I gasped and coughed out water as soon as I got up. "They said you are a mermaid. As far as I know, mermaids don’t drown." I looked at the person who saved me, and my eyes widened. "What? Do you want to be saved by your prince charming instead?" It’s Leslie. She pulled me towards Ericka and helped me get up from the pool.
"How did this mermaid drown?" Leslie shook her head. "It’s absurd." She added, but I continued coughing as I felt a pain in my throat.
"What happened to you?" Coach Samantha asked. "Did you got hurt?" She asked, without even letting me answer her first questions. "Are you injured?"
I shook my head. "My foot got cramps." They let out a sigh of relief.
"Fine, you’re done for today. Ericka, go with her to the infirmary." That’s what coach Samantha said as she continued helping Leslie and the others. ’W-Wait, I still haven’t thanked Leslie for what she did.’
"Let’s go." Ericka helped me get up from the floor. "Do you want me to help you shower?" I shook my head, which caused her to giggle.
"It scared me when you didn’t go up from the water. Did you know that? I panicked so much and I started screaming your name, which made the others panic too. They thought ’who can save our team’s ace from drowning?’. Even those people in the bleachers were looking at you. I even saw your friend Kaoru getting ready to dive in the pool, but Leslie dived in."
Leslie helped me, and I’m thankful for what she did. It feels bad that I couldn’t thank her. "It was cool of her. I thought she was just a prideful person, but when she heard me scream, it didn’t take her a second before she dived in and saved you. Damn, that girl’s so cool I might get a crush on her." Hearing Ericka says that makes me giggle. "It’s amazing. Even though she’s been mean to you before."
"Yeah, it’s cool of her to help me."
Ericka and I took a shower in the shower room. "Do you have shampoo with you there?" Ericka asked. I threw the bottle to the side where Ericka was. "Thank you." I can hear her humming while taking a shower.
When we finished, she accompanied me to the infirmary to let the nurse check on my foot since coach Samantha knows about the condition of my foot, although she doesn’t know about the reason it got injured.
"Are you sure we shouldn’t take you to the hospital?"
I nodded. "I also need to do something. Thank you for accompanying me." Ericka pouted as I gave her a hug and a smile. "Thank you. I’ll be going now." With that, I walked into the hallway and Kaoru was already waiting for me near the main door.
"Is the lady alright?" Kaoru asked while we walk to the parking lot. "T-The lady drowned, and I wasn’t able to save you."
I sighed. "I’m glad that you didn’t do anything, or else you’ll be receiving a scolding from the young master who’s also in the bleachers with you." I sat in the backseat like usual and Kaoru didn’t say anything else. I told him not to tell Kenji about anything that happened, Kenji might tattle to grandpa and I’m scared that grandpa will make me stop swimming.
I’m tired again. I miss living free like before, I never thought of doing anything like this before. Maybe if I passed that special examination, I’ll be saved from too much stress. "Did the lady have a great day today?" Kenji started a conversation with me again.
"Yeah, I did." Except for the fact that I almost drowned today. Well, I did drown but Leslie quickly helped me so it wasn’t life-threatening.
"I noticed that the lady’s smiling less the past few days," Kenji said. Really? "When you were stalking young master before you’re all smiles and rainbows." Must he really remind me of that time? Wait...
"How do you know that?"
Kenji chuckled. "The young master and I always notice you whenever you’re following the young master around." He said. "You like taking his picture. It’s amazing how patient the young master was with you. With other people, he’ll definitely lash out at them and show them how merciless he is. But he ignored you. It was fascinating." What did he mean by fascinating? Am I some kind of entertainment for this guy?
"What does it matter? It’s all in the past."
Maybe Kenji’s right. I’ve been smiling less since I started living in the Yamaguchi household. "I’m happier with my parents," I muttered. I miss them so much. It makes me realize how important my parents are in my life.
Daddy will probably feel happy if he learns that I’m going to compete again. He loves seeing me swim, he supported me and even created our own pool in the backyard. Although it feels different from the pool we have in school.
Everything has changed.
I did the usual routine after arriving at the mansion. Rika helped me change into clothes and gave me my dinner in my room since I told her I’ll be reviewing some things I learned today. I’m lucky that grandpa’s letting me eat dinner in my room, I learned that he really wants his family to eat dinner together all the time.
"Does the lady wants some desserts before going to the bridal lessons?"
"Ice cream please."
Rika smiled. "Yes, young miss!" She went out of the room and I went back to studying.
With Miss Valencia’s help before, I can fully understand the whole lesson. It’s really nice that I’m finally thinking on my own. I used to always rely on mommy or Ace before, but now I can’t do that. It’s for my own good either way, but it will really help if I could talk to my mommy even for a second. I miss her voice, and I want to hug her again.
Rika brought me the ice cream I told her to bring and I ate it while doing my review.
"It’s time, young miss," Rika said. It’s time for the bridal lessons. I wonder if we’re going to focus on serving tea again.
"Hello there, lady Noelle." Lady Tomoe— I mean Tomoe greeted me.
"Today we’ll be continuing our lessons. The lady must master brewing and serving tea as it is the lady’s role to serve the visitors that are coming to the household."
What? Then what’s the purpose of all these servants if the boss’s wife will be the one serving tea? Doesn’t that make it look like the boss’s wife is a servant herself?
"I-If I may ask." I raised my hand.
"Yes, please go on."
I felt the piercing glare of Tomoe’s attendants. They’re not even trying to hide how much they hate me. "What purpose do the servants have if the boss’s wife will serve the tea to the visitors herself?" I mean, there’s nothing wrong to ask, right? I learned from Miss Valencia that it’s better to ask than to think that I know it all.
Tomoe smiled, it’s that same fake smile she often shows me. ’She smiles differently when it comes to Night, though.’ "We don’t question the rules, lady Noelle. Did you know the three things the boss’s wife must have?" She asked while still smiling.
I gulped as I shook my head. ’She’s scary! I knew it! She’s really scary!’
"It’s obedience, elegance, and purity." Tomoe drank from her cup of tea. "Obedience, the boss’s wife must always follow the boss’s rules. She must not question anything, and she must always be behind the boss." I can’t help but feel weird hearing that.
It’s as if she’s saying that becoming the boss’s wife means losing yourself to the boss. Thanks to Ace, I started thinking of what I wanted to do, and how I’ll do it. I’m slowly changing into a better person, but it looks like becoming Night’s wife will make me worse than before.
"Second, elegance. The lady must always be elegant, whether it’s in front of all the members or in front of the boss himself." After she said that, my mind started drifting away and I didn’t hear any of her words anymore. Tomoe’s basically telling me to behave myself and don’t question anything.
Like a mere puppet or a beautiful ornament only mean to be a decoration.
After saying all that, Tomoe started teaching me how to brew again. I didn’t know what happen, but it looks like she’s not getting satisfied with anything at all. "The lady’s mind is distracted. We cannot keep this up." She said as she stood on the floor. "Please let your attendant teach you the basics and show it to me again tomorrow." That’s when the door opened and Night came in.
"Let’s talk." He said.
Tomoe’s smile suddenly became genuine. "Yes, young master." She said. Her face brightened and I can really tell how much she loves seeing Night.
"Not you." Night pointed to me which made my forehead crease. "You, come with me."