The customer service reply came faster than I expected.

"Ms. Ross, Lance is one of only 100 limited-edition merfolk worldwide. Returning him for gene recycling would be a huge loss."

Reading that message, I paused and suddenly had a new idea. I made my request.

After a moment of silence, the agent replied, "Request approved. A new merman will be delivered within three hours."

I ended the chat and walked over to the eco-tank.

Lance was resting in the shallow end, his scales glowing with a cold light. He looked so beautiful, like a dream I could never reach.

Actually, over these three months, I hadn't been blind to what was going on.

Vivian's visits to my place had increased from twice a month to four times a week, sometimes even more. She always claimed she was just passing by or "wanted to see my new friend".

At first, I thought she was just curious.

Until one day, I came home early from a business trip and saw Vivian standing by the tank. Her palm was pressed against the glass, and Lance's hand mirrored hers on the other side.

She whispered, 'You poor thing, trapped in this place… Wait for me. I'll take you away."

I made a noise on purpose.

Vivian immediately spun around with a flawless smile. "Isabel! I was just talking to Lance. I think he understands me!"

Lance quickly swam away, leaving a trail of guilty bubbles behind.

Looking back now, that wasn't just chatting. It was taming.

"Lance." I activated the underwater communicator.

He immediately opened his eyes and looked at me warily.

"The company found you a roommate," I said calmly. "And starting tomorrow night, everything you do in this tank will be livestreamed."

That was right—livestreamed.

My request to AquaGene Corp was a live competition.

They'd deliver a new merman, and Lance would share the tank with him for a 30-day livestreamed evaluation. At the end, I'd choose the one I preferred, and the other would be gene recycled. The company would cover all expenses.

It could promote the new merman while serving as an advertisement for their brand. It was a win-win for them.

Lance froze.

"Perform well," I said, turning away. "After all, the loser will turn into ocean fertilizer."

I didn't look back, but the water temperature monitor showed a drop of nine degrees Fahrenheit in just ten seconds.

That was a unique physiological reaction when a merfolk's emotions spike.

The new merfolk arrived on schedule the next day.

"Hello, master. I'm Sylas," the clear, gentle voice said. "From today, I pledge to serve you loyally. I will never cause you any trouble."

Sylas had silver hair and pale golden eyes. He was taller than Lance, less aggressive but more elegant.

He swam up to the glass and pressed his head against it right in front of me. That was exactly the gesture Lance never made for me but always showed Vivian.

I instinctively glanced toward Lance.

The blue merman hovered in the distant seaweed, his dorsal fin fully flared and lips drawn tight into a thin line. His eyes were locked on Sylas in a deadly stare.

"That's Lance. He came here before you," I said casually. "You'll share this space for the next 30 days."

Sylas turned to Lance, his tail flicking in a friendly arc. "Lance, nice to meet you. I will do my best to serve our master."

Lance didn't respond. He turned and slammed his tail hard on the water surface, splashing water on the viewing window. Without turning around, he swam away into the deepest cave in the tank.

"He might need time to adjust," Sylas said softly, his eyes on me. "Master, your heart rate shows fatigue. Would you like me to sing? My sound waves help with relaxation."

I froze for a moment. Then, a soothing, ethereal singing voice filled the room through the speakers.

My headache from days of restlessness and sleepless nights began to ease.

I looked at the tank. Sylas was watching me attentively, his pale golden eyes shining bright. In the distance, in the cave's dark entrance, a pair of blue eyes glowed faintly.

That night, AquaGene Corp's livestream platform went online on time.

Within five minutes, the number of viewers shot to number one, and the chat exploded.

"Holy crap! Two mermen! That's some serious money!"

"Wake up. This is a survival contest. The loser's life is on the line."

"Sylas is so gentle. He's always watching his master."

I shut off the live stream and watched the two mermen, worth ten million dollars in total, sleeping in the tank via the monitor.

I'd spent ten million dollars on this whole online circus.

Well, if I was going to make a scene, I might as well go big.

On the first day of observation, the war broke out at breakfast.

I didn't prepare any premium fresh fish. Just a standard merfolk meal.

Unlike the first time, there was no tension or anticipation. My movements were calm, almost casual.

The moment I stepped up to the glass, Lance swam over. He hovered at just the right distance from my arm, his eyes locked onto me and the plate in my hand.

He probably thought this was another moment to perform. Maybe he was even expecting that long-lost special treatment, meant only for him.

However, I didn't look at him. I simply extended my hand.

A silver-white figure adjusted his position without hesitation, settling at exactly the right height.

I picked up a piece of fish and offered it to Sylas.

He didn't reach for it with his hands. Instead, he took the food directly from my fingertips with his mouth. His posture was relaxed and seemingly full of trust.

Then, he flashed me a warm and sincere smile. "Thank you, master."

The chat exploded.

"Ah! He's so sweet. That's my dream merman partner!"

"What's wrong with the other one? He's just standing there. Aren't merfolk supposed to be smart?"

"Dumbass, it's simply the difference between a merman that's too proud to love you and a merman that knows exactly how to make you love them."

I blinked at Sylas. There was no arm-numbing wait, no cautious testing, and certainly no resistance or aggression.

For the first time, I received a genuine response. Without realizing it, my expression softened, and I smiled.

Lance froze completely.

He watched the treatment he once looked down on get taken by Sylas. Worse, I even smiled at the other merman. A tide of unspeakable fury surged through him.

I kept feeding at the same level. I didn't call Lance over or save anything for him.

When Sylas finished eating, I turned and left without sparing a glance at Lance, who was hovering at the corner.

He stared at my retreating back, disbelief written all over his face.

He couldn't understand how the woman who once air-freighted deep-sea fish from across the world just to satisfy him had suddenly become so cold.

That day, Lance didn't touch any of the food dropped from the automatic feeder. He wandered alone in waters far from the feeding zone, his back stiff and distant.

…

On the afternoon of the third day, Vivian came again.

I was in a meeting at the company when the livestream system sent an alert. "Unauthorized biological signal detected in the merfolk care zone."

I pulled up the feed.

Vivian stood by the viewing window in a white dress, waving happily with a bright smile.

Lance appeared instantly, faster than he ever did when he came to me. He swam up to the glass, lowered his head slightly, and smiled at her.

I had fed him for three months, yet he had never smiled at me like that. But the moment Vivian appeared, that smile never left his face.

Vivian happily pressed both palms against the glass, mimicking a hug. Lance hesitated for a second, then moved closer and pressed himself against the glass, completing the "hug".

The chat went completely insane.

"Who is this woman? Why is Lance so gentle with her? He's never treated his master like this!"

"Is this some wife-versus-mistress drama? @AquaGeneOfficial does this count as a violation?"

I drove home, speeding the whole way.

When I arrived, Vivian was still there. Sitting in front of the viewing window, she leisurely watched the tank.

Lance swam back and forth in front of her, showing off his graceful movements like a peacock in mating season.

When Vivian heard the door open, she turned and smiled. "Isabel, you're back? I was just passing by and stopped in to see Lance. He looks thinner—"

"I'm revoking your access. From now on, you're not allowed to enter my home without permission," I cut her off and walked straight to the control panel.

Vivian's expression darkened instantly. "Isabel, are you really this petty? I'm just making friends with Lance. Do you just hate seeing me have anything nice? I honestly think you're way too harsh on Lance. He's a merman, not your slave."

I turned to look at her and let out a sneer. "Right. Says the person who's spent her whole life stealing anything I ever owned. How could I not stay on guard?

"I paid three million dollars for Lance. If you want to be friends with him, fine. Pay up. Buy him from me. Do whatever you want with him after that."

The livestream chat erupted.

"How can she say something like that? Lance is a living being too!"

"But she never abused him. Honestly, people raise kids with less care than she gave this merman."

"Exactly. She's not wrong either. She paid for Lance. If Vivian wants him, she should pay for him herself."

Vivian's face flushed crimson, then turned a deathly pale.

I knew she wouldn't pay. She had been using Lance to secretly take my things and sell them. Why would she ever want him to leave me, let alone buy him and spend money on him?

Beside her, the hopeful light in Lance's eyes froze. He couldn't believe the woman he loved hadn't jumped at the chance. Did she not want to be with him?

Noticing the disappointment in Lance's eyes, Vivian stammered, "C-Can I pay in installments? I really… I really don't have the money…"

She looked at Lance pitifully as she spoke.

Lance immediately dropped his doubts. He shot me a furious glare, as if I were some villain tearing lovers apart.

I let out a short, mocking laugh.

For the first time, I realized that Lance, who always acted so clever, was actually this stupid.

"I don't do credit. You took the jewelry I gave Lance to make him happy and sold it for a hefty sum. And you still have the nerve to say you're broke?"

After I discovered Lance had been giving Vivian things, I went through the house and listed everything that was missing.

Just selling those items alone would have brought in enough to buy a merfolk. Not to mention, she wasn't poor to begin with.

My parents died in a shipwreck when I was five. I was taken in by my uncle, Noah Ross. Vivian was his daughter.

We grew up together. Ever since we were kids, she loved taking my things.

When we were little, she took all my dolls. When we got older, she scribbled all over my homework, then cried to Uncle Noah and said I was the one bullying her.

After I came of age and inherited my parents' assets, I moved out without hesitation.

Vivian received her monthly trust fund payments, but she spent freely and was never satisfied. Whenever she felt like it, she came to my place to mooch.

Out of respect for Uncle Noah, I usually ignored it and made sure she didn't gain much. Even when she started visiting frequently three months ago, always claiming she was just passing by to see me, I didn't bother calling her out.

But I never expected her real target to be my merman.

In the nights I couldn't see, the money and care I poured into Lance were quietly handed to someone else. He treated everything I invested in him, both material and emotional, as mere dirt.

There was no way I was letting Vivian off that easily.