Hazel’s POV:

"Over a week ago, I saw a side of the young master I had never seen before. Honestly, when Lady Rosemary assigned me to serve as his butler, I was disappointed. And with each passing year, that disappointment only grew worse. He treated me like something lower than trash.

Then suddenly... everything changed.

"My connection to the Entity of Illusion left me with a side effect after being exposed to such a powerful being at a young age: personality switching. Sometimes I become trusting and optimistic to a fault. Other times, I turn into someone cold, heartless... someone even I barely recognize. But after years of training, I learned to control it and use it to my advantage.

"So when Lady Rosemary personally selected me from her faction to serve the young master, I chose to trust him. Once I made that choice, I couldn’t bring myself to abandon it so easily. So I endured everything: the insults, the assaults, all of it.

"But now, I can proudly say that I’m honored to be the young master’s butler. He trusted me with his life. In circumstances where even I would hesitate to trust another person, he believed in me without doubt. He gave me purpose... and reminded me that I wasn’t invisible to him.

He even gave me a gift: a silver revolver. And my master taught me enough to know how precious that is.

"Just as the young master’s life was finally getting better, just as he was trying to leave behind his bad reputation and become worthy of the Runerth name, foul rumors began to circulate about him.

It hurts my soul deeply.

"I know those rumors are lies, and I’m not untouched by them either. The servants at Nail Hall mock me because of the young master’s reputation on campus.

I could kill them. Five at the very least. Even the one who started the rumors. But the young master has not given that command.

"I would do anything to serve the young master. Going against the world wouldn’t matter to me if it were for his sake.

Still, the task he gave me this time was strange. Unusually strange.

Ekko.

"I was tasked with causing a commotion involving Ekko. I considered killing him, but the young master declined. Instead, he believed that driving the second-year cadet, Ekko, into panic would be enough to erase the terrible rumors surrounding him.

"It’s quite the challenge, but failure isn’t an option. The young master was generous enough to spare Ekko’s life. For Ekko’s sake, I hope he accepts that mercy before the young master changes his mind."

—

Hazel exited the cafeteria with a childlike, helpless expression, as though every eye that landed on her was a blade to the soul.

Through the cafeteria doors behind her, two servants laughed and pointed, their masters glaring at her with the same indifference one might give a stray.

Hazel kept glancing back, taking in the attention her presence drew, wearing it like something heavy. She looked as though the situation alone might be the end of her.

And then, as though it had all been arranged, she bumped into Ekko at the entrance. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The force was barely enough to move an ordinary person, and yet Hazel went toward the wall as though she’d been thrown, her head slamming against it hard enough to bleed immediately.

Ekko panicked. Every face that had been laughing or glaring moments ago went blank with terror and confusion.

Exaggerated. And yet believable.

The fragile, childlike girl from moments ago, the one who looked as though every eye that fell on her was a blade to her soul, was precisely the kind of person who could fall from a force that small.

Ekko’s hand went to his mouth. Hazel reached for her forehead, checked the blood trickling down, and her face contorted like a child in the middle of a tantrum before the cries came.

Loud, unguarded, sweeping goosebumps through every spectator in the room.

Everyone who had bullied her moments ago went quiet. Something in them softened. It was as though every cry she had ever bottled was finally finding its way out.

"For the Goddess’s sake, why?! What did I ever do to you?" she shouted, her voice trembling.

Ekko’s chest tightened. Every eye on him at once, and it was enough to cloud his thinking entirely. He clutched his chest.

Hazel’s sobs deepened, grew more wretched, until the silence of standing there doing nothing became unbearable for Ekko.

He crouched carefully, reaching for her wound, and Hazel recoiled before he could get close, without a moment’s hesitation. It made everything worse for Ekko.

And finally, he spoke:

"I beg your forgiveness in the Lady’s name, young butler."

The words had barely left him before his hands flew to his mouth. Every gaze in the room moved, away from the wounded Hazel, toward Ekko. He knew why. He didn’t need anyone to tell him.

His words. It had everything to do with his words.

"Did you say ’the lady’?" The voice was quiet. Daunting in its quietness. Ekko’s head snapped toward it.

Golden hair, golden eyes, a military coat resting over his shoulders. The kind of face that might once have been charming. It wasn’t now. Ekko knew exactly who he was. The lout everyone spoke about. Leomaris Runerth.

Every eye in the room watched as Leomaris’s gaze found Hazel first, then moved, slow and cold, to Ekko. His presence filled the space in a way that made the loathing almost irrelevant. Everyone felt it regardless. The shivers came without permission.

"How dare a servant of the Lady of the Frozen Veil enrol at this academy?" He walked past Ekko. Crouched beside Hazel. Gave her wound a soft, reassuring touch, and her cries died down.

Leomaris turned to Ekko. His hand found his collar before anything else, and when he spoke, the words came cold and deliberate.

"To think someone like you would hurt my butler. Is that what your Goddess teaches? Hurt them, then retreat into your own guilt? You couldn’t even take her to the infirmary."

"What kind of monster are you?"

Ekko had been terrified moments ago. Composed enough on the surface, but terrified. An insult toward his Goddess, however, was where he drew the line.

Ekko shoved him back hard. Leomaris’s grip caught his collar on the way, tearing it.

But Leomaris didn’t retaliate. He held himself back, composed himself deliberately, as though the entire room needed to see it.

"I am not as uncivilized as you, so I suggest we settle this properly. I cannot allow anyone like you to harm my butler without consequence. I challenge you to a duel."

Murmurs ran through the crowd when he spoke. They loathed him, that hadn’t changed, but they found themselves on his side regardless. Ekko was a servant of a rival goddess who had hurt a defenceless girl in front of all of them. That was enough.

Ekko’s pride did the rest... he accepted the duel without ceremony. Leomaris watched the eager ones go, already carrying the story with them. Then, without a word, he helped Hazel to her feet and walked her toward the infirmary.

Once the cafeteria’s walls were behind them and no ears could reach them, he gave Hazel a soft pat on the head. "Well done, Hazel."

Hazel smiled.