Five days later.
Sebastian sat beside Lu, clad in a flowing light blue gown, as they rode in a carriage along the bustling streets of the capital.
Outside the carriage window, the sounds of vendors calling out and laughter filled the air.
Lu pulled back a corner of the curtain, her curiosity piqued. "Is this how all your towns are? It seems so lively and fun!"
While the mermaid kingdom also had streets, its inhabitants adhered to a certain order, and the pace of movement was restricted… The consequence of such restraint was a lack of exuberance like this.
It felt as if the enthusiasm for life was expressed solely through their smiles—
Reflecting on this, Lu turned her head back and blinked her azure eyes. "Your people seem to be quite happy."
Sebastian lifted his gaze, smiling as he replied, "This is one of the busiest streets in the capital… If the people here weren't happy, then there wouldn't be many content citizens in the entire nation."
Lu was taken aback, pondering his words, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"
What did a bustling street have to do with happiness?
Could shopping not be enjoyable and still affect a human's mood?
"The human condition is not as favorable as you might think," Sebastian said, shifting his gaze to the window, his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. "The life you see now is the result of countless generations of effort from those before us."
"However, it will continue to improve."
The young man's lips curled into a faint smile as he gazed at the scenery outside the carriage, the soft light filtering in, enhancing his charm.
Lu nodded in agreement, exclaiming, "Yes, it will surely get better!"
Her grandmother had once told her that the mermaid kingdom had developed gradually in a similar manner~
The rhythmic sound of hooves clattering echoed along the bustling avenue, leading them into a relatively tranquil street, where the buildings grew taller and more magnificent. The passersby hurried along, the traffic of carriages increased, and the presence of guards and attendants was more pronounced, yet the laughter and joy diminished.
The little mermaid widened her eyes, peering outside before suddenly turning back, locking eyes with the young man who was lazily leaning against the carriage wall.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, having grown accustomed to her startled reactions over the past few days. "What's the matter?"
Lu's cheeks flushed, feeling a bit shy as she turned her blue gaze away. "I just realized… I seem to not know your name?"
After all, they had always spoken directly, never needing to use names—
Given that there were only the two of them on the ship, it was unlikely she would misaddress him.
Yet, after spending so much time together, she didn't even know the name of this handsome human!
Sebastian raised an eyebrow slightly, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Ah, I thought you wouldn't ask."
After all this time, he had assumed that names held no significance in the little mermaid's world, and had considered teaching her before entering the palace… Had she truly forgotten entirely?
"W-well, it's just that I accidentally forgot to ask…" Under Sebastian's amused gaze, Lu puffed up her cheeks, mumbling softly as she glanced at the corner of the carriage.
Besides, she hadn't asked, so he hadn't either!
They had been perfectly even on this matter… How had it turned into her fault?
Seeing the little mermaid sulking and refusing to look at him, Sebastian decided not to tease her further. "My name is Sebastian."
Lu paused, turning to him with hesitation as she repeated, "S....Sebastian?"
Isn't that name a bit peculiar?
"Sebastian." The young man's smile faltered slightly as he enunciated each syllable clearly.
If he weren't concerned that the characters might differ, he would have even considered teaching the little mermaid how to write those three characters himself—to prevent any further misunderstandings.
Lu forced a sheepish smile and corrected her pronunciation, "Sebastian."
"Mm." Sebastian responded coolly, his satisfaction begrudgingly evident.
"I'm called Lu, just one character," the little mermaid began to introduce herself, her eyes sparkling with pride. "I am the sixth child, and my grandmother said that the number six in your human world means the same as 'Lu,' so she named me Lu!"
It was as if she wanted to emblazon her face with the words "Praise me!"
Lu was confident in her name, especially since her brothers' names were long and hard to remember!
Her own name was not only easy to recall but also connected to human culture, which felt particularly profound!
However, the young man merely nodded with reserved acknowledgment. "Mm, Lu."
Lu: ???
She widened her eyes and tentatively asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"
Sebastian met her bright blue gaze in silence for a long moment before finally responding, "What do you wish to hear?"
Lu huffed, finding the conversation dull, but her curiosity got the better of her as she asked, "Where will I stay in your castle?"
"...Castle?"
"Your home!"
"What kind of room do you want?" Sebastian asked directly, not intending to put the little mermaid in a difficult position regarding her accommodations.
Lu blinked, "I can choose freely? Then I want a lot of water!"
Otherwise, her tail would dry out, and that would ruin her beauty.
"A lot of water?" Sebastian mused, "Wouldn't it be best to have a large pool?"
"Exactly!" "If there's a big pool… that would be perfect~~"
"Alright." Sebastian smiled enigmatically at the delighted little mermaid. "Just don't regret it later."
"I won't regret it!"
Two hours later.
Sebastian leisurely led the curious little mermaid, accompanied by a throng of palace attendants who had eagerly awaited their sovereign's return, into the Yining Palace, where the queens of past generations had resided.
Initially, the attendants had assumed their sovereign was about to undertake some grand endeavor:!!!
Wait… this is indeed a significant matter!!
By the time Lu emerged from her astonishment at the opulent, exquisitely crafted human palace, which rivaled that of the mermaid kingdom, only she and Sebastian remained in the grand hall—
Some attendants had hurriedly returned to report to their respective masters, while the rest had been dismissed by Sebastian.
Lu peeked at the closed door and caught sight of a vague silhouette outside, wondering, "What are those people doing?"
It seemed they were watching from outside?
Why not just come in to see?
"Spies." Sebastian sauntered to the table and poured himself a cup of warm tea.
He was quite accustomed to the presence of those outside.
He knew precisely who belonged to whom.
However, not wanting to escalate the situation, he chose to let it be… If they proved to be too intrusive, it would be quite simple to deal with them.
"Spies?" Lu imitated the young man's actions, seated herself, and poured herself a cup of tea, tentatively taking a sip.
…It was bitter!
Sebastian chuckled as he observed her grimace and stick out her tongue, propping his chin on one hand, his phoenix eyes half-closed. "You will understand in due time."