"What should I do first, my lady?"
I approached her, making sure to bow, and not to stop until she said so herself.
This wasn’t just me being obsessive... well, kinda is, but it was also explained in the novel how her servants have basic manners that she herself teaches, and this was the most basic of them all.
I get to show that I have already pledged myself to her without even being trained.
And she could fully tell what my game was.
"Raise your head." Evelina didn’t even look at me as she said it. "Today’s your lucky day, it seems; my servants seemed to have it all covered."
Evelina proudly smiled; the efficiency of her workers always gave her the utmost satisfaction, something I would like to make her feel in the future.
"You may go, I’ve got everything covered."
And there it is, casual dismissal, anyone would accept that and just leave, to ensure their mistress wouldn’t get mad at them.
But... what use is a servant if he just leaves without helping?
"Surely I could be of use in another way, my lady."
"Oh?" Evelina grinned; she didn’t expect someone who seemed so obedient, such as me, to actually defy orders.
But... it was also an interesting change.
"Well... I guess I could use some shade."
A simple command, and with my ring? something I could do near instantaneously without any issue or complaint.
"Will do."
I snap my fingers, and during that split second, already solved the formula needed to cast the spell.
It wasn’t even specialised; a simple shade would only require dark manipulation to use.
"Hm?"
She looked up, and to her surprise, a small umbrella made of shadow had already formed to help cover her from the rays of the sun.
It was enough to even get a chuckle out of her.
"I knew you were fast, but... seems like you got even faster." She clapped, praising me in a teasing way.
She may be a villainess, but she was still prone to joking or even teasing when the need arose, or in her own words, in the novel.
’Being serious all the time gets... a tad repetitive, no?’
I wouldn’t just fall for a generic villainess in any other novel, that would be boring, just endless cruelty without flavor... but Evelina? She was the definition of flavor behind that exterior of cruelty she wears.
After all, a good dictator makes sure their pawns like their master.
***
An hour had passed, and simply nothing important had happened; all I did was stand beside her and maintain my spell as her servants continued to unpack all her important belongings to the literal train of carriages that were just outside her estate.
Even I wasn’t sure how it would be possible to unload it all in the academy.
But... Julius’s room was definitely described to be more... elaborate, so I guess it was possible.
"You’ve been awfully quiet. I expected someone who took an interest in me to be more... proactive in starting a conversation." She mused.
I simply shook my head. "I decided your sky gazing was more important than hearing my voice."
"You’re quick to demean yourself. I advise you to stop that."
Her words surprised me.
"E-Excuse me?"
"Competence is useless when someone lacks pride in their own power; the same goes for you." Evelina finally looked at me, her crimson eyes piercing through my soul.
Metaphorically, of course.
"I won’t have a powerful servant of mine become used to inferiority."
And will you look at that... the flavor I was talking about had come to say hello.
I knew she always liked that, but to experience her benevolence myself was another feeling entirely; it gave me the highest of highs that not even a million-dollar paycheck in assassination jobs could give.
"As you wish, Evelina."
Her first name, without any formal title, was definitely an experimental way of addressing her. I wanted to see if I understood her order correctly.
"You learn quickly... we’re both students, so having you address me like that would only be fitting."
I couldn’t help but chuckle. She said that, but it was clear she favored me, even just a little bit.
Because I couldn’t help but remember that the original Cael Arden was never allowed to call her by her name, despite also being a fellow student.
It meant... I was currently doing well.