When Harvey caught sight of the figure before him, his face visibly blanked for a moment. It was his first time seeing, for a lack of better words, someone quite so… spherical.
She had moved past the state of plumpness into a realm of total roundness. In the Duke’s mansion, the servants were kept on their toes with never-ending chores, and while the living conditions were good, meat wasn’t exactly served at every meal. For most commoners, becoming fat was a rare feat.
Yet, this noble lady downstairs—her “abundance” was striking.
Doesn’t she need to manage her figure? Harvey couldn’t help but wonder.
The noble lady carried herself with a sense of pride that seemed almost natural, yet she lacked a few shades of the composed elegance typical of traditional nobility. At that moment, she was surveying the manor, seemingly whispering something to the maid behind her. The latter wore a look of slight helplessness, appearing to be offering low-voiced counsel.
After lingering at the entrance for a while, the master and her two servants slowly made their way toward the main doors.
Harvey suddenly realized something: she likely had no idea how the interior of the manor was partitioned.
The two wings of the residence were independent living quarters; only the central hall and the courtyard were shared spaces. If she were to accidentally wander into the Duke’s side out of ignorance… it would be quite a breach of etiquette.
With that thought, Harvey immediately left the window and hurried downstairs.
In the main hall, the doors had already been pushed open.
The young lady stood in the center of the hall, glancing around. Her expression soured instantly.
“Why is there no one here?” She knit her brows. “Did the chamberlain fail to arrange for staff to clean in advance?”
The lack of a welcoming committee felt like an intolerable slight. Behind her, the two maids exchanged glances, both seeing a trace of weary resignation in the other’s eyes.
One of them spoke respectfully, “Your Highness, perhaps… they were simply negligent. However, this manor seems to have been cleaned already. It’s possible the staff weren’t informed of your exact arrival time and thus failed to gather in time to greet you. After all, your status is noble, and your travel schedule is a matter of national security.”
The girl was not satisfied with the explanation. she cast a critical eye over the furniture and the corridors.
“Even so, this is unacceptable. And the Academy’s arrangements—to have me stay in such a cramped place.” Her disdain was undisguised.
The maid behind her immediately chimed in with a low voice, “It is indeed a grievance for Your Highness. However, the Academy surely knew of your arrival, which is why they arranged such a scenic location. And look, the servants have cleaned so meticulously that the floor is practically reflecting light.”
The girl looked down. The freshly scrubbed floor did indeed possess a bright, polished sheen.
The other maid joined in, her tone laced with flattery. “These tasks are merely what they ought to do.”
The girl gave a small huff, seemingly somewhat mollified by the explanation. She was just about to say more when—
A set of footsteps echoed from the corridor on the other side of the hall. Harvey emerged quickly from the stairs.
“Who goes there!”
The two maids immediately stepped in front of the noble girl, shielding her and watching him warily. Noticing it was a male, their expressions tightened instantly.
Seeing this, Harvey stopped a few paces away and gave a slight bow. “My apologies, esteemed lady. I was tending to the cleaning and failed to greet you immediately. I hope for your understanding.”
The two maids remained as a human shield, their suspicion unyielding. Why was there a male servant here? They looked at each other, a rather unseemly suspicion crossing their minds simultaneously, causing their faces to turn slightly pale.
The girl behind them didn’t notice these nuances. Her attention was fixed on Harvey. Specifically, on his hair.
He had long, black bangs that nearly obscured his eyes. As the boy bowed, half his face was lost in shadow, revealing only the bridge of his nose and the corner of his mouth.
He looked… like a little creature wrapped in a ball of black fur.
The girl squinted and studied him for a moment. The shape reminded her of a common small animal found in gardens.
“You,” she suddenly commanded. “Lift your head.”
Harvey blinked, but complied. As he moved, his bangs shifted, revealing a glimpse of his eyes.
The girl fell silent for a beat, then snorted. “Oh, so you’re not a hedgehog. I thought the chamberlain had sent a walking pom-pom broom over.” Her voice carried a lingering, casual contempt.
Harvey was stunned. What kind of description was that?
As she spoke, the girl waved her hand, signaling the maids to step aside. She scrutinized him—from his clothes to the rag in his hand, to the tables and chairs that had clearly just been wiped down.
“You’re the one responsible for cleaning this place?”
Harvey lowered his head slightly. “Yes, my lady.”
The girl’s gaze swept across the entire hall, her round cheeks trembling slightly as she turned her head. “By yourself?”
Taken aback, Harvey admitted, “…For the time being, yes.” Since Miss Levia had taken the Head Maid with her, he was indeed the only one in the manor.
Upon hearing this, the girl’s brow furrowed deep. “How does that chamberlain manage his work? A manor this size, and he only assigns one person?”
She looked at the corridors and stairs again, her expression filled with obvious dissatisfaction. By any metric, this wasn’t a job for one person.
“Or rather—” Her gaze snapped back to Harvey, her tone becoming stern. “Are you being bullied by the others?”
Harvey froze. “…What?”
The girl seemed to have reached her own conclusion. She let out a cold laugh. “It seems you are being pushed around. Those lowly people with no sense of hierarchy love to pick on honest kids like you.”
…Looking at this noble lady, who was about his height but significantly wider, Harvey didn’t know how to respond.
The girl turned to her maids. “Am I right?”
The two maids looked at each other. One answered cautiously, “Princess… such situations do occur.”
The girl huffed, a “just as I thought” expression crossing her face. She turned back to Harvey, her expression softening into a self-satisfied sense of composure.
“Meeting me is your good fortune. I shall see justice done for you. Tell me—which irresponsible scoundrel pushed all the work onto you? I shall punish them severely.”
The maids looked conflicted but did not stop their mistress. Harvey was equally dazed. He had only come down to warn her not to wander into the wrong area; how had he suddenly become a victim of workplace bullying?
As for who “pushed” the work on him… the stern, old-fashioned face of the Head Maid flickered through his mind.
“No, no one…” Harvey hurriedly denied. Things were going well between him and the Head Maid today; he didn’t want her reputation ruined. He was the one who wanted to clean the manor.
Seeing his hesitation, the girl became even more displeased. “You don’t even dare to speak the truth in my presence? How cowardly.”
She clicked her tongue. “No wonder you get bullied.”
The maid who had spoken earlier added with a flattering smile, “He’s likely just overawed by Your Highness’s presence.”
Harvey’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. This noble lady’s “presence” was certainly… heavy, in every sense of the word.
Finally, the girl waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it. When the chamberlain arrives, I will question him myself.”
She added indifferently, “As long as you serve me faithfully, I won’t let you be bullied casually.”
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