Chapter 17: Merfolk’s Tears

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

I was surprised to hear Daniel say that.

I didn’t expect him to be so meticulous as to see through my mind.

“I’m just afraid my boyfriend can’t get away from work and can’t come with me,” I replied.

“It’s okay. You can come alone,” Daniel said.

“I’ll… think about it.”

I was stuck. This is a rare opportunity to bond with my boss and colleagues. I didn’t want to miss it.

But I didn’t want to leave Dacia alone at home either. I’d feel bad about spending the weekend with other people.

“Okay, I’ll wait for your answer.” Daniel smiled.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first.”

With that, I got up to leave, but suddenly Daniel spoke again.

“Annie.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s okay. I just wanted to let you know that you look beautiful when you smile. I hope you smile more often.”

Daniel’s words made me blush uncontrollably. I smiled hastily and fled his office.

I spent the rest of the afternoon distracted while thinking about everything that had happened in Daniel’s office.

I admit that he was a mature, poised, and kind man, but some of the things he said to me seemed out of line.

Not only did he call and argue with his ex-wife in front of me, but he even took the initiative to tell me about his family.

He wanted me to go to his house alone for a party. He even complimented me for looking good when I smiled.

His various actions made me very uncomfortable.

I suspected I was being too sensitive. I hoped I was overthinking things.

When I got home that evening, Dacia made me a nice dinner.

Not only that, but he shared with me the books he’d been reading lately.

Now, he could communicate with me skillfully, and could even speak professional terms without difficulty.

“Also, I’ve been looking for a suitable job recently.”

Dacia’s words surprised me.

“What job?”

He couldn’t go out.

“It’s a job you can do without going out and just by using a computer,” he replied.

“What’s that?” I was confused.

He thought for a moment and said, “Writing, design, programming, etc.”

“Can you do all this work?” I felt incredulous.

“I looked up some information online, and I don’t think it’s complicated,” Dacia said with confidence.

I froze and stopped talking.

I was once again shocked by his cleverness.

If I had a brain like his, perhaps I would have become a respected big shot or won some technology award.

“What? You don’t want me to work?” he asked.

“N-no. It’s your freedom. You can decide for yourself.” I laughed.

Dacia put down his knife and fork and gave me an appraising look. “Is something bothering you, Annie?”

“Really? No.” My eyes dart away.

“Is there anything that even I can’t know?”

With that, he stood and walked over to me before cupping my face in his hands and gazing at me affectionately.

“I’m your future husband.”

“What did you say?” I was stunned. I couldn’t believe he’d mentioned the word husband.

With a gentle smile, Dacia crouched in front of me and looked up at me. “I’ve checked,” he said. “If human men and women want to be together forever, they have to get married and become official husband and wife.”

“Even if we don’t get married, we can be together forever. No one has the right to break us up,” I replied.

“But a wedding is a promise between two people. It has a sacred meaning. If I really love you, I should give you a wedding.”

Every word Dacia said touched me.

“Thank you…” I said with tears welling up in my eyes.

Until then, I’d never thought I’d meet a man who truly loved me, much less expect a romantic wedding.

I had no family and very few friends. I wasn’t rich. How was I qualified to pursue the happiness of love?

But it was different now. I had Dacia.

Even though he was half human and half fish, it didn’t affect our love at all.

Maybe we couldn’t have our own children because our species was different.

Perhaps our lifespans were different. When I became an old woman, he would still be handsome and young.

But I believed that as long as I was alive, as long as we loved each other, he would never leave me.

I didn’t know where my confidence came from, but I had this feeling!

“Don’t cry.” He lifted his hand to wipe away my tears, then put his finger in his mouth to taste the tears.

“It tastes like the sea,” he said in amazement.

“Yeah, human tears are as salty as the ocean,” I replied.

Confusion appeared in his eyes. “Then what does my tears taste like?”

“Yeah, I’m curious, too. I’ve never seen you cry before.”

“You’ll see them eventually,” he assured her.

After dinner, we snuggled up to watch a movie.

As the male and female leads kissed each other, I felt something fall into my hands.

I looked down and saw a pearl!

“What is this?” I asked and was surprised. Then I looked at Dacia.

He noticed that his eyes were moist. A single tear flowed from his eye. As it slid down his cheek, it began to color. Then it grew larger and harder. Eventually, it fell to the couch and became a pearl..