Chapter 14
Mu Chen froze, forgetting even to blink. “School?”
“Mm.” Wright patiently explained, “In the Aus Empire, most children are sent there to study during the day once they turn ten.”
“There will be lots of children your age at school.”
“But I... have never been to school before.” Mu Chen fiddled with the collar of Wright’s shirt with his fingertips. He knew what school was; back in Atlantis, his father had hired court tutors too.
Wright: “I’ll go with you. Before I leave, I’ll find a suitable school for you.”
It was the little merman’s first time in a completely unfamiliar environment, and Wright was a little worried.
Mu Chen leaned against Wright’s shoulder and obediently said, “Oh,” then asked, “What about the amusement park?”
Wright: “When I come back this time.”
Mu Chen: “You won’t break your promise again, will you?”
Wright: “I won’t.”
Mu Chen pressed his lips together. It seemed he had already gotten over his earlier unhappiness. He reached out and put his arms around Wright’s neck. “Then can Big Brother sleep with me tonight?”
“Sure.”
...
With only a week left before his return to the border, Wright finally chose the capital’s most prestigious aristocratic school for Mu Chen.
On the day Mu Chen’s enrollment was finalized, Wright personally took him there.
Though this school usually accepted students from prominent families, it was the first time it had received someone as high-profile as a member of the Aus imperial family. After Mu Chen arrived, the principal personally showed them around campus and repeatedly assured them that the little merman would love it here.
The students in First-Year Class One had heard that a new student would be transferring into their class that day. Not only was the newcomer a merman, he was also the First Prince’s future spouse. The class had been abuzz for ages.
Though a teacher was still trying to keep order at the front of the room, whispers kept rising from beneath the desks. Almost no one was paying attention to the lesson; they just wanted to see the legendary merman as soon as possible.
Halfway through class, the sound of footsteps—“Clip-clop, clip-clop”—came from outside. Appearing with the principal at the doorway was a tall, blond man. The classroom instantly fell silent as everyone craned their necks to get a look.
The little merman was dressed in a formal little suit today, with a satin-like lace bow tie at his chest. Silver hair fell over his fair forehead; his chin was pointed, and soft baby fat still lingered on his cheeks. He looked like a little elf straight out of a storybook.
Nervously clinging to Wright from behind, he showed only half his face, his big, deep-blue eyes brimming with curiosity.
The next second, the classroom erupted in unprecedented chatter. The girls could no longer contain their excitement and began whispering among themselves,
“Help... he’s so cute.”
“Waaah, he’s even cuter in person than on the livestream!”
“He’s so shy.”
“Teacher, can you seat him next to me? I want to sit beside the little merman.”
...
Xavier Nat sat in the front row with a blank expression. Looking at how excited the other students were, he felt a wave of disdain.
He wasn’t going to be as childish as these people.
So what if he was a merman? What was so special about that?
Hmph, he’d only become the First Prince’s future spouse because he was lucky.
With a skeptical look, Xavier cautiously peered toward the classroom door.
How... how could his face be even prettier than a girl’s...?
What was so good-looking about him?
Xavier let out a scornful snort, then stared at Mu Chen again: once, twice, three times, four times, five times...
Outside the classroom, Wright crouched down and straightened Mu Chen’s collar. “You’ll get used to it soon. Don’t be nervous.”
“Mm.” The little merman nodded. “I’m not nervous.”
Wright had meant to tell him, “Go on,” but at the last moment, he couldn’t help adding, “If you have any problems, contact me right away. I’ll come pick you up after school.”
Mu Chen reached out and hugged him quickly. “Come early, Big Brother.”
Then he picked up his little schoolbag and hurried into the classroom. After taking a few steps, he still remembered to turn around and wave goodbye to Wright.
After Mu Chen gave a brief self-introduction, the teacher seated him in the middle of the front row. A black-haired boy sat to his left, wearing a sour expression as if the heavens owed him five million, idly twirling a pen. To Mu Chen’s right sat a girl with a high ponytail.
As soon as he approached, the black-haired boy turned away and crossed his arms, clearly wanting nothing to do with him. The girl enthusiastically patted the chair beside her, urging Mu Chen to sit down.
As soon as the bell rang, the girl eagerly introduced herself. “Hi! I’m Xiya.”
Mu Chen smiled and greeted her.
Xiya immediately leaned closer to Mu Chen and asked curiously, “Was the person who brought you here just now... His Highness Wright?”
Mu Chen nodded emphatically. “Mm.”
“Wow!” She sighed enviously. “I heard His Highness Wright is the strongest mecha pilot on Blue Star, and he pilots the Empire’s biggest mecha.”
“Mm.”
This time, a hint of pride and smugness crept into the lilt of Mu Chen’s voice.
“Clack!”
Xavier, who couldn’t help eavesdropping on their conversation, spun his pen onto the floor. He fumed inwardly...
What do you mean, “the biggest mecha”?
That mecha had a name! It was called Flying Eagle!
Xavier picked up his pen and glanced at the little merman chatting and laughing with Xiya. He slammed the pen cap onto the desk...
Hmph, he clearly knows nothing, yet he’s pretending he does. So annoying!
Mu Chen hadn’t noticed what was happening over there at all. He hadn’t even lifted an eyelid. Xavier felt like he’d punched a pillow, with nowhere to vent his anger. The more he stewed, the more frustrated he became.
On the other side, Xiya asked again, “Then will His Highness Wright come pick you up in a mecha?”
Mu Chen froze. “Huh?”
Xavier, who was eavesdropping on their conversation: “...”
“Wow, really?”
“The prince is coming to pick you up in a mecha?”
“Will you get to sit in the cockpit?”
“Can it fire lasers?”
“Does it fly super fast?”
Xiya had a loud voice. Her question was like a stone tossed into a lake, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples.
Most students in the class were already interested in the little merman. The moment they heard, “The prince is coming to pick him up in a mecha,” they didn’t care whether it was true or not; they swarmed around Mu Chen, leaving him nowhere to move.
“No.” Mu Chen gave everyone an awkward smile. “He’ll probably come in an aircraft.”
After he cleared up the rumor, the other students’ curiosity about the little merman didn’t fade; it only grew. With Xiya having started the conversation, everyone began firing questions at him.
The little merman kept smiling the whole time and patiently answered each one:
“There’s a pool in the palace...”
“But there aren’t any sharks.”
“Uh, there aren’t any whales either.”
“Yes, I have a puppy...”
“The puppy doesn’t bite, haha.”
“Mm, I can turn into a tail whenever I want.”
“But not right now.”
...
Suddenly, a loud “Crash!” shattered the cheerful, lively atmosphere.
Everyone turned to look and saw Xavier shove his chair aside before getting to his feet and leaving.
Xiya watched him walk away with his hands in his pockets, striding with an air that said he didn’t care who he offended, then explained to Mu Chen:
“That’s Xavier. His dad is Army Marshal John Nat, but there’s something wrong with his head. He has these random episodes now and then, so just ignore him.”
Mu Chen thoughtfully said, “Oh.”
Something wrong with his head. What a simple, down-to-earth way of putting it.
...
The younger students had one elective class every afternoon, covering a wide range of subjects. They could choose a class that suited their interests.
Xiya opened the control panel on her smart device and explained to Mu Chen, “Horseback riding, shooting, fencing, piano, mecha simulation training... These are all pretty popular with boys.”
She caught sight of the little merman carefully making selections on his smart device out of the corner of her eye, and leaned over curiously to ask, “What are you signing up for?”
Then she saw what was written on the glowing blue screen: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, “Baking”; Tuesday and Thursday, “Flower Arranging.”
Mu Chen smiled at her, showing two little pointed canines. “These two look more interesting.”
“Waaah, exactly!”
Xiya couldn’t agree more.
It was so rare to meet a boy with such good taste who wasn’t annoying!
After the elective ended, Mu Chen returned to his seat carrying his half-finished project and a pile of flower-arranging materials. A crowd immediately gathered around him.
He was good-looking, and the girls were happy to play with him.
So when Xavier returned to the classroom after playing soccer, this was what he saw: the little merman surrounded by a group of people, demonstrating how to arrange flowers with his head lowered, his sapphire eyes curved like crescents.
All around him were mindless words of praise:
“Wow, amazing~”
“You’re so good at this.”
“Can you teach me?”
“I want to learn.”
Hmph...
Not only did he look like a girl, his hobbies were just as girly.
Xavier’s gaze fell on Mu Chen’s fair, serene profile. The vein at his temple twitched faintly, and a nasty feeling gradually festered inside him.
With a “Screeech!” Xavier dragged his chair out and straddled it backward like some big shot. He gave a scornful snort. “Hey...”
“I heard male mermen can have babies for people too?”
He deliberately shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Hahahahahaha!”
The few lackeys behind Xavier joined in the jeering.
Mu Chen’s hands paused. The smile in his icy blue eyes vanished instantly. He raised his lashes and shot Xavier a sidelong glance. “I’m a sub-male.”
A mocking curve played at the corner of Xavier’s mouth. He looked back and exchanged a glance with his lackeys. “Oh, is there a difference?”
Xiya rolled her eyes at him and quietly said to Mu Chen, “I told you, there’s something wrong with his head...”
“Who’s got something wrong with their head?” Xavier frowned in displeasure, then lowered his head and scanned Mu Chen’s desk. He picked up a dried flower and gave a disdainful “Tsk.” “Do you do nothing but play with this stuff every day? How boring.”
This time, Mu Chen didn’t even lift his eyelids. He simply focused on fiddling with the dried flower in his hand. “Oh...”
Seeing how dismissive Mu Chen was, Xavier grew even more displeased. He walked over and slapped the desk hard, trying to get Mu Chen’s attention. “When you grow up, what can you do besides please other people?”
Mu Chen: “Oh...”
Xavier: “I’m not like you. I’m going to become a mecha pilot.”
Mu Chen: “Oh...”
Xavier: “I’m going to become the greatest mecha pilot on all of Blue Star!”
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Just as Xavier thought the other boy had finally been rendered speechless and had no answer, Mu Chen suddenly looked up and gazed at him with an unhurried expression. “Great? How great? Are you better than my Big Brother?”
Xavier froze. “Who’s your big brother?”
Mu Chen curved his lips into a smile and turned to look at everyone. “The Crown Prince.”
As a mecha pilot with triple-S talent, it was impossible for anyone not to know how strong Wright was.
Xavier’s claim was no different from a little kid solemnly declaring he was going to surpass the best in the world.
“I...”
Sure enough, as soon as Mu Chen said that, the little boy who had been acting so arrogantly stammered. “I...”
Boys this age usually had something they were so passionate about that it bordered on obsession. Xavier was obsessed with mecha. Aside from his father, the person he admired most was Wright.
He knew very well how huge the gap between him and Wright was. But now, feeling the gazes fixed on him, Xavier’s face flushed red. Clenching his fists, he said, “When I grow up, I’ll work hard to surpass the First Prince.”
This time, Mu Chen didn’t say “Oh.” He pressed his lips together and gave a disdainful little snort that sounded like “Tsk.”
His attitude was utterly scornful.