“Yes!”
“However, you must discover the Spirit King’s name yourself, as the one intending to form the contract. Even I do not know it precisely. Instead, I can provide a hint.”
At the word ‘hint,’ I pricked up my ears.
Grandmother closed her eyes, appearing to commune with an unseen presence. When she spoke again, her voice was a gentle, hushed murmur.
“The new Water Spirit King is the being closest to you. It is the name of the one and only, a soul who could never be separated from you, even if you tried.”
“Huh, my partner?”
“Partner? I’m not entirely sure of that. But what is certain is that it is the name of someone who will offer you infinite love.”
Then, could it be Bijou’s mate?
I tilted my head, puzzled. I searched the Water Spirit King for a reaction, but no shimmering letters bloomed in response.
They were all collectively silent!
I couldn’t tell if I had guessed correctly or not.
*I’ll have to think about this carefully.*
Playing in the sea was truly fun. Beyond that, Grandmother had shared so much—including the fact that contracting with a water spirit would allow me to breathe underwater.
A low-ranking spirit would grant five minutes, an intermediate spirit three hours, and a high-ranking spirit twelve hours.
And… if I were to contract with the Water Spirit King, I would become exactly like the bloodline of the Pashayen Family.
*Then I definitely want to contract with the Spirit King.*
I love it when they call me ‘My Precious Little Baby.’
“Young Lady, you have a happy look on your face today.”
“Weally? I’m happy! Are you happy too, Lina?”
“Of course. I am always happy thanks to you, Young Lady.”
That night, upon returning home, I hugged the seal doll the Admiral had given me and drifted into a deep sleep.
Even in my dreams, I was swimming along with the dolphins.