The Empire's General

In the Third Interstellar Era, women's ability to bear children has declined, and some men have regressed into merfolk with the ability to become pregnant. Any merperson who has no spouse by the age of 23 will be forcibly assigned one by the Empire.

Herman Williams is the youngest general in the Empire. As a soldier, he died honorably on the battlefield. At the end of his life, he looked back and felt his greatest regret was not finding a good match for the little merperson in his home.

Before he got married, he'd once run into the little merperson, who told a friend he believed in free love and hated arranged marriages.

When he woke up again, he found himself back three years earlier, on the day the little merperson was first brought to his home.

The little merperson he remembered was fragile, gentle, and timid. But Herman was surprised to discover that it was all an act. His little merperson could bare his claws like a little tiger and was especially fond of comparing himself to others.

An Chen: "My general is more handsome than your partner!"

An Chen: "My general is richer than your partner!"

An Chen: "Hah, that's nothing. My general can go all night long!"

Herman: Hmm... So cute. I don't want to let him go anymore.

But why had he been so afraid of me before? He'd shrink away whenever I got close.

Herman doesn't know that his little merperson fell in love with him at first sight.

When they first met, Herman turned to leave, and the little merperson saw his face in a store mirror. He told his friend, "That man is so handsome my legs went weak!"

The trembling wasn't fear. It was excitement.

Reader's guide:

1. Main pairing: a gentle, impossibly handsome general x a lovestruck little celebrity who gets nervous around her husband

2. There should be a secondary pairing. If that's not your thing, please don't read.

3. They dote on each other.

Theme: Everyone has a shining quality.