A horse-drawn carriage sped through the bustling city of Droswen. Inside, Merlin and Linda sat side by side.

Yet neither spoke, as if lost in their own thoughts.

Merlin tilted his head to the left, staring at the crowd through the window beside him.

‘System, was that panel… correct? Has Linda really been conquered?’ he asked doubtfully.

Just now, the system had told him that he had successfully raised Linda’s affection to one hundred. He had thought that final point would be nearly impossible to earn.

By his estimation, it could only be achieved at their next meeting. He didn’t even know when that would be—perhaps in two or three years, when he entered the academy.

Yet, to his surprise, he had actually managed to gain that last point!

It was astonishing… Amazing!

Even Abel in the novel had failed to win over Linda, yet here he was, conquering her so effortlessly. If it hadn’t felt so unreal, he might have thought it was all a dream.

The system replied solemnly, “[Everything is real, Master. I can guarantee that. As for how you succeeded… well, it was actually because of what you did earlier.]”

‘What did I do earlier?’ Merlin murmured. Suddenly, he remembered the necklace he had given Linda. ‘Don’t tell me… It was because of that necklace?’

“[Bingo! You’re very perceptive, Master. Yes, it’s all because of that. According to my analysis, there’s an impenetrable wall in Linda’s heart that seals off her feelings. Maybe that’s why she’s still single. Yet you managed to break that wall with remarkable ease. Honestly, even I didn’t expect it, but it really happened.]”

Like Merlin, the system had thought that Linda could only be won over at their second meeting. After all, she would be returning to the academy tomorrow, and it would normally be very difficult to breach her heart barrier.

The surprising thing was that Master had actually succeeded!

For the first time, the system felt that Master was truly exceptional, seeming to possess an extraordinary talent for conquering heroines.

‘Ahem!’ Merlin smiled, embarrassed. ‘You’re praising me too much, System. I’m flustered.’

The system just rolled its eyes, saying nothing further. It felt that if it praised him any more, its master would act foolishly.

“Merlin, why are you spacing out? Are you feeling unwell?” Linda’s voice came from beside him, accompanied by the gentle touch of her palm on his forehead.

Merlin froze. In all his interactions with Linda, she had never once touched him—except for the brief hold while shopping earlier.

Even the databook described Linda as a very guarded woman, disgusted by physical contact with the opposite sex. And though Merlin was still a boy, he was, after all, a man.

‘One hundred points of affection was… incredible,’ he whispered softly.

Composing himself, he smiled and shook his head.

“I’m fine, Master. Thank you for your concern,” he said politely.

“Pfft! Isn’t it natural for a master to worry about his disciple?” Linda chuckled softly. “By the way, thank you for spending the day with me. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve felt truly happy and relaxed. All day long, as the head of the academy, my mind is always buried in work, so I forget that I can actually enjoy myself. Seriously… thank you.”

She exhaled slowly, her expression tired yet relieved.

She had always lived by the principle that her life was only for work. There was a reason for that—since she was a baby, she had been abandoned by her family.

If it hadn’t been for the previous head of the academy taking her in and caring for her, she would have died long ago.

On top of that, she had always kept her distance from most people, except for the few she considered true friends, like Livia and Ardhis.

But after what had just happened, she realized she could be happy like anyone else. The feeling was so intense it almost seemed unreal, like a dream.

And the one who had brought her that happiness was the boy beside her—her disciple, Merlin.

Subconsciously, her gaze drifted to the necklace around her neck, glowing beautifully, before returning to Merlin.

Sensing her affectionate gaze, Merlin felt deeply embarrassed. He had intended to make Linda his, but now, after it had happened, he felt both shy and… a little guilty.

Linda was his master and had trained him wholeheartedly. Yet, in truth, he harbored hidden intentions toward her. It would be hypocritical to say he didn’t feel even a twinge of guilt.

“You’re silent again. What’s really on your mind, little one?” Linda let out a small sigh, patting his head gently. “Sometimes, I wonder if you’re not really a child at all… but more like an adult. Am I wrong, Merlin?”

Her hazelnut eyes met Merlin’s violet ones, as if searching for the deepest part of his soul.

Merlin’s heart skipped a beat. Yet he quickly composed himself and replied casually, “You misunderstand, Master. As I’ve said before, I was struck by a curse that drastically changed my nature. During those two years, I could move neither my body nor my will freely, as if an invisible thread controlled me.”

Shaking his head with a wry smile, he continued, “Even so, I was aware of what I was doing—it’s just that I couldn’t act on it. During that time, I learned and understood the meaning of life and reality. So, the reason I was able to mature is because of those two years of learning.”

The story sounded so moving that Merlin almost wanted to applaud himself. If he had joined the talent search, he was sure he would have made it into the top three.

Linda paused for a moment, then opened her arms and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry for asking such a foolish question,” she said, her voice tinged with distress. “And I’m sorry for thinking you were an annoying brat in the past. If I had known earlier, I would have found a way to break the curse.”

Sadness and guilt laced her words, making Merlin feel slightly embarrassed.

Still, he said nothing and simply enjoyed her soft, fragrant embrace.

After a while, Linda released him and smiled gently.

“You’ve worked hard today, so I’ll give you a reward.”

With that, she carefully placed Merlin’s head on her lap and laid his body across the seat.

Merlin froze, stunned. Before he could react further, Linda reached out and gently stroked his face.

“Rest for a while. I’ll wake you when we get back.”

Feeling her touch, Merlin suddenly grew drowsy. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

Linda smiled tenderly as she lovingly brushed his hair.

“Before, I worried that the feelings I tried to suppress would cause problems in the future,” she whispered. “But after hearing the story behind the Snow Star necklace, I realized none of it is a problem. I don’t want to become someone full of regrets, like the soldier in the story. So…”

She paused, pinching his cheek gently. “I will patiently wait for you to grow up before claiming you completely as mine…”

***

The horse-drawn carriage carrying Merlin and Linda finally arrived at the Clay family mansion. The guards quickly opened the gate, allowing the carriage to enter.

When they reached the entrance hall, Linda gently covered Merlin’s nose, causing him to frown in confusion.

“Ugh…” Merlin slowly opened his eyes and saw Linda smiling playfully at him.

“Master? What… are you doing?” he asked, still half-asleep.

Linda chuckled softly and withdrew her hand. “Nothing. I was just waking you up. We’ve arrived. Let’s go.”

Merlin was still dazed from waking up, but he said nothing and stood up. The two stepped out of the carriage and were greeted by the maids, including Miya.

“Good evening, Miya. Has everything been alright while Master and I were away?” Merlin asked gently.

Miya smiled and nodded. “Everything is fine, Young Master. Oh, right—there was a special guest who came looking for you.”

“A special guest?” Merlin repeated, slightly surprised.

As far as he remembered, there shouldn’t have been anyone like that. Linda, standing beside him, looked just as puzzled but remained silent, waiting for Miya to explain further.

“He’s a boy named Tharvis. He came about half an hour ago, asking to see you, Young Master. But since you were away with Academy Head Linda, the head of the family asked him to wait inside.”

Merlin and Linda were both taken aback when they heard Tharvis’ name.

Turning to Linda, Merlin smiled. “Master, this must be good news for you and Saint Freya Academy. He actually came, which means he’s made up his mind to become an alchemist.”

At first, Merlin had thought Tharvis would reject his offer and had nearly given up on it. But to his surprise, the boy really came, which meant his mission to change Tharvis’ destiny was about to be fulfilled.

Linda smiled as well. “Don’t get too excited yet. I’ll judge his skill first. If he truly is as talented as you say, then I’ll use my authority to bring him to the Academy. Understand?”

Merlin patted his chest confidently. “Don’t worry, I guarantee he’ll live up to your expectations!”

Meanwhile, Miya, who had been watching their exchange, couldn’t help but feel a little sad.

‘The young master and Academy Head Linda seem so close… I can’t help but feel a little envious,’ she murmured.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep