"Well then, I'll be going now," Merlin said, looking gently at Luna in front of him.
Luna wiped her tears and nodded firmly.
"Be careful on your journey, Merlin. You must keep your promise, okay?"
"Of course. Don't worry." Merlin patted his chest, as if reassuring her.
He then looked at Frederin and Iris and gave them his farewells.
"Thank you both for your kindness, Duke Tharot and Aunt Iris. And… sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier."
"Hahaha! How could that be, kid? Your arrival is a blessing to our family." Frederin laughed as he patted Merlin's shoulder. "Come back when you have time. This mansion will always be open to you."
"My husband is right, Merlin. Come whenever you want. I'll prepare lots of food for you later," Iris said, patting his head gently.
"Since you've given me permission, I won't hesitate to do so." Merlin chuckled softly.
After exchanging a few more words, he turned around and stepped into his horse-drawn carriage.
"We're leaving now, Duke Tharot, Lady Iris, and Young Lady Luna," James said.
"Take care, James. Give my regards to Ardhis and Livia," Frederin replied.
"Don't worry, I'll pass them on."
With that, James pulled the reins of the two horses. The carriage moved forward, leaving the Duke's mansion behind.
Watching it grow smaller in the distance, Frederin sighed softly and turned around.
"Let's go," he said.
But Luna stayed where she was, frozen in place.
Although Merlin had calmed her earlier, it would be a lie to say she was truly ready to be left behind like that.
"Don't be sad like that." Frederin patted her head. "Merlin is only going away for a little while. You two can meet again later."
Iris added, "What your father said is true. Merlin will return once he's done with his business. Or if you want, we can send you directly to the Clay family mansion, and you can stay there as long as you like."
Luna was Merlin's fiancée, so it wasn't strange for her to stay with the Clay family.
Moreover, it would strengthen the bond between the two families. She was sure Ardhis and Livia would also be happy to have their daughter there.
Even so, Luna quickly shook her head and refused. "No, that's not necessary. Merlin and I promised to meet again at the academy."
Hearing this, Frederin and Iris were surprised. They exchanged glances and muttered, "The academy?"
"Um! Saint Freya Academy," Luna repeated in a hoarse voice. She looked at them seriously and continued, "Father, Mother, I will enter Saint Freya Academy and grow up there!"
The two froze for a moment. Frederin quickly regained his composure and asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure? Entering Saint Freya Academy is not easy, you know? Besides, you don't have any outstanding talents. At best, you can only enter the academic major.
"Meanwhile, Merlin will definitely enter the offensive major. After all, he is a mage, and his path is different from yours."
As hard as it was, that was the truth. His daughter was completely untalented.
Even the guardian spirit she had awakened was only a three-star.
To some people, that might be great. But to him, it was mediocre.
His daughter's talent was A-rank, which was pretty good, but not high enough to be considered a genius.
Iris let out a long sigh but said nothing. What her husband said was true. Luna didn't have the talent to enter Saint Freya Academy.
But was Luna devastated? Of course not.
Instead of feeling inferior, Luna smiled broadly and said, "Father, Mother, what if I told you that I'm actually highly talented?"
Both of them were taken aback and exchanged confused glances.
"I'm sorry… There's something I've been hiding from you," Luna continued.
Suddenly, her body emitted a red light. Her hair changed, and a flame mark appeared on her forehead.
The pressure grew heavier, and the atmosphere instantly turned tense.
Frederin and Iris froze, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"Luna… what happened to you?" Frederin asked in horror.
His heart pounded, panic clearly visible on his face. Iris was also frightened.
She didn't understand why her daughter had suddenly changed like that.
"Father, Mother, don't worry," Luna said softly. "This is the effect of the bloodline I inherited."
"Bloodline?" Frederin was startled and asked hesitantly, "What do you mean?"
Luna then explained what she had gained from her journey to the past with Merlin.
She hadn't told her parents about this yet because she wanted to surprise them—just like she was doing now.
"That's more or less what happened, Father, Mother." Luna showed a satisfied smile.
Frederin and Iris were speechless, unsure of how to react.
They never expected their daughter to receive such an extraordinary blessing.
It should be noted that the history of the Tharot family is only recorded up to the generation of the fallen Kingdom of Avernia.
Beyond that, they knew nothing, not even any records about the first ancestor of the Tharot family.
Unexpectedly, Luna had awakened the bloodline of the founder of the Tharot family!
How amazing!
No matter how Frederin and Iris tried to calm themselves, they couldn't manage it at all.
"Hahaha! My daughter is a talented girl!" Frederin couldn't hold back his laughter.
Not only did his future son-in-law have the prospect of becoming a great figure in the future, but his own daughter also had that potential!
With both of them growing up, who could possibly stand against the Tharot family?
Even the royal family would not dare to mess with them.
"Honey, don't be so loud!" Iris scolded him, tapping his back. "This is something that must be kept secret."
Frederin quickly calmed down. His wife was right—this matter had to be kept hidden.
They didn't know whether the royal family had planted any spies in their household.
If so, it could endanger them all.
After all, even though the Tharot family had been stripped of their power since their defeat in the past war, the royal family still treated them with caution.
Luna promptly withdrew her power, and her appearance returned to normal.
"What do you think, Father? Can I go to Saint Freya Academy?"
"Of course you can go," Frederin replied firmly. "Don't worry, I have an acquaintance among the academy's officials. I'll ask that person to give you a direct recommendation letter later. So you don't need to go through the test route again."
It sounded like cheating, but it wasn't prohibited. Saint Freya Academy provided a special route for those with special bloodlines.
And since Luna had one, she deserved to take that route.
"Great! Thank you, Father!" Luna smiled sweetly.
At the same time, she made a vow in her heart.
'Merlin, just wait! We'll meet again at the academy. I won't let any other girl have you. You're mine! Hehehe…'