"Eve, are you alright?"
“Sister...”
Noelier and Rachel seemed to sense my confusion.
To them, who were looking at me with worried faces, I shook my head as if to say I was fine.
'I came here to find out the truth.'
In that case, this gamble was worth taking. The leader of the East had said that he would not meet with anyone.
Then.
'We can just storm in ourselves!'
I approached the descendant of the Eastern chief.
He turned to look at me, sensing my presence.
"Have you finished the story?"
"Yes."
"Then, let's take them."
It was when he was about to give orders to the mermaids behind him.
"I would like to go with you as well."
"Yes?"
He asked back as if he couldn't believe it.
Pale purple eyes, identical to those of the Sirens, turned toward the back of me. They seemed to be watching Noelier's reaction.
"...I apologize, but the Leader does not wish to meet the Leader of the South."
"Is it so?"
It was the reaction I expected. So, I decided to play hard.
I quietly looked around and continued speaking.
"Even though the chief's companion was harmed in your territory?"
Everyone stirred at my words.
“What?”
“A companion?”
Startled voices erupted from here and there.
'That's the reaction I expected.'
It wasn't something I didn't know.
This is not the South. There was no need to pretend to be a married couple.
But I grabbed Noelier's hand and even intertwined our fingers, as if to show off.
As expected, everyone just gaped and couldn't say a word.
In particular, the woman who had snapped at me for being rude was hiccuping and even hiccuping.
'Good. It seems like everyone believes it.'
I was about to speak again with a sense of relief, but suddenly the hands I was holding felt not just hot, but as if they were blazing.
'Ah, right.'
It was only then that I realized I hadn't said a single word to Noelier.
"Noel, the reason I said this is..."
I turned my head toward Noelier with a feeling of apology.
It goes without saying that his face must have turned bright red...
"..."
“Noel?”
However, Noelier said nothing, simply gazing down intently at the hand he was holding.
The red eyes looked strangely persistent. It was like a carnivore agonizing over what to do with its prey right in front of it.
“Noel?”
I called out to him again. His eyes, moving slowly, reflected me once more.
Surprise.
He blinked once and looked at me with a bewildered expression. His face was blank, as if he had been momentarily distracted by another hallucination.
I asked with a worried look on my face.
“What’s not good?”
I lowered my voice and whispered.
"...It's nothing. I just have a headache for a moment."
He shook his head slowly.
'Surely, another runaway isn't going to happen, is it?'
Growing anxious, I tightened my grip on the hand I was holding. Fortunately, the stinging heat subsided a little.
The blonde man was still staring at us with a shocked expression. It was clear that it would be difficult for him to accept the talk of sirens and whatnot, given his misunderstanding.
However, Noelier is the leader of the South. I am his mate, and in his territory, the dragon's mate suffered great damage. There was no way he could refuse.
I cast a look at him, asking what he was going to do. No matter how much I think about it, there is only one answer.
He nodded.
"...Understood. I will guide you."
***
The name of the man called 'Young Master' by the mermaids was Henry.
Guided by Henry, we headed to the eastern castle said to be in the center of the sea.
I arrived safely in Noelier's arms. Zion and Rachel received help from other mermaids.
The Mermaid Chief's castle was as dazzling as Noelier's. It felt as if I had fallen into a cartoon I watched as a child, where a mermaid was the main character.
"You can follow this way."
Henry said that and moved forward again.
Then, Noelier whispered softly in a voice only I could hear.
"A strange aura emanates from it."
"A strange aura?"
"Well, I can't really define it exactly, though."
I scanned my surroundings cautiously.
Certainly, that was true. The castle, with its overall bluish tint, was beautiful, but for some reason, it exuded an eerie aura.
"..."
Rachel seemed to share our thoughts, her gaze scanning the castle with a serious intensity. Zion couldn't take his eyes off her, simply saying she was beautiful.
I carefully observed Noelier's reaction.
The leader of the East said that he was extremely reluctant to meet Noelier.
It was clear that something was being hidden. Perhaps it was related to Noelier's death.
'I need to figure out the connection.'
I made a firm resolution and went inside.
I walked inside along the straight red carpet. At the end of the carpet was a huge, massive door.
The servant guarding the door greeted Henry.
"You guys wait here for a moment."
Henry looked back at the mermaids who had captured the siren and said.
The door, engraved with a mermaid pattern, opened with a loud rumbling sound.
The chandelier high up in the palace shone even more brilliantly as it absorbed the light of the water.
At the highest point in the center sat a blonde man like Henry. He was the leader of the East.
“Oh. Henry!”
The Chief, who was working, brightened up and called his son.
However, upon spotting us following behind, he contorted his expression as if nothing had happened.
“Leader of the South...?”
His eyes trembled violently. It was clear that he was afraid of Noelier.
"Father."
Henry took a step closer to the leader and spoke.
"There was a major accident today in the Siren-dense area. Of course, there were no casualties, but I have something to say..."
"Henry!"
Suddenly, the leader interrupted with a loud voice.
"What have you done... How dare you go there! Are you out of your mind?"
He, who had been breathing heavily as if in agitation, paused.
"You, how dare you..."
The violent heaving of his chest slowed down. His eyes, which had been filled with rage as if he had momentarily lost his reason, also gradually became calm.
"I, I am sorry, Leader. I haven't been feeling well lately. I seem to have made a disgraceful appearance."
He lowered his head, wearing a smile that was obviously uncomfortable to anyone.
"I offer my belated greetings, Leader. My name is Mentira."
It was a polite greeting. Noelier merely stared at him with an expressionless face and gave no answer.
"..."
At Noelier's silence, Mentira forced a smile and stood up.
Even though it must have been embarrassing, he didn't say anything specific about being a mentee. Instead, he looked at Henry with an exaggerated smile.
"Right, so there was an accident?"
"..."
Henry also seemed quite flustered by his father's sudden change in attitude. Regaining his composure, Henry parted his lips.
"...There was an incident in a Siren-dense area. Red-headed Sirens inflicted significant damage on the Southern Leader's companion. I happened to be at the scene as well."
Henry continued speaking calmly.
"Even if it was the work of the Sirens, this incident occurred in our Eastern region. I have personally escorted you here to offer my sincere apologies."
"Companion? You said, companion?"
Mentira's pale purple eyes turned toward me. He looked like someone facing an unbelievable truth.
What is he thinking right now?
If he were a mermaid who could see the truth, wouldn't he figure out my true identity immediately?
I wanted to read minds like a siren, but unfortunately, being a mere wolf, I had no choice but to wait for a reaction.
Mentira, who had been gazing at me intently, slowly opened her mouth.
"Welcome, my dear companion. You have come all this way, only to find that you have gone through a difficult time. As the leader, I apologize."
Mentira gave a benevolent smile. It was the exact opposite of when he had been surprised to meet Noelier.
Seeing that sight, I was certain.
'They don't recognize that I'm a wolf.'
It seemed as though the doubts I had harbored in my heart were gradually being resolved.
However, something felt a little unsettling. It was that relieved look on Mentira's face.
What is the real meaning of that expression?
'What does the fact that I am the companion have to do with the leader being relieved?'
Furthermore, they said that he had been reluctant to meet Noelier for a long time. However, the moment he realized that I was his companion, the initial wariness he had shown vanished in an instant.
Is this a good change?
'No.'
I shook my head inwardly.
Wolves and dragons are sworn enemies. If Mantira is really a mermaid, he should have found out my true identity.
'And he probably asked why Noel took a wolf as a companion.'
It was strange that he, the leader, didn't recognize me when even the Sirens did. It seemed like we would have to observe the situation a little longer.
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