A knock sounded at the door.
Kallen sat up in bed and reached over to open the door.
Outside, four attendants were carrying a bathtub. A woman with gauze wrapped around her face lay inside-no, a mermaid.
"I didn't order anything."
"Sir, your friend arranged this for you."
"My friend?"
"Yes, your friend."
"I'm sorry, I don't need this."
Just then, the mermaid in the tub began to sob. Her sobs trembled, each one seeming to tug at the heartstrings.
Anyone else, man or woman, would probably have lost themselves in sympathy at those sobs. But Kallen's mental resilience was unlike most people's, and at that moment, his first reaction was:
She's trying to influence me with her mental power!
"I said I don't need this."
"Sir, you'll put us in a difficult position. Your order has already been delivered. If she's sent back, she'll be punished."
A mature woman in a long dress came to the doorway and said this to Kallen.
"Punished?"
"Yes. Any mermaid whose order is canceled is punished. Those are our theater's rules. Besides, she won't receive the commission she would otherwise have earned. You don't have to do anything at all. Just let her stay here and chat with you until the time is up. Please show some mercy."
As Kallen understood it, Richard or Leon must have placed the order for him. Refusing too forcefully would be inappropriate, so he could only nod.
The attendants carried the tub into Kallen's room and then all left. The mature woman gave Kallen a faint smile. "Thank you for your kindness."
With that, the woman closed the door.
Then the smile faded from her face, and she frowned. She truly had no idea what Her Highness was playing at. She did not even know whether it