Pr/Editor: Helen, Raven
Rayan’s eyes were trembling with anxiety.
If Erich had any memories, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was exposed. However, from the beginning, he had no memories. Rayan, who saved him from falling off the cliff, and Erich, who was intrigued about his mysterious existence, tried every means to form a connection.
“…”
‘How will he react when he can’t remember anything? Will he still be as curious as he was when he was younger? Or will it reveal the wariness and hostility stemming from a war that broke out in the distant past?’ He couldn’t guess.
“Um…”
It was difficult for him to begin speaking because Rayan was at a loss as to what to say next. While his lips opened and closed repeatedly, Erich did not press or urge him to say anything.
“…You don’t like it?”
“What?”
For the past three years, Rayan had experienced in his way how excluded and wary humans are of ‘others.’ When that was pointed out, Erich arched his eyebrows and inquired again.
“Well, I mean…”
Erhart wasn’t worried about Rayan, who had been hesitant since earlier. He pretended to be calm, but his true feelings were different. To him, the entire scene was unreal. A deathly pale person awakens, blinks, breathes, and moves his hands right in front of him.
“I am not human.”
Rayan, who hesitated for a while, suddenly spoke and noticed his expressions.
“I am not a water fairy either, as Marie had mistaken.”
“…”
“But I think she would be more excited about this.”
Erhart was acting indifferently.
It didn’t matter whether Rayan was human or not. It was assumed that mermaids could pose a threat to humans’ livelihood, and perhaps they would have to confront each other again, but that had nothing to do with Rayan. Furthermore, the image of him lying lifelessly in the bathtub was so deeply ingrained in his mind that he didn’t have the energy to think about it.
“I just have one question.”
“Huh?”
“Not only did you suddenly collapse… Could this be the reason? I am asking if the reason you were so stubborn about going back to Arhen was not because of that bastard, but simply because you originated from the sea.”
‘Rather, I hope that is the reason.’
If he said that, it would be treacherous to think that the intensification that had been brewing from the bottom up from the moment he woke up would subside a little.
“As you can see, I am not human and I need water.”
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.
“…”
“Dea atja’r cba atf bcis gfjrbc P’w ublcu yjmx ab Cgtfc.”
Esjc gfrqbcvfv ab tlr kbgvr bcmf jujlc, vfrqlaf tlr vfrlgf ab gfnlrla tlr qjra jcv gfqfja atf fnfcar atja ifv tlw ab ibrf mbcrmlbercfrr obg cb jqqjgfca gfjrbc. Lf kbgglfv atja lo Sglmt kfgf ab ulnf atf jcrkfgr tf vfrlgfv, la wluta mgfjaf rbwf xlcv bo gfijalbcrtlq atja atfs mbeiv vfolcf. Lf kjr mbcmfgcfv atja, ilxf atf qjrrlcu klcv, la kbeiv yf obgubaafc, yea tf mbeivc’a tfiq kbggslcu atja la wluta cba yf atf mjrf.
“… Ha.”
Erich guessed the answer from his silence and burst into laughter. Rayan’s body inadvertently flinched and he himself was surprised. As the last memorable night passed by, even if it was only for a moment, he felt afraid of him. Even though Erich was obviously kind and soft to him that day.
“…”
There were no hands touching his body. Rayan glanced at Erich who looked somewhat embarrassed. The hand that were irritably stroking his cheek, trembled slightly. When Rayan’s eyes turned to his hands, Erich put down and hid them behind his back, moving his head to the side.
The curves of his facial profile were visible. A round forehead, dark golden eyelashes surrounding blue eyes like shells containing pearls, a sharp bridge of the nose, and beautifully shaped lips… Rayan looked at Erich’s side for a while and soon composed himself.
“…Uh…”
His gaze met with Erich’s, who abruptly turned his head. Rayan made a stupid sound and then closed his mouth. Erich had just adjusted his expression, so it was difficult to see the embarrassed look from earlier.
“I have seen that you woke up, so that’s enough.”
Erich, who was sitting by the bedside, got up.
“Um…”
It was Rayan who said that one should shake off one’s regrets. Although it was only for a moment, he was the one who was afraid of him. But when he saw his back turned, the words that were caught in his throat naturally came out.
“By the way, your people came to see you.”
After catching him, He was wondering what to say, but surprisingly, Erich beat him to it. At the same time, he again raised questions. His people? No one could have come this far to look for him. Even Ayla has never came out, so who would come all the way here looking for him?
“…”
Ah. There was one.
“Asha.”
Someone he once considered a friend. A pledge from the beginning who was now taking control of his life.
“Yes. That’s what he called himself. Insolent guy…”
He showed off his displeasure and blurted out what he was thinking.
Rayan lowered his gaze instead of wondering about the end of his sentence that trailed off. He was glad that his flowing hair hid his agitated expression. He didn’t know why Asha came, but it didn’t mean anything good.
“Where is Asha now?”
As soon as he could barely catch his breath, Rayan looked for Asha.
“That-”
“Your Majesty.”
Erich’s words were interrupted by the call coming from outside.
“I’m sorry, but I have something to tell you.”
“Enter.”
As soon as the permission was granted, Jurgen entered. He examined the emperor’s state of mind before turning to Rayan, who had regained consciousness after a few days, and then spoke,
“Viscount Isaac has sent you a letter.”
“I’ll check later.”
The emperor’s question as to whether he was interrupting his time by doing just that was quite sharp. Jurgen hurriedly continued his words before the command to disobey was issued.
“… That is not what I am sending to you, Your Majesty.”
“Then?”
“The Viscount sent a letter to his ward.”
“Why would Karel?”
“I don’t know about that either, Your Majesty.”
Erhart, who received the letter from Jurgen, checked the Isaac family seal and handwriting. Clearly, all of them were Karel Isaac’s. But for what reason was he sending the letter to Rayan? He made Karel, Rayan’s guardian, but it was only a formality. There was no bond between them.
Erhart opened the envelope without hesitation. There was nothing. He opened the envelope, but there was not even a piece of the letter.
“How…”
He lowered his head to ask why he was playing such a prank. Rayan was holding something in his hand and looking at it as if he was possessed. It was a small pearl. Erhart realized that it was from Karel’s letter.
“Rayan?”
“…Asha.”
Rayan whispered the name, clutching the pearl as if he could not hear him calling.
* * *
He was not used to the carriage shaking every time it moved forward. It happened only twice, once when Erich was young and once when he came here, so there was no time for him to get used to it.
Rayan gazed aimlessly at Pearl in the rattling carriage.
He recognized at once that this was Asha’s message to him. Rayan was stirred and said he had to leave immediately. Erich tried to dissuade him by saying that he had just woken up and should not be thinking of going anywhere, but Rayan’s stubbornness won this time.
“I guess you two are close enough to guess that he’s there based on just a single pearl.”
Erich, who was sitting across from him, had a disapproving tone in his voice.
Instead of allowing Rayan to go out to meet Asha, he placed one condition on him; he had to be accompanied. And before Rayan could respond, he ordered Jurgen to prepare the carriage, and now…
“No. That’s not true.”
Even though Rayan was afraid of him, he thought he was a friend after all, but Asha did not, so they could not be considered close. The tragedy three years ago was partly caused by Asha. Of course, if it weren’t for him, Rayan, who suddenly entered his maturation period, wouldn’t have been able to prevent what would happen to Erich.
“Because pearls are mermaids’ jewels… So I guessed.”
“And Your Majesty also told me that Asha was looking for me.” As he added, Erich crossed his arms and tapped his forearm with his fingers, his head, half tilted to the side. If anyone had to guess, it was an expression that they would roughly understand and move on.
“…Your body?”
“I am okay.”
There was a dull pain below his waist, but other than that he was fine. He didn’t feel thirsty, and he didn’t have any difficulty in breathing as he had felt a few days ago. He guessed that it was probably thanks to Asha’s help.
“But I could have gone alone. Your Majesty is busy.”
No one told him, but he knew that much. He entered silently late at night and departed before daybreak. How could he not know? And Erich’s face was noticeably rougher than you could tell.
“That-”
The words that ‘you might faint again while I’m away’ never came out of his mouth.
“…You may go back with your own people.”
This was also true, so it was not a lie.
Rayan’s people came to visit him. He didn’t know the reason, but it probably wasn’t good, at least that’s what he thought. This was why Erhart came with him; he couldn’t contain his anxiety and even postponed the meeting.
“Ah…”
Just then, the carriage slowly began to stop.
“Your Majesty. We’ve arrived.”
Erhart opened the carriage door at the sound announcing their arrival. Then he took Rayan’s hand in his and escorted him.
However, Rayan was the only one who got out of the carriage. He wanted to follow along, and he also wanted to ask the mermaid, but if Erhart’s visit to Karel’s estate became known, it would reignite a scandal that had died down.
That was the reason why he came here in a carriage usually seen on the streets, rather than one with the imperial family’s emblem on it. Erhart gazed at the top of Rayan’s head, who was leaning against the backrest and looking at him.
“Come back soon.”
“…”
“I will be waiting here.”
There was a calculation laid out, implying that he couldn’t be callous enough to abruptly leave him waiting. Before hearing the response, Erhart closed the door.
I’m sad to know that before, El would trade the kingdom for Rayan, but now that’s no longer the case. I hope his memory comes back soon.
⁇ 🥰🥰
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)