NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Strategy to Change Perspective
'System! System! That voice... was it the real Merlin Clay?' Merlin exclaimed in panic.
"[That's right, Master. That voice belonged to the real Merlin Clay—or rather, his final consciousness.]"
The answer made Merlin's face turn pale. In a trembling voice, he asked again, 'Does that mean... the real Merlin Clay is dead? And the cause is... me?'
From the start, this had troubled him. He had suddenly been reincarnated as Merlin Clay without knowing whether the original was dead or still alive.
If he was dead, what was the cause? Why did he die?
But if he was still alive... wouldn't that mean he had taken his body by force and killed him against his will?
"[You don't need to worry, Master. Merlin Clay is indeed dead, but it's not your fault. Ever since he was struck by the Blood Viroth curse, he could no longer control his emotions. With each passing day, he became more insolent, and it wasn't his fault. No matter how hard he tried to endure, it was all in vain. The curse of Blood Viroth is far too powerful,]" the system explained calmly.
"[He realized he had hurt both his parents and his sister. For two years, he suffered greatly, and his mental state was completely broken. But last night, when your soul entered his body and was about to take over by force, he understood that resisting was useless. In the end, he gave up and surrendered his body to you. Still, he left behind lingering emotions—regret and guilt toward his parents and his sister.]"
"[When you apologized earlier, those emotions naturally faded, and the voice you heard was his final consciousness...]"
Listening to the explanation, Merlin felt an inexplicable pain in his chest.
Just a few minutes ago, he had wanted to kill the real Merlin Clay. But after hearing how miserable the real Merlin's life had been, he couldn't help but feel pity and sympathy for him.
'In the end, he was also... a victim,' he muttered with a small sigh.
"Merlin, why are you silent? Are you feeling unwell?"
Livia's worried voice broke his thoughts. He looked up at his mother, who was gazing at him with concern.
"It's alright, Mother," he replied softly, shaking his head. "By the way, can I eat?"
He rubbed his rumbling stomach. "I'm starving."
Faced with his spoiled yet adorable demeanor, how could Livia not melt?
It had been so long since she had seen this side of him that her heart fluttered with joy.
"Alright, come sit down first. I'll prepare some food for you," she said, patting the empty chair beside her.
Ardhis remained silent, choosing instead to observe his son's unexpected change a little longer.
Indeed, Merlin had never acted this way before, so it was only natural for him to be suspicious.
Merlin nodded and walked over. But instead of sitting in the chair his mother had prepared, he took the one to the right—close to Catrine.
Ardhis narrowed his eyes, ready to act if this boy dared to cause trouble.
Fortunately, Merlin did nothing and just sat quietly.
He glanced at Catrine beside him and gave a small smile. "Why are you so quiet? Haven't you finished your food?"
His sudden question made Catrine tremble with fear. Her right hand, holding the pink spoon, shook slightly.
"I... I... I'll finish it," she replied nervously.
Her head remained lowered, as if she were too afraid to look at him.
Merlin had expected this reaction, so he wasn't angry at all.
"It's not good if you only eat rice and meat," Merlin said helplessly.
He picked up the spoon and placed some vegetables on the left side of her plate.
"Eat the vegetables. They taste good and will nourish your body."
Catrine's face instantly turned pale. She looked at Merlin with both fear and wonder, as if she were staring at a ghost.
Merlin blinked innocently and asked casually, "What? Is there something wrong with my face?"
Snapping back to her senses, Catrine quickly lowered her head again.
"It's fine," she replied briefly, continuing her meal.
But she didn't touch the vegetables Merlin had given her, which left him dissatisfied.
"Eat the vegetables so you can grow. Your body is too thin because you're missing the vitamins and fiber that only vegetables provide. Aren't you worried your body won't develop properly?"
According to the databook, Catrine suffered from anemia. It was all because of her habit of avoiding vegetables since childhood.
In addition, her body was short and thin. Although she would become incredibly beautiful later on, her figure was still far inferior to that of the other heroines.
Even Luna often mocked her for her thin body and small breasts. This always made Catrine angry and left her feeling inferior.
Merlin's words startled her. Her round face puffed up in dissatisfaction as she lifted her head and gave him an annoyed look.
"I want to grow well! I want to be a healthy and tall girl!" she replied in a stern tone.
"[Ding! The heroine Catrine's affection has increased by 10 points! Keep working to raise it to 90 points!]"
The system notification echoed in his mind, and Merlin couldn't help but smile.
'It seems my strategy really worked!' he muttered to himself.
If it had been anyone else in his position, they would have tried using forceful methods to approach Catrine.
But that was both foolish and dangerous. Instead of accepting them, Catrine would only become more wary.
Once that happened, approaching her would be nearly impossible. After all, Catrine had been hurt for two whole years by the original Merlin Clay. For a girl her age, that was more than enough to leave deep scars.
That was why he chose to act slowly but steadily. Even if it took a long time, he didn't mind.
The mission had no time limit anyway, and he could complete it whenever he wished.
'By the way, I'm curious about Catrine's favorability score toward me. It should be ten, right?' he wondered inwardly.
Without hesitation, he whispered, 'System, show me Catrine's status panel.'
[Status]
Name: Catrine Clay
Age: 6
Identity: Adopted daughter of the Viscount Clay family
Talent: ???
Guardian Spirit: –
Rank: –
Bloodline: Sovereign of Winter (Gold)
Favorability: -50 (Hatred)
Merlin: "(ㅎ.ㅎ)"