…She had been wrong. This was a fight that was unfavorable to her.

Though she tried to put on a brave front, now she had to accept reality. Livia glared at the witch while gritting her teeth that threatened to chatter. Sensing victory, Echidna let out a laugh and poured a wicked voice into Livia’s ear.

“Ailar.”

The incomprehensible word burrowed into Livia’s ear and was engraved on her soul. Echidna whispered beside Livia, who had frozen with a start.

“Whisper it when you meet your brother’s soul. It’s a spell that temporarily detoxifies the soul. Oh, don’t expect more. I’ve made it so it can only be used once, so it won’t work again.”

As Echidna stepped back, waves like black smoke rose behind her.

“You say you’ll ask Triton for help? Go ahead, try it. If you want to see your brother’s soul pickled in evil poison and thrown into eternal torment!”

Though the witch’s form completely disappeared into the black waves in an instant, her voice shook Livia’s mind like the lingering aftermath of a storm.

“I’m not hungry. But sister looks hungry. Eat this.”

“Sister’s name is now Livia. Livia Horn! Sister is part of our family now!”

Lete….

Livia collapsed on the spot as if all strength had left her body, covering her pale face with one hand. An immense sense of powerlessness heavily pressed down on her delicate shoulders.

***

Mother’s sea was vast and desolate.

It was much bluer and more sparkling than the Aegean Sea where Triton resided, and with no islands or continents nearby, it was a place where only the sea stretched endlessly.

Like a sky without a single cloud, beneath a horizon without a single reef protruding, dwelled Amphitrite – daughter of the ocean, wife of Poseidon, and Triton’s birth mother.

Amphitrite’s palace, adorned with crystals containing the color of water, pearls, and red coral, had a different elegance from Triton’s golden castle which gave off a grand and splendid feeling. Of course, since it was a space where only females existed, Triton’s impression might have been particularly gentle.

As Triton entered the palace, tiny cute shrimp swirled around him like a whirlpool, performing a welcoming dance.

Though it was quite adorable and touching to see these finger-sized creatures with their tiny bean-like eyes twinkling as they performed for the great guardian of the sea, unfortunately, their king had no time to enjoy such things now.

At Triton’s light gesture, the small crustaceans flailed away into the distance. He thought he heard something like a scream, but pretended not to hear it as he headed to the top of the palace.

Every time he moved and created waves, secretive gazes followed him. Those who shyly hid their forms behind pillars and rocks observed Triton with curious eyes. Though it was natural, it was annoying every time.

Triton was the only male allowed in this place that was practically a female sanctuary.

Amphitrite didn’t even allow her husband into her palace.

She harshly criticized him, saying it was obvious that unwanted bastards would be created in abundance if his seed were to be released in her sea.

The emperor, who wielded his lower body no less than Zeus, respected his wife’s opinion without objection.

The reason Amphitrite allowed Triton’s entry was not only because he was her beloved firstborn, but also because he had never once done anything that displeased her eyes.

Especially in terms of cleanliness, tranquility, and modesty, which she valued most, no one had satisfied her more than her son.

A god who doesn’t carelessly spread his seed while caught up in pleasure. How precious a man he was.

Of course, being her child, there was absolutely no doubt about his functionality in that regard. This was purely the noble result achieved by Triton’s high will and spirit.

Amphitrite highly valued Triton’s purity. That’s why her son could be the only male allowed to enter the Crystal Palace.

This also meant that Triton was Amphitrite’s most cherished one.

“Welcome, Triton. It’s been a while.”

Amphitrite welcomed her son while lying on her side on a red anemone carpet where sunlight shone through transparently.

Dolphins adorned in all sorts of colors swirled around her, but contradictorily, her tail was more similar to a shark’s than a whale’s.

The mermaids surrounding the queen squealed and blushed at Triton’s appearance.

Amphitrite patted the mermaids’ backs as if to calm the small commotion, and with a slow gesture, sent them all outside.

Only he and his mother remained at the very top floor of the palace spire that was open on all sides, and only then did Triton offer a brief greeting to his mother.

“You seem to be doing well as always.”

“Indeed. As I have for thousands of years.”

The boredom underlying her languid voice was a chronic and hereditary disease of the gods.

She looked at her son with half-closed eyes as if about to yawn, then suddenly curled up the corners of her mouth in a smile and said.

“My son’s face looks a bit different from before. Perhaps because of that human?”

“It’s convenient that there’s nothing to explain.”

“As you know…. The flowing seawater is quite talkative. So, what about that human child brings you to seek me?”

Though the queen’s voice was soft, it was sharp. At her implicit signal to get to the point without dawdling, Triton began speaking to Amphitrite without delay.

“I found this in Echidna’s cave. It seems to be a very old spell… and you know these things better than I do, Mother.”

At one gesture from Triton, the seawater surged and a heavy rock dropped down between them with a thud. Triton had torn out the entire floor where the magical circle was drawn from the cave and brought it to present before his mother.

Amphitrite blew away the slight dirt dust that floated up with a “hoo” and began examining what Triton had brought carefully. Blue eyes that were similar to Triton’s but shone a bit more brightly glinted darkly, and her red lips twisted upward.

“This is a very old spell.”

“Do you know what it is?”

To Triton’s question, Amphitrite nodded slightly and began an old tale in a singing-like voice.

“She was probably the first mermaid to fall in love with a human. One with a very beautiful voice…. Foolishly, she wanted to have legs. She who wanted to have the same form as him went to a witch and obtained legs, but had to give up her voice.”

Amphitrite spoke bitterly.

It was a voice she too had loved very much, but it disappeared forever. All for the sake of obtaining just one love….

“The witch actually had no intention of harming that young mermaid. She thought the mermaid’s unrequited love would cool quickly once she went outside the sea. Because humans and mermaids are different in every way. She thought she would only be disappointed as she experienced it… But that wasn’t the case. Neither the witch nor anyone else expected that love to grow more fierce.”

Amphitrite’s eyes grew hazy at the long-ago past that came to mind.

“The witch… actually wanted the mermaid to return. To return and sing again…. So she finally begged the gods and found a way for that mermaid to return to the sea. One that could succeed if only she killed that love and broke that heart.”

However, the small and lovely mermaid could not kill the person she loved even though he did not love her. That would have been an act of defiling her own heart that loved him, a betrayal.

And so the mermaid chose tragedy to protect him and protect her love. Even if she would become sea foam because of it….

Haah.

When Amphitrite let out a long sigh, small bubbles rose up boiling.

As if even bringing up that story made her troubled, she touched her forehead but then smiled as if shaking it off and stared at Triton.

“Her story has become very famous now, so you must know the rest.”

Regret showed on Amphitrite’s face as she smiled wryly. Triton intuitively realized that this mermaid’s story was about someone his mother knew.

“I still don’t understand what she called love, Triton. What exactly is it that makes one rush to change destiny, and yearn for love while going between life and death. But, my son….”

Suddenly Amphitrite raised her head to stare at Triton. Deep, quiet eyes gazed penetratingly at the god of the sea who sparkled beautifully as if he were part of the Crystal Palace.

“What about you?”

The meaningful voice pierced Triton’s ears.

“Do you know what love is or what kind of thing it is? Or perhaps….”

A chilling voice seeped in as if gently pressing down on his hearing.

“Has it already infected you?”