Hestia’s eyes widened and she looked at the man dragging her. Because he was walking with long strides, Hestia had to struggle not to fall while being dragged.
“Wait, wait!”
Hestia shouted at him only after they were far away from the ballroom. Then he suddenly stopped, spun around and pushed her against her wall.
The forceful action sent a jolt of pain through her back and leg, but Hestia did not show any signs of it and looked straight into his eyes.
It was Ted. She didn’t know why, but he was so angry he was fuming. He fired back with a very contorted face.
“Who was that guy?”
“What do you mean? Just let it go.”
“The one who gave you the champagne earlier!”
“I don’t know that person. I didn’t even take the drink he offered me.”
With Hestia’s clear answer, he gradually regained his senses.
He’d had no time to show her who her owner was. When they left for the capital, they’d had to take both the train and carriage separately.
Last evening when he arrived at the mansion, he missed the timing because his mother called her over to talk to her.
He’d overslept this morning, and in the afternoon, lost track of time because he was lying around with the green-eyed maid.
Then, in the ballroom, he spotted her laughing with some other man.
He couldn’t tolerate his woman being with another guy. Ted was late, but thought that if he started training her now, it should be fine.
“Listen carefully, for the honor of the Carlton family, I want you to behave yourself.”
Hestia didn’t understand his sudden remark and frowned. No matter how much she thought about it, she hadn’t done anything today to tarnish her honor, let alone the honor of House Carlton.
On the contrary, if this commotion that he was currently causing were to be discovered, the reputation of the Carlton family will be damaged.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, don’t go near other men.”
“What?”
“And what’s with those clothes, aren’t they too revealing?”
He found fault with her perfectly fine clothes. Objectively, Hestia’s outfit was no different than any other young ladies.
Rather, since it was a chaperone’s outfit, it was more modest. However, in Ted’s eyes, all his attention was focused on the cleavage, which was barely visible at first glance, unless you looked closely.
“These are the clothes that Countess Carlton got me in a hurry-”
“What about the dress I gave you as a gift earlier!”
“… I couldn’t take it with me because I was in a hurry to leave.”
“Ha, listen carefully. From now on, you will only wear dresses that I choose for you.”
“…”
“And don’t go near any men today, and turn down all dance requests.”
“…”
“Aren’t you going to answer me?”
She didn’t know why he was so angry, but this was unfair.
Ted had no right to order her around. Even if she was his wife, this was an unreasonable demand.
She had enough to worry about without his ridiculous commands.
Hestia answered firmly.
“No, I make my own decisions.”
“What?”
“Let go. If you continue to be so forceful, I’ll have no choice but to respond.”
Was she crazy? He was so dumbfounded that he let out a laugh. Now she was threatening him by saying she was a mage and would use mana on him.
Her eyes widened, and she held up her right hand as if she were about to cast a spell.
“Try it, see what happens to you if you use mana against an innocent person!”
She was living in his home, on his dime, and yet, still had the audacity to-
Hestia calmed down as she looked at Ted, who was growing more and more agitated.
Yeah, she could end up in a mage prison if she threw a spell in his face, but that probably wouldn’t be so bad.
In fact, it might be even better than now. She might be labeled as a bitch who returns favors with vengeance, but who cares now?
Smart.
At that time, a knocking sound cut through the air. Ted and Hestia turned their heads at the same time as the sound rang so loudly, it seemed to shatter the dark and silent hallway.
“Please be quiet over there.”
The person who knocked on the wall was looking at them as if he were watching something interesting.
They couldn’t see his face clearly because he was backlit by the moonlight, but there was a sense of déjà vu in the way he spoke.
“A disturbance in the Lily Palace, and on the day of the ball.”
Her Royal Highness will not easily forgive anyone who disrupted the order. Ted got angry at the stranger’s muttering.
“Who the hell are you and what are you doing meddling in our business?”
“I’m Colin Howard.”
He didn’t ask for his name. Anyway, since there was no title attached to it, he wasn’t a noble. He ordered with confidence.
“Go away! How dare you behave like this in front of a nobleman.”
“Oh, you’ve got spunk. I’m a bit shocked.”
Surprisingly, he knew that Ted was a member of the Carlton family. Moreover, he was secretly ridiculing the fact that Ted was lucky enough to have made it all the way to the capital.
He walked slowly toward them, the sound of his steady footsteps drawing nearer and nearer, his massive frame becoming clearer.
“But if a bullet pierces the head, death is the same whether you are a noble or a slave.”
When he raised his right hand and spoke harshly, contrary to his calm tone, Ted was terrified and hid behind Hestia and shouted.
“Go on, how dare you point your gun at me! Do you want to die for insulting a nobleman?”
“Of course, it’s impossible without a gun.”
As Colin got closer, Ted’s face turned comical. Colin’s hand was empty, making the shape of a gun with his thumb and index finger.
He even laughed at Ted, who was hiding, crouched down, behind a woman, and made a couple of motions to shoot him in the head.
Bang, bang!
Ted was furious at being deceived and insulted, but he knew he couldn’t win. The golden eyes of the beastman were shining dangerously through the darkness.
Beastmen were famous for having physical abilities superior to humans. Judging by the muscles in his arms, he looked like he could easily tear Ted in half.
Even if he didn’t go that far, a punch would send him flying.
“The Count of Carlton is looking for his son.”
Colin spoke quietly to Ted, who was speechless and gaping like a carp. Although it was a statement, it seemed closer to an order.
“Damn it, follow me!”
Ted pulled Hestia’s arm, he had no choice but to go because his father had called him. But Colin blocked his path and looked down, his eyes flashing.
“By the way, he wasn’t looking for the mage.”
Ted let out an exasperated breath, annoyed that he wasn’t getting his way. He gritted his teeth, but didn’t dare to attack the beast with his bare hands.
In the end, he had to go to the ballroom and leave Hestia alone. As his steps got further away, Colin looked back at Hestia.
“Are you okay?”
“You meddled for no reason. Did you think I couldn’t deal with a fool like that on my own?”
Normally, she would have said thanks for the help, even if they were empty words. But, she had no reason to say that now.
There was no way a beastman could not smell mana, so he knew full well that she was a mage, why did he intervene?
She resented him for ruining her chances of escaping to the mage prison.
“No, I saved that idiot because I was afraid he might get hurt.”
Contrary to his harsh impression before, Colin shrugged his shoulders and cracked a joke. Although it was a joke she would never find funny.
“…I have to get back to my group. Please excuse me.”
Hestia walked past him. However, she was stopped in her tracks by Colin’s words from behind.
“There’s no need to go to mage prison because of a fool like that.”
“…”
Colin knew what she’d planned. When she remained silent, he added more.
“You belong somewhere more precious, mage.”
Somewhere precious. Then it will never be hers. Instead of answering, Hestia sneered and strode toward the ballroom.
* * *
When Hestia returned to the ballroom, the ball had already started. She’d missed many things, including the royal family’s entrance and the princess’s first dance that marked the start of the ball, but she wasn’t disappointed at all.
As the princess’s first dance had ended, couples were dancing to a beautiful melody in the center of the hall.
Unmarried men, women, and mothers were gathered in groups of twos and threes at the edge of the ballroom, eyeing each other.
From now on, the men would ask the women to dance, and if she accepted, they would dance and talk.
If they like each other, they will dance again. If not, they will politely say goodbye and find another partner. This was the natural order of things.
But now the ballroom was filled with a strange atmosphere.
Most of the people dancing in the middle of the hall were married couples, and those who were not married were engaged and dancing with their fiancées.
Hestia immediately noticed where the eyes of all the young ladies gathered in the ballroom were looking.
