An Jin never expected to run into this merman again.
The last time she saw him, he’d been acting strangely, his entire body steaming as if he were being braised. Then, with a PLOP, he had leaped into the river and vanished without a trace, not even leaving a ripple or a bubble on the surface.
An Jin had almost suspected the fish had drowned.
She pulled her hand back and looked at the merman who had suddenly appeared. "Your Shark Pearl is still with me," she said coolly. "You should take it back."
"T-Take it back?"
The merman’s eyes darkened, his clear blue irises clouding with anxiety and helplessness. He asked timidly, full of fear, "Do you despise it? Don’t you like it?"
Xi felt the emptiness in his palm and dejectedly pulled his hand back. He nervously poked his index fingers together. "The Shark Pearl is very useful. Lots of Beastmen fight over them. I thought... I thought you would like it too..."
"Hm?"
An Jin set the stone bowl on the grass. A warm spot near her heart pulsed on her chest—the Shark Pearl. She instinctively covered the spot with her hand. "So you’re saying you left the Shark Pearl with me on purpose?"
The Shark Pearl seemed to throb in time with its owner’s mood. An Jin glanced at the merman and, sure enough, saw that his eyes were filled with sorrow and heartbreak. Pearlescent tears welled up, threatening to spill at any moment.
A beautiful man crying was truly a heartbreaking sight.
"Don’t cry! What are you crying for?" An Jin started to panic. ’It’s like I’m some heartless cad. What is this cliché drama?’
’What is wrong with the men—no, the males—of this world? Why do they start crying at the drop of a hat??’
"I do like it, really. It’s just that the Shark Pearl is your people’s ultimate treasure. It’s far too precious. It’s not right for me to keep it, which is why I told you to take it back."
"Really?" the merman asked pitifully.
An Jin nodded quickly.
’Why does this feel just like I’m placating a small child?’
The merman’s tears vanished instantly. His crimson lips curved into a slight smile, and a hint of cunning flashed in his blue eyes.
"..." ’Why do I get the feeling I’ve been had?’
"I’m already an adult. The Shark Pearl isn’t of much use to me anymore, so you should just keep it. It’s a gift~"
"A gift for me?"
An Jin was stunned.
She didn’t really understand the full effects of a Shark Pearl.
But it did seem that it was no longer helpful to an adult Merfolk. Still, wasn’t something as precious as a Shark Pearl supposed to be a gift from a male Merfolk to a female he was courting?
To give it to her so rashly seemed, in the end, somewhat illogical.
An Jin couldn’t help but recall their first meeting, when he’d turned red as a braised fish, looking extremely shy.
But that was after he confirmed she was a female.
A bold theory popped into An Jin’s mind—
’Could it be that this merman is acting this way just because I’m a female?!’
’But that doesn’t seem quite right either...’
’She knew females were rare in this world, but surely not so rare that seeing one would make a male so nervous and shy that he’d act like a complete wreck?!’
An Jin had taken a good, hard look at her face in this life. It was plain enough to make one worry for the fate of the nation—a complete disaster. Moreover, Merfolk were notoriously proud of their own appearances, and their pursuit of beauty was fanatical, almost terrifying.
Even Ling Hong hadn’t been interested in her. She refused to believe a beauty-loving merman would suddenly go blind and fall for her.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to give it to me? No regrets?"
The little Merfolk nodded happily, his eyes sparkling.
An Jin stated, "I have no intention of becoming your mate."
The merman lowered his head dejectedly.
’Just as I thought.’
’He really did come here with that in mind.’
’This little Merfolk is certainly good-looking, but it’s a pity his aesthetic sense is seriously flawed.’
Seeing the female was about to refuse again, the merman snapped back to his senses and quickly played his trump card. "A Shark Pearl doesn’t just nourish the body, you know~ Keeping it inside you can greatly enhance your personal charm. A lot of females love that~"
He had originally thought she would like that too.
Females were rare in the Beast World, leaving behind a large number of single males. Yet, almost every male Merfolk was able to find a mate, a fact that was simply inconceivable to the other races of the Beast World.
One reason was that male Merfolk were beautiful and well-behaved, gentle toward their mates, and had rather endearing looks.
The second reason was the Shark Pearl.
The Shark Pearls, which they, the male Merfolk, nurtured from childhood with their own heart’s blood, were specifically for winning over a mate during courtship~
Sure enough, after Xi said this, the look in An Jin’s eyes changed completely.
’Holy crap, now that’s a treasure! A starter pack gift right at the beginning of the game. It’d be foolish not to take it. Since he’s the one offering, she can’t be blamed for accepting.’
"I can trade you something else for it. Is there anything you want?" Of course, that was assuming she had anything to offer.
The little Merfolk swam over to her bowl. The lingering aroma wafted to his nose; it was this scent that had drawn him over. "In that case, could you make a fish dish just for me? I love eating fish, but I’ve never had any that smelled so fragrant~"
An Jin immediately agreed, "Okay."
’It’s just one fish. Simple enough.’
The next second, the little Merfolk dove into the river and disappeared. A moment later, ripples spread across the calm surface once more, and a blue head broke through the water.
His long, blue hair, like silk, draped half-wet, half-dry over his pale shoulders as water droplets trickled down his body.
The merman held a medium-sized fish in his mouth. He swam slowly toward the female and released it, letting the fish drop precisely at her feet.
Dusk was falling. An Jin glanced at the darkening sky and suggested, "There isn’t enough time today. How about I cook the fish for you tomorrow and bring it over?"
The little Merfolk nodded obediently. "Then you can have this fish for dinner. As payment, could you please tell me your name...?"
His voice was a low murmur. His long, azure ear fins drooped slightly, their tips turning a bashful red. Even his delicate tail fin had taken on a hint of pink.
An Jin found it a bit strange but didn’t overthink it. After she told him her name, she watched as history repeated itself. The next second, the little Merfolk’s body trembled with excitement before he leaped out of the water and vanished from sight.
An Jin: "??!"
His tail fin threw up a huge splash of water, drenching her completely. Speechless, An Jin wiped the water from her face.
What she didn’t know was that this world had a peculiar custom.
When a male asked an unfamiliar female for her name, it meant he was interested in her. If the female happened to fancy him as well, she would tell him her name. If not, she would refuse.
An Jin had just told him her name, causing Xi to become ecstatic and mistakenly believe that she liked him too.
From a distance across the water, the blue head popped up halfway again, revealing only a pair of dripping wet blue eyes. The merman was too shy and excited to move any closer.
"My name is Xi!" he called out from afar.
"Don’t forget Xi."
After saying this, Xi once again dove beneath the surface, unable to contain his excitement, and swam away without a trace.
An Jin: "..."