"Hmm? Has Merlin Clay arrived yet?"

A man opened his eyes and glanced indifferently at the young man in front of him.

"Yes, Father," the young man in his twenties replied.

He bowed his head and continued, "The news just came from the guards. They say Merlin Clay will arrive at the palace in a few minutes."

The man slowly straightened his body and stretched lazily.

"Good. Let's welcome him," he said as he slowly got up. "After all, he is the one mentioned in the prophecy..."

...

"Woaa! Is that the royal palace? It's huge!" Merlin peeked through the window, unable to hide his amazement.

The royal palace was enormous and magnificent.

Even the Tharot family mansion—or Clay's mansion—was nothing compared to it.

Well, that made sense, considering what stood before him was a palace, not a mansion.

Still, it was so impressive that it left him speechless.

"Humph! You're exaggerating, Merlin. My palace is hundreds of times bigger than that."

Beside him, Lyserra snorted coldly in mockery.

"Oh?" Merlin was a little surprised. He leaned back inside and looked at Lyserra curiously.

"You have a palace? Why didn't I know?"

Lyserra jumped into his arms and lay down lazily.

"That's because I never told anyone, including you. But unfortunately, my palace was destroyed thousands of years ago."

She let out a small sigh, her expression turning sad and nostalgic.

Merlin went silent as he gently rubbed her head.

"In the future, if there's a chance, let's rebuild your palace," he said softly.

Judging by Lyserra's expression, the palace had meant a great deal to her.

For some reason, the desire to rebuild it for her welled up inside him.

Was this what it felt like to care for someone—or even to love them?

Lyserra was taken aback. She hadn't expected Merlin to say something like that.

Although she knew it was impossible, his words made her quietly happy.

Before she realized it, a faint smile appeared on her lips. She quickly hid it, burying her face in Merlin's chest.

"You're very attentive. But I like that," she said casually, though her joy was hard to conceal.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle at her endearing antics.

Their carriage rolled through the palace gates, passing five guard posts, each manned by soldiers of the Seventh Core Spirit stage.

The Seventh Core Spirit stage was undeniably powerful, yet here they served merely as guards—proof of just how formidable the kingdom's foundation was.

But it also benefited everyone living within the kingdom.

As long as the royal family remained strong, they could all live safely, free from threats beyond the borders.

After passing the final checkpoint, the horse-drawn carriage finally entered the palace courtyard.

Soldiers patrolled back and forth, carefully guarding every side of the palace.

"Young Master, let's get out," James called from outside. The door slowly opened, and Merlin stepped out quickly.

"The air here is so fresh." Merlin took a deep breath and then exhaled.

"It's not just the air—magical power here is abundant as well. I'm sure you can feel it," Lyserra added from his right shoulder.

Merlin glanced at Lyserra, who had now taken the form of a cat.

He still remembered his father's warning: keep Lyserra's identity hidden from the royal family, or it could lead to disaster.

"You're right. I can feel it. My power is growing bit by bit. If I stay here longer, reaching the First Spirit Core stage isn't impossible," Merlin said with a small chuckle.

Lyserra rolled her eyes. The First Spirit Core stage wasn't something one could achieve easily.

Otherwise, hundreds of thousands would reach it every year, and the world would be on the brink of ruin.

"Then let's go inside, Young Master. The king must be waiting," James said.

Merlin had no objections. Just as he was about to step inside, footsteps approached from ahead.

A remarkably beautiful thirteen-year-old girl appeared, tugging at both ends of her skirt.

"She…" Merlin was startled, but before he could say anything, the girl ran up to him, her face beaming.

"You're finally here, Merlin Clay!" She leapt into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Caught completely off guard, Merlin tumbled backward with a loud thud.

Merlin couldn't process what was happening, but the girl's tight hug finally snapped him out of his confusion.

"You're finally here! I've been waiting for you, you know?" The girl pressed her face against his chest affectionately.

Merlin froze, unsure how to respond. He didn't even know who she was.

He tried to push her away, but her embrace was like iron.

"Young lady, please let go. I don't know who you are or why you're hugging me. It's rude," Merlin said coldly.

Although the girl was beautiful, Merlin wasn't the type to tolerate this kind of intrusion.

The girl's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" She hurriedly released him and stood up, her face flushed red like an apple.

Merlin exhaled in relief and straightened himself.

He smoothed his dirty robe and glanced at James, who had been standing silently by.

Feeling Merlin's gaze, James shifted awkwardly and looked away, as if he hadn't noticed.

"I'm sorry, Young Master Merlin Clay. I didn't mean to—I was just too happy," the girl said, bowing her head.

Her body trembled, and her eyes glistened with tears. The mix of her beauty and vulnerability made her look exquisitely fragile, like cracked porcelain.

In the end, Merlin relented. His anger faded as he took a deep breath, letting himself calm down.

"So, who are you? And why did you just hug me like that?"

At the same time, Merlin studied her from head to toe, curiosity written across his face.

The girl was exceptionally beautiful—even rivaling Catrine, Luna, and Margaret.

Because she was slightly older than them, her beauty carried a subtle, alluring charm.

She wore a golden-brown gown that fit her perfectly.

Her long, wavy hair shimmered gold, crowned with a delicate silver tiara.

She was quite tall—half a head taller than Merlin.

For context, Merlin was considered tall for his age, making her stature all the more striking.

He couldn't help but wonder, 'Who is she? A heroine, perhaps?'

Just then, the girl pulled both ends of her dress and bowed gracefully toward him, a sweet smile on her face.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Merlin Clay. My name is Charlotte Solayne. It's a pleasure to meet you."

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