LSDWTWHA chapter 7

Chapter 7

The door was opened from below the room, and Yi Qing swam up from downstairs: “I heard some noise and guessed you must be awake…”

She only managed to say half of her sentence before suddenly stopping, her gaze fixed directly on Su. It was as if she had been petrified.

Mermaids are born with exceptional looks, and female mermaids tend to be even more beautiful. Yi Qing’s appearance was already among the most striking of mermaids, but Su’s was even more stunning.

Moreover, Su’s features were unlike the delicate or cute types typical of most mermaids. He resembled a tempting sea demon, beautiful, dangerous, and full of allure.

Especially those ears; their pointed shapes were adorned with silver fish scales, and the corners of his eyes had a few undiminished fish scales, as if they were diamond-like ornaments, or like tears about to fall. These aberrations made him appear more like a demon than a human.

Wait a minute… aberration?

The shock in Yi Qing’s eyes slowly transformed into pity, and she muttered softly, “So it really failed.”

【How is that possible?】 Su couldn’t vocalize, as he wanted to speak but could only make “ah ah ah” sounds.

Fortunately, he could still use mental force, and his meaning was accurately conveyed to Yi Qing.

Yi Qing sighed, remembering her duty to help the High Priest conceal the truth about the mermaid drug, feeling a bit guilty. She explained, “You’ve transformed into a mermaid, but this is only a short-term effect. Within a month, you will gradually revert to a shark.”

【But why?】 Su’s smile vanished. Why did it fail? Was it because his faith wasn’t devout enough? He had so hoped to become human. What went wrong?

Yi Qing explained in detail: “The mermaid drug you took will catalyze your body to transform into a mermaid, whether successful or not, within a short period.”

“But if during the transformation, any aberrant reactions occur in your body, it indicates that this metamorphosis has failed. Your body will gradually revert back to being a shark as the drug’s effects diminish. The cycle will take about a month.”

Yi Qing pointed to Su’s reflection in the mirror: “The silver scales at the corners of your eyes and behind your ears are signs of aberration; normal mermaids do not have these.”

Su looked left and right; those scales indeed did not resemble a normal mermaid’s. He felt a bit disheartened, but soon perked up, asking Yi Qing: 【So what counts as a success?】

“If the transformation is successful, you should look just like a regular mermaid, and your body won’t display any aberrations. In three days, you’ll completely activate your human genes, and from then on, you can freely switch between three forms: human, mermaid, and shark.”

Su nodded and picked up the drug box that had fallen aside: 【I must have taken the medicine too hastily and wasn’t prepared… Can I try again?】

He clumsily picked up the drug box from the ground and was about to throw a capsule into his mouth.

The little mermaid rushed forward to stop him: “What are you doing? This is a gene drug, and taking it recklessly could be fatal!”

“Ah?” Su opened his mouth in confusion; his “electronic textbook” hadn’t taught him this.

“To take the drug again, you need to wait for more than a month. That’s the recovery time your body needs,” Yi Qing said.

Another month to wait? Su was disappointed and closed his mouth, putting the capsule back in the box.

Realizing that Su had no knowledge about gene drugs, Yi Qing warned him a few more times: “The High Priest only gave you seven capsules because that’s the maximum amount a mermaid hybrid can tolerate. If you take more, it won’t have any effect.”

“In other words, if you finish all seven capsules and still haven’t activated your human genes, you will remain a shark forever, with no chance of going ashore again.”

This warning didn’t worry Su at all. Seven opportunities! He had just made a small mistake; next time, at most the time after that, he would surely become human!

Yi Qing wasn’t as optimistic as Su, but since the High Priest had said there was hope, she could only silently wish him well.

Out of a sense of guilt for deceiving her friend, Yi Qing proactively suggested: “You’re not yet used to your mermaid form, and living like this in the sea would be inconvenient. It also puts you at risk of illegal fishing. Why don’t you stay with me in the palace for these three days? There are many vacant guest rooms, and I can arrange meals for you. I can also teach you some basics about being a mermaid to prepare you for your future life.”

As soon as Su heard about meals, he happily agreed.

Yi Qing fetched a piece of thin silk, wrapping it around Su’s body in a few quick motions: “Now that you’re a mermaid, you can’t swim around naked, so wear this for now.”

The silk was thin and soft, fitting snugly around Su’s upper body, covering his porcelain white skin. The sheer fabric partially veiled the thin muscle contours, and the excess fabric floated slightly with the water, shimmering beautifully, adding a touch of alluring grace.

Yi Qing smiled secretly: “With that on, you actually look a bit like a beautiful mermaid girl.”

Today, the atmosphere in the palace felt different than usual. As soon as Yi Qing returned to her quarters, she was surrounded by several similar-aged mermaids dressed as attendants.

“Your Highness, you’re back! The king has urgent matters to discuss and has been waiting for half a day!”

“My father is looking for me? What is it?” Yi Qing asked in surprise, pointing at herself, feeling a bit guilty: I don’t think I’ve caused any trouble lately, right? I returned before dawn after sneaking out to play.

The attendants, however, were unaware of her inner thoughts, urging Yi Qing to hurry, saying that if they made the king wait any longer, he would surely get angry.

Yi Qing had no choice but to push Su toward them: “I need to go to my father, please treat my friend well.”

She turned to Su and said, “You can sit in my palace for a while. You can tell them whatever you want to eat. I’ll be back shortly.”

Su had no objections, holding his medicine box tightly and nodding.

As soon as Yi Qing left, her attendants surrounded Su, eagerly inquiring about his background: “You’re so beautiful! Where did the princess find such a pretty little beauty?”

Surrounded by several mermaids, Su didn’t feel nervous at all; he generously replied: 【We just met. I’m Su. I took the High Priest’s medicine and transformed into a mermaid.】

Hearing that he had transformed from a mermaid hybrid, the attendants were even more surprised and continued to circle around him, examining him curiously.

Su was led into the little mermaid’s palace, which, compared to the High Priest’s residence, had fewer traces of the human world and appeared more natural. The furniture was mostly made of stone, adorned with coral, shells, and pearls.

Before Su could make any requests, the enthusiastic attendants brought in a large jar of fresh fish, shrimp, and crabs for him as snacks.

Seeing the food, Su’s mouth immediately lifted into a blissful smile, making the mermaid attendants blush and their hearts flutter.

On the other side, Yi Qing, summoned by the king, wasn’t as happy. She had just received some bad news: her marriage contract had been moved up, and a human would come to take her away from the dock tonight.

“What! Departing for a marriage alliance tonight? This is too rushed!” Yi Qing was stunned by the sudden bad news, as if struck by a bolt from the blue.

She couldn’t believe it and insisted, “Wasn’t the wedding still over a month away? Why the sudden hurry?”

“It’s the Qi family’s wish. They want you to go early to adapt to your future environment and take advantage of your fiancé’s leave time so you can develop your feelings together,” the mermaid king explained, having only just learned about it. The opposing fleet would arrive at the port tonight.

“I don’t want to leave early! Why should it be their decision? Why can’t it go according to the scheduled time?” Yi Qing protested angrily. She had already accepted her fate to marry a human. All she wanted was to spend the final month with her beloved orca, but now even that had become a luxury?

“Qingqing, don’t be willful. The marriage alliance is a matter of life and death for the mermaid kingdom. The Qi family is one of the top noble families among humans; the head, Qi Xingli, wields military power, while your future husband, Qi Hanyi, is the commander of the Star Expeditionary Force. Regardless of who it is, we cannot afford to offend them.”

“You are the princess of the mermaid kingdom, a member of the royal family, and you need to set an example for all mermaids who are to be married. If even you harbor resentment against an alliance, how do you expect your father to win the public’s support?”

“But I haven’t even said goodbye to Pang Pang! If I leave suddenly, he will be heartbroken…” Yi Qing bit her lip, her eyes full of grievance.

All the reasoning her father had shared with her had hardened her ears, and she understood she was a princess. This was her responsibility. But she was also a living mermaid with feelings. Marrying a stranger and accepting the fate of becoming a breeding tool was something she resisted and found sorrowful.

Now they wouldn’t even give her the time to bid farewell to her friends and loved ones. How could she accept that?

“If you’re talking about that orca, it’s just as well you don’t see him. You’re already an adult, and differentiation is imminent. You shouldn’t meet with any males before marriage. Otherwise, if you end up differentiating into an orca before the marriage alliance, won’t that be a joke on your father?”

The king, not allowing Yi Qing a chance to retort, declared stubbornly: “Enough! This matter is set. Go back to your room and pack your things. I will send someone to escort you before we depart.”

When Yi Qing returned to her palace, her brows were tightly knitted, her eyes slightly red, looking as if she were on the verge of tears.

With deep regret, she said to Su: “I’m sorry, but you can’t stay any longer. I have to leave tonight; there’s no way I can continue to entertain you.”

【What happened?】 An instinctive tightening of his grip on the food jar revealed his concern. He could tell Yi Qing was in trouble and gently asked: 【Where are you going?】

“I’m going to a marriage alliance. The time has been moved up. I need to leave tonight.” Yi Qing finally couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.

“I know I must go to marry, but I just want to say goodbye to Pang Pang. That’s all I ask. Why won’t my father agree…”

“I had arranged to meet him this evening in the coral forest. Although Pang Pang looks fierce, he’s actually very clingy. Last time I was late, he was unhappy for a long time. If he doesn’t see me today, he’ll be heartbroken.”

Su listened to her grievances while finishing an entire jar of fish and shrimp. Feeling a pang of unease in his conscience for being a “short-handed eater,” he wiped his mouth and said: 【If it’s just to say goodbye, I might have a way.】

Yi Qing, in the midst of her sobs, choked in surprise, her face flushing red as she widened her eyes and asked, “What way?”

Su shifted slightly, casually flicking his fish tail beneath the table: 【Let’s exchange identities.】