Chapter 4 - The Mermaid Princess's Little Brother

Translator's Note:

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Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

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After parting with Glen in the underground grotto, Rito continued to weep on his way back to the royal castle at the ocean's depths. As soon as he transformed into a merman again, tears immediately welled up in his eyes. Mermaid tears turn into pearls... As the human legend went, the droplets that touched the seawater scattered as pearls. But here, no one would see him. No one would notice. No matter how much he cried or raised his voice, he didn't want to disturb his family.

 

"Dear little Prince Rito... If you weep so much, why not return to Prince Glen? I see all. You are in love with the prince, are you not?"

 

Just before reaching the castle, the young man heard a familiar voice. The youthful, girlish voice didn't match the old-fashioned way of speaking... the voice of his sixth older sister. Of all his sisters, the sixth had the most beautiful voice... She gave it up to the witch in exchange for becoming human. That's why the witch continued to use it even now that his sister had disappeared.

 

Rito stopped and, drawn by the voice, cast his gaze upon the dark ocean floor.

 

"I treated your older sister harshly, but you're different. If you cannot become Prince Glen's bride, you'll turn into sea foam and disappear... I won't impose such senseless conditions on you."

 

(The witch of the sea floor is calling me... Whatever she says, I mustn't listen.)

 

"I just... want one treasure. If you give it to me, then in the future I will not interfere. How about it? A fair deal, isn't it?"

 

Following the voice carried into the distance by her magic, Rito approached the witch's dwelling, made of oyster shells, skeletons, and strange tentacles.

 

"Come now... Step further into the dwelling, Prince Rito. I too am a woman and do not mind indulging a young lad. I have prepared a potion for you under special terms."

 

"Will I be able to become human? In exchange for my voice, like my older sister?"

 

"No, you won't lose your voice. Your legs won't even hurt. Listen carefully, Prince Rito. It is always so that each new option works better than the last. The potion I have crafted for you is better than the one I brewed for the sixth princess. For it contains more of my blood than what I gave your sister."

 

"Your blood?.."

 

"Indeed. From ancient times, neither poisons nor medicines have any effect on a mermaid's body. But with stronger magic and the help of my blood, I can make you human."

 

Don't listen to the witch's words... Despite the strict warnings from his father and sisters, the image of a human life had already blossomed in the young man's imagination. Standing on two legs, dressed and wearing shoes, by Prince Glen's side... He would be able to have a real conversation with him, listen to his worries, and discuss their thoughts on the books they've read.

 

All he needed was just to be near him. He was happy even as a dolphin, but if possible, he wanted to be even closer. The young man longed to spend his days with him, not just some brief moments before sleep.

 

"What should I do? I don't have a treasure that would interest you."

 

Rito, pushing through sticky tentacles, entered the cave and made his way deeper into the dwelling, averting his gaze from the piles of skeletons. Here and there, nets filled with glowing jellyfish hung like eerie lanterns.

 

"What I seek are your eyes. Nowhere in the world can one find a blue as radiant as yours. With my magic, I shall transform them into sapphires. The mere thought of using them for adornment already brings me great delight."

 

He reached the depths of the dwelling, where he finally met the witch. He had heard she was once an ugly old mermaid, but now, from the waist up, she appeared as a human girl. It seemed she had stolen his sister's voice and some human beauty's figure. From her bloated waist down to the tip of her tail, she remained old, clashing with her upper half. Hardened scales, rotting tail fins, and the traces of peeling skin gave her a ragged appearance.

 

"This is... problematic. If I lose my eyes, I won't be able to see Lord Glen's face."

 

"Let it be just one eye, it won't make much difference. Am I not a kind witch? Come now, just drink the potion, and you will instantly become human. And one more thing... I've prepared a forged letter of recommendation so your wish to stay near the prince can come true. I copied the handwriting of the ruler of Fyun's sister, who married the king of the northern country. Thanks to this, starting tomorrow, you could become his page."

 

The witch's voice, stripped of any trace of magic, was the soft voice of his elder sister... and he wanted to believe it. Rito wasn't afraid of losing an eye, for his heart was already soaring in a world of dreams. He couldn't become the prince's bride or lover, but if he had a chance to stay by his side as a servant, he would take it, even if it meant never being able to return to the sea.

 

"I won't turn into sea foam, even if I fall in love, right?"

 

Reaching for the bottle of potion, the young man timidly glanced at the witch's face. It seemed that, despite obtaining a beautiful woman's body, she could hardly use it for long—parts of her skin had already started to rot. It was terrifying, but the potion, which would allow him to stay close to Glen as a human, tempted him, and he couldn't retreat.

 

"You won't turn into sea foam, but... if you're not careful, something even worse may happen. It's winter now, but in spring, when the ice covering the northern country melts, ships will begin to sail between lands, and the royal family from the north will arrive. The king of Fyun's sister will come too. If that happens... they'll suspect you of being a spy who used a forged letter to get close to the prince. You will be tortured, and you'll suffer so much you'll wish for death."

 

"Tortured... ugh?! I don't want Lord Glen to suspect me of spying!"

 

"Listen carefully. According to the laws of the sea, you cannot confess that you're a merman or a dolphin. If you break this rule, your heart will stop, and you will die."

 

"If I confess, I'll die... But if I don't, then in spring I'll be tortured to death, is that it?"

 

"In the worst case, that will indeed be the outcome. In other words, by spring, you must earn the prince's absolute trust so that, should the forged letter be discovered, he will protect you. Otherwise, you will endure horrific punishment. However, if you succeed, you can stay with Prince Glen as a human for the rest of your days."

 

After the witch's words, Rito couldn't breathe for a moment. His sister, who should have lived for two hundred, even three hundred years, had turned into sea foam at fifteen. This witch was using her beautiful voice as if it were her own. It was horrifying and unforgivable, but... still, the young merman couldn't tear his gaze away from the magical potion.

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