Chapter 35: Love at First Sight

Following this, a series of thrilling and convoluted events involving Morgana, Gwen, Merlin, Arthur, and King Uther unfolded around the child.

Because she wished to save the boy, Morgana once again found herself in a heated dispute with King Uther, further straining the already fragile father-daughter relationship that had only recently begun to mend. With Merlin’s assistance, Morgana initially planned to smuggle the child out of the city through a secret passage, but the attempt failed when they were discovered.

King Uther was furious, viewing Morgana’s actions as a betrayal. Morgana, in turn, stubbornly insisted that Uther was far too cruel. The two parted on bitter terms, and Morgana was placed under house arrest. The bond between them, which had been warming due to Kay’s mediation, was once again stretched to the breaking point.

Then there was Merlin. Initially, he had been actively involved in the plan to save the child. However, after the Great Dragon revealed that the boy was destined to be his nemesis, the murderer of King Arthur, and the demon who would destroy the empire, Merlin was plunged into turmoil. (Merlin and the dragon had met shortly after his arrival in Camelot, and they had interacted many times before Kay returned, though Kay remained unaware of this.) He wanted to follow the dragon’s advice and watch as Uther executed the boy, but his innate kindness made it impossible for him to stand by. In the end, Merlin chose to follow his heart and helped the child.

Finally, there was Arthur. At first, he was deeply resistant to the idea of hunting down a child, but his duties left him unable to defy his father's orders. This left him in a state of torment, which was only exacerbated by witnessing the argument between his sister and the King. After all, he had no desire to kill an innocent child. Morgana soon noticed his inner conflict, and through a mix of persuasion and pressure, she turned Arthur into an accomplice. Since Uther kept a close watch on her, Arthur took the initiative to carry out the task of saving the boy.

Ultimately, with Merlin’s help, Arthur managed to return the Druid boy to his people deep in the forest. As they parted ways, Arthur finally learned the child’s name: Mordred.

When King Uther discovered that the Druid boy had been rescued, he flew into a rage. He could not believe that such a grave incident—a prison break—had occurred in the heavily guarded city of Camelot, especially involving a death-row prisoner set for execution the following day. Uther suspected Morgana, but she had been with him at the time. He knew she was involved, yet he could do nothing. Beyond their public relationship, she was his own daughter, and furthermore, she was betrothed to Kay. Uther had no choice but to vent his fury and issue warnings.

The matter passed, but it left a lasting impact on everyone involved.

...

For the past ten days, Merlin had been restless and distracted. He often fell into deep, inexplicable thought, questioning whether he had done the right thing. After all, he had let go of Arthur’s fated enemy; according to the dragon’s prophecy, this child would one day kill Arthur. Although Merlin had told Gaius he felt no regret, it was not that simple; no one could be indifferent to such a thing. Even as Merlin tried to console himself by saying he had merely saved a child, the dragon’s prophecy continued to gnaw at his nerves.

Arthur, on the other hand, was completely unbothered. Even when King Uther berated him and sent him out to hunt for the boy, Arthur forgot about it the moment he turned away. When ordered to search, he would simply slack off, knowing no one dared report him. Today, Uther had dispatched him to the forest outside the city to look for traces of the child, but the moment Arthur stepped into the woods, he tossed the King’s orders aside and began a pleasant hunt.

"Merlin! What are you doing? Hurry up and pack this rabbit away! Morgana hasn’t been in a good mood lately, and I’ve decided to bring her some rabbit meat." Arthur complained about his servant’s efficiency while putting away his crossbow.

Merlin curled his lip and reluctantly tied the arrow-pierced rabbit to a rope.

"Arthur, I think you should have brought her a live rabbit. No girl likes to see something bloody; they prefer them alive. The girls in Ealdor are all like that." Merlin sometimes couldn't find the words for Arthur’s lack of sensitivity. A girl is in a bad mood, and you bring her dead rabbits? What is that supposed to mean? (Ealdor was Merlin’s hometown.)

"Alive? That’s too much trouble. Besides, rabbit meat is delicious. When I’m in a bad mood, I like to eat something good. Morgana must be the same!"

Facing such a dense, "steel-straight" response, Merlin was at a loss for words. He swore that with a personality like that, Arthur would never have a girl interested in him. No wonder Arthur, nearly twenty years old, was still a virgin. The man completely failed to understand how a girl’s mind worked. Merlin decided he would no longer discuss the interests of women with this idiot.

In truth, Merlin envied Arthur. The man was completely devoid of worries; he could brush anything off as if it had never happened. Just like with the child, everyone involved had been incredibly tense, including Morgana, but Arthur could act as if nothing had occurred, eating and sleeping as usual without a single care. A thick hide was a talent in its own right!

"Merlin! What is wrong with you? We are hunting! We need speed, stealth, and a sharp mind! Why do you always act so foolishly?"

It turned out that while Merlin was lost in thought, he had accidentally bumped into Arthur, causing his prey to escape.

"What?" Merlin was still dazed.

"…Forget it!" Arthur didn’t want to say more to his dim-witted servant; he would only ask more questions without ever grasping the point.

Just as the two began their daily bickering, a woman’s scream suddenly rang out from ahead.

Without a second thought, Arthur and Merlin dropped their belongings, drew their swords, and rushed toward the sound. When they arrived, they discovered a group of bandits assaulting a man and his daughter. Seeing this, neither the chivalrous Arthur nor the kind-hearted Merlin could stand by, and they charged into the fray.

The fight itself was unremarkable. There were four bandits, which might have been a threat to commoners, but to Arthur? The battle ended quickly. Merlin spent the entire time "playing along," merely waving his sword a few times while Arthur dispatched all the thugs.

As Arthur pulled his longsword from the chest of the last bandit, he noticed Merlin still standing in the distance, waving his blade about. Arthur threw up his hands, looking at Merlin with a bewildered expression.

"Merlin? What are you doing?"

"What?"

"Go help that old man! He’s still on the ground!" Arthur pointed to the man who had been kicked down, looking utterly helpless.

"Oh, oh!" Merlin blinked as if waking from a dream.

Arthur watched as Merlin clumsily moved to help the old man. He shook his head and turned away to assist the woman who had fallen near a tree.

The moment he saw her, Arthur felt a sensation unlike anything he had ever known. He knew exactly what this feeling was—it was love at first sight.

He realized he had fallen in love.