Chapter 187: Is it okay if you get wet?

“…and.”

I stood there dazed, unable to do anything but stare. I was at a loss for words at the scene before me.

The towering building in front of me displayed a grandeur that could rival the imperial palace.

They said it was the largest aquarium on the continent, and it seemed that claim was not wrong.

“Pretty big, huh?”

“At this size, ‘big’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

“You’re not even impressed by this? The underground is even bigger.”

It even had an underground. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much capital had gone into this.

“Alright, let’s go in.”

Mardian reached out her hand.

If it were the old her, she would have just grabbed my hand without a word, but for some reason, she had been asking for permission like this for a while now.

It felt somewhat awkward, but I took her hand.

She smiled faintly and adjusted her pace to match mine.

“Welcome, Black Rose.”

A guard, who seemed to be in charge, approached and bowed politely to Mardian.

Mardian handed him two invitations.

“Everything checks out. Would you like an escort?”

“No, that’s fine. We’ll look around on our own.”

“Understood. Enjoy your visit.”

After exchanging pleasantries with the guard, we passed through the main gate.

Once inside the building, another iron gate appeared. It seemed like multiple security procedures were required.

Following Mardian, we passed through numerous doors and finally made it deeper into the building.

Before us stretched a long corridor that seemed to go on forever.

“If you need the restroom while we’re looking around, just let me know. I’ll take care of it anytime,” Mardian whispered playfully.

Her mischievous joke made my face heat up slightly.

“I don’t plan to leave it to you anymore, Mardian.”

I hesitated for a moment before walking up to Mardian and linking my hand with hers, giving her a slightly seductive smile.

“…Of course, if you wanted it, Mardian, that would be a different story.”

“Of course, I want everything about Tyna.”

She responded calmly, but it only made my frown deepen.

What kind of change had happened inside her that she could become this different?

“It’s useless. My desire to fully capture you is far greater than any need to satisfy my own.”

Mardian teased me by brushing her fingertip against my nose. It was playful, yet there was a subtle craftiness to her movement.

“You don’t need to try so hard. I’ll stay by your side no matter what.”

“You don’t have to. It’s what I want to do.”

She seemed like a sly fox.

Indeed, she was not an easy opponent.

After all, she was a woman who once dominated the social scene with ease.

If we only consider her simple strategic mind, even Lillian and Viviana might be a step behind her.

“Well, we’re almost there.”

Beyond the iron door, the corridor curved and continued to the right.

And as I turned the corner, an unimaginable scene unfolded before my eyes.

“Wow…”

An involuntary exclamation of awe escaped from me.

It was such an unreal sight.

What lay ahead was another long corridor. But it was completely different from the one before.

Every direction was transparently clear.

And beyond it, the landscape wasn’t the warm sunlit ground.

It was an endless, deep blue abyss.

Countless sea creatures were swimming within it. It felt as if I were standing in the middle of the ocean, looking outward.

“What do you think? Just like an art city, right?”

Mardian’s voice brushed past my ear. I stood there, gazing at the sea in a daze, and placed my hand on the wall.

It felt cold.

It was transparent like glass, but much stronger than that—something sturdier. I regretted not having any knowledge of architecture.

“Don’t worry, it’s safe, Tina.”

Mardian walked ahead, passing through the endless transparent corridor.

I followed her, looking around at everything.

Colorful fish swam leisurely. On the rocks scattered throughout, seaweed had grown, and in the gaps, countless tiny, nameless creatures clung to them.

“Every year…”

I placed my hand on the wall and looked to one side.

There, a creature stood upright, not moving like the other fish. It was a creature I had only ever seen on TV, in this life and even in past lives.

“…It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.”

Mardian quietly agreed beside me.

Her serious attitude in accepting my words made me feel a little awkward.

“…Let’s go.”

This time, I took the lead. Mardian followed me silently.

When we reached the end of the long corridor, a vast space opened up before our eyes.

One wall was finished with simple interior decor, but on the opposite side, a small sea spread out.

However, unlike the many fish we had seen in the corridor earlier, only one species was swimming in the sea.

Behind the fish with its grotesque teeth was a sharp triangular fin.

Looking at the shark, I thought it bore quite a resemblance to Viviana.

“Tina, there’s a friend here who looks like you.”

At Mardián’s words, I moved my steps and entered a new space.

In the water there, jellyfish of different colors swam gracefully.

“…Are you kidding?”

The comment about looking like a jellyfish certainly didn’t sound like a compliment.

“I meant that your eye color is similar.”

The jellyfish that Mardián pointed to had a deep and clear blue hue, just like my own eyes.

“…I see.”

“Did I upset you by teasing you?”

“No, not really.”

After that, I walked around with Mardián, observing various marine creatures.

A giant octopus bigger than my body, and eels that slithered through the water like snakes, swimming smoothly.

I was mesmerized for a while, enjoying the sight of the sea creatures.

By the time my legs started to feel numb, I sat down on a bench with Mardián to take a break.

“Hmm…”

Mardián unfolded a map of the aquarium that she had received at the main entrance and stared at it for a while.

“Tina, is it okay if you get wet?”

“Huh?”

I blinked in confusion at the sudden question. Mardián pointed to a spot on the map and shrugged her shoulders.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. They say they’re keeping whales here. But there’s a warning that you might get soaked, so I asked.”

“Oh, I didn’t get the wrong idea?!”

What did she mean by that? I was just startled by the sudden question, not thinking anything strange at all.

“Alright. Shall we go then?”

Mardián extended her hand with a playful smile.

I felt a bit offended, but there was no need to get upset.

I took her hand and followed her, and another plaza unfolded before my eyes.

In the middle of the plaza was a giant tank, and in the space that extended deep below, an overwhelmingly large orca swam gracefully.

“Let’s sit here.”

Mardián sat down on one of the chairs in the plaza and patted the seat next to her.

Looking around, other visitors were also sitting down. It seemed like the way to enjoy the exhibition was by quietly sitting and observing.

‘…This structure feels somewhat familiar.’

It reminded me of the aquariums I had seen on TV in my past life.

“Here, take this, Tina.”

Mardián unexpectedly handed me an umbrella.

“Why this?”

Instead of answering, she smiled faintly and opened her umbrella.

Mardián’s face had a somewhat mischievous light as she tilted the umbrella diagonally.

“Didn’t you say it was okay to get wet?”

I hadn’t even fully understood the meaning of the words.

Suddenly, a wave crashed over me.

“Ugh!”

My whole body jolted from the unexpected cold water.

With a trembling gaze, I looked toward the center.

The whales were swinging their tails fiercely in the water, splashing it everywhere.

It seemed that other spectators had opened their umbrellas to shield themselves from the splashing water.

Some even threw away their umbrellas and were laughing while getting soaked.

So, this is what it meant to get wet.

“Pff.”

Mardian chuckled while putting away her parasol.

It was clearly a mocking laugh.

But that was only for a moment. Mardian looked at me with her eyes wide open and then blushed.

“…Who wears such thin clothes to an aquarium?”

Mardian muttered with a sigh in her voice.

Without hesitation, she took off her coat and gently draped it over my shoulders.

Her warmth from the coat enveloped me, offering a comforting heat.

I unknowingly clutched the edge of the coat with my fingertips and lowered my head to hide my slightly reddened cheeks.

“…Mardian unnie.”

“Huh?”

At the unexpected title, Mardian blinked in surprise and looked at me.

I glanced up at her with a slightly flushed face.

“…Unnie, I have something to say.”

“…What is it?”

“Unnie… you know…”

Mardian’s eyes trembled slightly.

I subtly looked aside, then slowly smiled and raised the umbrella in one swift motion.

“Is it okay if you get wet?”

Mardian’s eyes widened. She quickly realized what was happening and tried to open her umbrella, but…

It was already too late.

The strong current rushed right up to her face.

Splash—!

A huge wave poured over her face.

Her platinum blonde hair was instantly drenched and stuck to her cheeks.

“……”

Mardian slowly blinked her water-soaked eyelashes.

Her eyes narrowed, and her expression seemed a bit irritated.

She looked somewhat pouty.

“Pff, pff!”

I couldn’t hold it in and burst into laughter.