chapter 8

The girl in the mirror was no longer the sweet and lovely figure she had been during the day. Her beautiful blue eyes had turned pitch black, the dark pupils occupying almost the entire eyeball. Her skin had taken on an unnatural bluish hue, looking abnormally swollen. Although not as severe as Lily or Eric, it was by no means the appearance of a normal person.

She saw with her own eyes that the moment her gaze met that of the person in the mirror, the blackness in her pupils seemed to spread outward a little more.

Frightened, her Pollution Value abruptly rose by ten percent.

Could this so-called Pollution Value refer to this?

But why did her Pollution Value also increase after eating the brown sauce and seeing the Sea? Was the rise in Pollution Value not limited to just one way?

She dared not look at her reflection any longer and could only drag her exhausted body back to the bed, forcing herself to close her eyes in order to conserve her strength.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, her terrifying face in the mirror appeared vividly in her mind.

This was only the first night, and her Pollution Value had already reached forty percent. What was she supposed to do in the coming days?

Her legs itched a little, and she couldn’t help but scratch them.

With unknown fear and anxiety, Tu Nan drifted into a fitful sleep only as dawn approached.

Early the next morning, the door to her room was knocked on from outside by a Maid.

“Miss Ariel, are you awake? Princess Grace asked me to tell you that she and the Prince will be holding a lively pre-wedding party at sea today. You must attend.”

Tu Nan opened her eyes, her mind sluggish from severe lack of sleep. She got up and opened the door, letting the Maid in.

The Maid, very attentive, had already prepared toiletries and said with a tone of longing, “I really envy you for being able to attend the party. It must be very lively.”

Tu Nan looked in the mirror. By day, her appearance had returned to normal, as if everything from the previous night had been just a dream.

Day and night were like two extremes: the Fairy Tale World was beautiful during the day, but at night, danger lurked everywhere.

She spat out the mouthwash, returned to the bedside, picked up her notebook and pen, and wrote: Why hold the party at sea?

“Princess Grace and Prince Eric met by the Sea. They believe it was a blessing from the Sea God. Our country lives by the Sea and worships the Sea God. Being able to hold a pre-wedding party at sea is a matter of pride.”

Tu Nan thought for a moment, then continued writing: Does the Prince often go out to sea by boat?

“Of course, the Prince yearns for the Sea very much.” The Maid’s face showed longing. “Who can resist the charm of the Sea?”

Perhaps there would be clues she needed on the ship.

Tu Nan smiled and nodded, indicating she was ready.

She followed the Maid downstairs to the Dining Room. Grace and Eric were having breakfast at the table. When they saw her, Grace immediately stood up and gave her a hug.

“Sweetheart, I hope you had a wonderful dream last night.”

There were no sweet dreams, only a series of nightmares.

Tu Nan put on a sweet smile and glanced unobtrusively at Lily at the table. Lily appeared calm and quiet, showing no sign of anything unusual.

Breakfast still included the richly aromatic brown sauce from last night’s dinner. With her Pollution Value already dangerously high, she dared not take any more risks. Fortunately, there were plenty of other foods on the table. She casually picked up a piece of white bread, tore off a chunk, and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly.

“Ariel, you must already know that today we will be holding a pre-wedding party at sea,” Grace said, her excitement barely concealed. “The party will last all night. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Tu Nan paused in her chewing.

All night? Would they be spending the night at sea?

She nodded, using a smile to express her anticipation.

Her legs itched again, and she couldn’t help but scratch her thigh. Something flashed through her mind, and she suddenly felt something was wrong.

Wasn’t the frequency of her legs itching a bit too high?

Normally, she wouldn’t pay attention to such minor things, but this was the world of Strange Tales. Missing any detail could cost her her life.

When does skin feel itchy?
She had developed a skin disease, dryness and dehydration…

Could it be…

She recalled the second Rule-

[Please remember you are a Mermaid. Mermaids need to replenish water in time.]

But from yesterday until now, she had been replenishing water regularly, and to be safe, she had even soaked in water for a long time last night.

Yet her legs still itched uncontrollably, which could only mean she hadn’t replenished water in time. This meant her current situation was extremely dangerous.

She was a Mermaid, a Mermaid…

Tu Nan paused. Could replenishing water mean…

*

After breakfast, they set off for the Sea and boarded the enormous ship.

The ship was extremely luxurious, with three floors: the basement was the bedrooms, the first floor was the Kitchen and Storeroom, and the second floor was a grand hall for gatherings.

On the deck, sailors were busy steering the ship.

It was Tu Nan’s first time boarding such a ship, but she had no interest in sightseeing.

She had learned yesterday that the Pollution Value was related to the Sea, and staying here meant her Pollution Value could rise at any moment.

She had to find a way to suppress the Pollution Value as soon as possible.

Tu Nan took a rough tour of the ship. The basement was the Storage Room, and a large Lock hung at the entrance leading down. As she passed, a faint cool breeze seeped out from the crack under the door.

She stopped, leaned closer to the entrance, and gently pushed open a small gap. Inside, it was pitch black; she couldn’t see anything.

“Help…”

A faint, blurry female voice came from below.

Tu Nan felt suspicious, but before she could react, a maid appeared behind her from somewhere and called out to her.

“Miss Ariel, Princess Grace is looking for you. What are you doing here?”

Tu Nan turned around. A maid was looking at her and asking.

She obediently followed the maid away. It was daytime now, and everything seemed like an undercurrent flowing beneath the water; only when night fell and silence reigned would those whirlpools reveal themselves.

They arrived at the hall on the first floor. It was lavishly decorated, with food and wine everywhere. People were toasting and dancing gracefully in the center of the hall.

Grace was very excited when she saw her and wanted to teach her to dance.

Tu Nan politely declined her offer; her feet simply couldn’t dance.

Grace was in a good mood and didn’t get angry. She let go of her hand and let her do as she pleased, while she herself danced a song with Eric.

At this moment, everyone’s attention was on the Prince and Princess in the hall. Tu Nan didn’t like such lively scenes, so she went up to the deck to get some fresh air.

The sunlight was just right, shimmering on the surface of the Sea. The waves rolled and slapped against the hull, stirring up countless tiny white bubbles.

Tu Nan frowned, thinking about how she could get some seawater without attracting attention.

After thinking it over, perhaps what the Rule meant by replenishing water was seawater.

After all, she was a deep-sea fish, and deep-sea fish couldn’t survive in freshwater.

Tu Nan was staring at the Sea, pondering her strategy, when she suddenly heard a faint voice.

“Ariel.”

Tu Nan frowned. This voice sounded as if…

It was coming from the Sea.

She focused her gaze on the surface of the Sea and soon noticed something unusual.

Between the gaps in the waves, several human faces bobbed up and down. If she hadn’t looked carefully, an ordinary person would easily overlook them.

She was startled and stared intently. Those faces surfaced, and when they saw Tu Nan finally notice them, they excitedly waved at her.

“Ariel!”

The girls before her were beautiful and lively, their long, thick hair hidden beneath the surface, like several blurry black shadows. Occasionally, she could glimpse a Fish Tail flashing across the water.

They were Mermaids.

Ariel’s sisters.

“Sisters, why are you here?” Tu Nan took out her notebook, wrote down the question, and held it up to ask.

The leading Mermaid saw this, tears welling up in her eyes, and as they fell, they turned into sparkling pearls that dropped into the Sea below.

“Ariel, you silly girl, you actually became human for a man and even lost your voice.” The Mermaid’s language was as melodious as a song,

“Is love really worth more than your long life and freedom?”