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Chapter 2
A gentle touch brushed across her face as softly as a caress.
Slowly, her tightly shut eyelids fluttered open.
Blink. Blink.
“Huh…?”
Still dazed, Lea stared blankly at the familiar scene before her.
What…?
But… I died…
The sight before her was so familiar—so painfully dear—that tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
Knock. Knock.
“Princess, I’m coming in.”
The moment the door opened, Lea’s eyes widened.
“Today’s your coming-of-age ceremony. You have to hurry. Goodness, you must have been sleeping deeply…”
The young woman chattered cheerfully as she brushed Lea’s tangled hair into place.
Beside her floated a tiny pufferfish.
“Wake up already, Princess.”
“Asili!”
Shock and overwhelming joy crashed into each other.
Everything she saw felt impossibly precious.
“Princess, what’s wrong all of a sudden? Did you have a nightmare?”
In an instant, tears gathered in the corners of Lea’s eyes, sparkling like precious jewels.
“Asili…”
“Hit me.”
“…What?”
“If you’re not trying to have me thrown into prison, please withdraw that order.”
Her familiar short chestnut-brown hair swayed gently.
Those black eyes looking back at her…
Lea still couldn’t believe they were real.
Overcome with emotion, she burst into tears.
Then, suddenly—
Her mind cleared.
Wait.
“You said… today’s the coming-of-age ceremony?”
“Yes! You’ve been looking forward to it forever. The day is finally here, so please get ready, Princess.”
Only then did she realize that the warm, dreamlike encounter she’d had wasn’t a dream at all.
Marisa…
The Goddess of Water.
She looked exactly like the goddess worshipped by the merfolk.
Then…
She really sent me back in time?
Which meant…
The same thing would happen during today’s ceremony.
Her mind spun.
Just as before, the Mermaid Pearl would turn from transparent to opalescent…
And the moment it did—
She would be teleported to the Temple of Wortanon.
As a human.
Lea’s emerald eyes darted around before she hurriedly searched her body.
“Ah!”
“It’s really here!”
Attached near her waist was a soft, black strand of seaweed-like grass.
She carefully pulled it free.
Lady Marisa turned back time…
And she gave this to me.
She said… this was the herb that turns someone into a human.
“Asili.”
“Please don’t ask any questions.”
“Just listen to me.”
“Huh? Princess… what are you talking about?”
Asili stopped examining the dress she’d been preparing and looked toward Lea.
“Asili…”
“You’re always on my side, right?”
“What?”
Confused by Lea’s strange behavior, Asili frowned.
“Of course I am.”
“I’m always on your side.”
“Thank you.”
“Then…”
“Will you eat this herb and become human?”
“…What?”
“W-What are you saying?”
“There’s no time.”
“Please don’t ask.”
“Just eat this herb… and come find me.”
“I’m begging you.”
Lea’s desperate eyes and trembling hands left Asili speechless.
After a moment, she slowly nodded.
“…All right.”
“But first, Princess, let’s get you dressed.”
She clearly assumed Lea was simply talking nonsense after waking up.
Still, because the princess had begged so earnestly, Asili carefully tucked the strange herb into her pocket.
Seeing that eased Lea’s heart just a little.
She felt guilty.
But in her previous life, she had desperately wished for even a single person she could trust after arriving in the human world.
She couldn’t simply leave things to fate.
The real problem was avoiding Delailu at the temple.
That was the greatest obstacle.
The mere thought of Delailu Gwyn made her whole body tremble with hatred.
Never.
No matter what…
I will never let that monster capture me again.
She could never endure that same nightmare twice.
How…?
How can I avoid House Gwyn and survive?
Her thoughts raced feverishly.
Then…
A man’s face surfaced in her memory.
Caspian Felix.
The man she had seen just before dying.
Maybe…
Maybe he could become my temporary refuge.
The one person Delailu feared.
The one man she couldn’t treat carelessly.
Duke Caspian Felix.
She knew nothing about his true character.
But she had to try.
She had already experienced the road that led to hell.
She couldn’t willingly walk it again.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Before anyone answered, the door burst open.
“Lea!”
All six of her older brothers rushed inside.
Every one of them was smiling brightly.
“Your Highnesses.”
“I’ve told you countless times.”
“The Princess is a proper young lady now.”
“You should knock and wait until you’re invited inside.”
Asili stood before them like a strict teacher.
The scene was so familiar…
So warm…
That Lea nearly burst into tears again.
“Lea…”
“I’m sorry.”
“We’ll remember our manners next time.”
“So don’t cry.”
The moment they saw her eyes redden, all six brothers panicked.
Watching them fuss over her filled Lea with warmth.
She ended up making a strange face somewhere between laughing and crying.
“I’m okay…”
“I just missed you all so much.”
It had been so long since she’d seen them.
She smiled more brightly than ever.
“Our little sister missed us?”
“Well, we disappeared because we were preparing your coming-of-age gift.”
“We even traveled all the way to the Northern Sea.”
“The Northern Sea?”
“What kind of gift requires going that far?”
“There’s a precious gemstone found only there.”
…Mana Crystal.
The memory returned instantly.
The necklace her six brothers had given her.
It had been crafted from a rare mana crystal found only in the Northern Sea.
After she was teleported to the Temple of Wortanon…
Delailu had immediately stolen it.
This time…
No matter what…
I won’t let her take it.
She bit her lower lip.
“Ta-da!”
“What do you think?”
Her brother held a necklace out before her.
Lea stared blankly before accepting it.
She had possessed it for only a brief time in her previous life.
Even so…
Holding it once again stirred deep emotions.
An emerald mana crystal, the same color as her eyes, gleamed beautifully.
It was simple.
A tiny rectangular gemstone, no larger than her little fingernail, surrounded by delicate crystals.
“…Little sister.”
“Do you… not like it?”
Seeing her expression gradually darken, her brothers exchanged worried glances.
“I told you!”
“We should’ve made it more extravagant!”
The fourth brother shouted in frustration.
“No…”
“I love it.”
“I’m just…”
“So happy.”
“So touched.”
The real reason was different.
Soon she would place this necklace around her neck…
And disappear before their eyes.
Knowing the future…
Yet being unable to stop it…
Was unbearable.
“Our precious youngest sister.”
“You’re so beautiful that a simple necklace suits you best.”
Their eldest brother affectionately rubbed his cheek against hers.
The others immediately crowded around as well.
“Your Highnesses.”
“Please restrain yourselves.”
“It’s time.”
At Asili’s words…
Lea’s heart sank.
Every passing second felt unbearably precious.
“All right.”
“Come on, little sister.”
Surrounded by her loving brothers, she wished time would stop forever.
But it didn’t.
It carried her relentlessly toward the center of the ceremonial hall.
“Princess.”
“Please bring out your pearl.”
Among the merfolk, those of royal blood possessed a special gift.
Every royal was born with a sacred pearl.
Within it rested the blessing of the Water Goddess Marisa.
The coming-of-age ceremony marked the day they would absorb that divine power from the pearl.
Now…
The transparent pearl will begin glowing…
And then it’ll turn opalescent…
There was no escaping the ceremony.
No hiding from it.
Her eyes slowly lowered to the golden tail swaying beneath her.
It shimmered brilliantly.
She cherished it with all her heart.
Above her, the expressions of her six brothers overflowed with pride.
Their beloved youngest sister was finally becoming an adult.
Her gaze drifted farther.
There—
Her parents stood smiling warmly.
Mother…
Father…
She bit her lower lip until it hurt and forced herself to look away.
Her chest felt as though it were burning.
Her body began trembling uncontrollably.
Then—
Pure white light burst forth.
“…No!”
Her heartbeat thundered through her entire body.
The brilliant light slowly wrapped around her graceful golden tail first.
It climbed higher…
Higher…
Until it reached her throat.
With tears filling her eyes, Lea looked desperately at everyone she loved.
And then—
Everything disappeared.
