Merlin turned his head toward the source of the voice and saw an exceptionally beautiful girl.

She had an oval face, much like Iris', with alluring pink eyes and long, matching hair that flowed down her back.

On both sides, her hair was braided and pulled up into a small loop, adorned with a crescent-shaped ribbon hanging on the right side of her head.

She wore a lovely closed pink dress. Despite her beauty, her expression looked cold—as if someone had just stolen her gold coins.

Frederin was displeased with his daughter's rude behavior and scolded her, "Behave yourself, Luna. Don't you see the guests in front of you?"

Luna turned to James, then her gaze shifted to Merlin beside him.

A flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"[Ding! The affection of heroine Luna Tharot increased by 15 points! Current affection: 15 points (10)]"

"Oh?" Merlin raised a brow slightly. 'Why did it suddenly increase by ten points, system? Did something happen?'

"[It's because you have a handsome face, Master. Such good looks make even strangers naturally fond of you,]" the system replied calmly.

'Pfft!' Merlin chuckled inwardly. 'So even looks affect first impressions, huh? Well, that rule still applied in my previous world too.'

There was a saying in his old world: "If you're born beautiful or handsome, then half of your problems are already solved."

At first glance, it did sound cruel—and rather unfair—to those with ordinary or less appealing looks.

Yet, that was the harsh reality that had to be accepted. Whether artists, actors, or models—they were all people blessed with above-average looks.

So, it was no wonder that those born with the advantage of appearance had a greater chance of achieving success in life.

"I'm sorry, Father," Luna said in a softer tone than before. "So, what did you call me for?"

Her gaze occasionally drifted to Merlin, filled with curiosity and a faint hint of interest.

Frederin rolled his eyes and replied, "Didn't I tell you last week that you would be engaged to the son of the Clay family?"

He smiled and looked at Merlin in front of him. "And that person is right here—Merlin Clay. Get to know him."

Luna pursed her lips in displeasure. She was strongly against engagements.

The reason she had run away from home yesterday was precisely because of that. To her, love didn't exist—only transactions and benefits.

It was a belief she had firmly held for the past three years.

However, she also knew there was no point in defying her father's order; it would only end in a useless argument.

Turning to Merlin, she stepped forward and extended her right hand toward him.

"Introductions. My name is Luna Tharot. I'm sure you already know me."

Merlin stood up, smiled, and reached out his hand in return.

"My name is Merlin Clay. I'm not sure if you know me or not, but just remember—that's my name."

The two shook hands, and suddenly Luna felt a strange sensation she couldn't quite explain—as if they had met somewhere before.

"You..." She was about to say something, but Merlin had already pulled his hand back.

His action both surprised and irritated Luna. As the daughter of Duke Tharot's family, she had her own pride.

Every young noble who met her always looked forward to shaking her hand. Of course, she knew their hidden intentions, and it often disgusted her.

Yet, this boy named Merlin in front of her had withdrawn his hand first, as if unwilling to linger with her.

It was the first time she had ever been treated that way—and it upset her greatly.

"[Ding! The affection of heroine Luna Tharot decreased by 10 points!! Current affection: 5 points (10)]"

Seeing that notification, Merlin didn't care in the slightest. His purpose in coming to this engagement wasn't to win Luna's heart.

He was here to settle the matter between the two families—and, of course, to find the scepter belonging to the Tharot family.

"Hahaha! It's good to see you two getting along!" Frederin said with a satisfied nod. "Go on and get to know each other better. James and I won't disturb you, right, James?"

He gave a quick wink in his direction, which James immediately understood.

"Yeah," James replied with a nod. "Have fun, Young Master."

The corner of Merlin's mouth twitched slightly, but he said nothing.

He and Luna exchanged glances, then, without saying another word, walked out of the living room.

Not long after they left, Iris returned carrying a piece of cake and some biscuits on plates in both hands.

"Merlin, I—" Her words stopped when she realized Merlin was no longer there.

"My dear, where's Merlin?" She asked curiously as she walked over.

She set both plates down on the table, then sat beside Frederin.

"He's with Luna. Let the two of them enjoy some time getting to know each other," Frederin replied casually.

"Oh?" Iris looked a little surprised before smiling knowingly. "That's good. I hope the two of them can grow closer."

Frederin and James responded with small nods.

***

Merlin and Luna walked through the Tharot family mansion. Every hallway and room was impressively spacious—even more so than those of the Clay family.

The aura of history filled the air, reflected in the many photos hanging along the corridor walls.

Judging from the notes beneath each one, they seemed to depict the Tharot family's lineage through the generations.

As Merlin drifted into thought, Luna's voice came from beside him.

"Hey… Merlin Clay." Her gaze was cold and indifferent. "I'll be honest with you. I don't agree with this engagement. To me, there's no such thing as love in this world. So, I hope you won't take this engagement between our families seriously."

After saying that, Luna felt a slight sense of relief. She didn't know what Merlin's stance on the engagement would be.

If he actually liked her, that would only make things troublesome.

"You're right." Merlin nodded slowly. "I don't feel comfortable with this engagement either. So rest assured—I'm not interested in you at all."

He had already expected Luna to say that. Although it wasn't described in detail in the novel, Luna once told Abel that she had warned Merlin Clay about rejecting the engagement.

Unfortunately, the Merlin Clay in the novel had already fallen in love with her, which only made Luna feel disgusted with him.

Of course, Merlin had no intention of repeating that mistake. To him, Luna Tharot was nothing more than a passerby.

He didn't want to be involved with someone who would eventually lead to his downfall.

Although his destiny was already beginning to change, he wasn't reckless enough to gamble with it.

Luna was pleased with his response—but strangely, an odd sense of discomfort lingered in her chest.

"Then…" She was about to continue, but Merlin cut her off.

"Let's set some clear rules for this engagement."

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