Harvey remained silent for a while, but he quickly regained his composure and looked up at her.
“Eldest Miss, did you forget what the Head Maid just said?”
If they forcibly changed attendants, at least one of those two maids would be cleared out of the Duke’s Mansion. This didn’t seem like something Lavia would do.
Unless —
The Eldest Miss was testing him.
As soon as the thought arose, Harvey dismissed it. He had no reason to be tested, and the Eldest Miss wasn’t like the complex-minded people in books. She had lived in the Duke’s Mansion since childhood, receiving the best education and etiquette training. She was the near-perfect Duke’s daughter in everyone’s eyes.
Just then, the “perfect” Lavia sat up from the lounge chair without any regard for etiquette and stared straight at him.
“What is it, Eldest Miss?”
Their gazes met without any avoidance, leaving Harvey somewhat confused. Those azure eyes were very beautiful, just like the ocean. He had once read a description of the sea in a book — a vast, boundless expanse where the blue water met the sky. He had always longed for such a sight.
‘If only I could see such scenery with my own eyes, like the travelers in books, wandering to every corner of the continent.’
The moment this thought surfaced, Harvey’s expression suddenly darkened. A little slave who couldn’t even leave the Duke’s Mansion had no business talking about long journeys. Even if he made it outside, what would be the use? He would struggle just to survive. The magic Hera taught him couldn’t exactly manifest gold coins.
A certain great God of the Underworld suddenly felt a trace of anger.
Lavia keenly noticed the shift in his emotions, and her brow furrowed slightly. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but seeing the gloom in his eyes caused a strange sense of unease to sprout in her heart.
“Are you unwilling to be with me?”
Harvey froze for a moment, then hurriedly shook his head.
“How could I be?”
“I’m very interested in the Royal Academy of Magic’s collection of books, and there are the orthodox Four Elemental Magics to learn. If I remember correctly, the Academy also has a department specifically for Magic Item Crafting…”
He spoke with increasing sincerity. Magic Item Crafting didn’t have high requirements for natural talent. Even if one couldn’t cast spells, they could still enter that field. It was a path he had considered before.
Lavia had been nodding along, a look of “as I thought” on her face. She knew Harvey wouldn’t want to be separated from her for so long. But as she listened, she suddenly felt like something was wrong.
This was the first time she had seen such excitement on Harvey’s face. It was an expression she had never seen before. Inside the Duke’s Mansion, he was always quiet and steady. Whether he was organizing her bookshelves or accompanying her during magic practice, his gaze always fell on her. It was as if she were the center of his entire world.
But now…
His gaze had moved beyond this mansion, looking toward a place much further away. The things that only existed in books had been considered by him many times, described with clarity and detail.
Lavia felt a flicker of complexity in her heart. She was his master. ‘Everything he has done since childhood has been with me as the priority. How could there be anything… more important than me?’
As soon as the thought appeared, she suppressed it.
“Since you want to go so badly,” Lavia said, taking a breath and tilting her delicate chin up, “I’ll arrange it.”
Harvey was stunned and shook his head almost instinctively. “Eldest Miss, there’s no need to go to such trouble. I didn’t say these things to cause you any problems.”
Lavia’s brow furrowed. “I want to.”
If she didn’t bring him along, was she supposed to watch Harvey follow Evie around all day? At the thought of the scene from earlier, Lavia’s expression chilled. The anger that had dissipated suddenly flared up again. She couldn’t explain why she was so upset; she only knew she didn’t like what she saw.
Noticing the change in her mood, Harvey lowered his head slightly and stopped trying to persuade her. After all, she was the master. He only needed to follow orders. He simply hoped the Eldest Miss wouldn’t cause unnecessary trouble while handling the matter.
“Eldest Miss, do you need me to continue the massage?”
Lavia looked up at him. The youth stood there, his expression as calm as ever. Even when faced with her inexplicable temper, he said nothing. She suddenly felt a lack of interest.
“Never mind,” she said, waving her hand. “You may leave.”
Harvey bowed slightly. “Yes.”
—
He turned and left the room, closing the bedroom door. Just as he turned around, Harvey noticed someone standing by the door.
Evelyn was still wearing her meticulous Head Maid uniform, her long black hair hanging neatly behind her back. She was standing guard in front of the bedroom, looking as if she had been waiting for a long time.
Harvey widened the distance between them slightly and asked politely, “Does the Head Maid wish to go inside?”
Those calm eyes fell upon Harvey. “Is it over?” she asked coldly.
Harvey nodded. “The Eldest Miss is resting. You can come back in a while to wake her.”
Evelyn’s gaze was incredibly sharp, as if it could see through a person’s heart.
“That’s good,” she said softly. “I thought — the Eldest Miss might be unwilling to let you out.”
The air in the hallway seemed to fall silent. Harvey looked up at her with a confused expression. “What do you mean?”
“…”
Harvey’s blunt confusion caused Evelyn to fall into the same silence as before. Her dark eyes lingered on his face a bit longer before she suddenly took a step forward.
The distance between them vanished instantly. Before Harvey could react, Evelyn reached out, her slender fingers gripping his chin. Her fingertips were slightly cool as she leaned down. Her long black hair slid off her shoulder, carrying a clean, cold fragrance. It reminded Harvey of unthawed morning dew.
“I remember reminding you,” Evelyn said, staring at him with an undeniable sense of pressure, “to fulfill a slave’s duty.”
Her fingertips applied a bit of pressure, lifting Harvey’s face higher. They were so close that he could clearly see the Head Maid’s long eyelashes.
“Wh-what?”
“You should maintain a distance from the Eldest Miss that is consistent with proper etiquette.”
Evelyn stared into his eyes. She was checking if this boy, who was about to become a man, would harbor thoughts he shouldn’t. If there was even a trace, for the sake of the Eldest Miss’s purity, he would have to be removed immediately.
However, there was nothing. Harvey was merely stunned. Those eyes were filled with confusion — the blankness of someone who had been suddenly pulled into close proximity.
“…Head Maid?”
The hallway was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
Harvey tentatively reminded her, “I haven’t done anything inappropriate, but you, right now…”
The Head Maid was currently pinning him against the wall in front of the Eldest Miss’s bedroom, mockingly forcing him to look up. ‘Is this workplace bullying? Or some kind of declaration scene from a book?’
Evelyn narrowed her eyes slightly, but she didn’t let go despite his reminder. The already unpleasant mood in her heart was joined by a hint of dissatisfaction. She had tested this youth many times today, but the result was always the same. Harvey remained indifferent to her closeness and ambiguity. He didn’t even show basic nervousness.
‘It’s truly… strange, completely inconsistent with the physiological logic of a male.’
If ordinary testing couldn’t yield an answer, then she would use a more direct method. Thinking of this, Evelyn deliberately leaned forward. Their chests were almost touching, and through the fabric, Harvey could almost feel the Head Maid’s warm heartbeat. No matter how cold a person was, their heart rate wouldn’t differ that much.
He didn’t notice, however, that an indiscernible, strange light had appeared deep within Evelyn’s eyes. The fragrance that had been hovering around him became increasingly pronounced.
Evelyn spoke again. “Harvey.”
The Head Maid’s voice had suddenly become much gentler. Harvey looked at her in shock.
“What is it? Does the Head Maid have an order?”
For some reason, Harvey felt his heart rate accelerating, yet he couldn’t find the cause. Behind him, where he couldn’t see, Evelyn’s fingernail had quietly pricked the skin of his neck, yet he felt nothing.
Evelyn stared at him for a few seconds, a flash of doubt crossing her slightly eerie eyes. It was impossible; she had already released her Pheromones. A sexually mature human male couldn’t possibly have no reaction.
‘Could I really have misunderstood him? Has the boy truly not awakened to such thoughts yet?’
“You…”
Just then, a long-lost voice suddenly echoed in Harvey’s mind. It carried a hint of curiosity.
“Oh?”
Hera.
The God of the Underworld, who had been gone all day, had once again initiated contact. Before Harvey could respond, Hera spoke first.
“This woman — “
She paused, her tone becoming somewhat meaningful.
“Little one, what exactly are you doing?”
“Why are you so… excited?”