The sea shimmered with a rich, deep blue, and countless floating objects drifted on its surface. In the middle of the seabed, massive white skeletons lay scattered everywhere.
“Let me go!”
The Prince was tied to the bed. His clothes were wide open, and his face was filled with a deep sense of shame.
The Mermaid blushed as she looked at the Prince. That dragon was right—tying him up was the perfect solution.
“Mermaid, let me go. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you,” the Prince said, on the verge of breaking down.
The Mermaid shyly pressed a finger to the Prince’s lips. “I don’t want anything. I only want you to love me.”
The Prince nodded hastily. “I love you. Of course, I love you. Just let me go, and I’ll take you to the castle to get married, okay?”
At the mention of the castle, tears welled up in the Mermaid’s eyes.
“I don’t believe you. You’ll end up marrying some other princess, and I’ll just turn into sea foam,” she said.
She didn’t want to become sea foam. She had come into this world for love alone. She wanted nothing else—just the Prince.
The Prince was utterly desperate. It seemed clear to him that the Mermaid would never let him go. He clenched his eyes shut, refusing to look at her any longer.
The Mermaid kissed his lips, her gaze growing obsessive. “Prince, we’ll be together soon,” she whispered.
As long as they were the same, no one could ever separate them.
The Mermaid went to see the Witch.
The Witch seemed to have known she was coming.
“Mermaid, if you agree to give me your voice in exchange, I can turn your fish tail into human legs,” the Witch said.
The Mermaid shook her head timidly. “Witch, I don’t want to become human legs.”
The Witch looked at her in surprise as the Mermaid’s voice grew softer.
“Is there a way... to turn the Prince’s legs into a fish tail instead?”
She wanted the Prince to be with her forever.
Sunlight streamed through the enormous crystal dome, scattering tiny specks of light. The palace was entwined with towering ancient trees, and the crystal inside shimmered with flowing colors. At night, the palace would automatically absorb moonlight, carrying a sleep-inducing magic.
Ji Zhaoxi felt happy every time she woke up, happy every time she fell asleep, and happy even just lying there doing nothing.
Even though this crystal palace was only half-finished, she was still overjoyed. Celeste was an incredible bargain—she only needed to pay him two gems a month in wages.
Watching Ji Zhaoxi cling to her gem-studded furniture, a soft smile filled Celeste’s eyes. He leaned in and began kissing her neck gently.
“Miss Dragon, am I making you happy?” he murmured.
Ji Zhaoxi blushed to the tips of her ears. She tried to dodge him, but Celeste pinned her down on the bed. No matter where she moved, his lips followed.
“Celeste!”
Before long, red marks dotted her neck. Forced to tilt her head back, she only made it easier for him as he nibbled softly.
Celeste chuckled as he watched her breathing heavily, then kissed the tip of her nose.
Just a few kisses had reduced her to this state. But he couldn’t help it—Miss Dragon always wore such an adorable expression.
In the afternoon, Ji Zhaoxi and Celeste went to the kingdom together.
She hadn’t visited before, and especially thinking about that woman’s face made her feel excited.
Celeste stopped his horse at the palace entrance. The soldiers standing guard stared straight ahead with expressionless faces.
Celeste lifted Ji Zhaoxi off the horse, took her hand, and led her toward the palace.
The Commander stood calmly at the gate, and Ji Zhaoxi stood before her triumphantly.
The Commander didn’t respond.
Since she was standing right there, the Commander had no choice but to speak first.
“Madam, is there anything you command?”
Ji Zhaoxi felt an incredible rush. This was the first time the Commander had been so polite to her.
Before, she had only ever called her “stupid dragon,” “foolish dragon,” or “lazy dragon.”
So, this was the taste of power?
At a platform nearby, a commoner raised a telescope.
“Prince Celeste lifted the princess off the horse. She’s wearing a pale yellow dress. Prince Celeste is quite strong,” she narrated.
“The princess is smiling while talking with the Commander. She seems like a very kind princess...”
As the commoner spoke through the telescope, another commoner beside her sketched everything.
They had to get firsthand information before anyone else snatched it away. They needed to publish it quickly.
Celeste went to handle state affairs. Ji Zhaoxi didn’t want to follow him; she wanted to wander around.
She had seen the palace from the sky many times, but this was her first time inside.
As she walked, she passed through a garden and suddenly caught sight of a transparent room. Looking closer, she saw an old man who wasn’t even wearing a single piece of clothing—only a sheet covered him.
He was sitting on a stool, his hands sluggishly gesturing midair.
“The fabric of this garment is far too poor...” he muttered.
Back in the day, when he wore such clothes, many fools had claimed he was naked. He had those imbeciles killed, and now only smart people remained—those who could see what he was wearing.
He noticed Ji Zhaoxi watching him.
“Does this garment look good to you?”
Ji Zhaoxi stared blankly and looked him over from top to bottom.
“Which one?”
The Old King’s voice grew weak. “The one in my hand.”
Ji Zhaoxi stayed silent as she watched him holding his hand in midair, his fingers seeming to pinch some invisible fabric.
She said politely, “Should I call a doctor for you?”
Either his eyes were bad, or his mind was gone.
The Old King’s expression twisted in fury. “You’re an idiot! Only smart people can see this garment.”
Being called an idiot by a dazed old man over eighty infuriated Ji Zhaoxi.
“You’re the idiot! There’s no garment in your hand. At your age, you’re stripping naked—shameless old pervert!”
The Old King flushed with rage, his face turning red. He glared at her viciously. “I’ll kill you!”
He lunged toward Ji Zhaoxi, but before she could react, he tripped off his stool, landed face-first, convulsed, and lay still.
Ji Zhaoxi was startled. She hadn’t touched him at all—he had just fallen on his own.
Just as she was about to check if he was dead, blood started seeping from under his face.
Ji Zhaoxi flinched.
Damn, damn, damn. There was no way she could talk her way out of this now.
Suddenly, the Old King lifted his head, sprayed blood all over Ji Zhaoxi, rolled his eyes, and died.
Ji Zhaoxi froze as she looked at the bloodstains on her clothes.
That evil old king had even smeared her with blood in his final act, framing her for his death!
Voices from maids and soldiers echoed from outside the door. Panicking, Ji Zhaoxi looked for a place to hide but found none.
The sounds grew closer. Heart pounding in terror, she had no choice but to transform into a dragon and burst out of the room.
The maids at the entrance screamed in shock at the sudden creature lunging at them.
“A dragon!”
