Building a Harem in a Noble House-Chapter 75: She’s Shy, That’s All!

"So, what’ve you been up to all day, Lyra?" Lady Greaves asked, her tone curious but warm, the robe’s sleeves draping elegantly as she sipped her wine.

Lyra grinned in a way that concerned me. I tried not to wince as I took a bite of veal.

"Just keeping busy. Didn’t want to get in the way of any emotional reunions and whatnot. The local kids asked me to help them play kickball against the Nightingale kids nearby. Good thing they did, too. They were terrible!"

Lord Greaves chuckled, leaning back in his chair, the wood creaking under his solid frame. "Ah, the local children here are quite competitive! Hopefully you didn’t get too out of hand."

Lyra’s smile widened in a way that concerned me far more. I looked around the room, unsurprised to find Isobel staring curiously at her, ignoring the plate of food in front of her. So, she knew Lyra well enough to know when she was up to trouble? They learn so fast.

"Those kids are a coach’s dream! By midday, they’d gone from fumbling to ferocious! I had them run through a whole bunch of drills to get their fundamentals down at first. That lasted a few hours. Once they were able to pass them, I had them play against me and a few of the maids. They didn’t win, but they got pretty close. With that, though, they were more than ready to face their rematch." She smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Those poor Nightingale kids didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell."

Laurence barked a laugh as Savrah and a few of the other maids cheered her. "No way! Those Nightingales kids are always boasting about how good they are at kickball."

Lady Greaves agreed. "Don’t they? I remember when we first moved here, they wanted to challenge us to a game! Maybe if I were still young, I would’ve agreed?"

Lyra’s discomforting smile was unwavering. "It gets better. The kids weren’t done. They took on a team of adults next, some blacksmiths and fishermen from the docks–burly guys who figured it’d be a fun way to pass time after work. Too bad for them. The kids ran circles around ’em! The guys were pissed! Word spread fast, and soon folks were betting on matches. The kids started challenging anyone with coin: travelers, merchants, even some off-duty paladins. Two games. That’s all it took. First against a group of traders. Swept ’em eight nothing for five thousand gold. Second was a mixed crew of locals, but the kids pulled a five-three upset. Another five thousand. Ten grand total for five scrawny kids. I made them split it evenly, of course, but they’re gonna be set for a while, I think. It was hard to say goodbye to those little kids."

The table erupted in murmurs of delight, which thankfully drowned out my groans of annoyance. Lady Greaves clapped, green robe shimmering in the candlelight of the dining room. "You’ve got a gift for rallying people, Lyra. Maybe you should consider being a kickball coach during your twilight years?"

Lord Greaves nodded approvingly, raising his glass. "Perhaps we should host some games here on the Estate?"

Laurence grinned. "We can sell our wines to the bored parents while the Nightingales sell their cheese and meat or whatever. Not a bad idea, Father."

There was a side to this story that I knew she wasn’t sharing. It wasn’t that Lyra was lying. Rather, she just wasn’t telling the whole story, and judging by the look she gave me, she knew that I already knew it.

Lyra, you see. Was a sore winner. Gloating after every victory, shit-talking only while she was ahead, refusing rematches when the game was too close. I know she passed that down to the kids she was coaching. That’s likely why people started betting on beating the kids–to humble them!

I considered how things would go if they actually hosted something here. Those kids would very quickly turn into public enemies... if they weren’t already there by then. I laughed at that thought, which, oddly enough, prompted the maid standing behind Lord Greaves to giggle a bit as well.

It was Savrah. The Dark Elf maid was stationed by the sideboard, refilling pitchers with quiet efficiency. She kept staring at me! Not blatant, but enough to notice. It was like she was trying to drill holes through me, all shy and intense. My fork hovered over my potatoes, appetite dipping as that uneasy vibe settled in.

My mind flashed back to earlier, right after I’d fetched Lyra from town. We’d been walking the estate paths and swapping stories. Me telling her about my awkward encounters with Isobel’s family, her telling me all about how smarmy her students had become and how proud she was of that for some reason. That’s when she’d dropped it, casual as if commenting on the weather.

"How do you feel about that one maid that’s been mind-fucking you all day? What was her name? Savannah?"

I’d blinked, caught off guard. "Savrah. And I don’t think she’s been doing all that. She’s just a little awkward."

She’d snorted, elbowing me. "Awkward my ass. Have you been around her since I’ve been gone?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Only once, when I was looking for Isobel. Why?"

"Tell me how that went. I’m curious."

I answered her question, sharing every detail of my brief encounter with Savrah. Lyra, of course, picked it apart.

"So let me get this straight. She helped you avoid a slippery floor by holding you by your forearm and not your hand, then pushed you in Lady Isobel’s room by sliding her hand across your back?"

I’d felt my face heat, replaying it. "She’s... shy, that’s all. I used to be awkward with people before I learned proper Adventuring etiquette."

Lyra had rolled her eyes, stopping to face me, hands on her hips. "Yeah, no. She was undressing you in her mind. That forearm thing was to feel your forearm muscles. She caressed your back for the same reason. You call her shy, I call her opportunistic." She paused, considering. "Now, the question is ’Why?’. Is she simply crushing on the new guy at the manor? Or..." She looked at me, eyes narrowing. "Is this all a trap? Is she trying to seduce you on behalf of the Greaves Family? See how loyal you really are to Isobel. Remember what Lady Greaves said about her having an important task for her?"