Chapter 210


    My heart was pounding as my breathing turned ragged, but I worked hard to calm myself. “Hey, Dicken


    —why don’t we talk about it? I want to know what I mean to you… Am I just a container for your genes


    to propagate your bloodline?“


    My heart clenched unwittingly even as I said those words, as if I was forcing myself to face a cruel


    truth. The smile was gone from Dicken’s face too, and he took a long look at my eyes, as if seriously


    considering the question.


    Dicken had been the king of the merfolk for a long time, and had lived through countless battles and


    ughters in his long life. Still, I didn’t think that such a simple question would stump him.


    Sentiment, love, bonds —those were all emotions unique to humans, but would merfolk be able to feel


    the same as humans?


    Even if I had been with him before, I cannot use the rationale of a biologist to decide on such cross-


    species rtionships. Moreover, my EQ was not at all high and I used to be a nerd who only knew


    about her own research, having no experience in love and unable to make heads or tails of rtionship


    matters.


    I simply had no idea whether Dicken’s desire for me was an instinct to continue his bloodline, or to put


    it in another way—would he find it eptable if it wasn’t me?


    And did Dicken even understand my question? Or did he perhaps find that he was under no obligation


    to answer the question of a childish, insignificant progeny?


    Naturally, I wished for an answer for him, and had been apprehensive —even insecure over it, and my


    heart felt as if I was walking a tightrope. Without knowing it, tears were welling in my eyes, and it took


    me so much effort to raise my gaze to stare fixedly at him, waiting nervously for his response.


    I could see my own face in Dicken’s eyes, and I looked just like a miserable, abandoned kitten.


    Unwilling to let him see how vulnerable I was, I straightened my bangs, blinked, and feigned


    nonchnce as I smiled, ”It’s nothing —it’s just a stupid question. Just pretend you never heard it from


    me, and it’s not like I really wanted to know anyway.”


    With those words, I shrank into myself so that I breached the surface, but he caught me in the next


    instant, holding my waist as he dragged me back into the water. Pressed against the door again, he


    pressed his hand over my shoulder and slowly stroked my skin, reaching up to my neck with his coarse


    leather glove.


    Then, he rubbed the tip of his nose against my lips, and moved up to my forehead. Then, he raised my


    bangs, holding my head in ce a little firmly to kiss my neck. There was weight in his lips, and I could


    feel a stream of warmth flowing across my entire body from where he kissed me, setting my body and


    soul aze and I was unable to help shuddering.


    My body flinched in the water, and I opened my mouth to ask a question, but ultimately failed.


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    ”Linda, I didn’t know… ” Moving away from my neck, Dicken lowered his gaze upon me. I could feel the


    depths of desire that seemed to be hidden behind his gaze, but I just couldn’t understand or be certain


    of what he was feeling.


    ”I did consider you a progeny when you were younger, grooming and protecting you so that you slowly


    became dependent on me. I watched in delight as you changed, until the day of your grandfather’s


    ident, and your parents took you away from my side.”


    His wet breath seemed to swirl around me, and he would lick my ear from time to time as he


    whispered, ”It was too sudden, and I had to let go of you. I only began to search for youter at every


    sea that I could reach, but I failed even after over a decade, and could only reach you through dreams.


    As you grew, you would unwittingly yearn for me in your dreams, but lose all recollection of me once


    you wake up, which left me in pain, and I had even thought about changing into human form to find


    you, but I couldn’t do it at the time. Even so, I didn’t lose hope, because I knew that I was there —and


    that it would guide you towards me endlessly.”


    Dicken had put his hand over my chest, and it heaved as I breathed. I looked up then, meeting his


    entrancing gaze as if walking with him to his distant memories.


    ”But one day, I sensed you, and could tell that you were definitely looking for me. I couldn’t wait and ran


    towards you, wanting to see what the tiny tot that belonged to me had be, only to find you


    constantly hanging out with that man named Gary… I could see the admiration in your eyes, and you


    were reliant on him as you were towards me in your childhood, although you don’ t remember me at all


    now.”