Even though he was dressed in a maid uniform, he was clearly treating me as a lady.

‘Even the farewell is nice.’

Since I am a maid, there’s no need to say things like “have a good time” or “rest well.” But luck is something everyone needs.

‘I like it a lot. Unbelievably.’

There couldn’t be any affection between us just after meeting.

So, I could easily love Shailo Silverrose.

Kissing him, whispering words of love, exchanging passionate feelings… Eventually, I could hold a dagger in these hands.

‘It seems possible.’

My heart raced.

Excited at the thought of finding a way to not kill Merem, I turned my body hastily.

“!”

As soon as I did, a familiar shadow fell over my head. The energy that I hadn’t noticed while with the Duke poured toward me.

“…Leo.”

When the heavy voice penetrated my ears.

I felt pulled back into reality, tasting the bitter aftertaste of being caught off guard.

My chest ached.

Afterward, Merem treated me as usual, as if nothing had happened.

I was the one who got pricked and looked for his reaction.

Why do I feel like I have a fickle husband who abandoned his duty and became a wanderer? Well.

“How’s the water temperature?”

“It’s fine.”

So, tonight, I treated Merem much more casually than usual.

Normally, I would never let him do something like this himself, but today, the words “you can’t” didn’t come out.

‘I never felt this way when I met various men at parties before Merem confessed.’

Ah, maybe it was just because I didn’t like the person then…?

“That’s enough.”

Kneeling with one knee, Merem lowered himself and personally washed my feet. After delicately wiping them with a soft towel, he soon kissed my knees.

Although I flinched and pulled my legs back, he persisted.

It couldn’t be helped that he approached as much as he retreated. I had to yield.

“…The Sirens are coming.”

I spoke without thinking and my voice broke at the end.

I cleared my throat and continued.

“All the crew members on this ship need to plug their ears with wet cotton. Siren songs are deadly; they enchant people and make them fall into the sea.”

“Got it.”

“I did bring soldiers who have experience fighting on a ship, but still, it’s an unfavorable battle for us. It’s better to be cautious.”

I wished for no casualties, but I had no intention of stopping this preliminary battle just because a small danger arose.

If it ended up being half-hearted, it would become a laughingstock and could have been remembered as a legend.

It was right to continue the event and find a way to protect without harm.

“Can we send reconnaissance troops through the water spirits?”
I raised Merem’s chin with gentle words. Then he replied quietly, his eyes cast down.

“If you wish.”

“We should talk while looking into each other’s eyes.”

“Not now… I don’t want to.”

It wasn’t as nonchalant as it seemed. It seems he saw me having a meal with the Duke.

Unable to find the right words, I closed my mouth, unsure of what to say.

Merem, looking somewhat irritated, closed his eyes tightly, then slowly lifted his eyelids.

“I know there’s no reason for you to love me. I have only one wish. To allow me to love you.”

He spoke quickly with a somewhat rough tone.

It seemed like he was appealing with his reddened raw flesh.

Merem was pleading, blaming me for not doing it any other way.

“I know. I know everything.”

“Just… I can’t understand why it doesn’t work.”

Having vented that much, Merem closed his mouth again and reached for the bowl of cream.

With his large and warm hands massaging my feet, which had been tired from wearing uncomfortable shoes and walking all day, I felt relieved.

Then, Merem accidentally traced the peach bones with his thumb. The thin ankle gripped by his hand looked like it was wearing shackles, and as I hesitated, Merem quickly withdrew his hand.

But the warmth he left lingered there for a long time.

“…We need the core that the leader Siren’s female possesses.”

As I hesitated, I started stroking Merem’s head.

He wouldn’t apologize, and he wouldn’t tell me why it wasn’t working.

I only hoped that messing up his hair playfully might help him loosen up.

“It’s a creature with a core, so probably, it will voluntarily give up the core when it sees me. Making me complete is an honor for them.”

“He wouldn’t go into the sea himself, would he?”

Merem, who had been quietly listening to my story, frowned.

I wrapped his cheek in my hand and whispered affectionately.

“You’ll protect me, won’t you?”

Originally, I could breathe both underwater and in high skies.

Now that I had become human, I couldn’t be so omnipotent, so I needed help.

Merem was a corner of me that I believed in.

“Even if it’s a hundred-year-old core, it’ll be silent, so it’ll be a great help to me. I need it to confront my siblings.”

Although the idea of jumping into the sea myself didn’t seem very appealing, I didn’t change my mind.

Even if Merem fought with the power of the Elemental King, that would be in the event that the leader didn’t give up the core.