As night fell, the bathroom was filled with warm, humid steam, and the air was thick with the faint scent of rose soap.
Ophelia used a thick, soft bath towel to carefully lift little Merlin out of the bathtub brimming with warm water, her movements gentle.
“Alright, whether you’re a little duckling or a little elf, it’s time to come out now.”
Ophelia meticulously wiped the glistening droplets of water from her daughter’s body. As the dry, warm towel brushed over her damp hair, little Merlin obediently tilted her head up like a kitten having its fur smoothed, instinctively squinting her eyes to prevent the water droplets on her hair from splashing into them. Fine mist clung to her long eyelashes, trembling under the warm yellow light of the bathroom.
“Hehe.”
Feeling the warmth of her mother’s fingertips, little Merlin let out a string of laughter as crisp as wind chimes. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the steam, making one unable to resist wanting to take a little bite.
“Baby is so good.”
Ophelia couldn’t help but plant a soft kiss on her forehead. Although Merlin had turned into a child upon waking, Ophelia didn’t find it troublesome; on the contrary, she felt happier. Little Merlin was well-behaved, easy to look after, and didn’t throw tantrums. If she had to name a flaw, it was that she would often stare silently into the empty distance, lost in thought.
The fifteen-year-old Merlin had always possessed a strange stubbornness and was very headstrong. Ophelia had bought her many beautiful, cute little dresses, but every time there was a fuss; they were either left to gather dust in the wardrobe, or Merlin would only agree to wear them after Ophelia had spent a long time wheedling her.
Ophelia wanted to strengthen the bond between mother and daughter—for example, by bathing together, sleeping together, and going on outings together. The older Merlin always kicked up a fuss, but in the end, she would always agree. She was quite the tsundere, wasn’t she? Though it required some coercion and bribery… was she really just going through a rebellious phase?
While the older Merlin had her own charm, for now, it was better to enjoy little Merlin. Ophelia found this little Merlin, who relied on her wholeheartedly and showed her soft, squishy side without reservation, to be incredibly adorable.
Ophelia changed Merlin into a cotton nightgown with ruffled edges, then carried the soft little creature in her arms back to the bedroom. The moment her back touched the large bed, soft as a cloud, it was as if a switch had been flipped in little Merlin; she immediately began rolling around on the wide bed, letting out strange noises.
“Wooo, wooo.”
Ophelia couldn’t help but smile, sitting by the bed and watching her tenderly. “Oh my, what kind of sound is that? Baby?”
Little Merlin flipped over, splaying her limbs. “Awoooo~~”
“So cute,” Ophelia cooed.
Little Merlin stopped moving and shook her head seriously, a few stray strands of hair sticking to her face. “I don’t know, I just felt like making that sound.”
Ophelia reached out and gently tapped the tip of her nose. “You don’t sound like an elf; you sound like a wolf.”
“Awoo.”
Ophelia lay down on the bed as well, quietly enjoying this peaceful mother-daughter time. Little Merlin rolled around and hopped about on the bed; seeing her so happy just because of a soft bed made Ophelia’s heart feel warm and fuzzy.
Though little Merlin’s mind had temporarily regressed to that of a child, she retained her past memories. Ophelia had confirmed this while trying to talk to her; little Merlin remembered everything that had happened to the older Merlin and could answer questions fluently. Perhaps that was why little Merlin seemed more composed than children her age; even with the mind of a baby, over a decade of memories made her appear precocious.
This wasn’t a difficult task for Ophelia. As long as she gave more love to make little Merlin feel secure and made her laugh, it would be enough. Even though Ophelia knew that time could not be turned back and the compensation she could offer might be negligible, at least for this moment, she wanted to do her absolute best.
“Baby, come here.”
“Wooo.”
Five-year-old Merlin, hearing her mother’s gentle call, crawled slowly across the bed on all fours. Finally, like a kitten seeking warmth, she sprawled directly onto Ophelia’s stomach.
Um… even though I just wanted little Merlin to lie beside me, she actually climbed onto my stomach… I didn’t expect the baby to be this clingy.
Well… it’s not a big problem. Ophelia didn’t want to reject the child’s affection. Watching little Merlin lying lazily on her stomach was actually quite cute. Moreover, once she turned back into the older Merlin, she wouldn’t be able to do this even if she wanted to—the older Merlin wasn’t heavy, but lying on her stomach would be a bit… and there wouldn’t be enough room.
“Wooo-awoo.”
Lying on her mother’s stomach, little Merlin was still babbling strange sounds. Ophelia wondered what had happened during the day to make her so obsessed with this sound. Was it something Machina had done to her?
Ophelia gently and slowly stroked Merlin’s little head, her fingertips running through Merlin’s smooth hair. The high body temperature characteristic of a small child radiated through the nightgown, giving Ophelia an indescribable sense of peace. Merlin also obediently lowered her eyelids, enjoying her mother’s touch, her small face rubbing against Ophelia’s stomach, looking as if she were about to melt from happiness.
“Hehe.”
Looking at little Merlin’s happy face, Ophelia truly wished the child could be happy forever. At least during this stage of being “little Merlin,” she hoped her daughter could maintain a smile every single day.
But… little Merlin was in this childish state precisely because she lacked love. If Ophelia explained the misunderstanding between her and Machina, would she understand? Little Merlin did indeed retain all of Merlin’s memories, so explaining it to her should be fine.
Ophelia originally… hadn’t planned on telling little Merlin. But today, Machina had tried to summon her courage and pull herself together to face Merlin. Even Ophelia had to admit her sincerity and bravery. In the coming period, Machina would still have chances to meet little Merlin, and since they would meet, the unpleasantness of the past would inevitably be involved.
Was it truly right to let little Merlin interact with Machina while maintaining a misunderstanding? Yes… Ophelia didn’t like Machina, because she had been the beneficiary yet acted like a victim, hurting her daughter. Even knowing there was a misunderstanding between them, as a mother, Ophelia found it hard to forgive someone who had hurt her child.
But… she didn’t want to be the villain. Even if Merlin ultimately chose not to be with Machina, Ophelia wanted that choice to be made with Merlin knowing the full truth. As expected, she should tell Merlin; otherwise, what would be the difference between her and the Taran family who sowed discord?
As for how Merlin would choose and what she would become in the future, she would leave that to the children. She was merely returning the tracks to their original direction. Even if little Merlin knew that there was a misunderstanding between her and Machina caused by others, so what? At most, she would just be a bit nicer to Machina. After all, little Merlin was currently at an age where she couldn’t understand what “love” was.
Thinking of this, Ophelia finally opened the drawer of the nightstand and took out a few newspapers.
“Merlin-ya.”
Little Merlin, lying on Ophelia’s stomach, tilted her head. “Hmm?”
“Be good. Let’s tell a different kind of bedtime story.”