The silly little princess failed to notice at all that this cunning merfolk was deliberately playing weak and pitiful, using the tactic of retreating in order to advance, successfully coaxing the soft-hearted little princess into agreeing to spend mating season with him.
Yu Deng was guided into lying against Ulysses' chest and seriously emphasized, "Did you hear me? You're not allowed to make me too tired."
"I heard you. I promise I won't make Your Highness the Princess feel tired."
Yu Deng met the merfolk's blue eyes for a few seconds before reluctantly believing his promise.
"Then how am I supposed to help you?"
The merfolk leader, who had originally been lying on the shell bed and painfully enduring his condition, had unknowingly sat up. He pulled the soft-hearted little princess into his arms, trapping him within his embrace.
"Little Princess, touch my tail," the merfolk guided him.
Yu Deng still didn't know how important a fish tail was to a merfolk, nor did he understand what touching one meant. In his innocence, he accepted Ulysses' invitation.
His soft palm landed on the dark-blue fish tail.
The scales were still burning hot, creating a considerable temperature difference against the cool seawater.
Yu Deng clumsily stroked downward along the contours of the fish tail.
This fish tail, known as the merfolk's greatest weapon, capable of easily smashing sharks and rocks, obediently allowed Yu Deng to stroke it. The tip of its tail even swayed happily, not much different from a dog wagging its tail.
"Little Princess, I want to kiss you. Is that okay?" the merfolk leader politely asked.
"Hm?"
Yu Deng was still diligently stroking the fish tail when the merfolk lowered his head and gently bit his lower lip. After waiting a few seconds and confirming that the little princess showed no resistance, the merfolk became increasingly skilled at sucking and kissing him.
Although mating season originated from a merfolk's instincts, Ulysses did not want his union with the little princess to consist solely of sex. At such an important moment, tender kisses were naturally essential.
Yu Deng tilted his head back as the merfolk kissed him carefully, tears from the corners of his eyes melting into the seawater.
Their fish tails touched and intertwined, their tail fins pressed together, and their jewel-like scales gently rubbed against each other.
"Little Princess, open my scales for me, okay?" the merfolk coaxed softly.
In a daze, Yu Deng followed the merfolk's guidance and lifted the scorching scale.
With Yu Deng's assistance, the merfolk leader's special scale opened completely, revealing what was hidden beneath it.
As expected, it was frightening and fierce-looking, completely at odds with Ulysses' handsome appearance.
Wait… something was wrong!
Yu Deng had originally intended to avert his gaze and stop looking, but he caught sight of something unusual from the corner of his eye.
There was… more than one?!
Yu Deng froze completely.
He stared in disbelief for several seconds, then rubbed his eyes hard before gathering the courage to look again.
Then he realized he hadn't seen it wrong…
There really were multiple.
"Little Princess, rubbing your eyes like that isn't good. You'll hurt them." The merfolk grabbed Yu Deng's wrist and spoke softly. "Your eyelids are a little red."
Yu Deng looked at the merfolk leader's face. After a long while, he finally accused him, "It's all your fault… Ulysses, you—you scared me!"
"Little Princess, you mean this?" Ulysses asked. "I'm sorry. Most of us special races are like this. Our bodily structures are slightly different from humans."
Ulysses patiently explained it as though he weren't discussing something so private and embarrassing, but merely introducing the most basic biological facts.
"I don't know about merfolk from other places, but the male merfolk of the continent of Eralzea do indeed all have two."
So this was what fantasy species were like…
Yu Deng's earlobes had already turned bright red, and he didn't dare look down at the merfolk again.
He muttered quietly, "But who said other races are all like this? The dragons clearly aren't!"
Ulysses: "…"
How did the little princess know about something like this?
So that dragon really had possessed the little princess before?
He wasn't the little princess's only male?
The moment he thought of this, a sour feeling instantly filled the merfolk's heart.
However, that dragon had actually not let the little princess know…
The merfolk clicked his tongue inwardly. That dragon was probably afraid of frightening the little princess.
"As far as I know, dragons and merfolk have similar bodily structures. If he doesn't have them, perhaps it's because he has some kind of medical condition." The merfolk leader casually took a jab at his rival. "Little Princess, don't mention other males at a time like this, okay?"
Yu Deng gave a vague response.
He had passively received this strange piece of knowledge and was still rebuilding his worldview while recalling some details.
Come to think of it, if dragons had the same structure as merfolk…
Yu Deng remembered some things he had wondered about a few days ago.
For example, although he had clearly been completely filled by the giant dragon, he could still feel something strange poking against the skin of his abdomen.
And during the process, the giant dragon would adjust his position, after which the temperature Yu Deng felt would become slightly different.
So… dragons were the same too?
Forget it.
He would definitely find out exactly what was going on with the giant dragon eventually. Right now, the more important matter was this merfolk.
Waaah, there were two of those frightening things.
Could he really help?
Yu Deng wanted to back out a little.
"Ulysses, you didn't tell me you were like this…"
"I'm sorry. It was my fault for not explaining the situation to Your Highness the Princess beforehand."
The merfolk leader restrained his surging desire, a smile appearing in his eyes.
"Then let me make the little princess feel good first. Is that okay?"
Ulysses' rough palm landed on Yu Deng's light-blue fish tail.
Yu Deng hesitantly looked at him, instinctively sensing a little danger.
"Mm… maybe not."
"Hm? At a time like this, making one's partner comfortable is the most basic requirement. How could I possibly let the little princess help me without giving you any thanks or reward?"
Although Ulysses had never experienced this before, he still understood such a simple principle.
The merfolk coaxed Yu Deng into relaxing and spreading out his fish tail, his fingertips wandering across the surface of the scales.
Yu Deng had never known that a merfolk's tail could be so sensitive.
Every slight stimulation was magnified countless times, traveling along the nerves of his tail all the way to his brain, leaving him completely unable to control himself.
The beautiful fish tail curled upward, the thin fin at its tip continuously fluttering and slapping before Ulysses caught hold of it.
Yu Deng let out a short, muffled sound and grabbed Ulysses' arm, speaking intermittently.
"D-Don't move anymore…"
"Okay."
Although the merfolk said that, he still instinctively rubbed the fish tail.
Yu Deng's tail suddenly went rigid, its fin beating rapidly.
The next second, the fish tail transformed into a pair of human legs.
Ulysses paused, then said regretfully, "The little princess's tail disappeared."
Yu Deng slowly looked down and saw his own legs.
His slender legs, with nothing covering them, were submerged in the seawater. Having suddenly changed back, they trembled slightly from the unfamiliar sensation.
"But the little princess's legs are also very beautiful. Whether it's your fish tail or your legs, both are perfect."
The merfolk gently stroked Yu Deng's thighs, creating faint currents in the water, his fingertips eventually resting at the entrance of his body.
The merfolk displayed remarkable patience at a time like this.
Only after the little princess had completely relaxed did Ulysses wrap an arm around Yu Deng's waist and slowly push one of them inside.
For Yu Deng, it was an unprecedented experience.
Although he was already filled, there was still another presence making itself unmistakably known. Its similarly scorching heat pressed against his lower abdomen, and whenever he lowered his head, he could see it.
So embarrassing…
"Little Princess, it's so pitiful. It can only stay outside."
The merfolk's eyes had already turned a deep, inky blue.
He coaxed the little princess, who was far too soft-hearted.
"Hold it for me, okay?"
Yu Deng was coaxed into a daze. As the merfolk wished, he grabbed the neglected object and wrapped his soft palm around it.
The merfolk's breathing instantly became heavier.
"Little Princess… I'm very happy."
The merfolk gently stroked Yu Deng's back, carefully taking his sweet little princess.
"Baby, are you feeling a little better now?"
Yu Deng frowned and hummed in a long, drawn-out voice.
"Barely…"
…
Merfolk were, after all, different from humans.
Merfolk possessed an intense possessiveness toward the people they loved. Their love was almost pathological, and every merfolk had once imagined becoming entangled with their partner and falling together into the abyss.
Seaweed that seemed to have grown from nowhere quietly wrapped around Yu Deng, completely securing him in the merfolk's arms.
And as expected of a creature that lived in the sea year-round, merfolk possessed superb swimming skills, which also meant they had extraordinarily strong core and waist strength.
The merfolk leader was even more so.
Yu Deng's eyes were half-open as his gaze fell on Ulysses' narrow waist moving rhythmically. He kicked at the seaweed around his ankles.
"Ulysses." Yu Deng's voice was soft and sweet. "It's uncomfortable. Slow down."
No one could resist the little princess acting spoiled like this, especially at a time like this.
The merfolk obediently did everything he asked, satisfying each of his little requests.
Ulysses even used magic to eliminate the fatigue Yu Deng's body felt, leaving behind only pure satisfaction and pleasure.
There was also a little interruption midway through.
The merfolk leader received a magical message from one of his subordinates.
The magic scroll placed on the table glowed, attracting Yu Deng's attention.
"Ulysses, what's that?"
"It's a message from another merfolk."
"A message? Then let's listen to it."
Yu Deng was very diligent. Even at a time like this, he still remembered that he needed to clear the instance and didn't want to miss any clues.
The merfolk was very indulgent toward the little princess.
The magic scroll automatically unfurled, and the voice of one of his subordinates came from within.
"Reporting to the leader, the unrest among the beastmen has ended. They have chosen a new beastman leader. The other party is very powerful, but we were unable to see his appearance clearly."
Yu Deng hazily caught the key phrase.
"Beastmen?"
He wondered whether he would have any interactions with the beastman NPCs…
The beastmen sounded like they were important too.
"Mhm. They are half-beast creatures who live on land. Their territories are spread widely, and their largest tribe is located east of the Kingdom of Sturitt."
The merfolk tossed the scroll aside.
"I'll introduce them to the little princess later, okay? There's something more important right now."
…
No one knew how long the seawater swayed around them.
The restlessness and pain brought about by the merfolk's mating season and the mutational power gradually began to fade.
The little princess had already been brought to the point where his tears would not stop, yet he still remembered to worry about the merfolk leader's condition. "Are you feeling better?"
"Much better." Ulysses gazed at his beloved little princess and sincerely thanked him. "Thank you for saving me, baby."
"You don't have to thank me…" Yu Deng replied politely out of habit. Then he slowly blinked, and a flash of inspiration passed through his muddled mind.
Ulysses had said that he had saved the merfolk. Thinking about it, he had now visited the human kingdom, the dragon territory, and the underwater kingdom. Everything he had done had been to help the NPCs escape their predicaments—in other words, to save them.
Then, could the way to clear this instance be summed up as… saving them?
But how was he supposed to save them? Did he have to go to every place and dispel those people's illnesses?
Yu Deng had never been good at thinking to begin with, and at a time like this, thinking only made his head spin.
The merfolk leader gently yet firmly turned Yu Deng's face toward him. His fingertips brushed over Yu Deng's flushed, tearful eyes as he sighed softly. "Baby, don't get distracted at a time like this. If there's something troubling you, I'll discuss it with you after we're finished."
Yu Deng glanced at the merfolk leader who had given him that inspiration and nodded. "Oh…"
The seawater continued to sway. However, the merfolk's promise that it would be only once was obviously another lie.
Yu Deng watched as the merfolk adjusted his position and switched to the other one that had been neglected for so long. Only then did he belatedly realize that he had been tricked again.
"Ulysses, you lied to me…" Yu Deng scolded him angrily.
The merfolk argued shamelessly, "But I have two. This is the complete process. Isn't that right, baby?"
Yu Deng glared at him, both embarrassed and annoyed. "Of course not… You're a bad guy, a liar!"
"But I won't let the little princess get tired." The merfolk thoughtfully used another healing spell, coaxing the little princess into softening once again with sweet words.
A few seconds later, the merfolk suddenly made another request. "Little princess, can I put both of them in?"
Yu Deng was already dizzy and dazed from everything that had happened. Upon hearing the question, it took him quite some time to react before he finally understood what the merfolk meant.
Yu Deng's eyes widened, and he raised his voice. "No! It'll, it'll break!!"
The merfolk did not insist on his idea. "That's true. Then I won't do that. Don't be afraid, baby."
Ulysses knew very well how much the little princess could handle. If he really did both at once… considering Yu Deng's current limits, there was a high chance he would get hurt.
Making one's partner suffer an injury was certainly nothing to be proud of. Besides, the merfolk could not bear to let his beloved little princess experience pain.
Yu Deng turned his head away and gave a shy, annoyed little hum. After being coaxed once again, he obediently reached out and held on, joining himself with the merfolk.
The merfolk's scales were really rather uncomfortable. The merfolk lying above Yu Deng was pressed closely against him, and with the irregular rhythm, his scales rubbed against Yu Deng's skin.
The delicate little princess muttered complaints and scolded him amid the swaying currents, while the powerful merfolk remained docile and obedient, letting the little princess lecture him as though he were scolding a puppy.
The delicate skin of the little princess's most private area was rubbed repeatedly. The seawater should have created resistance, yet it did not affect them in the slightest.
To marine creatures, the ever-present seawater was as ordinary and unobtrusive as air. Yu Deng had already spent two days in the deep sea, and he was gradually becoming accustomed to the water like the other marine creatures.
But Yu Deng was, after all, not a true marine creature. At a time like this, under such intense and continuous stimulation, he gradually began to feel somewhat suffocated.
His eyes lost their focus. He opened his mouth slightly, only for the merfolk to kiss him tenderly. The merfolk patiently reminded him, "Little princess, don't forget to breathe."
"Mmm…"
Yu Deng's legs stretched taut, his fair skin smooth and lustrous. His long hair spread through the water, his beautiful little face flushed crimson, and his lips were slightly swollen.
The little princess looked even more like an enchanting siren than the merfolk himself.
"Baby." The merfolk leader gazed obsessively at the little princess in his arms and murmured words of love without ever tiring of them. "You are the most beautiful treasure on the continent of Eralzea, the most precious jewel."
Ulysses' voice was deep and pleasant, carrying the unique rhythm of the merfolk race. Because he was in mating season, there was also a slightly hoarse, magnetic quality to it.
The merfolk's eyes seemed to contain the entire ocean, filled with obsessive infatuation yet carrying absolute devotion. "This ocean likes you, and so do I. I love the little princess the most."
—Although Ulysses could not explain why he had developed such intense feelings for Yu Deng in such a short period of time, he knew very clearly that his heart beat for the little princess.
Yu Deng looked at the merfolk before him and gave a soft little hum. His legs were still wrapped in the fish tail, while his upper body was held tightly in the merfolk's arms, as though he were about to be melded into the merfolk's very flesh and bones.
The merfolk pleaded with the little princess, "Little princess, could you… look at me a little more?"
He did not dare hope that the little princess would be as devoutly infatuated with him as he was with Yu Deng. But he hoped the little princess would stop paying attention to other males. And if he could have all of Yu Deng's attention focused on him, that would be even better.
That was what the merfolk leader thought.
Yu Deng tilted up his little face, his round, bright eyes gazing at the merfolk as he slowly said, "I'm looking at you the whole time right now, Ulysses."
A single sentence from the little princess made the merfolk's heart bloom with joy. It was no exaggeration to say that he was ecstatic. The merfolk suddenly swished his fish tail.
As with every previous experience, Yu Deng could feel the frost and snow accumulating densely, filling the passageway without leaving even the slightest gap.
But there was also something different this time… The merfolk's anatomy was special. The other one that had not been used was not merely for show; it had likewise become uncontrollably aroused because of the little princess.
Yu Deng could feel something resembling a pulse throbbing where their palms were pressed together.
At the same time, frost and snow drifted down, covering Yu Deng's flushed, pinkish skin. Even the small, delicate buds atop the snowy peaks were covered by the freshly fallen frost and snow.
The merfolk gazed at the little princess he had marked, his emotions becoming increasingly heated. "Baby."
"…Mm." Yu Deng felt the substance that had gotten onto his skin and innocently lowered his head to look at his upper body.
He stared blankly for a few seconds before glaring at the culprit, his voice hoarse with a hint of tears. "Ulysses, you really are a bad fish…"
The most delicate skin in the world had become dirty, yet it only added to a beauty that was languid and extravagantly alluring to the extreme.
The beautiful little princess had been dirtied by a bad man.