Three days later…

The horse-drawn carriage carrying Merlin finally arrived in the city of Droswen.

Merlin gazed at the cityscape through the window and let out a deep sigh.

"Finally, after so long, we're back, Lyserra," Merlin said enthusiastically.

No matter where he went, home was still the place he missed the most.

Lyserra nodded slightly. "You're right, Merlin. I'm more comfortable at home than at the palace or the Tharot family mansion."

In both places, she had to disguise herself as a cat.

As a respected legendary dragon, how could she endure such humiliation?

However, she understood that insisting otherwise would only bring unnecessary danger to Merlin.

"Pfft! I understand what you mean." Merlin chuckled as he rubbed her head.

Ten minutes later, they finally arrived at the Clay family mansion.

Merlin stepped out of the carriage with Lyserra in his arms.

"Welcome home, young master," a woman's gentle voice greeted him.

Merlin looked up and saw his most beloved maid, Maya.

"Thank you, Maya. Have you been waiting for me?"

Maya raised her head and nodded slightly.

"I've been waiting for you for an hour."

"An hour?" Merlin froze. He hadn't expected Maya to wait that long.

Still, considering her loyalty, he wasn't too surprised.

"I brought you a gift," Merlin said, snapping his fingers.

In an instant, various colorful packages appeared at Maya's feet.

Maya stared at Merlin in disbelief.

"Is all of this for me?" She covered her mouth with her right hand.

"If it's not for you, then who else?" Merlin rolled his eyes.

Tears fell from the corners of Maya's eyes as she bowed her head, her body trembling.

"Thank you, young master. This is the first time I've ever received a gift like this. I'm truly grateful!"

Seeing her happiness, Merlin couldn't help but smile.

He patted her shoulder and reassured her, "It's okay. You deserve it. Oh, right, how's your progress? What stage are you at now?"

He had been gone for nearly two months. That was a long time—Maya should have been close to breaking through to the 8th Stage of the Spirit Core.

Maya lifted her head, a bright smile on her face. "I've reached the 7th Stage of the Spirit Core, young master!"

Merlin's expression froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"W-What did you say? S-Seventh Stage?" His voice trembled.

"Mm! I'm already at the seventh stage!" Maya repeated excitedly.

Merlin was momentarily dazed. Then, with his heart pounding, he spoke inwardly, 'Open Maya's status panel.'

[Status]

Name: Maya

Age: 17

Identity: Merlin Clay's Personal Maid

Talent: S

Guardian Spirit: Eternal Black Flame Wolf (★★★★★)

Rank: Seventh Spirit Core

Bloodline: Lord of Death (Gold)

Favorability: 100

After reading her status, Merlin's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening as if they were about to pop out.

'S-rank talent? And what the hell is that spirit guardian? Five stars? Damn it! System, give me an explanation!' Merlin screamed inside his mind.

It had only been two months since he left the mansion, yet Maya had undergone an astonishing change.

Her talent had risen from A-rank to S-rank, and she had even awakened a five-star spirit guardian.

It should be noted that Merlin's own talent was only A-rank, something he found extremely embarrassing.

What made it worse was that Maya had already reached the seventh stage of the Spirit Core. As her master, he felt truly ashamed.

"[Ahem! Sorry, Master, I forgot to tell you. Maya is bound to you by soul because you are the one who gave her her current talent and power. When you received the blessing of the Dragon of Light, Calystron, she received it as well. One of the effects was the enhancement of Maya's talent to S-rank and the breakthrough of her level limit to the seventh stage.]"

Hearing that explanation, Merlin could only fall silent.

For the first time, he felt truly struck by reality.

He wasn't the main character of the novel, yet his development so far had been quite good.

Still, in front of Maya, he felt insignificant.

Moreover, all the heroines he had met possessed S-rank talent—Catrine, Luna, Charlotte, and Linda.

'Could it be that I thought too highly of myself?'

Sensing Merlin's dejection, the system quickly reassured him.

"[Don't be sad like that, Master! Why are you feeling down? Maya is your maid, isn't she? The stronger she becomes, the more beneficial it is for you. Am I wrong?]"

Those words snapped Merlin out of his gloom. He took a deep breath and steadied himself.

'You're right, System. I got carried away.'

The system let out a sigh of relief. If its master fell into despair, it would be extremely dangerous—for both of them.

"Good job, Maya!" Merlin praised, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you."

Maya blushed and lowered her head shyly.

"[Ding! Maya's affection has increased by 5 points! Converted into 5 system points!]"

Hearing the notification, Merlin felt satisfied.

"By the way, where are my father and mother?"

Maya snapped out of her embarrassment and replied, "Lord Ardhis is in his study, while Lady Livia is in the kitchen. She was cooking to welcome you home, but it seems she's already finished."

Merlin nodded and stepped into the mansion.

***

Knock!

"Father, it's me, Merlin. May I come in?"

Merlin waited calmly. A moment later, his father's voice came from inside.

"Oh, you're back, my son. Come in."

After receiving permission, Merlin turned the doorknob and entered. His father was working through a pile of documents on the desk.

When Ardhis noticed him, he couldn't help but smile.

"How was your journey? Did you enjoy it?" he asked, placing the last document onto the pile on the right side of the desk.

He pushed the stack aside and leaned back in his chair.

Merlin closed the door and walked over to his father.

"The journey went well. You should have heard about it from Uncle James, right?" Merlin said with a smile as he sat down on the chair beside him.

"Yes, I heard." Ardhis nodded slightly. "I still can't believe you and that girl, Luna, became so close. James even said you two were inseparable. Is that true?"

Ardhis looked at him with a playful expression.

He still remembered Merlin's words at the dinner table a few months ago—about breaking off the engagement.

Who would have thought the boy would break his own promise and grow so close to Luna?

Merlin felt embarrassed. "It's a long story."

He let out a soft sigh, a helpless look on his face.

Ever since he and Luna returned from the past, the girl had grown extremely close to him. She never even left him alone for a single day.

It was as if she didn't want him to live without her.

Well, Merlin wasn't surprised. After all, Luna was one of the yandere heroines in the novel.

Once she made up her mind to love someone, she would devote her heart and soul to them.

"Pfft! Alright, that's fine. I don't mind at all. On the contrary, your relationship with Luna will bring the Clay and Tharot families closer together," Ardhis said casually.

Merlin nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "Father, has the invitation letter from the academy arrived yet?"

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