Chapter 12: Displaying Attraction

She was actually… afraid?

The thought made Evelyn freeze for a brief moment.

She looked at the boy in front of her.

This slave who was usually docile—almost dull—now seemed like a completely different person.

Beneath his heavy bangs, his eyes shone with a light she couldn’t understand.

She watched as his expression shifted from initial nervousness and confusion into something openly intense.

Too direct.

Far too eager.

That burning, searching gaze even made her heart tremble.

Was her pheromone effect really this strong?

For a moment, Evelyn wondered if she had overdone it.

Had she misjudged the situation?

A faint sense of guilt rose within her.

It seemed… she had made things more complicated.

Harvey, meanwhile, didn’t notice Evelyn’s emotional shift at all. He was still immersed in the joy of being able to communicate with a magical being.

“I know fairies can’t live in groups,” he asked quietly in his mind.
“But why did Lady Hera say the head maid could become a key?”

Hearing her little “representative” suddenly switch to a respectful tone, Hera let out a cold laugh.

This little guy… quite the opportunist.

“Fairies are indeed solitary creatures,” Hera said lazily.
“But precisely because of that—any fairy willing to stay with you long-term is extremely valuable.”

“The demon race created them in ancient times to command beasts and animals, mainly to cause trouble for our divine faction.”

“Especially for humans, fairies are the best teachers who understand you.”

“But their lifespans are short,” she added casually.
“Their souls don’t enter the underworld.”

“They only enter a mating phase at the end of their lives, seeking other races to reproduce.”

“And the newborn fairy inherits all the mother’s knowledge and memories.”

At this point, Harvey almost forgot to breathe.

It was unbelievable.

He was being taught knowledge from the mythological age.

It felt like he had accidentally opened an ancient book and discovered a lost piece of history hidden between dusty pages.

And now—

That history stood right in front of him.

For the first time, he truly looked at the head maid he had worked with for years.

And for the first time—

He examined her carefully.

And he noticed something.

The head maid was… beautiful.

Not the flashy kind of beauty that came from deliberate adornment, but a restrained, cold elegance.

Her jet-black hair was tightly bound and tucked into a hairnet, with only two strands falling along her cheeks, softening her sharp features.

Her facial features were delicate.

A straight nose bridge, thin and defined lips.

Her skin was pale—not the soft pink of noble ladies, but a cool, flawless tone.

Her figure was far more slender than he remembered.

The strictly tailored maid uniform, meant to emphasize propriety, perfectly outlined her graceful curves.

Even without intention, it made one aware of her near-perfect silhouette.

Within that restraint and composure, Harvey felt an indescribable attraction.

Like fire sealed beneath ice.

He found himself momentarily lost.

But why does she wear black leather gloves? Looks like they’d hurt if she hit someone… Is it to hide magic patterns? That would explain why she never handles water-related tasks.

Harvey knew that fairies had magical patterns covering their skin—the key to their ability to cast magic freely.

That focused gaze made Evelyn feel heat even through her gloves.

“Harvey.”

Unable to bear his blatant staring, she said coldly,
“What are you looking at?”

There was a faint hint of danger in her tone.

“I—I was looking at your hands.”

“…”

Evelyn’s expression stiffened, and she stepped farther away.

Normally, she might have appreciated such honesty—after all, honesty was a virtue.

But now—

This was clearly not the right moment.

She watched him warily.

As if he took one more step forward, she would strike immediately.

Harvey looked confused.

Had he said something strange?

Why was she looking at him like that?

After thinking for a moment, he explained,
“I just noticed you always wear thin gloves, so I got curious.”

“…Just curious?”

Evelyn frowned, clearly unconvinced.

Harvey nodded.

To him, this seemed like a perfect opportunity to get closer, so he added:

“Besides, you’re very beautiful. Wearing gloves like that… you must be taking good care of your hands.”

Levia was like that.

As someone who attended noble ladies closely, Harvey knew well—

Elegance and refinement were never innate; they were built with time and money.

Some maids in the duke’s household came from minor noble families and were equally particular about such things.

So to him, it was only natural that the head maid would care for her hands.

He even thought his explanation sounded thoughtful, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

However—

Evelyn hid her hands behind her back, her gaze growing even more guarded.

Beneath her outward coldness, she felt a trace of tension.

If earlier she only suspected her pheromones had taken effect—

Now—

She was almost certain.

Harvey was looking at her the way a man looked at a woman.

Studying every detail of her body.

Complimenting her beauty.

Even showing… a peculiar interest in her hands.

And doing so without restraint.

Evelyn knew that some human males developed unusual fixations during adolescence—obsessions with specific parts of the opposite sex.

How could this be… Had she awakened some strange fetish in him?

She pressed her lips together.

For once, the usually stern head maid spoke with hesitation:

“Harvey… you need to calm down.”

The air fell silent.

Harvey’s smile froze.

Something was clearly wrong.

“Did… I say something wrong?” he asked carefully.

He had only meant to show goodwill.

But her reaction was nothing like what he expected from a compliment.

He felt at a loss.

He had hoped to use this moment to build a better relationship—maybe move from mere coworkers to something like friends.

But now—

The first step had already failed.

If even normal conversation turned out like this…

How could he ever ask her to teach him magic?

Meanwhile, deep within his consciousness, Hera burst out laughing.

It had been a long time since she felt such amusement.

“Looks like your little plan has failed,” she said lazily.
“You thought you were flattering her.”

“But in her eyes, you’re probably just a perverted creep.”

Harvey: “……”

He fell silent for two seconds.

Then asked very seriously:

“Why?”

Like a student asking a teacher about a difficult academic problem.

Hera laughed again, her voice seductive and teasing, making Harvey flush.

He felt a bit frustrated.

“Little one, compared to magic, you should first learn something more basic,” she said with interest.

“For example—”

“How humans court each other.”

Harvey blinked.

“…Courtship?”

Of course he knew what that meant. He wasn’t a child.

“But I just want to be friends with her, not pursue her.”

“No difference,” Hera interrupted. “That would ruin the fun.”

“For humans, no matter what kind of relationship you want to build, the first step is always the same—show your strengths and attract the other person.”

Harvey thought about it and found it somewhat reasonable, so he didn’t argue.

“For example—dance.”

“Humans invented it from rituals. At its core, it’s about courtship.”

“Males display strength through movement, females attract with softness—that’s the essence of dance.”

“…Is it really like that?” Harvey said uncertainly.

He didn’t know the origin of dance, but something felt off.

Still… this was advice from a god. It couldn’t be wrong, right?

Hera said confidently:

“I’m not telling you to dance in front of this fairy right now.”

“I’m telling you that you need to display… your masculine attraction.”

“……”

Harvey nodded slowly.

“Then… what should I do?”