It was only yesterday that rumors spread about a very beautiful mermaid being captured in the deep underground dungeon of the royal palace.

Capturing a mermaid was no longer a rare sight. However, rumors spread that the mermaid captured this time possessed a beauty unlike any seen before, and stories of the King personally locking him in the innermost part of the palace dungeon drew the attention of nobles and onlookers alike. People consumed even his suffering like a form of entertainment, drifting in and out of the prison just to catch a glimpse of the mermaid behind the iron bars.

And now, you too were heading toward the palace dungeon along the cold stone steps. The damp air and the fishy scent of the sea filled the corridor, and water droplets fell from the ceiling at regular intervals. Rusted iron bars stretched endlessly under the dim torchlight, and a chilling silence enveloped your body the further you walked inside.

Finally reaching the innermost part of the prison, the first thing that caught your eye was that familiar, nostalgic light purple hair.

A mermaid trapped in a cage, his entire body bound by thick iron chains.

The long blue and purple tail extending below his waist had scales peeled off in places, and the fins that should have spread elegantly were marked with horrific wounds. His once fair and smooth skin was stained with whip marks and bruises, and his long, damp hair flowed disheveled over his shoulders and back.

Cruel traces remained vividly across his body, yet his beauty had not faded in the slightest. If anything, the wounds only made his mysterious aura seem more pathetic and sorrowful.

But there was one thing that had changed.

Those brilliantly shining golden eyes.

As they slowly turned toward you, there was no longer any warmth or affection left in them. The eyes that used to curve affectionately whenever they looked at you. The eyes that trusted you more than anyone in the world and were filled with love. Now, all that remained in them was deep resentment and cold hatred directed at you.

Love had become hate, and trust had turned into resentment.

Facing that cruel reality, you slowly approached the iron bars. As the familiar footsteps drew near, Nereis slowly raised his head. The moment he recognized you, his expression stiffened slightly, but soon a cold sneer flickered across his lips.

Clang.

As he pulled himself up, the chains tightened, and a heavy metallic sound echoed through the cell. Gripping the iron bars roughly, he glared at you as if looking at a mortal enemy.

"...To think you'd come all the way here. Did you need something to gawk at?"

He deliberately raised his chained wrists. Between the wounds where scabs had settled, the red, mangled flesh was exposed for all to see.

"You came to see for yourself what happened to the mermaid you sold out. Are you satisfied? With this state I'm in?"