Forbidden Love

The heat enveloped her, as if her entire body were being scorched by flames. Qianna's consciousness was hazy, and after a while, she opened her eyes.

The curtains were not drawn, and the intense sunlight streaming in made her squint uncomfortably. With her vision clear, Qianna finally took in the appearance of the room—though not particularly grand, even somewhat humble, it exuded a cozy atmosphere with the embellishment of off-white curtains and a potted plant on the table.

Everything felt both unfamiliar and familiar. Suddenly, Qianna widened her eyes slightly. Wasn't this the room she had once occupied in the Lester household?

Fever, death, the room she used to inhabit—clues from the past flashed before her, seemingly leading her to an inconceivable conclusion.

Struggling, Qianna propped herself up on the bed and, as if to confirm her suspicions, she lifted the covers. Instead of the legs of a normal person, what lay beneath the covers was a silver fish tail.

In the reflection of the light, the entire tail shimmered with delicate hues, like the Milky Way strewn across the sky, exquisitely beautiful.

Indeed, she had been reborn. Reborn at the moment of her first "transformation." Back then, at the age of fifteen, Qianna had learned—she was not human, but a mermaid. With eighty percent of the Morris planet comprised of water, maritime culture prevailed, and the people here worshipped the sea god and were infatuated with mermaids.

Legend had it that mermaids were the sea god's favored children, so the people of the Morris continent were fervently obsessed with and idolized these mythical creatures.

In her previous life, upon learning of her mermaid identity, Qianna had felt nothing but joy, oblivious to the storm it would bring upon herself once the news leaked out. She had failed to realize the influence the term "mermaid" held on this continent.

Naively, she had confided in her so-called sister, unaware that once her sister knew, the entire vampire-like Lester family would know, thus beginning her nightmare. As if recalling memories from her past life, Qianna's body trembled, her lips pressed tightly together, barely showing any sign of color due to her recent transformation. Fortunately, she had been reborn.

The nightmare from her previous life had yet to begin. The Lester family still remained ignorant of her mermaid identity. She had yet to catch the eye of the Light Faith. There was still time for everything. In this life, she vowed to guard her secret as a mermaid tightly.

She could no longer rely on any semblance of compassion from the Lester family. She needed to find a way to escape this vampire-like nest of a place and then search for her own kind. Determined, Qianna sensed that her body's strength seemed to have recovered somewhat. She was not surprised; for mermaids, the first "transformation," when the legs turned into a tail for the first time, was a crucial stage, and high fever was the most obvious characteristic of this stage.

This was definitely not a bad thing; in fact, after a successful transformation, it could bring many benefits. For example, her vision, hearing, mental strength, as well as her appearance and voice, had all greatly improved.

Looking at the tail on the bed, Qianna's mind stirred, and the tail slowly transformed into a pair of fair, straight legs. In her previous life, when she had just transformed, she had struggled with this tail for a long time because she didn't know how to retract it. This problem no longer existed for the reincarnated Qianna.

Qianna stood up, confident that if her memory served her right, her so-called sister would come looking for her soon. Before that happened, she had time to take a bath. In the bathroom, Qianna looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair, as seaweed-like tendrils, clung to her dazzlingly white skin due to the water. Her features were delicate, but the most captivating aspect was her pair of blue eyes, resembling the sea of Morris—deep and mysterious.

Qianna knew that these eyes would gradually turn into a deep purple in the dead of night. Like a sea nymph. No! Qianna quickly dismissed the thought. She was not a sea nymph; she was a mermaid. As Qianna emerged dressed from the bathroom, a knock sounded on the door outside.

The irregular, impatient rapping indicated the impatience of the visitor. Qianna sarcastically curled her lips. Outside was her sister, the person she had sincerely treated in her past life, the person she had painstakingly tried to please.

Or rather, she had tried to please every member of the Lester family. Because she had no blood ties with this family; she was just an adopted daughter. Before she turned fifteen, Mr. Lester had picked her up from the beach. Later, when Mr. Lester passed away, the Lester couple harbored extreme hatred towards her, directly kicking her out of the main house and making her stay in the servants' quarters.

The only reason she could return to the main house and obtain a decent room was that, as she grew older, her appearance became increasingly striking. They wanted to use her pretty face to gain advantages, so they generously bestowed upon her the privilege of living a somewhat dignified life.

Qianna chuckled sarcastically, finally stepping forward to open the door. Jenny, who had been waiting impatiently outside, berated as soon as the door was opened, "Are you trying to die? You've kept the door closed for so long!" Qianna lowered her head, her eyelashes like tiny fans covering her expression.

She called out, "Sister." This single word was like a precious pearl, incredibly pleasant to the ears. Jenny paused, giving Qianna a once-over, then furrowed her brows. Why did this girl, who had been feverish just a while ago, look even more beautiful now?

Jenny felt extremely dissatisfied. Qianna was just a wild girl picked up from outside, without parents or family, while she, Jenny, was the young mistress of the Lester family. The difference in their status was like heaven and earth.

Why! Why hadn't she grown a face like Qianna's! Qianna's beauty was unquestionable; even Jenny, who harbored extreme dislike towards her, had to admit that her face was heaven-sent. But not only that, the most wonderful thing was her natural aura of delicacy and tenderness, a quality that undoubtedly held fatal allure for men! Jenny inwardly cursed her as a seductress, then, feeling jealous and disgusted, averted her gaze.

"As you're able to stand now, the fever should be gone, right?" Jenny asked, lacking any kindness. Qianna feigned weakness, coughing softly. "There's still a slight fever." Jenny didn't care whether there was a fever or not. She frowned and said, "As long as you haven't gone mad!" "Count Talibor is hosting a seaside cruise party, and many nobles have been invited.

Tidy up; we'll be departing this afternoon." A cruise party! Qianna's heart trembled, and in an instant, she remembered something. Seeing that she was still not paying attention, Jenny's voice became sharper.

"You didn't pay attention to what I said, did you? It's stifling in here!" Jenny exclaimed impatiently.

Qianna's hand tightened slightly on the doorknob. Now was definitely not the right time to confront the Lester family. She was too weak, so weak that anyone in this household could easily crush her like an ant.

Therefore, until she found a way to escape, she had to play the role of a submissive serpent within this repulsive family.

As if reaching a decision, Qianna finally replied, "I understand. I will prepare."

With a cold snort in her mind, Jenny thought, If it weren't for that pretty face of hers, Qianna wouldn't stand a chance to attend such a high-end gathering!

She gave Qianna a fierce glare before swiftly turning away, clearly not intending to spend a moment longer in this stuffy attic.

Once Jenny left, the smile vanished from Qianna's face. Reflecting on Jenny's words, Qianna sarcastically curled her lips.

"The reason they want me to attend this party is because 'many nobles have been invited'," she thought bitterly.

When she appeared in the crowd, even if Qianna didn't want to, her face would automatically draw the attention of many people. Powerful men pursue beautiful women; this was an eternal truth. Regardless of what happened behind closed doors, publicly she was still the Lester family's adopted daughter.

To get her, these people would have to pay a price that satisfied the Lester family.

Standing before a colossal cruise ship, Qianna exhaled slowly.

"The William's Pride," she murmured.

The Count Talius had extended invitations to nearly half the elite circles. They would embark on this luxurious vessel for a seven-day voyage, the theme of which was the pursuit of mermaids.

On the continent of Morris, mermaids were forever the focal point of fascination.

The theme was tantalizing, trendy, and prestigious enough to cause unprecedented fervor for Count Talius's cruise gathering.

Raising her head, Qianna observed a lengthy ladder descending from the ship, with some individuals leisurely boarding.

A glance revealed their proximity to the ladder.

Leading the way were the Lester couple, with Jenny following closely behind. She sported a large hat adorned with many exquisite feathers, this year's favorite among noble ladies.

Qianna trailed behind them, her hat notably simpler, with only a slightly wider brim. Pulling it down and deliberately lowering her head, she concealed her face from view, making it nearly impossible for anyone to discern her features.

As she ascended the gangplank, Qianna misstepped, her body swaying until a nearby steward swiftly caught her.

"Miss, are you alright?" the steward inquired.

Qianna raised her head, gently nodding in response. "I'm fine, thank you."

From the steward's vantage point, he could just make out half of Qianna's face.

His expression turned awestruck as he stood frozen in place, a reaction unbeknownst to Qianna.

Ahead, a considerable number of people had already boarded the cruise ship. Upon Qianna's arrival, she noticed a commotion and noise on the open deck, furrowing her brows as she glanced toward the source of the sound.

Suddenly, Qianna's pupils contracted sharply.

Not far from here, a group of noble youths were engaged in a brawl.

No, it was more accurate to say, they were engaging in one-sided violence.

The youth being assaulted lay sprawled on the ground, curled up with a fierce and menacing gaze.

Throughout the ordeal, he remained silent.

Qianna covered her mouth, her eyes filled with fear, and her body began to tremble slightly.

Archel!

Though his face appeared somewhat youthful compared to his previous life, Qianna recognized him at a glance—the youth cowering on the ground was Archel.

The future King of the Mosley Continent, as well as the man who had intertwined his fate with hers in a previous life.

Memories from her past life resurfaced like seawater before her eyes.

He would confine her in his embrace when they were alone, refusing to let her depart for even a moment.

He would kiss her delicate neck, akin to a beast controlling the fatal spot of its prey.

He would whisper in her ear, forcing her to believe wholeheartedly that he was all she needed...

Qianna knew that beneath his handsome exterior, this man harbored a madness for possession.

Such intense emotions filled her with dread and reluctance.

Since her rebirth, Qianna had consciously ignored this man.

Until she witnessed the scene before her—

The formidable king from her previous life now cowered humiliated on the ground, while the nobles who would one day bow to him held themselves aloof, mocking and insulting him as though he were a mere laughingstock.

How dare they! How could they!

Qianna was unexpectedly consumed with anger.

Qianna's prolonged standing caught Jenny's attention.

"Why are you standing here? It's too noisy outside. Let's go back to the cabin. There's still a banquet later... Hey, are you even listening to me?" Jenny glanced in Qianna's direction.

"A group of boring male leads fighting?"

The leader seems somewhat familiar. After a moment of thought, she realized, "Isn't that the Earl of Taly's son, the one on the ground..."

Jenny's tone carried disdain, "He's just their family's bastard, isn't he?"

Qianna was pricked by Jenny's tone.

She clenched her fist, her blue eyes icy.

A bastard? Ha, perhaps only she knows that this youth, who has never been regarded by others, will undergo a shocking reversal of identity three years later.

He's not just a bastard, but the only child left behind by Princess Carrie before her death. He is the legi