“Young Master, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Merlin snapped out of his reverie and turned to Maya, who looked both anxious and worried.

His expression instantly grew complicated, tinged with sadness. Maya was his personal maid in The Lost Hero.

Although Merlin was known to be annoying and shunned by everyone, there were a handful of people who truly cared for him—and one of them was Maya.

Despite being beaten, yelled at, and scolded by Merlin, Maya never hated him. Instead, she loved him deeply.

There was, of course, a reason for this. Maya had once been a slave sold in the market, her condition back then pitiful—a far cry from how she looked now.

She had been thin and starving, her face covered in wounds, and her hair matted. Her appearance made the nobles who frequented the slave market lose all interest in her.

But one day, Merlin Clay, while walking with his father, took an unusual interest in her and asked Ardhis to buy her.

At that time, Ardhis was puzzled and wondered what had gotten into Merlin, who wanted to purchase a girl in such a miserable state.

Merlin answered simply that he wanted to save her and make her his personal maid.

Since it was his son’s wish, Ardhis said nothing and bought her. Even though Merlin later grew arrogant and annoying, Maya’s affection for him never changed.

To her, Merlin was her savior, and her life was his.

‘Huh…’ Merlin let out a small sigh as he massaged his temples. ‘The Merlin in that story was really stupid. He ignored the beautiful Maya and kept chasing after Luna, who was clearly disgusted with him. What a waste!’

As he reviewed the draft about Merlin Clay’s pathetic, dog-licking nature back then, he even felt like going to Michiku-sensei to scold him for creating such a ridiculous character.

What made it worse was that the character bore his name, as if mocking Merlin by reflecting him in the story.

“Young master? Why are you silent? Are you alright?”

Maya’s voice came again, this time as she pressed her forehead against his, startling him.

“M-Maya!? What are you doing?” Merlin exclaimed, quickly retreating in surprise.

Maya let out a relieved sigh, patting her ample chest. Chapters first released on novel✦fire.net

“I was just worried you were hurt. But it seems my worries were for nothing,” she said with a sweet smile. Yet her expression soon shifted into a frown as she carefully asked, “But what exactly happened? Why were you suddenly groaning in pain like that? Were you having a nightmare?”

Just moments ago, Merlin had looked like someone who had lost his memory—dazed, as if he didn’t even recognize her.

His sudden change after waking left Maya both confused and worried that something had happened to her young master.

Sensing Maya’s sincerity, Merlin felt a gentle warmth rise within him.

‘She really is the same character as in the novel,’ he muttered under his breath.

He gave a slight shake of his head, then managed a faint smile to reassure Maya. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

But Maya still looked doubtful. Just as she was about to ask more, Merlin cut her off.

“By the way, Maya… How long has it been since I bought you from the slave market?” he asked calmly.

The question made Maya pause for a moment before she answered in a low voice, “It’s been two years, Young Master. Did… something happen?”

There was a hint of panic in her voice, and her hands gripped the hem of her apron tightly.

Noticing her unease, Merlin quickly reached out and took her right hand.

“It’s alright. I just feel like time has passed so quickly. You, who were once weak and thin, are now healthy. That’s… amazing,” he said with a small sigh.

Deep down, Merlin couldn’t help but feel envious of Merlin Clay. That damn man was truly lucky to have found Maya in the slave market—a girl who turned out to be extraordinarily beautiful.

Despite her mature appearance, Maya was only fifteen. The gap between them was just seven years.

“Young Master,” Maya said in surprise, looking him up and down as if she were seeing a completely different person. “You talk like an old man. Are you really okay?”

Merlin was only eight years old, yet the demeanor he displayed just now felt like that of someone who had already tasted the salt and pepper of life.

Even the way he spoke was completely different from what she was used to. Normally, every morning, Merlin would wake up sullen and dissatisfied, ready to scold, yell, and even… hit her.

It was clearly painful. But for Maya, Merlin was both her light and her life.

Although she was often hurt, she never complained and always served him loyally. But now… why did everything feel so different?

Merlin, who usually woke up in anger, suddenly looked wise—an attitude that didn’t match his old self at all.

Maya’s words briefly stunned Merlin. He remembered that his sudden change in behavior would naturally make her suspicious.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to act like the Merlin in the story, who never knew how to be polite to others.

With a small sigh, he shook his head and said, “I realized that what I’ve done to you these past two years was disrespectful. So, I want to slowly change that. Is… that okay?”

Tears welled in his eyes, leaving Maya frozen in place.

“So cute!” she melted.

It felt as if an arrow of love had struck her heart. A bright smile spread across her lips as she hugged him tightly.

“Young Master, do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment? Kyaa! You finally changed! I’m so happy!”

Merlin’s face was pressed against her chest, making him experience the legendary softness that usually only existed in novels or comics. But then, his breath suddenly caught, and he hurriedly patted Maya to let him go.

Realizing this, Maya quickly released him and scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, Young Master. I just got too excited,” she said with a guilty look.

Merlin panted, wiping the blood from his nose. Giving her a thumbs-up, he replied, “It’s fine. I don’t mind you hugging me, just… not too hard, okay?”

Maya’s smile quickly returned, and she answered with bright excitement, “Okay!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep