Why do I keep attracting Villainesses?

Chapter 27.

"And you!" Artria turned her gaze on me again, looking at me like I was the biggest idiot in the ocean.

"Why on earth would you agree to serve such a wicked woman?! Why didn’t you try to swim away from her?"

I looked at her, completely stunned. Run from her? Was she serious? Wasn’t that my goal from the very beginning? Every waking second since I became a "dogfish," I had been thinking of ways to get away.

But was it really that easy? The woman was faster than any creature I’d ever witnessed, not to mention a natural born predator. How on earth could I have possibly escaped from her.

And what did she mean by "agreeing" or "volunteering" to serve her? That woman kidnapped me, changed my body, and told me I’d die if I left her side! I didn’t exactly fill out a job application this whole crap was forced on me!

I let out another long sigh, closing my eyes. I didn’t want to say anything else. Explaining the whole story felt like it would give me a massive headache that I just couldn’t handle right now. I just laid there in the sea plants, feeling lucky to be alive but wondering how I’d ever explain my way out of this mess.

After a few more words with Artria, she left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts for a little while.

However, she didn’t stay away for long. She returned later, and she wasn’t alone. She brought a large group of other villagers with her.

The room, which had felt quite big when I was by myself, was suddenly packed with people.

Blue finned Merfolk of all different sizes and ages crowded into the space, their tails swishing gently as they hovered around my bed.

Judging by their appearances, it seemed the entire village consisted of only blue finned mermaids.

What surprised me most of all was how much they actually seemed to care about me.

I wasn’t one of them; but a shark-man, a creature that usually meant danger to their kind.

Yet, here they were, looking at me with genuine concern in their eyes.

Even the villagers who had been skeptical at first about having me recuperate in their village, still came by to check up on me.

Non of them scolded me or told me to leave, but came to see if I was breathing okay and if the medicine was working.

I lay there, watching them, and a lump started to form in my throat.

To think that after so long in the sea, after everything I had been through, I would finally be treated with such kindness and hospitality.

I didn’t have to look over my shoulder wondering whether I would die the next moment because of one simple mistake or a bad mood from a mistress.

It wasn’t like walking on eggshells.

For the first time since my boat sank, I felt like a real person again.

I felt freedom.

It was a strange, overwhelming feeling.

I hadn’t realized how much weight I was carrying until it was lifted.

Who knew that living that long with that woman would’ve been so traumatizing? Every day with her had been a battle for survival, and a constant drain on my soul.

Now, in this warm, quiet village, that nightmare felt like it was finally over.

"What’s wrong, dear? Something got into your eye?"

One of the villagers asked me.

She was a blue-tailed mermaid who looked very beautiful and mature, with a kind face that reminded me of a worried aunt.

I quickly muffled a sniffle and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.

I didn’t want them to see me like this, crying like a child in front of everyone.

It was strange that I could even feel my eyes being clouded by tears when I was literally underwater in salt water, but I guessed it had something to do with my body being different.

Maybe my tears were thicker or more fresh than the ocean around me.

Whatever it was, the salt water didn’t wash the feeling away.

"It’s nothing," I said, trying to steady my voice.

"I’m just... I’m just really thankful for all of your help. I didn’t expect to be received so kindly."

I shifted from lying down to sitting up. It was a struggle, and my body still hurt quite a bit, but I managed to lean forward and bow my head lightly toward them.

"I promise I’ll definitely make it up to you all," I said, my voice filled with a new kind of determination. "Once I’m back on my tail, I’ll do whatever you need."

" I can hunt, I can carry things, just ask for anything you need. I won’t let your kindness go to waste."

There was no way I could let this debt go unpaid. These people had saved my life when the person who was supposed to look after me had left me to die.

"Well, aren’t you a vigorous young man," the blue-tailed woman said with a warm smile.

She reached out and patted my hand gently.

"There’s no need to think like that, dear. We didn’t help you because we wanted a worker."

" It’s a miracle you managed to survive back then. Just focus on recovering, alright? That’s all we ask."

"Don’t feel pressured at all," another villager added, a younger man with green scales. "We’re just glad you’re alright. Garin told us what you did at the reef. You’re a real hero young man."

I didn’t know exactly what Artria and Garin had told them for them to be treating me like this, but boy, was I glad they did.

I had been so afraid that the merfolk would see me as just another monster, but instead, they saw someone worth saving.

Finally, it looked like my days of suffering in the world of The Knight of Blood and War were coming to an end.

This world was supposed to be full of conflict and pain, but I had found a small corner of peace.