The moment I realized the villain was a merman whose tears turned to pearls, I fished the discarded pregnancy test from the trash. And headed for the rooftop.

"So, how many little ones do you merfolk usually have in one go? And do they eat fish food or formula?"

Rhys Blackwood, in the midst of his dramatic suicide attempt, nearly slipped, almost plummeting eighteen stories.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Never mind. I'll just toss them into the ocean after they're born."

Later, when the babies arrived, Rhys barely dared to sleep, terrified I'd take them and 'release' them.

When Selena, the heroine, came knocking after a fight with Noah, she found him bellowing at our eldest's swimming report: "You're a merman! How can you be afraid of water?!"

1

I knew Rhys Blackwood was the big bad of this world, and I was the fiancée his grandfather had picked for him on his deathbed. My mission, as the transmigrator, was supposed to be saving him. But I was a terrible employee. Far from helping, I indulged in his wealth, squandered his money, and brazenly claimed his bed. The System, watching Rhys’s ‘darkness meter’ remain stubbornly still, finally despaired. Its last message, delivered in a chilling, detached tone, was simple: "When the villain dies, I'll come for you." That was six months ago.

Today felt heavy with a morbid kind of auspiciousness, according to some ancient calendar. It just so happened to be auspicious for… burials. So, when Rhys, heartbroken by Selena Winslow, climbed alone to the penthouse rooftop, I was already decked out in every jewel from his safe, eagerly awaiting the System’s arrival. But when it finally materialized, its first words were: "Host, why are you wearing the villain's tears?"

"What?" My gaze snapped to the priceless pearl necklace adorning my neck. "Rhys Blackwood is a merman," the System droned. "Those pearls are all his tears." A merman? A merman whose tears turned to pearls? My entire worldview shattered. This wasn't some terrifying villain; this was a walking, weeping gold mine!

The necklace had been tucked away in a hidden compartment in Rhys's study. I’d always assumed it was a birthday gift meant for Selena. But her party came and went, and the necklace remained unsent. So, one particularly dark and windy night, I helped myself... I remember Rhys’s complex gaze when he first saw me wearing it. "You like this?" he'd asked. I’d simply rolled my eyes. "Duh. Who doesn't like money?" I’d had it appraised; it was worth a cool twelve million dollars! Now, looking back, his expression was practically screaming: So you like my tears?

"System! I think he's still salvageable!" I ripped off the pearl necklace, dug the pregnancy test from the trash, and bolted for the rooftop. Rhys had already climbed over the railing, half his body suspended eighteen stories above the ground. "Wait!" I gasped, brandishing the pregnancy test. "So, how many little ones do you merfolk usually have in one go? And do they eat fish food or formula?"

His foot slipped. He nearly plummeted eighteen stories. His hands clamped onto the railing, his body dangling over the edge. "You... what did you say?"

"Don't want responsibility?" I asked, a hint of disappointment in my voice. Why did telling him make him even more suicidal? "Fine, then. I'll just toss them back into the ocean after they're born…" Anyway, it was just an accident after he'd been drugged. He probably didn't even remember.

Before I could finish, a dark blur had swung back over the railing, pinning me hard against the wall. "You dare!" His eyes were a storm-tossed ocean. I secretly curved my lips into a smile, letting out a long, silent breath. Perfect. The gold mine was saved.

After Rhys returned from the rooftop, he was a completely different man. He settled me in the bedroom, then vanished into his study, locking the door. I pressed my ear to it, hearing his frantic voice: "Calcium supplements for pregnancy… seaweed-based… Wait, Doctor, are you saying a human carrying a merman needs to soak in seawater every day?" His voice abruptly shot up. "But she's pregnant!" I bit back laughter until my stomach ached. Who would've thought this ruthless, cunning villain was now on the phone, voice trembling, grilling a doctor about prenatal care?

When the study door abruptly opened, I nearly stumbled right into his arms. Rhys's hand shot out, steadying me by the waist, the warmth of his palm burning through my clothes. He looked down at me, his gaze lingering on my still-flat belly, his Adam's apple bobbing. "You…" "I'm hungry," I declared, cutting him off. "I want your homemade seafood porridge." Soon, the sounds of pots and pans clattered from the kitchen. The butler stood in the doorway, clearly struggling to hold his tongue.

2

"Sir nearly burned down the kitchen last time he cooked." "Oh… no worries," I said. "He's got money. If it burns, we'll just move." The butler… remained speechless. An hour later, Rhys emerged, his face smudged with soot, bearing his creation. It looked… decent. Probably not poisonous. As I scooped a spoonful to my lips, he suddenly stopped my hand. "Wait." Rhys meticulously picked out every single shell fragment, then tested the temperature before handing the spoon back. I deliberately frowned. "It's a little bland." His hand, reaching for the salt shaker, froze mid-air. He turned, grabbed his tablet, and earnestly searched for the recommended daily sodium intake for pregnant women. I…

And so, I began living like royalty, pampered through my pregnancy. Each morning brought freshly squeezed orange juice from the villain himself. He treated me like fragile porcelain during my baths, and even if I kicked him awake in the middle of the night with a leg cramp, he’d gently massage it away. One morning, still groggy, I woke to find him measuring my waist with a soft tape measure, his expression as serious as if he were defusing a bomb. "What could you possibly see after just one month?" I teased. Rhys’s ear tips flushed, but he stubbornly recorded the data in his phone's memo, titled "Merman Hatchling Observation Log." The best part was last week, when a business partner called the company. The security guard was on the phone asking for permission, and Rhys was on one knee, tying my shoelace. He barked into the receiver, "Don't bother me with trivialities like this in the future. My wife is napping." Then, he even tucked my blanket back around me.

Now, I lay on the patio swing chair, watching Rhys assemble a swing set in the garden. Sunlight painted his hair an amber hue, the scene almost idyllic. The System abruptly pinged: [WARNING! Villain's Darkness Meter: 90%] [Host…] Its voice was laced with confusion. [Is this truly how you plan to save him?] I smiled, touching the pearl necklace at my throat. "At least he's not trying to kill himself anymore, right?" Rhys finished the swing set. I wiggled my toes. "Honey, my leg's cramping." He wiped his hands clean, knelt, and began massaging my calf. System: [Nice!]

"Honey, I want a pink pearl." A while back, I'd seen a stunning pink pearl at an auction. But Noah Vance, the hero, had bought it to charm Selena. "Cry me one," I said, casually grabbing the grape platter and holding it under his chin. Rhys froze, looking up at me, his deep-sea eyes filled with disbelief. "…The color of pearls depends on the merman's emotions." "I don't care," I said, stroking my belly. "No tears, no babies. I'll just release all your offspring." His face went pale. Three minutes later, I watched, dumbfounded, as the terrifying villain, who once struck fear into the hearts of men, now stood there, eyes red-rimmed, his tears falling, plink-plink, into the platter. The soft pink pearls clattered, each sound a tiny chime. The System suddenly dinged: [Villain's Darkness Meter: 85%]. I happily collected my treasures. This mission was ridiculously easy. At this rate, Rhys would be nothing but a naive, sweet merman, good only for crying out pearls.

Just as I thought I had it in the bag, Selena Winslow arrived. She stood at the mansion's entrance in a simple white dress, eyes swollen and red, looking like a wilting white rose caught in a storm. "Rhys," she choked out, her voice breaking. "Please, you have to save my father… He's been taken. Only you can find him…" I stepped in front of the door, a cold smile on my lips. "Go ask Noah Vance." Selena bit her lip, her tears falling faster. "He doesn't have the connections…"

3

I paused, then it clicked. Right. The hero was always the bright, righteous CEO. And the villain? Dark, shadowy, ruthless. So, when dirty work needed doing, the heroine's first thought was always Rhys, the man with blood on his hands. I glanced back at Rhys, who stood quietly at the turn of the staircase, his gaze unreadable, still holding the slipper I’d just kicked off. A surge of irrational anger flared through me. "Don't you dare go!" Selena bit her lip, tears clinging to her lashes. "If she says no, then… never mind." As she turned, her skirt swished in a pathetically graceful arc.

Just as she was about to step out the front door, Rhys spoke. "Wait." I watched, stunned, as he knelt down, gently slipped my slipper back on, even adjusting it for comfort. Then! That bastard stood up and followed Selena out! "Rhys Blackwood!" I shrieked, snatching up the other slipper and flinging it at the back of his head. "If you go, don't come back!" The slipper struck its target with a satisfying thwack. His steps faltered for a moment. He didn't turn around, just reached back to rub the spot I'd hit, and kept walking. I was so mad, I nearly threw the other slipper too.

...Three in the morning. I checked my phone for the twenty-eighth time. Still black. The System suddenly beeped a warning: [WARNING! Villain's Darkness Meter has increased by 12%! Current value: 97%] "What?!" I shot upright, nearly throwing out my back. "I've been carrying his kids like a nesting hen, working my ass off to drop his darkness by 15%, and he gains 12 points back after one night out with the heroine?" The System quietly added: "To be precise, 4 hours and 38 minutes." "What? Did Selena just hand him over to the kidnappers as ransom?" I sneered, rubbing my belly.

Outside, the faint hum of an engine reached my ears. I darted to the window, watching Rhys’s Maybach glide into the driveway, its headlights cutting misty streaks through the rain. What really infuriated me was the package he carried, its logo screaming 'Seabreeze Bistro' – that ridiculously expensive seafood restaurant Selena adored. "Oh, this is perfect," I snarled, gritting my teeth as I barked an order at the System. "Now! Immediately! Activate the [Fake Miscarriage] item!" The System's code scrambled in panic. [Ho-ho-host, calm down! Merman offspring are incredibly resilient, and this item costs 5000 points…] "Do I look like I care about points?" The only reason I'd been slacking off in this world was because the points I'd earned from previous missions were enough for me to retire.

...When Rhys gently pushed open the bedroom door, he found me curled on the bed, pale-faced and clutching my belly. "Darling?" The takeout box in his hand clattered to the floor, spilling salmon sashimi everywhere. I weakly opened my eyes, noticing a clear red handprint blossoming on his left cheek. His hands trembling, Rhys lifted me into his arms, and we sped to the hospital. I lay on the gurney, intentionally facing away from him, listening to his ragged breathing and the doctor's hushed conversation. "Signs of a mild threatened miscarriage. Absolute bed rest is necessary," the doctor’s voice was grave. "Especially keeping emotional stability." Rhys's voice was raw, almost unrecognizable. "She… and the baby…" "For now, they're stable. But any further stress… that's hard to say." "Sir… Madam's human body isn't inherently suited for carrying merman offspring. The first trimester is especially critical. If things continue like this, I fear the child…" The hospital room door clicked shut. Then, a heavy thud, like knees hitting the floor with force.