The man, who was dressed in riding clothes as if he had just been hunting, quickly approached Hestia when he spotted her.
The wheat colored hair, that he swept back in an exaggerated motion, was identical to Daisy’s. It was Daisy’s brother, Ted.
“Hello, Miss Welter.”
“Hello.”
“Are all of the dresses finished being ordered? There was a lot of commotion this morning.”
“Yes, it’s almost finished.”
“I look forward to seeing you in a beautiful new dress.”
Ted spoke softly and subtly glanced at her body. He was definitely looking forward to it. To be exact, he was looking forward to the white skin that would be revealed when she was dressed in her fancy ballgown instead of the usual nun-like outfits and her stone face that would smile when she danced with him.
“You’re too kind.”
“Haha, look at me. I just showed something frightening to a lady.”
Contrary to his words, he smiled as he handed the hunting rifle he was holding to his aide. Smelling the scent of blood from an animal that was emanating from his gloves, it seemed that his hunt this morning had been successful.
One of the servants following him adjusted the sack on his back. Looking at the feathers sticking out of the sack, it looked like a bird of prey.
“That’s fine.”
Hestia answered briefly and tried to pass by him. However, Ted blocked her path and continued his one-sided conversation.
“You are brave, Miss Welter. Daisy was screaming because she was so scared.”
To be exact, she was annoyed because he kept blocking her path and it smelled disgusting.
Also, from what Hestia remembers, rather than Daisy screaming because she was scared, she had thrown a tantrum because it was gross and smelly. However, she didn’t bother to correct him and just responded appropriately.
“Well, she is a young lady. I had better get going, I still have some work to do.”
When Ted moved in front of her and would not get out of the way, Hestia spoke firmly and tried to slip past him, but he stood firm in front of her. She had to get back to read the letters she had received that morning.
But he did not let her pass this time either. He scoffed inwardly, wondering what could be so important, but on the outside, he was a gentleman as he spoke.
“Wait a minute, why don’t you and Daisy go on a picnic somewhere sunny this afternoon with me?”
“Miss Daisy is having a tea party with some of the other young ladies this afternoon.”
“Ah, what about next week then?”
“…I will ask Miss Daisy about her schedule.”
A corner of Ted’s mouth twitched at that response, which was vague but hinted at rejection.
It was clear that his smile was not friendly, but he didn’t bother to fix his expression, and Hestia did not change her answer either.
“Well, I’ll be going first, then.”
“Okay, but give me some of your precious time soon. It’s a view you won’t be able to see in the capital.”
This time Ted backed off. He slowly moved out of her way and Hestia briefly bowed before passing by him.
“She acts so arrogant just because she’s a mage.”
Ted snorted and spoke sarcastically as soon as Hestia was out of earshot. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this to her, but the result was always the same as today. She always coldly refused, out of curtesy.
“How much money have I spent on her? Tsk.”
At first he thought he could just throw some flowers or jewelry at her, like all the other women he had met so far. He could make anyone his lover just by giving them a few gifts and whispering words of love to them.
However, gifting Hestia a precious perfume, an expensive necklace and an extravagant dress from another country was no use. The result was always rejection. Although she was the ward of the Carlton family, she was also a girl from a fallen noble family, with only her pride left.
Ted wanted to have her, the pretty girl who had nothing of value but mage blood.
Of course, not as a future wife who would become a countess, but as a high-class mistress who he could play with as he pleased.
Hestia was not easily captured though. The more he was rejected by her, the more his desire to possess her grew.
His obsessive eyes followed her as her figure grew smaller and smaller. He was enjoying the hunt as a predator who was slowly driving his prey into a corner. She may be acting arrogant now, but soon she would be kneeling at his feet, clinging to him. She was in the palm of his hand anyway. The corners of his mouth rose as he imagined green eyes looking up at him in an obedient manner.
“Yes, it should have some fight in it.”
It’s still cute, so it’s still worth watching. It would have been rather dull anyway if it had been too easy. It was hard to find entertainment like this in the boring countryside. Before the social season began in earnest and she went to the capital, he intended to make her his obedient lover.
“Raoul! I’m going out this afternoon.”
When Hestia’s figure disappeared completely around the corner, he turned and headed toward his room, giving the order to his aide.
“Yes, master.”
While Ted had been chatting with Hestia, his aide Raoul had been standing to the side, still as a wall. He then bowed his head and followed behind his master.
There were three types of outings: hunting, work and entertainment. He had just gone hunting and had nothing to do outside today for work. All that remained was entertainment.
***
Hestia was on her way to visit Tom, the head butler of the Carlton manner, to ask for stamps.
She happened to pass by the living room and heard a loud noise. The conversation between the excited Count and Countess Carlton was so loud that it was impossible not to hear.
“Honey, what’s going on?”
“The first dance of the social season has been moved up. It is said that Her Highness the Princess is the one hosting it! We must leave now!”
Hestia’s eyes wavered. Something big had happened. Big enough for Her Royal Highness to personally host the first ball. Hestia thought she knew what it was. She turned around and quickly headed back to her room.
According to the original plan, the Carlton family was scheduled to leisurely head to the imperial capital about two weeks before the social season began. Now, a letter had arrived from a servant in the capital that shook the Carlton family. The family, who had been enjoying a leisurely tea time, had to discard the tea they were drinking and prepare to leave for the capital immediately.
It was the poor workers who had to suffer. In just a few hours, the front gate of the mansion was in chaos due to the family’s luggage and boxes containing various luxury items. What would have originally taken four days to pack, they needed to have ready in a matter of hours.
“Ugh, what’s going on!”
“They say the first dance of the social season has been moved up ten days.”
The maid who was whining and carrying a bag full of the lady’s dresses put the bag down in the carriage and grumbled.
They had to run around and pack luggage until they were sweating all over, unable to even take a break to eat properly.
“Even if they leave today they will barely make it in time.”
“Careful! The head maid is coming this way!”
The poor maids couldn’t even rest for a moment under the harsh gaze of the head maid and quickly headed back to the mansion to move more luggage that was piled up in the entrance hall.
Meanwhile, Hestia was busy checking the senders of the several letters she had received in the morning. She had a glimmer of hope, but after a half a dozen letters, there was no reply, dashing her hopes. She then organized the letters and tied them together with a string. She would have to write the letter again from the beginning.
Hestia looked out the window in her room while holding a box that contained letterhead and sighed deeply.
What will come, will come. Lifeless green eyes started out the window blankly at all the luxury items piled up in the carriage beyond the window.
‘I’m tired.’
When Hestia arrives in the capital, she will have been in the Carlton family’s debt for a little over a year.
The Carlton family becomes the sponsor of a mage girl who appears in the social world. The young lady even follows behind the Carlton family’s only daughter and acts as a chaperone.
This will make Daisy’s value increase even more. In other words, Hestia was a tool to show off how wealthy and influential the Carlton family was. She was no different from the rare luxury goods that were being packed away in the carriage.
Her situation, which she thought would improve after graduating from the academy, had not changed at all.
‘It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.’
Hestia tried to comfort herself silently, taking out an old travel bag from a chest and silently packing her luggage. She didn’t even pay any attention to the gift boxes piled in the corner of the closet.
She had put all of the things Ted had given her as a gift in her closet not even sparing them a second glance. The maids who remained in the mansion would take care of it, because she would never be returning here again.
It didn’t take long for Hestia to pack her bags. She had come with nothing, so she didn’t have much to pack. She wrapped a few sets of clothes, an old hairbrush and broken soap pieces in a cloth and stuffed them into her bag. Finally, she picked up her letter box and fell into deep thought.
