The Contract with the Lord was a Trap

Hestia, the daughter of a fallen nobleman who relies on the Carlton family as her sponsor, is eagerly anticipating the day when she can cast aside everything that is binding her and run away. She thought the time had finally come.

“Hestia.”

No! Don’t kneel! Don’t propose! And don’t take out that ring box!

“As you might have guessed, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Expected? Sure, I did. But this wasn’t the way. Weren’t we just friends? Didn’t we agree to be friends?

“Will-“

Hestia closed her eyes tightly. As he continued, she could easily anticipate what he was going to say. Will you be my bride? Will you be the mistress of my family? Will you give birth to my heir? It might be one of these three, but you don’t do these with a friend, right?

“No, I won’t marry you!”

“-you become the mage of my territory?”

…What? Hestia slowly opened her eyes and faced his signature foxlike smile.

“Of course, I’m fine with marriage too.”

Her face turned slightly red. Whether it was because she was ashamed of her mistake or because of his answer, she wasn’t sure.

“But, your dream is my dream. So, Hestia,”

Instead of a ring, he held out a standard mage contract and a fountain pen. In front of her was something she had neither seen nor received before.

“Please, become my territory’s mage.”

Her life had not been a happy one so far. When she was at the edge, where she just wanted to let go of everything, he reached out his hand to her.

“Let’s go to Rosehill together.”

She signed the contract and, as a mage, she followed him, the lord…

The contract with the lord was a trap!