"Here are your orders," a waiter said, carrying a tray loaded with snacks—chocolate-filled churros, chocolate cakes, and more.

Merlin glanced at the churros and couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself.

'Looks like this restaurant was really made by another reincarnator,' he whispered, shaking his head.

His confidence rose to eighty percent.

Why not a full hundred?

Simple—the system couldn't guarantee his guess was correct.

There was still a chance that a character who never appeared in the novel might know about Japan.

Once the waiter finished setting the food down, he walked away.

Merlin picked up a churro and bit into it. The crisp outside gave way to a warm, chocolate-filled center that melted in his mouth—it was flawless.

Monica swallowed hard before taking a bite of the chocolate cake she had ordered.

As the sweet, soft flavors melted on her tongue, her eyes sparkled like they were filled with stars.

"It's so delicious!" she exclaimed happily.

She cut another piece and ate it with gusto, repeating this until, without realizing it, her cake was gone.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Monica glanced at Merlin, who was watching her with a mischievous smile.

"What's wrong?" she asked shyly.

Merlin shook his head. "Nothing. I just think you're adorable. Was the cake really that good?"

Monica's face reddened at his words. Happiness and embarrassment mingled so strongly it felt like white smoke was rising from her head.

"Yes… it tasted good," she replied weakly.

"[Ding! The affection of villainess Monica Sael'myr increased by 1 points! Current affection: 80 points!]"

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's your parfait ice cream."

The waiter returned, carrying a towering ice cream parfait.

Monica's eyes widened in surprise. "Can we actually finish this?"

The parfait looked irresistible, but she wasn't sure they could.

Merlin scooped some strawberry ice cream with his spoon and took a bite.

"Don't worry—as long as I'm here, we'll definitely finish it. Come on, eat up. It's delicious."

He had often seen pictures of parfaits like this on social media and had always wanted to try one.

Unfortunately, such desserts were usually only found at couple-themed cafes or restaurants—places he could never enter.

Yet here he was, tasting one for the first time after being reincarnated into the world of this novel.

Destiny had a funny way of surprising him.

Monica's doubts melted away. She trusted Merlin completely.

Since he said they could finish it, it must be true.

Monica picked up a spoon, scooped some chocolate ice cream in front of her, and took a bite.

"Mmm!" she gasped in surprise. "It's so delicious!"

The combination of cold, sweet, and slightly bitter flavors was perfect, making her feel as if her body were melting from the sheer deliciousness.

She continued eating alongside Merlin.

Since the ice cream had two flavors—strawberry on Merlin's side and chocolate on hers—they happily swapped bites.

Before they realized it, the main dishes arrived.

Merlin had ordered grilled beef ribs with french fries, while Monica had roasted wild chicken topped with slices of cheese.

"By the way, Monica, I'm curious about something," Merlin said, taking a bite of his beef rib. "Are you and the elf race omnivores, or do you eat only plants?"

He genuinely wondered. In the myths of his world, elves were often described as creatures deeply connected to nature, favoring plant-based diets over meat.

He wasn't sure if the elves in this world shared the same traits.

"I don't really know," Monica admitted, shaking her head. "The elf race is quite diverse. We're divided into two groups: forest elves and dark elves. If you mean my race—the forest elves—we're omnivores. Some of us prefer vegetables or plant-based foods, but that's only a small number."

"As for dark elves…" Her face darkened as she continued, "Almost all of them are meat eaters. They can't eat vegetables like us because they live in ravines or on cliffs."

As she spoke about the dark elves, her voice grew heavy, and a hint of annoyance appeared on her face.

Merlin naturally noticed this and grew curious about the reason behind it.

It was worth noting that dark elves never appeared in the novel The Lost Hero—at least, the latest volume hadn't mentioned them.

In other words, he knew absolutely nothing about them.

Still, he could guess there was some kind of conflict between the forest elves and the dark elves.

He wasn't sure of the details and didn't fully understand it yet. Perhaps, in the future, he would have the chance to find out.

They continued eating until finally finishing at eleven o'clock at night.

After paying, Merlin led Monica outside. The fresh, cold night air greeted them immediately.

Merlin felt a slight chill but could endure it.

"Well then, let's head back," he said.

Tomorrow, he had to take the final step to complete his mission to save Nivis from the black pox epidemic, which meant he needed to wake early.

Monica nodded slightly. "Let's go."

***

"Well then, I'll be going now, Merlin. By the way, thank you for dinner," Monica said bashfully, bowing her head toward him. "This is the first time I've had dinner out with someone else. Truly, it's an experience I'll never forget."

She wasn't lying—dinner with Merlin had been thoroughly enjoyable.

For the first time in her life, she could let go of the feelings she had always kept hidden from others.

It was like a dam that had held back water for decades suddenly giving way, unleashing a flood that rushed forth uncontrollably.

"You're welcome. I enjoyed it too. Next time, let's go again," Merlin said softly.

"Go again?" Monica blinked in surprise. "Is that… okay? I'm afraid I'll be bothering you."

She interlaced her fingers, half excited, half nervous.

"It's fine." Merlin waved his left hand. "Like I said, I enjoyed it too. So don't be so stiff."

How could he possibly let the chance to be alone with her slip away?

The faster he raised her affection points to a hundred, the sooner the system would grant him a reward. It was a win-win situation.

"Since you've said that, I won't ask any more questions," Monica replied eagerly.

The thought of going out with Merlin again made her both happy and impatient for that day to come.

After exchanging a few more words, Merlin turned and headed back to his dormitory.

Monica hurried toward her dormitory as well. But before she could reach the grounds, a playful voice called out from beside her.

"Tsk! No wonder you've been so cheerful all day. It seems you've found a little support—and someone you actually trust. How pathetic."

Monica froze in her tracks. She glanced to her right and saw two girls approaching, their expressions full of mockery and amusement.

"Tina… and Tira," she murmured softly. She took a steadying breath and asked calmly, "What is it? Do you need something from me?"

The two stopped right beside her. Tina glanced Monica up and down, snorted coldly, and said, "Monica, I never expected you to have a boyfriend—especially someone like Merlin Clay, ranked first. Wait… isn't he the same one who saved you that night?"

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. The "that night" referred to the time she and Tira had bullied Monica near the academy's artificial forest.

Back then, Merlin had appeared and stopped them by threatening to report them to the academy.

Frightened, the two—Tina and Tira—had finally backed off and fled the scene.

Tira, standing beside her, nodded and added, "You're right, Tina. It's obvious she and Merlin Clay had something before. But I don't get it—how could a genius like him be interested in a scruffy girl like her? It's so strange, isn't it?"

Tira's words stabbed at Monica's heart like a dagger. Her breathing grew shallow, and her body trembled slightly.

Still, she didn't dare fight back. Carefully, she tried to explain, "You're wrong—Merlin Clay and I don't have that kind of relationship. We're just friends, nothing more."

But instead of convincing them, her words only deepened their suspicion.

After all, what kind of friend would secretly accompany a girl to her dorm in the middle of the night? Only a fool would believe that.

"Monica, seems like you're growing some rebellious seeds, huh?" Tira said coldly. "Are you trying to deceive us?"

Monica gasped and struggled to calm herself, but Tina cut in first.

"I get it. This girl clearly has feelings for Merlin Clay. Ha! How laughable—a piece of trash daring to dream of being with a genius. Does she think this is a fairy tale and she's the main character?"

Her words set off Tira's laughter.

"You're right. I even suspect she only got seventh place because of Merlin Clay's help," she added, teasing.

"That's not true!" Monica suddenly shouted. "I earned my position with my own strength! Not because of Merlin!"

Her outburst caught them off guard. They hadn't expected the usually quiet, timid girl to stand up and argue.

Tira's expression darkened, as if she wanted to teach Monica a lesson, but Tina quickly stopped her.

"Don't be rash. This is an academy—many eyes are watching," Tina said cautiously.

Tira exhaled and nodded reluctantly.

"Just wait… I'll teach you a lesson," she threatened coldly.

She grabbed Tina's hand and led her away.

Monica finally felt a small relief, but sadness still pressed down on her as she bowed her head.

"I'm not a coward… Merlin said I'm strong…"

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