The cub's voice, the sound was almost like a cry.
Because the mermaid cub had desperately tried very hard to call out, the cub's voice seemed to have finally broken through some kind of barrier that was suppressing it and now he could at last truly pronounce the word.
Hearing his voice, Xie Tao and Zarad were both stunned.
Even though his mind was blank for a second, Xie Tao was the first to react. However, after squatting down and partly reaching out a hand, Xie Tao showed a rare hint of hesitation. He did not know how to comfort the mermaid cub who had grabbed onto his pants and was crying out to him with "Papa".
When the youth squatted down, the mermaid cub moved from holding onto the edge of the trouser leg and reached out his hands further, grabbing onto Xie Tao's knees. The ice blue tail under the surface was swaying back and forth a lot faster and wider than usual. Anyone would easily be able to read the cub's emotions.
With his two small hands placed on the youth's knees, the mermaid cub then used all of his strength to lift his upper body to get closer to the youth, looking as if he was trying hard to climb ashore.
"Papa--!" The cub was not aware of the sounds he made. The only thing he could think about was getting closer to the youth, instinctively trying to attract his attention with sounds and actions.
Seeing this, even if he was a bit slow to react this time as well, Xie Tao now knew what to do.
Not wanting the cub to continue having to expend lot effort to pull himself up and moving his tail, Xie Tao immediately picked up the mermaid cub from the pool. He did not go to the side to get a towel and instead directly carried the cub in his arms.
The clothes on his upper body inevitably got wet. Xie Tao stood up and took the towel Zarad handed him, then wrapped it around the cub in his arms.
Throughout the whole process, the little mermaid in Xie Tao's embrace grabbed onto his shirt tightly and refused to let go. Making a low whining sound, he lightly tugged at the cloth in his hands from time to time and buried his head in the youth's chest.
"Gale, be good..." Xie Tao fully focused on the mermaid cub and was not able to continue his discussion with Zarad right now. Holding the cub, who was firmly gripping onto his clothes, he tried to comfort him. Almost as if reflexively, Xie Tao raised his hand and gently patted the cub on his back, then tried very hard to coax the cub.
Hearing his words, the cub raised his head and looked up at him, small golden glittering tears rolling down his cheeks. The golden tears fell from his red eyes and soon turned into very small but beautiful crystals. Xie Tao lifted his hand to catch them but was a little too late and some fell down, hitting the tile floor with a pattering sound.
"I don't want Gale to be taken away, I don't want you gone. You mustn't ever think that I would want you gone."
Knowing that the mermaid cub must have overheard and understood Zarad's remarks just now, Xie Tao slowly said this. As he explained, he extended a finger and extremely gently wiped away the tear tracks on the cub's small cheeks.
Golden tears, that at the time had not yet turned into crystals, had left wet marks on the little cub's delicate face. Even though the cub had now stopped crying, his eyes were still glazed over and a glittering tear rested in the corner of his eyes, on the brink of falling. Unless they were heartless people, seeing the mermaid cub's current appearance would without a doubt soften people's hearts.
After witnessing the cub's reaction, Zarad no longer had any doubts about keeping the cub. Previously he had just considered the possibility that once the mermaid cub grew up and understood the allure of power and wealth, then he might want to return to the Houdie family.
However seeing how the little mermaid was so afraid that the youth would not want him, showing such an intense reaction and even being able to pronounce the word because of it— Zarad was convinced that the cub would much rather grow up with the youth as his parent than having the position as master of the Houdie family in the future.
Originally, when he had said those words, Zarad had just considered the cub's best interest and objectively analyzed the situation. But watching the cub cry so pitifully and how the youth was patiently coaxing him, Zarad could not help but feel guilty for a second.
He really didn't want the cub to cry. He hadn't expected that... the cub actually could understand him. Although he might not necessarily have understood it completely, it seemed that he certainly understood a part of it... enough of it...
_______________
Translator's note:
Many thanks to anon (mysterious spirit) for the coffees! 💕💕