JGMH | Chapter 4

She glared at the man as she pushed the two lifeless bodies fully out of the water.

Levis had entered the water to retrieve the dagger, but doubt consumed her about her ability to wield it effectively.

Her heart raced faster than ever, yet her blood felt icy in her veins. The world seemed cloaked in darkness, but her grip on the dagger’s hilt tightened with desperate resolve.

The man was clearly someone formidable—likely a knight from the royal palace, capable of overpowering her with ease. Could she really threaten him?

If she could lure him into the water, her odds might improve. Levis carefully scanned the surface, only her eyes visible above the still water, searching for the man’s position. But he had vanished.

As panic gripped her, she broke through the surface, only for a rough hand to seize her flailing left arm. She quickly switched the dagger to her free hand, but even that was snatched away with brutal swiftness.

Levis struggled violently, but with her back exposed, she was vulnerable. Rosander twisted her arms behind her with one hand and pried the dagger from her grasp.

She was hauled above the water, the sudden exposure to air sending a chill over her body.

Terrified by the unfamiliar sensation, Levis thrashed desperately. Blood splattered across his clothes, but Rosander seemed unfazed as he hurled her back onto the water’s surface.

The harsh impact left Levis momentarily paralyzed, the pain shooting from her fins to her spine.

Rosander dragged her limp form onto the muddy shore like a hunter securing his catch. Every step he took left traces of her fins etched into the soft ground, the clinging texture of the mud gritty and unpleasant.

Levis curled into herself, wrapping her arms tightly around her body to keep the mud from sticking further. Any attempt to brush it off only smeared it across her hands.

Before she could regain her defensive posture, Rosander pressed the stolen dagger under her chin in a menacing gesture.

“Don’t think about resisting. The longer you delay, the worse it’ll be for you.”

Levis stayed silent, her breath catching in her throat. Rosander held the dagger closer, as if he expected her to understand him.

He treated her as though she were an infiltrator, leaving no room for hesitation.

“Did you kill them?”

Rosander didn’t move the blade, ready to cut her throat if need be. What more could he want to confirm? Levis stared into his eyes, trying to decipher his intentions, but his expression betrayed nothing.

With no other choice, she nodded. The man, who had shown no emotion earlier, now furrowed his brow.

Levis could feel the mud on her lower body drying, tightening her skin uncomfortably. Out of the water, she had no physical strength to resist. All she could hope for now was a swift death.

Rosander raised the dagger slowly, bringing the blade to her lips. The cold steel sent a shiver through her as it touched the edge of her mouth. She instinctively recoiled, but his free hand gripped her back, pinning her in place.

Startled by his relentless touch and the heat of his hand, Levis parted her lips. The blade slipped into her mouth, brushing against her sharp teeth.

“Sharp,” he murmured.

Rosander pressed the flat of the blade against her tongue, rendering her entirely immobile. Though his hand released her back, the threat of the blade was enough to keep her frozen in place. He wielded it with the precision of an experienced predator.

As the dampness of her skin dried, a chilling numbness spread through her. Levis lowered her gaze, abandoning any attempt to meet his probing eyes. She felt like a fish crushed beneath a stone—completely helpless.

“Do you eat humans?”

Levis didn’t move. Rosander asked another question.

“Why did you attack them?”

The grim reality of her situation made it impossible for her to focus on his words. Recklessly venturing into the human world out of curiosity had been her mistake.

But in her underwater realm, her kind had never harbored such cruelty. They did not possess the malice to annihilate another species.

Rage boiled within her, only to give way to despair. Her body and mind seemed disconnected, the desire to survive clashing with her hopelessness.

“Do you eat humans?” he repeated.

How could she answer with the blade still in her mouth? The imminence of death was so overwhelming that not even tears would grace her eyes.

When he asked again, Levis shot him a resentful glare.

“If you can speak, I’ll remove the blade,” he said.

Levis nodded faintly. Rosander eased the blade back, and as soon as it left her mouth, she clamped her lips shut before replying clearly in the human tongue.

“No.”

“Then why did you kill them?”

He didn’t appear surprised that she could speak, only continuing his interrogation. Levis scowled at his persistence.

Why did he care? What difference would knowing make? It all seemed so pointless. Would her life hinge on the reason she gave?

She thought back to the fishermen who had discovered her at dawn near Larme Island as she watched the sunrise. They had ignored her screams, poked and prodded her, and humiliated her for their amusement. Clenching her teeth, Levis recalled the cruel mockery of those humans.

“Did I have any other way to resist?”

Her voice came out icy and strained, startling even herself. Like someone shivering in the cold, she wrapped her arms around her trembling body. Did she have any other choice?

Memories of her encounters with humans flooded her mind, each one fouler than the last. As she relived them, Levis realized just how vital the ability to forget truly was. To remember it all in perfect detail would be unbearable.

Her breath came in shallow gasps as her body grew heavier out of the water.

Rosander crouched to meet her gaze, speaking again, though she barely registered his words. Before she could respond, he tossed the dagger aside and lifted her into his arms.

Stunned, Levis didn’t bother trying to understand his sudden shift in demeanor. She was too drained, too numb.

Would she ever return? Even as a mere speck of foam, could she find her way back? She wanted to start over, free from this torment.

As her vision spun from the abrupt change in height, Levis flailed her arms before instinctively wrapping them around his neck.

 

***

 

“Move the mermaid to another location?”

“Yes.”

Queen Elaine greeted her visitor warmly. Rosander Wayne, kneeling respectfully at her feet, made his request with uncharacteristic formality.

Despite earning a noble title for his unmatched swordsmanship, he rarely bowed to anyone. The queen’s curiosity was piqued. What could compel him to behave so humbly?

She had every intention of granting his request, owing to a past debt, but Rosander was never one to speak plainly.

“Why?”

As he maintained his formal demeanor, the queen chuckled softly. What about the mermaid had captured his interest?

Though he feigned indifference to everything, Rosander Wayne was, without doubt, a man born with a soft heart.

The queen had all but forgotten the tribute presented to her court until the mercenary Ross reminded her of it.

Of course, now he deserved to be addressed as “Sir Wayne,” but the queen, idly brushing her fingers along her chin, snapped them to summon a waiting attendant at the entrance of the audience chamber.

“If she’s left in her current state, she’ll die.”

The attendant entered with a cushion carefully balanced in his hands. The queen, without sparing a glance at Rosander, inspected the ruby ring placed atop the cushion. Still, Rosander persisted in his request.

“So what if she dies?”

When the attendant, understanding his role, pulled back the curtain, the queen basked in the light that poured through. She admired the dazzling brilliance of the ruby, enjoying its radiance. While its beauty made it a fine trinket, it was less valuable than the difficult-to-manage tribute from the baron.

“Excuse me?”

“Why are you surprised?”

The faint displeasure that crossed the queen’s face was not lost on Rosander, whose expression tightened once more.

As the queen moved toward the attendant holding the cushion, the sunlight she had blocked fell directly upon Rosander.

Dust motes scattered over the carpet, settling on his golden-brown hair as his deep-set eyes narrowed slightly.

In the bright light, his discomfort was evident.

“It seems this room could use some cleaning.” 

The queen remarked, handing the ruby ring back to the attendant. Rosander remained kneeling, waiting silently for her response and his dismissal as the attendant departed.

Queen Elaine leaned toward the window, as if embracing the sunlight with her whole body.

“I don’t recall ordering you to take care of the mermaid.”

She didn’t need to turn around to feel Rosander’s gaze on her. The man, once so indifferent and cold, had changed. No, that wasn’t accurate—his nature had always been the same. It was merely surfacing now.

Had he attempted to kill Eisentein, the queen would have found peace in the excuse to execute him, freeing herself from guilt.

But Rosander hadn’t done so. On the contrary, he treated Eisentein like his own daughter.

He scolded and cajoled the princess, playing a role far beyond that of a mere escort.

The king, as a result, once entertained the ridiculous notion that the princess, who bore no resemblance to either her mother or father, might actually be Rosander’s child. The queen, however, was unbothered. After all, in exchange for losing her ability to bear children, she had gained something far greater—a mastery of Belfret’s dark magic.

That aside, Rosander was not someone who would act according to her intentions. He merely increased his own suffering, as if finding solace in self-reproach.

The queen absentmindedly picked up her scepter. Under the bright sunlight, she noticed the lower part of the scepter was cracked.

Turning it upside down, she inspected the split closely. A faint trace of green, barely noticeable, nestled within.

A smile crept onto her lips as she pondered. She now had another reason to revisit the royal archives.

“I didn’t order anyone to bring it food, much less to guard it. I simply left it there to rot.”

“I see.”

Rosander answered calmly as he rose to his feet.

“Do you pity her?”

“….”

“You always seemed better suited to being a hunter than a knight. Was that not the case?”

His silence was all the answer Queen Elaine needed.