"Achoo!"

Merlin suddenly sneezed. He looked around warily, then asked in surprise, 'Who's talking about me behind my back? Abel, maybe? But that seems impossible, doesn't it?'

He frowned, feeling uneasy.

Charlotte, who was beside him, turned her head curiously. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Merlin shook his head. "Nothing. By the way, is this kind of escort really necessary?"

He peeked out the window and saw at least twenty sixth-stage core spirit soldiers. Every one of them was a knight, perfectly suited for escort duties.

"Hah…" Charlotte sighed helplessly. She massaged her temples and complained, "I don't want this either. But what can I do? My father has always been strict. Whenever I leave the palace, there are guards watching me. Even after I became strong, his stance never changed."

It would be a lie to say she wasn't annoyed with her father. Still, as a princess, her status was far too important to be ignored.

Don't be fooled by the royal family's apparent prosperity and peace. In reality, countless enemies lurked in the shadows.

Many factions wished for the royal family's destruction, including certain nobles and hostile kingdoms.

No one could guarantee that the capital was completely free of spies or assassins waiting for the right moment to strike if she appeared alone.

"Pfft! I understand. It's fine. I used to dream of having an escort like this. I never thought it would actually come true." Merlin chuckled as he leaned back into the soft chair.

Unlike the capital, the city of Droswen was naturally safe and almost free of threats—aside from the plague that had nearly wiped out its population and the kidnappings carried out by those mysterious people.

However, he had dealt with both easily.

After two years, Droswen could now be considered safe, with no significant danger remaining.

An escort like this was something he had only ever seen in novels or royal-themed comics.

Back then, Merlin had often imagined himself as a prince, surrounded by guards whenever he went out.

Although the current situation wasn't exactly as he had imagined, it wasn't too far off either.

"You're really funny, Merlin." Charlotte giggled, covering her mouth with her palm.

She herself hated being escorted by soldiers like this, yet Merlin actually enjoyed it.

The contrast was so amusing that she couldn't hold back her laughter.

Merlin only smiled and shook his head.

The horse-drawn carriage carrying them finally arrived near the city center.

To avoid attracting too much attention, Charlotte had asked the head guard to drop her off at a spot slightly on the outskirts, where it wasn't too crowded.

At first, the head guard refused, but Merlin persuaded him, and in the end, the request was approved.

Merlin and Charlotte slowly stepped down from the horse-drawn carriage. When Charlotte saw the crowd in the distance, her eyes sparkled with happiness.

"Wow! It's so crowded!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Merlin glanced at her and couldn't help but chuckle softly. Unlike Luna, who could sneak into the city of Dralmor whenever she wanted, Charlotte couldn't do that at all.

As a result, she almost always stayed in the palace. Even when she went out, she was surrounded by strict guards. Without them, Vargan would never allow it.

Because of that, Merlin didn't find her excitement strange in the slightest.

"Then let's go!" Charlotte said impatiently as she grabbed Merlin's right hand tightly.

But just as she was about to pull him along, the head guard suddenly stopped her.

"Wait, Princess! Let us lead the way!"

Charlotte immediately halted. She turned toward the head guard with a dissatisfied expression. "No. I want to walk alone with Merlin. You stay here or go do something else."

She had once read a fairy tale about romance.

In it, there was a scene where the protagonist and the heroine went on a date in an ancient city called Loyindar.

Now, she and Merlin were about to walk together through the capital—just like in that story.

Because of that, she didn't want this precious moment ruined by guards interfering with her date with Merlin.

Furthermore, Merlin would be returning to the Clay family home tomorrow. She had also heard from her father that Merlin would soon be heading to Saint Freya Academy.

When that happened, no one knew when they would be able to meet and enjoy a moment like this again.

"But, Princess, this is a direct order from His Majesty the Emperor. I cannot disobey it," the head guard insisted.

Even if it was a direct order from Charlotte, he didn't care. The highest authority he had to obey was still Vargan, the king and the princess's father.

The atmosphere grew tense as the head guard continued to insist on following Merlin and Charlotte.

Suddenly, Charlotte's face turned cold. Her hair glowed with a bright golden light and lifted upward.

Her eyes flashed sharply as her pupils turned vertical.

In a deep, furious voice, she declared, "I don't want to be disturbed!"

A tremendous rumble instantly knocked the head guard and the guards behind him to the ground.

Fortunately, they fell in a quiet, secluded area.

Even so, the impact was strong enough to draw the attention of people in the distance.

Merlin stood frozen, his face filled with shock. He hadn't expected the gentle and kind Charlotte to reveal such a fierce side.

Realizing that letting this continue could endanger those around them, he quickly placed his hands gently on Charlotte's shoulders.

"Okay, Charlotte. Don't let your anger consume you. Let me handle this, alright?" he said softly, trying to calm her.

Charlotte's anger faded, and her appearance returned to normal.

She lowered her head sadly and whispered weakly, "I'm sorry, Merlin."

Merlin simply smiled and patted her head. Although Charlotte was half a head taller than him, it didn't make him feel awkward at all.

After all, he was actually over twenty-five years old. No matter the reason, Charlotte was still a child in his eyes.

Turning toward the head guard and the guards, who were slowly getting back to their feet with stunned expressions, Merlin walked over to them.

"Head guard, I understand that you and your subordinates are only carrying out your duty. But could I ask for some leniency? Just for today, please grant Charlotte's request," he said sincerely.

The head guard took a deep breath and shook his head.

"No, Young Master Merlin. This matter is extremely important. If anything were to happen to the princess, there would be no second chance," he replied earnestly.

Merlin fell silent in thought. Then, an idea suddenly came to him.

"How about this…"

Five minutes later...

"Let's go," Merlin said, taking Charlotte's hand and pulling her along.

Charlotte was startled and looked back, only to find that the head guard and his men were no longer following them.

"This… what's going on?"

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