"Your Highness has finally found time to see me?"
The moment Maggie stepped into Xiu's room, his voice drifted into her ears.
Mermaids' voices are always unrealistically beautiful. Even when they speak in a sarcastic or effeminate tone, they never evoke any annoyance; instead, they make people feel apologetic.
Maggie looked up and saw Xiu sitting on the only chair in the room. His tall and slender figure looked a little cramped in the dwarf's house, which was inexplicably funny.
"There are quite a few things to deal with."
She calmly responded to Xiu's complaint, focusing solely on her recent neglect of him.
"Indeed, Her Highness is surrounded by enemies, so it's normal for her to be busy."
Xiu nodded seriously, his amethyst-like eyes casting a glance at him. His handsome face showed little resentment, but rather an unexpected calmness.
"So you came to me because you need something from me?"
His long legs were crossed, his posture was relaxed, his eyes were upturned, and his expression was a half-smile.
"Yes, I need to use your abilities."
Maggie has always been straightforward and doesn't mince words. She avoids hypocritical formalities as much as possible. She's tired of having to wear a mask every day since she returned to the temple.
"You want me to help you give a hint to the paladin who is protecting you?"
After hearing Maggie's request, Xiu did not immediately agree. Instead, he tapped his fingertips lightly on the table and pondered for a moment.
"Yes, I'm going out tonight."
Maggie was unfazed.
"...."
Suddenly, Xiu seemed to have thought of something, his expression became indescribable, and his gaze towards Maggie carried a subtle hint.
"Are you going to see that vampire again?"
The distance from here to Thorn Castle isn't very close, but it's not far either. It's very close to the place where Maggie found Xiu, so it's normal for Xiu to make connections to Ulysses.
Maggie nodded, without denying it.
"I can help you, but I'm curious, why do you have anything to do with vampires?"
Xiu could only sense that there was a vampire imprisoned in that area by its aura, but he didn't know that it was the progenitor of vampires. So he didn't quite understand why Maggie would still go to see a vampire after being tricked by vampires so many times.
"...cooperative relationship."
Maggie remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.
Although she was in a passive position in this cooperation and was the one being cursed, she would most likely hunt down the old monster once it fully awakened.
In short, it's fine to call it a collaboration for now.
"It's quite something that the Temple of Light has a saintess like you..."
Xiu hesitated, his expression somewhat strange.
Maggie didn't speak. In fact, even she herself felt that her background was too complicated. It was fortunate that the God of Light was not in his position, otherwise she would have died eight hundred times over.
"Anyway, if you do me this favor tomorrow, I will pay you."
Maggie was helpless.
"No need for payment, the potions you found for me are more than enough."
Xiu waved his hand. He was a sensible mermaid. The potion that Maggie obtained from the royal family of the Saint Na Kingdom was enough to keep him from getting sick for a whole year. In addition, the ethereal potion was rare, which was already a great benefit.
Maggie stood up to leave, but hesitated slightly as she was about to step out the door, then turned back to him and said something.
"Since you chose to cooperate with me and even saved my life, I will find a way to get rid of the problems you have."
Later in the manga, a way to completely cure Xiu has emerged. At first, Maggie didn't want to get involved and just planned to take him to the temple, but now the situation is different.
Maggie decided to help him.
Xiu's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing this, as if he hadn't expected her to say that.
Given Maggie's personality, she wouldn't easily say something that's impossible, so since she said it, there's a high probability that she can do it.
Thank you.
Xiu watched Maggie turn her head away, thought for a moment, took out the Mermaid Tear from his pocket, stood up, and prepared to hand it to Maggie.
He didn't realize that the roof was too low, and as soon as he tried to get up, he bumped his head on the back.
"!"
Maggie watched helplessly as her clever merman classmate was knocked over and his face turned black. She couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Pfft, haha."
Xiu heard Maggie laughing, but he could only maintain his bent-over posture and glance at Maggie with a sinister look.
"It seems that Her Highness does not want the mermaid tears."
His threats were completely ineffective in Maggie's eyes. Maggie tilted her head rather unkindly, her provocative expression clearly saying, "Well, what can I do? I can stand up straight."
However, Maggie's smugness didn't last long. Xiu suddenly curled the corners of his mouth slightly, sat back down, and said sarcastically in a calm tone.
"I've never seen anyone so proud of being short."
Maggie said that the word 'short' had no effect on her, so she simply walked up and stood directly in front of Xiu, speaking in a mocking tone.
"How can this not be an advantage? The smaller the body, the more agile the movements, especially in this environment. I don't think you can beat me or catch me."
Xiu isn't actually that strong right now; in fact, because he's on land, he's even weaker than an average human mage. Given his current state, if he weren't in a berserk state, he might indeed be no match for Maggie.
If he had any ability to protect himself, he wouldn't have sought the protection of the Temple of Light at that time.
Perhaps because he had never seen someone as shameless as Maggie, Xiu was speechless for a long time.
"Alright, give me the mermaid tears. I have other things to do."
Regardless of what Xiu thought, Maggie simply stretched out her hand in front of him.
"Your Highness, would you like me to help you recall what you just did and said to me?"
Xiu seemed taken aback by Maggie's self-righteous attitude, his tone tinged with disbelief.
"It's just a harmless little joke. I believe mermaids are a magnanimous race, so you won't mind, right?"
Maggie smiled slightly, having skillfully used flattery to her advantage.
"..."
Xiu stared at Maggie, seemingly trying to read her expression, until he could no longer maintain his composure. Maggie's expression remained unchanged.
In the end, Xiu was defeated and handed the mermaid tears to Maggie.
"Don't worry, I will definitely get you back to the temple safely."
Maggie always does things for money. Although she received payment in advance this time, she still has to be responsible for Xiu's personal safety to the end.
"I have never doubted Her Highness's abilities."
Xiu watched Maggie's decisive departure and raised his voice slightly.
"My pleasure."
Maggie didn't turn around; she left Xiu's house after saying those words.
The conditions aren't right now, but once they get to the temple, this picky and demanding mermaid will probably start causing trouble.
But Maggie had promised that she would try her best to meet Xiu's requests, and once they returned to the temple, she would have to find a way to make Xiu comfortable there.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com