"Hmm?" Luna looked slightly surprised. "What do you want to talk about, Merlin?"

She studied him with a curious gaze.

Merlin picked up the glass from the nightstand and took a sip. Then he looked back at Luna and asked, "How is the Kingdom of Avernia now? And is Her Majesty the Queen all right?"

Activating the Seven Celestial Generals wasn't an easy task. As far as he remembered, it required a significant amount of life force.

Luna felt relieved at his question. At first, she had expected something tense, but it turned out he was only asking something simple.

She quickly began to explain. In short, after the Kingdom of Avernia won the war, the queen immediately implemented policies to restore the kingdom.

Many soldiers and civilians had fallen victim to the war, and urgent measures were needed to reassure those who were frightened.

On the second day after the war, Crystal issued orders to reclaim the cities previously occupied by the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria.

The operation went smoothly—without a single obstacle. The military posts left behind by Aldoria had few guards, making the reconquest swift.

In just one day, the Kingdom of Avernia had fully regained its territory.

Crystal even considered launching a counterattack on Aldoria, but several ministers loyal to Avernia advised caution.

They had only just begun recovering from the war. It was wiser to first repair the damage before seeking further conflict.

Crystal agreed to the suggestion, holding back her desire for revenge against the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria.

News of Aldoria's defeat spread quickly to neighboring kingdoms.

Those who had previously sent spies immediately withdrew them and began establishing diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Avernia.

Although Crystal outwardly accepted their peace, it didn't mean she wouldn't retaliate.

She knew some of these kingdoms had supported Aldoria, directly or indirectly, and she had already prepared plans to conquer them in the coming months.

Merlin listened to Luna's story while enjoying his meal.

When Luna finished, Merlin nodded with relief.

"I see. I understand. Thank you, Luna," he said with a gentle smile.

"You're welcome," Luna replied happily. Then she remembered something and asked, "By the way, Merlin, the Kingdom of Avernia's victory officially changed the course of history. Does that mean my Tharot family will remain glorious in this timeline? And what about the Aldoria royal family—does that mean they will cease to exist?"

Merlin considered her question for a moment before answering casually, "I don't know. The Tharot family's glory depends entirely on your ancestor, Crystal Tharot. If she manages to preserve the Kingdom of Avernia's success, the Tharot family will remain royal.

"But if she fails or becomes careless, their fate could be worse than in our world. That's no longer something you or I can control. So it's best we hope your ancestor can maintain this victory for centuries to come."

His words sounded reasonable, and Luna found herself liking them.

"You're right," she said with a small smile. "You're really smart, Merlin. If it weren't for you, I don't know if this ending could have been achieved."

She lowered her head, her expression a mix of sadness and helplessness.

The person she hated most had turned out to be the one who understood her the best, protected her, and helped her.

Frankly, she felt ashamed and hesitant to appear in front of him after what she had done before.

"Heh…" Merlin smiled teasingly. "Did I hear that right? Young Lady Luna Tharot, usually so proud, is finally admitting my greatness? I'm flattered."

Luna's face froze before turning bright red in an instant.

"You…" she pouted, cheeks puffed in annoyance, but then quickly calmed. She was no longer the arrogant, childish girl she used to be.

Pursing her lips, she said, "Yes, you're right. I admit you're great. I'm also grateful to you. Are you satisfied?"

She folded her arms across her chest and smiled with a hint of pride.

Merlin chuckled softly and nodded.

"Yes, I'm satisfied. Thank you for the compliment, young lady."

They exchanged glances and laughed freely.

For some reason, the atmosphere felt warm, relaxed, and surprisingly pleasant.

Just as they were immersed in conversation, footsteps sounded from outside the room.

Crystal appeared, wearing an elegant, beautiful blue dress.

"Oh? You're awake, Merlin? Why wasn't I informed?" She looked surprised, then smiled.

"Ancestor?" Luna gasped and hurriedly greeted her. "Why are you here?"

"I came to discuss something important with you. When I went to your room, you weren't there. I asked the servants, and they said you were in Merlin's room," Crystal explained as she stepped closer. "So…"

Her gaze shifted to Merlin, a smile playing on her lips. "Why didn't you tell me Merlin was awake? Don't tell me you were trying to hide it from me."

Luna's face flushed again. She waved her hands, trying to deny it. "What are you talking about? How could I do such a thing?"

But no matter how she protested, her embarrassment only deepened.

"Pfft! Okay, I'm just kidding. Don't take it seriously," Crystal giggled.

Luna calmed slightly and looked away, pretending to be annoyed.

Crystal shook her head and sat down on the side of the bed.

"Are you alright? Is any part of your body hurting?" she asked attentively.

"I'm fine, Your Majesty. Thank you for your concern," Merlin replied politely.

"That's good. But I'll still call the palace doctor later to check on you," Crystal said.

Merlin accepted her kindness. Feeling no pain didn't mean he could be certain his body was completely unharmed.

"Oh, right. In two days, I will hold a ceremony to honor you and Luna," Crystal said enthusiastically. "Thanks to you, we were able to win this war. It's only fitting that you both receive this recognition."

The honorary title was a prestigious distinction, granted only to those who had rendered extraordinary service to the kingdom.

Merlin and Luna were precisely such people. Without their efforts, the Kingdom of Avernia would surely have fallen to Gabriel Solayne and his army.

Merlin's expression stiffened at her words. He shook his head and apologized. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I don't think we can accept such kindness. Tomorrow, Luna and I will return to our world immediately."

Just moments ago, he had asked the system to activate the return mechanism for the following day.

Had he known about the ceremony, he might have postponed their departure.

"Returning, huh?"

Crystal suddenly remembered that the two of them were not from this era but from the future.

"All right, I understand," she sighed. "Even so, I will still bestow the honorary title, whether or not you are present."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Merlin replied, bowing slightly.

Crystal nodded and then turned to Luna. "Luna, come with me later. I have a gift for you."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.