When I learned that the villain was a merman who dropped pearls whenever he cried, I took out the discarded pregnancy test stick from the trash can and headed toward the rooftop. "Well, how many babies do you merfolk have in one pregnancy? Do they eat fish food or baby formula?"

Theo Atwater, who was attempting suicide, slipped and almost fell from the 18th floor.

I shook my head with a sigh. "Forget it. I'll just throw the baby into the sea after giving birth."

Later, when the baby was born, Theo was too scared to sleep, fearing that I would release the baby into the sea.

When the female lead, Melody Carlisle, and the male lead, Reagan York, were arguing and came to see us, he was looking at our baby’s swimming results and roaring, "You're one of us merfolk. How could you be afraid of water?"

I knew Theo Atwater was the villain of this world, and I was the wife his grandfather arranged for him before he died. The original mission I was supposed to fulfill upon transmigrating here was to save him, but I slacked. Not only did I fail to save him, but I also squandered his money and occupied his bed.

The system was completely at a loss when it saw that the corruption level remained motionless. The last time it appeared, it had coldly said, "I'll come to pick you up when the villain dies."

I waited for more than half a year.

Today was a good day, suitable for a burial.

When Theo got his heart broken by the female lead, Melody Carlisle, and climbed up to the rooftop alone, I had already fully donned the jewelry in the safe, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the system.

However, when the system appeared, it remarked, "Elle, why are you wearing the villain's tears on your body?"

"What?" I lowered my head in astonishment and looked at the priceless pearl necklace around my neck.

"Theo's a merman, and these pearls are his tears," the system said quietly.

A merman? Merfolk in this story shed pearls? My worldview instantly crumbled.

He was not a villain but a cash cow!

This string of pearls was originally hidden in a secret compartment in the study. I thought it was a birthday gift for Melody. However, the gift remained ungiven, even after her birthday party ended.

Thus, I stole it on a dark and stormy night.

I remembered when Theo found me wearing it. He asked me with a complicated look, "You like this?"

I rolled my eyes on the spot. "Of course! Who would turn down money?"

I had it appraised, and it was worth 120 million dollars!

Now that I thought about it, his expression at the time meant he was enlightened by the fact that I liked his tears.

"System! I think he can still be saved!" I ripped off the pearl necklace, took out the pregnancy test from the trash can, and rushed to the rooftop.

Theo had already climbed over the railing, half his body dangling 18 floors high.

Out of breath, I held up the pregnancy test. "Wait! Well... how many babies do you merfolk have in one pregnancy? Do they eat fish food or baby formula?"

He slipped and nearly fell from the 18th floor. He clung tightly to the railing, half his body dangling over the edge. "What... did you say?"

"You don't want to take responsibility?" I was somewhat disappointed, thinking that I had made things worse by telling him.

"Forget it. I'll just throw the baby back into the sea after they're born..."

It had happened after he got drugged. He might not even remember it.

Before I finished speaking, a dark figure had already flipped back over the railing and pinned me firmly against the wall.

"How dare you?" His eyes blazed with fury.

Meanwhile, I secretly curled my lips into a smile and let out a sigh of relief. I had secured my cash cow.

After returning from the rooftop, Theo seemed completely out of sorts.

Theo settled me in the bedroom before turning around to enter the study. He locked the door from the inside.

I pressed against the door and heard a rapid conversation from behind it. "Calcium supplementation during pregnancy... Seaweed... Wait a minute, doctor. You said humans need to soak in seawater every day if they're carrying merbabies?"

His voice suddenly rose. "But she's pregnant!"

I held back my laughter so much that my stomach hurt. Who would have thought that a vicious and cruel villain would be clutching a phone and consulting a doctor on obstetric knowledge? Even his voice was trembling.

When the study door suddenly opened, I almost fell into his arms.

Theo quickly held my waist, and the warmth of his palm seeping through the fabric was burning hot. He looked down at me, his gaze falling on my flat lower abdomen. His Adam's apple rolled. "You—"

I interrupted him boldly, "I'm hungry. I want you to make seafood stew for me."

The clinking sounds of pots, pans, and bowls quickly came from the kitchen.

The butler hesitated at the door. "Mr. Atwater almost burned the kitchen down the last time he cooked."

I replied, "Oh… It’s alright. He’s rich."

If it burned down, we could just move somewhere else.

The butler was speechless.

An hour later, Theo brought out the finished product with a soot-covered face.

The food looked... okay. It should not be poisonous. When I was scooping up a spoonful of stew, he suddenly grabbed my hand. "Wait."

Theo carefully picked out all the shell fragments and tested the temperature before handing the spoon back.

I deliberately frowned. "Too bland."

His hand, reaching for the salt shaker, stopped in mid-air before he turned around to turn on his tablet. He diligently searched for the daily recommended sodium intake for pregnant women.

I was speechless.

Thus, I began my life comparable to that of a queen. In the mornings, Theo personally squeezed orange juice for me. During showers, he treated me with the utmost care, like I was a fragile object. Even when I woke him up in the middle of the night due to my leg cramps, he would gently give me massages.

One morning, I woke up groggily to find him measuring my waist with a tape measure, his expression as serious as if he were defusing a bomb.

"What can you tell from just one month?" I teased him.

Theo's ears turned red, but he insisted on recording the data in his phone's memo app, titled "Merbabies Observation Diary”.

The most absurd thing was last week, when a business partner came to the company to see him. When the security guard called for permission, Theo was kneeling, tying my shoelaces. Meanwhile, I sat in the rocking chair, eating fruit while playing a game on my phone.

He said coldly into the microphone, "Don't bother me with such a thing anymore. My wife is taking a nap." He then casually placed a blanket over my legs.

"You lied!" I raised an eyebrow at him.

At this moment, I was lying in the rocking chair on the terrace, watching Theo build a swing set in the garden. The sunlight turned his hair amber, making the scene feel somewhat warm.

Suddenly, a system notification popped up.

[Warning! Villain's corruption level has dropped to 90%.]

The system's voice was tinged with doubt. "Elle, are you sure this will save him?"

I smiled and touched the pearl necklace around my neck. "At least he doesn't want to die anymore, right?"

After Theo was done with the swing, I swung my legs. "Honey, my legs are cramping."

He wiped his hands clean, knelt on one knee, and massaged them for me.

The system said, "Amazing!"

"Honey, I want a pink pearl."

I saw a pink pearl at an auction a while ago, and it was so beautiful. Unfortunately, the male lead, Reagan York, bought it to please Melody Carlisle.

"Cry one for me." I casually picked up a plate used for grapes and placed it under his chin.

Theo paused momentarily before raising his head, his deep eyes filled with disbelief. "The color of the pearl depends on the merfolk's mood."

I touched my belly and said slowly, "I don't care. If you don't cry, I'll release your baby into the sea."

His expression changed abruptly.

Three minutes later, I stared in astonishment at the notorious villain who was feared outside. His eyes were red as pearls dropped with a pattering sound. The pale pink pearls rolled around on the plate, sounding particularly pleasant.

The system suddenly made a ding.

[The villain's corruption level has dropped to 85%.]

I happily picked up a pearl. This task was simple. If this continued, I was afraid I would make Theo a sweet and naive merman who only cried pearls.

However, just when I thought I was sure to succeed, Melody came. She was dressed in a plain white dress and stood at the villa entrance with red eyes, looking pitiful. "Theo, please save my father... He's been caught. Only you can find him..." Her voice choked up.

I stood in the doorway, sneering, "Get Reagan to help."

Melody bit her lip, and tears came streaming down her face even faster. "He doesn't have those kinds of connections..."

I paused before realizing it. The male lead was always an optimistic, righteous, and domineering CEO, while the villain was sinister and ruthless. Thus, the first person Melody thought of was always Theo, with his bloodstained hands, when she needed someone to do her dirty bidding.

I glanced back at Theo standing at the corner of the stairs. He stood there quietly, his eyes unfathomable, while he held the slippers I had just kicked off.

A sudden surge of anger welled up inside me. "You're not allowed to go!"

Melody bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. "Since Elle won't allow it, forget it..."

She looked pitiful as she turned to leave.

Just as she was about to step out the door, Theo suddenly said, "Wait."

I watched as he knelt, gently put my slippers back on, and even adjusted their position. Then, this bastard actually got up and followed Melody!

"Theo!" I grabbed a slipper and smashed it on the back of his head. "Don't come back if you go!"

The slipper hit my target, making a crisp smack.

He paused and did not turn around. He just rubbed the spot where he had been hit and continued walking.

I was so angry that I almost threw the other slipper at him as well.

...

At 3:00 am, I checked my phone for the 28th time. The screen was still completely black.

Suddenly, the system notification popped up with a beep.

[Warning! Villain's corruption level has increased by 12%. Current value: 97%.]

I sat upright, nearly straining my back. "What? I've been carrying his baby like a hen, working myself to the bone. I only managed to reduce his corruption level by 15%. He went out with the female lead for one night, and it increased by 12 points?"

The system added quietly, "To be precise, it’s only been four hours and 38 minutes."

"What? Did Melody use him as ransom for the kidnappers?" I sneered, touching my belly.

Suddenly, the sound of a car engine came from outside the window.

I darted to the window and saw Theo's car slowly drive into the front yard, its headlights casting two hazy streaks of light in the rain.

What angered me even more was that he was carrying something in his hand when he got out of the car. The packaging had Moonlit Sea's logo printed on it.