Chapter 59: Are you the one who set up the trap?

“How can you be so careless!”

Before the exclamation even sounded, Linko’s reproach came first.

At a noble’s ball, the one at fault could never be the noble; any mistake had to be blamed on those of lower status.

Well-versed in this unspoken rule, she knew that only by taking the blame herself as a lowly servant and letting Flora speak up afterward could they smoothly sweep this incident under the rug.

After all, a servant who dirtied the main character’s dress with wine and cake would never end well, and Flora was the type who wouldn’t want others punished because of her.

But as soon as Linko finished speaking, she realized the maid lying on the ground was unfamiliar.

Not a servant from the villa—whose attendant was this?

Linko’s gaze darted sharply through the crowd, searching for Moria’s figure.

She had a bad feeling.

“Fl- Flora, I’m sorry, this is my attendant, she…”

A young noblewoman with blue hair hurriedly stepped forward to apologize, and the murmurs in the hall gradually increased.

This was Kate, daughter of Marquis Laman, a stranger to both Linko and Flora, likely just a minor accident.

Flora didn’t overthink it and silently thanked Linko for her timely reaction.

She went along with it, preparing to turn this small mishap into an opportunity to showcase her magnanimity.

“It’s fine. It’s my fault.”

Just like during training, when facing traps set by other nobles meant to embarrass her, she maintained composure and returned a smile.

Even though this time it was an accident and not a trap, it was easily resolved with a few words.

After all, even if the unfortunate maid was treated kindly now, she would still face punishment from the marquis’s daughter later.

Flora was happy to use her current privileges to avoid that.

“But since it was Moria who commissioned the dress, and it’s been stained, Miss Laman, you should take responsibility for this.”

Flora said calmly, looking at the flustered noblewoman.

Elka chimed in, her face full of irritation.

“Yeah! I barely got to see Flora all dressed up and now look at her! You have to take responsibility!”

She had missed the chance to see Flora’s appearance and interact with her because she had been busy scheming against those disgusting demons.

Flora had been distant toward her just moments ago.

Elka was unhappy.

At this moment, she was like a child eager to prove herself but ignored by the adults, clearly anxious.

None of the guests dared to underestimate this elf.

Those who arrived earlier at the ball could see how indulgent and respectful Moria treated Elka.

So, the two of them pressed the issue together.

Other guests inwardly offered silent condolences to the unfortunate daughter of the marquis.

This time, she was truly in trouble.

If Moria had any ambition or schemes, no one could say for sure.

But everyone knew exactly how cold-hearted she could be.

Sweating profusely and at a loss, Miss Kate’s eyes nervously flickered between Flora and the pale-faced maid on the floor.

She clenched her teeth, mustering the courage to speak, but Flora cut her off first.

“Here’s what we’ll do: you lend her to me, and we’ll let this go.”

“Huh?”

Kate was stunned, blinking.

The other guests were also somewhat puzzled.

“She dirtied the dress, so help me clean it up.After all, I bumped into her.If she ends up punished too harshly because of this, it would ruin the mood of the ball.”

Taking the maid away to change clothes in the dressing room with Linko—such a mild request was just right.

Only, Flora’s words didn’t have the effect she expected.

“Ah? This…”

Miss Kate opened her mouth in disbelief, hurriedly bowing to Flora.

“I’ll whip her right away! Please forgive me!”

Before Flora could understand what was happening, Linko grabbed her hand and whispered sternly: “Miss, what are you saying? Do you realize what those words imply?”

Her tone, a mixture of scolding and urgency, made Flora realize she’d made a mistake.

But she couldn’t understand what was wrong with her request.

Was it too lenient?

Surely no one thought she was going to take the maid away to be executed.

Elka, standing nearby, also protested angrily.

“No, I don’t agree.”

She grabbed Flora’s hand.

“If you don’t want to punish her, then don’t.Why even say that?”

Seriously.

Come on, Miss Linko , let’s clean the dress for her.

“Everyone else, mind your own servants.”

Like a cat protecting its food, Elka glared fiercely at the other guests, warning Kate.

Then she turned to the confused Flora, annoyed.

“Don’t pick up such twisted habits from Moria.”

Her words stirred whispered gossip again among the guests, and the glances cast at Flora grew ambiguous once more.

What did she mean by Moria’s twisted habits?

Flora furiously pondered the connection between her own request and that comment.

Her gaze finally fixed on the maid slumped on the floor, her cheeks faintly flushed and her hands clutching her skirt tightly.

Suddenly, she understood the misunderstanding her words had caused among these terrible people.

At that moment, a woman appeared again.

“Elka, what are you saying, slandering me in front of guests?Is that twisted humor?I think it’s quite delightful.Besides, the marquis I recommended shares my tastes, isn’t that to be expected?”

The crowd instinctively parted as Moria stepped forward.

The aura of this top-tier noblewoman was so imposing that no one dared meet her gaze.

Everyone instinctively lowered their heads or turned aside, including Emia, who had come with her.

Flora glanced around for Lisette.

The princess seemed disinterested in intervening in this farce; even her attendant was nowhere to be seen.

Not immediately looking at Moria evidently displeased the noblewoman.

She strode forward and stopped right in front of Flora.

With her finger, she wiped the cream off the girl’s chest, brought it to her lips, and licked it with a sinister curve at the corner of her mouth.

Nothing good would come of this.

Seeing that smile, Flora felt a chill run down her spine.

“The cake tastes good.No wonder you suggested such a punishment.A good child who doesn’t waste food.”

“You must have misunderstood me…”

Flora instinctively tried to protest, but Moria raised a finger, gently placing it against Flora’s lips.

“Shh…”

Her hush silenced the entire hall, making it so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

“I know.You’re curious just how far noble privileges can go.”

Flora swallowed heavily, wanting to deny it, but the bracelet on her ankle tightened.

A magic with binding and control effects quickly spread.

She couldn’t utter another word.

“You’re right. The dress I commissioned was dirtied… Ha, I’m very angry.Miss Kate, what do you think should be the fate of this careless maid you brought?Ah, right, we can’t ruin the ball’s atmosphere.”

Moria placed her hand on Flora’s immobilized shoulder, slinging an arm around her.

With her free hand, she pinched Flora’s chin.

She looked at the pale Kate, the frightened maid on the floor, then glanced at the guests, their expressions varying.

“I… I…”

Stammering, Kate tried to kneel.

Everyone knew her family would be utterly destroyed if they crossed the Deran family.

Yet magic held her upright, forcing her to stand straight.

“I said, we can’t ruin the ball’s atmosphere.How can nobles become ‘kneeling nobles’?Enough.I like Flora’s way of punishing, so everyone relax.Let’s watch this maid make amends to the star of our ball, shall we?”

“Wait… Moria, you said…”

Flora’s expression froze as she struggled against the magic controlling her, forcing out her words.

She finally understood the trap she had been cautious of all along but never triggered until now.

“What did I say?Punishing a servant who makes a careless mistake is just the most common entertainment at a ball.Your punishment is gentle, so I agree.
How about everyone else?”

The crowd remained silent.

“See? No objections.Linko, bring over a chair for Flora to sit.As for you…”

Moria released Flora and bent down to pinch the maid’s chin, squinting with a smile.

“You’re lucky.”

She straightened and stepped aside.

Wiping her hands with a handkerchief, she pointed at the struggling Flora seated in the chair.

“Crawl over there.Wherever you dirtied her dress, lick it clean.Then help Miss Flora change into the dress.I’ll let you off today.Otherwise… ha…”

The purple-haired maid, dressed in her uniform, looked helplessly toward Kate.

The latter had already closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Biting her lip, the maid knelt and crawled toward Flora, clenching her fists but utterly powerless.