Evelyn only spared him a glance before looking away, not even bothering to scold him or tell him to leave immediately.
“You just knocked without saying anything. I thought it was a maid looking for me.”
After all, the management of the mansion had not been officially handed over yet, and she was not sure who might come knocking.
But as for why she hadn’t checked —
Harvey offered an awkward apology. “I thought you had already finished getting ready — “
He felt as if his ears were burning.
Evelyn did not speak immediately. She slowly and methodically tied her hair back, then raised her hand to pull her collar tight again, appearing completely composed.
One could not see the typical shyness of a woman whose skin had been exposed on her face. She did not even reprimand Harvey for the way his gaze had drifted.
Since she had already triggered a physiological reaction in Harvey toward the opposite sex, Evelyn knew such things were inevitable. Fortunately, she had already thought of a countermeasure.
“And?”
Evelyn straightened her collar and turned to face him.
“Did you come looking for me for a specific reason?”
Harvey struggled to keep his eyes on her face, barely managing to calm himself down. As long as he didn’t act embarrassed, the embarrassment wouldn’t belong to him. Besides, the Head Maid was fully clothed now.
“It’s about the mansion.”
“It occurred to me just now — isn’t this a Double Mansion? If the other lady doesn’t bring a manservant, then I will be the only man in the entire building.”
As he spoke, his eyes began to drift uncontrollably again, and his tone became unnatural.
“I… I feel it might be inappropriate. I wanted to ask if it would be better for me to move out.”
‘Just like now, why can’t I control myself?’
Evelyn listened quietly, her expression remaining largely unchanged.
“So, you actually realize it’s inappropriate.”
As soon as those words fell, Harvey felt even more awkward. He could hear the subtext. The Head Maid wasn’t just talking about the gender distribution in the mansion. The scene that had just occurred was enough for her to categorize him as a ‘flighty and reckless man.’
Harvey cleared his throat and forced himself to explain.
“I really didn’t mean to offend you.”
“And about this matter… I thought it would be better to confirm things in advance.”
‘Then why didn’t you think to confirm the situation inside the room in advance? Is it a male’s instinct at work? Or something else?’
Such doubts flashed through Evelyn’s mind.
Then, she said calmly, “Since both the Academy and the Duke have agreed to this arrangement, it means it is not an issue.”
“The number of servants is limited. Noble ladies who stay in a Double Mansion usually only bring female attendants.”
She glanced at Harvey. “However, the Eldest Miss already has you by her side.”
“If the other lady minds, the Academy will make adjustments beforehand. It is not for you to worry about.”
Harvey froze for a moment.
Thinking about it, she seemed right. In such matters, his concerns were indeed insignificant.
“…I understand,” he murmured.
Seeing that he truly understood this time, Evelyn frowned. “Furthermore, you are a servant of the Duke’s Mansion. You should demonstrate a sense of conviction.”
“Even if the other party is dissatisfied with your presence, you should rise to the challenge and resolve the problem.”
“…”
‘What kind of difficult demand is that?’
Harvey’s face crumbled. “That… even if you say so, Head Maid, I still…”
Evelyn didn’t want to hear his complaints and promptly dismissed him.
“How you handle it is your business. You may leave now.”
“And, the next time you enter a room — “
Her gaze swept over Harvey’s ears, which had not yet completely cooled down.
“Remember to announce yourself first, especially at a woman’s door.”
Harvey: “…”
He felt as though his reputation might have suffered some damage.
***
The maids of the mansion had already prepared lunch.
Silver plates, soup bowls, bread, and stew were placed on the table one by one, and the aroma of food filled the hall.
As temporary housing provided by the Academy for noble students, the standards here could not be called luxurious, but that was not a problem for Lavia. The Duke’s Mansion could provide for itself.
This was also the last task for the servants; they worked hard to show their dedicated service to the Eldest Miss. Naturally, they did not need help from Harvey or Evelyn.
After Lavia finished her meal, the servants received her rewards and departed with the Duke’s Mansion’s carriage.
The sound of wheels gradually faded, quickly leaving the dormitory area. The mansion suddenly became much quieter.
…Though they had left a mess that needed to be cleaned up.
Halfway through their cleaning, Lavia walked out of her bedroom. She was still wearing that thin veil over her face.
Harvey was momentarily dazed. He had barely spoken to the Eldest Miss today.
Lavia walked quickly to the top of the stairs and said to Evelyn, “Evie, I need to go to the Academic Records Office. Come with me.”
Evelyn immediately tossed the tools in her hand to Harvey.
“Yes, My Lady.”
Lavia glanced at Harvey as he caught the tools. Both of them shared a look of helpless resignation. She had originally wanted to ask Harvey to come along, but she ultimately abandoned the idea. Walking around the Academy with a manservant would, after all, be somewhat inappropriate.
Moreover, she knew Harvey wouldn’t be able to help much with this specific matter.
“We will be back soon.”
She dropped those words simply and left the mansion with Evelyn.
In the vast mansion, only Harvey remained. That was the first thing the Eldest Miss had said to him all day.
Seeing her with the veil felt a bit fresh to him. Even though she was someone he saw every day, that thin layer of gauze created a sense of strangeness. It felt like a peculiar distance had been placed between them.
Harvey sighed and continued cleaning.
He wiped down the tables and chairs and swept the hallways — he was already very skilled at these tasks.
During this rare moment of solitude, Harvey relaxed a little. He felt that something had been slightly off with him lately. Just as that thought surfaced, the image of the Head Maid holding her hair up with a hair tie in her mouth reappeared in his mind.
Harvey shook his head vigorously, trying to fling the image away.
‘That’s exactly it. Should I say I’m lacking focus, or am I focusing too much?’
His mind kept wandering toward strange places. Instinctively, he didn’t want to ask the Head Maid herself for the reason.
‘I’ll ask Hades when she appears again.’
He did not go to the other side of the mansion, cleaning only the shared front hall. After all, that was the living area of the other noble lady. Barging into someone else’s private domain was clearly inappropriate.
At the thought, Harvey’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the corridor on the other side. The doors over there were still tightly shut.
‘What kind of noble lady will she be?’
Harvey couldn’t help but feel curious. The only noble lady he had ever met was Lavia. In his eyes, Lavia was practically the definition of a noble lady. She had a flawless appearance, a slender and elegant noble aura, and a Magic Talent that far exceeded those of her peers.
No matter where she stood, she was the most dazzling protagonist. She was like a perfect saintess from a story.
It was a pity Lavia had awakened Ice Attribute Magic. If it had been Light Magic, she would probably be truly perfect.
Although he wanted to change his circumstances, Harvey still believed that entering the Duke’s Mansion and meeting such a master was a stroke of luck. It was just that he had changed; while others envied him, he was becoming someone who wanted more.
He was a greedy man.
‘For instance, if the other noble lady is as kind and simple as Lavia…’
Then his time at the Academy would be very easy.
Harvey couldn’t help but smile.
‘I hope she’s someone as easy to talk to as I am.’
After all, living in the same mansion as the Eldest Miss meant that if the relationship became too strained, it would eventually cause trouble. Especially if the cause was his presence; he would definitely face criticism from others.
Just as Harvey was hoping for the best —
A sound of carriage wheels approaching from a distance suddenly echoed outside the courtyard.
Harvey walked to the window and looked out.
An extremely eye-catching carriage had stopped at the mansion entrance. The carriage body was a brilliant gold, reflecting the dazzling rays of the afternoon sun. Even the metal rings of the wheels and the carriage door were covered in intricate patterns. It looked like a piece of art carved from solid gold.
Harvey subconsciously squinted his eyes.
‘No way… A carriage made of gold?’
He doubted his own eyes. It was too gaudy, completely lacking the elegance a noble should possess. Rather than displaying a noble status, it seemed to be desperately shouting to everyone — a VIP has arrived.
The Duke’s Mansion’s carriages were also luxurious, but they were never this flamboyant.
As Harvey examined the carriage that was so extravagant it bordered on kitsch, the coachman set down the step stool and retreated to the side.
The door slowly opened.
Two maids stepped out first, greeting the owner of the carriage with respectful postures.
Then —
A girl with a rounded figure “gracefully” stepped out of the cabin. She tilted her round chin upward and looked at the mansion before her. Her proud expression made her look exactly like a peacock fanning its feathers.
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