Ch. 173
If you see a mermaid, good luck will follow; if a mermaid cries, her tears become pearls; and if a mermaid ever asks for help, you should grant her wish — or so the childish sign read.
「Caution: Do not confuse mermaids with sirens. If you spot a siren, run immediately.」
Well, something has to actually ‘appear’ before I can help it or run away from it, doesn’t it?
As one of the people peering over the railing hoping to see a mermaid, I couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied.
Officially, capturing mermaids was forbidden — but illegal business always made money.
The slave traders, left unchecked by the authorities, had grown bold. It was only natural in a world where even humans barely managed to live, leaving no room to care about the safety of other races.
“Geenie, there you are.”
I glanced back briefly, then turned to the sea again without answering.
Lately, whenever I disappeared from his sight, Ash would come looking for me like this, anxious and uneasy.
Whenever I was off by myself, doing nothing in particular, he somehow managed to find me.
Honestly, one stalker — Rai — was enough.
“Hm…”
Ash stood nearby but kept a careful distance, fidgeting with the railing. He kept glancing at me as if he had something to say, so I finally spoke first.
“What?”
“…I was wondering if it’s alright for me to stand here with you.”
“You’re timid.”
“Could we say cautious instead? Asking permission is a matter of respect. Even if we’re…”
“Even if we’re what?”
“Close.”
He looked uncertain even saying that. Normally I’d find that kind of hesitation annoying — but with him, it was oddly… endearing.
I chuckled softly, and that seemed to put him at ease. He slowly moved closer and stopped two handspans away.
Fidgeting with the railing, he said something unexpectedly sincere.
“You showing me kindness… it’s not something I take for granted. Even standing beside you like this, even looking at the same thing — those are privileges I don’t assume. The moments I want to be by your side and the moments you want me there might not always be the same.”
Maybe it was because I’d never really been treated like a lady — but that felt new.
I guess the reason I didn’t dislike this man was because, for once, he didn’t provoke my foul temper.
Was it imperial etiquette toward women? Or political caution? Whatever it was, Ash was always careful around me.
I didn’t know why — but anyway.
“I like you too. I like being with you.”
“…Excuse me? Ah, yes… I mean, that is—”
“But it’d be even better if you took that necklace off.”
I narrowed my eyes. His expression froze; he glanced around nervously to make sure no one was nearby.
Of course there wasn’t — I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.
“This… doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“It feels like talking through glass. Like there’s something between us that shouldn’t be there. Sure, it works well — I can see your expressions perfectly — but it’s not really ‘you.’ It’s distracting.”
“You mean it feels dishonest.”
“Sort of? Or maybe… I just liked your real face too much.”
That moment when there were no secrets.
And at the same time, it ‘was’ a secret.
Once I’d tasted that thrill, everything else felt dull.
Was it only me?
I rested my chin on my hand. Ash glanced down at his necklace but said nothing.
When we were alone on the fortress wall, it had felt so much freer — no eyes on us, nothing between us.
I couldn’t stand anything that bothered me. Maybe that’s why this unsettled feeling lingered.
I missed that moment — and now this felt suffocating.
“My brooch!”
The commotion started after the ship suddenly rocked.
“No! Oh no!”
A little girl had apparently dropped something precious into the sea. She leaned dangerously over the railing until a sailor pulled her back.
“Hey, kid! Stay away from the edge!”
“Mister! My brooch fell into the sea!”
“You should’ve been more careful. Once it’s in the sea, there’s nothing we can do.”
“But… it was a gift from my mother…”
She looked about Annie’s age — maybe an elementary student if she attended the academy. She’d dressed up for the trip, but her modest clothes marked her as common-born, which was probably why the sailor wasn’t very sympathetic.
“Sorry, but you’ll have to give it up.”
“Please, can’t we stop the ship? I have to find it!”
“Be reasonable! We’re not mermaids. Even a mage couldn’t help you now — maybe a water spirit could.”
“No way…”
“Ask your mother for another one.”
“She can’t! It was a keepsake from her!”
The girl burst into tears.
What a perfect time for a nap.
I yawned toward the ocean, pretending not to hear Ash’s persistent stare beside me.
When he just kept looking, I finally snapped.
“What! Why are you staring at me!”
“You’re a Spirit Mage…”
“Do you have a death wish? Stop looking at me like that!”
What do you take me for!
Did he really think he could squeeze sympathy out of me? He had a better chance of finding that golden chalice first.
“It’s her mother’s keepsake. Let’s help her.”
“I hate kids!”
“Sniff… I just wanted to show her the ocean… sob…”
The growing cries started drawing murmurs from nearby passengers.
“Geenie.”
“Ugh. You’d have better luck finding a mermaid yourself.”
“Come on.”
“I don’t do charity! Go ask someone else! What’s in it for me?”
Behold, my glorious selfishness!
This is how people should live — lazily and proudly!
“…Then how about this.”
“What! No! Absolutely not! Forget it!”
“I’ll brush your hair whenever you want.”
“…Huh?”
“Anytime, anywhere. As many times as you wish.”
“You’re not gonna take it back later? You ran away last time when people were watching.”
“I won’t.”
Hmm… a personal hairdresser, huh. Tempting.
I looked out over the horizon, pretending to think it over. There really wasn’t much else to do on a ship anyway.
“Undine.”
Surrounded by ocean, I thought she’d appear instantly — but it actually took a moment.
Why so slow?
I looked around until—
[Master, down here.]
Her voice came from below. Peering over the railing, I saw Undine rise from the sea, sparkling like foam.
Right, not an emergency summon — so she came from the water itself.
I led Undine toward the little girl, flanked by a golden dog and a man.
No, wait — two spirits and one man. Right.
“Hey, kid.”
The little girl, still sniffling, looked up at me — her tearful eyes turning bright again as soon as she saw Undine.
“Wow! What’s that, miss? A fairy?”
Undine floating midair caught her fascination so quickly she stopped crying.
“Well, looks like she’s fine now. No need to find the brooch, huh?”
“Oh, right! My brooch!”
“Ah, that’s what it was.”
“I have to find it! It’s a keepsake from my mother!”
As she started to tear up again, I clicked my tongue.
To think I’d actually fallen into Ash’s trap — or should I say, his angelic trick.
“Tch, fine, fine. Describe it. What’s it look like?”
“It’s this big… gold… and it opens sideways…”
“You heard her, Undine. Somewhere around there. Go find it.”
[Um, Master?]
That should’ve been simple enough, yet Undine hesitated — unusual for her.
[What’s a brooch?]
Right. She wouldn’t know. Spirits don’t wear clothes or ornaments. Sometimes I forgot she was a being from another realm entirely.
[You don’t know? It’s food!]
[Ohh!]
“Stop messing around, you stupid mutt.”
[Why! It ‘is’ food! I can eat it!]
Rai’s rivalry with Undine was relentless. He teased her every chance he got, and this time I caught him red-handed.
I shoved him away and explained gently to Undine.
“It’s not food. It’s a small piece of jewelry — like earrings or a necklace, remember those? Something shiny like that.”
I made a circle with my fingers.
[Oh! I know! The things that make you sparkle, right, Master?]
“I ‘already’ sparkle. I’m naturally radiant.”
[Anyway, I get it now!]
“Did you just say ‘anyway’ to me?”
[Then I’ll be back soon, Master!]
Ah, my cute but reliable Undine.
As for Rai, he was going to pay later for confusing her — or so I thought, until I noticed he’d already bolted to the opposite side of the deck, pretending not to know us.
So far I could barely see him — like a flea on the horizon.
[Ah! Seagulls!]
[Come here.]
[What a beautiful day, isn’t it?]
[I’m warning you — if I catch you, you’re spending a week as a horseshoe.]
“Don’t cry, little one. She’ll find your brooch.”
…Was that about me?
“R-Really?”
“Say thank you.”
“Thank you, miss!”
Instead of chasing Rai, I just watched Ash gently comforting the girl.
He seemed to have a soft spot for children that age. He’d been the same with Annie — stopping whatever he was doing just to comfort her.
“Thank him, not me. He’s the one who roped me into this.”
“Thank you, kind mister!”
Technically, Undine was the one doing the work, and I was the one taking the credit.
Leaning against the railing, I asked,
“Be honest, Ash. You have a sister around her age, don’t you?”
If anyone else were around, he’d never talk about himself.
And whenever he didn’t want to lie, he just lowered his eyes in silence.
“You seem awfully used to looking after girls.”
“Do I?”
“Yeah. You were like that with Annie too. And when I was younger, you were… really…”
I trailed off, suddenly realizing something unpleasant.
A scene flashed in my mind — a small boy protecting a smaller girl, ten years ago.
And the thought hit me like a wave — that maybe Ash still saw me as that little girl, and that the confusion in his eyes was because of it.
“Ash, you—!”
“Yes?”
It had to be.
The reason he kept following me around, looking only at me, hovering like a worried parent—
“You… you don’t think of me like a ‘little sister,’ do you?!”