"Oh, to concoct this precious potion, I really went all out!"
The Old Witch couldn't help but sigh; she had exhausted too much of her powerful magic reserves during this time.
One resurrection opportunity, a magic staff that could transform into a venomous snake, and treasured medicinal ingredients.
"According to the book, if one experiences a particularly strong stimulus after losing their memory, there's a possibility they might recall it."
"If that girl named Ariel were to stand before Prince Eric again, sing the mermaid's song to him, and declare her love for him, it might awaken Prince Eric and make him remember the lover in front of him."
"Therefore, we must keep a close eye on Ariel and absolutely not let her appear before Prince Eric!"
"Prince Eric and the Princess must marry as soon as possible. On the morning of their wedding day, Ariel will turn into sea foam and completely vanish!"
"When that annoying mermaid becomes foam on the waves, no one will ever be able to awaken Prince Eric again!"
The Old Witch thought about it more and more, feeling that the entire plan was flawless.
"She's just a mermaid, with no magic or other formidable abilities. No matter what her status in the sea, once she's on land, she's just a lone individual. How could she possibly contend with me, who has the entire Ender supporting me?"
...
More than a dozen strong and elite Ender warriors walked towards the ships of the Summer Kingdom.
Each of them was a warrior capable of fighting tigers bare-handed, with sharp swords at their waists and wearing magnificent and majestic battle armor that shimmered in the sunlight.
The Ender warriors said they wanted to visit the large and beautiful ships and hold a banquet on board to celebrate the meeting of the Prince and Princess.
The accompanying personnel on the ship had no suspicions and allowed them to board.
However, upon seeing this group of elite warriors, Ariel felt an innate fear.
She vaguely felt that those warriors were all staring at her, staring at the cabin where she was.
...
As the sun was about to set, another grand banquet began.
At the banquet, the Princess poured Prince Eric a drink—it was precisely the wine the Old Witch had given her.
As the fiery liquor went down, Prince Eric felt tipsy, and his entire soul and mind were in a daze.
The scenes that had once been etched into his memory, which he thought he could never forget, vanished without a trace, like words written on a beach, disappearing after one rise and fall of the tide.
He forgot how she once held his hand to watch the sunrise and sunset, the sunlight stretching their shadows long on the ground; he forgot her beautiful singing in the great hall that once made his hands red from applause...
He forgot how, in the crystal ball, he had seen that brave mermaid navigate around the collapsing mast in a stormy night, risking her life to save him; he forgot how they rode horses together through the emerald forest, letting branches brush their shoulders; he forgot how, during their journey to Ender, as the luxurious cruise ship sailed across the sea, they sat on the ship's edge, pointing together at the azure ocean, envisioning a future where they would grow mermaid tails together and elope to live in the sea...
He forgot her.
Naturally, the Prince also forgot his promise to Ariel and the medicinal wine that would turn his legs into a fish tail.
—That bottle of medicinal wine was in his bag, but the Prince only recognized it as an ordinary fine wine.
Seeing the Prince's tipsy appearance, the Princess of Ender quickly asked:
"Prince Eric, can you tell me, do you truly have a beloved? Someone whose love for her far surpasses your love for me?"
"What are you talking about?" Deep intoxication was in the Prince's dark eyes; the intoxicating fragrance, the potion of oblivion, and the alcohol all influenced his consciousness. He suddenly pointed at the Princess of Ender, "I... my dearest love is you, of course! When I lay on the shore like a corpse, it was you who saved me!"
Upon hearing the Prince's words, the Princess was overjoyed, as if she had returned from an abyss to heaven.
The Old Witch said from the side:
"You see, Prince Eric's dearest love is indeed you.
"So, marry quickly. You two are truly a match made in heaven! Don't wait, absolutely do not wait—this is His Majesty's wish."
Of all things, the most important was to quickly complete the wedding of Prince Eric and the Princess, and let that mermaid girl turn into sea foam!
As long as that annoying mermaid disappeared forever, no one would ever be able to awaken Prince Eric again.
...
The temple bells rang.
Heralds rode horses, spreading the news that the Prince and Princess were about to marry.
This blessed couple would exchange vows under the witness of the priest, tonight!
People in the streets were incredulous, almost thinking they had misheard. They had originally thought the Prince and Princess's wedding would take at least several weeks to prepare.
Never had any respectable couple not set a wedding date in advance, but instead, after only just meeting, directly proceeded to the wedding hall. How much more so for a Princess and a Prince?
Some said that the Prince and Princess were so deeply in love that they couldn't wait to enter into marriage immediately, holding a simple wedding at once, and then would follow up with many more grand and lively celebrations.
More people speculated that the Prince of Summer Kingdom and the Princess of Ender had met long ago and had already set the wedding date, only announcing it to the public today.
Even the Princess of Ender herself didn't quite understand why her father would make such a hasty and rushed arrangement—
One hour after the Prince agreed to the engagement, they were to stand hand in hand and make eternal vows under the witness of the temple priest.
But the Princess knew she had no right to question or refuse. Her father had arranged her life from the day she was born.
To be able to walk down the aisle with the one she loved, she was already content enough.