"I don't care! Since the items are here, if you won't take them, then consider them my maintenance fee! You must support me!"
Lu huffed, her cheeks puffed in annoyance as she plopped down on the deck, her fluffy, light blue gown spreading out around her. Her blue eyes sparkled in the brilliant golden sunlight, subtly revealing a hint of stubborn dissatisfaction.
Moreover, the little mermaid felt a twinge of guilt, which diminished her formidable presence, causing her to resemble a sulking child.
Lu twirled her crystalline blue eyes, her heart pounding—
Surely, she wouldn't leave a negative impression on the handsome human, would she?
Yet upon reconsideration, as he urged her to depart, she felt a surge of indignation and thought, leaving a bad impression was certainly better than simply walking away!
The young man, unperturbed by the girl's petulant display, merely regarded her with a steady gaze before casually averting his eyes.
Sebastian closed his eyes, expecting that once he revealed the truth, this girl would relent… but it seemed that reason was lost on her.
"Hey… why are you ignoring me?" Lu stole a glance at the handsome youth, who was gazing out at the sea. Gripping her skirt, she felt a bit uncertain, and tentatively ventured, "Since the items are already on the ship, don't even think about returning them."
"You can't possibly move everything off the ship by yourself in a short time. Why waste time? Let's quickly set sail for your country! I don't eat much; I'm easy to take care of." Lu blinked, making her suggestion without much conviction.
Sebastian sighed softly, his phoenix eyes casually observing the small creatures lingering below the ship, reminiscent of the plump koi he favored and fed daily in the royal garden—though that memory felt somewhat faded and distant.
…This was not a good sign.
"You should return; I cannot accompany you indefinitely."
Finally, Sebastian turned, locking eyes with the seated little mermaid for a moment before reaching out to pull her up from the deck.
Lu furrowed her brow, stiffly complying with his pull, but bit her lip and averted her gaze, remaining silent.
Inwardly, she felt a sense of melancholy, realizing this might be their first real interaction—apart from the night she had knocked out the handsome human and forcefully carried him through the sea.
It was likely to be the last as well, wasn't it?
The little mermaid exhaled deeply, mourning the love that had ended before it even began.
Perhaps next time, she should pursue a simpler, more gullible mermaid for romance; humans were far too difficult to please!
Wasn't the plan supposed to involve a mermaid princess falling in love gradually, starting from a life-saving encounter?
Yet, despite her thoughts, Lu hesitated, her toes idly rubbing against the deck, her dark blue hair partially obscuring her face. "Then let me ask you one last question, and please don't lie to me."
Sebastian instinctively glanced at her delicate, bare toes, pausing for a moment, considering that being barefoot was not ideal, yet maintaining a stoic demeanor, he raised an eyebrow. "Very well, ask away."
"Since you are a king, do you have a queen?" Lu asked, feeling a bit embarrassed as she drew circles with her foot.
The young man was momentarily taken aback, then hesitated, regarding her with an unreadable expression.
Lu looked at him, bewildered. "Um, is that not something you can answer?"
It didn't seem like such a private question, did it?
"If you're referring to a queen… no, I do not," Sebastian replied, his demeanor awkward as he avoided the little mermaid's gaze.
In truth, it was not just a queen; he had never even set foot in a harem.
But to voice such a thing would be utterly embarrassing, so he chose to remain silent.
Sebastian pressed his thin lips together, his expression devoid of emotion, a hint of coldness emanating from him.
"Really?" Lu regarded him with suspicion.
She felt that the handsome human seemed a bit off. Was he deceiving her?
"Really," he replied, his tone stiff.
"Then I can accompany you back!" Lu's eyes sparkled with excitement. "After all, you don't have a queen, right?"
"...If you come with me, there's no turning back," Sebastian said, meeting her gaze, his tone now calm, "You should consider it carefully."
Though he had little understanding of merfolk, he could surmise that being away from the water would not be as comfortable as being in the sea.
Selfishly, he did not wish for this impulsive girl to encounter trouble because of his negligence.
However, the eager Lu completely disregarded his caution, smiling brightly. "Of course! Let's set sail at once!"
The little mermaid was brimming with excitement, completely forgetting that she was still under a decree prohibiting her from venturing out to sea.
With a hint of wonder, she murmured, "I wonder what your kingdom is like. I have never visited the human world before."
Sebastian thought, …Well, if worse comes to worst, I can always send someone to bring her back later.