There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Power and Love (8)

“The dormitory building seems to be completed by the week after next, but the classroom building still has some time left. The progress itself is decent, but I’m not sure if we can meet the deadline.”

“Please maintain the current pace. We can consider delaying the start date of the lessons, but let’s see how the progress goes for now.”

Aiseline was sitting at her desk, twisting her hair, with a pile of ledgers, architectural plans, and reports from the workers.

The next cash procurement date, the construction status, the details of the young ladies coming for lessons, the hiring status of assistant instructors, the mansion’s finances… She was deeply immersed in all these vast contents, looking every bit the businesswoman.

“…”

Externally, Felinne played the role of the baroness, but she couldn’t even read a ledger, while Aiseline seemed to have already taken full control of the finances.

‘Why can’t this person just be the baroness?’

Felinne was sweating in a corner of the office, dressed in an outfit that didn’t suit her.

Despite the hot weather, Aiseline was completely absorbed in the work of the training center, going back and forth between the site and the office without a care.

“Oh, oh my… Felinne. I’m sorry. As you can see, the Ravenclaw Barony is going through a major transition. I haven’t been able to properly entertain our guest.”

“Oh, no. Technically, I’m the hostess, and Miss Aiseline is the guest.”

“Oh, right… I’m sorry. When I get too immersed in work, I sometimes lose track of things…”

This noble girl, who was practically the pillar of the Duplain Duchy, was buried in the ledgers of this remote barony for reasons unknown, but Felinne assumed Derrick had some purpose.

“As I mentioned, Miss Felinne, you need to play the role of the guest at the opening of the training center. As the baroness, you will be treated with utmost respect.”

“…But where is Derrick?”

“Mr. Derrick is currently at the Count of Belmiord’s estate on urgent business. He said he would return soon after finishing his work, so we need to wrap up the important matters before then.”

“Bel… Belmiord’s estate?”

It wasn’t exactly close, so Felinne couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion at the sudden visit.

“I heard that Lady Ellente is in great danger… I’m really worried. They say necromancy is involved, which makes it even more frightening.”

Aiseline had heard the details of the Belmiord estate and wrote a letter as Derrick requested.

She wrote content that would help defend Ellente. Derrick took the letter and returned to the Belmiord estate, so the major matters would be settled soon.

“Why is Derrick… helping with the affairs of the Count of Belmiord?”

“Well, it’s partly due to some coincidences… Also, the previous heir, Mr. Linus, had asked Derrick for a favor.”

The previous heir, Linus, had asked Derrick to support Ellente during her crisis in exchange for helping Derrick obtain the baron title.

So it was only natural for Derrick to actively support Ellente, though there were some unsatisfactory aspects.

‘Come to think of it, why did Mr. Linus give up the heir position of the Belmiord estate?’

—

—

‘And how did you predict that Lady Ellente would fall into such a crisis?’

‘It’s also strange that you specifically asked Mr. Derek for help. If you needed a noble to support you, there are many others you could have asked…’

The actions of that young man named Linus, who seems to have a free spirit, are too difficult to understand at first glance.

Anyway, since he was one of the most decisive people in helping Derek get the baron title, Derek didn’t seem to have any big questions.

‘I hope everything ends well without any major issues.’

Thinking so, Aiseline began to move her quill again.

As Pelline watched from the corner of the office, she wondered if that girl was really the flower of the Duplain duchy.

When you look at her quietly, she just looks like a staff member of the Ravenclaw barony.

*

The next day, the Margrave of Belmiord gathered all the high-ranking vassals and direct blood relatives in the main hall of the mansion.

Behind the butler and the head maid, several key servants stood in line with their heads bowed, and from the grand steward, the mercenary commander, the treasurer, the legal officer, the intelligence officer, to the magic advisor… the seasoned vassals who were like the arms and legs of the Margrave of Belmiord were seated.

They were all busy people, but the reason for forcibly gathering them in one place was obvious.

It was to decide Ellente’s treatment today and announce the result to the entire family.

Depending on how the Margrave of Belmiord, her father, handled Ellente, who was accused of dabbling in necromancy, the direction of this family would be greatly shaken.

– Creak

– Thud, thud.

The main door opened, and the Margrave of Belmiord’s wife, Lienclof, walked in.

The middle-aged woman, whose hair was starting to turn gray, asked the Margrave with a heavy expression.

“Why… did you gather the vassals like this…?”

“…”

“Have you… made a decision…?”

Countess Lienclof was a submissive and gentle person. She rarely expressed any disagreement with the Margrave of Belmiord’s educational policies or family management direction.

This time, too, Lienclof just quietly lowered her gaze with a dark expression.

Seeing that, the Margrave of Belmiord couldn’t help but feel a little heartache, but he didn’t show it.

He just spoke in a heavy voice, clenching his mouth.

“Go inside.”

When Countess Lienclof went and sat in the upper seat, the youngest son, Leonard, also followed in.

Leonard also had an endlessly dark and heavy face. After greeting politely, he went and sat in a corner.

When almost everyone who should be there had arrived, the key figure of this gathering finally appeared.

She appeared, escorted by her attendants, with her red hair flowing down and her back straight like a noble rose.

—

—

Without changing her expression, Ellente stood right in front of the vassals. Regardless of the situation, everyone sitting here thought the same thing. She is truly a person who fits the expression “beautiful.”

“From early in the morning, everyone has gathered busily. Being confined in a room for a long time is so tiring… I’m almost glad about the current situation.”

Before anyone could say anything, Ellente spoke to the gathered people in a gentle voice.

“I haven’t heard anything, but it doesn’t seem like you all gathered to apologize for any misunderstandings… Is it safe to assume you’ve gathered to condemn me?”

“That depends on you, Ellente.”

The Duke of Belmiord, who was sitting at the highest seat, spoke.

He placed all the materials that the vassals had investigated on the table and continued the conversation in a heavy and dull voice.

“I am in a position where I must judge your treatment, Ellente.”

“…”

“And, through the investigation over the past week, many things have come out of your room. Not only traces of necromancy magic left in the basement that had been neglected for many years, but also your belongings found in that basement, such as jewelry and magical tools, were abundant.”

“Oh my, is that so.”

Ellente still appeared relaxed.

Leonard, seeing Ellente’s appearance, rested his chin for a moment. He had been observing Ellente closely for the past few days and had noticed that she was mentally cornered.

However, the Ellente who appeared here seemed to have regained her relaxed atmosphere.

‘What is this…?’

Leonard had thoroughly isolated her in the mansion.

He had bribed some servants to spread false rumors, manipulated letters and the basement, and if there was anyone who could become her ally, he had taken the initiative to recruit them first.

The biggest variable was Derek, who suddenly visited the Belmiord mansion in the middle, but even he cooperated with Leonard, leaving no more variables.

However, now she seemed as if someone was mentally supporting her.

Her haggard eyes had become clear, and her disheveled hair was neatly arranged again… She had returned to being the girl who could be called the flower of Belmiord.

“And, it was also discovered that you sent a letter to Valerian of the Duke of Duplain.”

“I see.”

Ellente walked right into the middle of the main hall, where the vassals were sitting, letting her beautiful dress trail behind her, and smiled brightly.

Leonard couldn’t figure out the source of this constant sense of incongruity.

According to Leonard’s expectations, by now, Ellente should have swallowed dryly at least once.

And she should be desperately trying to prove her innocence by denying the accusations that the Duke of Belmiord was reciting.

However, Ellente was just nodding her head to the Duke of Belmiord’s words.

She was so relaxed that it seemed almost inappropriate.

As Leonard narrowed his eyes, he suddenly met Ellente’s gaze.

Ellente, who should have been raising her voice to refute something, was still keeping her mouth shut. She just met Leonard’s gaze and then lightly smiled.

—

—

‘What is this? What is she trying to do?’

It was at that moment when Leonard was monologuing.

“──Unfortunately, it seems everything has been exposed.”

With that, her words dropped and spread in the main hall, which had been as quiet as a clear mirror.

It was a reaction that no one had expected.

Whether it was the Duke of Belmiord, the Countess, Leonard, or any other high-ranking vassal… everyone thought that Ellente would try to prove her innocence by any means necessary.

Many had even prepared counterarguments to her expected rebuttals.

Nevertheless, Ellente did not say a single word in her defense.

“What, what do you mean… Lady Ellente!”

“No, Lady Ellente…! Is that true?”

The murmuring began to spread among the crowd.

At Ellente’s unexpected bombshell declaration, everyone present could only widen their eyes in shock.

– Bang!

However, the scene had to quiet down again as the Duke of Belmiord slammed the desk.

The most authoritative figure in the room, the one who held the power to judge everyone’s fate, was about to speak.

“Ellen…te.”

His expression, which always showed a strong disposition, seemed to be somewhere between anger, sorrow, and doubt.

No words could represent his feelings. In his endlessly complicated heart, the Duke of Belmiord could only manage to speak with difficulty.

“What… what do you mean, Ellente… that you have been researching necromancy?”

“Father. You, who know me better than anyone, will understand me, won’t you?”

Finally, Ellente spoke with a gentle smile.

“When walking the path of power, one needs a weapon that no one else can obtain… a weapon solely for oneself. A dagger hidden in the heart, ready to be thrust at the opponent when least expected. For me, that blade was necromancy.”

“Ellente!”

“But now that it has come to this, I must tell you. Yes… I wielded necromancy as my weapon and intended to use it as the foundation of my power. No matter how cursed and forbidden it may be, depending on how it is used, it can become a sword to cut down enemies.”

She then let her hair down and laughed even louder, raising the corners of her mouth.

Her appearance began to possess a certain eeriness beyond beauty.

“Carving corpses, painting with blood, and kneading flesh may seem horrifying at first. But human life is fleeting, and if it can be used for a greater cause, it is a worthwhile endeavor. Please, understand my philosophy… Father.”

The high-ranking vassals watching Ellente began to break out in a cold sweat.

Even Briana and Milton, who still had a shred of loyalty to her, began to swallow dryly.

“A… a witch…”

—

—

A mercenary murmured.

It was a blasphemous remark, but no one could refute it.

With those words, no more words flowed from the crowd.

A tension as if standing on the edge of a knife. The retainers’ throats were trembling.

The most bewildered among them was… none other than Leonard.

Because he knew.

Elenete had never studied necromancy. All of this was orchestrated by Leonard, and she was merely falsely accused.

From noble mtl dot com

Nevertheless, why is she admitting to all these crimes?

Leonard had anticipated every move Elenete might make as he came to this place.

He had calculated every scenario two, three, ten times over, and had prepared for every possible outcome from here on out… but he had not anticipated this situation.

He couldn’t see. He couldn’t see anything.

He couldn’t understand the intention behind Elenete’s seemingly warm smile.

It felt as if his entire body was being dragged into a place filled with unknown variables, not the board he had designed.

– ‘Why do you try to fight on the battlefield created by the opponent? Let’s redraw the board where we are the masters.’

The words Derek had said while wiping the rainwater in the dark room floated in her mind.

Grasping the brilliant idea the man had given her, she once again smiled the smile of a madman.

“Everyone, your expressions don’t look good. But it’s not good to see me as such a madman. Handling corpses and dealing with human lives is not just the domain of necromancy. Don’t forget the essence of humans who wage wars and bleed at every opportunity. If you forget that humans have progressed through blood, you will only regress forever.”

“Elenete! You… you…!”

“Father! I’ve told you since I was young! I will use any means and methods to seize power!”

Elenete whispered in a more wistful voice.

“This is my means and method.”

A moment of silence.

The Marquis of Belmiord took a few steps back and then collapsed into a chair.

“Elenete… I trusted you…”

“Oh dear… In the end, even Father cannot understand me…”

The last words of the Marquis of Belmiord.

It meant that even her last ally, the Marquis, had abandoned her.

That was the signal.

With the Marquis, her greatest ally, turning his back, all the retainers of the family completely lost their trust in her.

Her confession was proof that she had betrayed the trust of all the retainers who had followed her.

—

—

“How… how could you…! I trusted and followed you…!”

“She’s a witch…! A witch who seeks curses, groping through blood and corpses…!”

“We cannot repeat the tragedy of Duplain…! Right now…! By any means necessary, you must cut off this root of disaster!”

“I’ve served Lady Ellente for over ten years… How could it end like this…!”

“I’ve vaguely known for a long time. Someone who only talks about power, someone who would cross the line someday…!”

“I knew too…! But I didn’t expect it to be this bad…!”

And then, the arrows of criticism pour down.

The loyalists who had vowed to believe and follow Ellente for their entire lives, their disappointed criticisms fly towards her.

Ellente closes her eyes gently, lifts the corners of her mouth, and raises her head.

The eyes of admiration and respect that were always directed at her, now turned into lights of criticism and hatred, she entrusts her whole body to the current situation.

In the midst of it, the girl spreads her chest wider and soliloquizes.

‘So, this is what it means to be at the bottom.’

This pit of despair and frustration is something one must experience at least once to fly high.

The world is full of people struggling in deep despair.

There is a girl whose half of her family was devoured by necromancy overnight, and a boy who crawled up from the bottom of the slums since birth.

Compared to that, how sweet and comfortable is this pit of fire.

If one cannot endure this temporary pain, how can they talk about great ambitions?

Ellente smiled even brighter.

And then, she was staring straight into Leonard’s eyes.

*

– Thud, thud.

Leonard was striding down the corridor in a hurry.

At first glance, he had the elegant appearance befitting the young master of the Belmiard family, but his steps were twice as fast as usual.

‘What is this? What on earth is happening?’

Things are spiraling out of Leonard’s control.

The situation itself seems favorable to Leonard. As planned, Ellente is falsely accused of researching necromancy, abandoned by all her retainers, and falling into ruin.

After the meeting in the main hall, the despairing Marquis of Belmiard left the scene first.

After that, the retainers raised their voices in discussion about what to do with Ellente, and standing quietly among them, Ellente looked like a sinner.

All of this is according to Leonard’s plan.

However, Ellente’s behavior is completely unexpected. There is certainly something left in her scheme.

—

—

However, Leonard still couldn’t see her scheme. This was clearly a bad sign.

He had to figure out what she was aiming for. This was no time to be intoxicated by victory.

So, Leonard quickly headed to the successor’s private room.

It was a grand room that Ellente had used until now, and Leonard might use in the future.

In the basement connected to that room, Leonard had facilities set up by bribing a servant.

The laboratory, stained with corpses and blood. The servant who helped Leonard set up this lab was already mixed in with the pile of corpses in the basement. He was a man who left no loose ends.

‘There might still be something I haven’t discovered yet. I need to thoroughly inspect every place that might have been influenced by Sister Ellente, starting with the private room.’

He must not let his guard down. Leonard gritted his teeth and pulled the secret handle behind the bookshelf in the private room to open the door.

– Srrrrng

The heavy secret door opened, and he strode down the stairs leading to the basement.

As he racked his brain, trying to anticipate what Ellente might do, everything remained unknown. What could she possibly do in this situation?

The girl who only knew how to command her retainers, what could she do when all the retainers had turned their backs on her? There was really nothing she could do, wasn’t there?

This was not the battlefield Leonard had designed.

As he descended to the end of the stairs, the sight of the basement, still lingering with the smell of blood, came into view.

Just as he was about to open the wooden door and step inside.

– Creak

“…?!”

“Oh.”

There was a guest.

In the darkness of the basement.

A pair of red eyes glinted through the white hair, briefly looking at Leonard.

The man, draped in a cloak, adjusted the sleeves of his leather tunic and sat in a chair, polishing his sword.

The man’s sword gleamed blue, reflecting the light coming from behind Leonard.

“What the…”

“Young Master Leonard.”

“Baron Ravenclaw… what are you doing here…?”

“Who knows.”

Leonard felt an ominous sensation and instinctively took a step back.

The man, crouched and merely polishing his sword, looked like a beast in front of its prey.

—

—

─Then, who is the prey?

The moment Leonard instinctively questioned himself, Derek stood up.

Even though it was the warm late spring season, it felt as if a cold chill was filling the basement.