Chapter 39

Despite the calm sky, the sea changed its color deeply, and the waves made a loud noise.

Seeing a situation she had never encountered before, Aishira felt her body shrink.

"What on earth is happening to the sea..."

In this country, Aishira is the one most beloved by the sea fairies. Whenever there is an emergency concerning the sea, she is always the one to step forward.

However, when she looked at her own sea, what came to mind was the Sea Fairy King Pearl and his fairies.

—I am not recognized by the Sea Fairy King.

In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I am disliked by him.

Although Aishira once obtained permission to enter his palace, she has not been able to catch a glimpse of it since then, no matter how many times she has dived into the sea.

"I must inform Lady Aquasteed right away!"

As Aishira turned to leave, she noticed a slight sense of unease. Just as she was about to think about what it could be, she realized it was the sea fairies.

The fairies, who resemble small mermaids, popped their faces out of the water.

"Aishira! The King is angry!"

"Enraged!"

"King Pearl? What happened?"

Although Pearl himself does not have good feelings toward Aishira, the sea fairies love her very much. They even supported her relationship with Aquasteed.

Whenever something happened in the sea, the fairies always reported and consulted with Aishira. This time was no different, but the panic in their demeanor suggested that it was far from usual.

"Don't be insolent."

"Oh, King!"

"! Sea Fairy King Pearl!"

Surprised by Pearl's sudden appearance, Aishira hurriedly knelt. She never thought she would see him again.

"Hmph. Tiararose is a woman I cannot stand. She has bewitched Clair!"

"...?"

"Aishira"

"Y-Yes!"

With a splash, Pearl rose from the sea and looked at Aishira with cold eyes. He then expressed his anger towards Tiararose, who was trying to take Clair from him.

"You, separate Aquasteed from Tiararose. He is a bit of a troublesome man."

"Eh? What do you mean by that..."

"Hmph. You don't need to know. Just do this. Mix it into his tea or something."

Pearl did not intend to let Tiararose live, who was trying to take Clair from him.

—If Tiararose is gone, Clair will...

Gripping her fist tightly, Pearl handed a small vial containing a pink liquid to Aishira. She could not refuse what the Sea Fairy King offered. Aishira took it with both hands and stared at the vial.

She had no idea what was inside.

"King Pearl, what is this..."

"It's just a simple potion. It's harmless and the effect wears off quickly."

"..."

Confused by the "simple potion," Aishira hesitated.

She could not do such a thing to Aquasteed, the crown prince of her own country, but the one giving the order was the king of the sea fairies. She could not refuse so easily.

What should she do—Aishira was troubled and her expression twisted. She could not give such a suspicious potion to the one she served. However, it was said to be harmless and the effect would wear off quickly.

Still.

"I'm sorry, King Pearl. I cannot betray Lord Aquasteed!"

A small feeling still lingered in Aishira's heart.

Even if it was harmless, she did not want to do anything to Aquasteed. Her eyes, which were filled with passion, conveyed this to Pearl.

"...I see. Then, I will do it myself. Water!"

"Eh!? Kyaa—!!"

As Pearl raised his right hand, the seawater turned into a floating blade and was directed at Aishira. The water cut the back of her hand, and red blood dripped down.

Pearl took back the vial he had just given her and added a drop of Aishira's blood, changing the color of the liquid.

"! What have you done...?"

"Hmph. You are loved by the fairies. Besides, you were just convenient to be nearby."

"...?"

Seeing Pearl's smirk, Aishira felt uneasy.

What was the Sea Fairy King planning to do? She wanted to stop him, but the cold, sharp air he emitted prevented her from doing so.

At the same time—Pearl heard a voice he had longed to hear.

"Pearl! What's going on!?"

"...Clair. Hmph, I have nothing to say to you!"

"A, wait!"

Clair, who had descended from the sky, called out to Pearl, but he disappeared into the sea without a word. He was heading to the castle to make Aquasteed drink the liquid containing Aishira's blood.

Clair sighed as he watched Pearl disappear.

"What on earth is going on? Why is Pearl so agitated..."

He wished Pearl would at least explain the reason.

Clair, who was the source of information for Aquasteed, knew everything about the country. He noticed Aishira, who had been kneeling and trembling.

"You may raise your head, Aishira Pearlrand."

"Y-Yes..."

"Tell me what happened with Pearl."

Aishira nodded quietly and told Clair everything that had just happened. Not knowing much about the Sea Fairy King, she only told the truth.

After hearing everything, Clair covered her mouth and said, "Bewitched?"

"How could that be... Tiararose already has Aquasteed. Me? It's impossible. Maybe Pearl is misunderstanding something...?"

"..."

Clair, who thought she was disliked by Pearl, did not understand why he had taken such action. Only they themselves were unaware that they were in love with each other.

"So, Pearl mixed your blood into the liquid... What kind of liquid is it? To go to such lengths to use Aishira Pearlrand's blood... I don't think it's something bad—ah, I get it."

"?"

"Probably a sea elixir, a love potion."

"Eh—..."

Aishira gasped at Clair's words.

In other words, if Aquasteed drank that liquid, he would fall in love with Aishira? Thinking about it, Aishira felt her face heat up.

But she quickly shook her head, telling herself it was wrong. It was not right for others to manipulate Aquasteed's feelings. Aishira's face turned pale as she asked Clair what to do.

"But why did Pearl do such a thing? Because Aishira Pearlrand likes Aquasteed? Was it just a side effect? There's no need to be so harsh with Tiararose."

Clair, placing her hand on her mouth in thought, suggested they go to the castle.

There, Tiararose and Aquasteed should be. Aishira, suppressing her anxiety, nodded quietly.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Philine, I think these cookies turned out beautifully!"

"Oh, they are adorable. They clearly look like Prince Aquasteed."

Unaware that the sea was getting rough, Tiararose was in the middle of making iced cookies in her private kitchen.

In Marine Forest, there were many shops that dealt with baking ingredients, which was not the case in Lapis Lazuli, accelerating Tiararose's excitement.

"There are so many ingredients. It must be because I am now the official consort."

"Yes. You might meet more merchants than you have seamstresses making dresses."

Smiling, Tiararose put the cookies in the oven.

All that was left was to bake them, but just as before, a splash of water—Pearl appeared in front of Tiararose.

Philine knelt to avoid being rude, and Tiararose also bowed.

The vial in Pearl's hand was already empty. Tiararose wondered what he was holding, but she and Pearl were not on terms where they could chat casually.

"Making cookies here—do you think of Clair?"

"! T-This is..."

The cookie she was about to bake for the second time, which resembled Clair, caught Pearl's eye. Clenching his teeth, Pearl pointed at Tiararose with the fan he held.

"How many times do you intend to insult me! Bewitching Clair is the lowest of the low!"

"It's not true, King Pearl! I am baking cookies for others as well. I did not make cookies only for Lord Clair."

—She is definitely misunderstanding!

Aishira immediately tried to explain, but Pearl would not listen. He snorted and showed her the vial in his hand.

"...?"

"This is a sea elixir."

"Elixir...?"

—I have never heard of such a thing.

It was not mentioned in books, history, or by word of mouth. However, since Pearl said it, it must exist.

—But, the vial is empty?

As if reading Tiararose's thoughts, Pearl continued.

"I made Aquasteed drink it. Now, he will no longer look at you."

"...! Why did you make Lord Aquasteed..."

"Hmph. Perhaps I wanted to see your suffering face. This love potion is extremely effective, you know."

—Love potion!?

Tiararose was flustered, never having thought such a thing existed. At the same time, she was concerned about who would be affected by it and under what circumstances.

Praying that Aquasteed would be safe, Tiararose heard cruel words.

"Now, Aquasteed will like Aishira."

—The heroine of the sequel.

Tiararose's body trembled, knowing she would never be the heroine.

The update was delayed.

There is only a little left until the conclusion, and I would be grateful if you could continue to follow along.

This month, the book will be released.

I have attached the cover image below, and both Tiararose and Aquasteed have been beautifully illustrated!