The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!

"Catrine, are you alright? Why are you daydreaming?" Merlin asked, waving his right hand in front of her round face.

"Ah!" Catrine gasped, her cheeks flushing as fast as lightning.

"I-it's fine... I'm not daydreaming," she whispered, turning her face to the side.

Merlin raised his eyebrows slightly but didn't press further, only giving a small nod.

"By the way," he said with an embarrassed smile, "I apologize for disturbing you at this hour. I hope I didn't bother you."

Catrine shook her small head and replied softly, "No need to worry. I'm not bothered at all."

Watching her demeanor, Merlin let out a quiet sigh of relief. To be honest, he wasn't sure if zero favorability was a good thing. After all, the average favorability toward a stranger was usually five points.

So, zero sat somewhere between like and hate.

"I came to check on your health," Merlin continued gently. "You already know tomorrow is awakening day, and I read that the process can be quite painful."

He gave her an innocent, genuine smile, which left Catrine feeling dazed.

The image of Merlin's cruelty toward her over the past two years overlapped with the one in front of her, leaving her both confused and nervous.

Merlin felt something was off as he watched her fall silent. Without thinking, he stepped closer and placed his right palm on her forehead.

"Do you have a fever?"

"Ah!" Catrine yelped, taking two steps back. Her already flushed face turned an even deeper red, as if white smoke were rising from the top of her head.

Merlin quickly realized his mistake and hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry, Catrine. I didn't mean to."

Catrine pursed her lips and shook her head lightly.

"It's okay, B-Big Brother. I don't have a fever."

"[Ding! Congratulations, heroine Catrine's favorability has increased by ten points!]"

"[Ding! Congratulations, you've earned fifty system points! The system shop has now been unlocked!]"

Merlin's expression froze as the notifications rang in his mind.

'System, what is the system shop?' he asked curiously.

"[Master, the system shop is a feature where you can purchase valuable items such as potions, weapons, artifacts, and more. These require system points, which can be obtained by completing missions or meeting certain requirements.]"

'Wow!' Merlin was stunned. 'I didn't expect such a feature to actually exist!'

Truth be told, the idea of a system shop had crossed his mind before. In system novels, the protagonist almost always had one.

Through it, they could purchase all sorts of items—even cheats that could speed up their growth.

Until now, he had assumed his system wasn't as powerful as those in the novels. Well, he hadn't been disappointed; after all, those were just stories, while his system was real.

Its very existence was already more than enough for him to grow. What he hadn't expected, however, was that the system shop actually existed!

The desire to explore the system shop stirred in his mind, but he quickly held it back.

There was still something more important to do—raising Catrine's favorability toward him.

If he succeeded, his mission to obtain the curse-cure potion would soon be complete.

Besides, he also wanted to gather more system points so he could purchase items from the shop later.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Merlin walked over to Catrine's bed and sat at its edge.

"Catrine," he called softly. "I didn't come here only to check on your health for tomorrow's awakening. There's also something else. Right here and now, I want to apologize to you."

He lowered his head, his face heavy with sorrow. "I know you've suffered a lot. And yes, I admit everything was my fault. I was stupid, reckless, and insolent to those around me. I realize you suffered because of my mistakes."

"Therefore…" He bit his lower lip and shut his eyes tightly. "I… truly apologize. I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but—"

Before he could finish, Catrine suddenly cried out.

"Enough, Big Brother Merlin!"

Merlin's eyes widened. He looked up to see Catrine's tear-streaked face.

A wave of panic gripped him, and he hurriedly rose to his feet.

"Why are you crying? Is it because of me? If so, I'm sorry. I didn't—"

His words stopped as Catrine shook her head and threw her arms around him.

"You idiot…" she sobbed, pressing her face against his chest. "Big Brother… you're finally back! Whoa! I thought it was just a dream!"

Her cries grew louder as she clung to him even tighter.

How long had she been waiting for this moment? One month? Two months? Or even two years?

She didn't know. All she knew was that she still loved her brother, the one who used to care for her so much.

Day after day, she endured the pain and suffering of his cruelty, clinging to the hope that her former brother would return.

Two years felt like an eternity, but at last, her wish came true. Her brother had really come back!

"[Ding! Congratulations, heroine Catrine's favorability has increased by five points!]"

"[Ding! Congratulations, favorability…]"

The system notifications kept echoing in his mind, but Merlin ignored them.

Right now, his only focus was calming Catrine down.

"Alright, Catrine. Don't cry, okay? If you keep shedding tears, I'll feel too guilty," he said gently.

But instead of stopping, her sobs continued, leaving Merlin helpless.

He decided to wait patiently, letting her release every bit of emotion.

After five minutes, her crying finally began to subside. Yet, even then, she showed no intention of letting go of his embrace.

Merlin didn't force her. Instead, he quietly cherished the precious moment.

"Big Brother…" she whispered softly, loosening her embrace as she looked up at him. Her tears had stopped, but the marks of them remained on her face. "Please… promise me you won't be like before. I don't want to suffer the pain of being beaten or locked away again."

Her hoarse voice carried deep fear, making Merlin's chest ache. He gently rubbed her head.

"Don't worry. I swear I won't do it again. You can trust me on that."

His mission to earn ninety points of Catrine's favor was already about eighty percent complete. Only a little remained, which could likely be achieved with minor effort.

Once that was done, the curse inside him would vanish, and he wouldn't lose his mind like the real Merlin Clay had.

That way, he could protect not only Catrine but also his parents.

Hearing his promise, a smile bloomed on Catrine's innocent, chubby face.

She buried her face back in his chest and whispered softly, "Thank you, Big Brother…"