"What's going on?"

Margaret stepped out of the wardrobe, a curious look on her face.

Merlin slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and waved his right hand.

The girl approached and sat down beside him.

"Nivis, Liora, and Monica claim they saw a ghost ship near the island," he explained briefly.

Margaret's face immediately turned pale. "A-A ghost ship?"

Merlin nodded. "Surprised? At first, I thought they were hallucinating too. But after I used my powers to check the area, it turns out the ship really is there—on the southern side of this island."

Ghost ships were just a myth—at least, that was what Merlin had believed before. But now, his belief had changed. The ghost ship was real.

"So they really exist, huh? It's hard to imagine."

Margaret pursed her lips and let out a deep sigh. She had heard about ghost ships from the maids, but she had never fully believed their stories.

Her original intention in mentioning it at the barbecue party was just to joke around.

Who would have thought her joke would turn into reality?

It seemed that in the future, she would have to stop saying unnecessary things in front of her friends.

"So what are you going to do, Merlin? Are you going to face that ghost ship now?" Margaret asked curiously.

More than the ghost ship itself, she was curious about Merlin's next move.

"Hmmm…" Merlin fell into deep thought. "For now, I won't take any action. You and the others are already too tired from this afternoon's activities."

He reached out and gently stroked Margaret's face.

"Go to your room and rest. Tomorrow, we'll discuss this over breakfast. Understand?"

Margaret savored his touch and nodded slightly.

"I understand."

***

The next morning…

As the sun began to rise, the girls—Nivis, Liora, and Monica—finally let out a sigh of relief.

The ghost ship's appearance had made it difficult for them to sleep soundly.

They had imagined that the moment they opened their eyes, the ghosts would already be there, waiting to attack them.

Fortunately, that didn't happen. They returned to their respective rooms with a sense of relief and lighter hearts.

After showering, they gathered in the dining room as Merlin had instructed them the night before.

Nivis arrived a little late because she had to tidy up her room first.

When she got there, she saw that everyone—including Liora and Monica—was already gathered. Only two people had not arrived yet: Merlin and Margaret.

"Good morning," she greeted them.

She sat down next to Monica and Liora, who had arrived earlier.

"Good morning!" Liora and Monica replied, quickly followed by the others.

"How did you all sleep last night?" Luna asked curiously as she handed a glass of milk to Nivis, Monica, and Liora.

"Thank you." The three of them smiled and accepted it.

They sipped the milk, enjoying its soothing warmth.

Nivis set her glass on the table and let out a relieved sigh.

"I didn't sleep that well, but at least I managed to get two or three hours. If I hadn't slept with Lisa, I probably would've stayed awake all night," Nivis admitted, slightly embarrassed.

"I-I did too," Monica added softly.

Liora nodded awkwardly. "Me too. Last night was really nerve-wracking. What about you, Luna?"

Luna leaned back comfortably and smiled calmly.

"Catrine and I are fine. There were no ghosts or anything like that where we were," she explained.

"Thank goodness…" Monica breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest. She then turned to Nysera and asked, "What about you?"

Nysera took a bite of her bread, chewed, then swallowed.

"Nothing happened. I slept soundly," she replied flatly. "But…"

Her expression shifted slightly as she added, "I don't know if it's just my imagination, but last night I felt like someone was staring at me from a dark corner of my room."

The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Nivis, Liora, and Monica swallowed unconsciously.

"A-Are you kidding?" Monica asked doubtfully.

"No, I'm not kidding." Nysera shook her head. "I really felt it. That gaze was so intense it made me uncomfortable. But other than that, I'm fine."

She went back to eating with a flat expression.

"Oh? You guys gathered quickly."

A playful voice came from the side, breaking the tension in the dining room.

When the girls turned, they saw Merlin and Margaret walking side by side.

"Merlin!" Nivis, Liora, and Monica lit up at the sight of him.

Merlin smiled and gave a small nod. He sat at the head of the dining table, while Margaret sat to his right.

For some reason, that arrangement made him look like the head of the family, with the girls as his wives.

The maids then came in to serve the prepared food.

Merlin, Lisa, and the seven girls began their breakfast. As they ate, they talked and discussed the ghost ship from the night before.

"Nivis, Liora, and Monica," Merlin called out as he tore off a piece of bread and popped it into his mouth. "You said you saw the ghost ship with your own eyes, right? Can you tell me what it looked like?"

The three exchanged glances. Then Liora spoke up.

"The ship was enormous," she explained cautiously. "It was probably twice the size of the ship we used before. It was green and emitted a strange light that made it stand out clearly in the darkness of the ocean. It had a flag shaped like a straw hat and two crossed swords."

Merlin listened carefully to her story. However, when Liora mentioned the ship's emblem, he was taken aback.

'A straw hat emblem? Is that ship from the anime One Piece?' Merlin wondered silently.

It was a famous anime in his country, telling the story of pirate adventures.

But upon further thought, that shouldn't be possible. He quickly dismissed the absurd idea.

"I see. Are there any other clues?" Merlin asked.

"No." Liora shook her head. "As far as I remember, the ship was anchored on the southern side of this island. It wasn't too far away, so the three of us could see it clearly last night."

"The southern side, huh…" Merlin narrowed his eyes. The system indicated there had been strange fluctuations last night, which meant it really was a ghost ship.

"I understand." Merlin nodded and gave them a reassuring look. "Don't worry. We'll check it out tonight. By the way…"

He turned to Lisa and asked for her help. "Can you prepare the supplies, Lisa?"

"Supplies?" Lisa looked surprised.

"Yes. Please prepare potions, food, and other supplies. I suspect that ghost ship will show up again. Better safe than sorry, right?"

Lisa thought it made sense and didn't ask any further questions.

After the discussion about tonight's plan was over, breakfast ended, and the girls returned to their respective activities.

"Merlin," Liora called out a bit shyly. "Do you still remember your promise?"

Monica joined in, looking at Merlin eagerly.

She couldn't wait to try surfing like Merlin and Luna had done yesterday.

"Of course." Merlin smiled and nodded. "Let's go to the beach."

"Yay!" the two of them cheered happily and followed Merlin toward the beach.

***

The ship carrying Gerhan and his crew was anchored on the northern side of the island, the closest point to the Beethoven family's villa.

If anything happened, they could evacuate Merlin and the others quickly.

At the moment, the crew was taking a nap, while Gerhan himself stood on the deck, smoking.

He gazed at the vast ocean before him with a calm, expressionless face.

It had been twenty years since he became a sailor. His experience was beyond question.

He had visited countless kingdoms, islands, and other places. To be honest, he was tired of life at sea.

His income hadn't been that great, especially after he started a family. That was why he and his crew chose to become special employees of the Beethoven family.

Although they were still sailors, their work was different now. They only had to transport the Beethoven family's merchants across the seas.

The benefits were also attractive. They received a steady salary, lunch money, and various other bonuses.

Compared to sailing as usual, he and his crew preferred their current job. At least, they no longer had to worry about their livelihoods—or those of their families.

"If I'd known life could be this relaxed and enjoyable, I wouldn't have spent my younger days sailing around like a madman," he muttered, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

But that was all in the past, and he didn't dwell on it anymore. In fact, it was thanks to those years at sea that he had landed his current job.

As he enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere around him, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind.

He turned and saw a tall boy walking toward him with a smile on his face.

"Young Master Merlin?" Gerhan was surprised. He was about to put out his cigarette, but Merlin stopped him.

"Take it easy."

Gerhan froze for a moment. He smiled awkwardly and asked, "What brings you here?"

Merlin stopped beside him and answered honestly, "There's something I want to ask you."

Gerhan's expression turned curious. "What is it?"

Merlin paused briefly before stating his purpose. "Have you ever seen a ghost ship?"