The turtle, who had put the filleting knife back in his bundle, trembled as he dragged the two people outside.

Even then, the Crown Prince couldn’t take his eyes off Rosé’s legs. A deeper blue light swirled around his fins.

* * *

The Blue Sea Pavilion was originally a resting place for court eunuchs. That rest area, with only bedding, a desk, and a small table, quickly transformed into a prison for the two humans.

The only entrance, a sliding paper door, was blocked by magical energy that looked like a net. The turtle said they would get burned if they touched it.

Still, they were treated as “healers” for now, so the magical energy didn’t seem particularly strong.

“This actually worked out well. We’ve bought some time.”

Lian said, sitting cross-legged comfortably on a cushion. Rosé also went to the cushion opposite him and sat down awkwardly.

“What do you plan to do now?”

His voice was thorny. In truth, he had been gloomy the entire journey to the Blue Sea Pavilion. Rosé’s brightened face had contributed to that depression.

“What else? I need to find the sword while treating the Crown Prince.”

The moment the word ‘treatment’ came out, Lian exhaled a deep sigh.

Rosé was already overflowing with enthusiasm, altering her Black Cloak to make it even shorter. She wielded scissors excitedly, seemingly unconcerned with the item’s effects, cutting until it became mere scraps of fabric.

The newly transformed Black Cloak was now an obscene dress that barely covered the essential parts. Lian’s sigh deepened.

“That treatment…… it’s s*men absorption, right?”

“If you know, why ask?”

“Yes, of course. My mistake.”

Lian groaned, unable to hold back. Yet his gaze remained fixed on her tattered Black Cloak. Would she really wear that for ‘treatment’?

“……That Crown Prince’s gaze didn’t look particularly good.”

Lian summarized his complicated feelings with a few words of advice. No, he thought he could. He would have if not for Rosé’s next words.

“Really? I thought he looked fine. He’s extremely handsome. His fins looked so smooth and thick, very gallant.”

A vein bulged on Lian’s handsomely rounded forehead. He didn’t mind her dismissive tone toward him. But handsome? Did she think that fish was more handsome than him?

Lian clenched his fist tightly, suppressing another aspect of his personality from emerging.

The once-debauched hero’s character hadn’t disappeared. Only after several deep breaths could he control his violent thoughts.

“Fine. Do as you please, but please be careful. Miss.”

“……Don’t act like a butler.”

Rosé pressed her lips together, regretting her unintentionally grumpy words.

“You would have preferred a lover over a butler, but alright. I’ll try.”

Rosé glared at him, no longer hiding his lustful heart, then sharply turned her head away.

Lian chuckled lightly, then sighed again seeing the Black Cloak with its back completely exposed.

He wished he could stop her, willing to beg for any task—even servitude—if only she would let him.

“How…… have you been at the Imperial Palace?”

Lian couldn’t bear even a moment of silence and spoke to her. The butler who had found the possessed person annoying two years ago had completely vanished.

He merely gazed endlessly at her profile, just a pitiful man struggling with unrequited love. He had only recently realized this himself.

“You’ve seen everything through the system anyway. You must know what I’ve been doing.”

“……”

Yes, he had watched almost daily. It wasn’t something to be proud of, but even while cleaning or washing dishes, he had glanced at that small system screen.

Especially at 8 AM and 10 PM, he would open the sight-sharing window without fail. Those were the times she looked in the mirror.

But even he had days when he didn’t open the sight-sharing window.

Days plagued by nightmares. Coincidentally, some of those days were when she had been in danger. The day she almost got crushed by the Giant Scorpion and the day the boundary appeared in Monchen.

He should have rushed to save her. Instead of leaving her to some random men.

No, that was just an excuse. The real reason he sometimes couldn’t open the sight-sharing window was because he hated seeing her mixing bodies with other men. He deliberately didn’t open it. He had already seen enough in his nightmares.

“When we get out of here, won’t you return to Blue Rock?”

His honest feelings finally emerged. Rosé didn’t answer.

He wanted to add that her belongings were still there exactly as she left them, and ask if she knew how much effort he put into restoring everything to its original state, but Lian couldn’t.

Just then, the turtle’s voice came from beyond the sliding door.

“Prepare to go to the East Palace. His Highness commands only the wench to come.”

Rosé stood up, letting her long hair fall below her chest. Lian spoke softly to her, who remained silent.

“Take care. I’ll be waiting.”

Rosé turned her back and disappeared with the turtle who opened the door. The sliding door remained closed for a long time that day.

* * *

The East Palace was magnificent enough to draw gasps. The building, lavishly decorated with peacock feather-like blue tiles, was so tall that one had to crane their neck to barely see the eaves.

Rosé walked along the corridor, sandwiched between the turtle in front and seahorses with tridents behind.

While doing so, she searched for possible escape routes, but it wasn’t easy due to the guards standing watch.

“This is the place.”

They had reached the Crown Prince’s bedroom. The turtle opened a small side door used by court ladies to bring in meals and pushed Rosé’s back.

Inside, four giant shrimp soldiers drooped their sharp whiskers. They were B-tier monsters that attacked with their whisker spines.

Rosé gulped and knelt down where the turtle indicated. A black veil blocked her view like a curtain. Through it, she could faintly see the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, I have brought the wench. Please question her comfortably.”

With the help of a court lady, the Crown Prince descended from his bed and approached Rosé.

Although the silk veil separated them, she could feel him staring down at her.

After observing her intently for a while, the Crown Prince lifted his chin and spoke.

“All fish attendants, withdraw.”

The turtle blinked his eyes. The shrimps also raised their tails, showing signs of confusion. The Crown Prince spoke in a sterner voice to those who remained motionless.

“I say this because I don’t want to reveal my shame, so withdraw without delay.”

“B-but, Your Highness……”

“I may be frail, but I am a man. If I cannot handle one human woman alone, how will I care for state affairs in the future?”

When the palace attendants still wouldn’t leave, the Crown Prince sighed and compromised.

“I will allow eavesdropping with conch shells. If there’s danger, the fish attendants will know immediately. Withdraw.”

“We apologize. We will follow Your Highness’s will.”

Only then did the turtle and shrimps disappear outside the door. Rosé, secretly pleased that the watchers had gone, raised the corners of her mouth, and the Crown Prince, who noticed this with uncanny perception, also smiled.

“Was your journey difficult?”

“I am overwhelmed by your concern……”

Rosé smiled, awkwardly mimicking historical drama speech. The Crown Prince smiled again.

It was kindness possible only from someone who didn’t know that ‘treating an illness’ meant sending him to his grave.

“However, to treat you, shouldn’t we be closer than this?”

With those words, the Crown Prince lightly flicked his tail, pushing the black silk veil aside. With the obstacle removed, his handsome face smiling gently became visible. And also……

‘Oh my god.’

Merfolk naturally went bare-chested. Saliva threatened to drip from Rosé’s open mouth.

The Crown Prince, sensing her blatant gaze, swept his hair, which had been draped below his chest, behind his shoulders.

When pale pink n*pples on his fair chest were revealed, Rosé nearly lost her mind.

“You may come closer.”

“Ah…… um.”

Just as a drop of drool was about to fall, the Crown Prince beckoned to her. Rosé wiped her mouth and followed him, entranced.

The Crown Prince placed his fins on the floor and sat demurely by the bedside. His tail fluttered like a puppy begging its owner to play.

“Fish doctors examine before treatment. You may feel my body too.”

“Sh-should I?”

“Yes, I would appreciate if you tell me what the problem is.”

Rosé slurped up her pooled saliva and washed her hands in the water bowl prepared by the court ladies.

While she dried her hands with a towel, the Crown Prince watched her small hands without missing a moment.

It felt heated. Clearing her throat unnecessarily, she took the Crown Prince’s hand first to check his pulse. Having seen this done somewhere, she pretended to feel his pulse with her eyes closed.

“……Hmm, just as I thought.”

Rosé opened her eyes, narrowing her brows, pretending to be serious.

“It’s selective stimulus deficiency syndrome.”

It’s erectile dysfunction.

“What is that?”

What else? It’s a disease where you can’t get it up without two legs.