There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Power and Love (7)

“Wh-why did you break the window…”

“Shh.”

– Thud, thud

Derek shook off the water, tended to the wound on his hand, and looked out the broken window once more.

The rain was pouring, and the deepening darkness outside the window shrouded the landscape like a curtain.

Fortunately, it seemed no one had seen Derek climb down the outer wall and break the window.

As he slowly repaired the broken glass using transformation magic, Derek spoke.

“Currently, Lady Ellente cannot meet outsiders or obtain information without the consent of the high retainers. If someone outside finds out that I sneaked into the room without the servants and retainers knowing, things will get unnecessarily complicated.”

“S-sneaked in? The number of servants in the Belmiard mansion easily exceeds a hundred, and with the stationed soldiers, it’s not a scale that one person can handle swiftly…”

“There was someone who helped. Now is not the time to explain the details.”

Once the window was perfectly repaired, Derek began to bind the blood dripping from his hand with a torn piece of his collar.

“I didn’t originally intend to make such a fuss by breaking the window, but I had to barge in a bit violently, fearing that Lady Ellente might make a hasty decision due to the situation.”

“That…”

Derek’s blood was on the dagger rolling on the floor.

Ellente looked back at her own disheveled appearance with a sinking heart.

What had she just tried to do? If she had gone through with it, it would have been the most futile and foolish decision of her life.

—

However, Ellente’s fingertips were still trembling.

From a step away, she was just caught up in the widespread intrigues of the aristocracy, bearing the blame for a crime she didn’t commit.

For someone who had already fought in the social circles of Ebelstein, it would never have been an ordeal she couldn’t endure.

However, more important than those things was the doubt about the values she had pursued all her life.

Whoever it may be, to rule over the masses, one must know. Humans are inherently beings that betray.

Those who are subjugated by authority and power can turn their backs at any time if you fall. Some criticized it as ruthless, while others accepted it as human nature.

Ellente somehow mustered strength in her trembling chin and slowly lifted her head.

Derek, who she looked up at from her crouched position, was tall. His eyes, visible beneath his cloak, did not seem to harbor any great emotion.

That appearance was not much different from when he had passed by Ellente with Leonard.

But why had she forgotten? Derek had always been this kind of person.

“…”

Derek was silent for a moment.

To Ellente, who had barely returned to the path of life before making an extreme decision, he could have recited lines from the third-rate romance novels that Denise liked.

Your life is noble and valuable, so don’t make foolish choices.

I will be by your side, so please lay down that fear.

Trust only me and entrust your heart, and I will surely heal your wounds.

It was easy to imagine a series of processes where he comforted Ellente with such grand lines mixed with romance and a bit of self-consciousness, became a pillar of support for her heart, and once again wove trust together by holding each other’s hands.

It was about pulling up the arm of a girl struggling in a pit.

However, Derek did not do that.

Derek was Ellente’s teacher.

Derek did not believe in the words of unilaterally saving someone’s heart.

Seeing a girl who seeks power, believes in upright values, and pioneers her life’s path, and then extending a unilateral hand of salvation, he thought, was akin to not respecting her life and ideals.

Teaching someone is like that.

One who unilaterally pulls out the arm of someone stuck in the mire is not called a teacher.

A true teacher is one who rolls up their sleeves, pushes against the ground, and teaches how to pull oneself out of the mire.

Therefore, Derek did not lift Ellente up but knelt on one knee beside her and met her gaze.

Ellente, who was sitting on the ground, lifted her head and met his eyes.

Her appearance was haggard. Her unkempt hair was stuck to her cheeks, and her lifeless eyes were like those of a living corpse.

“You have understood solitude.”

—

—

In an empty room, the experience of those whom you thought would believe and follow you for a lifetime turning their backs one by one leaves a void and emptiness in your heart.

Those who are advancing to reign over the masses must experience it at least once, whether sooner or later.

Ellen was also in that process. Even those who reign over the world from high above have all gone through it at least once. However, there was no one to tell her that.

Therefore, Derek quietly whispered without any long words.

“You have grown again.”

At those words, Ellen’s eyes widened.

Seeing Derek’s fingertips dripping with blood, she finally felt as if she had been doused with cold water.

The one who would become the next head of Belmiard must always live with dignity, like a single flower.

However, mental strength was a consumable. Sometimes, you need to let go of everything and prepare a place for your mind to rest.

Only now, feeling a great sense of doubt about the goal of life and feeling as if she had hit rock bottom, could she understand the importance of that.

“Derek.”

She clenched her nose tightly and held back the tears that were about to pour out.

Ellen stood up on her own without Derek’s help. Then, after raising her chin again, she lifted her still haggard eyes, but with a glimmer of life returned.

“I made a fool of myself. I’m sorry, Derek.”

“It’s alright. Anyone would be mentally cornered in such a situation.”

“Haha… Such slander can be countered by calmly collecting evidence and refuting it logically. I almost went astray for a moment, thinking it was hard, but it was just an illusion. As the heir of Belmiard, who has reigned for a long time, I won’t be troubled by such a small obstacle, so…”

Ellen, who was speaking fluently again, revealing her strong nature.

However, seeing the boy in front of her who was quietly looking at her without rebuttal or agreement, she was at a loss for words.

“So…”

Trailing off, she looked around the room.

A blood-stained dagger, an overturned table, a carpet soaked with rainwater. It was a complete mess.

Her reflection in the mirror looked so haggard that she could hardly recognize herself at a glance.

And, the same was true for her reflection in Derek’s eyes.

Ellen stammered… and finally, trembling at the chin, she spoke.

“So, I was struggling.”

“…”

“Derek, I understand what you meant. Although I have held much authority and power at this age, my core was not as strong. But still, Derek…”

Ellen finally embraced Derek’s chest and spoke in a trembling voice.

“I’m really glad you’re still on my side.”

—

—

After all the emotional turmoil had passed, people would rapidly regain their composure and become calm.

When Derrick finished cleaning up, Ellente was sitting quietly in the corner of the bed, her head turned towards the wall.

Watching her fidget with her fingertips and avoid eye contact, it seemed that as her head cooled down, she became embarrassed.

“Miss Ellente.”

“Yes! No, I mean, yes…”

Her voice suddenly pitched high, and Ellente had to lower her voice again in a panic.

The calmness that comes after emotional upheaval, as if one had become a sage. However, that calmness could not drive away the shame.

“Oh, I should tell you in advance to avoid any misunderstanding, but it would be troublesome if you thought I was the kind of person who easily wraps her arms around a man’s shoulders. I just got a bit heated, and did something I wouldn’t normally do. Think of it as if I were drunk on strong liquor.”

“…Understood. I will consider Miss Ellente as someone who clings to a man when drunk.”

“…Why do you say it like that?”

“Have you calmed down?”

Derrick naturally provoked Ellente to turn her head.

Ellente suddenly shivered and hesitated, then realized that even this reaction was induced by Derrick.

‘Even though I hold much higher secular power and maintain strict etiquette… when I talk to this man, I feel like I’m being swayed.’

For Ellente, who had already been seated as the next head of Belmiard since she was mature, it was a fresh experience.

If one is above, they are above, and if one is below, they are below… It was the first time she felt that someone below her was controlling her, and yet, it didn’t scratch her pride or make her angry.

Derrick was a peculiar man who didn’t seem like someone below, nor someone above.

‘I see. I think I understand why Lady Aiselyn fell for him. Noble ladies are usually weak to such men.’

Then, she pinched her brow and muttered to herself.

‘A player.’

In fact, Derrick had no thoughts at all. It was just Ellente giving meaning to it by herself.

However, Ellente was not an ordinary person, so her insight was somewhat accurate.

Noblewomen had such subtle temperaments that they often did not find charm in those who were overly polite, kind, and had no opposition in everything.

Rather, they often felt fiery love for men who did not move completely according to their will, yet seemed within reach… It was truly paradoxical.

‘Suddenly thinking like that makes me feel cold. To think that a person who casually controls others, from my position with Belmiard entirely in my palm, being swayed by such a frivolous person is quite a blow to my pride, isn’t it?’

Ellente placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

‘For the sake of Lady Aiselyn, I must never lose my composure.’

“Miss Ellente.” “Huh?!”

However, as soon as Derrick suddenly approached and called her name, Ellente broke into a cold sweat and stepped back.

She leaned against the wall and spoke with wide eyes.

—

—

“Don’t suddenly get too close. I just recently recovered from a state of mental and physical weakness, and even light stimuli can startle me.”

“I’m sorry. I lacked consideration.”

“No, no… strictly speaking, it’s not your fault… no, I’m the one who should apologize.”

Elente shook her head and fanned her face with her hand.

Derek, after organizing the letters on the table, spoke in a slightly faster tone.

“Staying here too long only increases the risk of being discovered by the guards, so I’ll quickly relay the necessary information and leave.”

“Leave, leave? You’re leaving me here alone?”

“…? Well, it’s not like I can stay here forever…”

“No, I just asked. It’s only natural.”

Elente glanced up again and sat on the bed.

Sitting alone, the darkness of this private room seemed to weigh on her shoulders, but she didn’t want to show such weakness to Derek.

As mentioned, she was currently in a state of mental and physical weakness. In such a situation, saying strange things would only leave future troubles.

“I am pretending to cooperate with Young Master Leonard while probing him. Do you remember when Lady Trisha visited our Ravenclaw Barony?”

“Lady Trisha? Yes… she asked us to investigate the necromancers who escaped from Rodentz Island.”

“Necromancy is not something ordinary wizards can easily access, and it’s hard to grasp its nature. But having encountered necromancy in the Duplain family, I can understand it.”

Derek, arms crossed, quickly went through the information.

From noble mtl dot com

“The necromancy lab in the basement is quite different from the necromancy I saw during the Duplain family’s disaster. It seems highly likely that it is related to the necromancy of Rodentz Island. Of course… this is not a story with solid evidence.”

“Then… Leonard didn’t go on a pilgrimage all this time…”

“For some reason, he encountered necromancy and studied it on Rodentz Island.”

The 6-star necromancer Pine is a person who has authored numerous necromancy books.

The necromancers of Rodentz Island gathered to study the books written by Pine, revered her somewhere on the continent, and sought out her writings scattered across the continent.

Leonard, too, became one of them and was active until the island was subjugated by the Renouel Viscount family, after which he had no choice but to return to the Belmiard Count family.

Upon returning, he found that Linus had given up the position of heir, and Elente had taken his place.

From Leonard’s perspective, who had been pushed aside by Linus, he must have thought that he was more suited to be the head of the family than Elente.

“…But the connection between Rodentz Island’s necromancy and Leonard is just speculation. Without evidence, how can we counter Leonard’s slander?”

“There is no need to counter it. We can retaliate with even greater slander.”

“What…?”

“Why fight on the battlefield created by the opponent? Let’s reshape the game where we are the masters.”

Derek unfolded a letter and showed it.

It was a message directly written by Aiselin of the Duplain family.

—

—

– “The late Prince Valerian of the Duplain family committed a grave mistake under the influence of the evil necromantic magic, but it was not of his own will; he was driven by the control of the necromantic magic. It brought great misfortune to our family, and the outcome was not good, but he never actively researched necromantic magic.”

– “Distorting these facts is a great disrespect to our Duplain family. We sincerely mourn the late Prince Valerian and will not stand by any unnecessary slander against the deceased.”

This was a letter directly refuting the claim that Elente had discussed necromantic magic research with Valerian.

Of course, no one would want to proudly admit that someone from their family was researching necromantic magic. These negative words from Duplain might just be a formal expression.

However, it would be one of the many elements to prove Elente’s innocence.

“…Sending such an aggressive letter to Belmiard must have been a difficult decision for Lady Aiseline…”

“Lady Elente firmly believes in her innocence.”

“…What is this letter from the Viscount of Renouel?”

“It is a letter stating that the great hero of the Viscount of Renouel, Lord Rodeia, will visit the Belmiard family soon.”

At those words, Elente’s eyes widened again.

Viscountess Rodeia was a hero who had conquered Rodentz Island and was recognized as a person who would soon receive the title of Margrave, greatly enhancing her authority.

She despised necromantic magic and was a person who would stop at nothing to capture and kill all the remnants of Rodentz Island.

Derek had contacted Trisha, intending to bring the Viscountess, who was practically the nemesis of necromancers, to Belmiard.

“Are you really going to escalate this matter so much? What if Leonard has nothing to do with Rodentz Island? Can you handle the aftermath?”

“I can handle it.”

“How?”

“Because this letter is a fabricated lie by me.”

At those words, Elente’s mouth dropped open.

“When the opponent discusses lies and pressures us with fabricated evidence, why should we fight fairly?”

“…”

“Viscountess Rodeia of the Renouel family is practically a Grim Reaper to the necromancers of Rodentz Island. Just mentioning her name will give us some leverage.”

If Rodeia, who had killed more necromancers than anyone else, visited and inspected the site, she might be able to detect the magical energy lingering in the necromantic magic traces of Rodentz Island.

It would be a difficult task for most experts, but it was different for a master like Rodeia. There was no one in the world more knowledgeable about the necromantic magic of Rodentz Island than her.

If that happens, Elente’s innocence will be proven.

Elente had spent her entire life in Ebelstein and the Count of Belmiard and had never been near Rodentz Island.

“Derek. Leonard is skilled at forging documents and creating situations. This letter may look fine at first glance, but Leonard might quickly see it as a crude and clumsy fake.”

“That’s what I hope for.”

Seeing Derek smile as he said that, Elente couldn’t argue any further.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that Derek was setting a trap.

“Staying here any longer will only increase the risk of being discovered, so I’ll leave through the window now.”

—

—

“Al, already?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, no… I mean, it’s a relief that the rain has already stopped.”

After receiving Derek’s plan, Ellente was looking at Derek, who was tying a rope to the window frame, with a complex and subtle gaze.

It was the first time she had ever vented her deepest resentment to someone, especially to the opposite s*x, so it was hard to easily fix this awkward and hesitant attitude.

However, she couldn’t continue like this, so Ellente shook her head vigorously and said,

“The outer wall will be slippery, so be careful not to fall.”

“Don’t worry.”

– Whooosh

When the window was opened, the wind from the sky rushed into the room.

As the cold night air hit her, she suddenly realized. This man had barged in like the wind, deflecting Ellente’s dagger, and now he was about to leave like the wind again.

Well, they would meet again tomorrow morning when the plan was in full swing.

But, what was so significant about this brief farewell that the empty darkness creeping in from behind felt a bit heavier?

“Tomorrow, Count Belmiord will come to hear all the details himself. That’s when we make our move.”

“Don’t worry. I can convey my opinion to Father clearly.”

“Yes, I believe you will. Then have a good rest for the remaining night…”

Before descending the rope, Derek made eye contact with Ellente and firmly assured her.

“Don’t forget that I am on your side, Miss Ellente.”

Confirmation of the facts.

That’s all it was, but Ellente suddenly felt as if she had been stabbed in the chest with a knife.

As always, she just needed to nod her head coolly and say, “Yes,” but… it was strange that her heart felt so full with just those words.

When Ellente nodded, the man swiftly descended into the darkness of the night. Soon, he landed on the ground and melted into the darkness.

After confirming this, she untied the rope, closed the window, and walked back into the empty darkness.

Lying on the bed, she quietly looked up at the ceiling.

– “Don’t forget that I am on your side, Miss Ellente.”

The words he left behind like a gift before leaving seemed to echo in her ears.

– “Don’t forget that I am on your side, Miss Ellente.”

– “Don’t forget that I am on your side, Miss Ellente.”

Was it because of those words echoing like a reverberation?

When she suddenly came to her senses, she no longer felt the empty darkness in the room, but instead, a strange sense of fulfillment was washing over her.

—

—

Ellente thought calmly and rationally.

This is definitely dangerous.