Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Nikolai's Father and Grandfather ushered him and his group into a larger boat, which would carry him and all his fiancees along with several guardians. However, their parents would take a different ship to avoid a disaster if the enemy attacked.

"Darling, come sit here—it's so comfy." Able to relax and adjust to any situation, Nikita tapped the cushioned chair beside her seat.

However, Selene, who leaned against the railing as the boat bobbed and swayed in the ocean, couldn't settle herself. Instead, she became more concerned. "I don't have a good feeling about this ball... don't you agree, Kumiko?"

The four women gazed at each other before noticing that Nikolai remained quiet.

"Nikolai, are you alright?" Risa stepped beside him and reached for his hand in an elegant green dress that matched her eyes.

Able to sense something was amiss with the young man, she gripped his hand tighter. "Don't worry, it's going to be alright."

He looked down at her with a blank stare before shaking his head as if it took that long for her words to reach him.

"You're right, sorry... I just worried about things going wrong and how to protect you all."

"My dear, you don't need to always hold those feelings yourself. I am sure Nikita, Selene and Risa would also do their best to help you." Kumiko's polite and elegant voice sounded from behind him. At some point, her clone appeared and hugged his back, relaying her feelings before it vanished in a pink puff of smoke.

"I'm not so good at dancing, so I'll make sure to watch your back and make sure no one hurts you." Selene turned away, a slight blush on her cheeks at the thought of Nikolai worrying for her.

The boat's engine suddenly hummed; it seemed they would depart in a few moments. A light vibration spread through the boat while Risa guided Nikolai to the leather sofa and sat him beside Nikita, and the table full of light snacks and blood-type alcohol.

"Since the ball will last a few days... maybe we should just calm ourselves for now, Nikolai," Risa added before sitting beside him and placing her hand on his lap.

Since Kumiko revealed how much Nikolai struggled to make them happy, they all started to change and adapt, wanting him to feel at ease and not stressed when dealing with them.

"Risa is right, my dear." Selene and Kumiko sat opposite. The sofa was quite interesting and created a "C" shape in the centre of the room, with various other items placed in storage along the walls.

"You're right..."

Nikolai closed his eyes while Risa rested her head against his shoulder, enjoying the quiet time together as the boat bobbed into the distance, leaving the port behind.

The time passed quickly, and the women left Nikolai alone, choosing to speak amongst themselves about the products the maids used on them and how much they cost and whether they should start using them daily. It wasn't a conversation that Nikolai cared about, but his lips curled into a faint smile as she leaned back and gazed up at the boat's roof.

'This is much better.' He thought, watching the night sky filled with stars as the boat rocked from side to side, causing him to close his eyes and imagine he was far away, exploring an open world and meeting new people...

'I didn't realise that they cared so much about matching scents or avoiding the same type of smell...'

Small thoughts and curious questions passed through his mind as he felt a sense of fatigue and slowly fell asleep.

When his lips parted slightly, and he began snoring, the women also noticed he had finally calmed down.

"Ara... it seems like our darling has finally settled down. I'm glad..." Risa whispered before sipping her pink blood wine.

Selene nodded after it became obvious how much of a strain he endured, thanks to Kumiko, but even with a week's rest. Upon seeing him today, they couldn't miss how tired he appeared, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it.

"He is trying so hard to make sure everyone is happy even though he doesn't consider himself, or dear husband is quite adorable." Kumiko covered her lips before eating a cracker and gazed at the other women, each nodding.

"Hmmm~ he's very handsome too, hehe, I can't wait until it is time, eeeep." Selene clamped Nikita's mouth after she squealed with excitement, causing Risa to giggle in response.

"Not long now..." Amphitrite muttered, her hand swishing a glass of white wine, looking at the distant ocean stained black under the night sky, with a slightly melancholy air floating about her.

"I hope all of you are ready."

As the boat drifted further and the waves rolled, Amphitrite's thoughts became unsettled, and her mind filled with doubt and worry.

"Hey, mermaid woman!" Nikita struggled free of Selene's grasp and called out to Amphitrite.

"Hmm?"

"What are you to our husband?" She asked bluntly, causing Risa, Selene and Kumiko to glance over at her, curious expressions covering their face, and causing the woman to look back at them with wide eyes, as if she wasn't expecting such an abrupt question.

"Honestly... I don't really know. In the etiquette of my race and people, we are already married. But!" The sudden words caused the other four women to freeze, but the moment she shouted, their eyes focused, and she looked at them with a soft expression.

"That was the only way to stop myself from dying, and he did it only to save my life and... help his mother's chance of revival, so please don't think he doesn't love you. That boy, he adores all of you far more than the uncertain lust he feels towards me."

Risa nodded her head, "We know that, but I'm glad you told us your feelings. I'm sure this isn't a great situation for you either."

However, Amphitrite sipped her wine and suddenly responded with a calm smile, "I am happy... he is a wonderful man, and I don't plan to leave or betray him, even if things remain like this."

Maybe it was because of his blood, but Amphitrite knew everything she had right now was all on him, his blood and its miraculous ability to restore her bloodline and improve it to the peak of her race.

'If I were to be ungrateful for that... even the goddess of merfolk might smite me down.'

The thought caused her to shudder before looking at the other four women, "But if you're curious about our relations, I can tell you he hasn't touched me or asked me anything inappropriate... Even though I tried to seduce him, he held back."

Kumiko's tails swayed in the air while listening to her, but at the last comments, they started slapping the sofa, as her lips curled into a faint smile as if pleased. "Ahem!" She cleared her throat, causing Selena to poke Kumiko's tails and then laugh when they twitched from her touch.

"If he falls for you, and it happens... then I would rather discuss what would happen now, Miss Amphitrite." Kumiko opened one of her eyes to gauge the mermaids' reaction.

"I have no issues with joining your group, even as the lowest ranked member, as long as everyone is ok with that." She replied, her eyes wide like she was shocked by Kumiko's comments.

'I thought they would shout at me, call me a home wrecker...'

However, the four girls were more interested in her feelings and what would happen if Nikolai chose her as his woman.

They trusted him by now, and after learning about his thought process and how he decided women, there were others he could have slept with and brought into his harem. But he didn't; and instead set boundaries with those women.

"Let us talk about that later... I'm too excited right now for the ball." Risa glanced at each of them before her eyes landed on Selene and Nikita. "Tonight, we will have a lot of time to ourselves, but if nothing goes wrong, it will be a long weekend."

"That's true... but things will probably go wrong." Selene slipped a prawn entrée into her lips, scrunching her face in delight as it fell down her throat.

"We should focus on having a good time, hehe." Nikita's tail swayed behind her.

"Of course... but I agree that Selene's worry isn't unfounded. We should discuss how to act if anything goes wrong, to help Nikolai, who is probably one of their main targets." Kumiko's calm voice spread across the room.

"Alright." Everyone said in unison, before they leaned in to discuss what would happen...

Their ideas ranged from silly comments to plans about who would share a room with Nikolai and then serious worries about if the enemy would attack them or try to split them apart.

Meanwhile, Nikolai continued to snore, his chest rising and falling as a relaxed expression remained on his face, unaware of the future that awaited him the moment he stepped off the boat.