The residence arranged by the Academy was, naturally, much smaller than the Duke’s Mansion.
However, Lavia was very satisfied.
At last, there were no servants swarming around her, and no one she needed to entertain.
Even though the courtyard outside looked desolate and the current room was beneath her status, it was precisely because of this that she felt relaxed.
Here, she wasn’t the Duke’s Daughter whose every move was prearranged. She could simply be an ordinary young girl.
She glanced around the room at her leisure, her Magic Apprentice Robe swaying with her footsteps.
“This is quite nice.”
She had been too busy finishing the Enrollment Process at noon to take a close look at her new bedroom. Her familiar belongings had already been delivered. They were all newly made, designed according to her preferences. The sizes had been adjusted as well, so even with more items, the room didn’t feel cramped.
Compared to the place she had stayed when she first entered the Academy, she was much more pleased with this one.
“Harvey, I want to rearrange this place.”
She spoke with great enthusiasm, but she didn’t receive the response she expected.
“Harvey?”
Lavia turned her head, only then realizing he was still standing outside the door.
“Why are you standing so far away?”
“Well…” Harvey looked a bit awkward. “Seeing you so… happy, Milady.”
He didn’t quite dare to interrupt. The way she looked just now was too similar to a certain moment in his memory. This dignified and elegant lady before him had also had times when she was willful and unreasonable.
Lavia crossed her arms and squinted at him.
“So, are you making fun of me?”
“No, no, absolutely not,” Harvey replied, shaking his head hurriedly.
Lavia didn’t respond, instead staring at him for a while. Not until he shrunk his neck back did she let out a huff.
“I can see for myself whether you are or not.”
She tilted her chin up slightly, her gaze sweeping across his face. Noticing him staring at her robe, Lavia turned in a circle, offering him a full view.
“What? Does it not look good?”
The Academy had some strange rules. For instance, one had to be present in person for the Enrollment Process, and even certificates had to be collected personally. But there were good points, too. For example, this Magic Apprentice Robe she wore wasn’t the standard design from the Magic Association, but a unique style customized by the Academy.
Lavia spread her arms and reached up to adjust her collar. She liked the design of this robe. It was very elegant. So, even though it had been quite an ordeal, she didn’t mind the trouble so much.
Harvey couldn’t help but look away.
Seeing this, the corners of Lavia’s mouth curled into a smile, and she crooked her finger at him.
“Come here.”
Her tone wasn’t heavy, yet it carried a sense of command that brooked no refusal.
Harvey said helplessly, “Yes, Milady.”
The moment the words left his mouth, her brow furrowed.
“This is no longer the Duke’s Mansion.”
Lavia suddenly pressed a hand to her chest and pinched the hem of her robe with her fingers. She bowed slightly toward him, performing an elegant lady’s salute.
“Right now, I am just an ordinary Academy student. An ordinary Magic Apprentice.”
The afternoon sunlight fell slanted from the window, landing on her. The edges of her robe seemed to be covered in a soft glow, and the Magic Patterns extending across the fabric flowed with the light.
Lavia looked up at him, smiling tenderly. Her eyes were covered in a faint, watery shimmer.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lavia.”
Harvey’s gaze remained fixed on her, slowly moving up along her elegant figure. The light stayed there. Her entire being seemed to be cradled by that single beam of sunlight.
He wanted to say something, but for a moment, he couldn’t find the right words to describe it. This was someone he had grown up with since childhood, yet she gave him a sense of strangeness.
‘She’s beautiful.’
The moment the thought surfaced, Harvey snapped back to his senses. He quickly averted his eyes and responded awkwardly.
“…A pleasure to meet you.”
***
The wheels of the meal cart made a slight friction sound in the corridor, carrying a hint of impatience.
Evelyn pushed the cart, her expression somewhat grim.
In the kitchen this afternoon, she had handled the ingredients alone and was responsible for the cooking. Now, even the delivery of the meal fell solely on her shoulders. Meanwhile, the person who was supposed to assist her had been nowhere to be found from start to finish.
Thinking of this, the strength in her hands unconsciously tightened. The meal cart vibrated in response, and the metal handle let out a low, dull groan.
Holding the position of Head Maid, Evelyn had always been strict with the servants. This was the first time she had encountered a situation like Harvey’s, where he had disappeared for an entire afternoon.
How audacious. Had he already started letting himself go just because they had left the Duke’s Mansion?
‘He seems to be in dire need of re-education,’ Evelyn concluded in her mind.
If that were the case, he required a qualified teacher to make that person, who had forgotten his duties, understand once again what obligation meant. Someone who could not properly perform their duties and complete their work had no value in existing.
Soon, she stopped before Lavia’s door and gave a light knock.
“Come in.”
After receiving permission, Evelyn pushed the door open and walked in with her eyes lowered.
“Miss, good eve —”
Before she could finish, she stopped at the doorway.
In one corner of the room, Harvey, who had been missing all afternoon, was currently leaning against the wall. He was slumped on the floor, looking as if his strength had been completely drained, leaving him utterly defenseless.
Her gaze only lingered on him for an instant before falling to the other side.
Lavia was sitting at the long table by the window. Sunlight fell from the half-open curtains, resting on the tips of her hair and the side of her face. The young girl looked satisfied, and her complexion was quite rosy. In fact… she was in far too good a state.
Evelyn’s gaze traveled back and forth between the two once. A “hollow shell” that had been nearly drained dry, and a “vessel” so full it was almost overflowing. The contrast was so stark that it was hard not to draw certain conclusions.
Evelyn pursed her lips.
“…Miss.”
The smile on Lavia’s lips hadn’t fully faded, but it immediately dimmed when she saw her.
“You’re here.”
Her calm tone, combined with her mood, made her seem very relaxed. It was as if the person in the room who had nearly lost the ability to move had nothing to do with her.
After a moment’s hesitation, Evelyn didn’t voice the doubts in her heart. Instead, she spoke.
“Miss, dinner is ready.”
The heap of “ashes” leaning against the wall was the first to protest.
“Shouldn’t you worry about me first, Head Maid?”
Evelyn glanced at him sideways. Her gaze was cold, making even a lingering look seem like a waste.
“Stand up,” she said indifferently. “That appearance lacks the proper decorum.”
“…”
Harvey’s face immediately contorted in a bitter expression. ‘Are fairies originally such sticklers for rules?’
Besides, if he really could stand up right now, why would he be slumped here in such a pathetic state? One had to understand that Lavia had run him ragged for the entire afternoon. So many pieces of solid wood furniture, and he had to move them all by himself.
Move it a little to the left.
Move it a little to the right.
Shift it one hair’s breadth further to the left.
No, move it back to where it was.
Commands like those had almost never stopped.
With a look of indescribable resentment, Harvey looked toward the perpetrator sitting high above.
Lavia gave a light cough and looked away as if nothing were wrong.
“It’s fine, Evie, let him rest,” she said, sitting by the table with a gentle smile. “Harvey has been busy all afternoon; he probably has no strength left by now.”
That considerate appearance was practically the image of a benevolent master caring for a poor, overworked servant. If she weren’t the culprit, this show of concern might have been more convincing.
Evelyn fell silent for a moment.
“I see.”
She nodded faintly, seemingly accepting the explanation. However, her gaze didn’t soften in the slightest. She leaned over to set Lavia’s dinner on the table one item at a time. The silver cutlery and porcelain plates collided, making slight, crisp sounds.
Her movements were as efficient as ever, as if nothing had happened. Yet Lavia could feel a sense of pressure. Did Evie think she was being too reckless?
Thinking of her connection to the Duke, Lavia looked at her Head Maid. A hint of inquiry was hidden beneath her gentle smile.
“Evie? Are you angry?”
“Of course not,” Evelyn replied, shaking her head. “Whatever you do has its reasons, Miss. It is just…”
Her gaze fell upon Harvey, who was still slumped against the wall.
“Some people are truly useless. To be unable to complete the work assigned by the master is a failure on my part as a manager.”
Harvey’s heart skipped a beat.
“Harvey, after dinner, come to the courtyard.”
“…”