#1171 Angel Underwater

‘Sup, am the angel Songokufon.
Seriously, this sucks.

I’ve been living it up all this time at Alex’s place, doin’ whatever I wanted, n' now, I’ve gotta live under the watchful eye of Sis Puffer n’ start a whole "responsible lifestyle” starting today.
Ugh, lameeee.

Why do I have to be watched all day long, following some boring routine now? Like, what gives?

"Well, it's because you’ve been living like a slacker."

N' the one getting mad at me for it is Sis Puffer.
She’s my soulmate, n’ we share a fiery passion from back in the day!

"Don’t go making some random introduction. But fine, I guess I could say we’ve been through a lot together, so I’ll do my part to help you straighten up... Seriously, you’ve gotten so lazy, haven’t you? What happened to that fiery spirit you had when we were traveling together?"

Yeah… my first meeting with Sis Puffer was during a journey.

We both tagged along on the training journey of her crush, the merprince Arowana.

Back then, I’d just revived, n' the gods were all like, "Can she handle society?"
So, to learn some manners n' allat, I ended up joining Sis Puffer n' Arowana’s party on their journey.

We worked together with the rest of the gang, overcoming all sorts of challenges, n' eventually, we finished Arowana’s training, n' he went from being a merprince to a full-fledged merking!!!

That moment was so unreal!
Like, 'I raised that boy’ kinda feeling!

"Who the heck do you think raised him?! Don’t get cocky! My husband is someone I’ve poured my heart and soul into supporting, that’s why he became so great! If you try to steal the credit, I’ll smash you!"

Eek! I’m sorryyyy!

...Yikes, Big Sis is scary, especially when it’s anything related to Arowana.

She’s been head-over-heels for him since back in the day.

Supporting him throughout his training, building up his achievements together...
N' then, bam, they ended up as the king n' queen of the Mermaid Kingdom!
It's like a real rags-to-riches story.

"Heh, looking back now, it’s kind of nostalgic. My husband, me, you, n' one other person traveling together across the land... Back then, I didn’t have any burdens, I was just running after love... It was reckless, but it was also so much fun...!"

Yeah, when people start romanticizing the past like that, it’s basically proof their life’s gotten boring, right?
...Nothing! Please forget I said anything!
You’re still as gorgeous as ever, Sis... Hehehe...!

"Well, my life’s still pretty fulfilling, even now. My queen duties are getting into a groove, and I’ve been blessed with kids. My husband’s doing great with the national affairs, too. Honestly, I have no complaints in my life."

Eh? But doesn’t that sound kinda boring?
I mean, life needs a little excitement, right? Whaddya think?

All right! How about we set up a nationwide bloodbath battle royale where everyone fights to the death…!!!

"Enough already."

Gyah!
Her ice magic froze my blood just from that comment?!

"Don’t you get it? Seeking thrills for pleasure always ends in ruin. And you still don’t understand why you’ve been sent to work for me, huh?"

Ehhh, butttt...
I’m still working at Alex’s place too, so it’s not like it’s that big of a deal!

"Yeah, well, Alexander is too soft, so he never properly disciplines you. This is why I’m the one who can crack down on you! Plus, it'll be thrilling, don't you think?"

Gyaaaaaaaaah!
I did not sign up for this kind of thrill!!

"When we were traveling, I focused on taking care of my husband and didn’t have time to watch out for you, but looking back, that’s something I regret. This time, I’m going to make sure you learn about the harshness of the world. Don’t worry, I’m a mom now, so I’m used to handling kids."

Are you treating me like a toddler?!

Please, nooo! I’ve gained some social experience over at Alex’s, okay?
Starting all over now is so embarrassing!!!

"If you’re bored, then perfect, it’s time for you to study! Honestly, you’ve barely grown since our journey, and with how stagnant you’ve been, it’s ten years too early for you to be complaining about being bored!"

Grrrghhh...!
Sis used to be such a rebellious outcast, but now she’s like this top-tier guide for others!
She’s become a total teacher now!!!

“That said, to get you to grow, I’ve got a little task for you."

A task?!
Noooo, Sis! I hate homework n' assignments!

Anything but that! Boring stuff would be better!!!

"In a month, there’ll be a tea party at the royal palace. I’m going to leave the preparations up to you."

A tea party?!
Like, Japanese tea ceremony?!

"No, not that kind of tea. Running the queen's duties comes with a lot of annoying little tasks, and one of the biggest ones is keeping up relationships with the noblewomen. As the Mermaid Queen, I have to maintain close connections with noble ladies and daughters from all the major families."

So, it's a tea party for that?

"Yes, you sit around the table sipping tea and gossiping. There’s no better way for women to bond. I have to hold these regularly to invite the noble ladies—it’s part of my duties as a queen..."

I see... Sis really has it tough, huh?
I totally don’t feel like this sort of thing is my thing at all, though...!!!

"Well, lately, I’ve been excused from it because of my postpartum recovery. But now, the time’s up, so I’ve been pushed to restart the tea parties. Since it’s been a while, I wanted to make this one special, and having an angel host a tea party will definitely get some attention."

Wait, so you’re using me as an attraction for the party?!
That’s messed up, seriously! Doncha feel bad treatin’ me like a circus animal after we went through all that together?!

"What are you saying? I’m giving you work, so you should be grateful, right?"

Uh-oh, nothing I say is getting through to her!
Sis Puffer probably survived tons of tough situations as the Mermaid Queen, so she’s practically immune to all logic!!!

"Anyway, you’re going to learn about how relationships work by setting up this tea party. Nobles are all about connections. It’s all gossip and chatter among women. This will be a huge experience for you."

Ughhh, noooo!

I wanted to live easy n' free without restrictions...
But Sis Puffer is an exception.
There’s no way to oppose her.

Looks like I have no choice, huh? I’ve got to go through with this nightmare of a mission!

I should’ve just stayed bored at Alex’s dungeon!
I hate my past self for even thinking it would be fun!!!

"Do you have a moment, Puffer?”
"Yes?!"

N' then, at that moment, someone walks into the room.
This woman... I know her...!

"It seems like Little Guppy woke up from her nap. Could you feed her, dear?"
"Understood! Thank you for looking after the children, mother-in-law!!!"

That's right.
This woman is none other than Arowana’s mother, the former Mermaid Queen.

N' her strength is off the charts. Sis Puffer is no match for her.

She's a monster who could give even a dragon, Lifeless King, or angel a run for their money.

"Moby Dick woke up too, so I brought him over. Isn’t it cute when they cry just because mommy’s not around when they wake up?"
"Oh dear, crying over something like that? Do you really think the next Mermaid King will act like that?"
"Let him be, it’s cute while it lasts. Boys grow up too fast and lose all that cuteness."

Kukuku… seeing how Sis has to bow down to her mother-in-law feels kinda refreshing to me.
I’ve had my fair share of being bullied, so this is like a breath of fresh air.

"Oh, you there."

N' then, the former queen’s gaze lands on me?!

"I hear you’re in charge of the upcoming royal palace tea party. I trust you’ll do well, won’t you?"

Y-Yes'm!!!

"I’m sure you understand, but the royal palace tea parties are the highest authority events that the queen personally hosts. Do you understand the consequences should anything go wrong?”

Y-Yes!

"If you screw up, it’ll reflect badly on Puffer, the Mermaid Queen. A mistake by her would stain the entire royal family’s name. If that happens... Hehehe, I might lose my composure from the embarrassment."

Th-That means...!
The former Mermaid Queen who scared even the Dragon Emperor, is coming after me?!

I can’t mess this up!
I’ve got no choice but to give it my all!

For the sake of keeping my peaceful life intact!

"Good job, mother-in-law, great pressure!"
"Just like you said, some people can’t reach their full potential unless they’re really pushed. Now that we’ve taken her in, we can’t let her leave without being a real person, even if she has to die trying."

This mother-in-law n' daughter-in-law team is surprisingly in sync?!

Crap, fine! I’ll pull off the best angel tea party ever if I have to! I’m gonna make this a success no matter what!!!