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

Merlin's eyes widened in surprise at her name.

"Charlotte… Solayne?" His heart raced.

Charlotte Solayne—the first princess and a heroine in the novel—was the very person he had mentioned earlier.

She was also the main reason Abel had grown up so quickly in the story.

It was completely unexpected that she would welcome him in the palace, especially hugging him so tightly.

Merlin quickly straightened his posture and bowed respectfully.

"I apologize, Your Highness. My earlier behavior was rude. I hope I did not offend you," he said sincerely.

Had he known who she was, he wouldn't have dared to push her away.

If Charlotte had been angry, he would have been finished. After all, her status as a princess was undeniable.

"Pfft!" Charlotte giggled, helping him straighten up. "Don't bow like that, Merlin Clay. After all, we are partners."

Her voice softened on the last word, but Merlin caught it clearly, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"Partners? What do you mean, Your Highness?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'll explain later. For now, let's go inside. I'll show you around the palace," Charlotte said, clasping his right hand tightly and pulling him along.

"Wait! Your Highness—" Before Merlin could finish, Charlotte had already led him inside, leaving James shaking his head helplessly.

***

"What? Charlotte took Merlin away?"

Sitting on the throne, Vargan was stunned by the news from his son.

The first prince knelt on one knee and replied respectfully, "Yes, Father. What should we do? Should we stop her?"

He looked up, waiting for his father's response.

Vargan was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "No need. Let her take Merlin Clay for a walk. It'll do him good to get familiar with the palace. After all, he'll be staying here for five to seven days."

His expression slowly grew serious as he continued, "And you, Leonard, make sure to build a strong relationship with him. Merlin Clay is the child mentioned in the prophecy. The glory of the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria—and the safety of this world—rests on him. Ensure he forms a strong bond with the kingdom. Do you understand?"

A prophecy had appeared about a year ago, predicting the arrival of someone who would save the world from destruction.

Vargan had tasked the palace mages with discovering the figure's identity, but they always failed, as if an invisible hand had blinded them.

Two months ago, one of the diviners finally claimed they had found the person in the prophecy: Merlin Clay, the only son of the Clay family.

For that reason, Vargan was determined to bind Merlin Clay to the royal family, no matter the cost.

Leonard bowed again. "As you command, Father."

What they didn't realize was that behind the throne room door, a man with short blond hair leaned casually with his arms crossed, eyes half-open, and a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Merlin Clay, huh? So that's the truth. No wonder Father always calls Leonard to the throne room in secret—he clearly favors his son," the man sneered.

Yet his eyes revealed something else—hatred and jealousy.

Their father had always been unfair with his love. Only Leonard ever received it.

And him? He was the unwanted child.

Since the old man wanted Leonard close to Merlin Clay, he would seize the opportunity.

"We'll see who truly earns Merlin Clay's favor."

A sly smile lingering on his lips, he turned and strode toward the palace courtyard.

***

"Merlin Clay, that's the meeting room. Father usually calls all members of the royal family there for important announcements."

"That's the treasure room. It's the most heavily guarded place in the palace. See all the guards? Even the royal family can't enter without Father's permission."

"And over there…"

Walking down the wide palace corridor, Charlotte pointed out various rooms on both sides.

The palace was enormous—many times larger than her family's mansion.

It was luxurious and magnificent, yet still retained ancient elements that blended beautifully, creating a stunning harmony.

Even so, Merlin didn't like buildings this big.

The distance from one room to another was exhausting. He didn't feel jealous or wish he had a palace like this at all.

"Sorry to interrupt, Your Highness, but… is this really okay? The king won't be angry with me, right?" Merlin asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry—my father won't be angry. On the contrary, he'll be delighted to show you around," Charlotte said soothingly.

"All right, I won't ask any more questions."

With that, Merlin had nothing else to say.

And if the king did get angry, he could always blame Charlotte—after all, she had dragged him into the palace the moment he arrived.

The two continued walking until they finally reached the palace's back garden.

The garden was spacious and full of flowers, much like the back garden of the Tharot family mansion.

The difference was its size—it was far larger.

At the center was a fairly open area with two benches, two large trees, and three garden lamps positioned about four meters from the benches.

"That's the palace garden! I love relaxing here. Let's go there."

Without waiting for Merlin's response, Charlotte pulled him toward it.

Merlin didn't resist, letting her lead the way.

Once they reached the center of the garden, they sat side by side.

The sun shone brightly, yet strangely, the garden didn't feel hot at all.

"By the way, Your Highness," Merlin said, turning to her, "why not just call me Merlin? You don't need to use my family name. And I'll call you by your first name too. It'll help us get closer."

Now that he knew Charlotte's identity, there was no way he would let the opportunity slip by.

As it happened, Charlotte was a heroine he genuinely admired.

She was gentle, kind, and caring. Yet whenever the protagonist was threatened, she became a completely different person.

Her gentleness vanished, replaced by a cold decisiveness and ruthless edge that could confuse anyone who knew her, making them wonder if she was even the same person.

She could easily be classified as a yandere heroine.

But since she rarely showed that side of herself, most readers never thought of her that way.

"Call me by my first name?" Charlotte blinked in surprise.

She hadn't expected Merlin to suggest it. Yet she didn't mind at all—on the contrary, she was delighted.

"Alright, Merlin Clay—no, I mean, Merlin! Let's call each other by our first names!"

"Sure, Charlotte…"

"[Ding! The affection of heroine Charlotte Solayne has increased by 10 points. Current affection: 70 points.]"

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