The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 286: Meeting Margaret Again

"The building should be here, right?"

Merlin stopped in front of a secluded building behind the academy.

No students or professors passed by. The courtyard was beautiful, filled with plants carved into lions and other animals.

At the center was a ten-by-ten-meter flower bed. The atmosphere felt refreshing and calming.

If not for the directions given earlier by the gardener, he would never have known such a place existed behind the academy.

"Are you Young Master Merlin Clay?"

A woman’s voice came from behind him. Merlin turned and saw a woman dressed as a maid.

Merlin nodded slightly. "Yes, I am Merlin Clay. Are you the maid sent by Margaret?"

The woman bowed her head and replied respectfully, "That’s right, young master. Please follow me inside to meet the young lady. She has been waiting for you."

Merlin did not refuse. Guided by the maid, he stepped inside and finally saw the interior of the building.

It resembled a small hall, decorated with carpets, chandeliers, and various pieces of furniture, including tables adorned with vases of flowers.

Several servants were busy cleaning the area.

The maid leading Merlin headed toward the stairs and climbed them. Merlin followed naturally.

They passed the second floor, then the third, and eventually stopped on the fourth floor.

Unlike the areas on the first through third floors, the fourth floor resembled a well-organized office.

Several cabinets lined the right side, while four windows allowed fresh air from outside to drift in.

On the left side of the room was a small bar for making coffee, tea, and the like. In the center, three sofas formed a U-shape around a long table.

The most striking feature, however, was a girl with golden hair.

She sat in her chair, reading a book. The girl was extraordinarily beautiful, with small, delicate lips and a finely shaped nose.

Her golden hair flowed long and wavy down her back.

Because she was looking down, Merlin could not see her eyes—but he was certain they would be as beautiful as the rest of her.

As if sensing their presence, the girl suddenly looked up from her book.

Instantly, her crystal-clear golden eyes met Merlin’s violet ones.

They stared at each other in silence, and then, simultaneously, smiles spread across their lips.

"I have brought Young Master Merlin, as you commanded, Young Lady Margaret," the maid said respectfully.

Margaret closed her book and gave a faint smile.

"Thank you. You may leave now."

The maid did not argue and immediately walked away, leaving Merlin alone with her.

Margaret turned her gaze to Merlin, a smile still playing on her lips.

"It’s been a long time, Merlin. You’ve changed a lot in the past four years," she remarked admiringly.

Admittedly, Merlin’s appearance was striking. Margaret had never met a boy their age with such good looks.

Not only that, but he also carried a unique, mysterious aura that drew the attention of anyone who looked at him—including her.

Merlin chuckled softly as he walked toward her.

"Thank you for the compliment. You’ve changed a lot too—you’re more beautiful and mature now."

In the past, Margaret had worn a silver mask to hide her face.

When they had spoken in the restaurant, Merlin had seen the mark of the curse on her.

Now, compared to before, she was at least one hundred percent—no, maybe a thousand percent—more beautiful.

Of course, he didn’t mean she hadn’t been attractive before. It was just that the curse’s mark had acted like a black veil, hiding her true beauty.

"Thank you for the compliment. It’s all thanks to the cream you gave me back then. The black mark has completely disappeared. Once again, thank you, Merlin."

Her radiant smile, like morning sunlight, made Merlin’s heart race.

He tried to suppress it and replied casually, "You’re welcome. It’s a friend’s duty to help each other."

At the word "friend," Margaret’s expression stiffened slightly, then relaxed again.

"You’re right. After all, we are friends," she whispered, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

Merlin didn’t notice the smile. Margaret then invited him to sit on the sofa while she prepared tea for both of them.

Once she was done, Margaret brought two cups to the table and sat down next to Merlin.

"How are you? Are you living comfortably at the academy?" she asked softly, leaning slightly against him.

Merlin froze, clearly surprised, and shifted to the side. Strangely, Margaret followed, pressing closer again until their bodies touched.

Realizing her intention, Merlin simply smiled without saying anything.

"I’m fine," he replied calmly, picking up his cup and taking a sip. "Life here is very good. I live comfortably and enjoy it."

His master was Linda, the head of the academy, so comfort was inevitable.

Of course, his previous achievements also contributed to his comfort, earning him the respect of both students and professors.

"Glad to hear it. If you run into any trouble, just report it to me. And even if I’m not around, you can mention my name—they won’t dare mess with you," Margaret said confidently, patting her well-developed chest.

"Oh?" Merlin’s curiosity peaked. "Why are you so confident? Are you a senior here?"

He already knew part of the answer—Margaret had been explained to be a senior at the academy and had met Abel a year after he enrolled.

"Yes, I am a senior. Otherwise, why else would I be here?" Margaret rolled her eyes and giggled.

Merlin nodded slightly, acknowledging her explanation.

"Then... what exactly is this building? Does it belong to the Beethoven family?" he asked.

This building was enormous—comparable even to Linda’s office building.

Its somewhat remote location made it feel exclusive.

"This building?" Margaret looked around casually. "Yes, it belongs to my family. You may not know, but the Beethoven family is the largest investor in Saint Freya Academy. Every year, we donate five hundred million gold coins, along with equipment like tables, chairs, and blackboards. Many other facilities—the magic training area, the battle arena, and so on—also come from my family."

She paused for a moment, sighed softly, and continued casually, "Because of these contributions, the academy gave us a large area behind it, including this building for a private office. With the academy protecting it, this place is extremely safe—perhaps the safest in the world. And as it happens, one of our family managers is returning to his hometown, so I’m staying here temporarily to oversee the development of several shops in the city of Brindel."

Merlin: "..."

Margaret’s words sounded casual, without a hint of pride. But to Merlin, it was a flex he could never match.

Five hundred million gold coins was an astonishing sum. By comparison, the Clay family’s annual income was only two hundred million gold coins.

And that was before taxes, which went straight to the royal palace.

Yet just now, Margaret had said the Beethoven family donated five hundred million gold coins every year—two and a half times the Clay family’s income.

That didn’t even include the chairs, desks, blackboards, and other facilities they contributed.

Adding it all up, Merlin was sure the Beethoven family’s total donations to the academy could reach a billion gold coins.

’As expected of the richest family on the continent—truly incredible,’ he thought.

Even the Solayne family of the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria and the two other royal families from the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia and the Knight Kingdom of Batrum weren’t nearly as wealthy.

No wonder the Beethoven family was nicknamed the family with wealth rivaling a kingdom. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"You don’t seem impressed by your family’s achievement, Margaret. Could it be that amount means nothing to you?" Merlin joked, sipping his tea.

Unexpectedly, Margaret nodded, answering casually, "Yes, it’s a small sum. It’s barely a drop compared to what my father spends on investments."

A small sigh escaped her lips, as if she were more annoyed by her father’s spending than impressed by the donation to the academy.

"Puff!"

Merlin choked and coughed. Startled, Margaret reached over and rubbed the back of his neck with concern. "What happened? Did you choke?"

Merlin coughed a few more times before finally regaining his composure.

"I’m... fine. Thank you," he said, forcing an awkward smile.

’Crazy... this is insane! How rich is the Beethoven family, exactly?!’ he thought in horror.

One billion gold coins was considered a trivial amount by this girl, completely shattering Merlin’s understanding of wealth.

Even the children of conglomerates in his previous world wouldn’t have dared speak like that.

How did he know? Well, he had often watched vlogs made by the upper class, so he had a rough idea of what it meant to be at the very top of the pyramid on Earth.

"I’m glad you’re okay," Margaret said, letting out a relieved sigh and patting her chest. "Oh, right—have you had lunch yet, Merlin?"

Merlin wanted to say no, but he held back when he saw her hopeful expression.

"Not yet," he replied.

"Great!" Margaret beamed. "Then let’s go eat!"

Without waiting for his response, she stood up, grabbed his arm, and pulled him out of the office.