Chapter 0Ryugu Palace – Shirahoshi's Chamber
At this time, Princess Shirahoshi was tossing and turning on the massive coral bed in her chamber. Earlier today, she had gone to plead with her mother, Queen Otohime, to let her attend the event at Coral Hill, but Queen Otohime firmly refused, saying that the outside world was too dangerous especially for her. That decision left the young mermaid princess visibly frustrated.
"Hmph! Saying it's dangerous is just an excuse! There are so many people going, and nothing's ever happened before!" Shirahoshi pouted, speaking aloud in indignation, her cheeks puffed with irritation.
"Ugh, I really want to go! The Coral Hill Plaza must be buzzing with activity right now." The more Shirahoshi thought about it, the more restless she became. Her heart itched with curiosity, unable to calm down.
"Yes! I'll sneak out! No one will notice!" A mischievous idea popped into her mind Shirahoshi decided to take advantage of the low guard presence at the palace and secretly make her way to Coral Hill Plaza to witness the vibrant festivities taking place in support of Queen Otohime's speech on the Fish-Man Island's alliance with humans.
"But… how should I do it?" The massive-sized princess held her chin in distress, not knowing how to escape without drawing attention.
"Ah! Yesterday, when I returned from etiquette lessons, I saw a huge pile of old clothes in the palace's rear courtyard, ready to be sent away for disposal I can hide inside them!" Shirahoshi remembered the sight vividly: the castle servants had been gathering worn-out fabrics and robes for recycling, and the pile was almost as tall as a coral turret. For someone of her size, it would be tight, but possible.
"Alright, that's the plan!" Having made up her mind, Shirahoshi stuffed several oversized plush sea-animal toys into her bed, covering them carefully with her soft coral quilt to simulate her sleeping form. This way, even if attendants came to deliver food or check on her, they wouldn't suspect anything.
Next, the towering princess gently opened the heavy coral-carved door of her chamber. Her every movement was cautious she didn't dare make much noise for fear of alerting the guards stationed in Ryugu Palace. She moved stealthily, or rather swam slowly along the spacious palace corridors. Surprisingly, she encountered very few guards. Unbeknownst to her, King Neptune had temporarily reallocated many of them to Coral Hill Plaza to ensure the queen's safety during her speech. But Shirahoshi paid no mind to such details her focus was entirely on slipping away unnoticed and seeing the lively gathering for herself.
"Phew… I made it." Despite her immense size, Shirahoshi had been clever about using the coral towers and massive decorative pillars to shield herself from view. She had even knocked down a few decorative coral structures near guard posts to cause distractions those small chaos moments gave her openings to move forward. After expending the strength of "nine sea lions," she finally arrived at the rear courtyard. Luckily, no servants were around, most having gone on break. Seizing the moment, she quickly nestled herself into the center of the old clothes pile and did her best to remain motionless.
"Ugh, these clothes are so heavy it's gonna be a pain to haul them." Just as she'd hidden herself, several palace servants arrived to begin transporting the old clothes to the disposal area.
"What choice do we have? The king gave the order. We're just palace staff we follow orders." Another servant responded with a shrug. Their tasks in Ryugu Palace weren't exactly glamorous.
"Less whining, more moving! If this isn't done before evening, none of you are getting dinner!" The gruff voice of the foreman echoed behind them as he clapped his webbed hands impatiently.
"Yes, sir..." the workers replied listlessly.
Thus, the massive cart now unknowingly containing the hidden Princess Shirahoshi was wheeled out of the rear courtyard.
"Hey… does this cart feel heavier than usual to you?" One of the fish-man workers paused, noticing the unusual weight of the pile.
"With this many layers of soaked seaweed robes and scaleskin cloaks, of course it's heavy!" his partner retorted, thinking nothing of it. Neither suspected the real cause.
"But I swear it smells… kind of nice? Like lavender and sea breeze…" The first worker sniffed the air suspiciously.
"Are you seriously hallucinating again? You didn't even eat breakfast today!" the second scoffed.
"Achoo!" Suddenly, Shirahoshi sneezed from within the pile the strong scent of old laundry had overwhelmed her sensitive nose.
"Wha! There's someone inside!" the servant yelped, freezing in fear.
"Uh-oh… I've been discovered." Shirahoshi awkwardly crawled out from under the pile, looking sheepish and apologetic.
"P-Princess Shirahoshi?!" The workers were stunned. Wasn't the mermaid princess supposed to be resting in her royal quarters in Ryugu Palace?
"M-me…" the princess stammered, embarrassed. She had no words for her recklessness.
"Princess Shirahoshi, you should be in the palace right now. What are you doing here?" one of the servants asked nervously, not sure how to handle the situation.
"Please… don't tell Father," she pleaded, bowing her massive head slightly. "Please, I'm begging you. I just want to see the square. I promise I'll be safe!"
"But if King Neptune finds out you've left the palace, he'll panic!" the servant exclaimed, recalling how overprotective the king was of his daughter ever since her mother began rallying for coexistence with humans.
"Here! Take this! Just… pretend you didn't see me!" Shirahoshi offered them a small pouch containing several dozen Baileys hardly noticeable in her huge palm, but clearly saved up secretly, likely with the help of Queen Otohime.
"Er… but…" The servants hesitated. Aiding the princess in escaping could be considered treason if the king learned of it.
"Please…" she begged, her large eyes glimmering with innocence and desperation. "Ball Ball, I'm asking you!" She gave one of the servants a heartfelt nickname she remembered from childhood.
"...Fine. If the princess insists, then we'll turn a blind eye—just this once." The older servant, touched by her plea and reminded of his own daughter, reluctantly agreed.
And so, Princess Shirahoshi was quietly let go mid-route. The workers feigned ignorance, letting her slip away from the transport pile. With the servants sent off with her humble bribe, Shirahoshi's next goal was clear: get to Coral Hill Plaza and see the bustling crowd, as well as her mother delivering her heartfelt speech to the people of Fish-Man Island.
---
OUR COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE WITH 50% OFF....VISIT PATREON TO CHECK IT OUT
50+ advanced chapter on patreon....Visit patreon now to read my exclusive content... posting 5 chapters per day, Our collection is now available on PATREON
visit patreon.com/Mgoldtranslation to view 40+ advanced chapters
Please subscribe guys