Harvey was stunned for a moment.
He had originally only intended to remind her, and he never expected things to turn out this way.
The chubby noble girl stood in the middle of the hall with her arms crossed, looking as if it were only natural for others to solve her problems for her. Her expression made it seem as though this mansion belonged to her family.
For a moment, Harvey did not know how to refuse. Besides — the way she had clutched her stomach earlier suggested she really was quite hungry.
‘But this noble girl… she probably eats a lot, right? She doesn’t look like she brought any ingredients either.’
Harvey weighed his options in his mind. ‘Is it appropriate for me to take it upon myself to send her to the kitchen of the Duke’s Mansion?’
He did not notice the two maids behind the girl looking at him with concern, as if they were nervous about something. Finally, Harvey gave a small nod. He could not stand to see someone go hungry in front of him.
“There are indeed ingredients prepared in the kitchen.” Harvey looked at the maid standing behind the girl and spoke politely. “If the Miss does not mind — I would like to ask this maid to help me prepare a meal for you.”
He pointed to one of them.
The maid he singled out was clearly stunned. She had not expected this male servant to turn around and give her orders. She was, after all, Her Highness’s personal maid.
However, she soon felt a bit more at ease. ‘Since he is taking the initiative, it seems he is prepared. It is a good thing we will not have to go hungry at the Academy.’
She looked toward her young mistress. The girl was also turning to look at her. Their eyes met, and the maid gave a slight nod.
The girl’s eyes immediately lit up. However, she quickly feigned indifference and let out a soft huff.
“Then be quick about it. I do not like waiting too long.”
Harvey bowed his head slightly. “In that case — would the other maid please take the Miss to her bedroom to rest for now? Once lunch is ready, it will be delivered directly.”
The girl stole a glance at Harvey. Hearing this, she nodded with satisfaction. “Fine, then.”
The other maid immediately stepped to her side and gave a small bow. “Miss, I will lead the way.”
The girl nodded but did not leave immediately. She looked at Harvey again, her gaze as if she were seeing him for the first time.
“You — ” She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she only let out a soft snort. “You are not bad.”
With that, she led her maid toward the corridor on her side of the building.
Harvey stood where he was, watching them leave. It was only when their figures disappeared at the end of the hallway that he breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, things were quiet for a moment.
The other maid had already walked up to his side. She asked softly, “Are we going to the kitchen now?”
Her gaze toward Harvey was somewhat complex. She never imagined that her mistress, who never listened to anyone’s advice, would actually listen to this strange male attendant today.
‘Is he really someone arranged by the Attendant Officer? If so, he might be even more dangerous.’
Harvey was unaware that he had caused this maid to have such strange worries. He gave her a polite smile. “Yes, the kitchen is this way. Please follow me.”
The two of them walked along the corridor toward the back of the mansion. The kitchen was on the other side of the building. The moment he pushed the door open, the faint scent of spices drifted out.
The maid stepped inside quickly, her eyes immediately scanning the food storage area.
Various ingredients were neatly arranged on the kitchen shelves. Rows of fresh vegetables and prepared meats were displayed, so many that it was almost overwhelming. There were even a few crates of freshly delivered seafood in the corner. On the counter on the other side sat baskets of brightly colored fruit.
Judging by the vibrant colors, one could tell these items had only recently arrived.
The maid could not help but say in surprise, “They prepared all of this?”
She looked around again. “Was this really prepared by that Attendant Officer guy?”
Harvey allowed an awkward but polite smile to cross his face. He did not know who the Attendant Officer was. As for these ingredients — naturally, they had not been prepared by the Academy, but were sent specifically by the Duke’s Mansion for Lady Lavia.
The mansion sent a new batch of ingredients by carriage every day to ensure absolute freshness. This amount of food was enough to host a banquet for over ten people, ensuring Lady Lavia was well-prepared to entertain guests. Usually, she only ate a small portion of it. Most of the rest was often wasted.
Harvey found this to be a great pity. Therefore — letting this maid use a little bit would not have any impact. He would just need to report it to Lavia later. The Eldest Miss would certainly not refuse; she would likely praise him for such an action.
However, this was clearly not something that could be easily explained to the person involved.
Before he could figure out how to respond, the maid nodded to herself. “It seems that guy has a bit of a conscience after all. We were worried Her Highness would be mistreated after being forced to come to the Academy.”
Looking at the ingredients, a look of relief appeared on the maid’s face. “It seems they at least kept some sense of decency.”
“…As long as you are satisfied,” Harvey replied somewhat distractedly, not noticing anything wrong with the title the maid used.
Instead, he was thinking about how to mention this to Lavia later. He did not know when the Lady would return.
The maid spoke as she rolled up her sleeves, her voice even carrying a hint of excitement. “Of course I am satisfied. These ingredients are enough to prepare several proper lunches.”
Harvey simply nodded. “Then I will leave it to you.”
“No problem, leave it to me.”
The maid had already begun organizing the ingredients. She skillfully took several vegetables from a basket and chose a piece of prepared meat to place on the cutting board. The crisp sound of chopping soon echoed in the kitchen.
When she finished her first round of prep and instinctively turned back to say something — she was the only one left in the kitchen.
She was stunned for a moment, then frowned. “I thought he was a considerate person just now…” she muttered under her breath. “In the end, he actually just left me in the kitchen all by myself.”
—
Harvey, of course, could not stay to personally help.
Allowing them to use the ingredients in the kitchen was already the maximum extent of his leeway. He was Lavia’s personal slave. Under the constraints of the Magic Contract, it was impossible for him to serve anyone else without Lavia’s permission.
Even if the other person were the Duke himself, it would be the same. Once the contract was violated, the God of Contracts would immediately bring down a severe punishment upon him.
After leaving the kitchen, Harvey did not wander around the mansion anymore. The estate was very large. The rooms were separated from one another, so even if people were moving around on the other side, it was difficult to hear any noise.
He returned to his own room. Standing by the window, he looked down at the courtyard below, gazing toward the edge of the city in the distance.
If there were enough time, could he go out for a walk? After hesitating repeatedly, Harvey gave up on the idea. He needed to get Lavia’s permission first.
Time passed bit by bit until the distant courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside. Two figures walked into the courtyard. Harvey immediately recognized the person leading the way. He quickly left his room and hurried downstairs to the front hall.
Before long, the front door was pushed open from the outside. Lavia walked in.
She was no longer wearing the luxurious court dress she had worn this morning. Instead, she wore a white Magic Apprentice Robe. The cuffs and collar were embroidered with the Academy’s crest, carrying an ancient and mysterious aura. Beneath the robe was a form-fitting uniform skirt that made her look efficient and tall.
At this moment, the Eldest Miss of the Duke’s Mansion looked more like a true Magic Apprentice. No — she had always been one.
Harvey’s gaze lingered on the robe for a moment. A flash of envy flickered in his eyes that he could not quite hide. As long as he could pass the certification of the Magic Association, he too could receive a robe like that.
If he really could pass, that is.
Lavia saw Harvey waiting there the moment she stepped into the hall. A joyful smile broke across her face. “Harvey, I am back.”
Harvey immediately lowered his head and gave a respectful bow. “Welcome home, My Lady.”
With no one else from the Duke’s Mansion around, Lavia was clearly much more relaxed. She walked directly to Harvey’s side and reached out to grab his sleeve.
“What did you do at noon?”
“Did I do something wrong, My Lady?” Harvey looked around deliberately, his tone sounding a bit innocent. “I cleaned the entire mansion all by myself.”
Lavia was amused by his expression and burst into laughter. “Are you angry? I really did not want to leave you behind earlier, but you see, I was going to…”
She led Harvey upstairs, telling him about her experience while out. Her light, gentle tone was like someone chatting with a close friend. She even slowed her pace considerably.
Evelyn, following behind Lavia, watched this scene with a frown. Suddenly, her nose twitched. A flash of surprise appeared in her eyes as she looked at Harvey up ahead.
In the air, there was the scent of a strange woman.