As Miaomiao put her first bite of muffin coated in rich, creamy ice cream into her mouth and narrowed her eyes in bliss, the dessert shop's doorbell rang again.
Hayley, the puppy who had been lying obediently in Miaomiao's arms enjoying being petted, suddenly stood up and gave a soft whine toward the door.
It was not a warning of danger, but more like a reminder.
Miaomiao, who had sensed something as well, rested one hand on Hayley's head to soothe her. Still unwilling to put down her dessert spoon, she merely raised her eyes toward the entrance.
What a beautiful family!
A whole procession came through the door, a full eight or nine people, both men and women. Their clothes, hair colors, and styles differed, but they all had the same fair skin, and every one of them was extraordinarily beautiful.
Miaomiao swore she heard the few customers in the dessert shop draw a collective breath.
Of course, Miaomiao was beautiful too. There were no ugly Merfolk. But she had not yet reached adulthood, and her petite figure made her beauty more like that of an exquisite doll or a fairy who had stepped out of a storybook, giving her an air of pure, innocent sweetness.
Everyone at Wayne Manor and in the Justice League was good-looking too. Those vigilantes and superheroes looked like leading characters straight out of a movie; they could practically debut together as a group. But what they conveyed most often was righteousness, reliability, and strength. Whatever danger you were in, seeing them meant seeing hope.
Yet the people before her were different.
They all had cool, pale skin so flawless it was almost translucent. Even the chilly mist that lingered over Blüdhaven year-round seemed to be gently held at bay around them.
Beautiful, yet