Chapter 67
“Hello, Mr. Toolie.”
Ann, after greeting Anschel, put down the frog in his hand and said,
“Goodbye, Brook.”
It was too cool a name for a frog to have. Next, he released a bird.
“Please, Fiona.”
That too was too pretty a name for a small bird.
“Usually… birds don’t fly at night.”
“Is that so? Mr. Toolie knows a lot… but why are you making that expression?”
Anschel rubbed the blood flowing from his cheek with his palm. Then Ann approached and stuck out his tongue. As he licked Anschel’s cheek, he took Anschel’s hand that was rubbing the wound and slowly lowered it.
“What expression am I making?”
“You look like you’re crying because you’re sad.”
At Ann’s words, Anschel paused momentarily. The blood flowing from his cheek had already stopped.
The wound has probably disappeared too.
Anschel didn’t want to show weakness in front of him, but he simply couldn’t stop. He couldn’t bear how pathetic he felt.
“…Why does Ann continue to stay here? The letter has been delivered…”
Though it was actually Anschel who had suggested he stay, Ann had no particular obligation to follow that advice. Seeming to have caught on to Anschel’s attempt to change the subject, Ann smiled brightly. He looked up at the sky, then back down at the lake.
The lake, which had been devoid of living organisms when first seen, had now become a small world. Small fish and now even larger fish were forming schools, creating a village. His ability was marvelous and mystical.
“I made a promise. A very important promise.”
Ann lowered his voice as if telling a very important secret.
“A promise?”
“Yes. But I think it will be fulfilled soon.”
Though he was only wearing a T-shirt, Anschel wasn’t cold. Rather, the summer night was quite humid. Sweat trickled down his nape.
Anschel felt as if Ann might disappear from before his eyes at any moment. After gazing at Ann with a complicated look for a while, he lowered his eyes back to the lakeside.
The beautiful, clear lakeside emanated vitality. Ann was watching it with an eye smile, as if he found it incredibly lovable.
Why had he suddenly wanted to see this man?
Anschel swallowed his silent question and lowered his head. Hadn’t he even considered that Ann might be sleeping at this time of night? Anschel awkwardly stroked the back of his neck.
Ann’s blue hair was bright and beautiful to a degree difficult to achieve even with dye. His blue eyes were different from Harriet’s artificial blue eyes. If Harriet’s were like paint spreading across white porcelain, Ann’s were like sapphires embedded deep, with a rich blue color.
“I’m sorry, Ann. In the middle of the night like this… I should head back now.”
“Take care on your way back, Anschel.”
Ann waved his hand. It was only here that Anschel’s tumultuous heart finally calmed down. He looked back once more, then turned to go down the mountain path.
“Ah,”
Ann held back Anschel as he was about to descend from the mountain.
“Anschel.”
“??”
“You are an unpolished gem.”
“What do you mean?”
Anschel turned around and asked. Ann hid his body under the lake and then resurfaced. Ann, who had been in human form while on land, transformed into a merman. Webbed fins, different in shape from Harriet’s, peeked out from between his beautiful blue hair.
“I mean that you are a wonderful person.”
But that night, Anschel had a nightmare.
I’m not wonderful. I’m a coward who trembles in fear before my parents’ enemy, and…
* * *
Harriet stroked Ender’s black hair. Harriet had transformed into a merman in the bathtub filled with cold water, and Ender was kneeling, leaning against the tub. With both hands on the edge of the bathtub, Ender had his head bowed, eyes closed, enjoying Harriet’s touch.
“…Oh my, it seems it was quite shocking…”
Harriet murmured as if feeling very sorry. Ender’s black hair scattered softly between his fingers. Harriet liked the sensation, so he stroked Ender several times.
During their academy days, Ender was like a cat with all its fur bristled, never allowing Harriet this close. Since Harriet had only touched him when Ender was off guard, he was now thoroughly savoring this long-desired sensation.
Anschel must have seen the experiments performed on Harriet.
‘So that’s why he looked so unwell.’
Harriet felt very sorry for Anschel. He was kind and highly empathetic. Though he could be cold when needed, he was incredibly soft towards his own people. Angela already followed Anschel like an older brother.
Just as Anschel subtly liked Harriet as one person to another, Harriet didn’t dislike him either. He was meticulous and fastidious but also had a strangely relaxed charm. Though he seemed to have many weaknesses, he was actually skilled at handling tasks.
The only things Harriet disliked were his old-fashioned 2:8 hairstyle and glasses. He simply didn’t like things that troubled the eyes.
“Was my form that unbearable to look at?”
“No, that too was beautiful, Sunbae.”
“Hmm.”
When Harriet let out a small groan of doubt, Ender hastily added,
“My first masturbation in my twenties was to that video of you.”
“Oh…”
Harriet opened his eyes wide and gently stroked Ender’s head. Ender whispered that he loved everything about Harriet. As Harriet caressed the ears and chin of his adorable junior who was begging to be viewed favorably, he smiled slightly. After moving his hand from the chin to the nape, he pulled Ender’s face towards his own with a bit of force.
Smack-
A cute sound echoed in the bathroom. Harriet, who had sucked in Ender’s chattering lips, tapped his cheek lightly with his index finger.
“…I’d like to see it once too. I’ve never seen it…”
“Shall I play it for you now?”
“You have it?”
“Yes.”
Ender’s red eyes sparkled ecstatically. Looking at his junior’s eyes resembling beautiful rubies, Harriet couldn’t resist his curiosity and returned to human form inside the bathtub. Though the water felt especially good today because he was tired, it was a rare moment when curiosity overcame fatigue.
“I’ll prepare cheese and wine.”
Ender moved skillfully. Harriet dried his wetness with a towel and slowly went outside. Then he found the video player that had been tucked away in a corner somewhere.
Ender placed wine glasses and red wine on the table and busily rummaged through a military tent in the yard. Though the reason for its presence was unclear, he took out appetizing cheese and biscuits from an icebox. It was quite elaborate.
Unaware if Anschel was groaning in the midst of a nightmare, Harriet and Ender stretched out on the sofa and embraced each other.
Thus, their respective nights passed.
And the next day, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Ryan glanced nervously behind him. Harriet was sitting leisurely on the sofa with his legs crossed, while Anschel and Ender stood behind him with their hands behind their backs.
And sitting before them was a blue-haired woman. She had brown skin and blue eyes so clear they were almost transparent. Peculiarly, she wore a hairpin made of coral.
“I am Lime of the White Coral from the Northern Sea.”
Anschel, who had been looking with confusion at the blue hair and blue eyes that proved she was a mermaid, opened his mouth instead of Harriet, who remained silent with a relaxed smile.
“The reason you’ve come here…”
Humans on land currently hated merpeople. For 20 years, they had been attacking the sea to take it from the merpeople’s control. At this point, with both sides suffering tremendous damage, the appearance of another merperson was too dangerous.
“I came to meet my older brother.”
The mermaid who introduced herself as Lime boldly smiled as she placed one hand on her chest. Behind her, two beautiful men with the same hair color bowed their heads.
And on Lime’s shoulder sat a plump small bird with its beak sticking out. Anschel narrowed his eyes, feeling like he had seen that bird somewhere.
“…Fiona.”
Lime’s blue eyes turned toward Anschel. She blinked her long blue eyelashes, smiled widely, and extended her finger to gently stroke the small bird’s chest feathers. The bird seemed pleased and laughed, opening and closing its beak.
“Is your older brother perhaps Ann?”
“That’s right, he’s my older brother.”
“……”
The two merpeople were similar yet different.
Lime, who had answered with a crisp smile, looked around. It was now the bright midday of summer, and merpeople who had come up to land in this moisture-sapping weather were weak.
At that moment, Angela and Ryan placed mugs between them with a clunk. The five cups were filled with cold barley tea. Having lived together with Harriet for five years, they knew well what merpeople needed in this weather.
After placing all the cups, Angela looked over the people behind Lime. One was a very large, muscular man, and the other was a rather slender man.
Both watched over Lime with stern faces, creating a sharply tense atmosphere. It seemed as though they were determined to protect Lime with their lives if anything happened.
“…Where is Ann?”
“If you go up the mountain, there’s a lake.”
Anschel bowed his head toward Harriet and whispered.
“How about we talk by the lakeside? With minimal personnel, I’ll leave Angela and Ryan behind.”
“Good.”
Though Ender should have been the person in charge according to rank, Harriet was the leader of this tiny unit.
Anschel reassured the fidgeting Angela and looked back. Ryan also had an anxious expression, though not as much as Angela.
Sighing, he examined the merpeople. Trying not to be obvious, he observed them from the corner of his eye while biting the inside of his tense cheeks and swallowing.
Why had these merpeople, known to be royalty, left the Northern Sea and come up here?
One thing was certain—this was no ordinary matter.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
