Inside the box were two glass bottles, about as long as a finger. One potion was said to be the best for bruises, and the other for fatigue.
Few people could afford to take these potions when they were sick.
While they were quick and effective, they were very expensive because they had to be made by a mage. Moreover, it was not something that not just anyone anyone could obtain just because they had money.
The potion was something Hestia desperately needed right now, but she quickly closed the box and shoved it deep under her bed, ignoring the pain in her ankle.
“Ha… My head hurts.”
Hestia drew her knees up and buried her face in them. So much had happened today that her head was on the verge of breaking, and he’d managed to mess with her once again, just before she’d fallen asleep.
There was no way she didn’t know who sent the potion. Adrian Kingston’s specialty was making potions. No one at the Academy was more skilled than him.
Hestia had prayed earnestly to Goddess Lillian, hoping he’d forgotten that day, and even if he remembered it, she hoped he didn’t worry about trivial things and pretended not to have seen her.
But her prayers did not come true, as usual.
Adrian had approached her twice. If he’d done it once, she might have fallen asleep and forgotten. But he did it twice. She couldn’t ignore it twice!
“Really… Ha.”
She grabbed her pounding head. And many questions came to mind.
Why was he asking her to dance and sending her gifts? Why did he appear in front of her? What did he want from her?
After thinking for a long time, Hestia was able to guess two reasons.
First, responsibility.
If a nobleman takes the virginity of a noblewoman, he should take her as his wife. However, it was impossible to imagine that he, who’d enjoyed endless casual encounters, would cling to such traditional customs.
Second, fun.
To use that day as an excuse to try and get into her bed again. If she refused the request, in the worst-case scenario, he could threaten to spread rumors about what happened that day to the social world.
‘… What if he goes around talking about what happened that day?’
Once she had one negative thought, all her thoughts turned negative.
If it was discovered that she was not pure and her honor as a nobleman’s daughter was lost, the Carlton family would send her back to Melda, essentially kicking her out, and the rest was obvious. She would probably be sold as some commoner’s wife.
She couldn’t let that happen now, because, except in special cases, a mage can only report their own personal movement route three years after graduating from the academy. She couldn’t afford to leave the Carlton family until after she’d been given permission to report her own movements.
In the end, she stayed up all night, eyes wide open, because of unanswered questions and fears. And Hestia wasn’t the only one who couldn’t fall asleep at the Carlton Mansion that day.
* * *
The day after the first ball, marking the beginning of the social season, had passed without incident, Count Carlton was in a very good mood. Their debut into the capital’s social scene was very successful. He laughed heartily.
“Very good, very good! Things are going well.”
As if to prove it, all kinds of invitations were piled up on the desk in Count Carlton’s office.
Invitations to join clubs, visit racetracks, and take part in hunts were arriving for Count Carlton and Ted, while invitations to tea parties and luncheons rained down on Countess Carlton and Daisy.
The basic foundation for expanding their business and network had been laid.
“I guess Goddess Lillian has blessed our Carlton family.”
The Countess kissed the Count on the cheek. He then put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.
“Oh, of course. I’ve known since the Goddess gave me such a wise wife.”
“Honey, stop.”
What he said was true. The idea of taking a relative with mage blood as a patron to ensure their successful entry into the capital’s social circles had come from the Countess.
And they achieved much more than their goal that way.
“But the hard part starts now. We have to establish ourselves well from the beginning.”
“Of course, my dear. I’ll do my best to help out and take care of the children.”
“But isn’t that boy, Ted, always stuck at home?”
The Count suddenly frowned. On the day of the ball, when he worked hard to build connections and please the other barons and earls, who were much younger than him, his son left the place without permission.
If he’s not going to be helpful, he should at least say hello and make his face known!
Whatever happened to him, he came back fuming and angry and gulped down his drink. Eventually, he fell down the stairs and was found looking even less dignified than a servant.
“Now that we’re in the capital you should take him out to look around; a man, unlike a woman, needs experience outside the home.”
The countess wrapped her arms around him. The count, who was angry, sighed and cleared his throat. Thinking about his son made him frustrated, so he quickly moved on to another topic.
“What about Daisy?”
“Our proud daughter is quietly taking bridal lessons.”
“Hehe, she’ll be a first-class bride. I’ll marry her off to a very noble family.”
He still couldn’t forget the scene where his daughter danced with the main character of the ball. Starting from that dance, it was a like a completely different world.
Before Daisy’s dance, he’d been looked over, but after that, it was a whole different story. Men from prominent families approached him first, spoke to him, and tried to please him.
“So, honey. I have to go to a tea party soon, so I need a new dress for Daisy.”
The Countess spoke softly.
“Haha, of course! Get five or ten dresses for you and Daisy! Take care of the expenses through Tom.”
“Oh, I’m so glad. And although I have already given Ms. Welter a small amount of gratitude, I would like to show her even more kindness.”
“Okay, let’s get her a decent one too!”
He gave permission out of generosity. The Countess gave her husband a grateful kiss and withdrew.
* * *
The Countess let out a small sigh as soon as she left the Count’s office. She looked completely different from when she was smiling brightly and joking around next to the Count.
She quickly put on a gentle smile before others saw her, but her heart was full of worry.
Although she pretended that there weren’t any problems in front of her husband, both Ted and Daisy were different from usual.
Taking care of the children and ensuring peace in the home were the wife’s most important duties, but dealing with their children became more difficult as the years went by.
“Where is Daisy? Did she eat?”
“She’s in her room. She keeps saying she has no appetite.”
The head maid shook her head. No matter how hard she tried to keep her smile, the Countess’s face started to turn dark.
As soon as Ted and Daisy arrived back to the mansion after the ball, they went straight into their rooms.
At first, she thought they were just tired due to the fatigue of the trip and the tension of their first ball, so she left them alone. It was understandable that Hestia would not come out of her room after tripping and spraining her ankle.
But something was strange. The next day, all three were different from usual.
She was especially worried about Daisy. She was the most talked-about person in the social world right now, and it would’ve been normal for her to be in a good mood.
But instead, she was the opposite and wouldn’t even tell the Countess what was going on, which made her worried.
Countess Carlton walked over to Daisy, who was lying on the bed, refusing to eat.
“Daisy, dear.”
The Countess affectionately stroked Daisy’s back covered in a blanket.
“Would you like to go to Lipello Street with your mom today? Your father said he was going to buy his daughter a new dress.”
Daisy still wouldn’t answer. The Countess was patient and didn’t give up, she coaxed her out by taking out an invitation.
“Look at this. Lady Gray sent us an invitation to a tea party, and Mrs. Harman invited us to a luncheon. You don’t know how proud I am of these invitations that we received thanks to our daughter.”
Meanwhile, Daisy, who was covered in a blanket, was so helpless and jealous that she didn’t know what to do.
When Lord Kingston started dancing with her in the ballroom, she thought she was the protagonist of a romance novel.
But the realization that she wasn’t even a supporting character, that she was merely there to help him get his foot in the door, that she was merely an extra, made her unbearably angry.
The idea of being less than a woman living in someone else’s house was so insulting that she couldn’t accept it.
“Not only is there a tea party, but there is also the next dance. Don’t you want to see Lord Kingston again?”
Daisy narrowed her eyes. The sound of his laughing, cruel voice was still fresh in her ears, and, even though she should hate him beyond words, she felt strangely eager to see his face again.
And the one her anger was directed at was Hestia. The shameless bitch who stole her man!
“… Buy me new shoes and jewelry.”
Her mother was right. She’ll see him again at the next ball. As time passed, her thirst to see him grew stronger.
“Oh, yes, I will buy my dear Daisy everything she wants.”
The Countess’s smile widened. The maids, who had been treading on thin ice for days, dealing with Daisy as if she were on the verge of exploding, rejoiced with her.
“Come, let’s get up and change.”
“……Where is Miss Welter?”
“She’s resting in her room.”
“Bring her with us.”
“By the looks of it, her ankle is quite swollen. Perhaps we could bring her with us next time…”
“No. I must go with Miss Welter. We’ll be taking the carriage anyways, so what does it matter?”
“But-”
“Bring me Miss Welter, you paid her to be my chaperon, bring her at once!”
Daisy screamed bitterly. The maids were startled and Countess Carlton froze.
