Merlin choked slightly but kept a relaxed, calm expression. "I know it from your habits, teacher. Every time you ask the servants to prepare food, I notice and take note. I even asked my father and mother about it during breakfast. So, isn't it natural that I would know?"

Of course, it was all a lie. He had never paid attention to what Linda requested, nor had he asked his parents.

In reality, he knew Linda's eating preferences from the databook, which recorded everything in detail—even her likes and blood type.

Still, revealing that would have been impossible, wouldn't it?

Linda was lost in thought at his words. For some reason, her intuition told her the boy wasn't being honest.

Yet when she reconsidered, his answer did make sense. If it wasn't from them, how else could he know her preferences?

Although she remained a little suspicious, Linda chose to stay silent and shifted the conversation to various interesting topics.

Fortunately, Merlin was no ordinary boy. Linda brought up a wide range of subjects—some that only adults would fully understand.

But the boy understood them and responded with equally clever remarks. Linda grew even more curious, wondering if Merlin was really only eight years old.

Even so, she kept her curiosity to herself.

Sometimes, expressing doubts could backfire. She feared these precious moments might be ruined and vanish.

Without them noticing, the food they had ordered finally arrived. The waitress pushed a trolley laden with dishes and carefully placed each plate on the table.

"This is your order, Miss and little brother. Please enjoy," she said politely, her smile sweet and courteous.

Both of them returned her smile with a small nod. Once the waitress left, they turned their attention to the food before them.

Merlin washed his hands first, then carefully placed pieces of lamb and chicken onto his plate.

"Master, let's eat!" he said.

Linda nodded, keeping her smile. "Yes, let's eat."

They began their lunch heartily, exchanging brief bits of conversation.

But, as the old saying goes, "There is no true peace." Two burly men suddenly appeared and walked toward them.

"Hey there, pretty lady," the man on the right greeted, leering at Linda. "Are you alone? Why don't you join us?"

He glanced behind him, where six tables full of men laughed, occasionally sneering at Linda and Merlin.

Merlin felt a surge of anger but remained silent, observing them calmly.

'Really... idiots,' he thought with a playful smirk.

Incidents like this were not uncommon. In this world, rules protecting women's safety were nearly nonexistent—very different from the world he had come from.

As a result, many incidents that should never have happened did occur—kidnappings of beautiful women, harassment, and countless other crimes. Laws against serious offenders were often weak, leaving unprotected women afraid to even step outside.

Unfortunately for these men, the woman they were harassing was Linda—the Nameless Mage.

Even the continent's most powerful people didn't dare cross her. What chance did two ordinary men have?

It was, without a doubt, a spectacle worth watching.

Linda, observing their behavior, immediately lost her appetite. Her gaze sharpened, and she commanded, "Leave now."

Instead of backing off, they grew bolder. The man on the left stepped closer, reaching out as if to grab her, when suddenly his body froze.

"Ugh..." Excruciating pain shot through him. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he collapsed to the floor, convulsing.

Everyone eating nearby stared in shock.

"What's happening?" his companion stammered, stepping back in panic.

Just moments ago, his friend had been fine—what had changed?

Instinctively, his eyes landed on Linda, whose brown eyes glimmered with an icy light.

Gulp!

The man swallowed nervously. 'Don't tell me… She's the one with special powers? Damn! I'm such an idiot!'

He spun on his heel and ran, leaving his friend writhing on the floor.

Messing with someone who has special powers was practically a death sentence. Had he known sooner, he never would have dared.

Watching him flee, the men at the other tables froze. They exchanged nervous glances, their faces pale with fear.

Without thinking twice, they got up and ran out of the restaurant.

"Hey! Don't run! You haven't paid yet!"

The waiters shouted angrily, but the men didn't hear them and quickly vanished from view.

The staff were furious. The food they had ordered was plentiful and expensive, so their sudden escape was a clear loss for the restaurant.

The waitress who had served Merlin and Linda approached, bowing her head.

"I'm sorry, Miss, and little brother. We'll clean up this mess, and we guarantee we will replace your table and the food," she said apologetically.

Her gaze occasionally flicked toward the burly man still lying on the floor, full of hatred. If it weren't for this fool, none of this would have happened.

"It's okay." Linda waved her right hand. "You don't need to replace the table or the food. Just take care of this idiot's body."

The waitress froze in surprise. Normally, other customers would have been furious in a situation like this, especially since the man had ruined their lunch.

But this beautiful woman was different, leaving her both amazed and relieved.

"Thank you, Miss. Don't worry—we'll handle it," she said, bowing slightly.

Afterward, she called over the other servers to deal with the body.

Merlin sipped the orange juice he had ordered and looked at Linda with admiration.

"Master, you are so generous. If it were anyone else, they would have sued the restaurant and taken advantage of the situation," he praised.

Linda rolled her eyes, spearing a piece of grilled meat with her fork and taking a bite.

"Do you think your master is that kind of person? I'm not that cruel, you know."

"Of course not, Master. I'm just in awe of you," Merlin said, blinking cutely. "Is that not allowed?"

Looking into his beautiful purple eyes, Linda felt an indescribable sensation in her chest but quickly suppressed it.

"Ahem!" She coughed softly, masking it with a relaxed expression. "Alright, enough chatting. Finish your food. After this, we'll continue our walk—there are still many places and shops I haven't visited."

Merlin nodded slightly. "Understood."

With that, the two of them continued their lunch, enjoying it thoroughly.

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