Jilted Guilt: the Mermaid and the Hunter - Chapter 6
“We’re just going up and down the same path, right?”
“I don’t think so.”
“We’ve seen that tree before. Do you need your eyes fixed?”
“If you don’t like it, then find your own way. Why are you following me?”
“You ungrateful bastard.”
They roamed through the king’s hunting grounds, fortunate enough to hitch a ride on a carriage delivering goods to the palace. They were curious to see the mermaid who had ventured to the queen’s palace, to know if she looked as beautiful as they imagined..
When Ben spotted the queen and her handmaidens going into the woods, he immediately informed Gus.
When Ben cautiously broached the subject of mermaids to Gus, at first, Gus brushed it off as if he already knew everything Ben had to say. However, his curiosity got the best of him .He paid the maid behind the counter to share any juicy information.
In the hustle and bustle of preparations for the banquet, a lot of food and decorations were shuttled back and forth in the palace. Amidst this bustle, Gus remained vigilant in this chaos, meticulously checking those who wandered through Larme’s forest.
Used as a small hunting ground for young royals, the forest served as a habitat for small game, so there was little danger.
Still, the mermaid must have been abandoned there, for there were no scouts. How could a legless creature escape in the middle of the forest? There was no doubt that a well-prepared feast awaited them.
“We’ve prepared food and brought a knife, so if it comes to it, we can always use that as a threat, right?”
“I’m sure it would be a pretty sight to see it burst into tears…….”
As Gus and Ben walked, they chuckled while their minds wandered to different places.
“Nonsense. When have you ever charmed a girl with your words?”
Gus, who was making his own plans for what to do, clucked his tongue at his delusional brother. Ben, whose unkempt appearance made him a laughingstock with the women at the bar, had a strange fantasy that one day he would meet a woman who would be stupidly nice and care about him.
The belief that treating a strange mermaid nicely would make her love him was so pitiable that it made Gus want to leave Ben in the middle of the woods time and time again.
What’s the point of being loved by a creature like that? At most, maybe it’ll get you some fame.
“We’ve nearly arrived, I think?”
“What?”
“It’s starting to reek of seaweed.”
Nevertheless, Ben had one thing he was proud of—his sense of smell. Gus, who had taken the lead for a while, begrudgingly followed his exuberant brother who was happily snuffling like a puppy.
Ben strode at a brisk pace, wielding the dagger he’d brought like a knight’s sword. The way he squared his shoulders made him look like a knight on his way to rescue a princess.
Gus followed Ben, growing more convinced that they were in the right place when he saw the scattered footprints and wagon tracks. He quickened his pace.
As a dense mist settled around them, a small pond appeared in the distance. Ben, too, started dashing to it, trying to outrun his brother.
Ben, panting heavily as he raced through the fog, came to a halt, utterly perplexed, when he saw Gus standing in front of the pond.
His slumped shoulders couldn’t hide his disappointment. Gus thought that the news of her escape through the royal tunnel might have been an outdated story, even before it reached Ben.
“Could it be… gone?”
“Well, look at that rope.”
Ben looked at the rope tied to the sapling Gus pointed to. It was frayed, bearing unmistakable signs of rough gnawing by some creature.
“It looks like the mermaid was here before.”
“And?”
When Ben asked with a ridiculously innocent look in his eyes, Gus frowned in exasperation. Wondering how much more he needed to explain, Gus cursed under his breath.
“S**t. I don’t know if they moved somewhere else or if they’re hiding underwater.”
“So, why don’t we just go in and check?”
“Ugh…”
Gus was about to scold Ben again, but held his tongue this time. As long as Ben checked first, it wasn’t a bad idea.
Even if he made a mess, it would be Ben alone getting wet, and if by any chance, Ben managed to capture a mermaid, it wouldn’t be in the best condition to pose a threat, he thought.
Anyone with the strength to cut a rope like that must be ferocious.
“Yeah, go ahead firs……”
Before Gus could finish speaking, Ben immediately leaped into the water. He seemed determined to forge ahead, as if he didn’t care about returning with wet clothes. His eagerness was so absurd that Gus burst into laughter.
Ben’s toes disappeared into the water, and he should have come up to the surface by then. He was a tall man, but Gus couldn’t see his brother’s head above the surface. Was the pond really that deep? Gus leaned down to examine the pond with some curiosity. His face, reflected in the water, disappeared with what appeared to be a puff of smoke.
Furrowing his brow and focusing on what it was, he watched as the dark mist slowly turned red, revealing Ben’s face beneath the smoke.
“Uh…?”
With his eyes wide open, Ben’s lifeless face floated to the surface, and around it, a red stain bloomed all around it.
Before Gus could react, two white arms reached out toward him, pulling him beneath the water with an unexpected strength.
As he collided with her brother’s cold, lifeless body underwater, Gus found herself facing a being more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. His mouth gasped in astonishment, making him involuntarily gulp down lungfuls of water.
Gus struggled under the water, trying to catch a glimpse of her blue eyes and hair for a moment longer, but pale lips broke through the foam, and sharp fangs bit into his neck.
* * *
Lavinia, burdened with the bodies of the two siblings, pulled them up from the murky waters. She wasn’t sure how long she could survive in this blood-contaminated water, but she had no regrets. She’d rather rot and die inside than live with regret.
Indeed, humans were vulgar and filthy. Even in their dying moments, they groped at her b****t, making her shiver in disgust.
“They’re getting what they deserve.”
Just as she was lifting up the second brother’s leg, she shot a fierce glare at another man who appeared from the woods. It was him, Rosander Wayne.
