"Merlin? You're awake?"

Merlin turned toward the voice, surprised to see Luna.

"Luna?" He blinked several times, then gave a small smile. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry."

But Luna didn't look relieved at all. Instead, her worry grew even stronger. Tears welled up in her eyes as she rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

"Woaa! I thought you were dead! I was so scared! Woaa!" She cried bitterly, tightening her embrace.

Two weeks had passed since Merlin was found unconscious. His body had looked weak—even the palace doctor said his life force was almost gone.

His chances of survival were only ten percent, and the doctor couldn't guarantee anything.

Crystal had tried channeling her life force into him, but it didn't have much effect.

In the end, they could only leave everything to fate.

Every day, Luna came to his room to check on him or simply wipe his neck, face, and arms with a warm towel.

She always prayed that Merlin would wake up. If he didn't, she didn't know what she would do.

She had come to this era with Merlin, and it was impossible for her to return alone.

How would she answer her parents' questions if she returned by herself?

Besides, Merlin had unknowingly become someone very important to her. She didn't want to lose him.

Merlin let out a soft sigh and returned her embrace. He rubbed Luna's back and comforted her, "I'm sorry for making you worry. But you don't need to worry anymore; I'm here."

His words calmed the tense Luna. Her body slowly relaxed, and she let go of him.

Wiping her tears, she asked hoarsely, "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

Her worried gaze swept from top to bottom.

"I'm fine. Nothing hurts. Everything's okay," Merlin replied reassuringly.

Luna let out a breath of relief and patted her chest.

Krrk!

A rumbling stomach echoed, and the two instantly exchanged embarrassed glances.

"Ahem!" Merlin coughed awkwardly. "I haven't eaten, and I'm starving. Sorry."

Luna giggled and shook her head. "It's okay. Wait here; I'll get you something to eat."

Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked off energetically.

Watching her leave, Merlin asked, "System, check Luna's status panel."

[Status]

Name: Luna Tharot

Age: 11 years old

Identity: Daughter of Duke Tharot's family

Talent: A

Guardian Spirit: Owl of Wisdom (★★★)

Rank: The Ninth Spirit Core

Favorability: 99 (10)

When the results appeared, his heart raced.

"What? Her affection is at 99 points? Are you kidding me?" Merlin exclaimed in shock.

Ninety-nine points of affection was extremely high.

It had taken him a great deal of time and effort to reach eighty points of affection with Linda, Catrine, and Margaret.

Reaching ninety-nine points was even more difficult.

He had to devise strategies tailored to each heroine.

But Luna had reached ninety-nine points of affection effortlessly.

And Merlin hadn't even intended to win her over in the first place.

"[Tsk! Tsk! Why are you so surprised, Master? Isn't it obvious?]" The system's mocking voice echoed in his mind. "[You brought Luna to this era through the Grail, so of course you ended up conquering her. Don't you remember how Abel did it in the novel?]"

The system's words snapped Merlin out of his shock.

He pondered for a moment and realized it made sense. Luna's hatred for Merlin Clay in the novel was caused by his own licking, dog-like nature.

He followed Luna wherever she went. If Merlin were in her position, he would probably hate him too.

After all, everyone wants their own privacy.

On top of that, Luna deeply hated the engagement. Combined with Merlin's irritating nature, her hatred had reached its peak.

But since Merlin had replaced the original Merlin Clay, the course of events had shifted.

He didn't grovel or flatter Luna like the Merlin in the novel did.

"Hah… This is really difficult for me. I never intended to make Luna my mate. But now, that desire feels unrealistic." Merlin rubbed his temples while staring helplessly at the ceiling.

He didn't want to conquer every heroine; he wasn't the type who acted based on his lower body.

There were only a few heroines he was actually interested in, like Catrine, Linda, Margaret, and the others.

As for Luna, to put it bluntly, he wasn't interested at all.

Since it was impossible to make her an enemy without reason, he intended to make her a partner or a friend instead.

Unfortunately, with ninety-nine points of affection, ignoring her was impossible.

"[It's okay, Master. If Abel can be with many women, why can't you? Besides, you know how loyal Luna Tharot is in the novel, right? She will definitely help you a lot in the future,]" the system persuaded him.

Merlin remained silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and replied, "Your argument is tempting, system. But this isn't something I can decide alone. I already have Catrine, Margaret, and Linda. I have to be honest with her. If she's willing, I don't mind. But if not…"

His words trailed off, but the meaning was clear.

The system said nothing further. Its role was only to give advice—not to decide the master's choices or destiny.

"Merlin, I brought you some food. I hope you like it."

Luna entered carrying a tray of food, a glass of water, and a plate of neatly cut fruit.

She set it on the nightstand and asked, "Can you eat by yourself?"

Her eyes shone with curiosity—and hope.

Merlin felt a little awkward. Luna was very different from when they first met.

She had once been cold, indifferent, and fierce. Now, she seemed gentle and attentive—a complete contrast to her previous demeanor.

"I can eat by myself. Thank you for your concern," Merlin replied casually.

Luna looked slightly disappointed, but she didn't complain and handed him the plate anyway.

Merlin ate heartily, though his stomach kept rumbling annoyingly.

"By the way, Merlin," Luna asked hesitantly, "when are we going back?"

Merlin paused for a moment before answering.

"Don't worry. We'll be back tomorrow."

Unlike Abel, he had activated the Grail of Time using the system's power, so he could return whenever he wished.

"That's good," Luna said with a relieved smile. "I want to go back soon. Father and Mother must be worried that we've disappeared from the mansion."

Merlin nodded. If he wasn't mistaken, the time ratio between this era and the real world was 1:3—meaning one day in the real world equaled three weeks here.

Since they had been in this era for over a month, that meant more than a day had passed in the real world.

"By the way, Luna," Merlin said, pausing mid-bite and looking at her calmly. "I need to talk to you about something. It's a serious matter."

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