Chapter 2

I smiled at Caroline softly. "Well, since you're so fond of Prince Sheldon, my dear sister, how could I possibly take the man you love?"

Caroline beamed triumphantly. "Thank you, Celine! This time, I'll be the one to give birth to a black-finned heir. I will be the Crown Princess, and I will be the one to enjoy centuries of power and glory!"

I acted as though I could not understand her ramblings and instead turned toward Reginald.

With perfect composure, I called out to him sweetly. "My dear."

He turned red, looking nervous and a little bashful. "H-Honey…"

Caroline, eager to claim her prize, practically skipped over to Sheldon as she grabbed his arm and cooed, "Honey, I'm your wife now! You have to treat me well, okay?"

"Of course," Sheldon replied, visibly pleased.

While still in the same room with us, the way he eyed her hungrily was already unsettling. That familiar glint of lust shimmered beneath the surface, barely contained.

Then, the Mer-King laughed heartily and sent the two princes off with their new brides to consummate their marriages.

Sheldon did not wait a second. He scooped Caroline up into his arms and strode off in a hurry.

As they passed, she tossed me a smug look and fluttered her lashes at Sheldon.

"Honey, I can walk by myself," she said, putting on an innocent, blushing act.

I smiled back at her.

I hoped she could keep that sweet little facade going once she found out what Sheldon was really like.

After that, I went with Reginald to his estate.

At the entrance, we were greeted by a lively swarm of fishes and young, lower-ranked merfolk. They circled around us excitedly, shouting in unison.

"Our Princess is so beautiful! She and Prince Reginald look like a perfect match!"

"The babies they'll have are going to be gorgeous! I just know it!"

"Yay! We finally have a pretty Princess too!"

For a moment, I just stood there in stunned silence.

I had not expected a warm welcome like this.

In my previous life, when I was forced to marry Sheldon, he dragged me straight to the bedroom.

It was three full days and nights of torment.

From the very beginning, he never saw me as a person.

Noticing the look on my face, Reginald gave a sheepish laugh and said, "They're a bit too excited."

He then called out to the little ones.

"Give her some space. This isn't a show. Go on now."

Even as he scolded them, he instinctively stepped closer, shielding me gently with his arms in case I was jostled.

"Aww, look at that! Prince Reginald is already protective of his bride," one of the younger merfolk teased.

Still, they obediently scattered.

Reginald turned to me with worry in his eyes. "Are you alright? If they bother you, you can have them sent away. They won't dare lay a hand on you."

I chuckled at his concern. "I'm fine. I was just surprised, that's all. It's a nice kind of surprise."

I was very surprised that Caroline managed to find faults despite having chosen Reginald as her husband in our previous life.