There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

The Bloody Ball (2)

Derek is an outsider.

When he came to his senses, he had been thrown into a world where he had no connections, and he had to struggle his whole life, wandering the slums to make ends meet.

He had formed quite a few attachments, but not many people stayed by his side for long. Life’s journey branches out in various ways, and it’s rare for paths to overlap for an extended period.

If asked what the most important element in his life was, he would answer achievement.

Valerian is the eldest son of the Duplain family.

Born of noble blood, he received everyone’s expectations and became an excellent and virtuous person, living up to those expectations.

He enjoyed many things in a wealthy environment without lacking anything and loved his family, who had always been with him, more than anyone else.

If asked what the most important element in his life was, he would answer without hesitation, family.

The two men had different origins, different environments, different values, and different life goals.

─So, their endings were bound to be different as well.

On his journey to the north, Drest Wolftail stared blankly at the vast coastal area.

Life’s journey unfolds differently for each person, but the vast open sea without a route can sometimes make one feel lost.

It was natural to lose one’s way on it from time to time.

—

*

The debut of a young lady from a grand family like the Duplaines into high society is not just splendid, but magnificent.

The balls held at the family’s mansion were often on a scale beyond what one could generally imagine.

Not only the grand mansion itself, but also the spires in all directions of the mansion, and all kinds of annexes were to be mobilized as spaces for the event.

The attendees were all extraordinary.

First of all, the heads of each family attended from the lower nobility. It was a great discourtesy for a lesser family to send a representative to a high-ranking noble’s social event like that of the Duplaines.

There were cases where representatives were sent due to military or imperial duties, but… in fact, if they could attend, it was better for the heads to attend in person.

Such balls were not held frequently, so all kinds of celebrities from various parts of the empire gathered.

Even if they couldn’t establish special connections, it was an opportunity to at least make their faces known.

Just looking at the known visitors was dazzling to the point of being blinding.

From the Count of Belmiord, where the Margrave of Belmiord was the head, the most prestigious successor, Lady Elente, was to attend as a representative.

It was a choice befitting the Margrave of Belmiord, who wanted to send Elente to such a precious occasion.

And there were rumors that Lady Drenis was also sent directly from the Beltus family.

In fact, Derek was supposed to attend as a representative, but Drenis rushed in and persuaded the Duke to let her accompany him.

– Clop, clop.

In the end, Drenis was riding in this carriage heading to the Duplaine mansion.

“There are rumors that the Duplaine family is eyeing you, and you want to send yourself into such a tiger’s den? Derek. I’ll attend myself, you just assist me.”

In fact, if she was so worried, she could just not send Derek, but considering Derek’s connections, it was not something she could completely block.

He was a person treated as a VIP by the Duplaine family and was also considered to owe a great debt by the Belmiord family.

Anyway, his influence could not be ignored. It was unknown how it would all play out later.

Therefore, Lady Drenis allowed Derek to attend on the condition that he would assist her.

“Well, I’ve received a lot from the Duplaine family… it would be good to show some sincerity on such an occasion.”

Derek said with an indifferent expression.

Anyway, going to the Duplaine family meant seeing many familiar faces.

“I heard that many VIPs are attending. I’ve only met nobles from the southwestern part of the empire, so I don’t know what nobles from other places are like.”

“I’m not much different. There aren’t many families as influential as those in the southwest. Maybe there are more nobles from the central capital…”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s not common for three noble families to be in a power struggle in one region. From what I’ve heard about other regions, it’s often the case that one powerful family dominates.”

Drenis brushed her silver-gray hair and began to braid it stitch by stitch.

She seemed to be bored from the long journey. In the end, all she could do was chat.

—

From noble mtl dot com

“Well, it’s impossible to memorize the list of countless attendees. You only need to remember the prominent figures. It seems that a man named Lord Roilak from the North is coming… and from the East, Lady Freya from the Elvester Count’s family is attending.”

“…The Elvester Count’s family?”

“Yes. Why? Do you know them? It’s unlikely that you would know a noble living on the opposite end of the continent…”

In fact, Derek had rarely ventured out of the southwestern part of this continent.

However, the Elvester Count’s family was a name he had heard before. It had been quite some time since then.

– ‘A letter has arrived from the Elvester Margrave. They have requested to appoint me as a private tutor in their county.’

“…It is the family where my mentor resides.”

“Mentor? Derek’s mentor? Are you talking about Drest Wolftail?”

“No. Before that, there was a mentor who helped me awaken to magic.”

“Really? Derek’s past seems to keep revealing more and more layers.”

There was a fallen noble named Katia Flameheart.

She had once stayed in Ebelstein and watched over Derek’s magic, and after a few years, she left for the Elvester family.

If it was Lady Freya from the Elvester family, she was undoubtedly Katia Flameheart’s disciple.

“She is someone who shares the same mentor as I do. I would like to meet her once.”

“Lady Freya? She is indeed known as a kind person in the eastern part of the empire… but I haven’t met her personally, so I don’t know for sure. Events like Lady Diela’s debut in the social circle are not common.”

A similar-sized ball was held during Lady Aiseline’s debut, but it seemed she did not attend that time.

“In a way, she is like a senior disciple to Derek? Although you haven’t seen her face.”

“That’s right. If she has received Katia’s teachings for a long time, she is likely to be quite skilled.”

“I haven’t heard much about her magical prowess…”

Occasionally, letters from Katia would arrive from the Elvester Count’s family.

Though they had become less frequent recently, they still exchanged updates about once a year. The letters were full of praise for Lady Freya, so she didn’t seem like a bad person.

Other than that, there were prominent figures like Lord Melverot’s uncle, Lord Robenkheim from the North, Lady Adelen representing Lord Delos from the South, and from the royal family, Chancellor Poloncourt and Chief Magic Advisor Kohella.

Each of them was a giant figure commanding hundreds or thousands of people.

Most of them had come as representatives, but even with just those gathered, they could decide the major directions of the nation.

“Miss Ellente is also at the ball, and I should greet Miss Aiseline separately. I can’t greet Grand Duke Duplain directly… but if I get the chance, I should also greet Lady Diela, the star of the event.”

“…”

“I should also make an appearance to thank Butler Delon and Head Maid Katarina, who have helped me… It would be nice if I could ask Lady Freya about Katia’s well-being, but since I don’t know her personally, I can’t approach her…”

“Derek… from what you’re saying, you already sound like a noble.”

“…Well, there’s no benefit in overstepping my bounds.”

“No, it seems like you have a wider network than most lower nobles.”

—

—

Denise crossed her arms and grumbled.

Certainly, Derek had made many acquaintances while being active in the noble circles of Ebelstein.

He had built camaraderie with members of the Veldern Mercenary Corps and other mercenaries in the tavern district… Even the lower nobles of Ebelstein might be envious of Derek’s connections.

Moreover, his magical skills had reached a considerable level.

Although it wasn’t widely known yet, Derek had already surpassed the level of a 3-star mage. Considering his age, even high-ranking nobles were wary of him. Without a large family backing him, he was at a stage where he really had to worry about his personal safety.

“With your magical skills and how naturally you blend into the noble circles… If you achieve some merits later, you might even receive a title.”

“Well… It’s not something to say in front of a noble, but I’ve heard that high-ranking nobles are so conservative and exclusive that even the emperor is quite stingy about granting new titles.”

“Well, it’s a well-known fact that Emperor Guttrel is always mindful of the high-ranking nobles… But you never know.”

Derek, resting his chin on his hand, pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Well, being a noble doesn’t really suit me.”

“I think so too.”

For some reason, Denise burst into laughter.

Although she didn’t particularly enjoy social activities, it was the first time she was attending an official event with Derek.

For some unknown reason, she was in high spirits, exhaling puffs of air. Her lack of decorum was quite different from her usual self.

Derek looked at Denise and smiled awkwardly.

*

“It’s been a while, Miss Katarina.”

As Derek handed over the luggage and greeted her, the head maid Katarina bowed her head and accepted it.

In fact, she wasn’t someone who would bow to a commoner-born mercenary, but at least in the Duplain household, Derek was treated almost like a lower noble.

Realizing this, Denise, who had gotten off the carriage with Derek, was surprised.

“The head maid of the Duplain household is showing you respect? You really have some reputation, don’t you?”

The head maid of this mansion wasn’t allowed to bow easily. She was one of the faces representing the mansion.

“It’s a great honor to have the young lady of the Beltus family visit us. His Grace the Duke of Duplain is receiving guests in his office. It would be good to visit and greet him during the ball, but it’s quite crowded now, so I recommend visiting after the banquet.”

“Yes, thank you. It seems the ball hasn’t started yet. Will you prepare a room for us?”

“Yes. Please rest comfortably in the lounge area of the west wing. We will provide a separate room, so please follow the guidance of the staff in the west wing.”

The main gate of the Duplain mansion was bustling with a parade of luxurious and grand carriages.

Each family sent their most splendid carriages, trying not to be outdone, as if they were showing off their attire to each other.

Derek quietly observed the scene, nodded, and then entered the Duplain mansion, as if being drawn in.

Although he was familiar with the mansion’s layout, it felt somewhat unfamiliar today.