In the heart of the vast ocean, in the middle of the Atlantic where human eyes could never see, a massive barrier of sea foam rose up.

The turquoise sea churned, creating a grand chamber – a magnificent sight to behold, though sadly, no one was present to marvel at its splendor.

The Tritones, born from the same source with similar appearances, each bore slightly different forms depending on the regions they guarded and the histories they had lived through.

But one thing remained exactly the same among them all: their deep blue eyes filled with concern.

Their hearts were awash with anxiety as they rushed to answer the call of their master, their reflection, and their brother.

“The god of the sea has fallen in love with a human.”

The rumor that had spread in secret was true.

They had already sensed an unfamiliar ripple emanating from Triton, feeling that something had changed in his heart.

Some had already guessed that this gentle, warm ripple was love, but to think he had actually fallen in love with a human….

“Triton.”

The one wearing the gravest expression was Tartan, the Triton who had previously warned Triton about the possibility of such an event.

Among the Tritones, those who possessed their own names were rare. The nameless ones were simply ‘Tritones,’ and only those with notably strong influence and power received names from their master.

Tartan was the first Triton to receive a name after Triton himself.

Though strong and stubborn, he was also the most devoted to Triton among all the Tritones.

That’s why, as soon as Tartan heard rumors that Triton had taken in a human, he had immediately urged him to kill the woman.

He knew that the heart resembled the waves, susceptible to any wind that could suddenly swell its size. Therefore, he believed it needed to be cut off before it became irreversible. Even if such a thing didn’t happen, leaving a source of anxiety was itself dangerous.

But Triton had rejected his suggestion then, as he did now.

In truth, Tartan had already suspected something like this would happen.

‘It’s already too late.’

She has already taken root in his heart. Despite his prediction, he had desperately hoped it would be wrong. He had wished time and again that his foolish and hasty guess would be completely off the mark… but cruel fate, as always, had not spared him and had come crashing down.

“…Therefore, I am searching for a way to save my mate without sacrificing my tail. Wouldn’t many heads be better than one? Thus, I seek the wisdom of my brothers.”

Triton’s weighty voice, seated on the gigantic throne of waves, reached every Triton’s ear. Though his voice sounded unhurried, suggesting this was not an urgent matter, the content was anything but casual.

His tail? Triton’s tail, of all things!

It was an earth-shattering statement. For beings with the form of merfolk, the tail was as important as the heart.

They possessed remarkable regenerative and healing abilities, but once a tail was severed, it could never be restored. Moreover, the immense power they wielded to control and dominate the sea would become incomplete without their tail, the symbol of their marine lineage.

Yet their master had declared he would sacrifice even his tail to protect his ‘mate.’ And to hear that this mate was a ‘human’ turned the Tritones’ faces ashen.

“The rumors spreading across the sea were true…!”

“This cannot be, Triton! Without your tail, you cannot be called the ruler of the sea!”

“A human’s lifespan is finite anyway, is such a sacrifice truly necessary?”

“Change your mind. This is foolishness!”

“Was this Echidna’s revenge all along…?”

Hundreds, thousands of voices erupted from all sides. The relatively calm sea began to churn violently, and ripples spread outward from the chamber in concentric circles. The ripples soon transformed into waves, crashing against reefs and cliffs, shattering into fragments with a deafening roar.

Looking down at the clamoring Tritones, Triton raised his hand. Instantly, all sound ceased, and the turbulent waves froze, appearing transformed to ice.

In that sharp silence, Triton spoke again.

“I did not summon my brothers to ask for your approval or disapproval. I have already made my decision, and I have never once reversed a decision. The deadline Hecate proposed is seven days. If we cannot find another way within that time, I will proceed with Hecate’s spell. For your information, two of those seven days have already passed.”

At Triton’s declaration, the momentarily frozen Tritones erupted with even more vehement voices, but Triton simply sat on his throne, leisurely observing their debate.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t anxious.

However, he was genuinely prepared to cut off his tail if necessary, so having that last resort gave him a sense of composure.

Livia.

Triton thought of the small, soft body he had held in his arms just hours ago. He loved the warmth of her body, which instantly ignited his cool flesh.

He loved everything about her, but if he had to choose what he loved most, it would be the future they would share together.

‘We will experience so much more together, and we will overcome everything together.’

They would create countless memories worth remembering, and countless reasons why they couldn’t be without each other.

He was glad that the one he would share it with was Livia.

As foolish as his past time of ignoring her because she was human had been, Livia was a strong woman. Triton even found her remarkable stubbornness pleasing.

Because if that stubbornness was directed at him, if that fierce obsession was for him, it would undoubtedly make Triton ecstatic.

‘I haven’t heard her say she loves me yet…’

It was a pity, but they had infinite time remaining, so it didn’t matter. He planned to take it slow, not rushing her.

The warm hands that held him, the eyes filled with desire, the lips that eagerly accepted him – all of it told him that she wanted him.

He longed to hear the sweet whispers from those soft, sweet lips, but he intended to exercise patience.

Triton wanted to hear Livia confess her love when she could no longer contain herself. How intense would that overflowing emotion be?

When that moment came, Triton would gladly devour every drop of Livia’s overflowing emotions. If a little waiting was necessary for a gourmet meal, he was willing to endure it.

Thinking of his wife he had left on the bed, his heart, ironically, raced with urgency, despite his intention to have a leisurely discussion. However, the meeting, filled with excitement, showed no signs of ending.

Time passed, twilight faded, and the morning star rose, yet thousands of Tritones continued their furious debate.

And so, two full days passed in the blink of an eye.

***

…Will this work?

Livia wondered as she quietly descended the stairs of Triton’s palace. Her palms were damp with nervous sweat.

The surroundings were bright, so the staircase leading down to the basement was also clearly visible. Livia had deliberately chosen daytime instead of night. She thought it would seem much less suspicious that way.

Triton had increased Livia’s security when he left. A huge shark patrolled the palace constantly, and his confidant, Dugong, also roamed near Livia. Audike, who came in every hour to make idle conversation, also seemed to be under Triton’s orders.

Those watchful eyes wouldn’t disappear at night. On the contrary, if she tried to move secretly at night, she would undoubtedly arouse suspicion.

“Oh? Where are you going, Livia?”

“I’m feeling strangely tired. I heard the underground spring is good for recovery, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“Ah, the Spring of Recovery.”

“Yes, that one.”

Audike had already visited three times today. Livia pretended not to notice.

It was the palace spring, of all places, and originally so restricted that only Triton could enter, so Audike didn’t even offer to accompany her.

Taking a shaky breath, Livia stepped off the last stair. A familiar entrance came into view.

It was a place she had visited once before. The hot spring where she had first been embraced by Triton, the day she learned that his heart could turn red with arousal.

…If she hadn’t rushed here that day, would things have been different?

If she hadn’t been embraced by him, she would never have known that his heart could turn red, and she might have already disappeared into sea foam, failing the witch’s contract.

No, even if it hadn’t been then, she would have been drawn to Triton anyway, she thought. Looking back, he had always followed her with hungry eyes. That hungry gaze made her uneasy, yet strangely satisfied.

Perhaps, under the pretext of having to stab his heart, she had been indulging in her desire to be with him.

Reflecting on the past, Livia let out a small laugh.

It was pointless now to consider which choice would have been better and why things had unfolded the way they did. Whatever the process, Livia had embraced him deeply, and now she didn’t want to destroy anything about Triton.

She couldn’t let anything in the world harm him.

Even if that thing was her own love.

In front of the Spring of Recovery, Livia took a moment to compose herself. There was nowhere in this sea and on this land where she could escape his gaze. He would find her somehow. Therefore, there was only one place where Livia could hide.

The underworld….

Since she could never go there alive by her own power, she had no choice but to seek help.

With trembling lips, Livia called out to the one who could help her.