Harvey walked past her and into Lavia’s bedroom.
The door was left open.
It was not yet dawn, leaving the room quite dim. The heavy curtains were only half-drawn, revealing the gray sky outside.
Harvey shot a strange look at the Head Maid beside him. The message he had received said she was the one looking for him, so why had it changed to the Eldest Miss?
Lavia was already seated by the window.
A white nightgown concealed the girl’s slender figure. Wrapped in a thin blanket with her water-blue hair cascading over her shoulders, she looked even more fragile than usual. She almost possessed a sense of sacredness.
The moment Harvey entered the room, Lavia looked over. Naturally, she caught the glance he directed toward Evelyn. However, Evie did not respond to him.
Lavia’s expression remained unchanged. Her clear blue eyes held the same gentleness they always did.
“You’ve come, Harvey,” she said softly.
Harvey bowed respectfully. “Eldest Miss, I didn’t expect you to be up so early. Did you sleep poorly last night?”
Lavia pursed her lips. Harvey’s question left her unsure of how to respond for a moment. Her gaze lingered on him for a second before she shook her head slightly.
“I simply woke up early.”
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she asked in a casual tone, “I heard you spent the entire afternoon in the private library yesterday?”
Harvey paused, then nodded. “Yes.”
“What were you reading?”
Mentioning this made Harvey feel a bit embarrassed. “Just some old myths and stories.”
He was long past the age of needing bedtime stories to fall asleep. When Lavia was a child, she used to pester him constantly to tell her stories. It was during that time that Harvey first began handling books.
Lavia seemed somewhat surprised, and a hint of nostalgia flickered in her eyes.
“Stories…” she repeated softly.
The dim, pale light fell across her profile, making her delicate features look exceptionally cold. The silence lasted for several seconds before Lavia suddenly smiled. There was a touch of coolness in that smile that made Harvey feel inexplicably uneasy. Even Evelyn glanced over.
“I see,” Lavia whispered. “Weren’t you always very interested in magic? Why did you suddenly think of those?”
Harvey was about to answer, but Lavia had already looked away. Her fingers absentmindedly toyed with the lace trim of her blanket as if she were contemplating something.
After a moment, she spoke again. “Actually, it’s just as well. I had a discussion with… the Duke yesterday.”
Harvey’s eyes widened, and he looked at her in shock. Lavia ignored him, staring coldly out the window.
“In a few days, I will be returning to the Academy.”
The room fell silent for a moment, causing Harvey’s thoughts to stall. Soon, however, Lavia turned back to face him.
“This time, you are coming with me.”
Her blue eyes held an indescribable warmth.
***
The entire morning seemed no different from any other.
Lavia had breakfast in the dining room as usual. Harvey stood by her side, handing her a napkin and pouring her warm milk.
The Duke rarely appeared in public view. Most of the time, that noble man was immersed in his magic research. As for his relationship with the Eldest Miss… that was a topic no one in the estate dared to mention.
The only difference from the norm was that he was the one serving her today. It had been a long time since Harvey had attended to her so closely.
According to the traditions of the Rune nobility, noble children would enter the Academy to study after making their debut in society. Lavia had a grand debutante ball when she was 16 years old. Not only did many high-society nobles attend that night, but even members of the royal family had come in person.
Harvey had not been qualified to attend the ball; he had spent that night alone in the private library. Since that evening, he had stopped serving her personally. Having set aside many of those duties for so long, he found himself a bit clumsy now that he was performing them again.
Lavia didn’t seem to find it problematic at all. On the contrary, she appeared quite happy, even laughing at him with delight.
“You’ve grown lax lately,” she teased.
She picked up the warm milk and took a small sip, immediately getting foam on the corner of her mouth. Lavia looked at him with a beaming smile.
Harvey took a prepared warm towel and gently wiped her mouth. “That is indeed the case. I apologize.”
Faced with the Eldest Miss’s teasing, he could only offer a helpless smile. He had indeed been living a bit too comfortably lately, losing the self-awareness a servant should have.
“Still,” Lavia said, picking up her fork and knife again as she spoke softly with a smile, “it feels like things are back to the way they used to be.”
Harvey nodded slightly. He felt the same way. In the past, Lavia would occasionally do things that threw him into a fluster.
Evelyn stood quietly on the other side of the dining room, showing no reaction to the intimate interaction between the two. She only occasionally looked up at them before lowering her gaze again.
After breakfast, Lavia went to the etiquette room. The etiquette tutor was a poised, middle-aged noblewoman. She was visibly stunned when she saw Harvey accompanying her. However, she quickly regained her composure without losing her dignity.
Though her status was not as noble as the Duke’s family, she also employed many servants. Having a servant nearby was not strange. However, Lady Lavia would be celebrating her Crown Ceremony this year. At that time, she would be considered a true noble lady. Having a male servant attend to her so closely at this age was somewhat improper.
The noblewoman looked thoughtful for a moment but quickly brushed the thought aside. The internal affairs of the Duke’s household were not her concern. As Lavia walked toward her gracefully, she offered a satisfied smile.
She needed to focus on her task. She was determined to mold this beautiful daughter of the Duke into the most stunning flower in the aristocratic circles.
Harvey hardly stopped moving for the entire morning. He prepared dresses for her to change into, handed her books for practice, and set up the tools Lavia needed while she trained. He even had to assist her while she read through documents. He was so busy he barely had a moment to rest.
At first, Harvey didn’t think anything was wrong. But at a certain point, he suddenly felt a gaze on him. It was very subtle, yet also very distinct.
Harvey looked up. Lavia was looking down at the documents in her hand, appearing very focused. Harvey frowned and looked around the room, but he found nothing.
‘It must be my imagination,’ he thought.
He went back to organizing the documents on the table. But after a short while, the feeling returned. It was as if someone were observing him in secret.
Harvey looked up again. This time, Lavia was looking out the window at the garden scenery. The sunlight fell on the tips of her hair, creating faint glimmers of light. She seemed to be relaxing her eyes, tilting her neck slightly.
Harvey remained silent. An inexplicable feeling suddenly rose in his heart. However, he soon ran out of time to think about it.
“Harvey,” Lavia said, turning her head to look at him tenderly.
“Yes, My Lady?”
“The tea is cold.”