Jilted Guilt: the Mermaid and the Hunter - Chapter 9
Lavinia’s situation at the palace has changed considerably. For once, she had access to an artificial lake larger than the pond she had been confined in, which allowed her to swim from one end to the other, providing a bit more freedom.
It couldn’t compare to the open sea, but she found solace in circling the lake. Sometimes, she even took peaceful naps on the lake bed.
But she still felt uneasy, not knowing how long this life would last.
Rosander Wayne was a skilled hunter, often bringing her game such as deer, rabbits, and occasionally wild boar, as if her plight had moved him in some way.
During his absences, Lavinia would spend her time observing the ever-changing sky or admiring the local flora and fauna.
Rosander often rested under the shade of a tree with a view of the lake, but he never said a word to her.
Time passed with numerous sunrises and sunsets. And every now and then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw servants coming and going from the lake.
Brown hair, red hair, yellow hair – Lavinia observed humans of various colors, but none of them piqued her interest.
As she played with the fish in the lake as usual, her attention was drawn to a girl who often walked to Rosander’s side as he closed his eyes under a tree.
The young girl had raven-black hair and eyes that shone with a vivid emerald hue.
She was dressed in elegant attire, and her playful smile indicated that she had received much love and care while growing up.
The girl boldly took the sword from Rosander’s waist without hesitation. Lavinia stared at the scene in disbelief.
“Princess, please put that down.”
“Didn’t you sleep, Ross?”
Seeing him smiling at the girl while holding a sword that looked quite heavy compared to her small frame left Lavinia with a strange feeling.
How did she never notice that he could make such a kindly face?
If she were a princess, she must be the daughter of the queen that Lavinia saw before, and he must be the one taking care of the princess. It was only natural for him to be affectionate. Still, there was no reason for Lavinia to see her with compassion. After all, she wasn’t human. However… it felt strange.
Unable to finish the question that was forming in her mind, Lavinia turned her head away, feeling even more uncomfortable when their eyes met.
Lavinia, still perplexed, sank beneath the water and lay on the lake floor as she did when sleeping. Strangely, she couldn’t decide where to channel her building anger, so she contented herself with lightly poking the schools of fish that swam by.
As something stirred above the surface, a small pebble fell into the water and began to slowly sink.
The pebble was starkly white against the lake bottom, unlike its surroundings.
Realizing that the girl from earlier must have dropped it, Lavinia promptly rose to the surface. A maelstrom of bubbles swirled around her as she ascended.
When Lavinia breached the water’s surface, she swam slowly toward the edge of the lake. As she had suspected, the girl was standing there. Almost unconsciously, she examined the child’s two small hands.
When she saw that the child was empty-handed, she moved closer to the water’s edge.
“Thank you.”
The princess took the wet pebble from Lavinia’s outstretched hand. It seemed to tickle her small hand against his wet palm.
When she watched her from afar, Lavinia had briefly fantasized about hurting the princess, but the sight of the girl’s bright smile quickly erased the thought.
“What’s your name?”
The princess acted as if she were simply making a new friend.
“Lavinia.”
“Lav…en…”
Lavinia chuckled softly as the girl struggled to pronounce her name.
“Lav.”
Originally, she had no intention of doing so, but Lavinia decided to share her nickname with the girl.
Lavinia could hardly find it in her heart to dislike the innocent child. After all, the girl was not at fault. She had never thought she would ever share her name with an outsider, but it was hard to hate an innocent child.
“Lav, it’s pretty.”
The princess smiled again as she tried to pronounce Lav’s name. Lavinia smiled back, as if to reciprocate her kindness.
The princess fiddled with the stone she handed Lav and introduced herself.
“I am Eizentine.”
“Eizentine.”
Lavinia’s eyes softened as the princess pointed to herself with her tiny hand and whimpered, as if she was afraid Lavinia wouldn’t understand her.
When Lavinia repeated her name, Eizentine smiled brightly.
