The Abused Novel Heroine Became a Clingy Sweetheart [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 37.1

Arturdo sniveled, freezing on the spot. She remained in a position with her head tilted back. From this angle, the light was dim and ambiguous; in truth, she couldn’t clearly discern the emotions in You ting’s gaze at all.

But the little mermaid still felt as if she were sinking into the other’s deep, emerald-green sea. Just a moment ago, she was thinking that perhaps humans were exactly as her father had described beings with whom one should never associate. Yet, at the moment You ting spoke to comfort her, Arturdo suddenly felt a touch of emotion.

Because of Ugris’s words, she had always harbored a sliver of wariness toward Steely. Even as she gradually felt the other person wasn’t that kind of girl during their time together, that trace of hidden anxiety remained suspended in the little mermaid’s heart. But now, Steely was actually willing to come here, thinking of comforting her.

The little mermaid thought: Steely is truly a good person. Not like Ugris.

From outside the wall came Claude’s voice, sounding as if he had reached his limit: “Your Highness, are you finished chatting? I… I’m a bit… I can’t hold on much longer…”

You ting looked down. From her angle, she could only see the round top of Claude’s head and the rolling beads of sweat popping out on his protruding forehead. She didn’t have the habit of making things difficult for her subordinates, so she said soothingly, “Almost done.”

She looked up and called out to the little mermaid, “Arturo, come out. We’ll wait for you outside.” With that, You ting stepped off Claude’s shoulders and jumped down.

The little mermaid uttered an “Oh, oh,” and after seeing the silhouette on the wall disappear, she hurriedly activated her magic. When she appeared outside the back gate of the Secret Garden again, she shook the water droplets off her body and raised her hand to wave vigorously at You ting from a distance.

The little mermaid ran over joyfully and came to a halt in front of You ting. “Can we still go out to play today?” Arturo asked.

You ting lost her smile. This little mermaid’s heart was truly massive; she had just been exploited by Ugris, yet she was already thinking about going out to play. You ting deliberately put on a thinking face. Seeing Arturo’s expectant look, she finally couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle: “We can.”

The little mermaid cheered: “Hooray!”

You ting observed her expression closely, raising an eyebrow as she asked, “Not sad anymore?”

The little mermaid nodded, then shook her head again. Arturo sighed and answered honestly: “At the very beginning, I was very sad. I always thought of Ugris as a good friend, but he was actually just lying to me.”

Her voice grew low: “In our mermaid race, every kind of emotion is very important. Whether it’s family, friendship, or love.”

Family members are family for a lifetime, good friends are forever, and a chosen lover is the only one. So, the little mermaid truly thought about being lifelong friends with a human. She had even considered how to make humans able to breathe in the deep sea so she could take Ugris to visit the tribal dwellings of the mermaid race.

Unfortunately, the origin of it all was an elaborately woven lie.

“So when I knew he didn’t treat me as a friend, I was indeed very heartbroken. However, my father told me that our mermaid brain capacity isn’t large; we only need to use it to remember precious memories.”

You ting fell into deep thought. So, having a bad brain is innate. No wonder this little mermaid never asked how I knew she was a mermaid…

“I originally planned to come and comfort Miss Arturdo, but it seems I’ve come for nothing today,” You ting said with feigned regret, turning to prepare to leave.

Arturo hurriedly pulled her back. “It wasn’t for nothing, I’m still a little tiny bit sad.” She looked at You ting, her eyes full of longing, and said: “I need you to take me to play for it to go away.”

You ting asked with a smile: “You need me?”

“Mhm, mhm!” The little mermaid, completely unaware of the approaching danger, repeated loudly: “I need you!”

“Oh, right,” she pulled something from her bosom and handed it to You ting. “This is for you.”

Her palm opened, and the object lying within slowly revealed its form it was a crystal-clear scale shimmering with a faint blue light. It was a work of art that even the most outstanding craftsman would find difficult to produce, exuding a natural and magnificent beauty.

You ting reacted in an instant, her willow-leaf brows furrowing. “Is this your scale?” Her lips, which usually held a casual smile, were now completely set, leaving only a cold indifference.

Arturdo had never seen her like this and nodded somewhat hesitantly. You ting’s voice was slightly cold: “Didn’t I say it? Don’t do things that hurt yourself.”

She knew that for the mermaid race to remove a scale, the pain they had to endure was no less than having a piece of flesh gouged out alive. That was why You ting had prepared that bag of fake scales for Arturdo early on. She had cautioned the little mermaid repeatedly, fearing she might become soft-hearted and be coaxed into doing something stupid by Ugris again.

Arturdo lowered her head guiltily, her fingers fidgeting uneasily. “But, this is the most precious thing I have on me right now.” Her voice was tiny, tinged with a bit of stubbornness. “I wanted to give a gift to you, and this is the only thing I have that is presentable.”

You ting paused. “Why did you think of giving me a gift?”

The little mermaid looked up, her clear aquamarine eyes reflecting You ting’s silhouette. Her eyes curved into crescents, still presenting an air of innocence: “Because you helped me. My father taught us that we must learn to be grateful.”

Only for friends who were extremely important to the mermaid race would they exchange scales. “And, I don’t know why,” she blinked, admitting frankly, “I just wanted to give it to you.”

The other party was sincere and open; You ting couldn’t find any other words to argue. She reached out and solemnly took it, carefully wrapping the scale in a handkerchief to preserve it.

You ting asked: “Does it hurt?”

Arturdo shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt.” She glanced at the carriage waiting on the side, her eyes darted around, and she added: “Actually, it still hurts a little bit. If you take me to play, it’ll be fine.”

You ting’s throat moved, the corners of her lips curling up slightly as she extended her hand toward the little mermaid. “Come on then.” Her tone seemed utterly helpless, yet her eyes looking at Arturo were filled with a rippling smile.

The little mermaid didn’t hesitate much, joyfully placing her hand into You ting’s. Their palms pressed together. The human’s hand was very warm, and an unfamiliar heat enveloped the little mermaid’s fingertips and the back of her hand. She instinctively gripped back tightly, muttering in a low voice: “So this is what it feels like to hold the hand of your human race.”

You ting asked: “What kind of feeling?”

Arturdo stammered for a long time, unable to say anything specific, and could only give a very plain evaluation: “It’s just… quite comfortable.”

You ting glanced at her and spoke in a low tone: “I think there will be even more comfortable things in the future.”

The little mermaid asked longingly: “What is it, what is it?”

You ting smiled slightly: “I’m not telling you.”

While You ting was happily taking the little mermaid on an excursion, Ugris was testing the efficacy of the scales. He took one of them, ground a very small portion of it into powder, and had one of his subordinates swallow it.

A moment later, Ugris asked: “How do you feel?”

The subordinate moved his neck. “Your Highness, I feel extremely energetic, as if my whole body has inexhaustible strength!”

Ugris was delighted. He had someone find a brave and skillful warrior to duel with this subordinate. Sure enough, the subordinate appeared to effortlessly knock the warrior who was several times larger than him to the ground.

It seemed the legends were not wrong.

“With this thing,” Ugris gripped the few scales in his hand, his eyes no longer concealing his burgeoning ambition, “I will surely be able to realize my aspirations!”

Ugris said: “Pass down the order, I will personally lead men to the border to defeat the army of Haturu!”

No one expected that the prince who had been stripped of his power would choose to take on this toughest bone to pick. By the time everyone knew the news, Ugris had already set off toward the border with his army.

Ugris had always been well-loved, and many people came to see him off. You ting and Claude squeezed into the crowd, looking from afar at Ugris’s ambitious figure.

Claude asked: “Your Highness, Prince Ugris is going to war; I don’t know how long it will be before he returns. Should we return to the Kingdom of Moncher?”

You ting said: “No need.”

“Rest assured,” her voice was lazy, “this war won’t last long, and Ugris will come back dejectedly.”

“It would be a pity to leave now. Better to stay and enjoy what kind of expression the Prince will have at that time.”

Though he didn’t know why his Highness was so certain, Claude trusted every word You ting said unconditionally. Imagining the scene You ting described in his mind, Claude nodded affirmatively and gave a “hehe” laugh: “Your Highness makes a good point.”

He loved watching a spectacle, especially one involving Ugris. Claude asked again: “Then what should we do while Ugris is away?”

You ting thought for a moment and said with a smile: “Raise a fish.”

Claude: “Huh?”

To the little mermaid, the guards and knights around the Secret Garden were like decorations; she could enter or leave as she pleased. Initially, she was very interested in the Secret Garden because she had never seen such a large and exquisite place. But Ugris didn’t allow her to run around everywhere, and even the largest place has a day when it’s all been walked through. Moreover, he didn’t allow others to meet Arturo, and she began to feel that staying in the Secret Garden was very boring.

She had always taken advantage of Ugris’s absence to sneak out and find You ting to take her out to play. Not to mention now; every time she thought about Ugris lying to her, besides sadness, the little mermaid felt more anger in her heart.

After all, she was the little princess of the mermaid race! In the deep sea, everyone pampered her, yielded to her, and couldn’t wait to be on good terms with her. She didn’t expect that upon coming to the continent, she would suffer such indignity!

Hating the house and its crows, Arturo even started getting angry looking at this Secret Garden that belonged to Ugris.

Thus, late that night, while You ting was half-asleep and half-awake, she suddenly heard some unusual movement in the room. She was a light sleeper and was awakened instantly, snapping her eyes open. After all, being in a foreign land, to avoid Ugris or others doing something desperate, You ting kept her guard up at all times.

She slowly reached her hand out from under the quilt. While listening carefully to the movements in the room, she noiselessly felt for the dagger under her pillow. That was something she had specifically asked Claude to give her for self-defense. Her fingers gripped the handle of the dagger tightly; only then did it bring a sense of security.

The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer. You ting held her breath, calmly thinking about what the best escape route would be if someone truly intended to attack her. Her fingers tightened bit by bit, ready at any moment to give the intruder a heavy blow.

“Swish!” The curtain was pushed open brazenly, and the moonlight poured in without reservation.

You ting’s movements paused. Is there anyone who carries out an assassination so blatantly?

Her mind raced, and the next second after seeing the person, she sighed in sudden realization. What met her eyes was a silly, happy little face. Upon meeting her gaze, the visitor blinked even more joyfully: “You’re awake!”

You ting expressionlessly put the dagger back in its place and propped herself up halfway on the bed, staring at Arturo. She asked in confusion: “It’s so late, what are you doing here?”

The little mermaid leaned toward her bedside and said pitifully: “I don’t have a place to sleep anymore.”

You ting: “Huh?”

Arturdo explained with a pout: “I don’t want to live in the Secret Garden.”

You ting understood, yet found it funny: “So you didn’t sleep in the middle of the night and ran over here to find me?”

“I didn’t run here,” the little mermaid corrected seriously, “I swam over.”

You ting: “…”

No wonder her hair still looked wet. And what was that hanging on the top of her head—seaweed?

She was both angry and amused, asking Arturdo: “You weren’t seen by anyone else, were you?”

“Of course not!” Arturo was full of pride. “I’m very fast! Even Claude didn’t see me!”

You ting asked: “Where is Claude?”

The little mermaid thought back carefully and answered: “He seems to be sleeping outside.” She rubbed her ears and said with disgust: “His snoring is so loud.”

You ting understood; no wonder Claude hadn’t seen her. She gave a kind smile: “I’ll deduct his pay tomorrow.”

“Ah?” Arturdo said softly, “That’s not very good, is it?”

You ting said: “The deducted money will be used to buy food for you.”

The little mermaid: “That’s fantastic then!”

Although her brain capacity isn’t large, she certainly changes her face quickly.

You ting smiled helplessly, lifted the quilt, and got out of bed. She took a clean cotton towel, walked to the table, and beckoned the little mermaid: “Come here.”

Arturdo walked over obediently and very consciously pulled over a chair to sit down. She looked up at You ting: “What are we doing, what are we doing? Are we going to play with me?”

You ting didn’t hesitate to give her a flick on the forehead. “In that head of yours, besides thinking about going to play, what else can you hold?”

“Quite a lot.” Arturdo defended herself aggrievedly. “My head also holds my father, my sisters, my brothers, Sister Lily next door, Brother Aland…” She counted them off one by one on her fingers until the end, then suddenly looked up and looked at You ting with a beaming smile. “And you.”

You ting’s movements paused slightly, then she hooked her red lips again, leaning over to meet Arturo’s eyes. She asked with a deliberate smile: “What, does Miss Arturo not think I’m a calculating, evil-hearted bad woman anymore?”

Arturo’s eyes widened, and she asked in surprise: “How did you know I thought that at the beginning?” Then she suddenly realized and quickly reached out to cover her mouth.

You ting couldn’t be bothered to settle scores with her. With this stupid fish’s thoughts, everything was written on her face; there was no need to guess.

The little mermaid gave a few dry laughs. “I don’t have those thoughts anymore! I think you’re a good person, a very, very good person!”

You ting only let out an ambiguous chuckle. She stood up straight, holding the cotton towel, and dried the little mermaid’s damp hair bit by bit. Realizing You ting’s intention, Arturo hurriedly said: “It’s fine, I’m used to it.”

You ting didn’t stop, however. She only used a bit of force to press on her shoulder: “Sit still.”

The little mermaid immediately sat up straight. The white cotton towel cradled the golden strands of hair, which occasionally slipped through You ting’s smooth palms. Since it was night and the surroundings were quiet, every sound seemed subtle. The little mermaid didn’t speak, nor did You ting; the atmosphere suddenly became peaceful.

Arturdo sat obediently on the chair, letting You ting help her dry her hair from behind. Strange to say, it was clearly the first time someone had done this for her, yet she felt no resistance. Instead, she even enjoyed it a bit. The fingers occasionally brushed against her scalp with light pressure, like playful fish in the current.

It was as if every movement around her was magnified; the little mermaid could hear the wind outside, the rustle of leaves, and the chirping of insects. Occasionally, a bird was startled, flapping its wings as it flew away. The sound of the towel rubbing against her hair echoed close to her ears.

The little mermaid thought somewhat mysteriously that this feeling… actually seemed a bit happier than going out to play together. If…

“Zzzzzzz—!” Across a door, the sudden sound instantly broke the beautiful atmosphere.

The little mermaid thought expressionlessly: If only Claude’s snoring weren’t so loud.

“Done.” After You ting carefully dried the little mermaid’s hair, she tossed the towel aside. “We can rest now.” You ting looked around. “Let me think, where will you rest tonight?”

There were certainly other rooms in the villa, but Claude was guarding outside, and You ting didn’t want to wake him.

Arturdo let out an “Ah,” looked at You ting, and asked: “Can’t I sleep with you?”

This question made You ting freeze for a moment. After she reacted, she raised her eyebrows with a half-smile: “Want to sleep with me?” She smiled: “You’re thinking quite beautifully.”

The little mermaid peeked toward the bed and said in a tiny voice: “But that bed looks so big and so soft.”

You ting was fuming with laughter. It turned out this little mermaid was coming for her bed. For a moment, she couldn’t find another set of bedding, so she could only agree: “Fine.”

Hearing her agree, Arturo’s eyes immediately lit up: “Don’t worry, I’m very clean!” Then she gave a small cheer and jumped directly onto the bed.

Arturdo didn’t show any politeness, wrapping herself in the quilt and exposing only half of her head. “Steely, you’re so good!”

You ting shook her head and followed, lying back on the bed. No wonder she was tricked so miserably by Ugris in the original plot; this stupid fish can be bought off with a single bed.

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