will be lax at night. I need to find a chance to escape.'
Just as he was thinking this, a few servants moved a huge thing into the bathroom. It was a huge bed. They placed it by his student table and bowed to their master.
"Bring more sheets. This room gets cold at night. Also, do you need sheets or anything? Do mers get cold even?"
"Master, they live in the cold ocean. I think they can handle the cold nights," one of the servants bowed and answered.
Guilin frowned slightly. "The sick youngling might not handle it. I want someone to heat a pail of water every ten minutes and keep the water at a warm temperature."
"Yes, young master." The servants bowed and walked out.
Hearing this, Kui let out a few bubbles of frustration. His chance of escape was completely ruined with servants roaming around all the time. 'Why is he so frustrating? Do I have to seduce him to actually escape this trap? Will my seduction even work?'
He was a certified gay, so he had learned a few skills on how to satisfy a man, but to do so to a complete stranger, he felt very reluctant.
Even as a young man, he had always been a loyal lover, only loving one person all his life. But that person tore his heart out and cut into his soul.
'Why am I thinking of that…' he shook his head gently. 'I need to find ways to survive. I have to save the child.'
He swam close to the younger mer and hugged him gently. 'Together, we will survive this.'
Guilin watched this from his bed. A small smile arose at the corner of his mouth. 'Why is this guy so cute… aw, I'm so reluctant to give him away.' He laid down flat, gazing up at the ceiling. 'To open up that trade route that goes through the mers' territory, I need to submit them. But what if... what if I only submit the young mer? Their proxy king seemed to be only searching for him. The hybrid is irrelevant.'
Thoughts of possession ran through his mind. He wanted to possess the young hybrid. He wanted to hold on to that precious young man.
Because who knows what that kind of mers will do?
He did not know what conspired underwater, but it seemed like a big issue for the mers to actually send out a search warrant.
It hadn't happened in a thousand years. That could only mean the situation under the waters was turbulent. The young hybrid might even lose his life.
He did not wish to see that beauty die off like that.
'Good. I'll hold onto him. That child mer can go. But Kui must stay.'
Guilin smirked. "He will be mine," he mumbled.
Those words felt so right. He couldn't help but chuckle in glee.
"Who knew such a creature could capture my heart. A feisty beauty." He gazed at the beautiful waters, looking through at the vague figure below. "He seems interested in my brush… should I gift him one? I'll have the servants look through the storage to find precious brushes."
Mumbling, he fell into a dreamless sleep.
Kui, on the other hand, did not sleep at all. He stayed up all night watching the servants come in one at a time every ten minutes, adding hot water into the bath pool. It really kept the water lukewarm. This also stopped the little mer's trembles.
The next morning, Kui woke up with a start. He did not even realize he had fallen asleep. To his surprise, he found himself on the little mer's lap. The little boy sat propped up against the walls of the pool, and he somehow had ended up hugging the child's tail in his sleep.
Kui sat up with a small smile. "How do you feel now? Did you sleep well?"
"You didn't listen to me," was the first thing the child mumbled under his breath.
"Huh?"
"I told you not to see him or contact him, but you did last night," the boy said with a slight pouting frown.
Kui chuckled at his cute expression. "I was trying to scope out an escape route for us. I think that person is a very bad guy. He had a map with mers and all drawn on it. I think he is planning to kidnap a few more and sell us all," he said seriously.
Mi Aok frowned hearing this. "Do you remember some details of that map?"
"The route drawn on it was shaped like a broccoli," Kui held out that shape.
"A what?"
"A broccoli head. You know, like a tree top. It was kinda jumbled, but I could make out that shape of the path drawn."
Mi Aok sat up straight. "Did you notice anything else?"
"I couldn't see anything much. He quickly hid it in his sleeve. That is why I was trying to take a peek at it."
"It's okay. I know that map… but what's important is this map is private information. Humans could not have known it. Unless… unless some higher mer officials gave it." His eyes widened. "We have to leave. This person might be trying to sell us back to the mers!"