Chapter 10
After just a few months, Caroline looked like a ghost of her former self–hollow–cheeked, her frame thinner than
ever.
When she heard what the others were saying, her face instantly turned bloodless.
With Sheldon standing nearby, she did not dare scream or throw a fit. All she could do was mutter in a dazed, broken whisper, like some cursed mantra.
“No… No, this is impossible. She’s not supposed to be the one to birth black–finned mer–babies… It should’ve been me! She’s with Reginald… There’s no way she could give birth to black–fins. It should’ve been red–finned trash!”
One of the concubines recently brought in for Sheldon sneered at her, full of disdain.
“What an idiot. She can’t even carry properly and still has the nerve to curse Princess Celine?”
Even Sheldon’s face looked ugly.
He had long been preparing to fight for the crown prince title, and he had believed Caroline when she swore she had rare, superior breeding potential–that she would carry black–finned heirs.
After five red–finned children, all he earned was ridicule.
Giving her that second chance only turned him into a bigger joke.
Even among the humans now, the story had spread: Prince Sheldon of the mermen and his consort birthed five red -fins.
It was absolutely humiliating.
The Mer–King, gazing at the three black–finned mer–babies in my arms, could hardly contain his joy.
“Princess Celine, you truly deserve your reputation as a Pregnancy Maiden trained by the Human Emperor himself. Three sons from the first birth, and all of them born with rare black fins! This is indeed a gift to our race.”
He raised his cup and laughed.
“This is a happy day. I hereby name Prince Reginald Reeve the Crown Prince, and Princess Celine as Crown Princess!”
Reginald was so thrilled he drank a little more than usual.
Tipsy, he cradled one of our babies and leaned against me, rubbing his head against my neck like a spoiled child.
“You’re amazing, my darling,” he said, his tone thick with sweet drunken affection.
I could not help but laugh. “You’re amazing too.”
Then I leaned in, murmuring something in his ear.
Reginald sobered up instantly, his face burning red as he looked at me in disbelief. “My dear… The kids are right. here!”
When the feast ended and we were leaving, Caroline tried to follow us in secret.
She waited until we were not paying attention and suddenly lunged at me, trying to snatch my babies from me.
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Chapter 10
+25 BONUS
“Celine Walsh! Give me back my babies! They’re mine!”
Fortunately, after a year by Reginald’s side, I was not the same slow–reacting pushover.
I raised my foot and kicked her off me.
Reginald thought that it was not nearly enough, so he whipped his tail and sent her flying.
Caroline, already broken from months of torment and constant childbirth, could not withstand it.
She vomited a mouthful of blood on the spot, collapsing weakly, eyes full of venom as she glared up at Reginald.
“Reginald! You hit me for her? If it weren’t for her, you would’ve chosen me! You were supposed to marry me!”
Reginald looked down at her, full of disgust.
“If marrying someone like you was my only option, I’d rather be dead. In this life, I’ll only ever have one wife- Celine.”
Caroline screamed, crazed. “You hated me in the previous life, and now you treat that whore like treasure?”
She turned her mad gaze to me.
“You did something, didn’t you? Those black–finned mer–babies were supposed to be mine! You stole them! Celine, you thief! You wretch!”
I looked at her coldly and asked, “Did you really think changing husbands would allow you to steal the life that should’ve been mine?”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, confused.
I stepped toward her, slow and deliberate.
“Even among Pregnancy Maidens, there’s a hierarchy. Your low–level constitution could only ever produce red- finned mer–babies. No matter who you married, the outcome would be the same.
“Also, haven’t you already seen for yourself what kind of merman Sheldon really is? What I have now, I paid for with my life.”
Caroline stared at me, stunned, madness slowly overtaking her eyes.
“Impossible… I’m supposed to be the superior pregnancy maiden. Not you. Not you!”
Reginald noticed there was a deeper story hidden in my words, but he did not press further.
“Celine, what do you want to do with her?”
“She’s Prince Sheldon’s wife, isn’t she? Naturally, she should be returned to him.”
Caroline panicked, scrambling to her feet. “No! No… Please don’t! I finally got out. I can’t go back! I’ll die in there!
However, just as she spoke, she caught sight of the ones she hated most–her red–finned mer–babies.
Their faces darkened as they glided toward her–ugly, brutish, and terrifying, and their voices were like echoes from the abyss.
“Mother, it’s time to come home.”
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Chapter 10
+25 BONUS
Caroline shrieked in terror, “Stay away from me! Go away! I’m not going back!”
Suddenly, she pulled a dagger from her sleeve, eyes locked on me with murderous intent. She wanted to drag me down with her to die together, but before she could move, her own children held her down.
One of them whispered, “Mother, if you die… What will become of us?”
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