Rayan was filled with joy when he saw a familiar face among the unfamiliar surroundings. He shifted his body as if waiting for the other to approach, Karel, who had been watching him from a distance, soon approached him with a friendly smile.
“Apologies, I was so occupied when we arrived that I couldn’t take care of you right away. Is there anything uncomfortable?”
Everything was uncomfortable, but at least he could still be with Erich. He could see him anytime. If he thought so, there was nothing he couldn’t bear, so Rayan shook his head.
“You will have to stay here, so even if it is inconvenient, you will have to put up with it, but I’m glad to hear you’re not uncomfortable anywhere.”
Karel seemed kind but cold. Rayan might not have noticed anything when he was in Atisa, but he was able to pick up on subtle nuances after living on the surface world for several years. Of course, he didn’t realize the underlying meaning in the end.
“His Majesty has given you the solemn responsibility of being a court musician.”
“…”
“He didn’t show it, but it looks like he was impressed by your singing.”
“… Court musician?”
Karel paused for a moment.
He had thought about this back then, but the voice coming out from under the gloomy robe was truly so beautiful and fascinating as though it would tear apart one’s spirit. Did the emperor fall in love with that voice? After a moment of thought, Karel clenched his fists.
“Sell your songs like you do there.”
It was only a momentary interest anyway. The emperor was never interested in or attached to anything. Even Marielle, his only remaining bloodline, had never received the emperor’s full affection.
Moreover, there was no way the emperor would pay attention to someone who was so stubborn about not showing his face for whatever insecurity he had.
“I will assist you for your duration of stay here.”
When the emperor lost interest in him eventually, Karel could just send him back to Arhen. If he did not wish to be sent back, he could send him away with a modest sum of money anyway. He seemed very interested in wealth, so he would probably find a place anywhere with that. So there was no need to worry about this guy anymore.
“If anything happens, just find me.”
As Karel came here, he regained control of his mind with the words he had been muttering the whole time.
“Excuse me…”
“Karel Isaac.“Call me Isaac.”
“Mm, Isaac.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Lf mjiifv jr tf kjr abiv, yea Bjgfi’r fzqgfrrlbc aegcfv ragjcuf. Lf weaafgfv, “Qtfgf bc fjgat rtbeiv P rajga afjmtlcu?” Pa rffwfv ilxf la kjr cba wfjca ab yf tfjgv, yea tf tfjgv fnfgsatlcu.
“Vb…”
“Ejsjc.”
“Qtja?”
“P jw Ejsjc.”
“… Tfr. Ejsjc.”
Lf rffwfv tfrlajca yfmjerf tf vlvc’a xcbk atf cjwf, rb Ejsjc abiv tlw tlr cjwf, tf ibbxfv rajgaifv, yea atfc gfiemajcais mjiifv atf cjwf.
“Starting tomorrow, the attendants will teach you royal etiquette.”
Rayan wondered if it was really necessary to know that. However, if there was one thing he realized during the three years he stayed outside, it was that there was an implicit social agreement among humans.
When he wanted to gain something, he had to give it away, and there were many things he had to keep. It was uncomfortable at times, but in some ways, it was the same as when he was at Atisa.
Just as he had to keep the law or the implicit promise not to cross the border of the Black Sea, there were certain things he had to honor here too. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for Erich.
“Also, you shouldn’t speak so casually.”
Ah. Rayan sighed with realization. As a result of observation, people who appeared to be around his age spoke casually, probably because they were much younger than him. So, after he just got back on land, he experienced some difficulties and improved, but there were times when he made mistakes like this without thinking about it.
“Mhm. I mean, yes.”
Rayan quickly corrected himself. Karel gave him a look of disapproval, but quickly changed the subject.
“Then you must be exhausted too, so take a break.”
He looked up and down, then turned and walked out.
“…”
Rayan was left alone behind the closing door.
* * *
No matter how much the sea refused him, Rayan was ultimately a mermaid whose birthplace was the sea.
He floated on the shore, chatting with the letan, and often snuggled among the corals, hugging the seaweed and falling asleep. Erich seemed to not understand Rayan living in the cave at all, but for him, there was no space more comfortable than that.
But not here. Everything was structured in an unfamiliar way. Unfamiliar people, unfamiliar spaces, even unfamiliar air.
Additionally, the court etiquette that he suddenly learned was difficult. While there were many things he could not do, there were also as many things he had to do as grains of sand. The human norms that he had mastered so carefully materialized and weighed him down. No, maybe it was even complicated.
“This will have to do for today.”
Karel was supposed to assist him, and he had told him to tell him at any time if there was anything uncomfortable, but Rayan barely saw him.
‘Something happened at the estate for a while. There won’t be any trouble even if I’m not there, right?’
He uttered that as if giving notice and did not show his face again after that. To make matters worse, Philip, who came in and out saying he would look after Rayan’s court manners, acted as if he had taken on a very troublesome task.
Rayan did his best to follow his words, thinking that humans were a bit, well, complicated.
“You’ve gotten better in a few days.”
Rayan’s hands wiggled at the first compliment he received.
Philip looked at the man who was writhing in his robe with his robe over his head. He was already very busy, but a commoner with unknown origins took over the position of minstrel in the palace and gave him more work, to his annoyance, but it subsided after a few days. It’s strange because he didn’t have common sense, but he learned quickly, so it turned out to be not as much of an annoyance as he thought.
What slipped through the cracks was curiosity.
Who exactly was this person? He was brought from Arhen by the emperor, and his benefactor was his lover, Viscount Isaac, so it was thought that he had some kind of great background, but looking at the situation, it seemed like that wasn’t the case.
The emperor took him in as a minstrel and did not visit him for several days, and the Viscount left for his estate without a word of advice to keep an eye on him while he was away for a while.
“But do you really have to keep your robe on? It looks gloomy.”
Also, he received preferential treatment for nothing. Even though it was the law not to cover one’s face in the palace to prevent unpleasant incidents, the Viscount said that since it was His Majesty’s will, he should not be forced to take off his clothes if he did not wish to do so. Was there some fatal flaw on his face? Was he so ugly that he couldn’t even open his eyes and see?
But the white and delicate fingers showing through the hem of the robe…
“… Does it really look gloomy?”
Philip’s, who had been distracted by his wriggling fingers, shoulders flinched at the dejected mutter. It’s as clear as the water, but at the same time, fascinating. So much so that he wondered what it sounded like when he sang.
After the servants and maids heard the man’s voice, they were interested and showed some favorability, although they pretended not to. Although he seemed shy, it might be because of his subtly friendly and gentle personality; he had a personality that was rarely seen in the royal palace.
“Well… Not necessarily.”
Philip, who looked like he was jabbed in the bag, hurriedly walked out after bidding him well, leaving him to himself.
Rayan didn’t even turn his gaze to the direction where Philip had left, but instead looked down at the robe, engrossed in thought. He insisted on a robe, so Karel prepared one, and it was a brighter color than the one he had worn before. Since it was impossible to identify him because his face was covered, there was even an emblem embroidered on his robe to guarantee his identity.
Could it be that Erich also thought of himself as gloomy? However, from the time they met again, he had been wearing a robe, but he hadn’t said anything about it.
“…”
Erich’s habits were similar to those of the past, but there were also many unfamiliar aspects. Maybe he’s gotten better at hiding things. Just as Rayan has become more adept at lying than he used to be, albeit very little-so little that you couldn’t tell.
“I don’t want Erich to think of me like that.”
Rayan fiddled with his robe. The hesitant hand lifted the robe from his head. His unkempt hair stuck out in disarray.
He didn’t wear robes when he was alone, but ever since he came here he only took them off when it’s pitch black and he was sure no one would open the door. Perhaps Rayan had gotten used to it by now, but the air that touched the nape of his neck felt awkward.
Rayan, who had draped his robe over the chair, lost balance for a moment and stumbled.
“… Ah.”
He barely managed to avoid falling by holding on to the back of the chair, but his face, which had been flushed just a moment ago, quickly lost color and turned pale.
Basically, even after he had lost his life source, the guardian stone, and was exiled from Atisa, Rayan was still a mermaid after all. A being that could not be separated from water. He said it was comfortable, but it was actually for this reason that Rayan made the cave his residence. Even if the sea pushed him away, sometimes he needed time to be his true self.
It was difficult to maintain human appearance for several days, so he wondered how the mermaids, who were said to have been exiled hundreds of years ago after forming a relationship with humans on earth, endured it, and quickly realized.
Presence or absence of a guardian stone. That’s the difference.
Without it, Rayan became a person with half a heart, who could no longer fully use his power.
“They said there is no sea here…”
Rayan groaned and muttered. He recalled Karel’s incredulous expression the previous time when he asked about it. Karel retorted by saying that it was common knowledge for all Hesselians, so how could he not know it? Rayan suddenly became a mermaid who lacked the common sense that humans should have.
‘Instead, there is a very beautiful lake in the palace. Though it’s probably a place that neither you nor I can go to.’
He remembered the words that came out after strangely questioning Rayan’s knowledge. Lake. Lake… Rayan thought it over and took a deep breath. His eyes glanced beyond the window.
It was still bright.
Since I couldn’t really read it out and also forgot if it was mentioned before, can Rayan still transform his lower body back? Or did he lose the ability with giving away his guardian stone? Let’s just hope no one finds out, if he still can transform. At least not Karel, I just don’t like that guy.
Thx for the ch ٩(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )و
i think he can yeah.
Okay, thx for the clarification :3