Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 570: A private museum.

Princess Lita smiled warmly as she met them at the entrance of her private wing. "Welcome," she said, her voice echoing softly against the high ceilings that had a view of the sea. The transparent ceiling looked to be so delicate that Sunshine thought it could fall in at any moment.

"Before we proceed any further, would anyone like some refreshments? Our kitchens just finished a batch of sea-berry nectar and honeyed biscuits."

The group looked at each other, but the tension of their mission was still heavy. In addition to that, Sunshine wondered what the diet of this water empire consisted of. Smoothies and biscuits were not what she had been expecting.

Where was the sushi or fish related food?

"Thank you, Princess," Vortan said for the group, "but I think we’re okay for now. We’d like to get down to business, if you don’t mind."

"I understand," Lita nodded. She signaled to her personal guards. "This way, then." She led them deeper into her quarters until they reached a set of massive doors made of iridescent pearl-wood. "I wanted to show you this first," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "This is my favorite room in the entire palace." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

As the servants pushed the doors open, the group let out a collective gasp. It wasn’t just a room; it was a magical sea museum. The air felt cool and smelled like a fresh ocean breeze. Glowing blue moss lined the floor, acting like a natural carpet.

The room was filled with impossible treasures, long strands of emerald greenery preserved in glass tubes that let out soft, flute-like notes when someone walked by.

A centerpiece sculpture made of enchanted water that stayed mid-splash, holding tiny, colorful fish that swam through the liquid air.

Shiny, beautiful pearls, big as Sunshine’s head and those as small as a baby’s toe.

Mirrors that didn’t show your face but instead showed the most beautiful memory of the person looking into them.

Princess Lita walked over to Sunshine’s side as she stood frozen in awe. "Everything in this place was collected by my mother," The princess said softly. "It was her personal sanctuary. Her escape. I started taking care of it after she passed away. It’s how I stay close to her." She laughed. "If I told you how old this museum is, you would not believe it."

Sunshine pinched her chin. "Mmm, you don’t look a day over twenty and your father appears to be in his seventies to eighties which probably puts your mother somewhere in the sixties age range."

Lita laughed. "More like one hundred thirty-one. That was how old my mother was when she passed. This museum is ninety-nine years old. Next year, it will make one hundred years, and I will open it up to a few outside visitors. What do you think of the place?"

Sunshine’s eyes softened. She leaned down to look at a golden seashell resting on a velvet cushion. Inside it, dozens of bright, multi-colored pearls glowed with a rhythmic light. "It’s... it’s all so beautiful, princess," She whispered, giving a tiny, shaky smile. "It is precious."

So much wealth, just sitting here. How many lives would it save on earth? How many heat suits could she purchase and donate?

Princess Lita watched her closely. She noticed the way Sunshine’s hands trembled slightly and the dark circles under her eyes. The girl who had arrived full of fire was now looking like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Sunshine," Princess Lita said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You aren’t yourself. I can see the weight you’re carrying. Is something wrong?"

Sunshine bit her lip, looking away from the pearls. "I just... I have a lot of problems back at home. Things are messy. I feel like I’m going through so much at once and being here_ as amazing as it is_ I feel a little guilty to be enjoying it. There is a voice in the back of my mind that is saying, ’how dare you forget your problems for even a second?’

Princess Lita turned Sunshine to face her. "I understand you more than you think, and you maybe from a different world, but grief and worry look the same in every language. I can be a friend to you, Sunshine. I can listen, and I can help. You don’t have to carry all the weight while you’re standing in my home."

Sunshine felt a lump in her throat. "Thank you," she whispered, her smile becoming a bit more real. "I really appreciate your genuineness. But I don’t expect you to carry the problems of another world. Of course, I would not turn down a donation of a few pearls."

Princess Lita laughed.

While the girls were having a heart-to-heart, Nine was busy being a distraction. He was creeping around behind them, his neck stretched out like a hungry giraffe, trying to catch every word of their conversation.

"What are they whispering about?" Nine hissed to himself. "Is it about the mission? Is it about me? I do not like that Sunshine is in good graces with the royal family and I am not." His wings flattered vigorously.

He backed up, still straining to hear, and his elbow bumped into a pedestal holding a Coral Crown. The crown_ a delicate masterpiece of branching red sea-stone_ tipped precariously.

"Ack!" Nine squeaked, his many legs windmilling as he tried to grab it. He slipped on a patch of slick moss and went down hard.

Just before the crown hit the floor and shattered into a million pieces, a stretched hand blurred into motion.

Clack!

Vortan had caught it by the very tip, his face a mask of bored indifference despite the near disaster.

The servants in the room let out a synchronized, horrified gasp, which immediately drew the princess and Sunshine’s attention.

"Is there a problem?" Princess Lita asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vortan stood up straight, holding the crown aloft as if he had been admiring it all along. "Not at all, Princess," he said smoothly. "I was just telling Nine that this crown is... exceptionally beautiful. The craftsmanship is... sturdy."

The Princess walked over and took the crown from him, placing it firmly back on its stand. "It’s very delicate, Vortan. Try to keep your ’admiration’ at a distance. And you, repairman creature Try to stay on your feet."

Nine scrambled up, blushing bright red. "I was just... checking the floor for... dust. Good job on the floor, by the way. Very clean." The smile on the outside could not depict the anger inside, how could the Princess refer to him as a creature?

To move past the awkwardness, the princess gestured toward the far end of the hall. Standing there was a giant, shimmering blue chest. "This was my mother’s prize possession," she said.

She tapped the side, and the music box began to hum. It wasn’t like a human music box. The top was clear crystal, and inside, tiny artificial merman people began to try swim through a glowing liquid but couldn’t.

"This is what you are to repair," she said mostly to Sunshine. "You will be compensated well if you do." She turned to Nine, colder, intentionally. "If you fail..."