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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“No! W-wait…! That’s… a bit much, don’t you think…?”
I scrambled out of the bath, a little panicked. Honestly, I had done more than enough.
If we continued, I would be completely drained. While I could endure it, I would probably be bedridden for days.
“Don’t misunderstand… It’s not that I don’t want to… but I have a lot to do…”
Arachne raised an eyebrow, her expression a mask of displeasure, then, noticing my gaze, forced a smile and cleared her throat.
“Ah, ahem, is that so…?”
She still seemed more like a princess than a queen. Despite her sharp mind, her emotions sometimes betrayed her youth.
No matter how capable she was, she had been the youngest just a few months ago. It was understandable that she would struggle to adapt to her new role as leader.
“Hmm… well, we can continue later, I suppose…”
Like a child denied a treat, Arachne splashed the water playfully, venting her frustration.
Her emotional display surprised me. The Arachne I knew wasn’t usually this… childish.
Was she really this upset about interrupting our lovemaking?
No, this was too much.
We had already spent over two hours together, half of which had been spent having sex.
“I’m sorry. Isaac is badly injured, and I can’t leave him alone for too long.”
Even though Amy was tending to him, I was still worried.
I couldn’t just spend the entire day having sex while Isaac was on the brink of death. I had to help him.
“…Ah, then how about this?”
But then,
Arachne grabbed my shoulder.
She leaned against the edge of the bath, her upper body exposed,
And offered a shocking suggestion.
“We captured a mermaid, remember? We can… share a piece of her.”
“What?”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
Share a piece of a mermaid?
“What? You want me to help you…?”
“N-no… it’s not like that…”
Her words sent a chill down my spine.
Arachne’s voice was serious, devoid of humor, and that made it even more terrifying.
“Mermaid flesh is practically medicine. We’re drying her slowly, to preserve her, but… I can spare a piece for your friend.”
I felt dizzy.
I hadn’t understood why they had hung Aria from a tree, but now I knew.
“Just ask, if you need any. You’re my partner, Juho. I’ll even share my precious mermaid meat with you.”
Wait a minute.
Perhaps this was an opportunity.
Arachne was friendly towards me. She had even offered to help my friends, including Isaac.
Perhaps she would help Aria as well?
“Arachne?”
“Hmm?”
She waited for me to speak, her fingers tracing my jawline.
I decided to test the waters.
“…That mermaid… she’s also my friend. Can you help her?”
Arachne’s lips and the muscles around her eyes twitched, but she maintained her smile.
“A friend?”
“You probably think… that I was held captive down there… well, it’s a long story. Anyway, I know her.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean? Can you explain?”
Arachne, as always, was willing to listen,
Her tone gentle and accommodating.
“I heard she hates you…”
But her voice trailed off, and her eyes darted around, as if she had realized something.
I carefully chose my words, trying to avoid any misunderstandings. I was asking for a favor, so I couldn’t afford to offend her.
“I met the mermaids before I met you. And then I escaped. After that, I was captured by those… Blood Beasts, as you call them. Ah, perhaps they’re the ones who attacked your sisters.”
I omitted any mention of Jenny. Neither Aria nor Arachne knew about my connection to her, so I could easily conceal it.
If they ever talked, they might compare notes and discover my lies.
So I had to be careful,
Controlling the narrative.
“Isaac helped me escape. He had one of our weapons.”
It was a perfect lie.
It satisfied Arachne’s curiosity, while simultaneously concealing my connection to Isaac, Jenny, and Amy.
Only Aria and Arachne were in the dark. They wouldn’t be able to piece together the truth, no matter how hard they tried.
“And then, covered in blood, I went to the lake to wash up, and they captured me again. And then you came to rescue me…”
The conversation was progressing as planned.
Arachne was still smiling-
Or so I thought…?
“Came to… rescue me…”
Only her lips were smiling?
Wait, had I made a mistake?
Had my strategy backfired? That was impossible.
Arachne had clearly opened her heart to me. She would grant me this small favor. Her earlier words of support hadn’t been a lie.
“I see.”
Arachne suddenly pointed at Aria, still hanging from the tree. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, looking at her outstretched finger.
“So, Juho, did you… do it with her?”
Her tone was as gentle as ever.
But her eyes were cold, the forced calmness in her gaze more menacing than any claw or spider silk.
“Uh… are you… angry…? Why…?”
“Hmm? No. Why would I be angry? I’m just curious.”
Were mermaids that rare? Was she angry that I had suggested to let one go?
No, that wasn’t it. She had asked if I had done it with Aria. That meant…
“Did you mate with her? That mermaid.”
Mate?
The unexpected question made my mind freeze.
“Uh…?”
“I’m asking if you mated with her. Is that so difficult to understand? Did you mate with the mermaid? Did your cock go in and out of that fishy, scaly hole?”
Something was wrong.
I had built a strong relationship with Arachne, just like Dan had advised,
And she had become my ally.
“Answer me.”
But an unexpected variable had emerged.
This was,
Jealousy.
“Why aren’t you answering? I told you I’m not angry. Your silence is making this more suspicious. Why won’t you answer?”
“N-no… I didn’t… I didn’t…”
“You didn’t?”
A shiver ran down my spine.
Like when I had first witnessed Jenny’s transformation,
A wave of fear washed over me, constricting my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
It felt like a giant hand was squeezing me, crushing me.
“Are you sure you didn’t?”
“Yes… I didn’t… really…”
I had never been in a relationship, so I hadn’t considered this possibility.
Even Dan hadn’t mentioned it. Well, he had simply used women, never forming any deep connections.
“Look me in the eye and tell me. Did you, or didn’t you?”
“I didn’t…”
Arachne climbed out of the bath and grabbed my wrist, pulling me along.
We walked towards Aria, hanging from the tree like a drying fish.
“Uh… I-I really have to go see Isaac. If his condition has worsened, I need to help him…”
Arachne ignored my pleas, dragging me towards Aria.
“Fish.”
Arachne looked up at Aria.
“I know you understand me. Answer my question.”
Aria, her appearance haggard and worn, looked at us, her empty eyes shifting between Arachne and me.
–Help me-
Arachne glanced at me, as if suspecting something, but I quickly lowered my gaze, avoiding her eyes.
I hadn’t been caught.
I just had to play along.
If Aria understood,
I might be able to free her later.
“…”
Aria’s voice was a dry rasp.
“No…”
Yes,
Tell her no.
“Speak louder. What did you say?”
Arachne leaned closer.
And Aria, her voice barely a whisper,
Said,
“No…”
A pathetic,
Humiliating,
Desperate plea for survival.
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