Not only was Shen Ying stunned by these words, even Lu Yu outside the simulation pod was left dumbfounded.

The only advantage of the simulation pod was that, at least in form, it offered freedom.

In his current role as the wicked Merman King, he naturally had full knowledge of every corner of his palace.

He had also witnessed the conversation between the prison warden and the Crown Prince in the cell.

Even though Lu Yu had already decided to prioritize his own survival over others, he couldn’t help but marvel at the Crown Prince’s wild imagination.

"The woman who secretly admires me alone"? Try remembering that line when you get out—you’ll probably want to slap yourself.

Turning his attention back to the warden, the man neither confirmed nor denied the Crown Prince’s words.

Instead, he reached out and lightly touched the wound on the prince’s face. The sharp sting, indistinguishable from reality, made the Crown Prince instinctively flinch backward.

The woman before him then revealed a look of "concern" in her eyes. "This needs treatment. Though the injury isn’t severe, you’ll wake up sore everywhere."

Without waiting for his response, she pressed a metal button on the wall.

Soon, a small window—no more than 20 centimeters long and 15 centimeters wide—opened in the metal wall.

The face of a shrimp-headed guard appeared. Shen Ying spoke up, "Could you bring me some medical supplies?"

The shrimp guard’s voice was shrill. "Human! You dare make demands after defying our King? You have no right!"

The Crown Prince wasn’t surprised. These cruel sea creatures had always treated their human captives with brutality. Why would they suddenly play nice?

Still, he was deeply moved by the woman’s gesture.

Just as he was about to speak, Shen Ying continued, "I spent over two hours washing that merman’s tail. I deserve some compensation. He won’t refuse such a small request—go ask him if you don’t believe me."

These words weren’t for the shrimp guard. They were meant for Lu Yu.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the shrimp guard—who had been about to shut the window in disdain—suddenly stiffened, receiving a mental command from the King.

It stood rigid, silent, while Shen Ying held its gaze.

To the Crown Prince, this scene painted a different picture: a woman who had just broken free from enchantment was now tearing down her own pride, leveraging her past humiliation to secure medical aid for his minor injuries.

She even stood her ground against a terrifying sea creature, unflinching.

Though he didn’t approve of such methods, he was profoundly affected.

The Crown Prince abruptly stood, intending to pull her back—he didn’t need her sacrificing herself for him.

But the shrimp guard suddenly relented. "You’re lucky. Wait."

The window closed, then reopened moments later. The guard didn’t reappear; instead, a healing spray was tossed inside.

Shen Ying caught it and waved it at the Crown Prince. "See? If you use the right approach, you might just get what you want."

Of ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‍course, the Crown Prince didn’t grasp the deeper meaning behind her words. He simply couldn’t bear to reject her kindness.

As Shen Ying approached to treat his wounds, she paused and handed him the bottle instead. "Ah, I almost forgot—you dislike being touched, don’t you?"

The Crown Prince’s eyes flickered. "How did you know?"

Shen Ying shrugged. "You stand so tall, always looking down on others. When anyone gets too close, your body and expression show discomfort—subtle, but there."

The Crown Prince studied her intently. Such meticulous observation wasn’t something one would have for a stranger.

She claimed they weren’t close, yet she’d been watching him this closely all along.

Realizing this, his mood lifted. So his admiration wasn’t one-sided after all.

Perhaps she also—

He tossed the bottle back to her. "Go ahead. I permit you to touch me."

The woman’s expression shifted into something he couldn’t quite decipher—was it joy? Gratitude? No, it seemed more like… excitement.

Almost as if—

Before he could finish the thought, Shen Ying happily accepted the invitation from the proud temple.

She first treated the wound on his face. Though visibly striking, it wasn’t serious.

The spray stopped the bleeding instantly, accelerating cell regeneration to replace damaged tissue.

Her fingers brushed the corner of his lips as she inspected the area. "Good quality. They didn’t pawn off inferior goods on us."

The Crown Prince felt an itch at his lips and instinctively licked them—only to graze Shen Ying’s fingertip.

He froze, flustered, but she withdrew her hand as if nothing had happened.

Relief should’ve followed, but instead, an odd restlessness settled in.

For a fleeting moment, an image flashed in his mind: this woman prying his mouth open with the bottle’s nozzle, forcing something down his throat.

His face burned. Was he… anticipating such a thing?

Why else would his mind conjure that?

Before he could dwell on it, her voice cut through. "Take off your clothes."

His scalp prickled. He looked up sharply, only to find her holding the bottle, confused. "What’s wrong?"

"The bruises on your body need the medicine rubbed in too."

Realizing his own misunderstanding, he nearly refused—but backing out now would seem cowardly.

So he removed his shirt, watching her.

Shen Ying, faced with the temple’s open gates today, didn’t hesitate. She sprayed the bruised area below his left pectoral, then began massaging the medicine in.

Though not a medical professional, her family background had given her extensive knowledge of medicine and anatomy.

Coupled with lifetimes of hands-on experience across worlds, her "treatment" techniques were unparalleled.

As she meticulously polished the temple, the Crown Prince’s face grew increasingly flushed, his breaths warmer.

Several times, he nearly called it off—but her serious expression made his own reaction seem shameful.

It was then that Shen Ying understood why this prince kept his temple so tightly sealed.

The simulation had replicated his real-life physiology. If reality mirrored this scenario…

Then the Crown Prince was extremely sensitive.

Every part of his body—his back, shoulders, even his chest, waist, collarbone, and neck—responded intensely to her touch.

Seeing the temple now gleaming with a rosy, renewed sheen, Shen Ying capped the bottle with a snap.

She withdrew her hand, smiling. "All done. The injuries should heal soon."

"Mm? Oh—right." The prince was still dazed, caught off guard by the sudden end.

The rising tide of desire had been abruptly cut off, leaving him hollow.

For a split second, he wanted to order her not to stop—but the thought itself felt futile.

Somehow, he knew this wasn’t a woman he could command.

The Crown Prince sighed inwardly, wondering just how deeply he adored this woman to place her on such a pedestal.

Though he had lost much of his memory, he knew himself well enough—he was a domineering, decisive man by nature.

The woman wasn’t wrong. He always looked down on others, truly believing that all living things should bow to his command.

Yet, she was different. That alone spoke volumes.

Time passed in an atmosphere tinged with both ambiguity and awkwardness.

The Crown Prince tried to distract himself, focusing on how to escape this damned place.

Closing his eyes, he retraced their path—the layout, the corridors, every minute detail flashing vividly in his mind.

As for this seemingly impenetrable prison cell, he recognized the technology.

Plotting his escape felt oddly familiar, as if he had spent a long time contemplating similar scenarios.

He even felt a flicker of disdain for the prison’s supposedly foolproof security.

Meanwhile, Shen Ying, seeing him occupied, turned her attention back to the unfinished fish.

She glanced up at the ceiling, not uttering a word, yet the message was clear.

Lu Yu had no choice but to order the shrimp soldiers to escort her out.

Just as the Crown Prince was finalizing the last piece of his escape plan, the metal wall slid open again.

A syringe shot in, striking him.

Startled, he tried to stand, but his strength failed him. He could only watch helplessly as Shen Ying was led away by the shrimp soldiers.

"Stop! Where are you taking her?" His eyes burned with fury.

Damn it, he’d let his guard down. He never expected that fish to make another move so soon—barely two hours had passed.

Shen Ying resisted, casting frequent glances back at the Crown Prince, who grew more distant by the second.

As the alloy cell sealed shut, Lu Yu’s voice echoed nearby, laced with mockery. "So reluctant to part from His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Shen Ying met his gaze and smiled. "Can’t help it. The amnesiac Crown Prince is far more honest than usual."

Lu Yu crossed his arms, his smirk edged with derision.

Perhaps due to the merging of two simulated worlds, Lu Yu’s identity had gained a strange legitimacy.

As the mermaid king of the Crystal Palace, his attire was now far more extravagant than before.

His bare torso was adorned with dazzling gold ornaments—intricate necklaces, armbands, and bracelets.

Even his fishtail was embellished with elaborate decorations, drawing an intrigued gleam in Shen Ying’s eyes.

"Your accessories are impressive. The artistic taste of this underwater world is truly unmatched."

Lu Yu glanced down at himself, the urge to strangle the designer resurfacing.

What ridiculous nonsense.

But the Warden seemed fascinated by these trinkets.

Back in the palace, she claimed she needed to "clean the mucus from his tail again."

This went beyond meticulousness. After becoming a modified human, Lu Yu had learned much about their traits.

But he’d never known how mermaids mated—until today.

Mermaids, it seemed, were more sensitive than humans, and when truly overwhelmed, they turned aggressive.

For instance, he must have lost his mind to dare tear the Warden’s clothes off himself.

Pleasure warped one’s sense of time.

When Lu Yu finally glanced at the giant shell-shaped clock on the wall, he realized over two hours had passed.

By now, the Crown Prince’s sedative should have worn off.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a deafening explosion shook the palace, followed by the screams of guards.

The chamber doors were blasted open, and the Crown Prince stormed in, wielding a hydro-particle cannon.

His pupils contracted with murderous intent the moment he saw Shen Ying’s disheveled state.

Without hesitation, he fired at Lu Yu, reducing the mermaid king to a burst of foam.

Shen Ying’s lips parted, but before she could speak, the Crown Prince swept her into his arms, smashing through a crystal window and leaping onto a waiting flying fish vessel below.

Chaos erupted in the Crystal Palace as forces mobilized, but their priority was the mermaid king’s chambers. Seizing the moment, the Crown Prince piloted the vessel straight to the surface, evading pursuit until they left the territory entirely.

They didn’t stop until reaching shore—a deserted island.

The Crown Prince carried Shen Ying onto the beach, lighting a fire in silence.

His fists clenched, trembling with lingering rage, wishing Lu Yu’s death hadn’t been so swift.

He turned to the woman beside him, her distant expression fueling his fury.

Shen Ying was busy mourning the loss—such a thrilling mermaid, gone just like that. Sure, Lu Yu would respawn next time they logged in, but it’d take effort. Only by merging two simulated worlds could they unlock the mermaid king’s full opulence again.

Her regret lingered, but the Crown Prince refused to let her dwell on the ordeal any longer.

Lost in thought, she barely registered his approach before his lips claimed hers.

Pressing her into the soft white sand, he kissed every inch of her skin, his voice rough with possession.

"Close your eyes. I’ll overwrite every mark, every pain, every humiliation."

"After this, the only thing you’ll remember is me."