Several girls pressed their hands together, looking at Little Merlin expectantly with sparkling eyes.
Little Merlin held a hardcover book in her arms, her expression contemplative.
“Um… well…”
She lowered her head, unconsciously fiddling with the edges of the book. ‘Since I am still a member of the Zelion Academy Alchemy Department, it would be better to participate in activities,’ she thought. ‘After all, I have never joined something like this before. It would be a shame to miss it.’
After a long period of contemplation, Little Merlin finally nodded gently, and the cowlick on her head swayed along with her.
“All right.”
Little Merlin’s weak agreement instantly ignited the scene.
“Yay — !!”
The girls of the Alchemy Department burst into cheers. If it were not for Ophelia’s presence, they probably would have rushed forward to lift Little Merlin high into the air.
“Great! Then it’s scheduled for the morning of the first day of the Star Moon Festival!”
Ophelia watched the scene without speaking up to stop them. Even if Merlin had become smaller, it was still good for her to participate in more activities and go out to play. She couldn’t just stay inside and mold like a little mushroom all day. Even if Little Merlin wasn’t tired of it, Ophelia was. Couldn’t her baby have some outdoor activities? Little Merlin spent all day doing alchemy and reading, so she needed to relax.
“Since you’ve agreed, you can’t go back on your word.”
The girls brought out an exquisite clothing box, clearly prepared for this.
“Professor! May we use the room?”
Ophelia smiled and nodded. “Please, go ahead.”
Soon, the *rustle rustle* of fabric came from inside the room, accompanied by the girls’ uncontrollable screams.
“Wow… her skin is so fair!”
“Tie this a bit tighter!”
“Don’t move, Little Merlin, it’ll be ready soon!”
A moment later, with the soft *creak* of the wooden door, Little Merlin’s figure slowly walked into everyone’s sight.
Mahina had been quite angry, wondering where these students had come from to interact with Little Merlin the way they used to.
‘I’m so jealous, so jealous, so jealous… I could have been the one to change Little Merlin’s clothes! I’m going crazy with envy. But… what can I do? I treated Merlin like that in the past, which is why I broke her heart. Now it’s my turn… Yes… I’m not even as good as a regular classmate.’
Mahina was gloomy, but she felt helpless. However, the moment Little Merlin appeared, Mahina felt her breath hitch, and her negative emotions were washed away completely.
Little Merlin’s deep blue hair, which usually hung loosely, had been carefully brushed until it looked like a flowing, quiet galaxy. The signature sky blue at the tips of her hair shimmered with a transparent luster under the sunlight. A white lace headband was tucked into her hair, and a few stray strands fell playfully beside her ears, making her palm-sized face look even more exquisite and lovely.
She was wearing a tailor-made Maid Outfit. The colors were not traditional black and white, but a more youthful combination of sky blue and pure white. The short skirt was puffy like a blooming blue rose, and the hem was decorated with complex lace trim that trembled slightly with her breath. The tight little apron outlined her waist, which, although young, already showed a hint of slenderness, and the bowtie at the collar was the perfect finishing touch.
Beneath the skirt were white semi-transparent tights that tightly wrapped around her youthful legs, revealing the faint flesh-pink color of her skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight. On her feet were a pair of black patent leather Mary Jane shoes. The heels were not high, but they were just enough to elongate the lines of her calves.
Little Merlin seemed very uncomfortable with this outfit. She self-consciously tugged at the short hem that made her feel insecure, then looked down at her legs, which were tightly wrapped but felt as if she were wearing nothing at all. Her cheeks flushed with a faint blush.
“It’s so strange…”
She raised her head and looked at Ophelia with misty eyes, sending out a signal for help.
“The skirt… it’s cold, and these stockings are slippery… I want to take them off… it makes my heart feel itchy.”
Her soft, sweet complaints, combined with this devastatingly cute outfit, were a direct hit to everyone’s hearts.
“Eh— stay in it for a while longer!” the girls beside her wailed reluctantly.
Ophelia put down her teacup and rested her chin on her hand, her gaze lingering on her daughter. “I also think it’s very cute.”
“Since it’s to prepare for the Star Moon Festival, it’s important to get used to the clothes in advance, baby. Keep it on for now, Merlin.”
“Ugh… all right.”
Since her mother had said so, Little Merlin could only aggrievedly drop her resistance and stand obediently in place to let everyone admire her.
The girls chatted while looking at Little Merlin, and the topic gradually shifted from clothing to recent campus life.
“Speaking of which… have you heard?” one girl lowered her voice. “Recently, there have been… Ghost Rumors.”
“Ah? You’ve heard them too?” Another girl’s face showed a trace of unease.
“Yes, yes, yes! I heard them too!”
“Oh, don’t scare yourselves,” the leader of the girls waved her hand. “Everyone is probably just too tired and seeing hallucinations because they’re distracted. Aren’t there always these kinds of rumors before the Star Moon Festival every year?”
“But…” The girl who spoke first hesitated, her voice dropping even lower as she looked around as if there were a real ghost.
“Even though everyone says it’s a hallucination… there have indeed been cases of people not returning to their dorms at night recently. Two people from our Alchemy Department said they were going to stay in the Lab overnight, but they weren’t seen in the school building at all…”
A gust of wind blew through the treetops, making a *shasha* sound that caused several people present to shiver involuntarily.
“All right, all right! Don’t talk about these things in front of Little Merlin! Besides, weren’t those two people found lying in the classroom the next morning? They probably just worked too hard and fell fast asleep.”
Realizing the atmosphere was becoming uneasy, the lead girl quickly clapped her hands to force the topic to end.
“Anyway, as long as we only do things during the day, it’ll be fine, right, Little Merlin?”
Little Merlin tilted her head. She didn’t show any fear but just listened quietly, clutching the apron straps of her Maid Outfit.
After the chat, it was getting late, and the girls stood up contentedly.
“It was totally worth it just to see Little Merlin in such a cute Maid Outfit today! We won’t disturb you any longer!”
“Remember! Monday morning on the first day of the Star Moon Festival! We’ll be waiting for you!”
Amidst bursts of laughter, the students of the Alchemy Department bowed to Ophelia and Little Merlin and left chatteringly.
Mahina’s gaze never left the small figure in the Maid Outfit. She wanted to look for a while longer, to etch this moment into her mind forever. This was the first time she had ever seen Merlin in a Maid Outfit.
However, her peripheral vision caught a figure in the distance—an elegant woman with silver hair standing quietly in the glow of the setting sun. It was Lucia.
Lucia did not walk over; she only watched from afar, her gaze meeting Mahina’s in the air.
‘What’s wrong? Though… it really is about time to head back. Forget it, I should leave too. I’ve just been hanging around here since class ended.’
“Little Merlin, this outfit… it really suits you.”
Mahina resisted the urge to hug the petite body and simply smiled gently.
“I will definitely go to support you on the day of the Star Moon Festival.”
Little Merlin looked up at her blankly and nodded slightly.
“Um… come if you want to.”
Having received a response, Mahina was satisfied. She turned to bow to Ophelia and then walked toward where Lucia was.
However, Lucia suddenly looked in a certain direction and began walking toward Little Merlin.