➤ merlin was born in a (mostly) stereotypical wealthy family—prim and proper parents, the possibility of an arranged marriage, all that jazz. however, they gave her plenty of freedom as a child, allowing her to attend a public school and go out and play with other kids regardless of their gender or social standing, only keeping a servant to watch over her so that she didn't get too dirty or injured. she tended to play with boys more than girls; as a result, she was more tomboyish in nature.

➤ once merlin turned ten, her parents began to place many expectations on her, starting with the notion that she behave as a lady ought to. they moved her to a private institution, forced her to take extracurricular lessons, and hired a tutor to assure she got top marks in her classes. any hints of her tomboyish disposition they attempted to suppress. given that her parents had cut ties with associates and other relatives for acting "off", merlin obeyed out of fear that they'd disown her.

➤ she finally got her freedom when her powers awakened and became enrolled in pokémon university. after a long discussion with her parents, she managed to convince them to trust her to take care of herself without them needing to be there for her so long as she didn't get into trouble and maintained high grades. once at the uni, she was able to drop her façade and be herself. despite this, she couldn't involve herself in any extracurricular activities that her parents would disapprove of, fearing they'd find out and send her off to some top-notch school.

➤ knowing that her parents would likely try to control her life again once she graduated—including setting her up with some man she hardly knew—merlin convinced them to let her attend a little longer so that she could take more courses. she stated it would better prepare her for the real world.

➤ for years, merlin privately practiced "switching" between her personas to the point where she could go from being tomboyish to ladylike at the drop of a hat. however, her technique isn't flawless: the faster she needs to make the transition, the likelier her other persona will ooze over, especially if going from her true self to her fake one.

➤ merlin has an interest in the fine arts; ideally, she would love to become a professional theatre actress. she's currently participating in a production at a nearby theatre. her parents are currently unaware. once they find out, she hopes they'll either approve or she'll be well off enough to cut ties with them and become truly free.

➤ as a result of the extracurricular activities her parents put her through, merlin is somewhat proficient in french and violin. she also took sewing and cooking lessons, but she always mangled her projects and burned her food. her mentors considered her a "lost cause", and her parents decided she'd just need servants who could perform either or both tasks.