Chapter 1 - The Mermaid Princess's Little Brother

Translator's Note:

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I had six older sisters. My sixth sister fell in love and turned into sea foam, leaving me with a statue made of white marble. It was surrounded by pink seaweed, and my sister cherished it deeply. The statue resembled the prince my sister had fallen in love with. To me, he was a hateful person, someone who had hurt my sister and caused her to turn into foam...

 

I always thought that way, because I didn't understand my sister's feelings—until I fell in love myself.

 

***

 

The seabed, where the mermaid king's castle stood, was colored like the sky at sunset. It was the shade between evening and night, when the redness of the sunset fades but the brilliance of the colors remains. The sand on the bottom shimmered like crushed sapphire, and the walls of the royal palace were made of coral. Instead of glass windows, there was amber, and the roof was a giant shell with a pearl inside. And because the blue sand retained light, it was never too dark, even at night.

 

And yet, when the light fell from the distant sky, the roof shimmered with all seven colors of the rainbow, which was truly beautiful. As if rejoicing at the dawn, the mollusk opened its shell, revealing the pearl inside. If humans from the surface saw it, they would probably steal it to offer to the royal family or the aristocracy, which is why all humans who entered the mermaid king's palace were already dead.

 

"Rito, are you going to the surface again?" the eldest sister interrogated the young man on the night of the full moon.

 

When he honestly answered "yes," the second eldest sister surged forward.

 

"And you never get tired of doing this every day! Usually, after a few times, it becomes boring, and you realize that the seabed is the most beautiful place."

 

"Rito, you haven't fallen in love with a human girl, have you? I don't like this... I don't want another tragedy to happen. If something happens to you, our pride, neither mother, grandmother, nor father will be able to handle it."

 

In response to the words of his sisters, who were already married with children, Rito thanked them for their concern and reassured them that everything would be fine, as he had never met a human girl. This was not a lie. The one he longed for day and night was not a human girl, but a human prince.

 

Before he met the prince, all the humans Rito had known were dead, so no matter how many marble statues he saw, or how many paintings or books he salvaged from sunken ships, he wasn't particularly fond of humans. Instead, he greatly admired the land and the sky.

 

Everything changed when Rito turned fifteen. On the day of their fifteenth birthday, mermaids are allowed to visit the coveted land. This young merman was no exception—he adored the world above the surface. Fortunately, he was the son of the second wife, who belonged to the dolphin-blooded clan, so unlike his sisters, he could transform into a dolphin. In his mermaid form, he could only admire the land from afar, but as a dolphin, he could even communicate with humans.

 

(I must reach the surface as soon as possible! Today is Lord Glen's birthday!)

 

Rito swam out of the palace, energetically waving his tail as he headed toward the surface.

 

Whenever he met Glen Christian Ander, the first prince of the southern kingdom of Fyun, he would always transform into a dolphin on the way. But today, he remained a merman.

 

Rito had heard from Glen about the party on the ship tonight, so he knew he shouldn't get too close to the vessel. Secretly meeting him every evening in the underwater grotto, as the prince's dolphin friend, was a beautiful time to listen to his stories, but tonight, Rito was expecting something even more exciting.

 

(He said they tailored him a suit in in the shade of a deep scarlet rose... Ah, my heart is about to leap out of my chest. Bright colors look magnificent on Lord Glen's bronze skin. Blue, yellow, and of course black and white suit him too, but I still think red is the best. If I see Lord Glen up close in red and gold, I might just go blind!)

 

Rito gave a strong push with his tail toward the night sky. In the kingdom of his beloved prince, all the people had bronze skin. The white statue of the prince that his sixth older sister had fallen in love with was also beautiful, but he was so lovely he could be mistaken for a girl, and thus did not attract Rito's heart as a man.

 

The young merman dreamed of a strong and masculine prince. Glen was considered the most attractive man in the country, possessing stunning beauty, yet no one in the world would ever confuse him with a woman. The southern prince was tall and powerfully built, with a physique that made it clear he practiced fencing and horse riding. He had many hobbies, but his favorite was reading, and he would share interesting stories with Rito the dolphin.

 

He told these stories in a captivating, deep voice, speaking concisely but clearly. Rito, who also loved reading books salvaged from sunken ships, was deeply moved whenever they read the same book or felt the same emotions. Even stories that didn't seem interesting to him became fascinating when told by Glen, someone belonging the world above the sea.

 

(Even though it's night, the sea is brightly lit. It's a full moon tonight, but that's not the only reason. Ah... there are cannon salutes and the sound of fireworks! The whole country is celebrating Lord Glen's birthday!)

 

Now the light above the water's surface was clearly visible, and it was finally time to emerge. Finding the royal ship, Rito surfaced at a safe distance. The sounds of congratulatory salutes and fireworks, which he could hear from underwater, became even clearer.

 

Fire flowers bloomed in the sky. Golden flowers, so fitting for Glen, shone as if competing with the moon.

 

(They're dancing on the ship! Ah... furthest to the north, dressed in the red ceremonial suit... That's definitely Lord Glen. I must get an even closer look...)

 

Members of the royal family and nobility, dressed in magnificent costumes, danced to the music of the orchestra, while Glen's dance partners seemed to change one after another.

 

Fyun was a hot country, but as it was mid-winter, everyone was dressed warmly.Glen, too, was adorned in a long-sleeved garment, fitting for the season. As the day's illustrious guest, the prince was perpetually encircled by a throng of admirers, making it challenging to catch a glimpse of him from the sea. Yet, amidst the swirling dance, he could occasionally be spotted, moving with grace through the vibrant tapestry of celebration.

 

Girls, dressed in dresses with voluminous skirts, waited for their turn to dance with the birthday boy. The fabric of their skirts concealed two slender legs in high-heeled shoes.

 

(My sister wanted to have legs and ended up losing her voice, which was more beautiful than anyone else's. Though I now understand her feelings, I won't do the same. All I need is to simply swim to the underwater grotto and listen to his stories. No need to dance, no need to speak. I can see him every night, and when I'm in dolphin form, he can pet me and kiss me...)

 

Although the young man kept telling himself this, his heart still ached. Watching the grand celebration, Rito remembered the feeling of the prince's lips touching him. On the night when Glen's younger brother was born, in a moment of great joy, Glen had kissed him. He kissed him only that one night, but on that night, he pressed his lips to him again and again, joyfully saying, "I'm so fortunate to have a friend like you, and now, I'm also blessed with a little brother."

 

(Friends... I was so happy I couldn't express it in words. I am of the same gender as Lord Glen, and I know I cannot hope for anything more, but I was truly happy...)

 

Because his sister couldn't marry the fair-skinned prince, she turned into sea foam. And since both he and Glen were men... he couldn't even dream of the happy ending his sister longed for.

 

Rito, repeating to himself how happy he was, gazed at the distant ship with tear-filled eyes. He felt a surge of joy at seeing the prince, who typically visited the grotto dressed in riding or training attire, now resplendent in a magnificent suit, even if just from afar. He wished to cherish such beautiful moments in his memory, always grateful for them. The young merman longed for true happiness.

 

(Though I strive to think this way, my hopes continue to grow... I want to be even closer to him...)

 

If only he had legs. He would have wanted to become a human girl. From the waist up, Rito bore no distinction from humans, resembling a native of the northern lands. His pure white skin, rosy cheeks, and crimson lips, coupled with sea-green eyes and golden hair... Would such beauty, deemed lovely by the king—his father, his late mother, and sisters, also capture Glenn's heart? If he were to become a human girl, could he possibly become his beloved?

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