Merlin stepped inside, and he was greeted by a small yet very luxurious hall. About twenty meters ahead, a window stretched sideways across the wall.
Gold curtains were tied back at both ends, revealing the bustling scene outside.
Of course, the glass was one-way—only those inside could see out, while anyone outside remained unaware of what was within.
On the right were two tall wooden doors, and in front of them stood a woman unfamiliar to him.
"Welcome, Young Master Merlin," she greeted politely.
Merlin looked her over and asked, "Are you... Lisa?"
"Oh?" Lisa's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"
She remembered that Merlin hadn't seen her before—he had lost consciousness the last time. Merlin chuckled softly. "I know because you're Margaret's personal maid. Am I right?"
Lisa was a highly skilled swordmaster. By now, her strength should be at the Seventh Awakening level, nearly reaching the Eighth Awakening—an extraordinary feat even on this continent.
She smiled slightly and nodded.
"Yes, you're right. It seems you've already realized who my young lady is, Young Master Merlin. So, what do you think?"
Her eyes suddenly narrowed, and a powerful aura surged from her body.
Merlin flinched but quickly regained his composure.
He shook his head and replied, "I don't care about that. Whether she was born into a wealthy family like the Beethovens or an ordinary one, it's none of my concern. What matters is that Margaret is my friend. Isn't that enough to convince you?"
He understood the reason behind Lisa's stance. In the novel's databook, Margaret was described as a lonely girl—that was why the word "lonely" appeared at the top of her profile.
The reason was simple: Margaret had never had any close friends. Most people who approached her only sought something in return, whether it was the Beethoven family's wealth or other favors.
As a result, Margaret had grown highly sensitive and wary of anyone who came near her. She had faced intrigue and deception since childhood, which was truly sad.
Meanwhile, Lisa studied Merlin's expression and saw genuine sincerity shining in his eyes.
In an instant, her aura vanished, and a smile returned to her face.
"You pass, Young Master Merlin," she said softly. "Now I can calmly entrust the young lady to you. Please, don't hurt her. I just want her to have a friend who truly cares for her."
With that, she bowed her head, surprising Merlin.
Quickly, he straightened her posture and replied earnestly, "Don't bow like that, Lisa. Even without being asked, I will protect her."
Well, he did approach Margaret with a specific purpose—to keep her away from Abel. But that was all.
He didn't care about her wealth or reputation; he could earn his own fortune, with a little help from the system, of course.
System: "[Ahem! I'm embarrassed, Master! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)]"
Lisa smiled in relief and nodded slowly. "Thank you, Young Master Merlin. All right, I won't keep you any longer. The young lady is waiting for you inside. Go on in."
She walked to the doors and quietly opened them. Behind the doors was a small area with a spiral staircase leading upward—clearly, Margaret was upstairs.
Without a word, Merlin stepped inside and began climbing. The stairs were made of sparkling glass, and the railing was decorated with several beautiful crystals.
At a glance, he could tell these stairs were extremely expensive.
'How amazing. Is this how rich people enjoy themselves?' he muttered with a wry smile.
Although the Clay family was fairly wealthy, they were nothing compared to the Beethovens. If he wasn't mistaken, this restaurant must be one of their properties.
At the top, he entered a private room that wasn't very spacious. In the center stood a small table with two chairs draped in red fabric.
On one of the chairs sat a girl with golden hair, wearing a beautifully tailored white dress. Her long hair was tied in a simple half-bun, yet it still radiated elegance.
The most striking feature, however, was the silver mask covering her entire face.
A smile spread across his own face as he greeted her softly, "Have I kept you waiting long?"
Margaret smiled faintly and shook her head. "No, you're not late."
"Really?" Merlin chuckled lightly as he approached and sat down in the chair opposite her. "The restaurant doorman said you arrived half an hour ago, so you must have been waiting for quite a while."
His words made Margaret blush. Admittedly, she had been waiting for Merlin for half an hour, but that was only because her invitation had been so sudden.
She had just finished preparing everything before sending it, and fortunately, Merlin didn't know that, which was a relief.
"Ahem! Let's not talk about that. How about we eat first? You must be hungry, right?" Margaret quickly changed the subject.
Merlin simply smiled and nodded. Soon after, a waiter arrived carrying a red menu book.
Margaret handed it to him and said, "Just choose whatever you want. Don't worry about the cost; I'll pay for it."
Her confident, slightly arrogant tone made Merlin chuckle softly. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
"In that case, I will," he replied.
He then began selecting dishes—quite a lot, twenty in total.
Each one cost anywhere from fifteen to hundreds of gold coins. Ordinary people hearing about his choices would surely be shocked.
Margaret, who froze in surprise, didn't care about the price—but nearly every dish he ordered happened to be her favorite.
"Merlin, the food you ordered—"
Before she could finish, Merlin nodded and cut her off.
"Yes, I ordered what you like. Surprised?"
Margaret's heart raced. If Merlin could see her face behind the mask, he would surely notice the adorable apple-red blush.
Suppressing her embarrassment, Margaret lowered her head and asked almost in a whisper, "How did you know?"
As far as she could remember, they had never discussed hobbies, dreams, or anything like that. After all, back then they had been chased by annoying kidnappers.
Merlin was about to answer, "I know from the databook that records all information about you."
But realizing that answer would startle her, he quickly changed it. "I heard it from Lisa. She mentioned it downstairs."
As he spoke, he poured tea from the teapot into both their cups.
"I see..." Margaret nodded quietly, trusting his words. She lifted her cup and took a delicate sip.
"By the way," Merlin said, his curiosity evident as he watched her, "what exactly is your reason for calling me here? This isn't just lunch, is it?"
A meaningful glint flickered in his eyes, hidden beneath his calm gaze.