Seeing Garen's guilt-ridden expression, Nami immediately had a bad feeling.
She planted one foot on the sofa where Garen sat, tightly gripped his collar with both hands, and leaned forward so hard that she nearly pinned him beneath her, like a large feline pouncing furiously on its prey.
"What's going on with that Princess Shirahoshi from Fish-Man Island?"
Looking down at him from above, Nami asked the question again.
"Nami, calm down."
Garen gently held Nami's hands and tried his best to soothe her.
"I only stayed on Fish-Man Island for one day. What outrageous thing could I possibly have done to that mermaid princess?"
"Uh..."
Nami froze slightly, and her grip on Garen's collar loosened considerably.
She knew Garen was not lying. He had only stayed on Fish-Man Island for one day.
Shirahoshi was, after all, a princess of high standing from an entire kingdom. It was not as though Garen could have "taken her in" within a single day and turned her into another "piece" in his grand scheme, was it?
This was most likely a misunderstanding...
With that thought, Nami's attitude completely softened.
"Is there really nothing between you and that mermaid princess?"
Feeling Nami's tense body gradually relax, Garen simply chose not to answer with words.
He merely seized the opportunity to lightly tug at the arms she had braced against his chest.
Nami, who had been poised to pounce on him in anger, instantly lost her balance and went limp as she straddled Garen's lap.
"Garen!"
Caught off guard by Garen's overly intimate move, Nami's lioness-like roar softened completely into a kittenish whimper.
"There's someone right beside us..."
All she could do was blush furiously and bury her face in Garen's chest, too embarrassed to face anyone. She even forgot what she had wanted to