A retelling of Beauty and the Beast as historical fiction set circa 1600s - 1700s in Provence France (fantasy elements removed). A small village clockmaker finds himself indebted to a mysterious lord with his life. When this lord asks for the service of his only daughter for the rest of her life, Belle sets off with all the romanticisms books have filled her head with. However, she find that reality ends up being quite different from what she imagined and her new master quite the monster! With her life forfeit to pay off a debt, Belle has no choice but find a way to live with her new lord and his terrible temper while cleaning his long abandoned castle, uncovering the secrets that it holds.