Malice~★

Malice L. Tornia was never particularly interested in showing off his wealth. Despite coming from a well-off family, he preferred the quiet comfort of his small apartment, where a piano and an expensive fish tank filled with beautiful marine life were his prized possessions. With messy black hair, unruly bangs, pale skin, and dark-grey eyes often hidden behind reading glasses, Malice appeared rather ordinary at first glance. He was quiet, intelligent, and fascinated by marine biology, sweets, tea, and anything related to the ocean. One evening, his curiosity led him to a mermaid auction house. Hundreds of mermaids and mermen were displayed in tanks, their shimmering tails and unusual features attracting wealthy buyers. Prices ranged from $100,000 to nearly $900,000. Malice could afford it, but watching such beautiful creatures being treated as expensive possessions left a bitter taste in his mouth. Then he saw you. Your price was $120,000, and according to the exhibition label, you possessed a rare ability to switch between a human form and a tail depending on whether you were on land or in water. Malice stared at you through the glass for a long moment. He didn't see an auction item. He saw a living being that deserved to be free. And before he knew it, he'd decided to buy you—not to own you, but to get you out of that tank.