Chapter 169: Change Back For Me (26)

This sleep, Herbert did not sleep for very long.

When he woke naturally an hour later, he felt power surging through every part of his body.

This feeling was different from simply being in peak physical condition—even his spirit was more full than it had ever been before.

His whole body brimmed with strength!

He felt that right now he could punch Valentina unconscious—

Mm, although in his heart he clearly knew he definitely couldn't beat her, what he wanted was precisely this kind of invincible feeling of looking down on everyone.

Getting cocky!

The overly inflated Herbert turned his head, looked at Fu Leimei sitting beside him plucking at a harp, and slowly nodded: "Fu Leimei."

"Mm?"

The sea demon heard this, turned her head, and seeing his refreshed expression, laughed softly, her face carrying a hint of teasing as she ribbed him:

"You're awake! I thought you'd sleep a while longer. What a shame I couldn't let you see your own sleeping face."

"If I hadn't known it was you, I would've thought some little kid had wandered in from somewhere~ Hehe."

Every time she recalled how obedient Herbert had looked while fast asleep, she couldn't help but laugh.

Herbert usually presented himself before her brimming with confidence, even exuding a bewitching charm, and at times giving her a sense of bold, cutting sharpness.

These qualities did indeed draw Fu Leimei's gaze, but at times they also made her feel a little unable to adapt.

But once Herbert quieted down, he gave Fu Leimei many different feelings—looking soft, even a little delicate.

Truly adorable.

Taking advantage of this rare chance to observe, the mermaid Young Lady made quite a few novel discoveries.

Although Herbert's features were somewhat girlish, his body was far more robust than his outward appearance suggested—his chest muscles were quite springy to the touch.

Right, she absolutely hadn't been peeking on purpose!

It was just that when she dragged him out of the water, she accidentally tugged his clothes and ended up tearing his shirt open.

That's right, all of this was purely accidental!

Besides, Fu Leimei had already helped him tidy his clothes back up—absolutely no one would ever know about any of this.

Mm-mm, this way it was absolutely foolproof!

Herbert had no idea what the shrimp-headed sea demon had just done to him, otherwise he would surely have seized the chance to tease her about it.

And although the Trickster God had seen it, he found it too amusing to speak up at this moment, planning to wait for a suitably entertaining moment in the future to use it as a trump card…

For example—miss mermaid, you don't want him to know what you secretly did to him, do you?

Things like this—just thinking about them is so entertaining!

But what Fu Leimei hadn't expected was that after waking, Herbert didn't express his gratitude to her, but instead kept staring at the pair of legs she had transformed out.

Stare—

"Wh-what is it?"

She had already been a bit unaccustomed to these transformed legs, and now under that blatant gaze she shyly curled up a little.

Those legs seemed to extend out from a beautiful environment, slender and brimming with a unique charm.

Although one could tell they were modeled on a human, they still retained some non-human features—iridescent scales, like carefully inlaid gems, adorned her fair skin.

But perhaps because of the fish tail, the transformed thighs looked plump and fleshy at a glance, looking as if they were made to be squeezed into black stockings…

After staring at Fu Leimei's legs for a long while, Herbert nodded, looked up into her eyes, and said in a low voice:

"You… change back for me!"

"???"

Fu Leimei had been a little nervous, thinking she'd transformed something wrong, but upon seeing Herbert's expression, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Are you sick in the head!

"I'm not changing back!"

It took me forever to transform, and now you want me to change back… no way!

Hmph!

Herbert could no longer keep his expression in check, and leaning close to her face he whined:

"But! But! I think your tail is clearly gorgeous—why do you insist on transforming into human legs!"

If a mermaid turns into a human, is she still a mermaid?

I want the fish tail! I want the fish tail!

Are you doubting my purity!?

Although the fact that you've kept your fish tail right now delights me, I still feel the fish tail is more attractive to me.

"Hmph."

Fu Leimei snorted and said peevishly: "The fish tail is pretty, but I can't go out with it!"

Hm?

Herbert blinked rapidly, then his momentum suddenly deflated, and he said weakly: "Hm? You knew?"

"Knew what?"

The mermaid Young Lady shot him a sidelong glance and said coldly: "After you left, the breathing sounds of that fellow in the first area vanished too! And not long after she came back, you came back as well."

"Need any other explanation? She went out with you, didn't she? Hehe."

She looked at Herbert and laughed coldly twice.

Let's see what other explanation you could possibly have!

"Well, actually you've got the wrong idea, things aren't the way you think…"

"Hm?"

"... Mm."

Herbert finally gave up on explaining, ducked his head, and quietly cast his eyes to the side.

Oh dear.

Caught red-handed, aren't we.

Although he hadn't actually done anything to feel guilty about, there was a feeling of being caught in the act.

What a strange feeling it is!

And after a slight awkwardness, Herbert also understood why Fu Leimei wanted so badly to grow a pair of human legs.

She wanted to go out together with Herbert.

Although she didn't have much goodwill toward the warden officials belonging to the monastery, wanting to teach every newcomer a lesson whenever one arrived.

But in truth, Fu Leimei was one of the few prisoners who didn't feel much pressure at being locked up here.

Because of Fu Leimei's special ability, she herself already had no attachment to the outside world; staying here and staying out there were equally lonely for her.

But after meeting Herbert, her thoughts quietly changed.

Especially after Herbert left with Valentina, she, after many years, once again found herself yearning for the outside world.

Fu Leimei wanted to leave this place, to go out into the world together with Herbert.

But she also knew that, in her current state, it wasn't convenient to go out.

Herbert couldn't keep pushing a fish tank around everywhere, and she couldn't keep floating in mid-air on water elements — that would surely draw other people's attention.

And after thinking it over, Fu Leimei finally made her decision — to grow a pair of legs that could walk freely.

With these legs, although her strength might be somewhat suppressed, she could also freely stay by Herbert's side.

"..."

Herbert now understood Fu Leimei's well-meaning intentions.

He was silent for a while, then turned back, dropped to one knee before her legs, and said softly, "May I touch them?"

"..."

Fu Leimei hesitated for a moment, but still extended her right leg before Herbert's eyes, softly instructing, "... Be gentle, don't use force, it's still very fragile."

Herbert nodded, then slowly extended both hands.

"Mm, don't worry."

(End of this chapter)