Chapter 136: The Overly Innocent Princess (Patreon)

Mermaid Cove.

The water shimmered with golden fragments of light as sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sea, casting dappled patterns on Shirahoshi's pink fish tail.

She gently flicked her caudal fin, sending droplets arcing through the air before they landed on Megalo's smooth dorsal fin. The round-headed shark nuzzled affectionately against her arm, a Sea Anemone Flower clutched in his jaws.

"Megalo, look at those corals over there—they're so much prettier than the ones in the Hard Shell Tower," Shirahoshi murmured, her voice soft and brimming with barely contained excitement.

Three days had passed since she left the Hard Shell Tower, and every minute of those days felt like stolen time. To walk on soft sea sand beneath the morning sun, to bask in the songs of the Fishmen—these were things she had only dared to dream of before, yet now they had become reality.

But when her gaze drifted toward the shallows nearby, a faint mist clouded her aquamarine eyes.

Bahr was surrounded by a group of Fishman sisters, laughing and teasing. One with wavy long hair playfully pushed him onto her back, and he actually went along with it, even tugging at the pearl necklace draped over her chest, making her blush and swat at his arm.

Another Fishman girl, holding a shell tambourine, leaned in, and Bahr swayed his legs to the rhythm of her beats, humming a disjointed tune that sent the surrounding Fishmen into fits of giggles.

The sunlight bathed him, softening the edges of his profile in its glow. Yet the ease with which he mingled with others felt like an invisible barrier, keeping her at a distance.

"Princess, is something wrong?" Jimbei's voice came from beside her. He had been standing guard by the nearby reef, his eyes filled with concern as he watched her.

For these three days, he hadn't left her side—not because he didn't trust Bahr, but because he simply couldn't rest easy!

Shirahoshi flinched at the question, quickly lowering her head. Her slender fingers twisted the hem of her dress, and her caudal fin instinctively curled inward, startling Megalo into burrowing deeper into her embrace.

"N-Nothing…" Her voice was barely a whisper, though a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Jimbei took one look at her expression and could already guess what was troubling her. Softening his tone, he spoke as if coaxing a child, "Do you have something on your mind? You can tell this old man."

The waves lapped gently against the rocks.

Shirahoshi bit her lower lip, hesitating for a long moment before finally lifting her damp eyes, her voice tinged with hurt. "Mr. Jimbei… do you think… Bahr-sama hates me?"

"What? Of course not!" Jimbei blinked, then shook his head. "The Guild Leader promised to protect you, hasn't he? And he's kept that promise these past few days."

"But he never talks to me," Shirahoshi murmured even quieter, her caudal fin lightly splashing the water, dampening the hem of her dress. "Aren't we… supposed to get married? But he barely even looks at me. Earlier, I wanted to bring him some Sea Grapes, but I couldn't even bring myself to go near him…"

"Married?!" Jimbei's temple instantly beaded with sweat, and he waved his hands frantically. "Princess, you mustn't forget—that was just a ruse! The announcement was only made to lure Vander Decken out!"

As he looked into Shirahoshi's clear aquamarine eyes, he sighed inwardly. This princess was simply too innocent—had she mistaken their temporary scheme for the truth?

Shirahoshi was stunned by his words, her eyes reddening even more. Glittering tears, like broken strings of pearls, rolled down her cheeks and onto the scales of her fish tail, refracting into tiny fragments of light.

"I... I know it's fake..." Her voice trembled with sobs, her caudal fin weakly slapping the water's surface. "But even if it's just acting... he wouldn't spare me a single glance..."

Ah, is it because I'm too big? Did I scare him? Or am I just too foolish, unable to even speak properly...

Jimbei sighed inwardly at Shirahoshi's tearful expression and softened his tone to explain, "Bahr has always been a carefree person. He probably didn't think much—"

He glanced at Bahr, who was happily playing, and swallowed the words "he treats everyone the same."

"R-Really?" Shirahoshi lifted her head, her aqua-blue eyes shimmering with a glimmer of hope.

"Have I ever lied to you?" Jimbei chuckled, pointing toward the shallows. "See? He's having fun with everyone now. Maybe he thinks the princess is too timid and didn’t want to startle you?"

Shirahoshi followed his gaze just in time to see Bahr being dragged into deeper waters by a Fishman sister. Surprisingly, he didn’t resist—instead, he playfully splashed water in her face, eliciting a chorus of giggles from the onlookers.

As she watched, the blush on her cheeks deepened. Her caudal fin gave a gentle flick, splashing water onto Jimbei without her noticing, as she murmured under her breath, "B-But even if it's just acting... he doesn’t get close to me..."

The unspoken longing in her words was like a seashell left unburied, its timid glow shimmering under the sunlight.

Jimbei observed her with a mix of amusement and sympathy, scratching the back of his head as he mumbled, "Young people's affairs are hard to predict... Maybe once he's done, he'll come talk to you on his own."

Shirahoshi fell silent, her gaze lingering on Bahr while her caudal fin swayed gently in the water, rocking Megalo until he yawned drowsily.

The warm sunlight bathed her, yet the inexplicable ache in her heart ebbed and flowed like the tide, never truly receding.

Princess Shirahoshi secretly wondered—was she not good enough? Was that why Bahr would rather play with others than come see her?

Before the laughter in the shallows could fade, Bahr pushed through the crowd and began walking toward her.

He had just been playfully forced to take a few sips of Seaweed Wine by the Fishman sisters, his collar still damp with droplets. Spotting Shirahoshi by the reef in the distance, he hesitated for a moment before striding over.

Shirahoshi's caudal fin stiffened abruptly, as if frozen in place. Her aqua-blue eyes widened as Bahr drew closer, her cheeks flushing crimson, her fingertips trembling faintly.

Megalo seemed to sense his master's nervousness, flicking his tail restlessly and splashing water onto the hem of her dress.

"B-Bahr... sir..." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, half-lost to the sea breeze the moment it left her lips. Her caudal fin instinctively retreated behind the reef, as though she wanted to hide herself away.

Bahr stopped a few steps away, his gaze sweeping over her figure, which nearly filled half the shallows, his heart unmoved.

Standing at over 11 meters tall, her height was simply too conspicuous. Forget about entertaining any other thoughts—just looking up at her required craning one's neck, making any notion of intimacy utterly impossible.

Add to that the princess's tendency to tear up at the drop of a hat. He had always loathed comforting people, so naturally, he couldn't be bothered to approach her.

"Mhm." His tone was indifferent, a perfunctory acknowledgment at best, as his gaze shifted toward the distant horizon.

That dismissive response pricked Shirahoshi's heart like a tiny needle. Her shoulders slumped slightly, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt tighter, her eyes quickly welling up with moisture. Yet she bit down hard on her lower lip, refusing to let the tears fall.

She knew she shouldn't feel hurt, but her heart felt clogged with something heavy, aching dully.

"Mr. Bahr," Jimbei interjected at just the right moment, his tone grave. "It's been three days, and Vander Decken still hasn't made a move."

Bahr withdrew his gaze, his fingers tapping lightly against his side. Just as he was about to speak, his brow suddenly arched as he looked up at the sky.

"Shirahoshi! So you are here!" A hoarse roar tore through the air as a massive axe came hurtling toward them, aimed straight at Shirahoshi!

Vander Decken IX rode atop the axe's handle, his long hair whipped into disarray by the wind, his face twisted with fury. "Shirahoshi! You're mine! No one can take you from me!"

"Eek—!" Shirahoshi shrieked in terror, her massive body instinctively shrinking behind Bahr. Her pink caudal fin flapped frantically, sending a splash of water that soaked Bahr's pant leg.

"Lord Bahr!" Her voice trembled with tears. Despite the vast difference in their sizes, she now resembled a frightened cub seeking shelter, treating him as her sole protector.

Bahr's expression darkened. Without turning around, he simply raised a hand and pressed it lightly toward the air.

The roaring axe suddenly slammed into an invisible barrier, jerking to a halt mid-flight. The blade vibrated with a resonant hum, yet couldn't advance another inch.

Vander Decken IX's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible!"

"Three days, and you finally show yourself." Bahr's tone dripped with mockery as he regarded the man with amusement. "You really do have patience, don't you?"