After the weekly meeting ended, Ophelia left the venue with light, graceful steps.
Merlin secretly let out a sigh of relief in her heart. If, after the meeting, Ophelia had come straight down from the stage and taken her away in front of everyone, that would have been far too embarrassing.
The intimate interaction in public earlier this morning could still be explained away… but if it happened again in front of all the teachers and students, that would be too much.
It seemed that Merlin’s suggestion earlier had had some effect.
She wondered if her recent accident had given Ophelia too much of a fright, causing Ophelia to cling to her more often.
Although Merlin didn’t dislike it—in fact, it made her feel warm inside.
But… lately, mother and daughter had been spending a bit too much time together.
It was completely different from their earlier days in the cabin.
Back then, whenever she wasn’t in class, Merlin would curl up in her room to read, and Ophelia would never disturb her. The two of them would only see each other at mealtimes.
Ophelia didn’t react much when Merlin went out, either—one could say there was absolutely no curfew.
For Merlin, who was used to such freedom, it was a little hard to adapt. She wanted some private time of her own, and Ophelia had promised her to cut back on their one-on-one sessions after class.
Under the gaze of everyone present, Merlin managed to leave with steps that could barely be called lady-like.
This constant attention was suffocating.
Better hurry back to the lab.
“Princess Merlinia.”
That voice was clear as a spring. Merlinia looked up and, amid the bustling crowd of students, saw the young girl quietly waiting for her.
It was Lucia’s maid…
“Hello.”
“Good day.”
She stopped just half a step in front of Merlin, gracefully bent in a small bow, and then extended a slender hand, palm up, making an impeccable escorting gesture.
It was just like a scene from a manga. Merlin had never imagined herself as the one being escorted.
Is… is this how it goes?
Merlin placed her hand on Mary’s.
“Are we heading to the laboratory?”
“Yes.”
Mary said no more. As she led Merlinia forward, she turned her body slightly, skillfully blocking most of the gazes directed at Merlin with her own presence.
Her emerald-green eyes suddenly turned sharp, full of undisguised warning, and she swept a cold glance at the students who were still watching curiously, or even whispering among themselves.
Pressed by her sword-like aura, some students awkwardly averted their eyes; others pretended nothing had happened and left. The crowd that had been slowly forming a circle now scattered like ripples disturbed by a stone.
“Why are you here?”
“Recently, labyrinth entrances have been appearing in the residential areas, and there have been more incidents of labyrinth monsters breaking out. Before setting out, Her Highness Lucia instructed me to look after you and help with any experiments you might need assistance with. The materials you mentioned last time are ready.”
“Thank you.”
The two of them walked on, one leading and one following, gradually leaving the noisy crowd behind.
They walked in silence, the only sound their footsteps echoing softly in the corridor. This silence did not make Merlinia feel awkward.
“Your Highness Ophelia.”
“What is it?”
Mary stopped and looked straight at Merlin.
“I was rude to you before. I’m very sorry. It’s just that Her Highness Lucia’s health is poor. Whenever I see her collapse, I get anxious.”
Mary’s eyes were full of apology, and perhaps… a hint of affection?
Merlin shook her head.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind. Besides, it’s your duty to protect Lucia.”
“No, the most important thing is that I misunderstood you.”
“I really don’t mind.”
Mary seemed to want to say more, but, seeing the crowd, she kept her silence.
Just like that, she led Merlin by the hand to the now sparsely populated laboratory building.
Mary stopped again at the door, turning around, her expression more serious than ever.
“Princess Merlinia, I think it’s better if I speak plainly.”
“What is it?”
Merlinia was a little confused by her solemn demeanor.
“You still need a maid.”
Mary enunciated each word, her eyes earnest.
“But… I’m not used to having a stranger invade my private space. I like being alone.”
Merlin frowned instinctively, a look of resistance appearing on her face.
“Forgive me for being blunt, but your personality is too soft. You should have a maid with a more forceful temperament.”
“Me? Soft? Are you joking?”
Mary didn’t laugh. She simply looked at Merlinia with those emerald eyes that seemed to see through everything, a meaningful, penetrating gaze.
“You’re neither as forceful as Her Highness Lucia—she can scare away even the most persistent pests, and a maid or not makes no difference—nor as straightforward as Miss Mahina, who is well-suited to having a maid. What a bother.”
“I used to be a man… ah!”
Flustered, Merlinia almost blurted out her secret, but caught herself just in time, her cheeks turning slightly red as she clamped her mouth shut in annoyance.
“But your mother—did you forget what she said to you herself?”
It was as if Merlin’s most vulnerable spot had been pierced. She fell silent at once, her long lashes casting a small shadow across her eyelids.
“……”
“When we first met, even though you looked like a boy, even when I harshly insulted you, you didn’t get angry like a normal man, nor did you act like some wolf in sheep’s clothing, pretending to be a gentleman to save face. Instead, you just looked like a bullied little girl.”
Mary pressed on.
“With the way you just take everything, I bet even if someone gave you the cold shoulder like before, you wouldn’t dare say a word, right? That was when you were still a boy—where’s your masculinity? So when your mother said your soul was originally female, I wasn’t surprised at all.”
Mary took a step closer, her eyes burning.
“Even just now, you’re a princess, and you let people stare at you like a rare animal? You just pretend not to notice? You just let yourself get surrounded by a crowd?”
She took a deep breath, glancing in the direction they’d come from, her tone growing sharp, sounding even more agitated and angry than Merlin herself.
“Do you realize they’ll keep pushing their luck? Once you let those blatant stares go unchecked, do you know what happens next? Do you know that silence is often the same as allowing it? If you don’t stop them, those people might think they have a chance and just keep coming closer.”
As she spoke, Mary’s tone grew more and more urgent, even angrier than the person involved.
Merlin was pinned in place by this torrent of words, at a complete loss for words. All she could do was nervously twist her fingers, feeling the heat rise on her cheeks.
“……”
“Please, have some self-awareness. Stop being so stubborn.”
“Uuuuuuuhhh…”