The man sitting with one leg crossed elegantly sipped his tea, as if he had just stepped out of a captivating painting. His fingers, holding the teacup, were long and strong. The straight line extending from his hand to his wrist was also eye-catching.
Elena tried to avoid directing her gaze at the young lord while inspecting the room. Each time he reviewed documents, his long legs shifted slightly. His sitting posture seemed lazy and indifferent, but with every breeze from the open window, his shimmering silver hair fluttered gently, and his beautiful violet eyes sparkled under the light, making everything seem perfect.
Elena began to understand why the servants were obsessed with the young lord’s face. If it weren’t for this damned situation, she might have gazed at his face like a priceless work of art. She pressed her fingers tightly while arranging the bedcover.
“The left side is slightly crooked.”
She heard the young lord’s clear voice behind her as she checked the bed’s arrangement. *The left side?*
She noticed the slightly misaligned sheet. Hiding her trembling hands, she adjusted the cover to straighten it. This had been happening for days.
“Today seems passable.”
Elena stood politely before him after finishing the arrangement. Carl neatly organized his papers, stood up, glanced around the bedroom, and handed his documents to Robin with a satisfied expression.
“I’ll review the rest in the office.”
Carl gave Elena a fleeting glance before leaving the room.
*Is that enough?* Carl walked down the corridor with satisfaction. Unfortunately, he didn’t see Robin’s ominous expression beside him. Robin was praying that Elena wouldn’t quit due to the young lord’s strange behavior.
A week ago, Carl had been deeply shocked by Elena’s words. He’d heard similar remarks before as attempts to gain his attention, but he’d never seen someone express them with such sincerity. From her gaze to her voice, he knew it was genuine.
*Is it possible I’m not her type? Me, the top choice for a partner at the year-end gala? The first man women wish to dance with? And I’m really not her type?* Carl couldn’t believe it.
While evaluating her to make her part of the duke’s household, Carl worried there might be something wrong with her mind for his face not stirring any feelings in her heart.
But recalling their previous encounters, Elena never blushed or showed shyness when seeing him. Whether in the training yard or when he taught her swordsmanship in the side wing, her face never changed color.
*My goodness… there must be something wrong with her eyes.*
Carl reached a shocking and bizarre conclusion that Elena might not be human, or perhaps an unknown creature. For a maid in his room to lack artistic taste or aesthetic sense was a serious matter.
He began seriously considering whether he should send her for lessons in art appreciation or show her the flower bouquets sent to the knights’ office daily to prove his appearance surpassed all standards of taste.
He was well aware of his own handsomeness. In public, he maintained an expressionless face as if he didn’t care, but he had never once disliked the face he inherited from his parents.
The admiring and approving gazes directed at him always filled his heart with satisfaction. Of course, he deeply disliked forced or coerced confessions.
“For someone not to recognize my charm, that’s a huge problem.”
Beyond Elena’s talent, Carl felt a deep sense of responsibility to awaken her awareness of his attractiveness and beauty. How could someone who didn’t appreciate such beauty live a happy life?
If Robin knew, he’d have jumped out of his skin. Lost in his thoughts, Carl didn’t realize how bizarre his reasoning was.
The battles against the Empress Dowager over the succession order paled in comparison to this matter.
From that day on, Carl began searching for ways to make Elena fall for him. Despite his serious pondering, he couldn’t find a suitable method, as he possessed a face so captivating that people fell for him with just one glance.
So, every time he crossed paths with Elena, whether to the right or left, he stared at her with his piercing eyes. She, however, avoided looking at him, as if she’d seen something she didn’t want to remember.
Of course, Elena was impressed by the young lord’s face. But unfortunately, Carl didn’t notice this at all. Hurt by her reaction, he decided to pursue a more systematic approach to wooing her.
Three days ago, while returning from the imperial palace, he stopped at a bookstore in the city center and bought a book based on the shopkeeper’s recommendation. He didn’t forget to mention that the purchase was to aid in matters of courtship.
[*The Magnificent Guide to Love*]
*“We’ll make you irresistibly charming, melting even the hardest hearts. A modern plan for those who want to seduce their chosen one. Follow the steps, and you’ll find yourself in a romantic relationship or marriage with whoever you desire.”*
The introduction was confident and proud. Carl flipped through the book with enthusiasm and no hesitation.
[*Step One*] Bump into the person you like, as if you “accidentally” run into them. It’s said that a “coincidence” repeated three times becomes fate. Even if it’s not a coincidence for me, it might remain one for them, and that becomes destiny!
*This is it! Her not seeing me often is why she hasn’t realized my charm.*
There were glaring flaws in this reasoning, but sadly, no one was there to correct him. He didn’t admit to being in love, yet he felt a sharp pain as if he’d been rejected without knowing why.
From the next day, Carl began frequenting the bedroom, sometimes freely, sometimes pretending it was a coincidence, to the point that onlookers might consider it a new form of harassment. At first, he didn’t believe the book. Elena showed no reaction no matter how often he entered the room. But on the third day, visible changes finally appeared.
“The left side.”
“Yes.”
“The mirror.”
“Right away.”
Carl began meticulously pointing out areas needing adjustment as soon as they caught his eye. As he spoke, Elena’s body finally started trembling, as if affected. Noticing these subtle changes, Carl secretly clenched his fist, his excitement surging.
—
Rowen sneaked back quietly when she saw Elena striking the training dummy with her sword. The atmosphere didn’t allow for speaking to her in that state.
*Is the young lord bothering her? At this critical time when she needs her strength? Or are other servants troubling her?* No matter how much Rowen thought, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for Elena’s anger.
She wondered if it wasn’t stress but just diligence, but the escalating force wasn’t ordinary. Her eyes met Bessie’s, who stood nearby. They exchanged a smile and stepped back.
The sounds of the strikes were loud and fierce, and not only did Rowen and Bessie retreat, but everyone around them did too. It sounded like a wall being smashed, though the strikes appeared light. Everyone was stunned by the sight of Elena hitting the delicate wooden training dummy with her sword, as if it were an enemy she didn’t want to leave alive.
“Miss Lewis, is something troubling you?”
After a long bout of attacking the training dummy, a knight who’d been hiding with the other servants approached and asked.
“Huh? No, I guess I’m just overly motivated today.”
The knight gave a nervous smile. Elena’s expression softened, suggesting her tension had eased.
Rowen hesitated at first but felt the timing was right to speak with her now.
“Really? Haha, that was a misjudgment. Your stance is very good, and your improvement is clear. Are you facing any difficulties?”
With a nervous smile, the knight continued training with Elena after her expression turned more positive compared to the start.
“I don’t feel pain when swinging in the air, but when I hit an actual target, my hand aches.”
Her biggest issue was the training strength, which was almost as weak as a child’s. Unable to speak the truth, Elena brought up a beginner’s question instead.
“Goodness, should I check your hands a bit?”
Surprised by Elena’s words, the knight examined her hands. It was clear she was gripping the sword too tightly, like a novice, and her hands had turned red from the pressure.
“Will this get better?”
“Yes, at first, blisters will form, and calluses will develop on your hands. Wrapping your hands with bandages or covering the sword handle with cloth are good methods too. The most important thing is not to strain your hands too much. Try to relax your muscles as much as possible. Once calluses form naturally, things will improve.”
“Understood.”
As Elena spoke casually with the knight, Rowen cautiously approached from the other side.
“Elena, you seem very busy these days. Mary was never this busy.”
Elena’s face stiffened at Rowen’s words, but she quickly softened her expression when she noticed Rowen’s hesitation.
“Since it’s my first task, I guess I’m still not skilled at some things.”
Suppressing her angry emotions, Elena said.
“I heard the young lord visits you a lot?”
Elena’s teeth gritted in frustration, and Rowen unintentionally glanced at her jaw. *Did that sound come from her?* Rowen and the knight, standing side by side, exchanged astonished looks.
“Haha, he came by more often than I expected. You know, I’ve learned a lot.”
“Really? I didn’t expect that. It seems the young lord is showing a lot of interest in Elena! Hahaha!”
*Smack!*
“Ha…”
Rowen quickly retreated again. Elena glanced at her briefly before fixing her gaze forward. Though she couldn’t unleash her full strength, swinging the sword was improving her mood.
