Second Chance at Love and Life

Caroline shot Reginald a disdainful glance. "Prince Reginald, no one knows my sister's body better than I do. Whether she can even conceive is still a question, and even if she does, the best she'll manage is a red-finned mer-child."

The Mer-King said nothing to scold her. After all, he valued heirs above all else. He only chuckled lightly and dismissed us with a wave.

Reginald did not want me to bear that humiliation. His face darkened as he exclaimed, "Princess Caroline, please mind your words!"

Caroline was not afraid of him in the slightest. She beamed triumphantly and replied, "Am I wrong? That belly of hers is only fit to birth red-fins! Lowly, weak, and useless creatures!"

She pressed a hand protectively over her own bump.

"Whereas I'm carrying not one, but two black-finned mer-children. If anything happens to me, none of you could bear that responsibility!"

Her arrogance was based on her past experience. With her new life seemingly playing out similarly to the last, she was certain it would go her way.

In my previous life, I had conceived two black-finned mer-children just three days after consummating my marriage with Sheldon.

Caroline had not conceived until six months later, and even then, it was only a red-finned offspring.

However, despite her status as a Pregnancy Maiden, she was never strong enough to produce black-fins.

I smiled calmly. "Then, I wish you many children and a long life, dear sister."

I was not upset. Not in the least.

In fact, I had a feeling Sheldon would give her quite the lesson once they were behind closed doors.

Just as expected, as soon as Reginald and I returned to our estate, I overheard gossip fluttering through the fish around the gates.

Apparently, after Caroline and Sheldon returned home and entangled with each other with great enthusiasm, she began to bleed severely.

It was premature labor.

Human and merfolk births were not quite the same. I had studied all of it carefully once I became a Pregnancy Maiden.

The Mer-King, afraid something might go wrong, summoned me personally to assist.

The fish-doctors did not dare look too closely, but I saw enough.

Her body was torn. It was worse than mine had been during my traumatic first birth in my previous life.

It was only the beginning.

It would get worse. Much worse.

Caroline gasped between contractions, her face pale but full of fire, "Celine, watch closely. See how I give birth to black-finned mer-children! Power, wealth, centuries of life… They're all mine this time! Hahaha!"

She was delirious, desperate to birth the babies and prove her worth.

However, Caroline and Sheldon had been far too rough. Her birth canal was torn in several places, and blood was everywhere.

Four long hours passed before the first child was finally pulled from her womb.

Its tail fin was a brilliant, unmistakable red color.

I made sure to cradle the child gently in my arms and brought it right to her bedside.

Beaming, I said warmly, "Caroline, don't fall asleep yet. Look, your little one's already here! He looks so much like his father, doesn't he?"

Caroline's eyes widened in horror, and her body jerked.

"No, no, it's not possible! This isn't my baby! I was carrying black-fins! This wretched thing, this worthless, filthy thing, there's no way it came from me! You! This is your doing! You were jealous, and you switched them!"

Caroline thrashed around and screamed, "There's still another! Doctor, bring me my other baby! If anything's wrong with my black-finned child, I'll have your heads for it!"

The poor doctor turned pale at her words.

"P-Princess, just a bit more. The second baby's almost here!"

Soon, it arrived.

Panting, weak, Caroline clutched the blankets. "Quick! Show me my black-finned mer-child!"

The doctor wiped the sweat from his brow and swaddled the child.

He then brought it to her.

"No! This can't be true!" Caroline screamed.

She stared at the red-finned mer-child in the doctor's hand and passed out on the spot.

Everyone had assumed, thanks to Caroline's bragging and insistence, that she was carrying black-finned heirs. At most, they expected silver or purple fins.

However, no one had expected two red-fins in a row.

In merfolk society, red-fins were the lowest of the low. Fragile, weak, and worthless.

They were seen as slaves and would be a shameful stain in royal bloodlines. Even commoners wept in disgrace if they gave birth to one.

There Caroline was, having given birth to two, born into the royal family.

It was nothing short of a scandal—the greatest joke the merfolk had seen in generations.