Ophelia looked at Merlin, who seemed as wilted as a fading flower, and let out a soft sigh.
She didn’t intend to scold Merlin any further.
If someone were to be berated even for sacrificing themselves for others, it would be far too cruel, even if that sacrifice had been a bit excessive.
Besides, it wasn’t entirely Merlin’s fault.
Ophelia cast aside her previous sternness, and her voice became gentle once more.
“I’m not angry. Anyway… let’s rest for a bit and gather our thoughts. I’m tired, too.”
Ophelia lay down on the large bed, leaving a conspicuous space beside her as a gesture for Merlin.
Merlin lay down with utmost obedience. Together with her mother, she watched the room gradually grow dim as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Merlin had received too much information at once and didn’t know what to do with it.
At the very least, she had only learned today about the memory of her biological mother saying goodbye to her.
Right…
“The crystal core… is it the kind of thing that just falls out easily? And didn’t you say that I have a crystal core, and that spirits without one will die? Then why…”
Regarding the memories of her birth mother and the reasons why she had been abandoned there, Merlin was curious, but it hadn’t reached the point where those were her first questions.
She still cared more about her current predicament and confusion.
Lying on the bed, Ophelia was also working hard to absorb the memories from moments ago.
In contrast to Merlin, Ophelia had already guessed most of what had happened between Merlin and Mashina when she first encountered Merlin after she turned back into a spirit, and later when she saw Mashina in the infirmary.
It was simply a matter of not knowing exactly how Merlin had given the crystal core to Mashina.
What truly caused Ophelia to fall into deep thought was the first memory.
She never knew her sister had a daughter; not even a whisper of Merlin’s birth had reached the Forest of Spirits.
Since the lives of spirits were so long, not seeing each other for a dozen years wasn’t enough cause to specifically go looking, especially since her sister was a reliable person who could never stay still.
She never expected things to turn out like this.
When they had touched just now, Merlin’s soul still maintained a faint connection with her sister, meaning she was likely still alive.
This… she had to tell Merlin as well.
She let out a soft breath, temporarily suppressing her surging emotions.
Regardless, she would take things in order.
“Are you hungry?”
“I’m not hungry.”
Normally, Ophelia would have insisted Merlin eat first, even if it was just a glass of warm milk, but she let it slide this time…
Ophelia needed to organize her own thoughts as well, so she would set aside her motherly fussing for the moment.
“As for the crystal core, let’s start with your biological mother, Cecilia.”
Merlin softly repeated her mother’s name.
“Cecilia… what kind of person was she?”
Ophelia suddenly gave a light chuckle, the sound thinning the heavy atmosphere in the room.
“Her personality wasn’t like yours at all. Sister Cecilia was forceful and full of mischief; she loved playing tricks on people, yet she always had a way of making it impossible to stay mad at her. She was a very interesting sister.”
“I see…”
“Oh, right.”
Ophelia seemed to remember something.
“When my sister and I both appear at the same time.”
Ophelia turned onto her side with a trace of a mischievous smile.
“Why don’t you call us ‘Mama Ceci’ and ‘Mama Ophi’? After all, our Merlin has two mothers.”
“Um…”
This was the first time Merlin had heard anything about her biological mother. Because she had sensed Ophelia deliberately avoiding the subject before, she hadn’t pressed for details.
Ophelia intentionally dragged out her words, lightly poking Merlin’s cheek with her fingertip.
“Or is it? Now that you know about your birth mother, the current one doesn’t count anymore? Hmm… I suppose you can call me Ophelia, since that’s what you were doing before.”
“That’s not it!”
Ophelia began to gently stroke Merlin’s head.
“Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should say thank you, Mama Ophi…”
“Good girl.”
Ophelia’s palm was so warm that it dispelled the last bit of uneasy chill in Merlin’s heart.
After their interaction, Merlin’s emotions settled significantly.
“Well then, let’s continue talking about Cecilia.”
After the mother-daughter moment ended, Ophelia didn’t turn back, but simply stayed there watching Merlin quietly.
Merlin felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze; the bashfulness brought on by that reflexive “Mama Ophi” was finally catching up to her.
She had no choice but to pretend nothing was wrong, turning back to lie flat and staring at a corner of the ceiling with a feigned air of deep contemplation.
However, her flushed face in the dim light gave everything away.
Ophelia didn’t call her out on it; it wasn’t as if Merlin getting shy at the drop of a hat was a new development.
“Let’s start with the matter of the crystal core falling out. Though I can’t be entirely certain, I suspect it’s an issue left behind by Cecilia. Do you remember when you asked me on the hospital bed if you could change back, and I scolded you?”
Merlin gave a small response, her fingertips subconsciously curling.
“Yes…”
“Because the soul accounts for eighty percent of a spirit, one shouldn’t manipulate it lightly. At first, I thought your soul was damaged, but in reality, it was something Cecilia did to you… I wonder which was the cause and which was the effect?”
Ophelia’s gaze drifted for a moment as if she were talking to herself.
Seeing Merlin’s eyes slightly widened in focused listening, and that innocent expression of trying her best to understand, Ophelia slowed her speech.
“Either Cecilia intentionally tampered with your soul, leading to damage and an incorrect physical expression, or she turned you into a boy by using a small portion of your soul as the price for an exchange.”
Merlin caught the key word.
“An exchange? Like making a wish.”
“Exactly. It is a wish. When spirit royalty uses their own soul as a price, the effect is incredibly powerful.”
Her voice suddenly grew heavy.
“However… it’s truly, truly dangerous. The constitution of a spirit is unstable to begin with; with that much meddling, one could simply dissipate into the air. Power always comes with a price.”
Ophelia sighed. Ignoring Merlin’s reaction, she pulled the girl into her embrace, simply wanting to be close to her because she was so adorable.
“Eek…”
Merlin let out a short cry of surprise.
The soft sensation and elegant fragrance instantly enveloped her. Ophelia held Merlin tightly, resting her chin on the top of her head.
Ophelia’s voice came muffled from above, her warm breath brushing against the crown of Merlin’s head.
“That’s why I got angry back then when you talked about changing back. A spirit’s soul cannot withstand that much turmoil.”
Since Merlin now knew that her current appearance was her original self, she couldn’t complain much more.
Besides, she was gradually getting used to life as a girl.
And… Ophelia had lectured her quite enough over the past few days…
“So, your soul was unstable at the time. Cecilia’s method of adjusting your soul was too crude. Well… she was always a bit reckless like that. To think she left you in a place like that without adding an extra layer of protection—she didn’t even look for a reliable orphanage before leaving you at the door.”
Ophelia sighed.
“According to your account, you don’t even have any memories of living in the orphanage.”