Chapter 51: The Request to Go Shopping

The maid lifted her skirt and walked quickly toward him, then stopped mid-step.

A flicker of awkwardness crossed her expression, as if she had just realized the delicate situation between them.

A few days ago, their respective masters had exchanged unpleasant words.

As someone close to the Princess, while Harvey was the Duke’s daughter’s personal attendant, private contact like this was ultimately inappropriate.

But right now, she clearly had no time to worry about that.

“I’m sorry,”

She said, her tone tinged with urgency. “There’s something I need your help with.”

Harvey’s face showed a hint of hesitation.

“What is it?”

He had meant to refuse her request, but seeing someone familiar so troubled, he couldn’t help asking.

The maid glanced around, confirming the hallway was empty, then leaned in slightly.

“The Princess… wants to go out.”

“Go out?”

Harvey was clearly taken aback.

“To go shopping,” she added.

This time, Harvey was genuinely surprised.

From what he had heard from the Duke’s mansion servants, royal family members almost never appeared in the sight of commoners.

Even if they occasionally appeared on the street, it would be in a flower carriage parade, accompanied by a large number of guards and attendants—impossible for them to walk the streets like ordinary people.

Let alone—just for “shopping.”

This Princess really was quite unusual.

The maid’s expression was troubled.

“Her Highness threw a tantrum just now. We couldn’t persuade her.”

She said quietly, with resignation. “If we try to stop her any further, things might escalate even more.”

Harvey was equally resigned.

It felt like being back in the days when Lavia was throwing a tantrum.

He didn’t have much of an impression of the Princess, but he knew she wasn’t a bad person by nature.

After all, the first time they met, she said she would “uphold justice” for him.

Even though her appearance was far from what he’d imagined a princess to be, that had nothing to do with him.

“Why the sudden urge to go out?” he asked.

The maid shook her head, not answering his question.

A princess getting angry was an extremely normal occurrence.

In fact, since entering the Academy, she had held back a lot.

After being suppressed by the attendant officers in the Royal Court, she had a huge outburst, and then His Majesty the King ordered her to study at the Magic Academy.

But the Princess had no talent in magic.

That wasn’t a secret in noble circles.

A royal princess without magical aptitude being sent to a magic academy—it was almost like a joke that wasn’t funny.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what would happen in class.

Even without anyone’s deliberate mockery, the mere contrast would be hard to bear.

And in public, the Princess had to uphold the Royal Family’s dignity.

She couldn’t lose her temper, couldn’t lose her composure.

Why would His Majesty, who doted on her, arrange this? What did he want her to learn at the Academy?

The maid couldn’t understand at all.

But she had no way to change it, so she had to do her best to satisfy the Princess’s demands.

Harvey didn’t answer immediately.

His brows were slightly furrowed, clearly weighing his options.

Accompanying the Princess on an outing—the matter itself wasn’t significant, but the problem was with him.

He had no reason or position to accompany the Princess.

If Lavia found out, she would definitely throw a tantrum, and the Head Maid would certainly give him a harsh lesson.

This was the garden version from that night.

And it might even make the tension between Lavia and the Princess even worse.

Lavia had obviously not wanted him to go out casually these past few days.

Harvey now regretted asking about her troubles out of habit. He should have known better.

Now he had to find a way to phrase his refusal.

In the brief silence, the atmosphere grew tense.

The maid clearly noticed his hesitation.

She took a light breath, as if making a decision.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to trouble Mr. Harvey either, but we can’t find anyone else trustworthy in the Academy.”

Hearing such a respectful term addressed to him, Harvey pointed at himself blankly.

“Me?”

“Wait, how do you know my name?”

He hadn’t introduced himself, had he?

And what had he done to earn the trust of the Princess’s personal maid?

The maid lowered her eyes, her expression flickering as she said, “Yes, thanks to your help that day. Otherwise, we might have gone hungry…”

“…”

Harvey looked as if he hadn’t understood, not even noticing she was changing the subject.

Could the Princess even go hungry?

“Is it because that lord in the palace…? Fine, fine, I won’t ask.”

Faced with the maid’s serious gaze, Harvey wisely shut his mouth.

He had already guessed something.

In his heart, he felt a little—well, no, he didn’t feel anything for that chubby, willful princess.

Not even a shred of pity.

After all, he was the most pitiful one, Harvey thought bitterly.

The maid said gravely, “Without Mr. Harvey’s guidance, we’re worried that something might happen to the Princess when she goes outside the Academy…”

She didn’t finish.

But the implication was clear.

Harvey’s gaze darkened slightly, but he still didn’t respond.

“…It would involve Miss Lavia.”

The maid added that line, afraid he hadn’t understood.

This time, she used no euphemisms.

Blunt, even a little cold.

Harvey subconsciously clenched his palm.

He could have brushed it off with “it has nothing to do with me,” but once Lavia was brought into it, that excuse immediately crumbled.

Seeing his wavering expression, the maid softened her tone.

“It won’t take long.”

She quickly added, “Her Highness has classes in the afternoon. We’ll bring her back before then.”

“And—”

Her gaze drifted slightly, as if choosing her words carefully.

“We’ll stay by Her Highness’s side the whole time. She won’t leave our sight.”

Harvey looked at her with confusion. “Since two of you are attending her, there’s no need for me…”

The maid hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No… neither of us has ever been to the commoners’ streets.”

When she said this, even she showed a hint of helplessness.

A princess going out was already against the rules.

And in that way—if anything went wrong, the consequences were something they couldn’t bear.

Seeing that he still hadn’t agreed, she took a deep breath.

Then, she stepped back half a step, lifted her skirt, and performed a very formal and solemn curtsy.

This action stunned Harvey slightly.

That wasn’t the kind of courtesy a common maid would use.

She raised her head, her tone becoming serious and clear.

“I come from the House of Count Lorraine.”

Just that one sentence made the air in the corridor freeze for a moment.

“In the name of my family, I guarantee you,”

She continued, “I will bear all risks of this outing.”

“I only ask that Mr. Harvey provide the necessary assistance.”

At this point, her tone became even more solemn.

“I will owe you a personal favor.”

With those words, she lowered her head again.

Harvey stared at the maid in disbelief. “You—you’re a noble?!”

And a Duke’s daughter at that?!

The maid neither denied it nor looked up.

“Yes, I am the Count’s fourth daughter.”

Count Lorraine.

Harvey didn’t know much about that Count.

But a count was by no means a trivial identity to ignore.

And now—

The Lady of the Count was standing before him, in an almost pleading posture, asking for his help.

The contrast left him speechless.

He couldn’t tell her he was just a slave, unworthy of such a solemn gesture.

Saying that now would be too late, and might even offend her.

Did he have no choice but to agree?

But then again—he had never been to the streets either.

Harvey’s head ached.

Sunlight slanted in through the window, stretching their shadows long.

After a moment, he let out a resigned breath.

“…Fine.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Hearing his agreement, the maid visibly relaxed.

She had been afraid to let three women go out alone, but she couldn’t find a suitable escort.

Only this male servant who had helped her before was someone she could trust a little.

“Thank you.”

She gave a serious bow, even more formal than before.

Harvey shook his head. “But I don’t have much experience either. Please don’t forget that, Lady of the Count.”

“My name is Loran,” the maid said with a gentle smile.

Facing her friendliness, Harvey shook his head repeatedly. He dared not get too close to a count’s daughter.

“I’ll go change clothes first, then I’ll be there shortly…”

The maid immediately said, “We’ll wait for you at the Academy gate.”

It seemed she had prepared everything in advance. Harvey looked at her smiling face helplessly.

He felt like he had been set up somehow.

“Alright, but.”

As he spoke, Harvey gestured with his hands. “Please prepare an ordinary carriage.”

“The one Her Highness used before is not suitable.”