Chapter 6

I froze in shock as Ariel glared at me, her wet hair whipping around dramatically while her lips silently flailed in panic.

[Protest! That witch was a scammer! A wicked witch indeed!]

“Scammer?”

As I turned to Hook with confusion, he grinned mischievously.

“Teeheehee! Like that girl would kill the witch for no reason! Apparently, the witch tried to curse Ariel’s happiness – you know, the one where if she doesn’t find true love with the prince, she turns into foam and dies!”

[That’s right! No prior warning! Scamming witch! If only I’d killed her faster… cursed!]

“Teeheehee! Still though, turning her into calamari skewers might’ve been excessive.”

[Still though! Trash witch!]

Ariel’s face twisted in rage recalling the memory, but when she noticed my frightened expression, she quickly recomposed herself into a shy maiden.

It’s all so confusing… But at least Ariel isn’t some random lunatic like Elise; she had legitimate reasons for murder. In fables, witches often give practical advice and don’t seem entirely evil, but here she was definitely the villain.

One question came to mind listening to their story.

“But if the witch is dead, shouldn’t the contract be void? Ariel should have neither lost her voice nor gained legs, right?”

“Excellent question. As expected of my prince. However, it’s not the case.”

“Hmm, I thought the same initially, but apparently the contract was fulfilled – imperfectly. That’s why she lost her voice but ended up with these legs instead. They become a mermaid tail underwater and fish-scaled human legs on land.”

Even without her voice, isn’t this okay? Ariel wanted to come ashore anyway, so she can move freely both on land and in the sea.

“She lost her gills too, meaning even with a mermaid tail, she can only stay submerged for a few minutes. Moreover, the curse wasn’t completely stopped.”

“What? I thought killing the witch would stop the curse.”

[Sobs. So sad. Should’ve killed her faster.]

Ariel hung her head sorrowfully. It was unsettling how casually she mentioned needing to kill faster.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t block it entirely. Though the worst outcome of turning into foam was avoided, now she has a different curse – she can’t regain her voice unless she falls in love with the prince. Normally, an incomplete contract dissolves when the witch dies, but the curse remnants are forcibly keeping the contract active. That’s why she needs the prince.”

Hook patted my shoulder.

“Just someone like you.”

“But I’m not a prince!”

“Teeheehee! If Ariel sees you as her prince, then you’re her prince! Besides, in some distant icy kingdom, a penguin was a prince!”

[That’s right. Siyoo. You are my prince.]

Ariel shyly edged closer, lightly bumping shoulders with me. Her adorable demeanor made my heart race, yet I still had lingering questions.

Unable to meet her affectionate gaze directly, I glanced sideways while asking,

“Hmph, didn’t you mention earlier there was already a prince you fell for?”

At my question, Ariel’s pupils seemed to experience an earthquake.

[Ah… That… Well… You see…]

“Teeheeheeheehee! Teeheeheehee! Ah~ such a delightful story!”

[No! Stop! Don’t tell it!!]

Hook gleefully bounced around ready to share the tale while Ariel desperately begged him to stop, chasing after him.

“Teeheeheehee! Just as you said, Siyoo. Indeed, the reason Ariel sought the witch’s help was because of that handsome prince whose life she saved. But guess what? That pretty prince never gave Ariel a second thought. Want to know why?”

Without realizing, I nodded, satisfying Hook who smirked knowingly.

[No! Warning! Forbidden word! Stupid Captain Hook! Creepy uncle! Stop immediately!]

“This creepy uncle has no intention of stopping~ The prince’s heart belonged to someone else~”

Suddenly singing, this story felt familiar. The prince loved another princess, leading to the mermaid princess’ unrequited love. Even with her sisters sacrificing their hair for a dagger to stab the prince’s heart and return her original form, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Isn’t this more about selfless love rather than something embarrassing?

Ariel’s face flushed tomato-red as she struggled to catch Hook who evaded her pursuit gracefully, laughing heartily and continuing his song.

“Teeheeheeheehee! The person in the prince’s heart wasn’t some foreign princess or Ariel… So who could it be? The one closest to him… The only one he looked at… Always by his side…”

This felt strange. Not a foreign princess or Ariel but someone always nearby… This was new. Maybe a maid?

[Stop! Stop! Stop! This is an official warning! Immoral Captain Hook! Close your mouth immediately!]

“The one who stole the prince’s heart with Cupid’s arrow was none other than… his butler!!”

“Eh?”

A butler? Were there female butlers back then? Isn’t there usually an age gap? I thought butlers were dignified middle-aged men managing households…

Lost in thought, Hook kindly explained further.

“Teeheeheehee! The prince Ariel fell for wasn’t into women. He was having an affair with his butler! She even witnessed them together when trying to sneak into the prince’s room after getting her legs! Teeheeheehee!”

[Shame! Anger! Embarrassment! Forget it, my prince!]

Ariel squirmed restlessly like a puppy needing to pee while I felt lightheaded.

“So… That prince likes men?”

“Teeheeheehee! Yep. Not uncommon, though I never expected him to go for someone 30 years older.”

[Waaaah! I don’t know! So embarrassing! So shameful!]

Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek but found Ariel’s shame endearing. She risked everything for love, only to discover the prince liked men and saw… those acts.

“Hey, Ariel must’ve been really shocked and hurt.”

At my words, her soaked red hair perked up, her gem-like eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face.

[Warmth! Kindness! Thoughtfulness! My prince! Truly my prince!]

She suddenly lunged at me, burying her face against my chest. Despite my uniform getting damp from her, it felt pleasant – almost exhilarating to have such a beautiful creature leaning on me.

“Teeheeheehee! Love is always ticklish and makes you feel good!”

“Erm, it’s not like that!”

“Teeheehee~ No need to be shy. At least this time, no one took you away.”

“Took me?”

With a cheerful expression, Hook gazed wistfully at the cloudy sky above.

“That damned kidnapper Peter Pan.”

In the midst of Ariel’s story, I’d momentarily forgotten. Hook being here meant Peter Pan was nearby too.

“Peter Pan is a kidnapper? What happened before?”

“Yeah, there was something.”

He fidgeted with his hook, lost in terrible memories. Ariel frowned similarly, muttering under her breath.

[That damned trash. Kidnapper Peter Pan. All the princes I saved from drowning… He took them all. Oh! But don’t misunderstand. To me, Siyoo is the only prince.]

But I’m not a prince…

“The brat’s the king of Neverland, ruling over a kingdom just for children. He kidnapped my daughter Wendy. Even after Ariel rescued young boys from drowning, Peter Pan would show up and take them away.”

Daughter named Wendy? The Wendy Peter Pan invited to Neverland? Seriously, Hook is Wendy’s dad?

“Do you understand losing a cherished daughter, Siyoo? Life feels meaningless, the burning fire in your chest consuming your insides. For twenty years, I’ve waited for the chance to capture that bastard and rescue Wendy, but every attempt has failed. Worse, I even lost my hand.”

He slammed his hook onto the nearby wooden box. Hatred blazed in Hook’s eyes, mourning his lost daughter, chilling me to the bone after twenty long years.

[That’s why we cooperate. I search for a prince. He hunts Peter Pan. We decided to help each other. But progress has been slow.]

“Yeah, but today was different. Peter Pan and that pesky Tinker Bell, who usually snatch any kids they see, weren’t around. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any boys dressed like you either. Who exactly are you? And how did you end up here?”