Beauty and the Beasts

There was a layer of light pink blood smudged on An’an’s face. Having had her food snatched away, she gazed at Bluepool with an innocent look.

Bluepool felt guilty from the stare. It made him feel like he had done something gravely wrong, and he very nearly returned the fish to her.

Using his sharp fingernails, he sliced half the fish into sashimi slices even thinner than paper. After which, he squeezed a few drops of fruit juice, and lastly, sprinkled a small dash of salt.

“Eat up. With your weak stomach, if you eat too much of it your stomach is going to hurt. I’ll make fish soup with the remaining half,” Bluepool said as he handed the fish slices over.

At the sight of food, An’an lowered her head and started eating away. As for how much was there in the bowl, it didn’t seem to be within her consideration.

Bluepool would alternate between gazing at her and doing his own thing. Working like this day in and day out, he didn’t find it boring at all. Seeing An’an grow up well under his care, he felt an indescribable sense of achievement.

Especially since this female was his spouse.

This was perhaps the destiny of mermen—they were always the ones raising their own spouses.

He had let the female in his tribe slip by, yet by a freak combination of factors, he went on to obtain a young female. He had raised her from a young age, and after she became of age, they could breed future generations. Furthermore, there wouldn’t be anyone competing with him for her.

With offspring, An’an would be safe. There wasn’t a single moment where Bluepool didn’t anticipate the arrival of that day.

Humans tended to have an excellent appetite during puberty. After An’an finished the sashimi slices, she finished the big pot of seaweed fish soup. By the time she was done, her little tummy was puffed up.

Perhaps because she was too stuffed, An’an snuggled into Bluepool’s embrace and had scarcely any breath left as she rested, her delicate brows creasing from time to time.

Bluepool gently stroked her stomach and said, amused, “You’re too full again, aren’t you? Told you to exercise some restraint.”

That said, every time, Bluepool didn’t have the heart to refuse her. It was because of his indulgence that An’an always overate.

An’an buried her face on his stomach and let out a soft moan. As her warm breath landed on Bluepool’s chilly skin, it made that patch of skin tremble slightly.

Bluepool swallowed his saliva and was about to hold her up when he suddenly wrinkled his nose and his expression turned nervous.

“You’re injured?”

Bluepool pushed the young lady in his arms away and sized up her body.

On the shore, mermen’s sense of smell wasn’t as keen as in the water. But simple bloody odors were still easily distinguished. He could clearly sniff a strange bloody scent that carried a highly alluring fragrance.

He overlooked that fragrance and was only anxious about where An’an was injured, searching for wounds on her body here and there as he held her arms.

“Where does it hurt? Tell me and let me see,” Bluepool asked anxiously. Could it be that An’an had been bitten by some animal while he was away?

An’an held a hand to her stomach and rubbed it.

Unable to find any injured spots, Bluepool’s anxiety mounted. He was sure that the bloody scent came from her body.

“Other than your stomach, do you feel unwell anywhere else?”

An’an merely held a hand to her stomach and lowered her gaze. One could tell from her expression that she felt awful.

Burning with anxiety, Bluepool looked around and carried her to a thick growth of grass that had an obstructed view. Just as he was about to remove her clothes to inspect, he unexpectedly saw a large patch of blood on his arm.

The blood was still warm, and the fragrance was identical to that which he had detected earlier.

Seeing so much blood, Bluepool’s first instinct was panic. Just how severely was An’an injured during his absence? To think he actually didn’t notice it. He was too negligent!

Turning his head, he saw traces of blood on the hemline of An’an’s skirt.. He instantly widened his eyes, his pupils expanding rapidly. “Don’t tell me you’re… in heat?”