Chapter 6

Ever since returning from the cruise ship, Ansel had had the nagging feeling that someone was following him. But what weighed on his mind more was that he still had two more wishes left to fulfill.

After seeing his family that day, his homesickness had only grown stronger, and he really wanted to go home.

Unable to hold back any longer, he texted Camille to hurry things along.

Her reply came leisurely, as if she had all the time in the world. "Are you really that eager to leave me? Or is this whole 'I can only get my soul back once your wishes are fulfilled' thing just an excuse for you to see me?"

Ansel was speechless.

Lately, every time he fulfilled one of her wishes, he either ended up having his dignity trampled underfoot or coming close to losing his life.

It was true that he had once had feelings for her, but after being hurt again and again, whatever hope he'd once held on to had long since died. All he wanted to do now was leave.

In the end, Camille still sent him a location.

"Come here."

The place was a beachfront bed-and-breakfast that Stellan had mentioned liking a while back. Camille had then promptly bought the place and given it to him.

Would Stellan be there this time as well?

A bad feeling crept into Ansel's gut, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and head over. He couldn't refuse any of Camille's wishes. If he turned down even one, he would fail to repay his debt, and he would ultimately turn into sea foam.

However, when he arrived at the bed-and-breakfast, he found Stellan standing alone by the window overlooking the ocean.

"I was the one who sent you that text. Don't think I don't know that you're still trying to get your hands on Camille. You're still in love with her, aren't you?"

Merfolk couldn't lie, so Ansel didn't give him a direct answer.

Camille was someone he'd loved for three years. Even though he'd already decided to let her go, traces of those feelings still lingered deep inside him.

He simply said with complete sincerity, "She loves you—deeply and unconditionally. You should just focus on your relationship with her, Mr. Loxley. I'm not going to come between you."

After dealing with Stellan a few times, Ansel had long since realized that he was far from innocent. It was hard not to feel disappointed knowing that the woman he'd once treasured above all else had fallen for someone like him.

But none of it was his concern anymore. He didn't want to provoke Stellan. He just wanted to get away safely.

Stellan, however, had no intention of letting him go.

"Won't come between us? She's all I have now, and I can't afford to have anything go wrong. I heard that when I sustained a few minor scratches last time, she was so worried that she made you climb up a cliff to pick an edelweiss. I think… I know what to do now."

Just as Camille's footsteps approached, Stellan suddenly grabbed a knife and slashed his own arm viciously before tossing it at Ansel's feet.

"Stellan!"

Camille rushed over in a panic. Stellan took the opportunity to collapse into her arms, his face contorted with pain.

"Mr. Wells was mad that I made him retrieve my necklace, causing him to get a cut on his arm in the process. He said he'd make me pay tenfold!"

He held up his bloody arm. "Is this enough? Do you hate me so much because you're still in love with Camille, Mr. Wells?"

Meeting Camille's murderous glare, Ansel froze.

"I didn't."

Those two quiet words were so raspy and heartbroken, as if the slightest touch would shatter him.

Camille hesitated for a second. Reason told her that Ansel wasn't that kind of person. His devotion to her over the past three years had been almost entirely selfless.

But Stellan was in so much pain that he could barely stay conscious, which only showed just how severely he'd been hurt.

The scales in her heart tipped heavily toward Stellan.

"You didn't? Who would injure themselves so badly just to frame someone else? Do you think everyone is like you, throwing away their dignity and debasing themselves just to be loved? I want you to apologize to Stellan right now!"

Ansel fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Is that your wish?"

"What?"

"I didn't do anything, Camille, yet you're forcing me to admit that I did. If that's your wish, I'll accept it."

Seeing his reddened eyes, Camille felt a pang of pain in her chest.

But Stellan kept drawing sharp breaths through his teeth, and the sound reminded her of the song that had saved her life that night many moons ago.

All sense of reason left her.

"You're still denying it?"

She picked up the knife from the floor and pinned Ansel's hands in place. Then, with swift, merciless strokes, she carved ten deep, bone-exposing gashes across both his arms.

"Since you refuse to repent, Stellan doesn't need an insincere apology from you either. You made him suffer tenfold, so I'll make you suffer a hundred times more!"

Ansel's wounds would heal quickly anyway. She only wanted to make sure Stellan got the justice he deserved.

"Why… Why are you pretending to be in excruciating pain?" she bit out.

But Ansel wasn't pretending. He was in too much pain to speak.

Merfolk did heal incredibly fast, but the healing process itself was agonizingly painful.

By the time his arms had completely healed, he looked like a corpse dragged from the depths of the ocean, utterly drained of life.

Beside him, Stellan's choked, tearful voice sounded once again.

"I'm so jealous of Mr. Wells. Unfortunately, I'm just an ordinary human, and there aren't any edelweiss left. Does merfolk flesh speed up healing? Camille, can we give it a try?"