Chapter 115: Please Marry Me
"Merlin, you schemed against me!"
Early the next morning, Vivian, who had spent the night discussing with the other Ladies of the Lake and whose prophetic abilities had mostly recovered, was convinced that everything was Merlin's fault after confirming the Soul Contract had taken effect!
Yesterday, her prophetic powers hadn't returned, and her plans were completely disrupted by the revelation that Noah was Romulus, so she had been somewhat impatient and hasty in a way.
But today, as Vivian reflected on yesterday's events, it dawned on her!
She wondered how Merlin could have appeared so coincidentally, just as she had finalized her temporary plan without time to think it through, and then conveniently disrupted her train of thought.
Moreover, Merlin had deliberately or inadvertently diverted her attention, preventing her from pondering deeply.
And it was Merlin who proposed signing the Soul Contract!
Then, through this matter, he provoked her to the point where she carelessly drafted seventy-two clauses!
After she signed and Noah fulfilled the contract—suddenly he knew he was Romulus!
Could he have suddenly received a divine revelation?
Impossible!
Merlin must have known all along and told him!
With so many incidents, could they all be coincidences?
Don't be ridiculous!
This must have all been arranged by Merlin!
At this moment, Vivian also recalled that although Merlin's reputation among them had always been poor, he was King Uther's advisor—and now Noah's as well.
And he was the man King Uther called Britain's foremost sage!
"Merlin, was all of this your scheme from the start!"
Vivian came over early in the morning to say this, leaving Merlin, who was still nursing a hangover and a headache, utterly bewildered.
His scheme?
What had he schemed?
Even Merlin felt like crying injustice.
After all, he had been sent on errands like a clown by these Ladies of the Lake who knew the information but didn't tell him, and ever since arriving at their magical realm, he had been targeted by them in various ways...
At least in this matter, he should be the victim!
What kind of scheme could possibly leave him in such a state!
Merlin absolutely refused to admit it, so he began arguing with Vivian, defending his case with reason!
As the two of them quarreled, Noah and White, watching from the side, pondered quietly.
If Vivian hadn't spoken up, Noah, as the person involved, wouldn't have realized it either. But now, hearing Vivian's words... he felt she made a lot of sense!
How could so many coincidences happen all at once?
And Merlin's role in this... did seem a bit like that of a pusher.
At this moment, in Noah's mind, Mary observed the scene and also suspected the same. After discussing with Mary, Noah couldn't help but murmur softly.
"Could this really have been Lord Merlin's plan all along?"
He thought it might be possible, but seeing Merlin and Vivian arguing like stubborn children, their faces flushed with anger, he felt... it didn't seem like it!
Seeing Noah like this, White spoke up.
"Do not doubt, my King, that fellow named Merlin has always been this way. Back when he helped Uther deal with me, he was often like this—always stirring up a mess of trouble, yet the outcome always favored Uther in the end. And then Merlin would always find a position for himself, after which he would act recklessly just as he is now."
"He always claims none of it has anything to do with him, putting on an angry front, but my King... this man is not human. He has no human heart. Anger, happiness, embarrassment... all these emotions are merely simulated by him. In other words, his current behavior is also part of his plan."
"So do not doubt, my King. Merlin is an extremely dangerous individual."
Hearing White speak like this, Noah also began to believe that all of this was part of Merlin's calculations.
Mary, however, remained somewhat uncertain.
"After all, watching Merlin like this, she felt that he did not seem to be lying at this moment. Moreover, she herself was also Merlin, so she understood the emotional simulation of Incubus very well. The triggering mechanism here was different from what White imagined—it was not about first going through rationality and then deciding what emotions to display. Instead, her own rationality seemed to observe as a third party, watching this constructed character named Merlin act.
And the emotion rationality should originally possess was only fear... that ultimate emotion, which even a Half-Incubus would have.
As for her now, she had been infected by Manaka Sajyou, gaining an additional sense of affection.
But that was all.
So, judging through rationality, she felt Merlin did not seem to be lying. All of this should truly be a coincidence.
Yet she had also heard White's explanation with Noah's permission...
Once or twice could still be a coincidence, but so many times, every single time like this—could it really be just coincidence?
Thinking of this, Mary also realized that the Merlin of this world was still very different from herself.
Although she understood her own issues... she was absolutely not as much of a scoundrel, as detestable, or as embarrassing as the Merlin before her eyes.
And if, according to White's explanation, this was also his reckless behavior after finding his own position...
Then perhaps she had been deceived as well.
Thinking of this, Mary also realized.
This Merlin, living on the main worldline, whom she had always looked down upon, was actually someone who could make even her, a Merlin from a parallel world, hesitate and remain uncertain in judgment!
It is said that the foundation of a liar is telling falsehoods themselves and making others believe the lies.
A master, however, tells the truth and guides others to infer the lies they desire.
Then the Merlin at this moment might just be the highest realm of deception.
Effortless mastery.
—Making others completely unable to determine whether this person is lying or telling the truth.
He himself is like this, and the events he participates in are also like this.
He is the lie itself, so his truth is part of the lie.
Thus, if he wants all of this to be a lie, then it is an enormous joke; and if he wants all of this to be true... then perhaps it is exactly as it is now.
As Mary thought this, she began to seriously consider Merlin for the first time.
If her judgment was truly correct...
Then this person, whom Noah often called an old swindler, might very well be the highest-level deceiver—one who could even fool Vivian's absurdly heightened Spiritual Sense and Artoria's Instinct, which theoretically could perceive even causality!
While Mary was thinking this, the argument between Merlin and Vivian also came to a halt.
The quarrel was ended by Merlin's remark: "Then aren't you the one who has now packaged and sold yourself along with all the treasures of the Lady of the Lake?"
The ultimate victor was naturally Merlin.
Upon hearing Merlin's words, Vivian fell silent for a long while before letting out a deep sigh.
She spotted Noah and walked over to stand before him.
Perhaps still agitated from her argument with Merlin, Vivian took three deep breaths in succession upon reaching Noah, finally managing to calm her emotions.
Then, Vivian raised her head, fixed her heterochromatic eyes directly on Noah's, and spoke without hesitation.
"In that case, there's no other way—King of Britain... no, Noah, you must... no, I ask that you take me as your wife!"