"Thank you for saving our village, Young Master Merlin, Young Lady Catrine, Captain Gover, and all the soldiers."
An old man in simple clothes bowed deeply to them, his face full of respect.
"Thank you for saving us."
Hundreds of villagers behind him lowered their heads in unison.
Merlin, Catrine, Gover, and the soldiers exchanged smiles. Gover stepped forward and gently helped the old man straighten up.
"No need to thank us, Village Chief," he said softly. "Helping you is our duty. Besides, this plague could have spread to the city of Droswen if we hadn't acted quickly, so we all benefited. And one more thing…"
He turned to Merlin with a broad smile. "It wasn't us who solved it—it was Young Master Merlin. So the thanks really belong to him."
The village chief smiled warmly. "Thank you, Young Master Merlin. We don't know how to repay your kindness."
The others nodded in agreement. Then a middle-aged woman stepped forward, her face beaming.
"Young Master Merlin, I have an eight-year-old daughter. If you are willing, I would like to betroth her to you."
She stepped forward with her daughter, a pretty little girl with fair skin and brown hair tied in a ponytail. Her clothes were shabby, reflecting her village upbringing.
Hearing her mother's words, the girl blushed deeply and lowered her head.
"What are you saying, Mother? How could you do that?" She whispered softly.
"Don't be shy, dear," her mother said, rolling her eyes. "Didn't you say you were interested in Young Master Merlin? Now that I've introduced him to you, why are you acting so shy?"
The girl's face turned even redder, like a ripe apple. She glanced awkwardly at Merlin, then whispered, "If Young Master Merlin is willing, I am too."
But that wasn't the end. The villagers who had witnessed the scene immediately began offering their own family members to Merlin.
"Young Master Merlin, I have a daughter as well! She's probably twelve, a little older than you, but she's very beautiful!"
"Young Master Merlin, me too! She's already twenty, but she's willing to wait until you grow up! How about it?"
"Young Master Merlin…"
The villagers seemed almost desperate, as if afraid to miss the chance to be close to him. Considering his status as the young master of the Clay family, it wasn't entirely surprising.
To them, Merlin was a rare figure they might only see once in a lifetime. Most importantly, he had saved them, and their gratitude quickly turned into admiration.
Merlin was completely bewildered. He hadn't expected the villagers to react this way.
He was the most handsome character in the novel, but pairing him with their children seemed excessive.
Moreover, he was only eight, while most of the girls stepping forward were over twelve!
Were they really so eager for him even at this age?
A sharp gaze from the side made Merlin freeze.
Before he could react, Catrine snorted coldly and turned her face away, clearly unwilling to look at him.
"Ahem! All right, everyone, that's enough! You're scaring Young Master Merlin."
The village chief's firm voice immediately silenced everyone. Realizing their foolishness, they hung their heads in shame and avoided his gaze.
"Hah…" The village chief sighed softly, shaking his head. He turned to Merlin with a regretful expression. "Please forgive their manners, Young Master. I hope they didn't offend you."
Merlin waved his hand. "It's fine—don't worry about it."
The village chief smiled with relief. "Thank you, Young Master. By the way, since you have saved us, we would like to show our gratitude in a more tangible way, not just with words. We will prepare a simple celebration tonight. Would you stay for one night?"
Gover remained silent, waiting for Merlin to make the decision.
Merlin wanted to refuse, but seeing the hopeful faces of the village chief and the villagers, he swallowed his hesitation and nodded slightly.
"All right, I'll stay. Thank you."
The village chief's face lit up. Folding his hands behind his back, he beamed. "Very well. Please rest first—we will prepare a place for you to stay."
He turned to the villagers and commanded, "Everyone, listen! Provide the best service for Young Master Merlin, Young Lady Catrine, Captain Gover, and all the soldiers. Understood?"
The villagers grinned and answered in unison, "Understood, Village Chief!"
The villagers lit bonfires and celebrated joyfully. The soldiers, including Gover, joined in, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
To be honest, they were exhausted from guarding the village and searching for the source of the plague, which they still hadn't found.
Fortunately, Merlin had solved the problem, allowing them to finally relax and release their fatigue.
Near one of the bonfires, Merlin simply watched Gover and the soldiers dancing and laughing, their faces full of happiness.
He didn't join in, feeling awkward and embarrassed. In his previous life, he had been an introvert with few friends.
Such carefree behavior didn't suit him. Besides, as a young master, he had to maintain both his own image and that of his family.
"Hmm? Where did Catrine go?" Merlin looked around but didn't see his younger sister. "Could she be in the room?"
"Why the confused look, Young Master?"
An old man's voice came from behind. Merlin turned and smiled.
"It's nothing, Village Chief. I'm just looking for my younger sister. Have you seen her?"
"Oh? Young Lady Catrine is over there," the chief replied, pointing into the distance.
Merlin followed his gesture and, sure enough, saw Catrine sitting alone. She held a glass of milk, her expression sullen and annoyed, as if something had upset her.
"Thank you, Village Chief. In that case, I'll go ahead."
With that, Merlin stood and walked toward her. The village chief simply smiled, watching him leave.
Merlin approached and stopped behind Catrine. With a playful grin, he covered her eyes and whispered, "Guess who I am?"
Instead of playing along, Catrine snorted coldly and pushed his hands away.
"Don't come near me," she said, rising and stepping back.
Merlin froze in surprise. Quickly, he grabbed her left hand and asked, worried, "What's wrong? Why are you mad at me?"
"Humph! Figure it out yourself," Catrine sneered, struggling to break free. But her strength was no match for Merlin's, and she failed to pull away.
Merlin furrowed his brow, thinking hard. Then he suddenly remembered what had happened earlier that afternoon, and a playful smile spread across his face. Thıs text ıs hosted at novęlfire.net