To my surprise, he bolted past me like a streak of lightning, locking himself inside my bathroom.

And he remained inside for at least half an hour.

It seemed he was still having trouble adjusting to his new home, but that was perfectly fine; we could take things one step at a time.

I waited patiently for Silas to finally emerge, and then I took him through the house room by room to help him familiarize himself with the layout.

When I introduced him to the room I had specifically prepared and decorated just for him, Silas clearly showed very little interest.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"To tell you the truth, I am somewhat afraid of the dark. I want to sleep with you."

Understanding his need for reassurance, I welcomed his desire to be close to me with open arms.

That night, Silas and I lay side by side, each settled beneath our own separate blankets.

Just as I was drifting into a hazy slumber, I suddenly felt something cool yet unyielding wrap itself firmly around my lower abdomen, slowly and powerfully tightening as it crept upward.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I attempted to roll over to shake off the constriction.

Instead, a pair of supple, gentle hands enveloped me from behind.

It must have been a vivid dream. Those hands drifted continuously across my skin, caressing and exploring every inch of my body with a maddeningly slow deliberation.

I tried to evade the touch repeatedly, but eventually, exhaustion claimed me, leaving me with no choice but to surrender to the sensation.

The sheer physical exhaustion of my sleep caused me to awaken in the middle of the night.

And the hands framing my body finally withdrew the exact moment before my eyes fluttered open.

My immediate instinct upon waking was to check on Silas, my merman.

However, the half of the mattress where Silas should have been resting was entirely vacant.

I threw on my shoes in a panic, beginning a frantic search through the quiet house.

Eventually, I discovered him tucked inside the water tank I had prepared for him.

His sleep was incredibly restless; he held his tail tightly against his chest, his long eyelashes fluttering continuously while his entire frame trembled with subtle tremors.

He must still be profoundly lacking a sense of security.

It seemed the traumatic events of the day had truly shaken him to his core; I would simply have to treat him with even greater care and affection from now on.

Muttering quietly to myself, I turned to leave the room, completely missing the pair of deep blue lights reflecting through the glass tank.

Glaring like twin pupils, staring straight ahead—the eyes of Silas.

9

When I finally woke up, it was already close to noon.

I was incredibly vexed with myself and hurriedly got dressed.

Silas had only just arrived at my house, and I had actually failed to wake up early to buy fresh food for him at the market. What an incompetent master I was.

Rushing anxiously out of the bedroom, I immediately caught the rich aroma of food.

On the dining table, buttered bread and a thick potato soup were still steaming hot.

I could hardly believe the scene before my eyes. Ever since my parents passed away, the luxury of having a meal ready the moment I got out of bed had never happened in this house.

Holding a glass of warm milk, Silas approached from behind and leaned over me, pressing a tender kiss against the corner of my eye before guiding me down into a chair.

"Good morning, Liam."

Only then did I notice what he was wearing. His upper body, usually bare, was now partially covered because he had pulled on one of my aprons to cook.

However, due to my smaller frame, the apron looked rather like an ancient bib on him.

His firm chest muscles and perfectly defined abdominal muscles were barely covered at all, creating an incredibly suggestive and striking visual.

It was more than a little provocative.

I shielded my eyes, not daring to look any further.

Yet, Silas seemed completely oblivious to his own seductive effect, moving back and forth right in front of me with agonizing frequency.

Lost in a daze for a brief second, my hand slipped, and I accidentally knocked over the glass of milk.

While I was frantically looking around for a cloth to dry my hands, Silas reached out, caught my hand securely in his grasp, and pressed it directly against his broad, firm chest, using the edge of the apron to wipe it clean.

It was the first time I had ever touched chest muscles. So this was what they felt like—soft when relaxed.

But upon closer exploration, I could feel how remarkably elastic and hot they were.

Once he finished wiping my hand, Silas leaned down slightly to look at my expression, a wicked smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"Are you blushing? It was merely a simple hand-wiping. What exactly are you thinking about?"

Utterly defenseless against his teasing, I grabbed my coat from the back of the chair and bolted out the door.

To my surprise, Silas came rushing after me from behind.

"I was only teasing you. Are you truly angry?"

I shook my head, not daring to look him in the eye. "No. I need to collect the rent."

I owned an old apartment building, an inheritance left to me by my late parents. I lived off the rental income from the property, which was more than enough to support a comfortable life.

Silas untied the apron and fell into step right beside me. "I will go with you."

No one had ever accompanied me to collect rent before; the sensation felt entirely novel.

Along the way, Silas actively initiated various topics to converse with me. By the end of each conversation, I felt as though we understood one another just a little bit better.

Perhaps the sight of me walking out publicly with my merman was a rare spectacle, for neighbors who usually never uttered a word to me along the road actively called out.

"Liam, is this your new merman? He is truly breathtaking, and he looks exceptionally healthy."

Feeling somewhat self-conscious, I was at a loss for how to respond.

Silas, however, beat me to it.

"Yes, he is. This is my Master, and I will remain fiercely loyal to him for eternity."

I could hardly describe the sudden sweetness flooding my chest—it felt as though I had swallowed a spoonful of pure sugar, sending a rush of warmth through my veins while my heart hammered a frantic rhythm.

Furthermore, because of Silas’s imposing presence, the moment the tenants opened their doors and laid eyes on him, they handed over the previous quarter's rent without a single word of complaint.

This was vastly superior to my old routine of having to persuade them one by one.

By the time we returned home, I was in high spirits.

Indulging in a rare glass of wine, I became a little intoxicated and wrapped myself tightly around Silas’s tail, refusing to let go.

For the very first time in my life, I felt like I had someone to lean on. I clung to him, peppering him with kisses while whining affectionately.

Silas, however, simply stood rigid beside the bed, remaining perfectly silent with no response.

Emboldened by the alcohol, I pressed a deliberate kiss directly against the corner of his lips.

"Silas... won't you bond with me?"

Silas offered no reply. Instead, he pulled his tail sharply out of my grasp.

Then, he fled the room entirely.

I was left sitting on the bed in a stunned daze.

Even when midnight arrived, sleep entirely eluded me.

Once again, I caught a faint disturbance coming from the bathroom.

It sounded as though someone was engaged in a deeply clandestine activity inside, and despite their desperate attempts to suppress the noise, distinct rustling sounds kept filtering out.

Accompanied by low, strained groans.

The commotion remained muffled, and eventually, exhaustion claimed me.

Yet within the depths of my dreams, that familiar tail coiled around me once more, binding me with intense force.

A pair of dexterous hands gradually slipped beneath my waist.

10

While I was out in the courtyard watering the flowers, a sudden commotion drifted over from my neighbor's property.

Zack had returned.

Zack was a university student who typically resided in Leon City for his studies, and he was a dear friend of mine.

I warmly invited Zack into my house to sit down and catch up.

Having not seen me for quite some time, Zack was exceptionally excited.

"I heard you exchanged that nightmare for a completely submissive merman. I told you ages ago that a pampered, high-maintenance creature like Milo was nothing but trouble. You are finally getting the comfort you deserve."

As it happened, Silas was out of the house at that moment, having gone to purchase ingredients on his own.