There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

The Bloody Ball (5)

– Drip, drip.

“It’s raining.”

Diela Catherine Duplain was exhausted.

After completing the debutante procedures near the imperial city for two days, she had barely slept and had only eaten hastily.

There had been several banquet events in between, but when she dressed up beautifully and acted like a graceful lady, she often had to leave food behind.

Maintaining a beautiful appearance amidst hunger and fatigue is mentally exhausting.

She had somehow managed to get through the schedule in the capital, and now the important events were almost over.

But it wasn’t completely over yet.

Now, she had to return to the mansion and attend the ball, showcasing her splendor as the star of the event. By conversing with numerous famous guests and making her presence known, she would finally be recognized as a lady of the Duplain family.

Diela sighed deeply as she looked out the window of the carriage.

The servant pouring tea for Diela beside her was someone who had been with her for a long time, even from the annex. This person had followed Diela when she was given the mansion in Ebelstein.

“Since the ball is indoors, the rain shouldn’t matter, right? I just hope my dress doesn’t get wet during the journey…”

“Don’t worry too much, Miss Diela. The main house must have prepared for everything.”

Watching the raindrops gradually intensify, Diela took a deep breath and clenched her fists.

This arduous process was almost over. She wanted to quickly arrive at the mansion and thank her beloved family for their support.

For Diela, who rarely expressed her emotions, making such a resolution was not a common occurrence.

“Sister Aiseline, Brother Valerian, and Brother Raig have all suffered because of me…”

“…”

“If it weren’t for this opportunity, I would never be able to thank my family. So, I must seize this chance…”

Everyone knew how hard Valerian and Raig had tried to get closer to Diela, even discussing girlish preferences to win the favor of a teenage girl. It was quite a sight.

Even though she felt burdened and pushed them away, she couldn’t help but acknowledge their sincere efforts. Diela thought that maybe she should open her heart a little to her family.

In the carriage moving through the rain, Diela thought.

She hoped that this debutante would be a turning point in her harsh life.

*

– Bang!

As they entered the main hall of the mansion, numerous servants were carrying food in the dimly lit space.

“Gasp…”

The servants, who were moving trays and plates or carrying cloth and blankets, all turned their heads sharply towards Derek and Denise.

—

—

In the outer hall leading to the corridor, by the main staircase, next to various antiques displayed along the walls, and up to the entrance of the basement stairs… The sight of numerous servants simultaneously turning their heads towards Derek as if they were one body.

Feeling an inexplicable chill, Denise swallowed dryly.

She had just witnessed the butler Delon twisting into a grotesque shape. It wouldn’t be surprising if the other servants in the mansion were also not in a normal state.

At the moment of heightened tension, just as Derek was about to draw his sword.

“Excuse me.”

The servants all bowed their heads in unison and then went back to their tasks.

Maids setting up the banquet in the ballroom, butlers cleaning the marble floor, and footmen moving ropes and cloths… They all busily went about their work as if Derek and Denise’s rush meant nothing to them.

They looked like machines programmed with commands.

There was not even a hint of panic at the sight of numerous corpses rushing towards the door. Their unfocused eyes only stared straight ahead in the direction they were going.

Denise felt an inexplicable sense of fear.

Among necromancy spells, there are many that bewitch people, similar to confusion spells. Derek was well aware of this fact. The servants were probably under such a spell.

As long as the opponents didn’t attack, there wouldn’t be a big problem.

Thinking this, Derek blocked the mansion’s front door and kicked the display case next to it, toppling it towards the door.

-Crash! Bang!

The blocked front door shook with a thud. The corpses beyond the door began to struggle to break in.

Derek grabbed Denise’s forearm and ran up the main hall stairs.

In the process, they encountered numerous servants and maids, brushing past their shoulders. However, without even a hint of surprise at Derek’s urgent movements, they got up and went back to their tasks.

When they first arrived at the mansion and were guided, it wasn’t this unnatural.

Surely, the influence of necromancy was growing stronger.

“De, Derek… It seems the servants have already been devoured.”

“If we stay still, even the guests will be in danger. Let’s take everyone we can out. There’s a place we need to visit first.”

The outside was filled with hordes of corpses, but if they grouped together with those who could fight, they might be able to break through.

As Derek headed towards the room where the guests were gathered.

“Gasp…!”

Denise covered her mouth with both hands in shock.

When Derek and Denise reached the corridor, it was filled with servants dragging unconscious guests across the floor.

Most of them were wizards with significant power.

‘Poison? Or a surprise attack? They must have subdued all the wizards before anything started.’

Derek calmly assessed the situation.

There was no focus in the eyes of the servants dragging them out.

—

—

The Duplain family’s mansion is the safest of safe zones, with no external threats.

It was hard to imagine that something significant would happen in such a place. Therefore, the distinguished guests who attended were mostly relaxed and quietly enjoying the ball.

Moreover, the servants of the Duplain mansion were among the most professional and competent among the noble families’ staff.

Thus, it was inevitable to let one’s guard down. After all, they were in the safest place, supported by the most experienced personnel.

Whether it was handing over drugged cold water, pretending to follow and then using chemicals to knock someone out, or openly wielding a blunt weapon to subdue someone in one blow… there were countless opportunities. The servants had the status to approach the guests without suspicion.

“Excuse me, we are moving some luggage. Could you please make way?”

A maid, dragging the body of Baron Olden, the head of the Rodelail family, spoke to Derek. He was unconscious, foaming at the mouth.

It was a bizarre sight, but the maid, who asked Derek to step aside, did not change her expression.

The scene was so grotesque that Dennis swallowed dryly several times.

“Quickly, the guests…”

“Please, go ahead.”

Derek raised his arm to stop Dennis and then stepped back towards the wall.

The maid politely thanked him and then dragged the old gentleman towards the main hall stairs.

If not disturbed, the servants would not attack.

They were merely enchanted to carry out the orders they had received.

Derek, still pressing Dennis against the wall, waited quietly for all the servants to pass by.

The procession of servants was dragging out all sorts of distinguished guests. Watching this from the side was an incredibly strange experience.

‘Derek…!’

Dennis covered his mouth tightly and trembled like a leaf.

He clung to Derek’s collar with his other hand, his body shaking so violently that he could hardly breathe.

All sorts of distinguished guests were being dragged out in front of them. People foaming at the mouth, people with one arm bent in a strange direction, people bleeding, people with their eyes rolled back… all of them were people who would proudly puff out their chests in any other setting.

After the procession of servants passed by, Derek immediately walked further inside.

Most of the rooms along the corridor had their doors open. Most people had not expected an attack from the Duplain family’s servants.

‘Still, there might be those who sensed the danger in advance and are hiding well. We must find as many as we can.’

Derek grabbed Dennis’s arm and pulled him into a room labeled ‘Baron Olden.’

He pushed Dennis into the wardrobe.

“D-Derek… Ah!”

“This is Baron Olden’s room. You saw him being dragged out by the servants just now. Since this is the room of someone who has already been subdued, the servants will not come back here. Stay here until the situation changes.”

Identifying a safe place is crucial.

At this point, the safest place to judge is only such a place.

—

—

“Derek… what about you?”

“I will search for survivors. Outside, there are those bewitched by necromancy and corpses everywhere. If we move recklessly and face hostility, it will be dangerous. Miss Denise, please stay here.”

“I’ll go too. I can handle at least basic search magic.”

“It would be better for you to stay safe here.”

“No. Derek. Are you saying you’ll go into that pit of the dead alone? Do you think I’ll allow that?”

Denise swallowed dryly and spoke with a serious expression.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Miss Denise, your hands are trembling.”

“Eek!”

As Derek said, Denise was still trembling all over.

She had seen too many grotesque scenes of corpses twisting and contorting just moments ago. She was already completely exhausted just from trying to control her rapid breathing.

Even so, Denise couldn’t let Derek go alone.

It was obvious what Derek would argue.

I can’t leave Miss Denise alone. Miss Denise is a precious person, so please preserve your health. If Miss Denise gets hurt, it will be a big problem.

Those clichéd phrases used for noble ladies were sure to come out. Denise was ready to retort that status doesn’t matter in this situation.

However, Derek was a pragmatist.

“Miss Denise, if you follow me, you’ll only be a hindrance.”

Derek’s words were harsh but undeniably true. In such an urgent situation, there was no time to choose words carefully.

Denise’s breath caught in her throat. After actually seeing the grotesque results of necromancy, she couldn’t move properly.

If she followed Derek out of concern, it would be fortunate if she didn’t get captured and become a liability.

“This is just a guess, but it seems highly likely that Valerian is involved in this situation.”

“Va-Valerian? Isn’t he the eldest son of the Duplain family? I’ve heard he’s a kind and righteous person… Did he lead this disaster?”

“I can’t explain all the details, but…”

– ‘If he dabbles in necromancy, you must kill him.’

Derek’s mentor, Drest Wolftail, had once said.

If things go awry, Valerian might resort to necromancy.

Could it be that he has no connection to the necromancy that has engulfed this Duplain mansion? It’s too much of a coincidence to dismiss.

In some way, Valerian is surely involved in the disaster centered around this mansion.

“Once the situation is properly understood, we will know the truth. For now, prioritize survival.”

“Promise me one thing, Derek.”

—

—

Even as Denise trembled, she gritted her teeth and looked up at Derek.

“Don’t die. No matter what happens, don’t ever die.”

“Don’t worry. That’s my specialty.”

– Creak

After firmly closing the wardrobe door, Derek checked the condition of the longsword at his waist and the dagger at his thigh.

They were always well-maintained and clean.

After taking a deep breath, he wiped his face dry and walked out into the corridor.

Numerous busy servants simultaneously turned their heads to look at Derek.

“…”

From noble mtl dot com

Derek stood still, not letting his guard down.

Servants basically moved to fulfill their duties. As long as he didn’t interfere with their movements, they wouldn’t pay attention to him.

Just as the servants in the main hall hadn’t paid him any mind, the servants in this corridor would be the same.

It was at that moment.

A high-ranking maid at the front asked Derek,

“May I ask your name?”

She had a youthful appearance, but her voice was grotesquely twisted. Blood trickled from her mouth as if her throat was filled with blood.

Without showing any sign of surprise, Derek asked back,

“Why do you ask?”

“We were ordered to kill all visitors except the designated wizards.”

A chilling voice flowed from the maid’s mouth as if it were nothing.

“May I check if you are the designated wizard or a target for elimination?”

“…Derek.”

“Ah, Mr. Derek. You were the visitor dispatched from the Beltus family. I apologize for not recognizing you. The Duplain family ordered us to treat you with the respect due to nobility. I am sorry.”

“It’s fine. So, is your business finished?”

“Yes. However, Mr. Derek, you are a target for elimination.”

Before she even finished speaking, a decaying arm sprouted from the maid’s left shoulder.

– Snap! Swoosh!

As the claw flew towards Derek, he was already lowering his stance.

He had hoped he might avoid the fight by some stroke of luck, but it was a futile hope.

The moment that hope was betrayed, Derek swung his sword without a moment’s hesitation and beheaded the maid.

—

—

– Splat! Whoosh!

A fountain of blood erupted, and a procession of red blood splashed across Derek’s face.

The metallic smell of blood stung his nose, but Derek shook his head nonchalantly.

– Thud!

The maid’s headless body collapsed to the floor.

At that moment, other servants who were working near the hallway glared at Derek with chilling eyes.

Before they could even utter a strange sound, Derek’s magic arrows struck their necks.

– Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

As he fired magic indiscriminately and tried to advance down the hallway, the maid’s body, which he had cut down, moved and grabbed his ankle.

Derek quickly drew a dagger in reverse grip from his thigh and swiftly severed the maid’s arm.

And as the servants in butler uniforms rushed at him, he summoned his magic once more.

– Fwoosh!

A second-level spell, ‘Fireball,’ erupted from Derek’s hand. The direction was right at his feet.

The hallway was too narrow on both sides to use as an escape route. To create a new escape route, Derek’s fireball struck the floor.

– Boom!

A blast echoed, and the mansion shook.

Directly below this VIP hallway was the floor where the members of the Duplain family had their private rooms.

Derek intended to jump down to the lower floor and head to Valerian’s private room.

If Valerian was indeed orchestrating this situation, subduing him might bring the situation to an end.

– Whistle!

– Crash!

A cloud of dust filled the hallway, and the exposed floor began to come into view.

To head to the lower floor hallway, Derek prepared to roll. It seemed best to keep those servants far away from the room where Denise was hiding.

– Splat!

With his cloak fluttering, he leaped to the lower floor and rolled once on the ground.

He stood up, brushed off the dust covering his body, and looked around to find that it was not the lower floor hallway.

Thinking that breaking through the hallway floor would lead to the lower floor hallway might have been too simplistic.

It was an opulent, large private room. If someone used a private room of this size, they must be a direct descendant of the Duplain Grand Duke.

The room was filled with armor and training tools, and it was equipped with a study desk and a reception sofa.

On one side of the room, there was a large map encompassing the continent, along with books filled with military terminology.

—

—

It was a room that, at a glance, belonged to an extraordinary person. As Derek rose to his feet, there was a figure sitting imposingly at the personal table in the center of the room.

Even in this chaos, the fact that he was sitting quietly in his private room was already unusual.

“…What are you doing here?”

The figure sitting alone amidst numerous pieces of equipment was someone he knew.

With short-cropped hair and a robust build, eyebrows sharply raised, and dressed in noble attire adorned with all sorts of insignia.

However, there was no sign of consciousness in his vacant eyes. He didn’t even show any surprise at seeing Derek descend through the ceiling.

Derek immediately sensed that something was wrong. He gripped his sword tightly and gathered magic in his other hand.

– Clank

There was a sound of metal clashing from the lightweight armor worn over the noble attire.

As he stood up, he was indeed a man of a sturdy build.

“…Derek.”

It was Raig, Valerian’s younger brother.

The second son of the Duplain family, and one of the pillars of the family who, despite pretending otherwise, cherished Diela and Aislin dearly.

The burly man looked down at Derek with a cold gaze.

Soon, he opened his mouth and said something. His words did not take the form of a coherent language.

“Death… is coming… Death… sweet, poignant, and just glorious… the embrace of death is coming…”

– Pshk.

Dark red blood flowed from his mouth.

There was a reddish aura of a spirit in his eyes.

Derek sensed it.

Raig was not in a state to communicate.

“Derek, yes… Derek, agh… aghghgh… kuh, khuhuk…”

“…”

“Kukuk, kigegek aghgh… still not dead.”

Twisting his body and making bizarre sounds, he suddenly spoke to Derek in a chillingly normal tone. At some point, his eyes were also clearly focused on Derek.

The disparity was enough to send chills down one’s spine just by looking at it.

The massive Raig rose within the aura of dark red magic.

– Boom!

At the same time, a magic arrow flew and struck where Derek was.

A cloud of dust rose, but Derek had quickly rolled to one side to avoid it. Derek’s reaction speed was not something that could be matched by simple magic manifestation.

—

—

Derek, who was observing Raig’s condition through the rising dust, sighed deeply as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Hoo….”

No matter how he looked at it, Raig was already out of his mind.

─It was time to make a decision.