MRG Chapter 2: Can I Still Stay Here Tonight?

Translator: Gin

Editor: agneya

Even as the maid began to clean Mu Chen’s wounds, Light did not leave.

All he did was sit on a soft chair as the atmosphere surrounding him seemingly dropped below freezing point. People around him withdrew their gaze and dared not look at him. Only Mu Chen blinked curiously, occasionally staring in his direction.

“This is Prince Light. We were originally going to bring you to meet him.” Kuina bent down to whisper into the little merman’s ear.

“Ah?” Mu Chen purposely showed an expression of shock, then he remarked slowly, “His Highness looks a little different from my imagination.”

Kuina asked, “Different in what way?”

Mu Chen glanced at Light’s amber eyes and muttered, “I imagined he would look a bit more…fierce.”

Outside the palace, rumors ran rampant about how the eldest prince of the Oz Royal Family had an explosive and violent nature, due to the long years he spent fighting on battlefields.

Kuina’s smile faltered, “His Highness is not fierce.”

In truth, the eldest prince did not have a bad personality. However, due to his outstanding performance and achievements in the military, as well as the fact that he was constantly stationed outside the Palace all-year round, he naturally carried an air of severity that made him seem difficult to approach for most. 

“En.” Mu Chen nodded. The image of Light picking up the shark for him appeared in his mind and he sneaked a glance at Light’s amber eyes again…

As though he somehow felt the curious eyes of the little merman on him, Light suddenly got up from the soft chair, and strolled towards him.

He looked down at Mu Chen’s palm. The bleeding had already completely stopped and the originally hideous wound had, at some point, become a shallow bloody line that would heal quickly once bound by gauze.

This healing speed was something normal people could not achieve. It involuntarily brought to mind an ability the mythical mermaid race held—azure blood.

Light asked, “Does it still hurt?”

“It doesn’t…” Mu Chen shook his head. From a young age, he had been rather immune to pain. Now, he basically felt nothing.

“Gurgle!”

All of a sudden, his stomach let out a rather undignified sound.

As everybody turned to look at him, Mu Chen froze.

On the way to the Royal Palace, Mu Chen had indeed not eaten much. It was only after scrabbling with the bodyguard for small shark plushies did he begin to feel hungry, but letting out such a noise in front of so many people was way too embarrassing.

The small merman bowed his head and pretended to be an ostrich. He chanted silently, “They didn’t hear, didn’t hear, definitely didn’t hear anything…”

“Gurgle!”

Unfortunately, his stomach refused to listen to any of the commands from his head.

The atmosphere became increasingly silent. Mu Chen directly buried his face into his shark stuffed toy, unwilling to see the reactions of those around him.

“Get him something to eat.”

Above his head, a voice tinged with amusement sounded.

Mu Chen squinted and secretly peered over the shark plushie to see that Light’s originally tightly pursed thin lips had curved up in a very shallow arc.

Hm, was this a smile?

When he smiled, the fierce aura around him momentarily dissipated.

The little merman became so engrossed with peeping that he completely forgot about how embarrassed he had been just now.

Light had already noticed the little merman’s intense stare, but instead of revealing this, he asked, “What is your name?”

The little merman raised his head and answered, “My name is Mu Chen, Your Highness.”

“Mu Chen…” Light softly sounded out the name, before picking up his jacket that was draped over the back of the chair and turning to leave. As he turned, he said, “You don’t need to worry, I will convince my father to cancel the engagement.”

Hm?

Mu Chen stared at the prince’s back as he left, his expression frozen once again.

But this wasn’t what he was worried about. The engagement would only be fulfilled once he reached adulthood anyway, if he were to leave the palace now, wouldn’t there be a high chance of him being sent to those research facilities?

This was the true source of Mu Chen’s anxiety.

Kuina saw that after the prince left, the little merman’s eyes drooped and he tightly gripped the shark with his nails, making her suddenly feel a little heartbroken. 

Although this child appeared sloppy, compared to other children his age, he was really well-behaved and lovable.

Who knows how much hardship he endured while living in exile on the island?

Kuina gestured for the maid to serve the plates of food onto the table. She was not good at comforting people and only straightened her back and said to Mu Chen, “Have some food first, there are still lots of things we have to do next. At least you should dress decently and then we can go to meet His Highness Light…”

Under the little merman’s probing eyes, she coughed twice, “His Highness prefers children who are neat and tidy.”

In the steamy bathroom, Mu Chen raised his tail, comfortably blowing bubbles while his upper body was still underwater.

At the moment, the gray paint he purposely used to disguise his real appearance had been washed away. The little merman revealed his silvery white hair and his fair skin turned slightly red from the steam in the room.

Mu Chen gazed at his reflection in the water. Through the lingering fog, the shadows in the water seemed to morph into the icy cold table of the experiment laboratory, the smell of disinfectant wafting in from all four sides.

His eyes darkened a little.

For as long as Mu Chen could remember, his father, who has been an amiable and kind monarch by day, was an alcoholic in private. He would pour out all the helplessness and anger he felt onto Mu Chen and beat him brutally. From then on, Mu Chen found that crying was useless, and so he never ever cried again.

When he was six, his father led him to the exalted throne that was carved from magnificent corals, overlooking a once-prosperous city that was now in decline. His father told him that he was the Crown Prince of Atlantis, that he was the city’s only hope, and that this would all belong to him in the future.

When he was eight, the Zergs invaded. They drove mechas that obliterated entire areas of their territory. His Atlantis was no more and he could only flee to a deserted island with what was left of the Royal Family.

When he was fourteen, he was discovered by troops to be the last remaining mermaid on the Blue Planet, thus ending his life of exile via acceptance into the Royal Family of the Oz Empire and his subsequent betrothal to their Crown Prince.

However, this engagement was not set in stone and he still could be sent away.

Nevermind…

The corner of Mu Chen’s eyes curved as he blew away the bubbles on the water surface and the reflection of the laboratory dissipated.

He would think of a way to stay here.

After his shower, Mu Chen changed into the clothes that Kuina had previously specially prepared for him. 

The complex formal attire caused him to stumble when he walked, like some kind of stupid fish.

Mu Chen hated these clothes and he hated wearing so many accessories on his head, but he thought about how making a good impression was key to staying in the Royal Palace and could only resist the urge to pluck out all the things that bothered him.

A maid on the side reminded Kuina, “Ma’am, everything is ready.”

On hearing this, Kuina put down her tea cup and turned around to see Mu Chen wearing an exquisite white outfit. His silver hair, that was as smooth as silk, glowed with a milky luster under the warm lighting, his bangs held together by a hairpin the shape of a sprig of wheat. The gold jewelry on the little merman’s wrist, meant to compliment his deep blue eyes, had begun to seem dull in comparison.

Such blue was one that Kuina found difficult to express. It was akin to a transparent gem, clear and pure, but was also like the all-encompassing sea, which had no bottom as far as the eye could see. 

Even as someone who had been an etiquette teacher for nearly a lifetime, Kuina was momentarily speechless.

Involuntarily, an ancient proverb appeared in her mind.

A mermaid’s beauty is akin to the existence of a god.

“Come over here.” Kuina stretched out her hand to Mu Chen, “I’ll take you on a tour to familiarize yourself with the entire Royal Palace, then we will go meet His Highness.”

Mu Chen obediently walked over and held Kuina’s hand.

Under her guidance, Mu Chen passed through the palace gates, one after another. The whole time he seemed quiet and well-behaved, until Kuina brought him to the palace pond.

It was a massive indoor lake, with countless rocks, algae and greenery in the man-made channels of the river. The surface of the lake glowed a deep, fluorescent green, with numerous colorful fish swimming just under it.

The scent of the lake’s water mixed with that of the enormous volume of fresh fish drifted into Mu Chen’s nose and he suddenly stopped at the edge of the pond, his gaze affixed on the fishes swimming below the water.

Smells yummy…

The food that humans enjoyed was far less tempting to him than these fresh fish.

This couldn’t help but evoke Mu Chen’s instincts as a deep sea hunter.

Oh how he wished he could tear off these clothes and dive into the water, swim happily with his tail fins swishing through the water, use his sharp claws and tear into the succulent, fresh fish.

He could almost imagine the taste of the smooth and tender fish in his mouth and his mouth involuntarily began to salivate. 

…Wanna eat.

Mu Chen inadvertently swallowed.

This movement was seen by Kuina but she presumed it as the little merman staring blankly at the water in the lake, and then trying his best to suppress his rising emotions or the like.

Mu Chen’s adorable face frequently deluded people, and this time, Kuina subconsciously attributed his expression to sadness.

Perhaps he was missing home?

Kuina unconsciously tightened her grip on Mu Chen’s hand.

Finally, the little merman seemed to leave his state of ‘sadness’. His face tilted up to reveal a sweet smile, “Ma’am…do you think His Highness will like me?”

Mu Chen smiled very naturally, but in truth, he felt somewhat nervous…the other party couldn’t possibly know what he was thinking right?

He needed to quickly find a different topic.

However, this smile had another meaning in Kuina’s eyes. She felt her heart tighten. From her perspective, Mu Chen was feeling uneasy after recalling painful and traumatic memories of his hometown and was thus anxious for the approval of others.

There was a lump in her throat, and it was a while before she spoke.

“He will definitely like you.”

Despite the splendor of the palace, the atmosphere within became more and more tense.

“If your return was just for the sake of discussing this matter with me, then you may go.” The man who sat on the Supreme Throne was already rather old, and his face carried an expression of rage as he looked down upon the person below the steps whose eyebrows bore resemblance to his own. He said sternly, “Let me tell you this, canceling the engagement is impossible.” 

The lady next to King Jorah seemed to be there for the purpose of diffusing the tense atmosphere and was constantly fanning the King with a folded fan. However, this did not dispel Jorah’s anger. “You are the Crown Prince of the Oz Empire. When will you learn to take responsibility for your duties?”

“Father.” Light frowned, giving off an aura so cold it could freeze water, “Which mission did I fail that gave you this impression of me?”

Jorah replied, “What has this got to do with your missions?”

Before the establishment of the Oz Empire, it was his son who had led Mecha soldiers to conquer the entire Eastern Continent.

But that and the matter at hand were two wholly separate matters!

“I recognise your military capabilities, you are Oz Empire’s best general, but if any problems were to arise in the future, would you only rely on fighting to solve these problems?”

Light raised his eyebrows. “Then I should rely on my engagement instead?”

Jorah thundered, “The engagements of royals have never been considered child’s play!”

“This is not just your engagement, it involves the whole Yigor family, even the entire Oz Empire.”

“If you insist on canceling this engagement…” Jorah threw a list at him, “Then within three days, choose another suitor from this list, otherwise there can be no room for further discussion!”

“Also, don’t try to manipulate me by claiming that you two don’t feel familiar with each other. I don’t care who you want to be with in private, you must find a Crown Princess.”

Light looked down at the paper, crammed with the names of potential suitors, his expression dark and hazy. The corners of his mouth raised in a sarcastic smile, “Just like you did right?”

Jorah was so angered by this, he stood up from his chair and bellowed, “You!”

The queen immediately tried to soothe him, chiding Light, “Don’t speak to your father like that.”

Light’s expression calmed and he ignored her, turning to leave.

The current queen of the Oz Empire was not the original match to the King, nor was she Light’s mother.

She was originally Jorah’s mistress who seized the opportunity to rise to the throne when Light’s mother died, and so Light had no respect for this queen.

Just as the attendant opened the door for him, a black-haired youngster dressed resplendently stepped into the doorway.

The moment he saw Light, a smile instantly appeared on his face. However, this smile was so deliberate, one might think it was faked.  

“Big brother.”

From behind, a lady nagged at him, “Kyle, you came just in time. Hurry and persuade your elder brother, he’s making your father angry again.”

Kyle took a glance around the palace and sensed the atmosphere, so charged it seemed to be packed with gunpowder, and instantly understood his mother’s intent. He opened his mouth to say something, but found that under Light’s long eyelashes were a pair of eyes that held an expression as cold as frost, and the look between his brows was murderously chilly, reminding him of the scene of a smoke-filled battlefield.

Light barely spared him a sideways glance, but Kyle dared not speak anymore, and could only watch as Light left.

This conversation with the king had ended poorly and Light stormed off, all the while repressing his rage. The attendants following him, upon seeing that something big had happened, did not dare to say a word to him.

At this time, night was about to fall. The corridor had become a lot less bright than in the daytime.

Next to him, a palace door suddenly opened and the etiquette teacher that Light had seen during the day stepped out.

“Your Highness.” Kuina was surprised by Light’s unexpected appearance.

“En.” Light gestured for her not to speak. The door was not tightly closed and Light looked through the crack to see that the lights in the room were still on and the little merman, who had washed up for bed already, was lying down on the bed in white pajamas. His silent side profile was tinged with pink and his smooth silver hair was splayed out under his body, like the elves of myths who lived in clams.

He gently pushed open the door and the little merman immediately opened his eyes, hugging his shark plushie as he sat up from the bed. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, with half his face still buried in the plushie, making him look really soft and cuddly.

He looked almost like a little fluffy puppy that would excitedly clamber out of its nest upon hearing the sound of people opening the door.

Light wasn’t really sure why, but after seeing this scene, he felt that his anger from the previous argument had more or less dissipated. The expression on his face also became much more gentle.

This little merman seemed to have magical powers.

He asked Kuina, “Why isn’t he asleep yet?”

Kuina replied, “I told him, if he was sleepy, he could sleep earlier, but he wanted to meet Your Highness.”

Light walked over and sat by Mu Chen’s bedside. Before he could even open his mouth, the little merman nervously gripped the hem of his clothes, unease clearly showing in his big blue eyes. 

“Your Highness, if you are going to cancel the engagement, can I still stay here tonight?”

Light was stunned.

So this was what he was worried about?

On seeing Mu Chen’s aggrieved expression, pity inexplicably bubbled up in his heart and he replied, “Yes.”

Even though Light was against King Jorah’s dictatorial approach, he definitely would not chase out the little merman before he found him a new home and he reassured him, “Don’t worry, rest now.”

Upon receiving Light’s promise, Mu Chen lay down on the bed again, burying half his face back into the shark plushie.

Just when Light thought he was going to go back to sleep, the little merman’s lashes rose upwards and he smiled at Light.

His smile revealed a pair of shallow dimples and sharp snaggleteeth, similar to those of a porcelain doll, “Good night, Your Highness.”

Light paused as he was getting up to leave. He felt as though some part of his heart had been scratched by a kitten.

His face remained expressionless as he tucked Mu Chen into bed.

“Goodnight.”