Morgan's Past

Inside the duke's residence, the brilliant lights illuminated the grand hall, making it as bright as daylight. The aroma of delicious food filled every corner, and aged wines were scattered around. Over a hundred people had gathered here, shedding their formalities to fully enjoy this rare banquet.

After devouring a plate of grilled meat, Artoria patted her satisfied stomach and glanced at the empty seat at the head of the table, her azure eyes reflecting a hint of confusion.

"Teacher seems to be taking quite a long time in the backyard..."

Artoria muttered under her breath. After a moment's thought, she stood up, planning to check on her teacher.

But at that moment, a familiar figure suddenly blocked her path.

"Merlin?" Artoria raised an eyebrow, tilting her head in puzzlement. "What's happened to you?"

Merlin touched the bruise on his face and sighed with some resignation.

"Ahh, what else could it be? I got a beating from your charming brother."

Artoria looked over at Kay, who was grinning with pride. She felt a twinge of sympathy; after all, Merlin was an important person to her. Despite his problematic personality, he had played an irreplaceable role in her growth. To her, Merlin was both a mentor and a father figure.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "...Does it hurt?"

Merlin wiped away a tear at the corner of his eye and sighed. "Well... it's not that painful, but these scars do affect my handsomeness. Luckily, I asked the duke, and he mentioned that the mansion's infirmary has some ointment to remove scars. Can you do me a favor and get it for me, Lily?"

"But I wanted to check on Teacher in the backyard first…" Artoria felt torn.

"It's okay. Let me handle that!" Merlin patted his chest, wearing a look of 'trust me.'

"Alright, then." Artoria nodded and headed toward the exit of the hall.

Watching Artoria's retreating figure, Merlin's lips curled slightly. He turned his gaze toward the backyard and muttered softly, "I sacrificed my own handsomeness to give you this opportunity, so you better not disappoint me, Morgan."

===

*Swish—*

The faint breeze brushed in, carrying the peculiar chill of early autumn.

On one side was a brilliantly lit and lively hall, while on the other was a dim and desolate garden, just a wall apart but seemingly in two different worlds.

A fairy-like and extremely beautiful face was within arm's reach. A cool and unique fragrance subtly wafted through the air. Pale golden eyes sparkled like gemstones, filled with an irresistible charisma.

Arkhan's throat rumbled almost imperceptibly, and he forced a slightly uncomfortable smile on his face.

"Guinevere, your jokes have gone too far. Didn't you tell me before that you and Morgan were sisters?"

"Guinevere is a character I read about in storybooks when I was a child. She was a beautiful and wise princess, deeply cherished by her father, King Leodegrance. No matter what she wished for, even if it were the stars in the sky, King Leodegrance would find a way to get it for her."

Morgan spoke calmly while gazing at the dark sky.

"During that time, my father, King Uther, had recently passed away, and Ferguson's power was on the rise. Ambitious nobles aimed to meddle in political matters by trying to control me. I felt too insecure at that point, longing for my father to return and shield me. In such circumstances, I unwittingly stepped into the shoes of that princess, which gave birth to the personality known as 'Guinevere'."

"But that beautiful vision was never realized. In the daily despair and misery, I suddenly awakened another personality, or rather, identity—the evil fairy Morrigan, who had been separated from the primordial fairy.

"From then on, this body bore two distinct personalities—the ruthless and cold-blooded Camelot Crown Princess, Morgan le Fay Pendragon, and the timid and feeble Guinevere, who was always immersed in her own world."

Morgan spoke with a calm tone as if she were discussing something unrelated to herself.

Arkhan opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something.

"Don't think about trying to argue your way out of this, Arkhan." Morgan locked eyes with him. "Do you really think I haven't figured out the truth about that red feather?!"

Upon hearing that, Arkhan finally sighed in resignation. He could no longer keep it a secret.

As Morgan had said, he had known the truth about Guinevere and Morgan being the same person for a long time.

When Guinevere had expressed the desire to accompany him on his journey, he had returned the earring with the counter-tracking magecraft to her ear to prevent Morgan from catching up.

To ensure Guinevere wouldn't get lost again, he also placed a piece of his own consciousness with Fenghuang Down into her mind.

Originally, it was meant for tracking purposes, but he had accidentally discovered this hidden secret.

"Okay, I admit it. I've known about this long ago." Arkhan reluctantly admitted, raising his hands up.

Upon hearing his confession, Morgan was furious.

"If you've known for so long, why didn't you expose me?! Do you enjoy watching me make a fool of myself that much?!"

"Everyone knows you've been eyeing the throne for a long time, and I didn't know what your true intentions were. What if I had exposed you, and you decided to fight me to death? After all, you're the legitimate heir to the late king. I couldn't have harmed you, and it would have only complicated things. It was better to keep this secret."

Arkhan spoke with a calm tone while shrugging his shoulders.

In truth, this was only one part of the reason. The other reason was the delicate nature of his true origin, which made him choose to go along with this ruse.

But Arkhan hadn't expected Morgan to reveal everything at this moment.

After hearing his reasoning, her expression became slightly more complex, and she sighed lightly.

"Alright, I admit you have a point. I can also be honest with you. The reason I've been secretly observing you from the shadows is because I wanted to confirm if you could truly be the king Camelot needs."

In fact, Morgan had known about Artoria's existence for a long time. But as a fellow sister, she couldn't accept the fact that Artoria, who was also a female, had been designated as the successor by her father.

If a female could become the successor for the throne, Morgan believed that she was the more suitable candidate if qualifications were taken into account, especially since she was the one who had inherited the 'Power of the Island' from her father.

Morgan had seen firsthand the darkness and complexity of the upper society, and she knew that Artoria, a young girl who had spent over a decade in the countryside, would be ill-prepared to handle the political games of those old foxes.

However, Morgan's encounter with Arkhan made her suddenly realize that this young man with black hair and eyes as dark as the night might have the potential to be Camelot's rightful king.

To further confirm if he could be a competent king, she had concealed herself and observed him secretly with the personality of Guinevere.