Chapter 6
“Oh my! The Duke Vetra? He’s attending a mere baron’s ball?”
“Haha, I was surprised too. Maybe he heard the rumors about our lovely Camilla and got curious?”
Everyone seemed excited, and Zenovio tried to show off like he knew something.
“Well, now that he’s inherited the Vetra dukedom, he probably wants to make a strong impression in high society.”
It was funny how he acted all smart even though he only ran a small, low-level information guild with poor accuracy.
“And with all the inheritance issues going around lately, he might be trying to sway public opinion. That’s what my guild members are saying.”
My aunt wasn’t much different. She also jumped in to brag.
“I knew fighting to host the first ball of the year would pay off! I had to go head-to-head with the other noble ladies for it, but it was worth it! Duke Vetra actually sent a reply!”
She waved to her fan dramatically, clearly proud of herself.
“Camilla! Since it’s tradition for the lady of the house to have the first dance with the highest-ranking guest, you’ll be dancing with the Duke in front of everyone!”
The Baron joined in, clearly excited.
“I’ve heard Duke Vetra is very capable and handsome. The perfect match. It’d be great if our Camilla could win him over.”
Camilla shrugged with pride.
“I’ll feel like a duchess already that day.”
“Not just feel, Camilla. Keep pushing, and you will become the duchess. We’ll finally have a high-ranking noble in our family.”
“Hmph. I’m the only truly refined lady in this house anyway—it’s only natural.”
The two of them kept going on with their grand dreams.
Then, the Baron looked fondly at my aunt and added warmly,
“After my wife passed away, I was worried about the reputation of our family, but you’ve kept everything together. Thank you.”
The widowed aunt blushed in front of my father.
“Oh, don’t mention it. I’ve always wanted to support the Starace family… especially you, my dear Baron.”
“Ah, thank you as always.”
There was a subtle romantic tension between them.
My father believed our family had survived thanks to her efforts after my mother’s death.
He had no idea she was the one secretly stealing from our estate.
“And since we’re hosting the ball, we’ll need new dresses and jewelry. We must dress Camilla up nicely, right?”
“Of course! We need to help Camilla and Zenovio build their social circles.”
“Speaking of which, House of Warden just released a new dress line. I heard it costs around 4,000 gold. That’s a reasonable investment for Camilla, right?”
Nope. It’s actually 2,000 gold. I could clearly tell she was lying.
But my father, who knew nothing about women’s clothes and trusted everything my aunt said, fell for it.
“Let’s go ahead with it. It’s her once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the Duke. She should look her best.”
The leftover 2,000 gold? That would go straight into my aunt’s purse.
Once, I tried to warn my father about this, but my aunt caught me and locked me in the attic for five days, threatening me.
Since then, I’ve just pretended not to know.
Even if I had said something, would he have believed me anyway?
* * *
“And Viola…”
The Baron looked at me like he was being generous.
“You still have a lot of dresses in the closet, right?”
That was it.
I wasn’t expecting much, so I didn’t respond.
But Anna was furious when she heard it. She even tried to cheer me up by picking wildflowers from the garden to decorate my hair.
After that day, Anna started helping me whenever she had time—fixing up my old dresses, picking out accessories, and even acting like my personal maid.
So while some were stealing wealth, others were doing their best to help me shine.
And time kept passing—until the day of the ball finally arrived.
With what little jewelry I had, I got dressed up modestly.
Before stepping into the ballroom, I turned to Anna and asked her one last thing.
“Hey…”
Anna blinked while massaging her sore arms from helping me get ready. I asked slowly.
“What if I have to leave this house within a few days… would you come with me?”
This question could change both our futures.
“You’ll still be able to work in the new place like you do now. But you’ll never see these people—this family and the other servants—again.”
I didn’t want to take someone who didn’t want to come.
If I had to let go, I could make new allies wherever I go.
“…I’ll go with you.”
But her answer came quicker and more firmly than I expected.
“This family that keeps ignoring you—I’m sick of it too,” Anna said firmly.
Starting a new life in a different place would be hard for her too.
But Anna was willing to accept that change.
“If you want me to come with you, I’ll go. I’d actually prefer not seeing these people again.”
I felt relieved without even realizing it.
Maybe this was the answer I’d been waiting for all along.
“Good. From this moment on, you’re my personal maid.”
“What? But I’m just a regular servant. Can I suddenly change jobs like that?”
“I say so. Who’s going to stop us?”
“I—I’d love to! Being a personal maid is much better than being a servant!”
Anna’s excited face made me smile too.
“Then go pack your things. We’re leaving soon.”
For some reason, I felt stronger with her by my side.
With a lighter heart, knowing I’d secured the most important ally in this house, I stepped into the brightly lit ballroom.
* * *
The night sky sparkled with stars.
As the host family, I stood near the main gate with the others to welcome the guests.
Then, at one moment—
“He’s here,” Zenovio muttered, dressed sharply like a peacock trying too hard.
His information guild members, disguised as waiters and coachmen around the ballroom, rushed in clumsily to report.
“The Duke arrived alone. No partner.”
“And apparently, there’s a lady he especially wants to see tonight?”
The Baron and my aunt turned to look at Camilla. She was so shocked, she placed a hand on her chest as if to calm her heart.
Ignoring the fuss beside me, I stayed still and simply waited for Ezequiel.
Soon, the atmosphere in the ballroom changed. The nobles who had arrived earlier all turned toward the entrance.
“His Grace, Duke Vetra, is entering!”
Ezequiel Vetra entered with overwhelming presence.
As the ruler of the empire’s only autonomous territory and second only to the Emperor in power, he had a grandeur about him like royalty.
He wasn’t just called “Your Grace” like other dukes—his honorific title was “Your Highness,” the same used for members of the royal family.
Formally, he ranked just below the Crown Princess.
Even the orchestra changed its tune to a majestic piece to match his entrance.
“Is that him? That’s the Duke?”
People whispered in awe as they saw his icy, serious expression.
As he walked down the steps, Ezequiel nodded at me—a small, secret greeting.
I nodded back quietly from where I stood.
Once he reached the bottom, a crowd formed around him, but no one dared to approach too closely. They just hovered nearby.
“Whoa… the mood just shifted completely.”
Camilla flinched and bit her lip. Most people reacted the same when seeing the Duke for the first time.
“Well, he does look kind of scary.”
When I said that, Camilla squinted at me.
“You’ve seen the Duke before? Why do you talk like you’re close to him?”
I didn’t answer, so she quickly snapped back.
“Someone like you will never be near the Duke. Wake up from that dream.”
“Someone like me? I’m your older sister, remember?”
“Hmph. Like I’d ever treat you like one.”
Before Camilla could go full drama mode, a loud announcement echoed through the hall.
“We will now begin the first dance!”
Camilla gave me one last disgusted glare before turning to whisper with my aunt, adjusting her appearance one final time.
Whether she realized it or not, Camilla looked like a brightly decorated butterfly, with her off-shoulder dress and dozens of sparkling jeweled pins.
It must have caught the Duke’s attention too—
Because not long after…
“He’s coming over here.”
“What do we do?!”
Yes. The Duke Vetra himself was walking toward us.
The Baron and Zenovio nervously wiped their hands to prepare for a handshake. Camilla took a deep breath.
They were all determined to impress him, no matter what.
