Today was a special occasion in town—the Town Festival—and everyone was busy. Every year, the townspeople eagerly awaited this festival, especially the children who were thrilled by the traditional games.
But for Agnes, the fiesta brought no joy; it only meant exhausting work. Since Mr. Morris was the mayor, his family was responsible for the festivities, and as their sole servant, the burden of the preparation fell entirely on her.
Agnes carried a large, heavy box out of the mansion and carefully placed it inside a white van that would transport the materials to the plaza. Inside were decorations—banners, flags, and various ornaments for the festivities the following day.
"Agnes, what are those?" Islaw asked, tilting his head with a confused frown.
He had just come out of the kitchen, and Agnes couldn't help but smile seeing him tightly clutching the stuffed toy she had given him last week. Everywhere Islaw went, he carried it with him, never letting it go.
"These boxes have the decorations for the festival tomorrow."
"What is a f-festi-festi—whatever? What is it for?" he asked, scratching his head.
"A festival is an annual celebration in our town, Islaw. In other places, it's a religious commemoration, but for our town, it's a celebration of the community itself. They celebrate the founding of the town."
"W-why?"
"It's hard to explain, Islaw."
"Is a f-festival fun? Because birt-hi-days are fun when they are celebrated, right?"
"For most people, it's a joy. It's not just games, food, and shows; there are also rides. It's been a tradition in our town to set up a funfair or a theme park."
"What? A tim park?"
"A carnival. I won't explain it further, you'll see it for yourself tomorrow."
Islaw continued to pepper her with questions. As usual, he wouldn't let up, and she patiently and affectionately answered each one. There were times, however, when even she didn't know the answers to his curious inquiries.
"Agnes, there are so many people!" Islaw exclaimed as they stepped out of the vehicle.
They had arrived at the town plaza.
"It's always like this when the festival is near. People are busy buying food to prepare, while others help set up the rides behind the plaza."
"What about you, Agnes? Will you be b-busy too?" he asked, looking at her.
"Yes. You know I'm the Acostas' favorite errand girl. Managing the festival has been my job every year."
"Does that mean you won't have time for me again?" Islaw pouted, and his eyebrows began to redden—a sure sign he was about to cry.
Agnes was immediately alarmed and tried to soothe him.
"Islaw, please don't be sad," she said tenderly.
"You a-always have no time for me. It's always just w-work."
She froze, staring at her husband's sulking face. She never imagined Islaw would say something like that. She had no idea such thoughts were forming in his mind; she thought he was still too innocent to feel neglected in that way.
"Didn't I explain the reason why I'm always busy?"
"Hmm-hmm." He nodded slowly. "You're b-busy with work. You just work and work, and you have no time l-left for me."
Agnes grew even more worried as Islaw's deep voice broke, and tears finally began to stream down his face. How many times had he cried recently? Whether the reason was trivial or deep, it still pained her—especially knowing she was the cause.
"Islaw, don't think like that!"
"You don't care about me anymore!" he cried out and ran away.
She sighed heavily, immediately kneeling to gather the pearls that had fallen to the ground. With a heavy heart, she followed the path Islaw had taken. She had promised herself she wouldn't let him cry so his life wouldn't be shortened, yet here he was, weeping because of her.
It was her fault. It was true that she was losing time with him, but she thought he understood why. These past few months, Brianna had doubled her workload, making everything more difficult. It felt as if Brianna was doing it on purpose to drive a wedge into their marriage.
And it was working.
"Islaw? Islaw, where are you?" She looked around frantically but couldn't find him.
"Big sister!" Cholo came running toward her.
"Cholo, you're here."
"I just arrived when I saw big brother. I asked him where you were, but he didn't answer. He was crying."
"Where is he?"
"Behind the plaza, sitting down and hugging his knees. Hurry, Big sis. Your husband-stealing boss is there too," Cholo said, prompting her to rush.
She stopped in her tracks, unable to get closer when she saw them on a bench. Brianna was sitting next to Islaw, rubbing his back as if trying to comfort him.
But that's her job, isn't it?
"Stop crying now, Islaw. Since your wife clearly doesn't care about you, just leave her before she leaves you first. I'm here. I am willing to give all my time to you," Brianna said.
Agnes's blood boiled. Before Islaw could even react to Brianna's words, Agnes stepped forward. She firmly took Islaw's hand and pulled him up, away from the woman determined to tear them apart.
"Agnes!" Islaw stared at her in surprise.
"With all due respect, Lady Brianna, this is just a simple misunderstanding between my husband and me. What we need to do is make up, not separate."
"A simple misunderstanding? You're losing time for your husband, he feels like you don't care about him. Wasn't that the beginning of the breakdown in your relationship with Erick?" Brianna asked with a smirk, causing Agnes to grip Islaw's hand even tighter.
"What happened then won't happen again. If I was weak before and let Erick go, I'm not anymore. I can overcome anything for my husband. I will never let go of Islaw."
"Hypocrite!" Brianna spat, trembling with rage. "Let's see how far that courage gets you!"
Brianna marched away, leaving Agnes to sink weakly onto the bench.
"Agnes, I'm mad at you!" Islaw grumbled.
"Sit here."
"I don't want to! You don't love me. I'm not i-important to you!"
"Islaw, sit down so we can talk properly."
"Just sit down, Big brother," Cholo urged, pulling the pouting Islaw onto the bench.
"Islaw—"
"You always h-have no time for me. You're always b-busy, always t-tired when we go home. You don't c-cuddle me anymore, you just go straight to sleep," Islaw said with a scowl.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sulking!"
"You know the reason why I'm always busy, right, Islaw?"
"Because it's for our f-future, for our f-future baby. But what about me? How long will we be l-like this? Don't you get tired, Agnes?"
Agnes went still. The question caught her off guard. She stared at his sad, longing face and realized how much he had developed. He wasn't the same man who knew nothing of the world; now, he understood and felt things more deeply than she had realized.
Islaw had a point. How long would they be like this? How long would she be a puppet for the Acostas? How long would she let Brianna interfere with her marriage? She was tired, too, and it was Islaw who had finally made her face that reality.
"I'm tired too, Islaw."
"Sister Agnes," Cholo said softly and sadly.
"It seems you're enjoying flirting with your husband a bit too much?" a voice suddenly interrupted.
Agnes stood up immediately upon seeing Madame Beattrice.
"M-madame, I'm sorry. I'll start working right away."
"You better! Instead of just sitting around. Do your job or else—you know exactly what will happen to you and your husband!"
"Yes, Madame." With trembling lips, Agnes bowed her head and let the woman leave.
"Agnes, your lips are shaking!" Islaw exclaimed, immediately hugging her. "Did she hurt you?"
"No, Islaw. I just need to start working before the Madame gets angrier."
She pulled away from his embrace and turned to leave. After two steps, she couldn't help but look back at her sad husband. Cholo was also frowning, holding onto the hem of Islaw's loose shirt. It broke her heart.
"Islaw, can you help me with my work so I can finish faster? Then we can go home early and I can make it up to you?" she asked with a smile, gently squeezing his arm.
"Hmm-hmm!" he cheered, rushing to her side.
"Yes! They made up! I'll help too so your cuddle time can happen sooner," Cholo added, making Agnes laugh.
As planned, they began working together. Within three hours, they had accomplished a lot: hanging decorations around the plaza, overseeing the amusement park setup, and checking the costumes of the performers. Finally, they went to visit the live marine animals for the town's special show.
There was to be a Grand Giant Aquarium Show.
"This house is huge, Big sis," Cholo said, looking up as they entered the building. A few tourists were already starting to wander around.
"It's not a house, it's a massive aquarium inside."
"Wow!" Islaw's eyes sparkled as he stared at the large fish confined in the glass tanks.
Agnes laughed softly.
"Look, a sharf!"
"Shark, not sharf," she corrected Cholo.
"Same thing, Big sis."
She laughed but didn't argue. Agnes attention shifted back to Islaw, who was mesmerized by the fish swimming behind the thick glass. They were in a narrow, dark hallway inside the building. The exhibit was temporary and would be dismantled in about three days.
"Islaw?"
"Agnes, why are the f-fish so sad? Why are they s-scared? But why does it look like they're happy inside? I want to go in and swim, too. There's so m-much yummy food." Islaw pressed his palm against the cold glass.
"Islaw, they are prisoners," she said softly, though he likely didn't hear her over his own excitement.
After a few minutes, they went to the back area, which was restricted to staff only. There were various doors—faculty, exit, and the dressing room for the women who would perform as mermaids the following night.
"Wow, so much food!" Islaw shouted upon seeing live fish in a small holding tank nearby.
"Islaw, don't touch those!" she cried out as he reached for one.
"Agnes, you're here." An old man assigned to moving the marine life to the larger tanks approached them with a smile.
"Yes, sir. Lady Brianna asked me to check on everything inside."
"I see. Everything is fine here. All that's left is to move these remaining fish to the other tank."
"That's good to hear."
"You might want to check the dressing room, Agnes. The women hired to be mermaids for tomorrow's show have arrived."
"Really? That's good."
"Yes, I heard they'll be practicing inside the aquarium shortly. Well, I'll be going now."
"Thank you, sir," she called out as he left.
"Big brother, no!"
Agnes whipped around at Cholo's scream. Her heart hammered against her ribs in terror. Islaw was eating a live fish from the small tank. Before she could reach him, Islaw collapsed, and his legs began to transform.
He had a tail.
"Oh no. Big sis, what do we do?" Cholo whispered.
"I-I don't know." Agnes was breaking into a cold sweat.
"Agnes, I can't b-breathe," Islaw gasped, looking at her desperately.
"Wait, just stay calm, Islaw."
"Big sis, we have to get him into the water."
"In the aquarium? No, people will see him! We have to hide him," she said, tears prickling her eyes. "Islaw, hold on. I'll find a way. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Oh my, what happened? Why is he on the floor? Is he okay?"
Agnes froze as an unfamiliar female voice rang out. She turned, trembling, to see a group of women staring at them. They were likely the professional mermaids hired for the show, coming out of the dressing room.
Was their secret about to be exposed?
"Big sister, what do we do?" Cholo whispered.
"Wow, look at that makeup! It's incredible. The scales on his face and body look so real, and those ears... and wow, those gloves for the hands are perfect for a merman," one of the women laughed softly.
"I didn't know they hired a guy to be a merman. I thought it was just the six of us professional mermaids. It'll be nice to have a guy in the show."
Agnes went still, her brow furrowing, but then a wave of relief washed over her. They thought it was a costume. She let out a breath, noticing the women were carrying their own fake tails.
"My husband wasn't actually hired for the show. He just... got excited when he saw the tails out here and tried one on," Agnes lied quickly.
"Really? Well, in fairness, that tail is amazing. It looks so realistic. Can we touch it—"
"No!" Agnes answered sharply.
"Oh, sorry. Well, we're heading to the other tank to practice. If you want, you can use this aquarium to swim," one of the women said with a smile before they walked away.
"That was close!" Cholo exhaled, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead.
"Agnes, I-I can't take it anymore." Islaw gripped her weakly.
"Islaw, just a little longer, okay? I'll fix this," she said, panicking.
"Big sis, we have no choice. We have to put him in the aquarium. He needs water."
"But what if people catch him? What if they discover what he really is?"
"Just trust me, Big sis. Just trust."
Cholo patted her back. Seeing how weak Islaw had become, she had no choice. They hurried to help him up the stairs to reach the top of the massive tank. With a tender, loving kiss to his forehead, she eased him into the water.
Within seconds, Islaw gasped as if coming back to life. A moment later, he began to swim, joyfully darting around the massive tank. She could see how happy he was.
But Agnes could hardly breathe from anxiety when she looked toward the front and saw a crowd of people already watching him through the glass. Her lips trembled and her hands shook as she watched Islaw swim.
"Big sis, calm down. Just think: nothing bad will happen."
"There are so many of them, Cholo. They're all staring at him. What if they notice—"
"Don't think about it. Just trust," Cholo said before walking away.
She tried to stay calm. But from her vantage point, she saw children throwing food and bottles at the glass because they weren't satisfied with the performance. People were shouting at him, but Islaw couldn't hear them; he was too lost in the bliss of swimming, finally free in the water.
"Booo! What a waste of money! He's not even looking at us!" the kids yelled.
"This is worthless! Boring!"
"If the show is like this tomorrow, I'm throwing eggs at that guy."
"Isn't that the crazy guy from the market?"
"Why is he wearing a shirt? Shouldn't he be topless for the performance?" a young girl asked.
Even from a distance, Agnes could hear the chatter. She feared for Islaw. Were people really this cruel? Would they get angry and hurl insults just because a show didn't meet their expectations?
What would happen if the world ever found out what Islaw truly was? Would they hunt him? Turn him into a freak show for profit? Treat him like a toy for people who only cared about their own entertainment and nothing for the feelings of others?
Agnes froze as four men from the security team noticed Islaw. They stopped in their tracks, looking completely stunned. After a few moments, she overheard their conversation.
"Why is there a merman swimming in the aquarium? The show isn't until tomorrow," one of them whispered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Aren't the professional mermaids supposed to be practicing in the other tank? This one is reserved for the show."
"And look at his movements," another added, stepping closer to the glass. "That doesn't look like a costume. I've seen the props they brought in, and none of them were that high-quality."
"Hey, you!" the lead security guard called out, pointing toward the tank. "Who authorized you to be in there? Get out of the water right now!"
Agnes's heart hammered against her ribs. The guards were already moving toward the back entrance, their radios crackling as they called for backup to interrogate the intruder. They were confused and suspicious, and if they reached the top of the tank before Islaw changed back, their lives would be over.
"Islaw!" At her call, he immediately swam toward her.
"Agnes, this is so much fun!"
"That's enough. Let's go."
"I don't want to yet. I want to s-swim more."
"Islaw, please."
With shaking hands, Agnes pressed her right palm against his scaly cheek. Her left hand reached for the back of his neck, where she felt his gills opening and closing behind his ears. She leaned close to him.
"My Islaw, please don't be stubborn. I'm just worried about you. I need you to get out of there. Please, listen to me."
"D-don't cry, my Agnes. We're leaving now." He smiled and kissed her on the lips.
She managed a smile and pulled him out of the aquarium into a private area. Just then, Cholo arrived with bread and a white towel. She remembered that when Islaw ate human food, he turned back into a human, whereas raw fish or seafood turned him into a merman.
"Are we going home now?"
"Hmm-hmm," Islaw answered with a grin.
It was time to go home.