The Contract with the Lord was a Trap

It was said that the world is divided into two categories, those with blue blood and those without.

The daughter of a blue blood noble family would wake up in a cozy, feather bed, receiving a friendly morning greeting from a maid. They are waited on, have fancy dresses, adorn themselves with jewels and eat exotic dishes.

Hestia was the daughter of a nobleman, but her daily life was a little different from the other noble ladies.

She wakes up alone in the morning and wears a plain dress, like that of a governess or head maid. Her only adornment was the ribbon that was used to tie her hair. Although she ate better than the servants, she did not have a maid waiting on her and instead ate alone in her room. She couldn’t even dream of eating sugar and spices.

With her father’s death, the family’s wealth declined sharply and she was currently being entrusted to the Count of Carlton, who was her sponsor.

Although she was a noble, she was not able to stand on equal footing with the other nobles. She was in an uncertain position that was neither noble nor commoner. She had lived most of her life in that uncertainty, with solitude and loneliness as her best friends.

Maybe that’s why Hesta thought she didn’t belong in the spotlight. She believed her spot was on the sidelines, it’s what suited her best most days. And today was no different.

It was a very busy day, it was the day the dress shop employees were called to the mansion for a dress fitting. Everyone was busy doing their own thing, but Hestia was just standing in a corner of the room that didn’t get much sunlight, watching people go about their business.

This is because chores were the responsibilities of the maids and employees, but that in no way meant that she was the star of the new dress.

“Wow, that looks great on you!”

She could hear Madam Sienna and her assistant Jenny gushing praise. Again, not a complement that was directed at Hestia.

Today’s protagonist was the Carlton family’s precious daughter, Daisy, who was about to make her debut. She was standing in the middle of the room wearing a one of a kind dress, made just for her.

Seventeen now, Daisy, about to make her debut, looked back and forth in the mirror at her silk and lace trimmed dress. The yellow dress went well with her pale skin.

“The hard work you put into your complexion is paying off, you look great.”

Hestia watched Countess Carlton pat her daughters’ shoulder with a satisfied smile. The affectionate gaze of a mother was foreign to Hestia. It was a scene she didn’t really want to see, but she had no choice. The reason the Countess had called Hestia there early, even though her presence was not necessary, was simple. Nobles conveyed their opinions without having to speak, as Hestia had been educated as a noble when she was young, she knew this as well. The reason the Countess had called her, was to put her in her place, to make sure she understood how to act in the presence of Daisy.

‘I know very well without you having to tell me.’

Hestia swallowed her bitterness.

Hestia was to be Daisy’s chaperone. A chaperone was a person who followed and looked after a young lady when she went out to social events. Usually the chaperone was an older woman, but Count Carlton wanted a chaperone who was different, more special than the others, and bought her, a mage, with money in the name of sponsorship.

Breaking Hestia out of her thoughts, Madam Sienna’s high pitch voice could be heard again.

“A dress this elegant isn’t complete without jewelry!”

Seeing the satisfied expressions of Daisy and the Countess, Madam Sienna gestured to an employee near Hestia, as if she had been waiting for this moment. The employee bowed curtly to Hestia, then stepped forward to give Madam Sienna a better look at the jewelry. She rummaged through the box and then placed a velvet box in front of Daisy.

“It’s a high-grade pearl, airlifted here from the Kingdom of Belata not long ago.”

“Oh my! It’s so pretty!”

The pearl necklace, which gave off a brilliant shine, immediately caught Daisy’s eye. Since it had caught her eye, that meant she had to have it.

Naturally, Madam Sienna took the necklace and placed it around Daisy’s neck.

“Mom, what do you think?”

“Perfect, it’s very beautiful.”

The Countess’s heart sank. When had her child gotten so big! When she looked at her daughter, she felt like she was looking at herself when she was younger. Daisy was as beautiful as a rose that had just blossomed, she would have a bright future.

“Your maids will be busy baking biscuits for there will be many young men that will be coming to propose to you!”

Everyone in the room burst out laughing at Madam Sienna’s joke. Everyone except for Hestia. As always, against her hopes, Daisy’s dress fitting went smoothly and the mood was very cheerful. Jewelry, gloves and even hats were laid out in front of Daisy and Countess Carlton. Even the gloves must be chosen with care. The insights of the hostess would be indicator of the family’s level in society.

“I wish these gloves had more decorations.”

“A ribbon or a small jewel button would look good on them.”

Jenny, one of the dress shop employees, worked hard to record everything said between the Countess and her daughter. Their conversations would soon become an order.

“Miss Welter, come this way.”

Daisy, holding pure white gloves in both hands, suddenly turned her head to the corner where Hestia stood. She gave the order as if commanding a maid. Several people’s eyes then turned in her direction, following the direction of Daisy’s gaze. Hestia, standing there like a stone statue in the noisy room, approached her, walking slowly.

“What decorations do you think will look good on these gloves?”

Daisy purposely asked for Hestia’s opinion when the room was full. It was like asking her maid ‘What do you think I should wear today?’. It was the attitude of a master instructing their subordinate.

“I think a sapphire button similar to the color of Miss Carlton’s eyes would be good.”

Even though Daisy’s attitude toward her, a fellow noble, was rude, Hestia just calmly gave her opinion.

Daisy smiled slightly at her and then turned away again. She handed the gloves to Madam Sienna.

“I’d like to order two pairs, one with jewels and one with ribbons.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Wise choice.”

Countess Carlton nodded. There was no need to choose, they could just order both. All she would have to do is choose which pair she wanted to wear on the day of her debut.

They now turned their attention to choosing hair accessories and hats. When Daisy turned her head away from Hestia, no longer paying attention to her, Hestia walked back to where she had been standing, out of the center of the bustling room.

She hadn’t stood in the center of the room for a long time. She was in an awkward position, neither a member of the Carlton family, nor a maid.

After finishing recording the large order, Jenny took a deep breath and carefully checked the order form. Only then did she discover there was one more dress on the order form.

Jenny’s eyes turned to Hestia in the corner of the room. The young lady, wearing a dark green, modest dress, was just standing there like a doll. Jenny thought the lady was very pretty even without any jewelry. In addition, she had perfect posture and a delicate gaze that clearly belonged to an aristocrat. It was very noticeable, even if she did try to hide herself in the shadows.

“Madam, does this order belong to Miss Welter?”

Jenny asked Madam Sienna without thinking. Since Miss Daisy had called her Miss Welter, she must be the young lady of the Welter family. She was so humble, you wouldn’t even know she was a noble.

Sienna, who was frantically showing off items, nodded.

“I almost forgot! You go and take her measurements.”

Jenny nodded and walked toward her with a tape measure.

“Miss Welter, let me take your measurements.”

Only the youngest maid, who had arrived just a few days ago, came over and clumsily helped Jenny and Hestia.

Since Hestia cooperated well, the measurements were taken in an instant.

“Miss, what color would you like the dress to be?”

“I’d like green or blue.”

The maid’s eyes widened. It wasn’t a color that a young lady would typically choose for a dress to wear to a ball. It was usually only worn indoors or when riding.

Usually bright colors such as yellow and pink were chosen. Green or blue were the colors chosen only by women who were there to accompany their daughters.

“What about lace decorations? The dress will be neutral so how bout a brightly colored lace to give it a colorful twist?”

Contrary to Jenny’s recommendation, what Hestia picked was the cheapest and smallest lace.

“This will be enough.”

Hestia’s tone was gentle, but there was a firmness that showed she would not budge. The young maid then realized something. The girl was a chaperone for Miss Daisy, she shouldn’t stand out more than her.

Jenny still tried to show some consideration by recommending some fancy lace, but Hestia was adamant. Unlike Daisy’s attire which had taken hours to decide on, Hestia had finished in just a few minutes.

Jenny and the youngest maid then began to work again. They adjusted Daisy’s skirt, served her and moved around fabric.

Before they knew it, the long dress fitting session was coming to an end. Hestia watched as the work was being completed and quietly left the room without anyone noticing.

“Whew-“

Now able to catch her breath thanks to the cool breeze from outside the window, Hestia closed her eyes tightly, clearly fatigued. Compared to the maids who would sweat from moving around so much, hers was a mental fatigue. It wasn’t because of Daisy’s attitude of treating her like a servant, it was just a little difficult to see the eyes of the Countess looking at her daughter with such love.

She moved very slowly, staying by the window, trying to keep her mind off those thoughts. A cool breeze blew in from the window and swirled around her, as if trying to soothe her aching heart.

The small respite was quickly broken, as if the slightest rest was not allowed.

From a distance, a tall man was approaching her.