“So you’re telling me to… kill that male with this dagger?”

Vivianne desperately hoped she had misheard, but Annabel nodded firmly.

“This is absurd,” Vivianne muttered in disbelief.

She knew they were dealing with a witch. Though Annabel spoke lightly about it, Vivianne understood she was downplaying the situation to avoid causing her worry. She had expected that nullifying the contract wouldn’t be easy, but k*lling Kian? The shocking suggestion left her stunned.

“Princess, look at me,” Annabel said, staring directly into Vivianne’s wavering blue eyes. “I know it won’t be easy. I’m not saying you should stab him right away—this is just a precaution. I don’t want you trapped or manipulated by this contract.”

Vivianne remained silent.

“Perhaps this is my selfishness speaking—wanting you to return to the sea. I admit that. But the situation is completely one-sided. If you’re unhappy, shouldn’t you have a way to escape?”

True, she hadn’t been happy. Perhaps she never would be. Kian alternated between tenderness and threats, taming her and constricting her until she couldn’t move.

When he backed her into corners using others’ wellbeing, she would cry and beg until finally surrendering everything. There was no escape route—only docile submission to his will. That was the only answer Kian allowed.

When confronted with harsh reality, her desires to be with him and bear his child seemed fleeting, like dreams.

Would k*lling Kian free her from him? Would it end these powerless days completely consumed by him?

Honestly, she resented his constant domineering attitude. She regretted her hasty decision and sometimes wanted to undo it. But could she really stab Kian with her own hands? Just for her own happiness?

“I can’t do it,” she said. The very thought was unimaginable. “That would be too cruel—not just to him, but to myself as well.” Vivianne lowered her eyelashes.

“I understand you love him, Princess. But does he love you too?”

Her inability to answer immediately filled her with sadness. Even if she wasn’t happy now, if she could be certain of his love, she could endure. Was even that a luxury in their relationship?

“Humans can’t love mermaids. They only imprison and possess them.”

When Vivianne hesitated to respond, Annabel supplied the answer herself. Could she deny it? Examining the situation, there was nothing incorrect about Annabel’s statement.

For a while, she had stayed in Kian’s room, doing as he commanded, waiting only for him. During that time, he had taken her day and night, and she couldn’t even go for walks alone without his permission.

How strange—despite becoming Kian’s only female, despite carrying him inside her again and again, she never felt like she possessed him. The only rebellion possible against this one-sided ownership was wearing a mask, hiding her true self, preventing him from consuming her entirely.

“But Annabel, I want to make him happy.”

It didn’t matter if she couldn’t have him. Even if she lost a part of herself, if it made Kian happy, that would be enough.

“Besides, how could I find happiness after hurting him?” That much, at least, was certain.

“Regardless of who it is, harming others for my own happiness is wrong,” Vivianne answered calmly, wiping her wet face with the back of her hand.

“Princess…”

“I’m sorry, Annabel. I appreciate your concern, but I absolutely won’t run away from the choice I made.”

Determining her future was something no one else could do for her—she had to take responsibility herself.

“I’m no longer a child, nor a princess. I can’t use ignorance as an excuse for my decisions.” 

Annabel remained silent.

“I want to see this through to the end without giving up. Please trust me, Annabel.”

Though her cheeks grew wet again despite having just dried them, expressing her true feelings gave her a sense of relief.

After a moment of silence, Annabel finally pulled her lips into a smile, her face filled with concern.

“I’m not trying to force you. I just wanted to help. Everything I said was for your benefit—who else would go this far for you?”

“I know. Thank you, Annabel.”

“Princess…” Annabel sheathed the blade and pressed the dagger into Vivianne’s hands, clasping them firmly. “Sometimes in life, you need to be selfish to protect yourself. That’s true for me too. This is partly for you, but also for myself. I can’t live without you, Princess. I can’t even imagine anything happening to you.”

Vivianne remained silent.

“Could you at least take it with you as an option? It would ease my mind. I’m sorry if I’ve been selfish.”

Her hands pressed firmly against Vivianne’s, conveying a complex mixture of desperation and concern.

“Please, at least keep it with you.”

Vivianne couldn’t refuse to take the dagger that Annabel had sacrificed her precious hair to obtain.

“Alright. I’ll consider this simply a gift from you and treasure it while thinking of you. Thank you, Annabel.”

“That’s not the only gift I have for you, Princess.”

“What?”

“There’s something else in the pouch. Would you like to check?”

Inside the pouch was a golden compass—something she had always carried when she was a mermaid.

“This is what you treasured, so I brought it along.”

“You’re truly the only one who understands me, Annabel.”

“Don’t say such things. If I’m the only one you have, why did you leave me behind?”

Though Annabel grumbled, Vivianne knew she cared for her more than anyone else. Her heart swelled with emotion.

“Will we be able to meet again?”

“You can return to the sea. I’ll always be waiting in the same place.”

“No… I won’t go back,” Vivianne said firmly. “I’ll work hard to find happiness here.”

“You’re hopeless. Still as stubborn as ever.”

When Vivianne spoke with determination, Annabel’s expression suggested she had already surrendered.

“I’ll be waiting too. For you to find happiness.”

A faint smile crossed Annabel’s face. Though their methods differed, it seemed she was wishing for Vivianne’s happiness in her own way.

“I should go now. I snuck out too, you know.”

“Wait a moment.” Vivianne untied the lace ribbon from her loosely braided hair and tied it prettily around Annabel’s wrist. “It’s beautiful.”

“What is this?”

“It’s called a ribbon. I learned about it here.”

Annabel curiously fingered the ribbon tied around her wrist. “I don’t quite understand what it is, but since you gave it to me, I’ll always cherish it and think of you.”

“Thank you,” Vivianne said, forcing a bright smile. “You must be happy too, Annabel.”

Would they ever see each other again? That day seemed impossibly distant.

* * *

“Are you really being discharged?”

An uninvited guest had barged into Kian von Larson’s suite. Apparently, news of his visit to the Naval Headquarters yesterday had reached Dante Garcia’s ears.

“Yes,” Kian replied with an irritatingly curt answer. Dante’s brow furrowed indignantly.

“I already told my family I was extending my service because of you. You never mentioned anything about this to me. Don’t you think that’s unfair?”

“Sorry,” Kian offered a somewhat formal apology. While fastening his cufflinks, he looked only at the mirror, not sparing Dante even a glance.

“What caused this sudden change of heart?”

“Just got tired of it.”

“You don’t even put effort into your excuses. Am I really your friend?”

Despite Dante’s protests, Kian merely smiled faintly.

“Is this an order from above?”

The smile disappeared from Kian’s face after this question.

Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Dante quickly waved his hands. “No, just speculation. You received medals for your achievements—it’s strange that the Admiral wouldn’t try to keep you.”

“Find out for yourself. Don’t bother asking me.”

“You heartless b*stard. Of course I could easily find out, but I wanted to hear it from you. Preferably before you went through with it.”

“It wasn’t the right fit for me to begin with.”

This was the first time Dante had heard such words from Kian, who had graduated top of his class at the naval academy and had never once complained about the long voyages, always remaining impassive. Now, his gaze was finally fixed on Dante.

“So I decided to stop forcing myself. That’s all. Is that answer sufficient?”

Dante’s eyes widened at this unexpectedly considerate response. He had only complained because he felt hurt by Kian’s indifferent attitude.

“Hey, why have you suddenly become so soft? Is this the power of love?”

“Get out if you’re going to talk nonsense.”

“They say people who change suddenly are about to die. What’s wrong with you? You’re scaing me.”

“Get out.”

In good spirits now, Dante simply grinned despite the harassment, unfazed by Kian’s attitude.

“Once you’re discharged, the Stewards will push for marriage. What are you planning to do?”

It was a reasonable question, as military service had been the biggest obstacle to the Duke of Larson’s marriage.

“If a declaration of war didn’t work, I suppose I’ll have to use more forceful methods now,” Kian replied in a casual tone, like someone discussing changing simple room decorations.

“By the way, about that woman you picked up…”