MRG Chapter 42: The Mysterious Merman

Translator: Abo Dammen

Editor: Agneya

As per usual, Lance ate quickly with that carefree, almost absent-minded expression of his. Despite sensing an odd tension between Mu Chen and Light, he didn’t pry further, especially since he couldn’t get a hint of anything useful from their silence. After finishing his meal, he left without a word.

As soon as Lance departed, the atmosphere in the room shifted—a suddenly silence, with only the clinking of knives and forks filling the space.

They were dining at an antique table made from ebony, its surface smooth and gleaming. The table was narrow, and Mu Chen sat directly across from Light, only a few plates separating them.

Light lowered his gaze, cutting into his steak, but then, he felt something gently brush against his boot.

He looked up in surprise, and as soon as his eyes met Mu Chen’s, he realized that it was Mu Chen’s foot that had brushed against his.

Mu Chen’s blue eyes, slightly curved at the corners, were cooly watching him. It was just a normal glance, but somehow, it triggered vivid memories of a secluded lair, the wet touch of mermaid lips, and the unique scent of the ocean that seemed to cling to Mu Chen’s skin.

Light’s pupils trembled slightly, and he quickly averted his gaze, feeling an inexplicable shift in his chest.

Mu Chen noticed the small movements and suppressed a smile, lips curling slightly.

The man across from him was impeccably dressed in a crisp white shirt, the smooth lines of his well-toned muscles accentuating the sharpness of the garment. As always, Light’s appearance was neat and orderly, exuding an almost solemn air. The only thing that disrupted this pristine image was the band-aid on his neck.

It was a strange contrast, one that made Mu Chen raise an eyebrow.

With a playful twist of his lips, Mu Chen asked, “Why didn’t you call me, Gege?”

Light paused mid-cut, his knife hovering over his plate. He thought for a moment before replying, “I saw you were asleep… so I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Oh.” Mu Chen’s lips curled slightly, “I thought maybe you didn’t want to have dinner with me.”

Light froze at the remark. “…Not at all.”

The silence between them stretched on for a moment before Light finally spoke, lifting his head to meet Mu Chen’s gaze. “Are you feeling better now?”

Mu Chen nodded and flashed a small, reassuring smile. “Yeah.”

Seeing that Mu Chen’s complexion had indeed improved, no longer as pale, Light felt a bit more at ease. Still, the memory of how miserable Mu Chen had looked during his previous mating period lingered. With a frown, he said, “I think we should have Kole take a look later.”

—

In the small clinic of the palace, Kole drew a blood sample from Mu Chen and analyzed it using his portable device.

He studied the report in his hand, his expression slightly surprised. “The fever symptoms from the mating period have temporarily subsided, but… you said you still haven’t marked your mate?”

At the question, Light cleared his throat, his body stiffening as he turned his head away.

Mu Chen quickly explained what had happened between them—though he conveniently omitted the identity of his mate and didn’t go into details. He simply brushed over it, keeping things vague.

“Hmm…” Kole adjusted his glasses. “Temporary soothing methods can indeed help alleviate the symptoms. Some ancient texts mention this as well. Back when technology was underdeveloped, for example, in cold seasons or during predator invasions when the conditions were unsuitable for merfolk to rear offspring, they would adopt this temporary soothing method to ease the symptoms of their mating period. This was known as pseudo-soothing.”

Mu Chen rested his chin in his hand. “So, can I rely on this to get through the mating period this time?”

Kole nodded. “In theory, yes, but this will only delay your mating period until next year. Marking is inevitable, sooner or later.”

At the mention of anything related to Mu Chen’s mating period, Light raised his head from his terminal.

Kole’s expression became more serious. “Also, you’d better stop taking that medication. Don’t use it for more than a month, or you risk becoming dependent, which could lead to hormonal imbalances and other symptoms.”

Light turned to look at Mu Chen, who simply responded with a nonchalant, “Oh,” as though the warning had gone in one ear and out the other.

After finishing his diagnosis, Kole packed up his medical equipment, ready to leave. But as he turned toward the door, he stopped and called Light over.

He was aware that Mu Chen wouldn’t listen to certain things—likely treating them as mere background noise, maybe even developing a rebellious streak. So, he figured it’d be better to speak directly to Light.

Noticing Kole’s serious expression, Light asked, “What is it?”

Kole hesitated for a moment before speaking. “The temporary soothing is effective, but it’s like a sedative—it can become addictive. If a mermaid keeps relying on pseudo-soothing to get through their mating period, but the person isn’t their true lifelong mate, over time, the mermaid will develop a dependency on them. Similarly, they’ll start feeling an aversion to others. This makes it much harder to establish a permanent mark. Plus, pseudo-soothing is just a temporary fix for the fever phase. If you keep postponing the mark, it’s not good for the mermaid in the long run.”

Light blinked, his face blank for a moment, before his brows furrowed deeply.

“I understand,” he said quietly.

….

The tranquil indoor lake shimmered with delicate ripples as Kuina explained the rules to the new attendant.

“Aside from the bedroom, His Highness Mu Chen often spends time in this pool. You aren’t required to enter during the day, but be present at precisely 9 p.m. every night to have the machine change the water. Let me walk you through the procedure for changing the water…”

The attendant, Dolly, listened intently, but his gaze wandered to the far-off, deep blue lake surface. His palm tightened instinctively, a nervous tension creeping up his spine.

Just as he lost focus, the still waters of the lake stirred with a faint ripple. Dolly froze, his eyes widening in a brief, instinctual flinch. It was the kind of reaction one might have when fearing something monstrous lurking beneath the water’s surface.

He couldn’t help but think back to the task the second Prince Kyle had privately assigned him.

In a smoke-filled room, Prince Kyle had been sitting, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his expression twisted with disdain. He spoke sharply to Dolly, “That mermaid is the most disgusting creature in this world. Always pretending to be harmless in front of others, but it’s ugly and revolting behind closed doors. Like a beast, it goes into heat and behaves like an animal.”

The description had unsettled Dolly. He was in desperate need of money but terrified of facing the creature Kyle described. “Your Highness, are you sure I can handle this task?”

Kyle scoffed, his tone dismissive. “What are you afraid of? You’re just an attendant. All you need to do is sneak this drug into his water. Be discreet about it, and soon he’ll turn into a lust-driven beast, only knowing how to mate! He’ll reveal his true, monstrous form in front of everyone and become nothing more than a pathetic joke.”

Now, standing at the edge of the pool, Dolly’s thoughts were interrupted by Kuina’s voice calling his name from nearby.

“Dolly?”

“Mm.” Dolly quickly jogged over to her side, his attention flickering between Kuina explaining the water-changing equipment and his own swirling thoughts.

A mermaid… what exactly are they?

As his thoughts wandered, a sudden “splash!” broke the silence, and the calm waters surging with a large wave. A silver fin broke the surface, breaking the water’s surface.

Dolly’s entire body tensed, freezing in place like a statue. Then, with his own eyes, he saw the legendary, mysterious creature of the sea.

Beneath the soft silver hair was the most stunning face he had ever laid eyes on. Those sapphire-blue eyes were as mesmerizing as the sea itself, a beauty so captivating it stole his breath away. A mere glance made his heart race and his gaze fixated, unable to look away.

The mermaid—the creature Kyle had described as terrifying and repulsive—was the complete opposite of that description.

—

Around 11:30 p.m. was typically the time when Mu Chen would fall asleep.

Before bed, Mu Chen always made a habit of telling Light, “Gege, good night.”

He had maintained this routine since childhood, like a punctual cuckoo clock.

At times, Light would think that for someone so grown up, such behavior seemed a little childish.

But tonight, Mu Chen didn’t send him the usual message, and Light felt a strange emptiness in his heart, as though something was missing.

His eyelids twitched, and he couldn’t help but pull out his terminal, sending him a message:

【How are you feeling now?】

The chat box indicated that Mu Chen was typing…

A moment later.

Mu Chen: 【Uncomfortable.】

With just those two words, Light could almost picture Mu Chen lying in bed, those damp blue eyes gazing up at him. He could imagine him whispering, “Gege, I really feel awful.”

The thought made his heartbeat skip a beat, and his brow furrowed deeper.

Light: 【Are the symptoms from the mating period giving you trouble? How could it be so soon?】

Mu Chen: 【I don’t know.】

For some reason, the mating period always hit him harder than others, and the intervals between them were quite short. He had no other merfolk to compare it to.

The atmosphere fell silent. Light recalled what Cole had told him earlier about the potential addiction caused by pseudo-soothing. His fingers hovered over the terminal, hesitant.

Rationale told him he shouldn’t engage with Mu Chen in that manner anymore, but…

Mu Chen: 【I’ll just take another pill.】

【A good sleep should help.】

Light’s temple throbbed with tension, and he quickly typed: 【Don’t take it.】

Mu Chen: 【Then I might not be able to sleep.】

After a long while, Light sighed, as if resigning himself to the situation.

【Wait for me.】

【I’ll come over.】

….

The heavy door creaked open with a soft click as Light scanned his fingerprint. The sound echoed faintly, swallowed by the thick stillness of the night.

Beyond the threshold lay a room shrouded in darkness, its yawning shadows spilling out through the barely parted entrance. A faint chill seemed to seep from within, an eerie sensation that crawled up one’s spine, conjuring images akin to a predator’s lair.

The moment Light stepped inside, a hand shot out of the darkness.

Long fingers, firm and commanding, latched onto his arm. Before he could react, he was pulled forward, his back hitting the cold wall with a soft thud. The impact tensed every muscle in his body, but it was the warmth rapidly enveloping him that caught him off guard.

A lithe figure pressed close—too close.

Light felt Mu Chen leaning into him, one arm slipping securely around his waist while his head came to rest against the curve of Light’s neck.

The room remained cloaked in shadows, amplifying every sensation. The steady rhythm of Mu Chen’s breath brushed against his skin, tangible and warm, each exhale igniting a spark that danced across Light’s senses.

Light had always maintained a disciplined physique from his years of service on the frontier. Beneath the tailored restraint of his suits was a body honed by rigorous training—a broad chest, defined abs, strong thighs, and a lean waist that tapered down with an almost infuriating perfection. His firm ass rounded out his perfectly proportioned physique.

Mu Chen clung to him, doing nothing overtly inappropriate, yet the searing heat of their  chests brushing was undeniable. Coupled with the influence of his mating period, it stirred something deep and primal within him—an unspoken desire bubbling up like water brought to a boil, simmering and restless.

Nestling closer to Light’s neck, Mu Chen grazed his canines along the sensitive skin, his mouth involuntarily watering. He felt ravenous, a gnawing hunger as if a fire was blazing in his belly, hollow yet insistent, demanding to be sated.

He licked his lips, his breath trembling…

He wanted to devour his Gege.