The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 59: The Prince Learns the Truth

Prince Eric would never forget the face of that girl—the amnesiac he had found by the shore.

“Why? Why was she there?”

He never expected to see that girl again in such a scene. His heart was thrown into turmoil, waves far greater than those depicted in the crystal ball.

In the vision, the girl looked just as graceful and beautiful as she did now. However, her lower half was not the slender legs he knew but a shimmering fish tail adorned with pearls and shells, swaying gracefully amidst the fierce waves.

“This… this is…”

The prince’s voice trembled, unable to articulate his shock. His gaze was fixed on the tiny mermaid’s face in the crystal ball, the face that had etched itself deep into his soul.

How many times had he taken that girl to watch the sunrise and sunset?

Behind them were either the crimson glow of dawn or the blood-red hues of twilight, the setting sun stretching their shadows long upon the ground.

How many times had he gifted her with the finest silks and veils, walking hand in hand with her through the palace corridors?

Everyone who saw her walk couldn’t help but turn to admire her light-footed grace, a gait so ethereal it seemed less like a human walking on earth and more like a fish darting through water—just as she had appeared in the ocean today.

He recalled the day she stood alone in the grand hall, tilting her delicate chin upward to sing.

Hers was the most beautiful melody in the world, so enchanting that even migratory birds soaring high above turned their heads to listen. Wine spilled from the golden cups as the servers froze, enraptured. When the prince heard her song, all he could do was cry and applaud, his words of praise utterly lost, for human language was inadequate to describe such unearthly beauty.

—Only now did the prince understand why her singing was so divine: it was never meant to belong to humans.

Unable to speak, hot tears streamed down his handsome face, tracing two glistening paths.

In the crystal ball’s vision, the little mermaid clung tightly to the prince amid the raging sea, refusing to let go for even a moment.

The prince’s face was deathly pale, his eyes closed as he coughed up salty seawater.

The mermaid used all her strength to keep his head above the surface so he could breathe fresh air. Though the storm’s ferocity pushed them who knew where, she never let go.

The crystal ball shifted again.

The storm passed, and the sky gradually brightened.

A crimson sun rose in the east, its light glistening on the ocean.

The little mermaid, still holding the unconscious prince, swam toward the nearest land. She gazed at his wet lashes and closed eyes, her lips curling into a radiant smile.

Then, the little mermaid kissed his forehead.

In that brief moment, the prince’s eyelids fluttered open slightly before closing again.

“So that’s it? So that’s it!”

The prince trembled as realization dawned on him. He understood now—everything made sense.

No wonder the amnesiac girl’s features bore no resemblance to the human woman who had awakened him on the shore. Yet he had always felt they were alike.

When the mermaid kissed his forehead, the fleeting moment when his eyes fluttered open had engraved her brave and beautiful face into his memory.

That memory had fused with the appearance of the human woman who had awakened him, forming the image of his savior in his mind.

In truth, both women had saved him: one after dawn and the other through a stormy night, risking her life amidst shattered masts and violent waves.

The former he had remembered; the latter he had forgotten.

Now, the mage had fairly shown him the faces of both saviors.

“The ones who saved you were two different girls. But in your memory, their faces may have blended into a single, indistinct image,” Rhine said, holding the crystal ball. “This is the answer you sought and the truth your father wanted to know.”

The prince suddenly remembered his father’s command.

“So, the amnesiac girl I found by the shore—the one with the most beautiful voice in the world—is a mermaid? But I clearly saw her with human legs!”

Rhine gently stroked the crystal ball once more.

“Princess Ariel, the little mermaid—your amnesiac girl who saved you on that stormy night—sought the terrifying Sea Hag to exchange her beautiful tail for human legs, all to come ashore, seek your love, and gain an immortal soul.”

The scene shifted to Ariel’s encounter with the Sea Hag.

“My lovely princess, hahahaha! What a foolish wish!” the Sea Hag cackled. “You want to trade your fish tail for a pair of human legs and turn into a land-dwelling freak?

“You dream of making a handsome prince fall in love with you, pouring all his thoughts and emotions into you, and thus gaining an immortal soul. The idea of a human loving a sea creature is utterly laughable!”

“…”

The prince watched the Sea Hag’s grotesque grin and Ariel’s pale, trembling resolve. He could no longer hold back his sobs.

In the vision, Rhine deliberately obscured his and Aurora’s forms, making it seem as though the mermaid princess had encountered another mage in the sea by chance.

When the Sea Hag demanded Ariel’s voice as payment, a kind-hearted mage gave the princess a potion for free.

“Bless that kind-hearted mage!” the prince exclaimed. “May the gods protect him. Without him, I would never have heard Ariel’s heavenly voice. There’s no greater regret than that!”

Rhine continued stroking the crystal ball, revealing scenes from various times. Those he had experienced firsthand were clearer, while others he knew less about were hazy.

The prince saw Ariel’s grandmother stroking her long hair and telling her stories about humans and their immortal souls. He saw Ariel and her sisters chasing fish under the sea, the crowned Sea King in his majestic palace, and many other aspects of the mermaid kingdom. Though he had known Ariel for so long, he had never understood her as he did now.

He learned that his savior was the princess of an underwater kingdom—a fact he had once half-joked about, calling her a foreign princess, which was true in a way.

He learned the secret of the immortal soul, Ariel’s curse, and the tragic fate awaiting her if they didn’t fall in love and marry: she would dissolve into sea foam.

Eric knew everything he needed to know.

Unable to contain himself, he turned and sprinted toward Ariel’s palace.

He couldn’t wait another second to tell her of his burning love.

Watching the prince’s retreating figure, Rhine and Aurora exchanged a knowing smile.