Mermaid Trap

‘So cool.’

Vivianne had safely overcome her first hurdle. Swimming in the sea under the moonlight and cooling her burning feet made her feel much better. She felt refreshed.

Her tail had completely disappeared, and her legs had returned. With the searing pain gone, a sense of fatigue washed over her. She wanted to go back to her room, bathe, and sleep as soon as possible.

Even after confirming that her tail had turned back into legs, she still felt uneasy.

She sat on the rock, checking repeatedly. She wiggled her toes, splashed the water with her feet, and confirmed they were indeed legs. Vivianne sighed in relief and slowly made her way back to the shore.

‘…Ugh, it’s cold.’

Maybe it had been too long since she swam, and she overdid it in her newfound sense of liberation. As soon as she came out of the water, a biting cold gripped her skin.

She hadn’t noticed it while in the warm sea, but coming out, even in the summer, made her shiver, her teeth chattering.

It was a good thing she had brought a shawl. Vivianne wrapped it around herself, shivering as she carefully headed towards where she had left her shawl and shoes.

She didn’t know how often this would happen in the future, but having solved it once, she felt a bit more confident. Although she had been caught off guard, she thought her plan was perfect. Now, she just needed to get back to her room, wash, and sleep as if nothing had happened.

‘Where did it go?’

But a problem arose from an unexpected place.

She was sure she had left them there, but both her clothes and shoes were gone.

It was strange.

Could she have misremembered where she left them?

No, that couldn’t be.

It was the very beach where she used to hide behind the rocks to watch Kian on his walks.

The place she yearned for once a month, and spent the other twenty-nine days reliving in her memory. It was more strange to be unfamiliar with the geography.

She hadn’t left them in a spot where the waves could wash them away. She had specifically placed them where Kian often stopped to look up at the moon. The tide never reached there, and it was easy to remember.

She had thought it was a perfect spot to leave them. But they had vanished without a trace.

‘What do I do now?’

A wave of despair washed over her. She could live without the shawl, but she couldn’t lose the shoes Kian had given her. She had to find them, no matter what. Unless someone had taken them, they should be somewhere on the beach. Vivianne walked, looking down at the ground, soaking wet.

“Looking for these?”

The familiar voice made her blood run cold.

She looked up, dreading what she would see, and it was indeed Kian.

He stood there, holding the sandy shawl and a pair of shoes, his eyes indifferent as if confirming their existence. Vivianne’s gaze flitted around nervously.

“What on earth are you doing here?”

How did he know to come here?

Did he come looking for me?

She was suspicious, but in hindsight, she had always watched him walk here.

He probably came for a walk and saw her by chance.

She had been in too much pain and rushed to avoid her tail forming, so she hadn’t thought deeply.

It was a close call. If she had been a little slower, he would have seen her as a mermaid. She had verified her legs had returned in the water, and by the time she sat on the rock, they were fully formed, which was a relief.

Vivianne decided she would need to find a more secluded spot on the beach in case of emergencies. First, she had to deal with the man glaring at her suspiciously.

“…I was just taking a walk, Kian?”

“Do I look like I have time for a walk?”

Kian retorted irritably, spreading the shawl wide. He wrapped it tightly around Vivianne, and feeling it wasn’t enough, took off his jacket and draped it over her as well.

Vivianne’s face turned pale.

“I’m fine, Kian. The night air is cold. You must be cold too.”

“Save your worthless concern. I need an explanation.”

“……”

“What’s going on here? Explain yourself.”

His cold voice contrasted with his gentle touch, making Vivianne’s lips freeze.

Well, this is a strange situation, no matter how you look at it.

“What is it? I’m waiting for an answer.”

How should I explain this? Her mind went blank. Of course, she couldn’t tell him the truth.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a walk. I… impulsively decided to go into the sea.”

Vivianne shut her eyes tightly. She had to lie. Even she thought it was a flimsy excuse. Despite the circumstances, she felt a deep sense of self-loathing.

“Do you realize…!”

Vivianne was startled by Kian’s thunderous voice and looked down at the ground, her face pale.

Kian, raising his voice in irritation, paused to take a deep breath. Perhaps realizing he had lost his composure, he rubbed his face with his hands and let out a long sigh before speaking again.

“Do you know how many people have been searching for you, unable to sleep because of your reckless impulse?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Apologizing, her lips trembled. Kian glanced at the shivering Vivianne and sighed deeply. He then gently lifted her wet body.

“Let’s go.”

Her soaked state reminded him of the day he found her.

* * *

Despite lying down, Theodore couldn’t fall asleep.

Lying blankly in bed, he tossed and turned for a while before abruptly sitting up.

“…What did I just see? Really.”

He couldn’t believe it.

It felt like he had just woken from a dream, a bewildering feeling.

Unable to sleep, he had been sitting on the hill overlooking the coral beach when he saw Vivianne.

He thought of calling out and asking her to wait a moment, but realized it was too late. Not wanting to cause any misunderstanding if someone saw him, he decided to watch quietly unless it seemed dangerous.

At first, he thought she was just out for a walk because she couldn’t sleep. Though they had walked in the glass greenhouse together, maybe she needed another walk to clear her head. Like himself, unable to sleep because of his troubled mind, Vivianne might have felt the same way.

Considering the waltz issue that likely upset her, it would be stranger if she slept soundly.

So he watched her in silence. She neatly placed her shawl and shoes on the sand and suddenly headed into the sea. At first, he thought she was just dipping her feet.

She had said she liked walking barefoot on the sand during their walk. But she quickly went deeper into the water and soon disappeared.

Was she going for a swim? Or could she have had a darker intention?

His mind was a whirl of thoughts. His body moved before his mind could catch up. All he thought about was running into the sea to save her. Just as he was about to jump into the water, Theodore saw something unbelievable.

The splashing figure was indeed Vivianne. But as she submerged, a shimmering tail fin flicked through the water.

…Just like a mermaid.

Theodore froze at the edge of the water.

It must have been a mistake. Surely he had seen something that wasn’t there.

A beautiful woman in the moonlight could create illusions.

It must have been an optical illusion in the dark. That’s what he told himself.

But Vivianne didn’t resurface for a long time after she went under.

Could she have drowned?

Maybe she was cramping and couldn’t get out?

Anxiety surged through him. Assuming he had seen something that wasn’t real, he thought she might be in trouble. Not the best swimmer, but capable enough, he dove into the sea.

As he swam towards her, he saw the tail fin break the surface again. Vivianne, with her head above water, was gracefully swimming.

“…That’s impossible. It can’t be.”

Remembering that moment, Theodore muttered to himself repeatedly. He hoped it was just an illusion created by the moonlight. Though it felt too vivid to be a dream, it was also too surreal to accept as reality.

So, if by any chance.

If her true identity was a mermaid…?