“I just want to be friends with you!”
The heavy door muffled most of the sound.
However, a portion still leaked through, indistinctly filtering into the ear pressed against the door panel.
Inside the room.
Lavia’s face, as fair as porcelain, had turned so gloomy it looked as if it could drip with malice.
The previous time was an accident, but what about now?
She was curious.
If she opened the door right now, what would the two people outside have to say for themselves?
Lavia had been lying on her side on the chaise longue, her eyes closed as she prepared to rest. But subtle movements from outside the door kept reaching her. She was a shallow sleeper and was quickly awakened by the noise.
At first, she thought it was just some undisciplined maid loitering at the entrance, and she had already prepared a reprimand in her mind.
She never expected —
She heard Harvey’s voice.
Lavia closed her eyes slightly.
In the next moment, she clearly sensed the mark imprinted on Harvey’s arm.
It was Harvey, all right. He was right outside her door at this very moment.
Separated only by this heavy door.
She could even vaguely imagine his nervous and cramped expression. It was a side of him she had yet to see.
Just one door away, and it happened to be the door to her bedroom.
Did those two think she was dead to the world?
“No wonder…” Lavia murmured in a low voice.
No wonder.
No wonder Evie had gone to such lengths to dissuade her earlier.
No wonder Harvey had shown that momentary hesitation when she mentioned bringing him along to the Academy.
It hadn’t been her imagination after all.
She hadn’t been overthinking.
It was her.
It was him.
These two —
When did it begin?
The room was terrifyingly quiet.
Lavia lifted her head.
Her eyes, which were originally a clear blue, were now shrouded in a heavy shadow. She stood in place, motionless. Her fingertips dug into the door panel as she continued to sense the movements outside.
Beyond the door.
The two were likely still speaking, but their voices were too low to be heard at all.
Right in front of her door.
Was this intentional? Deliberately standing outside her bedroom to do such things.
Had she been acting too gentle at home lately?
The corners of Lavia’s mouth curled into a smile that held no warmth whatsoever.
“How interesting…” she whispered.
She felt a profound sense of rage. Her personal property showed signs of being touched by someone else.
It was irrational and unacceptable.
However, her excellent upbringing prevented her from throwing the door open to confront them directly. She needed to maintain the composure of a noble.
The situation had not yet reached a point where it was entirely irredeemable.
The young lady slowly straightened her body and walked toward her bed.
Her light blue hair slid from her shoulders, draping smoothly down her back. Her gait remained elegant and composed, though it lacked a certain degree of formal etiquette.
Her bare feet stepped onto the thick velvet carpet.
Her slightly lifted heels made her ankles look excessively slender, and her fair insteps were like delicate ivory, with faint blue veins peeking through her skin. Her long, well-proportioned toes sank into the soft pile, seemingly exerting force unconsciously.
‘It is nothing more than the confusion and longing of youth.’
‘It’s normal.’
‘This isn’t strange.’
Lavia told herself this repeatedly in her heart.
Harvey just hadn’t seen things clearly for a moment. This couldn’t be considered a betrayal on his part; it was her fault — yes, it was her fault for not staying by his side.
Because she had to go to the Academy, she had been away for three months.
It must have made Harvey feel lonely. It just so happened that Evie was responsible for tidying her bedroom with him, so their interactions increased.
No one was at fault; there was just a small complication.
She only needed to correct this mistake.
Collapsing onto the bed, Lavia remained silent.
The fabric brushed smoothly against her delicate skin, making a fine, rustling sound.
Lavia covered her chest, feeling the beat beneath.
“Is that right… You think so too, don’t you?” ‘Otherwise, why would you be beating so fast?’
On her exquisite face, all emotion vanished completely.
“Since the two of you want to be together so badly…” Lavia talked to herself softly, “then let me see — “
“Just how far they can go.”
The room fell silent once more, as if nothing had ever happened.
—
The next day.
Early morning at the Duke’s Mansion was no different from usual.
The kitchen fires were lit early, and the aroma of bread soon drifted out. In the garden, the gardener was pruning the bushes, clipping away excess branches and leaves. In the distance, the fountain made a rhythmic splashing sound.
Everything appeared to be in perfect order.
Several young maids, carrying sheets and clothes that needed washing, headed toward the laundry room. They were talking in low voices.
“Did you… hear that last night?” a small maid asked cautiously, keeping her voice down.
Someone next to her immediately nodded.
“I heard it.”
“Did something explode?”
“The noise was so loud. I thought someone had fallen off the roof.”
At this point, the group suddenly exchanged looks.
“I almost went out to check…” one of the maids couldn’t help but whisper. “But just as I pushed the window open a tiny bit, I saw the Head Maid walking past.”
“Her expression was terrifying.”
The group fell silent for a moment.
The servants of the Duke’s Mansion did not live in the main castle. On the outskirts of the estate, there was a row of small buildings specifically built for them. The structure of the rooms was more similar to commoners’ residences, entirely different from the high, wide halls in the main castle, though the spaces were quite large.
For security and protocol reasons, the maids’ dormitories were shared by two people. If there was any commotion at night, it was hard not to notice.
Picturing the cold-hearted Head Maid “educating” a maid who had made a mistake, the girls couldn’t help but shudder.
Something definitely happened last night.
And — most likely, it involved the Head Maid.
Evelyn was responsible for the management and upbringing of all the maids in the Duke’s Mansion. She usually maintained a cold and serious demeanor; she spoke little but was extremely rigorous in her work. Almost no one in the mansion wasn’t afraid of her.
The small maid who spoke earlier couldn’t help but whisper, “Surely… it wouldn’t go that far?”
She came from the family of a minor country baron. She hadn’t been at the Duke’s Mansion for very long, and this job was mostly to learn aristocratic etiquette. It was an opportunity her family had secured for her.
Before officially entering the social world, many daughters of minor nobles were sent to the mansions of high-ranking nobles to stay for a few years. They would learn etiquette and gain exposure to high society. If they were lucky, they might even meet some decent young knights or noble sons, which would be somewhat helpful for their future marriage prospects.
In her impression, although Miss Evelyn always had a cold face, she had never actually laid a hand on anyone. On the contrary, she had looked after her quite a bit when she first arrived in the Royal Capital alone. If a maid made a mistake, she only made her stand in the corridor to reflect.
The slightly older maid next to her immediately shook her head.
“That’s because you haven’t seen what happened in the past,” she said, lowering her voice. “I heard that a few years ago, a maid stole some jewelry from the Duke’s family to sell.”
“As a result, she was sent away that very night.”
“No one ever saw her again.”
The girls carrying the laundry fell silent.
They had been warned about servants secretly selling the master’s treasures. Perhaps it was because their families couldn’t afford their lives in the Royal Capital, or perhaps they were blinded by gold. But regardless of the reason, theft was not tolerated.
A morning breeze blew in from the end of the corridor, carrying the scent of damp garden soil. For some reason, it made one feel a bit chilled.
As if a corpse were buried beneath.
From the other end of the corridor, a clear and rhythmic set of footsteps suddenly rang out.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The expressions of the maids changed. Reflexively, they cleared a path and stood respectfully on one side of the corridor with their heads bowed.
In the next moment.
Her black long skirt swayed with her stride as Evelyn walked over from the end of the hallway. Her indifferent expression was no different from usual.
It was as if nothing had happened last night.
As her gaze drifted over the maids, she calmly reminded them, “Work hours.”
The maids lowered their heads even further. “We understand, Head Maid.”
Evelyn did not stay for long and continued walking forward.
Only after she had walked quite a distance did the maids dare to look up again. Looking at that straight back, everyone’s faces were filled with lingering fear.
Fortunately, the Head Maid hadn’t overheard their conversation.
The group immediately hurried to the laundry room, not daring to discuss the matter any further.
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