Chapter 52: Dinner With Masha
The sun had barely dipped below the horizon when I reached the dormitory gates. The Academy’s towers cast long shadows across the cobblestone paths, their stained-glass windows glowing with the last embers of twilight.
I stepped into the cool silence of the hall, the heavy door closing softly behind me. My coat was dusted with dried leaves, and my boots echoed across the polished floor as I walked toward my quarters.
"Master," came a soft, familiar voice.
Masha, my ever-efficient maid, stood by the entrance of my room. Her usual uniform was immaculate, silver hair tied into a loose braid, and her eyes calm and unreadable as always.
"Dinner is ready," she said. "You may take a shower while I prepare the table."
I nodded, letting the day’s tension roll off my shoulders. "Fine."
By the time I returned, steam still clinging to my skin and my hair damp from the bath, the table was already set. Two plates, two glasses. She no longer insisted on standing behind me like some background figure. We’d been eating together lately—not by her choice at first, of course.
She had refused when I initially suggested it. Something about boundaries and propriety.
So I forced the habit. And now?
It felt almost normal.
As I took my seat, Masha lifted the silver lid, revealing roasted meat, vegetables, and warm bread. A bowl of citrus broth steamed beside the platter.