Two cold hands rested on Mahina’s trembling shoulders.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Merlin’s strength was not great; it could even be described as gentle. It was like pushing open an insignificant door or steadying a passerby who was about to fall.
Mahina froze mid-air, only a few centimeters away from Merlin.
Merlin did not dodge, nor did she close her eyes. She simply looked at Mahina from that close distance. her eyes were crystal clear, reflecting Mahina’s pathetic, disheveled face.
There was no disgust, and no shyness.
“I’m not quite used to this distance, Mahina.”
“This…”
“Let’s go first.”
A crisp sound echoed from above, and then —
A voice, so cold it seemed to be laced with ice shards, drifted down from the top of the arena.
“Where do you think you’re going? Have you made enough of a scene?”
“Mother?”
Ophelia dropped through the hole in the ceiling along with another woman who had short, curly brown hair.
“So you still remember your mother?”
Ophelia’s voice betrayed no emotion, but within those amethyst eyes — eyes that were usually filled with indulgence and tenderness for her daughter — there was now only a frigid chill.
“Of course… Mother is Mother.”
Ophelia’s amethyst eyes no longer shed the gentle light they usually did upon Merlin. Right now, Ophelia was as cold as snow. The mere majesty she radiated made it difficult for Merlin to breathe.
It was as if a true Queen had descended.
Cold, majestic, noble, and suffocating.
The way she looked at Merlin at this moment was as if she wanted to roast her over a fire. It felt as if a single glance could decide Merlin’s life or death, as if Ophelia were currently holding a scythe.
“Merlinlia Hayliya.”
Ophelia used her daughter’s full name for the first time in a long while.
Realizing something was wrong, Merlin’s body trembled. This was the first time Ophelia had ever been this harsh with her.
Merlinlia, who had been sharp and ruthless just a moment ago, became well-behaved once again in front of her mother.
Ophelia silently watched her daughter. The dirt and damage on Merlin’s clothes revealed her pathetic state; even her rapid breathing from the rush to get here had not yet subsided, but her dignity remained undiminished.
Regardless of the situation, she was still Elven royalty — the person who had nearly become the Empress years ago.
‘I’ll have to let Merlin learn about these things in the future, won’t I? The **[Art of Rulership]** and such? What if? Just like Philia… I never would have imagined she would become the Empress.’
Even while angry, even at a time like this, Ophelia was still thinking about Merlin’s future.
‘Sigh… Honestly. Neither of them can stay out of trouble.’
Then, Ophelia reached out her palm toward Merlin.
“If you still consider me your mother, reach out your hand. Otherwise, we are severing our mother-daughter relationship here and now, and you can do whatever you like from then on. Don’t tell me you don’t understand **[Elven Contact]**.”
Hearing that their relationship would be severed, it was Merlin who panicked. She waved her small hands frantically, using both hands and feet along with incoherent babbling to act spoiled and show weakness to Ophelia.
“Ah wa ah wa ah wa.”
Ophelia naturally understood her daughter’s meaning. Normally, she would have probably laughed, but she couldn’t laugh in this situation.
“If you know you were wrong, then come over here obediently! Or else I’ll beat you to death!”
“Mm… Ugh.”
Enduring her mother’s overwhelming pressure, Merlin took a few steps forward with her petite body and took Ophelia’s hand, not daring to make even the slightest suspicious move.
“Don’t be angry… I didn’t have a choice.”
“I know. That’s why you just need to do as your mother says.”
Seeing Merlin’s trembling state, Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she hadn’t gone too far. She had worried they had already performed an exchange; it had scared her to death.
The palms of the mother and daughter pressed tightly together, their fingers interlocking.
“You are not allowed to resist me, do you understand? Otherwise, don’t even think about seeing me again for the rest of your life.”
Merlin nodded obediently, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz.
“Mm… I understand.”
This was the first time Merlin had seen Ophelia this angry. It was true what they said: the gentler a person usually was, the scarier they were when they got angry.
Ophelia leaned down slightly, and their foreheads met.
In an instant, blue and purple magical light intertwined and flickered, immediately illuminating the dark cave. The dazzling light persisted.
Merlin let out a muffled groan, and her face turned deathly pale.
As the light continued, the wound on Merlin’s abdomen — which had originally been healed — suddenly split open like a shattered illusion. It became a bloody mess, gradually revealing a startling red hole.
The moment Merlin lost her support and was about to collapse, Ophelia was quick and steady, catching her with one hand.
She took a delicate bottle from her clothes and dripped a single drop of the **[Tears of the Spring]**, which radiated a thick aura of life, onto the wound.
A soft light covered the red cavity, and Merlin’s injury healed once again at a speed visible to the naked eye. Her breathing stabilized, and she fell into a deep sleep.
“Sigh, I don’t know whether to scold you or not…”
Ophelia glanced at Mahina. “The exam isn’t over yet. If you want to go back, go back. This won’t count as a foul, but I am taking Merlinlia home.”
Mahina no longer had the heart to fight. At this moment, she was heavily injured and her mana was depleted. Most importantly, the original reason for the match was gone.
“No… I’m ending my exam as well.”
“As you wish.”
Ophelia held her petite daughter in her arms. Merlin was currently breathing steadily against her chest. To avoid waking her daughter, Ophelia walked slowly through the snowy scenery.
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
Ophelia did not turn around.
“Did Merlin sacrifice her emotions as the price for power, and did you just reverse it?”
“Hmph. How can anything be completely reversed? It’s just mending the fold after the sheep are gone. There is no reason a magic of that scale can be completely retracted. If you pawn something and want to redeem it, you have to pay a higher price.”
“Then… what did Merlin lose?”
“I can tell you that much. It was her love.”
Mahina’s mind went blank instantly.
“Then! Has Merlin recovered?”
“At least… she’ll recover faster than she would have in that state just now. As for exactly how long it will take, it’s hard to say. Besides —”
Ophelia continued forward, her tone becoming heavier. “What does that have to do with you?”
“Highness Ophelia!”
Mahina instinctively wanted to stop her, but her sprained ankle caused her to trip and fall.
Then, a deep blue light from Mahina’s chest flowed toward Merlin like a small stream.
Before Mahina could understand what was happening, Ophelia stopped her pace and tilted her head slightly, watching the flow of light.
“As clever as you are, you should understand what resides in an Elf’s chest. And why is the light from your chest flowing toward Merlin? Why do you think Merlin ran out of mana?”
She emphasized every word, no longer able to hide her anger as tears welled in her eyes. As a mother, her patience had reached its limit.
“Stay away from my daughter.”