?Chapter 193:


    Across the room, An and Manley nced at Merlin and then exchanged a look between themselves. No words needed. Their expressions said it all—what in the world had just happened? Merlin had a well-known rule—he didn’t do physical contact with women. But when Hailee bit him, he didn’t throw her away and even carried her. That was odd.


    Right on cue, Hailee emerged from the room, tentative steps announcing her arrival.


    Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward her like she was walking onto a stage.


    With a small first-aid kit clutched tightly in her hands, Hailee made her way toward Merlin, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked, “Mr. kely, would it be okay if I treated your wound?”


    Merlin, all icy detachment, cast her a sideways nce and then looked away just as fast. “Not necessary,” he replied, his voice cold enough to frost ss.


    The rejection hit Hailee hard. Her cheeks turned pink as silence settled between them. Merlin’s indifference was like standing outside in a snowstorm with no coat.


    Cold. Sharp. Unweing. She wanted to walk away, but the guilt gnawed at her—she’d bitten him, and now his wrist was still bleeding. Letting it go untreated didn’t sit right.


    “Mr. kely, I get that you’re angry and want nothing to do with me. But please, let me wrap it up. I’ll feel terrible if I walk away without helping,” Hailee said, her voice nearly pleading. “After that, I’ll leave you alone and won’t bother you again.”


    Without saying a word, Merlin grabbed the kit from Hailee’s hands. He opened it with mechanical precision, applied antiseptic like he’d done it a thousand times, pped some gauze over the bite, and closed the box with a snap—barely putting any care into it. Once finished, he leaned back on the couch like none of it mattered. “You can go now.”


    Thrown off by his bluntness, Hailee nodded and walked back to her room with quiet steps, wanting nothing more than to vanish.


    The rest of the room sat in stunned silence. Merlin had just had a full-blown conversation with someone who bit him—and didn’t break anything in the process. His tone might’ve been distant, but anyone who knew him well could tell he was being lenient. The same man who had once roundhouse-kicked Vivien for identally brushing his sleeve.


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    “Be honest, Merlin—are you into Hailee or what?” Manley asked, leaning forward with a grin, never one to keep his mouth shut.


    Manley’s question struck a chord—because it echoed Elliana’s own growing unease.


    Elliana resolved to intervene if Merlin truly had his sights set on Hailee. Despite her limited interactions with Merlin, she had an unfavorable impression of him since his infamy preceded him. Whispers of his temperament floated through every corner of this world—most notoriously, the tale of himunching Vivien clear across a room. There were several versions, each more colorful than thest, but the core of the story remained the same: Merlin was no gentle soul. He was blunt, distant, andpletely oblivious to the concept of tenderness. Charm wasn’t just missing from his arsenal—it might as well have been a foreignnguage. Any kind of rtionship with him promised nothing short of a storm.


    If Hailee were just a stranger, Elliana might have paid this issue no heed. But Hailee was a dear friend—the same friend who’d stumbled into this world because of her. She couldn’t allow Merlin to bulldoze his way into Hailee’s life unchecked.


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