When the rising sun climbed the high walls of the Kingdom of Rune, the Duke’s Mansion was still permeated with the chill of the night.
A knock echoed through the quiet corridor, and the heavy door was slowly pushed open.
Harvey walked in with his head lowered, followed by several maids.
His thick bangs almost obscured his vision. Even in his butler uniform, he looked somewhat frail, his posture not even as upright as the maids behind him.
On the back of his crossed right hand, a peculiar Magic Sigil was engraved.
Heavy curtains hung around the bed, blocking out all light and leaving only the faint glow of a remaining candle. The air was thick with a blend of light incense and the sweet scent unique to a young girl’s bedroom. On a long table nearby, fresh flowers delivered by a maid at dawn were still beaded with morning dew.
The maids entered one after another, and two of them first pulled back the window curtains and bed hangings.
The dim morning light quickly illuminated the magnificent decor of the bedroom.
The owner of the room was the most noble young lady in the Duke’s Mansion, the apple of the Duke’s eye.
Levia Astarea.
And he was the exclusive steward and butler of the Duke’s daughter — her private, lowly slave.
The sigil on his wrist was Levia’s crest. Because of it, he had the right to enter the Duke’s daughter’s bedroom and the right to approach Levia. After all, he was no different from Levia’s jewelry or dresses; he was her private property.
— Many years ago, Harvey’s parents died for the Duke’s family.
It was the Duke’s kindness that led him to take in this orphan. This was the mercy and compassion of the Duke’s household.
But Harvey also knew clearly that he had lost his freedom.
The Kingdom of Rune had no orphanage system. Harvey could not choose his own fate or live independently. He had chosen to sign his name on that Magic Contract. The only request he had managed to secure was that he belong only to Levia, who was also young at the time.
The Duke had agreed readily at the time, even with a smile. To a powerful man, the request of a lowly orphan was completely insignificant. It was merely the whim of a child. Making a choice proved the boy’s intelligence; making a request showed he had his own thoughts.
But that was all.
Since then, Harvey had become Levia’s “Shadow.”
Harvey walked to the bed curtains and looked at the disheveled bed. The massive bed, carved from a single piece of ebony, had gilded vine decorations at the top. The white gauze curtains hanging down hid the young girl’s sleeping face.
Pulling back the gauze, the dark red brocade mattress was now covered in wrinkles. A few strands of soft, water-blue hair were scattered across the wide bed. The sleeping girl frowned slightly, her long eyelashes casting a shallow shadow under her eyelids, making her snowy-white face look even more exquisite.
The quilt was spread messily beneath her, and her soft curves were faintly visible under her thin nightgown. Her snowy-white legs were also stretched out casually.
The young lady at this moment looked completely different from her usual dignified and cold self.
Harvey lowered his eyelids, hiding the unavoidable trace of envy.
Unlike his own delicate and thin frame, Levia had been carefully nurtured since childhood. Diet, education, martial arts… as a noble, she lacked for nothing. Even though the young lady was only three years older than him, she had already developed a graceful figure.
But he also considered himself lucky.
Levia was a gentle and kindhearted young lady. Compared to the cold and distant servants in the mansion, she never saw him as a disposable object. She would even recognize her mistakes because of his reminders and had the courage to apologize proactively.
This surprised Harvey and made him feel a bit guilty. Levia’s trust was genuine and accompanied by unabashed innocence.
Harvey said in a low voice, “Miss Levia, it is time to wake up.”
The girl slowly opened her eyes, a brief moment of confusion appearing in them. Once she met his gaze, it immediately turned into a gentle smile.
“Good morning, Harvey.”
She was very good to him.
‘If only she weren’t so good,’ he thought. ‘That way, I could utilize her trust more shamelessly to escape this place. I don’t want to be a slave for the rest of my life.’
“Good morning, Miss.” Harvey’s delicate face showed a helpless smile. “Do you need my service?”
Levia lazily stretched out both hands, with a hint of acting spoiled. This movement was a tacit habit between the two of them.
Harvey sighed, leaned over, and took her into his arms, helping her sit up.
The residual warmth of her dreams remained on the girl, and a faint fragrance was close to his nose. Harvey pursed his lips and skillfully helped her put on the lace undergarment that had already been prepared.
This was Levia’s request.
He was unwilling to be responsible for washing her body, so Levia required that this particular task not be handed over to anyone else. It was her selfishness; in any case, his several attempts at communication had been ineffective.
Harvey had no choice. Even though the older maids had privately warned him, he was, after all, just a slave and had no power to refuse his master’s request.
Enduring that warm fragrance, Harvey tied the last ribbon for Levia and stepped aside. At the command, the maids immediately stepped forward to change Levia’s dress.
Today she had etiquette lessons, so she needed to dress up properly.
Changing into a complex court dress was definitely not a job one person could complete. There were layer after layer of skirts, lace, and tight corsets. Pale gold ribbons circled and overlapped. The maids were separately responsible for dressing and combing her hair, coordinating with great rapport.
The entire process took a very long time.
Her long hair was divided into several strands and coiled into a complex court style. A silver hair comb glided through the water-blue hair ribbons, and gemstone decorative pins were inserted one by one, reflecting the morning light.
Harvey stood quietly to one side. He kept his eyes lowered and his heart stilled, remaining as motionless as a statue.
Not until the last gemstone hairpin was fixed in the bun did the maids stop and step back.
Levia sat on the high-backed dressing chair, her silhouette outlined by the sunlight streaming through the window. The intricate court dress made her look like a beautiful statue of a goddess — dignified, elegant, and impeccable.
The girl turned to look at him, her blue eyes showing a bit of light in the backlight.
“Harvey.”
Harvey lowered his head slightly, his voice as submissive as always. “I am here, Miss Levia.”
“How do I… look?” Her smile was slight as she raised her hand to examine the silver ornaments on her wrist.
Harvey suppressed the thoughts surging in his heart, a gentle curve appearing at the corners of his mouth. “As beautiful as ever.”
Levia’s beautiful eyes curved into crescents; she was satisfied just by his response.
Faced with that simple smile, Harvey lowered his gaze.
The maids packed up the accessories and clothes that needed washing, bowing as they prepared to leave.
Harvey quickly prompted, “Thank you for your hard work, Head Maid. Please bring in the dining cart.”
The leading older maid glanced at him for a moment, said nothing, and simply nodded.
The vast bedroom was temporarily left with only the two of them. Having been handled like a doll for so long, Levia was already wide awake. She suddenly remembered something, and her eyes lit up.
“Harvey.”
“Miss Levia, do you have any instructions?”
“I learned a new magic yesterday.” Levia joyfully shared her gains with him. “Teacher Meli explained a new type of magic circle to me yesterday. It’s very similar to the idea of the ‘Mana Sensing Array’ you mentioned before. As long as the magic circle is fully constructed, you can sense the flow of mana around you.”
Speaking of this, she suddenly looked at Harvey with some dissatisfaction. “It’s a pity you always stay in the Private Library; I couldn’t tell you right away.”
The Magic Contract had carved Levia’s private mark on the back of Harvey’s hand. With this mark, she could sense his location at any time. It was just that Harvey spent almost the entire day in her Private Library, so this ability was almost useless — except in the early morning, to remind him to appear on time.
“Then, that is wonderful.”
Harvey was sincerely happy for her. But beneath that smile, his heart beat faster involuntarily.
Mana sensing. It was the magic that could change fate.
It was also — his only chance.