After speaking, Merlin broke free from Ophelia’s grasp and hurried toward the spacious bathtub with her head slightly lowered, almost as if fleeing.
However, due to the aftermath of her intense menstrual reaction, her waist remained sore and weak. Her usually light steps now seemed clumsy and unsteady. Each step felt like dragging a heavy body, and her walking posture twisted and turned, radiating a pitiful fragility.
Watching Merlin’s swaying back, Ophelia didn’t immediately follow. Instead, she kept a slight distance, her sharp gaze scrutinizing her daughter’s silhouette. Amid the hazy steam, the girl’s outline appeared unusually soft, but it seemed…
“Merlin…” Ophelia suddenly spoke.
Merlin was holding the edge of the bathtub, carefully testing the water temperature. At the sound, she paused and turned back in confusion.
“It looks like… you’ve grown a little taller?”
“Have I? I don’t really feel it.”
“Hmm… I’m certain. My Merlin has indeed grown taller. Let’s measure your height when we get out.”
“Okay…” Merlin showed little interest in this. As long as she didn’t turn into something strange, she didn’t care whether she grew taller or not.
As soon as Merlin entered the water, the warm liquid gently enveloped her entire body. The buoyancy lifted her heavy frame, finally giving her aching bones a moment of relief.
“Ah…”
Before she could find a comfortable position, the water behind her stirred. Ophelia slid into the bath naturally, just like always, and wrapped her arms around Merlin from behind. She had already washed her hair—after all, Merlin wouldn’t help her with that. Adjusting her position, she skillfully rested her smooth chin lightly on top of Merlin’s wet head, like a big cat guarding its cub.
“Let Mama take a look…”
Using the water as lubrication, Ophelia’s palm slowly slid down Merlin’s spine. Her fingertips gently pressed against each delicate vertebra, carefully exploring Merlin’s bone development. The touch told her that the frame had stretched out a bit—no longer as thin and heartbreaking as before.
It really seemed she had entered a growth phase.
Merlin had no strong opinion on her own height. Even if she didn’t grow, she was still within the average range. As a cute girl, there was no need to chase a mature woman’s height. Being petite and delicate like this was fine. If she got any taller, some of her cute dresses might not suit her anymore.
As for Ophelia… she was simply delighted by her daughter’s growth. Her hand finally stopped at Merlin’s lower back and gently pressed.
“—!”
Merlin instantly tensed in her arms, her brows furrowed tightly as she let out a pained cry.
“Still hurts?”
“It hurts… and it’s an ache.”
Ophelia immediately softened her pressure. She channeled gentle magic power through her palm and, combined with the hot water, massaged in slow circular motions to ease her daughter’s pain.
“This is what girls go through… Like a flower blooming, there’s always the pain of breaking through the soil. For some, the first time is especially intense. After a few months, once the body adjusts and stabilizes, it gets better.”
Merlin turned her head to look at Ophelia. “Did Mia tell you?”
“Of course. She came to me specially before she left.”
“Oh~” Merlin responded, puffing out her cheeks in displeasure. Her face was round like a hamster storing food, seemingly both silently rebelling against Mia’s loose lips and using the chance to act spoiled with her mother.
Seeing her daughter’s lively expression, Ophelia couldn’t help but reach out and lightly pinch her soft cheek, her fingertips feeling the smooth texture. Ophelia simply smiled at this spoiled rebellion, finding it very endearing.
“Come to think of it, it’s been about a month since you became a girl right before the Grand Examination. With so many messy things happening, I was careless too—I forgot to keep track of the dates.” Ophelia sighed in frustration. “I should have paid more attention. I shouldn’t have let you suffer like this.”
“Anyway…” Merlin turned her head away and mumbled, “It didn’t come back then, did it? It was already stuck in my body. I couldn’t exactly take it out early.”
“Oh! You child, stop saying such scary things!” Ophelia slapped Merlin’s bare shoulder in exasperation. “What do you mean ‘take it out’… That’s a physiological phenomenon! If we’d known earlier, I could’ve at least given you some sex education in advance and prepared medicine for you. Then you wouldn’t have been so panicked today.”
“No need! I can handle it myself!” Merlin stubbornly insisted.
“There you go again!” Whenever this came up, Ophelia got angry, and her voice rose. “Do you know how unhygienic it was that you tried to hide it this morning? There are bacteria everywhere! Your body’s resistance is weak right now. What if it gets infected? This is a sign of growing up—nothing to be ashamed of, and certainly nothing to hide! What is there to hide from your mother?”
Ophelia’s rapid-fire words were overwhelming, every sentence logical and justified.
Merlin was left speechless. She shrank into Ophelia’s embrace, her presence immediately diminished. She couldn’t argue back, knew she was in the wrong, but still refused to admit defeat.
“Rawr rawr~”
“Again with that?”
There was really no dealing with her. From Little Merlin’s era all the way to Adult Merlin, who had inherited her memories, Merlin still occasionally let out a few “rawrs.” But Ophelia gradually understood that if the previous “rawrs” were Merlin’s bravado when feeling lonely, then these soft, fluffy “rawrs” now were simply acts of affection—a signal.
After all… although her Merlin always made such undignified “rawr rawr” noises at home, after observing for so many days, Ophelia realized that Merlin never made such sounds in front of strangers.
Hmph… After becoming Adult Merlin, she remembered all the etiquette she’d learned. In front of others, she was like a flower on a high peak—only to be admired from afar, never touched. She’d become quite the proper lady! And after all, Ophelia had worked hard to teach her for so many days! It was good that she could manage her image in public.
Ah, let her act spoiled if she wants. Merlin is still sick today; no need to be harsh. Before dinner, Ophelia had taken Merlin’s temperature; there was still a slight fever. It really pained her.
But—
“Waa waa waa.”
“Still making noise! Promise Mama this first: from now on, if you have any girl-related problems, come to me first, okay? Always trying to be tough! You won’t even rely on your own mother—who in this world should you rely on?”
Merlin felt Ophelia trembling slightly behind her. When she turned around, Ophelia’s eyes were slightly red.
Now it was Merlin’s turn to panic.
“No! I know I was wrong!”