The Blue Clan leader is the child of the King, sharing the same striking blue eyes as the ruler. The King, who has five children, sees four of them possessing blue eyes, while his youngest daughter has black eyes.
It was expected that Lim, the King's youngest daughter, would also inherit blue eyes like her siblings. However, for reasons unknown, she did not.
The four older siblings had long harbored suspicions and were secretly searching for a blue-eyed woman who wasn't blind. This mystery had been mentioned to Merlin before: someone was looking for a princess with blue eyes.
The King, observing the tournament from the highest viewing platform, was seated alongside his five children, who were arranged in a row. The eldest, the leader of the Blue Clan, sat closest to the King.
The Blue Clan leader descended from his seat and approached Merlin, furious at her reckless behavior.
"What do you think you're doing?" the leader demanded, his voice cold and imposing.
The tension between the clans, sparked by Merlin's actions, quickly became more captivating than the tournament itself.
Seeing the leader's vibrant blue eyes, Merlin instinctively waved her hand in front of his face to test if he could see.
Merlin was stunned to discover that the leader wasn't blind and made no effort to hide his eyes. This was unusual since Merlin had been instructed to conceal her blue eyes with black powder upon meeting anyone with the same trait.
"You're not blind?" Merlin asked, genuinely puzzled.
Zaky stifled a laugh at Merlin's innocent remark, while the Blue Clan leader grew even more irritated at the implication.
"I'll ask you again. What are you doing?" the leader repeated, his tone sharper.
"I was greeting my friend and cheering him on for his win. What's wrong with that?" Merlin replied, clueless about the deep-seated feud between their clans.
"You don't know that the Blue Clan and Black Clan are enemies?" the leader asked incredulously.
"I had no idea. Can you explain it to me? I've been recovering from a long illness, and I might have lost some memories—or perhaps I never learned about clan history. I really don't know anything," Merlin admitted honestly.
"Foolish and troublesome," the leader muttered as he turned away, deciding Merlin wasn't worth his time.
For the Blue Clan leader, one ignorant individual, especially someone as seemingly weak as Merlin, posed no significant threat.
Zaky, however, was angered by the leader's dismissive remarks but held his tongue. Merlin, unfazed, accepted the criticism since she knew her ignorance was real.
"Why does your black dragon look so similar to his blue dragon, except for the color? Did you coordinate that because you're clan leaders?" Merlin asked Zaky.
Hearing this, the Blue Clan leader stopped in his tracks. Surprised by Merlin's comment, he turned back and approached her again, grabbing her arm.
"What did you just say?" the leader demanded, shocked that Merlin could see his companion beast.
"Didn't you just leave? Why are you back?" Merlin thought, bewildered by the leader's abrupt return.
The Blue Clan leader pulled Merlin, intending to take her somewhere to confirm her statement.
But Zaky quickly grabbed Merlin's other arm. "Where are you taking my friend?" Zaky said, glaring at the leader.
"She's a member of my clan. I can take her wherever I want," the leader shot back, refusing to release her.
This tug-of-war caught the attention of the King, who ordered his second son to intervene. The scuffle, witnessed by members of various clans, shifted the focus away from the ongoing matches.
Frustrated by the leader's actions but unable to challenge him directly, Zaky was forced to restrain himself.
Merlin, uncomfortable with being pulled in two directions, shook her arms free. "I think I'll just return to my seat," she said, stepping away.
After letting go, both the Blue Clan leader and Zaky watched as Merlin walked off. The King's second son guided Merlin back to her designated seat among the royals. The leader, still curious about Merlin, grudgingly returned to his seat due to the King's command.
Merlin rejoined Lucy, who was lounging lazily like a typical housecat.
"You're enjoying your nap while I'm getting into trouble," Merlin grumbled at Lucy.
"Focus on the tournament. You might learn how to use a companion beast instead of arguing with random people," Lucy replied, unbothered.
"If companion beasts could transform into weapons, I'd want you to turn into a sword. How about that?"
"Do whatever you want, as long as you're capable. But I won't obey your orders. Look at those beasts—don't you feel sorry for them, forcibly killed to become companions?"
"I didn't know that. Should I have killed you first, then?"
"Do you even understand? The only living companion beast belongs to the King."
"Wow, does that mean I could become a king too?"
"From your eyes alone, it's obvious you can't. Only those with blue eyes can ascend to the throne in the Blue Clan."
"Oh, like the current King with his blue eyes. But there are plenty of blind people with blue eyes—they can't do much."
"It's a curse, a consequence of a forced treaty. After losing, the Black Clan's ancestors had to make a pact to avoid further conflict with the Blue Clan."
"Is this treaty binding for all Blue Clan members?"
"Of course not. It only applies to those with blue eyes—just five people: the King and his four children. Those seated up there are untouchable by the Black Clan."
Merlin glanced up and observed the King and his four blue-eyed children. Among them, however, sat one individual with black eyes—a woman Merlin recognized.
It was Sujin, a former friend who had betrayed Merlin, poisoned her, and caused her expulsion from the academy. This realization reignited Merlin's desire for revenge, as the academy had ignored the incident and failed to punish Sujin.
"Who's the black-eyed person sitting with them?" Merlin asked Lucy.