Driven mad by envy, she stole my life essence and chopped me into pieces to feed the piranhas.
When I opened my eyes again, it was the day of our marriage alliance.
Eagerly, my sister chose the silver-tailed merman, unaware that her dream of rising through motherhood wasn't so easily realized.
This silver-tailed merman was infamous for his cruel and unrestrained nature, with a particular penchant for tormenting expectant mothers.
"Kylie, I want to marry the fourth silver-tailed prince, Blaine."
My ninth sister, Leland, tugged at my sleeve, acting coy. "I know you love beauty, so you'll definitely choose the sixth purple-tailed prince, Liam. But I think Blaine is quite manly."
"Kylie, I fell for Blaine at first sight. You'll surely pick the handsome sixth prince, won't you?"
She looked at me with a smile, her eyes carrying a hint of threat.
In an instant, I realized she too had been reborn.
Father had a good relationship with the merfolk king and arranged for a marriage alliance between the two clans.
Humans and merfolk had difficulty producing offspring.
To prevent a decline in descendants, Father had me and the other sisters take a palace secret medicine.
Only Leland and I successfully became fertile women.
In my previous life, Leland, accustomed to living in luxury at the palace, was particularly picky.
She fancied the handsome sixth prince and despised Blaine for his ugliness and ruggedness, persuading me with just a few words to choose Blaine.
Not long after, I gave birth to the highest-ranking black-tailed merfolk child.
It had been a millennium since a black-tailed merfolk was last born.
I continued to have black-tailed children for several births.
The merfolk king was overjoyed and made Blaine the crown prince.
I, too, became the merfolk crown princess, enjoying wealth and status thanks to my high-born children.
Meanwhile, Leland gave birth to a red-tailed merfolk, becoming a royal disgrace, and faced endless ridicule from the merfolk.
Driven mad with jealousy, she took advantage of my weakened state after giving birth to my ninth child, stole my life essence that allowed me to live underwater, and chopped me into pieces for the piranhas.
Before I could say a word, I noticed Blaine looking at me sinisterly.
This merman despised anyone mentioning his appearance.
In our past life, Leland insulted him as ugly and disgusting, offending him, and after giving birth to a red-tailed merfolk, he disfigured her face and threw her to the lower-class merfolk.
Leland intentionally spoke this way to provoke Blaine into taking revenge on me as well.
But she had no idea that being Blaine's consort was even more torturous.
Blaine was lecherous, constantly pulling me into intimate encounters without regard for my ability to endure.
Especially during my pregnancies, his methods of torment became more elaborate, often involving other male and female merfolk.
Consequently, I bore nine children in three years.
He completely treated me as merely a means to fulfill his desires and bear offspring.
Since Leland was so fond of him, why would I stand in her way?
I was more than happy to let her have him.