There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Siern (2)

It has been quite some time since Aisellin left for the Duke of Rochester’s territory in the north.

Her determined message of “I’ll go earn money,” and her departure with Derek was so solemn… Diela couldn’t even think of stopping her.

“That’s roughly how it went, brother.”

The construction of the Duplain Duke’s mansion, which had been patched up with tents here and there, was somewhat completed, and the urgent matters were roughly settled, allowing the ducal family to regain its form.

Miriela had become completely mentally unstable and had to be sent to her family for recuperation, and the other retainers were in no condition to return to their duties either.

Although there was nothing but bad news, there was at least one piece of good news recently.

“Is that so…”

The second son of the Duplain Duke, Raig, who had been in a coma, had woken up.

Raig, who had been almost in a near-death state after being attacked by necromancy and subdued by Derek.

—

—

The short hair had grown a bit longer, and along with the rugged beard, the once clear eyes were no longer the same.

Still, his burly physique remained unchanged, and standing before him, one could still feel a peculiar sense of intimidation.

“Father and brother… they ended up like that… Aisellin went north to earn money… Damn… Damn…!”

Even amidst the pain surging through his body, Raig raised his upper body from the sickbed with a miserable expression.

“You must have had a hard time while I was lying in this sickbed, Diela. Forgive this useless me.”

“I’m fine. I just went around bowing my head here and there. If anyone had a hard time, it was Sister Aisellin…”

“Aisellin… Yes, she must have had a hard time too. She must have run around with her feet on fire, trying to somehow hold onto this collapsing family and keep it going. Ugh…”

Raig held back his tears and took a deep breath.

“A girl who had lived her whole life under the care of a noble family, thrown into such a harsh reality… I can’t even imagine how despondent and difficult it must have been for her… And I, not knowing any of this, just lay in bed…”

The image of Aisellin, sweating from laboring in the fields and looking up at the bright blue sky with a satisfied expression, came to mind.

Diela, quietly watching Raig who was endlessly blaming himself, averted her gaze awkwardly.

It was true that Aisellin had a hard time, but from what Diela saw, there was something oddly fitting about it.

It sounds strange, but… Aisellin seemed to have a knack for being a fallen noblewoman.

Even so, it felt a bit off to say not to worry because she was fine… Diela had to choose her words carefully.

“Forgive this unworthy second son! Unable to set my brother straight, I was swept away and fell for necromancy… I lost consciousness after being subdued, and made my siblings suffer during the most critical time…!”

“It’s okay. Focus on recovering your body, brother. Anyway, the Duplain family is in a situation where every single person is needed.”

Raig was the only son among the direct descendants of the deceased Duke Duplain.

Since it was most likely that Raig would inherit the position of head of the family, his recovery had to be the priority.

However, Raig, with his eyes losing their light, bowed his head and said,

“How can I dare to call myself the master of the Duplain mansion… Who would follow this man who lost consciousness at the most crucial time?”

“…”

It would be polite to strongly deny those words, but in reality, while Raig was lying down, the other retainers were thinking and acting with Diela or Aisellin as the focal point.

Raig himself had lost confidence, so it was uncertain whether he had the spirit left to take the lead and advance to the forefront of the family.

From noble mtl dot com

The situation was becoming increasingly difficult. Diela sighed deeply.

‘The Duplain family really needs Sister Aisellin…’

It had only been a few weeks since Aisellin left for the north, but she could only hope she would return soon.

– Creak

At that moment.

In the somewhat gloomy atmosphere, the head maid Katarina entered, holding a letter.

When Diela looked at her, Katarina bowed her head deeply and said,

—

—

“A letter has arrived from the Duchy of Rochester in the North.”

It was unexpected news.

*

The next day, on his way back to the spire after finishing his meal, Siern ran into Derek.

Derek, who had quickly donned his neatly maintained mercenary attire, was walking down the opposite side of the corridor, his cloak fluttering.

As always, he looked imposing, but upon closer inspection, he was wrapped in bandages here and there. All of it was Siern’s doing.

“Ugh…”

Siern, who was walking with the help of the servants, flinched and took a step back.

It had only been a day since the commotion in the mansion’s garden.

Although he had already been informed of Derek’s intentions, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

The image of Derek striding through the snowy field with a chilling gleam in his eyes remained like a nightmare.

To Siern, Derek was a difficult and frightening figure.

“…”

Derek, who had walked right up to Siern, slightly bowed his head in a silent greeting.

Siern flinched and took a step back, but Derek didn’t show any other signs.

“D-D-Derek… was it?”

“I apologize for yesterday. Miss Aislin has explained the circumstances, so I won’t make any further excuses.”

Siern felt dizzy.

The image of a killing machine that hunted demons was gone, and in its place stood a sturdy man who politely observed the manners of a noble.

It was hard to believe they were the same person, so much so that Siern had to rub his eyes several times to make sure.

“You have every right to be upset. But please understand that it was necessary.”

“N-No… it’s not that… it’s not that…”

Derek, as if to show he was listening, quietly observed Siern’s face.

Even that made Siern feel suffocated.

In any case, Siern held the initiative in the conversation. No matter how scary and intimidating Derek was, a commoner was still a commoner.

He couldn’t treat the Duke’s daughter recklessly, so if Siern wanted to scold him, he could scold him, and if he wanted to praise him, he could praise him.

However, Siern couldn’t act rashly. He looked like prey standing before a predator.

“…”

Siern took a moment to catch his breath and observed Derek. Then, he noticed the various wounds on Derek’s body again.

They were the marks of enduring all the magic to bring Siern back to his senses. The head maid had treated them to some extent, but it seemed the wounds couldn’t heal completely in a short time.

—

—

Seeing those traces, Sierne’s heart was not at ease either.

“Mi, mi…”

“…?”

“Sorry… I think… but also not…”

“…”

Derek looked at Sierne with a bewildered expression.

“If it’s too hard, you don’t have to apologize. I don’t really care.”

“…Sorry.”

“…”

“You know well enough, I can’t even pretend to be human. Even now, I might try to take your life again someday.”

Sierne spoke as she stared at the floor.

“If you want to teach me, you have to be stronger than me. So I don’t accept just anyone as a teacher.”

– ‘I heard you were going to teach me magic.’

– ‘Then you must be stronger than me?’

Derek suddenly remembered the day he first took the northern carriage to the Rochester estate, when Sierne had thrown a monster corpse at him and charged.

Having seen Sierne lose her sanity once, Derek now knew. At that time, Sierne was maintaining her sanity.

Nevertheless, Sierne charged at Derek.

For no reason, she charged at the person who came as a teacher, scared them, and drove them away.

The intention behind that action might not have been the arrogance of a childish noble lady, but something else.

It was something she had realized through countless experiences. If an ambiguous person tried to teach her, their hands would inevitably be stained with blood.

So, she was driving them away with threats at the entrance of the estate.

Perhaps that was the conclusion she reached after resisting her nature in her own way. It was obvious that explaining it in words wouldn’t make sense.

This girl, who sat alone at the top of the spire and quietly looked down at the snow-covered wilderness, knew no other way.

This wilderness was a place ruled by the laws of the wild, where only the logic of power prevailed.

Therefore, Derek looked straight down with unwavering eyes and spoke. What she needed was certainty, so he didn’t show any hesitation.

“Don’t worry. I am stronger than Miss Sierne.”

“For now, yes.”

Sierne also looked straight up at Derek. The meaning behind that short answer was deeper than expected.

The traces of Noir flowing through Sierne’s blood made it impossible to know what she would become.

Derek was born with a ridiculous level of magical talent, blessed by the heavens, but it was impossible to know if it would surpass the potential of the great monster Noir, who had ravaged the north.

—

—

One day, if Sierne, running at full speed, overtakes Derek and gets his blood on her hands… it will leave a much bigger scar on her heart than now.

The girl was afraid of that.

What she feared was not the world, nor some indescribable great evil. It was herself.

Therefore, Derek lowered his posture and made eye contact… and reassured her more firmly.

“At any time, Miss Sierne can never be stronger than me. So don’t worry about useless things.”

It was a baseless assertion, but the light in Derek’s eyes was unwavering.

“Who worries about becoming muscular all over before even starting to exercise? Please face reality.”

“…I feel bad somehow.”

“It’s not much different from worrying about becoming a beauty before buying cosmetics, or becoming a great wizard before learning magic. Honestly, isn’t it a bit funny?”

“Eek! You’re saying this to make me feel bad!”

“All learning starts with objectifying oneself. I’m just trying to help you do that.”

Derek’s words were sharp, but he always spoke only what he believed to be true.

That was one of the reasons why Derek was trusted by high-ranking nobles. He never spoke empty words.

“If you’re afraid of killing me, it’s a useless worry, so put it aside. I will always be stronger than Miss Sierne.”

At Derek’s reaffirmation, Sierne was at a loss for words.

Derek was such a person.

Feeling that fact keenly, Sierne had no choice but to relax and nod with a helpless expression.

It was truly a mysterious thing.

“Then, I will assume that we will start training from tomorrow.”

“Well… I understand that… but is there anything I need to prepare?”

A vast plan unfolded above Derek’s head.

As for the intensity of the training… there was no appropriate expression to describe it. Only those who had experienced it would know.

If Dielana, Elente, or Drnis were there, they could have given a hint… but sadly, this was the Rochester estate, stuck in the northern frontier.

“There’s nothing in particular. Don’t worry.”

Seeing Derek’s trustworthy eyes shining, Miss Sierne answered confidently.

“Got it!”

That was her last will.

*

‘Huh… why do I have goosebumps…’

Lady Elente, who had received the letter from a servant, suddenly shivered as goosebumps ran up her back. Her glossy red hair also shook along with it.

—

—

It must be because she saw Derek’s name written in the letter.

Although Lady Ellente fully acknowledged the person named Derek, she still felt a chill down her spine whenever she recalled the times she had lessons with him.

Regardless of Derek being a reliable person, his curriculum had the power to push people to their limits. Even the extraordinary Ellente couldn’t help but turn pale when subjected to Derek’s teachings.

“Are you cold? Should I instruct the maids to add more firewood?”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Ellente waved off the concerned maid and focused her attention back on the letter.

Since the letter came from the Duchy of Rochester in the north, Ellente wondered if it was sent by Derek. She had heard that he had gone to the north.

However, unexpectedly, the sender was Lord Melverot, the master of the Duchy of Rochester.

It was rare to receive a letter directly from one of the greatest wizards of this era.

‘They say that 6-star wizards are all unpredictable, and it seems to be true.’

Drest, the wanderer of the southwestern continent.

Melverot, the guardian of the northern continent.

Kohella, the magical advisor of the central continent.

Each of them had strong and unique personalities, making them difficult to control, but it was still beneficial to maintain connections with them if possible.

So, thinking to be as polite as possible, she opened the letter and found unexpected content.

“…”

After reading the entire letter, Ellente placed it down and fell into deep thought, resting her chin on her hand.

The letter suggested granting Derek an estate with a vineyard in the Rodelen region and bestowing upon him the title of baron.

In fact, conferring a title was a matter for high-ranking nobles to decide, but the procedure was not easy.

Although the scale was small, the Rodelen estate was still land belonging to the southwestern continent.

Before persuading the nobles of the central continent and the imperial family to grant Derek the title, she first had to ask for the consent of the powerful nobles in the southwest who would share borders with the estate.

And the influential figures in the southwest were already determined: Duplain, Belmiod, and Beltus.

Recently, Duplain’s power had significantly declined, making them less relevant.

Even if they wanted to oppose, they likely lacked the means, and considering the personalities of the people from Duplain, there didn’t seem to be anyone who would particularly oppose granting Derek the title.

Belmiod also posed no significant problem.

The Margrave of Belmiod had already delegated most of his authority to Ellente and was nurturing her administrative abilities. She could make decisions on such matters herself.

Moreover, the Margrave of Belmiod also highly valued Derek’s abilities, so even if the decision-making power shifted to him, the conclusion would likely remain unchanged.

‘Lord Melverot might be surprised at how smoothly things are going.’

Derek’s disciples were already embedded throughout the southwestern continent.

While he might have thought of them as just good connections when teaching, if he truly started stepping into the aristocratic world, the difference would be keenly felt.

—

—

However, what Lady Ellente was worried about was the Beltus family.

“Hmm…”

The Grand Duke of Beltus is very cautious and wary of other nobles.

No matter how small and remote the land may be, he would be reluctant to allow a new power to take root in the southwest.

Still, there is a positive aspect, which is that Lady Denice, a disciple of Derek, is in the Beltus family.

If she steps forward to persuade the Grand Duke, the situation might change… but the problem is that, unlike Aiselin or Ellente, her position within her family is not that significant.

‘Lady Denice is a wise person, so she will express her opinion in some way…’

Anyway, the Beltus side is a problem that Ellente cannot solve. She can only hope for their support.

Ellente pushed the letter into the drawer.

“Breakfast time is approaching. Shall I tell the servants to prepare the meal?”

“No, I want to go out early today. I want to check the situation at the Rozea Salon.”

“Understood.”

Derek has left for the north, Aiselin is absent, Duplain is staggering, and the labyrinth of the White Zone is in turmoil.

Still, the world goes on. The situation is always changing, and those who adapt to it survive.

The social circles of Ebelstein also continued to return to their cold, icy state as if nothing had happened. If one falls behind there, as a noble lady, there would be no place to stand.

Ellente thought as she adjusted her clothes.

‘By the way, is Derek really teaching that rumored Lady Siern?’

Considering there has been no bad news, he might have really tamed that madwoman, Lady Siern.

If so, does that mean she will debut in the social circles? Ellente couldn’t imagine such a scene.

However, there were widespread rumors that her magical abilities were unparalleled among people of her age.

That almost unfair talent, directly inherited from Noir, was something other families couldn’t understand.

Therefore, Ellente couldn’t help but be somewhat skeptical about her magical abilities. She thought the rumors might be a bit exaggerated.

To wield 3-star magic at an age far from adulthood is a talent that cannot be compared to other noble ladies.

If such a person claims to be Derek’s disciple and enters the social circles, it was impossible to predict how it would affect the situation.

‘It’s a bad habit. I end up imagining unnecessary things.’

Ellente let out a small laugh, stood up, and crossed the corridor with the maid’s assistance.

Anyway, it was time to focus on the Rozea Salon.

The social circles of Ebelstein, with the mountain tiger Duplain absent, were in a state of chaos.

If she didn’t stay alert, she would be the next to fall behind.