The Merman Trap - Chapter 2

“It’s all right, Siren. If you don’t like blood, we’ll change the water first. Then I’ll treat your wound myself, okay?”

Father was practically plastered against the glass of the aquarium. My poor little merman could only huddle in the corner and cast me a pleading look.

Like a lamb awaiting slaughter, with no one to turn to but me—the wolf.

How adorable.

I smiled.

Still, what an eyesore.

Father’s filthy fingerprints were smearing the glass.

My mood plunged in an instant. I bit the tip of my tongue, using the pain to suppress the foul, surging possessiveness inside me.

Heh.

So Father was alone in there.

I ignored the taste of blood flooding my mouth.

In that case, this would be easy.

I pulled the main breaker.

The room went black.

On the way in, I picked up a brick.

The air shifted in front of me. Instinctively, I raised the brick to swing, only for something soft and warm to press against my neck. A peculiar fragrance filled my nose.

Before my mind could catch up—

Clatter!

The brick hit the floor. I crouched halfway down and caught Siren around the waist.

Barely a finger’s breadth separated two utterly different textures: the scales covering his tail and the supple waist of a young man.

The contrast sent a thrill through me, and my grip tightened before I knew it.

I stared at him, momentarily speechless. “Why did you come out?”

Siren should have been inside the aquarium.

More importantly, that old bastard was nowhere to be seen.

What a waste of a perfectly good brick.

“Mm.”

Siren didn’t speak. His arms looped around my neck while little hums rumbled in his throat, like a baby babbling in its sleep.

The coolness I associated with his body was gone.

Instead, he was frighteningly hot.

Understanding struck me. “You can’t stay out of the water?”

“Mm.”

“Siren?”

“Mm.”

His voice grew weaker and weaker.

…

He really was a silly fish who knew nothing but blowing bubbles.

“Mmm.”

As if he had heard my thoughts, he rubbed his little head against my neck in protest.

Everywhere he touched felt like a field scorched by fire.

Guided by memory, I carefully traced the shape of his lips with one finger.

At last, I touched the softness I had yearned for day and night. They were a little rough now, though, dried out from his time away from the water.

Poor thing.

Siren seemed to dislike my touch. He pursed his lips, and the sensation that had made my heart tremble vanished at once.

But the instant I tried to pull my hand away, he bit down on my fingertip.

A merman’s teeth could tear apart prey several times his size, yet his bite was so gentle it felt like the milk teeth of a newborn—almost affectionate, almost dependent.

Unexpectedly, however, he was forceful about it. Like a beast guarding its food, he refused to let me withdraw.

Tsk. Still so pure and harmless.

The heavy darkness spared me the trouble of maintaining my usual mask in front of my little merman. I combed my fingers through his hair, my interest entirely undisguised.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Mm.”

Siren bit down a little harder.

Ah. A pretty, delicate little merman who knew how to bite.

The corners of my lips slowly curved upward, and I softened my voice to a whisper.

“Big Sis has water for you. Come have a drink, all right?”

“You useless bastards! Why are you still standing here? Don’t you know Father has disappeared?”

Playing the part of a “dutiful” daughter, I happened to throw a fit at the bodyguards outside the room as I passed its main entrance.

I controlled most of the family, but these men were still Father’s trusted subordinates.

The infighting in a wealthy family never ended. For people like Father and me, the game would hardly be interesting if we didn’t leave each other a few pieces to play with.

They exchanged panicked looks.

“M-Miss Shi.”

“Actually, the master… the master is inside.”

Father had been in there for three hours already.

That went against the instructions he had given before entering.

The guards couldn’t help suspecting something had happened.

Yet Father’s orders had also forced them to remain at their posts without taking a single step away.

I gave a cold laugh. “Oh?”

“The entire household is in chaos, and you chose to conceal this from me?”

“Or is there some secret in this room I’m not allowed to see?”

They finally gave in and let me enter.

The fingerprint lock on the door was no obstacle at all.

Even then, the guards stayed outside, too frightened to cross the threshold—as though some terrible creature had been imprisoned within.

The room lit up in an instant.

Siren lay unconscious beside the aquarium, a watery sheen glimmering over his lips.

Father had collapsed not far away.

Tsk. No wonder I hadn’t seen him earlier.

Useless.

Feigning panic, I helped Father up and handed him over to the guards at the door.

“What are you waiting for? Get him to a hospital!”

The crowd dispersed.

I closed my fingers around Siren’s wrist. It was delicate and slender, so easily contained in my grasp that my desire for control reached an unprecedented peak.

Now you belong to me alone.

Then I carried him to my bedroom.