Agnes squinted her eyes open, roused by noise coming from the kitchen. She rubbed one eye before standing up from the hard wooden bench she had been using as a bed. She had been sleeping there for a while now, and her back was finally growing used to the stiff surface.
She quickly folded her bedsheet and blanket before heading to the kitchen. She expected to see Islaw, and she was right. It had been a few days since she started teaching him how to cook; he had already mastered several dishes and often took the initiative to prepare their meals.
"Good morning, Islaw."
"Good morning, my Agnes," he greeted with a smile, not breaking his focus from the stove.
She sat in a vacant chair to watch Islaw, and she couldn't help but beam as she observed him. Islaw's lips were slightly pouted and his brows were furrowed in deep concentration, as if he were performing a task too important to be interrupted. That was just how Islaw was—he took things seriously, even when it wasn't strictly necessary.
What made her smile even more was noticing how much he was improving. He knew more recipes, was helpful with household chores, knew how to use various appliances, and was learning to socialize and make friends, bit by bit. Most importantly, his speech was getting better; he only stuttered occasionally now.
"What are you cooking, Islaw?"
"F-fried rice, eggs, and hotdogs," he answered.
"Wow, that looks delicious."
"It really d-delicious because I cooked it. I made this for you, Agnes."
Agnes didn't reply, feeling that familiar fluttering deep inside—she was feeling the butterflies. Islaw had made her feel giddy countless times, but the feeling never faded.
She also noticed that as Islaw's mind, actions, and speech developed, he became much more clingy. He was becoming the type of man who dropped flowery words and knew how to make romantic moves. He had changed so much, and she was happy because it was for his own good. The more mature he became, the better he would survive life on land.
"Do you want me to help you with that?" She started to stand, but he quickly stopped her.
"No! I'll handle this, Agnes," he insisted, and she didn't argue.
Ever since he started learning the ropes, the merman had taken over her old duties—cooking, cleaning, and washing the dishes. Islaw wanted to do these things for her; he didn't want her to get tired or struggle.
He was truly tender and a total gentleman.
"Time to eat, Agnes." Islaw wore a wide grin as he set the food on the table in front of her.
Before Agnes could even reach for the serving spoon, Islaw snatched it up to serve her rice and viand himself. After filling her plate, he even poured water into her plastic cup. That was how caring a merman like Islaw could be.
"Thank you so much. Let's eat!" she exclaimed, taking a big bite. "It's so good!" she added with an appreciative nod.
He really was a talented cook.
"I-is it really good, Agnes?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Of course! You're actually a great cook. You're better than me."
"My cooking h-has to be good... because that f-food is for you," he said with a pout.
She just smiled, especially when Islaw pressed his cheek against hers and rubbed them together. They were like two affectionate cats. Islaw was so sweet that he had eventually rubbed off on her; she had become just as clingy as he was.
"Agnes, let's make a baby," Islaw said out of nowhere, causing her to spit out her food.
Everything in Agnes's mouth ended up on Islaw's smooth, handsome face. Agnes stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth agape. He looked adorable, pouting like a child whose face had just gotten dirty. She quickly looked away, feeling tempted by his lips and unable to shake his words from her mind.
"Agnes?" He shook her arm.
"Islaw, you're s-saying the craziest things," she stammered, her cheeks flushing red as she gulped down some water.
"Why? I want a b-baby now!" He pouted even harder, giving her the puppy eyes.
He looked like a child begging for a toy, and she felt like she was about to give in if he kept acting this cute. She bit her lip and looked away further; she didn't want to lose her resolve.
If only it were that easy to give him what he wanted. But raising a child wasn't easy. She was already worried about how they would afford basic needs in the coming days. Caring for Islaw was hard enough—how much more if they had a child?
"Agnes, please!" He clasped his hands together, amping up the cuteness.
She scratched her head and sighed. "Why do you even want a baby?"
"I want a baby because they're cute. And I want u-us to have a c-child so we have a family. C-Cholo said that a ma-marriage becomes s-stronger when there are c-children."
Cholo, of course. That kid is really filling Islaw's head with all kinds of things.
"Islaw, having a child isn't that simple."
"Why?"
"You listen to me. Babies need food every minute, they need clothes and so many other things. We need to give them all of our time to care for them and make them feel loved."
"I-I will give all my love to the b-baby."
"No, Islaw, it's not that easy. To be honest, I'm already struggling with our life now, especially since I don't have a job."
"I-I will work!" he blurted out.
Agnes sighed, realizing there was no stopping him. She shouldn't have been amused, but a smile crept onto her lips because he seemed so determined to have a family with her.
She couldn't understand why she was starting to feel the same way. She knew it was far too early for them to have a child, especially since her feelings for him hadn't fully deepened yet, but why was she feeling excited? Why did she want a child with this merman?
'He's really brainwashing me', she thought.
"Agnes, please?" Islaw hugged her arm, nuzzling his face into her neck. He let out a soft whine as if he were about to cry.
"We need to plan first before we build a family," she said softly, stroking his hair.
"I'm so e-ex-excited, Agnes!" Islaw cheered, sitting up straight with a huge smile.
Agnes was starting to feel the excitement too.
"Agnes?"
"What is it?"
"H-how do we actually m-make a baby?" Islaw asked innocently, tilting his head.
Agnes went completely blank.
"You're begging me for a baby, but you don't even know how to make them?!" she blurted out. The merman just giggled.
"I-I don't know."
She just shook her head. She didn't even try to explain the "how-to" to him. First, they couldn't afford a family yet, and second, she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She stayed quiet and they finished their breakfast in silence.
Afterward, Islaw insisted on washing the dishes while Agnes handled the laundry. She was nearly finished when Cholo arrived. As usual, the two boys ended up in the room, chatting away like best friends.
Look at how times have changed. It feels like just yesterday Islaw's lips were practically falling off his face from pouting so hard whenever Cholo was around, but now, the two of them are almost inseparable.
"Cholo, how do you m-make a baby?" Islaw suddenly asked, making Agnes's eyes bulge.
She stopped in her tracks, holding a basin of wet clothes. She was about to enter the room to get some hangers, but she froze at the innocent merman's question. Cholo just stared back at Islaw, bewildered.
"Again what? What is your questioning?" Cholo asked in broken English.
"Huh?" was all Islaw could say, tilting his head.
"What was your question again, Big brother Islaw?"
"How do you make a baby?"
Agnes's ears rang. She closed her eyes tightly, gritting her teeth. She wanted to storm in there and give Islaw a piece of her mind. She had just told him they would plan it later, yet here he was asking a child for advice!
"That's easy, Big brother. Just play basketball."
"B-bashkitbowl?"
"Basketball, not bashkitbowl," Cholo corrected, scratching his head.
"Bashitbul?"
"No, basketball. Not bashitbul, big bro."
"Basetbol?"
"Not baset—just basketball." Cholo said with a little irritation.
"What's that?" Islaw asked scrunching his face.
"It's like shooting. You're the shooter, you shoot the ball, and big sis is the basketball ring," Cholo explained cockily.
Agnes cringed. She felt a shiver down her spine at that explanation. She felt like giving Cholo a triple dose of whatever scolding she was going to give Islaw. So this was where the merman was learning his mischief—from Cholo.
"I don't u-understand, Cholo." Islaw pouted.
"Like this..."
Agnes frowned as Cholo leaned in closer to Islaw and whispered something in his ear. A moment later, she noticed Islaw's eyebrows knit together as he glanced down at the bulge between his thighs. She wondered what on earth Cholo had whispered.
"This?" Islaw asked, innocently pointing to his front.
"Yes."
"W-where do I put it?"
"In her—"
"Buncel Cholo, do you want me to pinch your inner thighs?!" Agnes suddenly appeared before Cholo could finish his sentence.
"I-it was just a j-joke, Big sis!" Cholo said, turning pale instantly.
"J-joke? What's a joke, Cholo?" Islaw asked without any idea what's happening.
"It means it's just a prank, Big bro."
"A prank? S-so what you said about this isn't true?" The clueless merman pointed at himself again.
"It's just basketball."
"Cholo, do you really want a pinch?" Agnes asked, stepping closer.
"No!" Cholo shrieked, running away as fast as he could. She just shook her head.
"W-why would you pinch his thigh, Agnes?" Islaw asked, turning to her.
She wished she didn't have to answer. "To discipline him. He's teaching you the wrong things."
"D-discipline? Doesn't a p-pinch hurt? I-isn't hurting people bad?" he asked, tilting his head.
He had a point.
"Islaw, you're right that hurting people is bad, but sometimes we need to discipline someone through it. Just because I want to pinch Cholo doesn't mean I actually want to hurt him."
"W-why pinch him if you don't want to hurt him?"
"It's like this—both you and Cholo are important to me. I care about you, so I want you to learn good manners and right things. I want to discipline Cholo because I care. He's so stubborn that I have to resort to a little pinch to make him behave. But I didn't actually plan on laying a hand on him, I was just softly scaring him a little so he'd behave. At his age, the things he's teaching you aren't right."
"D-do you care about me too, Agnes?" He gave her the puppy eyes and pouted.
He's so cute, Agnes just wanted to squeeze his cheeks. "Of course, Islaw. You and Cholo are all I have, so yes, I care about you. I care about you a lot."
"A-am I stubborn too?"
"Very! You are extremely stubborn."
"Will you d-discipline me too, Agnes?"
"Yes, because I have to," she said firmly.
"In that case, p-pinch my thigh too," he said, leaving her stunned.
Her jaw dropped at what he did next. He actually spread his legs, looking like he was genuinely welcoming a pinch. He was grinning widely at her, as if he were actually excited to be disciplined.
But the warmth of their laughter didn't last long. As the sun set and the quiet of the evening took over, the peaceful sanctuary they had built inside the small house was violently shattered by a familiar, unwelcome sound.
"Agnes!"
"Agnes, get out of here!"
Even though she was half-asleep, Agnes bolted upright from the hard wooden bench, desperately trying to recognize the voice outside. Her eyes widened when she realized it belonged to the Acostas. Panicking, she rushed into the bedroom and immediately shook Islaw awake from his deep slumber.
It was late, likely around eight in the evening. She wasn't surprised to find the arrogant couple outside her home; she had heard news the other day that they were returning from a business trip in another town. Furthermore, she wasn't surprised that they were causing a scene at this hour.
That was typical behavior for the Acosta family.
"Agnes, why did you w-wake me up? I'm still sleepy... let's go back to sleep," the innocent merman muttered like a cute child, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Islaw."
"Agnes, open this door!"
"Is someone o-outside?" Islaw tilted his head, glancing toward the front door.
"Yes, someone is out there, so you need to hide."
Before Islaw could even respond, she pushed him into the bathroom. There was simply no other space in her tiny house to hide him. He couldn't hide under the bed because of the storage boxes kept there.
"W-why am I hiding, Agnes?"
"Just listen to me, Islaw. Don't ask so many questions."
"Okay. I'll stay here." He took the initiative and climbed into the large water drum.
"Stay there for now, Islaw. Don't come out until I say so, and whatever you do, don't make a sound."
"Okay, Agnes."
"Good boy." She gently ruffled his hair for a moment before quickly covering the drum and stepping out of the room.
"Agnes!" The person outside relentlessly hammered on the door.
"One moment!"
She hurriedly opened the door for them. She took a quick glance back toward the bedroom to make sure Islaw hadn't come out of the bathroom. It wasn't that she was ashamed to introduce him, but it would be a massive problem if the Acostas—the actual owners of this house—found out she was letting a man stay there.
"Welcome back to town, Mr. Morris, Madame Beattrice," she said, forcing a smile.
"Agnes, what took you so long to open the door?" the old lady asked snidely.
"I'm very sorry, Madame. I only just woke up."
"Why are you still here? Didn't we kick you out already?" The husband asked, his brows knitted together.
Agnes was suddenly gripped by fear—not just for herself, but for Islaw. What if they threw her out right this second? Where would she go? If that happened, she would be forced to leave town, and she couldn't be sure she could take Islaw with her.
Based on the cold, hateful look Mr. Morris was giving her, he clearly didn't want her inside the house they had built. They had evicted her once before, but she hadn't left, and she didn't know if they were about to do it again.
"I-I have nowhere else to live. Please, have mercy," she pleaded, clasping her hands together.
"You should have thought about that before you laid a hand on my daughter! You should have known your place from the beginning!" the woman barked haughtily.
"I-I know I made a mistake. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me for what I did to Lady Brianna."
In truth, it still stung. Her heart still ached whenever she remembered the betrayal of Brianna and Erick. She still harbored resentment toward their daughter, but she had to set it aside and humble herself, even though she was the one who had been wronged. She would end up on the streets if she let her pride win against the heartless Acostas.
"It's good that you know your place, Agnes. It's good that you realize you are just a lowly servant of this family who should be looking up to us."
"Y-yes, Madame. I am well aware." Agnes answered with her head bowed.
The woman's words were incredibly painful, but Agnes remained silent and submissive, maintaining her humility. However, she vowed that when she finally rose out of poverty, she would never be like this family.
"And I assume you know that we are the ones keeping you alive?" the woman asked with a smirk. Agnes nodded slowly, knowing the woman was rubbing it in that she was dependent on them.
"Good. Now we're clear."
"We will forgive you for what you did to Brianna. You may stay in this house, and you can return to your job as a maid," Mr. Morris announced.
"Thank you so much!"
"But don't try to trick Erick, who is now my daughter's boyfriend. You only come to the mansion to do your job."
"Yes, Madame Beattrice."
Once the conversation ended, the couple left immediately, exhausted from their flight. As soon as she was sure they were gone, Agnes ran into the bathroom and frantically opened the drum where Islaw was hiding.
What she saw terrified her.
"I-Islaw?"
Agnes's eyes filled with tears and her hands shook as she nudged Islaw's body, but he didn't move. His eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly open, as if he had drowned. As her brain processed the situation, she quickly pulled him out of the drum and laid him on the floor.
"Islaw, wake up!" she sobbed, pleading with him while performing chest compressions and giving him rescue breaths.
Perhaps Islaw's true form was a merman, but in his current human form, he couldn't survive underwater. He was a normal human now, without gills to breathe.
"Islaw, wake up! Please!" No matter how hard she tried CPR, there was no reaction. Her fear grew that he might never wake up. "Islaw, please wake up!"
She had no choice but to keep giving him breath. Minutes passed without a response. She was beginning to lose hope, but her body moved on its own, refusing to stop.
"A-Agnes?" Islaw finally groaned, opening his eyes after coughing up the water he had swallowed.
"Islaw!" she wailed, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. "You scared me so much!"
"S-sorry, Agnes. I thought I c-could breathe in the water," he pouted, and she quickly shook her head.
She cupped both of his cheeks. "I'm the one who should be sorry. Your life wouldn't have been in danger if it weren't for me. Please forgive me."
"I-it's okay. I'm n-not mad at you, Agnes."
"Really? Even though you almost died because of me?" she asked in disbelief.
"Hmm-hmm." Islaw nodded like a sweet child. "I-it wasn't your fault. You didn't d-drown me, right?"
"R-right." She let out a small, shaky laugh and wiped away her tears.
"Agnes, why are you c-crying?"
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"Why? You don't want me to go a-away, my Agnes?"
"Of course not, Islaw. You are such a big part of my life now; I couldn't handle it if I lost you. So Islaw, don't ever leave me, okay? Just stay here... stay here with me." She softly closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his.
"I promise, my Agnes," he replied, closing his eyes too.
And there, their lips met.