“Fenric wants to see me?” Merlin was surprised, but he quickly regained his composure.

He had already suspected Fenric would be looking for him, so it wasn’t that unexpected.

Besides, Margaret had given him the Beethoven family’s five-star card. It would’ve been strange if Fenric didn’t seek him out.

Merlin smiled and gave a slight nod.

“Alright. Please take me there.”

The woman nodded and immediately led Merlin and Lyserra to where Fenric was.

When they arrived, the woman opened the door, revealing an interior that was a feast for the eyes.

The room was spacious—large enough to accommodate up to thirty people at once.

At the front was a wide window, allowing anyone inside to see the auction stage clearly.

At that moment, Merlin’s gaze fell on a man sitting in the main chair.

The man was tall, with a handsome yet stern face. He looked young—perhaps around thirty-five.

His golden hair was short, and his clothes looked simple. But Merlin knew better than anyone that they were extremely expensive.

Noticing Merlin and Lyserra, Fenric turned toward them and gave a slight nod.

“Welcome, Merlin Clay. This is our first meeting, isn’t it?”

His voice was deep, carrying indifference and a faint sense of distance.

The woman who had escorted them quickly left and closed the door tightly behind her.

“That’s right, Lord Fenric. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Merlin bowed his head slightly and stepped closer.

Meanwhile, Lyserra maintained a flat expression, showing neither respect nor fear toward Fenric.

She had lived since ancient times, long before the three kingdoms were even founded. In her eyes, Fenric was merely a weak child—someone who could be killed easily.

Fenric stared at Lyserra with curiosity. For some reason, he felt she wasn’t an ordinary person.

Moreover, her appearance was truly extraordinary. Even Fenric, who had seen countless beautiful women, had to admit that.

Still, he didn’t stare for too long, knowing it would be impolite.

His gaze shifted back to Merlin, and he said casually, “Margaret talks about you so much it gives me a headache. But now that I’ve seen you, I understand. That girl wasn’t lying. You’re truly unique, Merlin Clay.”

A faint smile appeared on his face. Ever since Merlin arrived, he had been observing him closely.

He had to admit that even with a half-face mask, Merlin was incredibly handsome.

At the very least, he met Fenric’s standards—the criteria he had set for his daughter’s future partner.

Merlin smiled shyly. He usually didn’t care about compliments, but this time was different. After all, the praise had come from Fenric—his future father-in-law.

“Ahem! Thank you, Lord Fenric. Your compliment makes me happy.” Merlin coughed lightly, then quickly changed the subject. “By the way, may I ask why you summoned me?”

Fenric gave a slight nod, clearly impressed by Merlin’s cleverness, and replied calmly, “To be honest, I called you here simply because I wanted to meet you. But that was my original intention before I saw your offer earlier—a drop of level-nine monster blood.”

His posture straightened as he continued, “Merlin Clay, I want to make a trade with you. Can you sell me that drop of level-nine monster blood?”

He was certain Merlin still had another drop. His intuition told him so.

Merlin was somewhat surprised, but he didn’t refuse outright. He still had two drops of level-nine monster blood that he had bought from the system shop.

At first, he had planned to use those two drops to pay the fox girl in exchange for the three mythical items he had promised Graham.

However, since Graham had hidden his malicious intentions, Merlin had struck first, making those two drops of blood useless.

Merlin looked into Fenric’s eyes and asked, “What do you want to do with it?”

Fenric let out a quiet sigh of relief. That question confirmed his suspicion—Merlin really did still have a drop of level-nine monster blood.

“I want to use it to treat my wife,” he replied.

His face darkened as he continued, “My wife, who is also Margaret’s mother, has been afflicted by a mysterious illness. Actually, it’s not an illness… but a curse placed on her by an unknown person.”

He clenched his fist slightly before continuing, “According to the healers, doctors, and alchemists who specialize in healing, there’s no way to cure it. Even the mythical-tier item said to be able to remove any curse can’t dispel it.”

A despairing sigh escaped his lips.

Merlin listened carefully, and his expression immediately turned serious.

“So you bid on the Soulis potion earlier to save your wife?”

“Something like that.” Fenric took a sip of the wine in his right hand, then replied weakly, “I know the potion only has a slim chance—almost impossible, in fact—of curing my wife. But at least I want to try. I don’t want to lose hope.”

Merlin fell silent. Only someone truly wealthy could afford to offer three mythic-tier items and two legendary-tier items for a potion that might not even work.

No, even most wealthy people couldn’t. Only Fenric could.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Merlin nodded and replied without hesitation, “Alright, I’ll give it to you. You don’t have to pay for it. Margaret has helped me a great deal, and I have no good way to repay her.”

He opened his palm, and a small vial appeared in his right hand.

“Take it.”

With a smooth motion, the vial floated through the air and landed neatly in Fenric’s hand.

Fenric was clearly stunned. He hadn’t expected Merlin to simply give it to him.

“This… are you sure?” Fenric asked, his voice filled with surprise. “You could ask for anything, and I’d pay for it.”

His words sounded arrogant, but he truly had the power to back them up. To him, neither money nor legendary or mythical-tier items could compare to his wife’s life.

But Merlin still refused and replied firmly, “As I said, I owe your daughter a debt of gratitude, and this is my repayment. Besides, I also hope to work with the Beethoven family in the future.”

Merlin didn’t know how a single drop of a level-nine monster’s blood could save Fenric’s wife, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Fenric surely had his own methods, and Merlin didn’t need to know them.

If Merlin remembered correctly, Margaret’s mother was said to have died, leaving behind a deep wound.

But now Fenric was saying she was still alive, which honestly left Merlin confused.

“Thank you… Thank you, Merlin Clay! I will certainly remember your kindness!”

Fenric suddenly stood up and bowed his head to Merlin.

Merlin was startled by the gesture.

Fenric was the head of the Beethoven family, a figure whom even Vargan and the other two kings dared not offend.

Yet now, he was bowing before him. If others found out, it would surely cause chaos.

Merlin quickly helped him straighten up and said gently, “You’re welcome, Lord Fenric. Please don’t bow to me. It makes me uncomfortable.”

Fenric wiped away his tears. His face, once stern and cold, softened as he looked at Merlin.

“Merlin Clay, thank you once again. With this single drop of blood, my wife will surely be healed!”

He gazed at the vial in his hand, his eyes filled with hope.

Merlin smiled. “I hope your wife can be healed.”

Fenric nodded slightly and continued, “By the way, I feel bad taking this for free. Take this.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a token and handed it to Merlin.

Merlin accepted it and examined it curiously. The engraving depicted a ship and the ocean, beautifully detailed.

“This is a token of the Beethoven family. As long as you carry it, you’ll be recognized as my direct friend and as someone under the Beethoven family’s protection. You can use it as payment at any of our family stores. And it’s free,” Fenric said, patting Merlin’s right shoulder.

Merlin froze when he heard that. The five-star card Margaret had given him was already incredibly valuable, and now he was receiving a Beethoven family token—something far more precious than the card.

“Lord Fenric, this—”

Before Merlin could finish, Fenric cut him off.

“Don’t refuse it. You deserve it. Besides, I still haven’t repaid you for your kindness toward Margaret. That girl told me you were the one who healed the mark on her face four years ago. Thank you. You made her smile again and helped her regain her confidence.”

Fenric was the kind of man who repaid kindness with kindness. Back then, he hadn’t had time to track Merlin down, and eventually, the matter slipped from his mind.

But now, he finally had the chance, and he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

Merlin didn’t refuse this time. He slipped the token into his pocket.

“Alright, I’ll take it. Thank you.”

Fenric smiled. Then he added, “Can you keep this a secret from Margaret?”

“Keep it a secret from Margaret? Why?”

Fenric hesitated for a moment before replying awkwardly, “Margaret doesn’t know her mother is still alive.”

Merlin: “…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep