Chapter 343: Charm Glasses

“Here’s your lunch. My mother asked me to bring it to you,” Nivis said, handing him a lunchbox.

Merlin smiled and took it. “Thank you. By the way, has lunch been paid for yet? If not—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Nivis interrupted.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Young Lady Margaret has already paid for a full year’s worth of meals. So you, Luna, Catrine, Liora, and Monica can come to my mother’s shop anytime.”

Merlin was surprised. He hadn’t expected Margaret to pay for their lunches for the next year. It seemed the girl really loved Lisa’s cooking.

“Alright, I’ll be going now,” Nivis said.

Merlin nodded and reminded her, “Be careful.”

Once Nivis left, Merlin returned to the dormitory and headed to his room.

Because Nysera had called him earlier, he had completely forgotten he was supposed to have lunch with the girls.

Thirty minutes later, he remembered, but by then it was too late to go back.

Just as he was thinking about buying his own lunch, Nivis suddenly showed up and brought it to him, making things much easier.

Merlin sat down in his chair and opened the lunchbox. Inside was his favorite dish—stir-fried beef.

He began eating while thinking about the party later that night.

“I’m sure there will be plenty of surprises,” he muttered as he chewed.

Rosaline’s appearance later would surely boost Lucius’s confidence.

And what would happen after that?

Wasn’t it obvious?

The boy would become arrogant and start causing trouble for everyone around him, including Merlin himself.

“Hm…”

As he swallowed his food, Merlin’s thoughts shifted to how to avoid Rosaline’s hatred.

“System, do you have an item that can make someone fall in love with me?” he asked.

“[There’s no such item, Master. You read too many novels.]” The system rolled its eyes.

Merlin fell silent. Wasn’t this world itself based on a novel?

“[But speaking of items that can make someone fall in love… it seems there’s one in the shop. Hold on, I’ll look for it.]”

A few seconds later, the system reappeared.

“[Ding! Charm Glasses found! Price: 40,000 system points!]”

“[Description: This item can suddenly increase a stranger’s affection toward the user! Note: These glasses are only effective on strangers you’ve never met before. The affection boost won’t reach 100—it’s only between 10 and 30 points.]”

Merlin was surprised when he saw the panel. He had thought the system didn’t have such an item, but he was mistaken.

“A pair of glasses, huh? And its ability… is pretty weak. But that’s fine. It should be enough to keep Rosaline from hating me.”

A 10–30-point increase was indeed small, at least in his opinion. But all he needed was to stop Rosaline from developing negative feelings toward him.

It should be noted that turning negative affection into positive took time and effort. Merlin had already gone through that difficulty when he tried to win Catrine’s affection in the past.

But Catrine had only been six years old back then, so it was easy to raise her affection from -90 to a positive level.

Merlin simply needed to change his behavior and treat her the way an older brother should treat his younger sister.

What’s more, the foundation of their relationship was already there, so the task wasn’t too difficult.

Unlike Catrine, Rosaline was still a stranger to him. In fact, they could even be considered enemies, since Merlin had a feud with Lucius, her younger brother.

“But the price is a bit excessive. 40,000 points is too much, System. Can it be reduced?” Merlin asked.

“[Impossible, Master. You must purchase it at that price.]” the system replied firmly.

Merlin rolled his eyes and tapped the “yes” icon without hesitation.

Instantly, 40,000 points vanished from his account. It hurt, but Merlin knew this was the best move if he wanted to deal with Rosaline at the party later.

With a faint smile, he turned to the window and whispered coldly, “Just you wait, Lucius… I’ll make you my brother-in-law… hehehe…”

…

“Achoo!”

Lucius, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly sneezed. He glanced warily to the left and right, then muttered, “That bastard Merlin must be talking about me behind my back.”

For the past few days, he’d been having the same nightmare over and over. In it, Merlin lifted him to the edge of a cliff and looked down at him with a sneering smile.

He didn’t understand why he kept having that dream. But one thing was certain—he was sure it was connected to something he had forgotten.

“Why do you look so dazed?”

A calm, slightly melodious, yet cold voice sounded from behind him.

Lucius turned and saw a fifteen-year-old girl walking toward him.

She was incredibly beautiful. Her silver hair flowed down her back like a waterfall.

A rose-shaped hairpin rested on the right side of her head. Her blood-red eyes were alluring, yet sharp as a blade.

She wore an academy uniform that highlighted her graceful curves.

Her skirt was short, revealing her pale, shapely thighs wrapped in black stockings.

That girl was Rosaline Hexaris, Lucius’s older sister.

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about Merlin Clay,” Lucius growled irritably. “That bastard is probably talking badly about me again.”

Rosaline’s eyebrows lifted slightly. She had often heard Lucius mention the name Merlin Clay.

According to him, Merlin had pressured him again and again, driving him to despair.

Rosaline couldn’t imagine anyone being bold enough to do such a thing. Lucius was the prince of the Arcadia Magic Kingdom. Only a fool—or someone tired of living—would dare provoke him.

Yet Merlin had done it, which made Rosaline incredibly curious about the boy.

“Don’t stress yourself out. If you keep thinking about it, you’ll only make yourself sick,” Rosaline said indifferently as she walked over.

She placed a glass of ginger tea in front of him and ordered, “Drink this. It’ll calm your nerves.”

Lucius took the glass and sipped it. It tasted sweet, with a warm, refreshing aftertaste.

Once he felt a little better, his expression turned serious. “Sis, you have to teach Merlin Clay a lesson. I don’t want him running wild and doing whatever he pleases.”

Thinking of Merlin’s smiling face made Lucius’s heart ache. That boy had humiliated him in public again and again.

As a prince, when had he ever been treated like this?

But there was nothing he could do. Merlin was far stronger, and the professors at the academy clearly favored him.

If Lucius acted recklessly, he would only make himself look like a fool.

“Hah…” Rosaline sighed and sat down on the sofa across from him. She crossed her long legs and warned, “Until I step in, don’t do anything to Merlin Clay. Understand? Otherwise, the academy will definitely expel you. Not even the royal family will be able to protect you.”

Her warning made Lucius’s face turn pale. He had failed the test on Star Island.

According to the rules, he should have been expelled. But his father had intervened and paid a heavy price just to let him remain as a new student at the academy.

He lowered his head and replied weakly, “I… understand.”

Seeing his submissive attitude, Rosaline nodded in satisfaction. She picked up the cup of tea she had prepared earlier, leaned back against the sofa, and took a slow sip.

Her gaze remained fixed on the ceiling, her expression cold.

’Merlin Clay… you dared to lay a hand on a member of the royal family. Do you really think you can get away with it?”’ Her eyes gleamed with killing intent. ’Just wait. I’ll make you regret it later.’

…

The welcome party was held in the academy’s main hall to celebrate the new students.

The hall was enormous, as grand as a royal palace. Dozens of eight-meter-tall golden pillars supported the towering ceiling.

The entire floor was covered in red carpet, while the tables were laden with delicious dishes from countless kingdoms.

This allowed the students to enjoy food from their hometowns. And for those who had never tasted dishes from other kingdoms, the party was a perfect chance to try something new.

All students were required to attend the welcome party. However, it wasn’t a formal event filled with speeches, so the atmosphere felt relaxed.

“Wow! There’s so much food!”

Monica’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the variety of dishes on the table. It felt like she had stepped into heaven.

“Do you want to try some, Monica? How about I join you?”

A soft voice came from behind her. Monica turned around and saw Liora.

With a beaming smile, Monica nodded. “Sure! Thanks!”

With that, the two began making their way through the food tables.

Meanwhile, Margaret, Luna, and Catrine were also sampling various dishes from other kingdoms.

Actually, Margaret had already tasted food from almost every kingdom on the continent.

After all, she was the daughter of the Beethoven family, and she had traveled widely in search of new experiences.

Even so, sharing a meal with her friends still felt far more enjoyable.

“By the way, where’s Merlin?” Luna asked, confused.

She glanced left and right, her expression filled with concern.

“He’ll be here soon. Don’t worry,” Catrine replied flatly.

Luna pouted but didn’t ask any further.

Just then, an annoying voice came from behind them.

“Pretty girls, are you all alone?”

The three instinctively turned around, their expressions immediately souring.

Standing there was a group of troublemakers, led by Lucius.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep