Chapter 36: The Maid Who Makes Draven Nervous.

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Maid Who Makes Draven Nervous.

Draven felt someone knocking on the door several times, so he opened his eyes slowly and for a few seconds he couldn’t remember where he was.

He looked at the ceiling, then the room, and finally remembered that he was in the Valdegrim mansion.

’Today is the first day at the academy.’

Draven closed his eyes again.

"Five more minutes."

The door opened, so Draven opened his eyes once more, only to see a young woman with short black hair walk in.

A perfectly straight bob cut, paired with bangs that partially covered her forehead, and her eyes were a rather light blue.

Her expression showed practically nothing.

The young woman walked over to the curtains, pulled them open, and light flooded straight into the room, prompting Draven to raise a hand.

"That was unnecessary."

"Good morning, young master Draven."

Her voice was calm, far too calm, which made Draven blink.

"Who are you?"

"Ena."

"That doesn’t really answer much."

"Personal maid assigned by Lord Fenrick to attend to you during your stay."

Draven sat up slowly.

"Do I need a personal maid?"

Ena looked at him.

"From what I’ve heard, you need supervision."

Draven fell silent.

"Is that what Fenrick said?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"Me."

Draven frowned slightly, but Ena remained the same and didn’t even seem to be joking.

"Do you always talk like that?"

"Yes."

"I see."

Draven pushed the blanket aside.

"Then I guess we’ll have to get used to each other."

"Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long."

Draven looked at her, and Ena was already laying out clothes on a chair.

"Your personality is weird."

"Lady Taliah said something similar."

Draven stopped.

"You’ve already talked to Taliah about me?"

Ena adjusted a shirt.

"Several times."

"I don’t like that."

"I don’t see the problem."

"Depends on what she said."

Ena looked up.

"Mainly, that you are irresponsible."

Draven sighed.

"I already knew she’d say that."

"She also said you have a tendency to get into trouble."

"That too."

"And that I should let her know if you try to sneak out of the mansion while you’re still recovering."

Draven’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"She was pretty specific."

"My arm works fine."

Ena looked at the reconstructed arm, so Draven moved it slightly.

"See?"

"Impressive."

"Thanks."

"At least you can move one arm."

Draven watched her, and Ena kept the same expression.

’Definitely pure, straight-faced sarcasm.’

Draven got up, and Ena handed him part of the clothes, so while he finished getting dressed, he studied her more carefully.

Her uniform was quite different from the ones the maids at the Fernus palace wore.

There, many of the staff dressed in elegant clothes with dark details, form-fitting fabrics, and designs influenced by demonic aesthetics.

Ena wore a much more traditional uniform.

Dark dress, light apron, long sleeves, high collar, everything perfectly neat.

Draven kept staring for a few seconds, so Ena glanced down at herself and then back at him.

"I see."

Draven frowned.

"What do you see?"

"Lady Taliah didn’t mention this part."

"What part?"

"You’re a womanizer, aren’t you?"

Draven’s eyes went wide.

"What?"

"You were staring at me."

"I was just looking at your uniform."

Ena stayed still.

"That doesn’t make it better."

"I’m comparing it to the uniforms the maids in Fernus wear."

"So you’ve got a thing for women’s uniforms. Got it."

"I do not!"

Ena tilted her head just a little, and Draven took a deep breath.

"The maids in Zenash wear different clothes."

"Ah."

"That’s all."

"I see."

"Do you really?"

"No, I was lying."

Draven just stared at her, and Ena gathered the clothes that had been left on the bed.

"Breakfast is in twenty minutes."

"Wait."

She walked toward the door, but Draven asked her.

"Are you going to tell Taliah about this?"

Ena stopped.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On how much you value my silence."

Draven opened his mouth, but Ena left and closed the door, leaving him frozen in place.

’Fenrick assigned me a walking threat.’

When Draven arrived at the dining room, the Valdegrims were already there.

Fenrick was reading several documents, Merwyn was drinking tea, and Taliah was having breakfast, but she looked up when Draven walked in.

"Good morning, Draven."

Draven took a seat while Taliah glanced behind him and saw that Ena was standing by the wall.

"I see you’ve already met Ena."

Draven looked at her.

"Yeah, I got to know her real well."

"And?"

Draven glanced back at Ena, who maintained a completely neutral expression.

"She’s... direct."

Ena spoke from behind.

"He also compared my uniform to the ones other women wear."

Draven closed his eyes while Taliah set her utensil down on the table.

"What?"

"It’s not what you think!"

Ena continued.

"He stared at me for several seconds."

"I was looking at the clothes!"

Taliah narrowed her eyes.

"Draven."

Fenrick lifted his gaze slightly from the documents while Merwyn hid a smile behind her cup.

Draven pointed at Ena.

"She’s saying it in a way that makes it sound wrong."

Ena replied.

"I only stated the facts."

"In the worst possible way."

"That’s subjective."

Taliah looked at Draven.

"Why were you looking at her uniform?"

Draven took a deep breath.

"Because it’s different from the ones the maids in Zenash wear."

Taliah stayed quiet, and Draven realized too late.

"That sounded worse, didn’t it?"

"It did."

Taliah answered.

Merwyn started laughing, and even Fenrick smiled, so Draven dropped his head.

"I just want to eat breakfast."

Ena placed a cup in front of him.

"A prudent decision."

Draven looked at her, but she didn’t react.

After breakfast, Draven and Taliah left the mansion, but they wouldn’t be using a private carriage to get to the academy.

Astral had an exclusive transportation system meant for students.

Several routes ran through different sectors of the capital and ended directly inside the academic complex.

Draven and Taliah arrived at one of the stations, where dozens of young people were waiting.

Some carried luggage, others were accompanied by servants, some wore expensive clothes, and others looked much simpler.

Draven immediately recognized the variety.

There were nobles, merchants’ children, military kids, people admitted for talent, and people who had gotten in through special merits like him.

The transport arrived shortly after, a long vehicle reinforced with metal structures and magical systems.

Draven boarded with Taliah and they sat near a window.

"Nervous?"

She asked.

"A little."

"I thought you’d say no."

"I’ve got no reason to lie."

Taliah smiled.

The transport started moving, so Draven watched the streets as they gradually left the residential areas behind.

More students boarded at other stations, until the first buildings belonging to the academy came into view.

Draven kept staring, because even from a distance the campus was enormous, much larger than in the videogame.

There were several main buildings, like towers meant for magical training, open fields, combat zones, libraries, dormitories, laboratories, administrative buildings, and there were also areas Draven could only partially see.

’That’s where the sealed basement mission was.’

He looked toward a stone tower.

’In that tower was the professor who sold illegal information.’

Then he recognized another building.

’The old library.’

Farther ahead, an area surrounded by trees.

’There was a secret entrance there.’

Draven kept looking, and every place reminded him of something, but he also remembered all the changes that had already happened.

’I can’t trust that everything is still the same.’