Upon hearing his words, Maya was clearly surprised. She looked at Merlin, her eyes wide with confusion and astonishment, and asked, "Master, what are you saying? I have a special power like you?"

She pointed to herself, then shook her head with a dismissive smile.

"That's… impossible. There's no way I have any special powers. I've checked my body, and I didn't find any talent or anything like that."

Special powers belonged only to those born into noble families or to the exceptionally lucky. She, however, was just an ordinary person—completely without any of that.

So, she dismissed Merlin's words as a joke. But then he spoke again, and her heart nearly stopped.

"What if I told you that you do? What if you're actually very talented and possess a bloodline that hasn't awakened yet? Would you believe me?"

Badump!

Maya's breath caught as her heart raced. If she were asked whether she trusted her young master, the answer would be an absolute yes.

She trusted him more than Livia or Ardhis. It wasn't that she didn't respect them, but from the very beginning, she had always considered Merlin above all else.

And yet, after hearing his words, a small seed of doubt sprouted within her.

'Do I really have the special talent and bloodline that the young master spoke of?' she wondered, dazed.

But in the next moment, she shook her head briskly. If the young master dared to say such a thing, then it had to be true!

She must not doubt him, not even the slightest, not even a seed-sized flicker of doubt!

"I trust you, Young Master!" she declared firmly, clenching both fists tightly. "Tell me exactly what to do. I will do whatever you say."

Watching the trust shining in Maya's eyes, Merlin felt dazed. He had been so focused on Linda, Margaret, and Catrine that he had unconsciously overlooked Maya, who was right in front of him.

Maya had always been by his side—even when, in the novel, Merlin had beaten and insulted her.

Guilt welled up inside him as he pulled Maya onto his lap and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for believing in me, Maya," he whispered softly in her ear. "And thank you for always being by my side. You've worked hard for me all these years, and I promise I'll always protect you."

He hugged her tighter, as if trying to become one with her. Maya felt momentarily lost in the sudden embrace.

But his loving words instantly made her realize just how much she meant to her young master.

A warm feeling flooded through her, and Maya hugged Merlin back tightly.

"Um! I will always be by your side, Young Master. And even if the world hated you, I would always believe in you and be yours forever," she said, holding back a sob.

How long had she secretly longed to hear such words from Merlin? Probably since the first day she had been brought to this mansion.

Yet she knew it was impossible—after all, she was only a servant.

Unexpectedly, what had once seemed impossible was now actually happening. It felt both relieving and wonderful.

The two of them lingered in each other's comfort before releasing their embrace at the same time.

Maya's face turned as red as a tomato when she realized how embarrassing their position was. She wanted to step off his lap, but Merlin held her gently in place.

"What's wrong? Don't want to sit on my lap?" Merlin teased.

The past two years had sharpened his mind and strengthened his confidence with women.

Merlin knew he had once been hopelessly awkward in romance. It stemmed from his lack of confidence in his previous life, a flaw he had carried into this world.

But two years of training had stripped away those insecurities.

The person he was now was no longer Merlin Ken but Merlin Clay—the son of the Viscount Clay family, a man of high status.

"It's not that I don't want to, but…" Maya lowered her head, shy. "I just… feel it's a bit inappropriate."

Her voice was barely more than a whisper, soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Not wanting to embarrass her further, Merlin loosened his hold. Maya quickly slid off his lap, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

"System, is there any potion to activate Maya's talent and bloodline?" Merlin asked.

"[Of course, Master. Please wait a moment—I'll search for it.]"

A few seconds later, a blue panel appeared before him.

[An S-level Talent-Awakening Potion has been found! Price: 80,000 system points.]

[An S-level Bloodline-Awakening Potion has been found! Price: 90,000 system points.]

Seeing the prices, Merlin felt as if his heart had been sliced by a knife.

"System, are you kidding me? Why are these potions so expensive? Back then, S-level potions cost around 30,000–40,000 points, right? Why has the price almost doubled? Has everything been hit by inflation?" Merlin asked, confused and slightly annoyed.

Even inflation couldn't be this cruel.

Although he had more than 400,000 system points, spending 170,000 on these two potions would drain almost half of it!

And even though it was for Maya, he couldn't help feeling a little reluctant.

"[Master, the prices I displayed earlier were discounted, including the S-Level Healing Potion for 30,000 points. Since you were new to this world back then, I gave you a one-month discount. Once the period ended, the prices returned to normal. Do you understand?]"

Merlin fell silent, caught off guard by such a rule.

In the past two years, he had never bought anything from the system shop. There had simply been no urgent need, so naturally, he hadn't spent a single point.

Still, the system's information had come so late that it felt almost intentional.

Unfortunately, he had no evidence, so he couldn't accuse it.

With a long sigh, he shook his head and said in a heavy tone, "Alright, system, buy them both now."

"[Ding! Both items have been purchased! 170,000 system points have been deducted. System points now: 230,000.]"

Merlin felt his chest tighten at the cost, but he quickly reminded himself that it was all for Maya. She had been the only loyal one by the side of the original Merlin until the very end.

Compared to her loyalty, this amount of points was nothing.

Feeling the weight of his pouch on his left side, Merlin reached in and took out two potion bottles, each about the size of his thumbs.

"Maya, these two potions will awaken both your talent and your bloodline. Drink them, and I promise you'll become like me—or like someone with special powers," Merlin said seriously.

Maya took the bottles carefully and examined them. One was light blue, the other purple.

"Do I have to drink them both at once?" she asked.

Merlin communicated with the system for a few seconds before nodding slightly.

"Yes, take both. Now, sit in the center of the room—I'll guide you."

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