There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Baron (1)

Those who were taught by Derek know.

The noble ladies who were his disciples not only improved their magical skills but also had a peculiar tendency to become more raw in their thinking and behavior.

It was clear that they were influenced by Derek, who was a rough mercenary, but they did not go so far as to disregard the most basic etiquette that permeated the social circles.

However, Diela was not bound by such things.

She was the first to be taught by Derek, the girl who accepted his influence the most, and learned to suppress personal feelings for the greater good, but she did not hold back when her sister Aiseline was involved.

If she was hit once, she would hit back ten times, pounce, crush, bite ears, and poke eyes to ensure they could never challenge her again.

That was her way.

“With the achievements of the Renwell Viscount family rising, you think it’s all your merit, don’t you? You think you’ll soon rise in rank and the whole world will be under you, don’t you?”

“Ah!”

She lifted her skirt and stomped on Lady Trisha’s chest with her boot, looking down with the eyes of a beast.

Trisha was a girl who excelled at oppressing people insidiously and gloomily.

She was skilled at escaping by claiming it was a mistake or that she had no such intention, while undermining the other person’s self-esteem.

At least in the noble circles, where dignity and grace were fundamental, such skills might have been useful.

However, her opponent was not good.

Diela knew.

Living in the luxurious culture of the nobility, it was common to forget that one could be beaten at any time.

Those who did not realize this cold and reasonable fact, who were obsessed with superficial authority and crossed the line, needed to be trampled to come to their senses.

Those who have been beaten know how to hit well, and Diela knew exactly when to pounce and tear apart the opponent’s mind to shock them properly.

When she was convinced that the opponent could not touch even a hair on her head, when she thought their arrogance had reached its peak… that was when she had to slam them to the ground to make them realize reality.

“That’s why you can’t do it.”

– Slap!

When she slapped Trisha’s cheek once more, Trisha finally came to her senses, gritting her teeth and getting up.

She grabbed Diela’s hair, throwing away her dignity, and screamed as she charged.

“What… what are you doing! aaah!”

“Let go! Let go!”

She pushed Diela away, grinning and fuming, but Diela kicked Trisha’s lower abdomen with her boot.

– Crash!

—

—

Once again, Trisha was thrown to the ground, but she did not let go of Diela’s hair.

Diela, who was also dragged and rolled on the floor, bit Trisha’s wrist with her teeth.

“Ahhh!”

As Trisha screamed and let go of her hand, Diela got up and tried to grab Trisha’s collar again.

At that moment, the startled servants rushed in and grabbed Diela’s arms to stop her. If they left her alone and she got seriously injured, none of them would be safe.

-Bang! Crash!

“Miss Diela! Please calm down!”

“Let go! Let go of me! That’s an order!”

Growling and still glaring at Trisha, Diela was held by the servants.

Seeing her like that, Trisha slowly got up, panting heavily. Her hair was already half undone and she was drenched in sweat. Her pupils, trembling, were a mix of confusion and fear.

“What… What is this… No matter what, this is so undignified…!”

“Dignity? Right. I don’t care about dignity or anything if someone touches my reverse scale. But do you think you have dignity?”

Diela glanced at Aiselin, who was too shocked to say anything.

Drops of tea were still dripping down her cheek. Seeing that, Diela felt her anger rising again, and she spoke in a cold voice.

“Instead of slyly scratching people and scheming, it’s much more dignified to slap them outright. It’s really funny to talk about dignity when you’re an opportunistic snake.”

“Do you think you can get away with this?”

“What if I don’t? Has the Renouel Viscountcy already received a higher title?”

Trisha dusted off her clothes and stood up, regaining her composure.

“It seems you want me to be direct, so I won’t beat around the bush. It would be best if you bowed your head and apologized to me right now.”

Having calmed her breathing, Trisha let down the rest of her hair and spoke with her eyes wide open.

“At least in this Rosea Salon, I can easily push out Duplain.”

Lady Trisha glared at Diela with cold eyes.

The current secular authority might place the Duplain family much higher than the Renouel family.

However, it was clear to everyone that this difference in status would soon be overturned.

Followers’ gazes do not follow such explicit authority. It is more influenced by who holds the actual power.

The ladies of the Rosea Salon would watch Lady Trisha. There might still be some who were influenced by Aiselin’s character and followed her, but no one would sympathize with Diela, who had always been reckless.

And once you get a bad reputation in the noble society, the harassment that follows is indescribably insidious.

Aiselin, who had experienced such ostracism firsthand, knew this better than anyone.

It was a mistake to think that all the ladies of the three great families were open-minded and could distinguish right from wrong.

People tend to follow power and authority more than you think. Especially the lower nobles, who had a strong desire for power and advancement, were easily swayed by such things.

—

—

“Even so, Lady Diela is still young and inexperienced, so it’s understandable that she might make mistakes. We can think of her hasty judgment as an act of love for her family. However, an apology is necessary.”

“Do you want to die? If you keep running your mouth, you won’t be able to walk back today.”

“I didn’t expect anything from Lady Diela. But you should bow your head for the mistake of your only sister, Lady Aiselin.”

The gaze was directed towards Aiselin.

Denise, who had been quietly observing the situation while fiddling with her dress, frowned.

Trisha seemed to have clearly judged how to handle this situation. She thought it would be much more effective to pressure the relatively gentle-natured Aiselin.

“Lady Aiselin, you must know how harsh it is to be ostracized by the salon aristocrats in the cold social world. I know it well enough, so I want to forgive Lady Diela’s rudeness as much as possible.”

From the beginning, Trisha wanted only one thing. To press down on Aiselin and make sure she no longer hindered Trisha’s rise in status.

The message was clear: if you bow your head and apologize, I’ll let it go.

Aiselin, who always tried to resolve things peacefully and calmly, would surely bow her head soon. Trisha had already made up her mind about Aiselin.

“Aiselin, sister! Stay still! We didn’t come to Ebelstein to watch the eyes of the Rozea salon! Don’t bow your head!”

She was born of the same blood as Diela, but she had a completely opposite nature.

As she thought it would be easy to press her down, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

– Drip, drip, drip.

Cold tea flowed down Lady Trisha’s hair.

Not only Aiselin’s white dress but also Trisha’s navy blue skirt began to be stained with tea.

“What, what…?”

At that moment, Trisha met Aiselin’s eyes.

The look in her eyes, as she shook the empty teacup over Trisha’s head, was cold.

Her tightly pressed lips and the way she glared at Trisha with her eyes wide open… It was an expression no one had ever seen on Aiselin before.

Aiselin was furious to the core.

– Drip, drip, drip.

“What, what is this…”

“Don’t cross the line, Lady Trisha.”

Even if the voice was just as cold, it was different from the always angry Diela.

Aiselin, who always embraced everyone with a warm and kind expression, was now coldly stern. Even Elenten and Denise had to widen their eyes for a different reason this time.

She tried to maintain her dignity even while drenched in tea.

Carefully placing the empty teacup on the table, she pushed it along with the saucer to make it easier for the servants to clean up.

“I am well aware of the contributions the Viscount of Renuel made on Rodentz Island. At the next imperial birthday celebration, you will surely receive a high title. On the other hand, our Dupleine is a falling star. I won’t deny that.”

Aiselin’s manner of speaking, as if she were arguing point by point, was so unfamiliar that everyone gathered at the table swallowed dryly.

—

—

“But that doesn’t give you a reason to threaten me by holding Diela’s condition over my head.”

“Ha…”

“The apology should come from Lady Trisha, not me. If she doesn’t, I will have no choice but to get angry.”

Though the tone was calm, there was an inexplicable sense of pressure.

The value of anger differed from person to person.

Aisellin, who was always positive and energetic, seemed to have her anger under control. Thus, her anger had a weight that pierced her opponent more heavily than anyone else’s.

─Here, Trisha should have taken a step back.

However, she made the wrong choice, driven by the rising prestige of her family, the arrogance unique to nobles, and her ambition to reach the top of the Rosea Salon.

“You will regret this, Lady Aisellin. Don’t think you can continue to thrive in this Rosea Salon. Whether you like it or not, I will be the one to push Duplain out and take that position.”

“…”

“When that happens, you will bow your head to the ground and beg for forgiveness for today’s rudeness. I can already feel the pity rising within me, imagining how miserable you will look then. That’s how it ends for the daughter of a fallen family.”

Trisha said this and laughed loudly.

In any case, the lower nobles would side with the Renouel Viscount family. Many had already been won over.

The taste of power is sweet. Leading people, wielding them, and having followers brought an unbearable thrill and pleasure to this noble’s heart.

Trisha was about to straighten her disheveled clothes.

‘I can’t stay still any longer.’

Just as Elente was about to rise to point out Trisha’s arrogant behavior, another person spoke up. It was a voice she had never heard before.

“Is it because the weather is nice here that everyone plays pride games over trivial matters? It must be because the threat of death feels like a distant story.”

“…?”

“Just because the land is rich and fertile doesn’t mean people are always bright and good.”

Most of the people present hadn’t noticed the new person’s presence.

She was a master of transformation magic, capable of extreme speed with just a little magic.

Only someone well-versed in detection magic, the natural enemy of transformation magic, could sense her presence. Thus, only Lady Drenis had noticed the sudden appearance of the girl.

– Whish

When Drenis turned her head, the unfamiliar figure was already seated in the chair where Trisha had been sitting moments ago.

Her build was small, reminiscent of Diela.

Though her face was obscured by a wizard’s robe embroidered with gold thread, the glimpses of her dress through the robe suggested it was beautiful and ornate.

“What, what? Who are you…?”

Trisha was startled and twisted her body at the sight of the girl suddenly sitting in the chair behind her.

—

—

As the girl, who was wearing a wizard’s robe, slowly raised her tiny hand and lifted the hood, her white hair flowed down like waves.

Her skin was like white jade, and her eyes were as white as the northern snowflakes.

Watching a lock of hair fall between her brows made her seem a bit clumsy, but even that appearance was transformed into elegance by her purity.

She looked like a beautifully dressed bisque doll come to life.

However, the moment Lady Denise recognized the girl’s face… she had no choice but to stand up with a serious expression.

She was a student Derek had taught during his trip to the distant northern lands.

Since Denise was the first to hear about Derek’s trip to the north, she couldn’t help but swallow dryly.

“A, no… Lady Siern… why are you here…?”

“…? Do you know me?”

Siern had no interest in the famous figures of the nobility.

She had accompanied her father to the social gatherings on the outskirts a few times, but she had no interest in other noble ladies except herself.

However, Siern’s notoriety was already well-known even in the southwest.

Her personality was bad, and she was beyond arrogant. She would kill people if she was displeased.

Although the facts were not yet clear, at least the prominent figures in the nobility had heard of Siern’s atrocious nature.

Siern Aleina Rochester.

Upon hearing that name, the other people present also froze.

It was unusual for the girl, who was confined to the tower of the Rochester estate in the northern continent, to appear in the noble district of Ebelstein.

“I finished checking the mansion, so I thought I’d see Sister Aiselin’s face…”

Her voice was youthful, but the pressure was intense.

She was calling Aiselin her sister. It was strange to call the lady of a completely declining fallen family by such an honorific, but no one could feel the incongruity.

Siern slowly stood up and, seeing Aiselin’s condition, opened her crescent eyes.

She strode towards Aiselin and, seeing her in a completely miserable state, bit her lower lip.

Next to her, Diela, still filled with anger, could be seen.

Left Diela, right Siern.

Just looking at that situation made one swallow dryly. One would wonder if there was anyone who could control these two girls, except for their teacher, Derek.

However, surprisingly, the girl who was drenched in tea and looked like a drowned rat showed no sign of fear.

Rather, she seemed slightly bewildered. She hadn’t expected Siern to suddenly intervene in this situation.

“Lady Siern… you said you were going to check the mansion where you’ll stay…”

“It ended sooner than I thought, Sister Aiselin. But still…”

Siern glanced at Lady Trisha.

—

—

The murderous intent in those eyes is not just that of a reckless scoundrel. It is the gaze of a madman, one who has actually killed countless people.

Murderous intent sometimes exudes an oppressive force as if it possesses physical power.

Rumors about Sieren were already known among the high-ranking nobles.

The moment Trisha felt the bloody murderous intent from her entire body, she almost lost strength in her legs.

Her level of magic is already beyond ordinary. One cannot even follow her movements.

.

Sensing that murderous intent is an instinct engraved in the realm of the senses.

From noble mtl dot com

It is closer to the feeling of facing a giant bear alone in a snowstorm than the feeling of facing a strong lady in a refined social circle.

─Suddenly, when you close your eyes and open them again, you are in the middle of a snowy field.

Red eyes glowing in the darkness, white breath rising from rough breathing.

The bright red flesh visible between the fangs of the growling beast seems to symbolize one’s future.

“─.”

While Trisha was stammering, not knowing what to say, Sieren looked back at Aisellin and whispered.

The questions she asked were not the peaceful and cute kind, like asking if she was okay or saying Trisha was bad.

“Shouldn’t I kill her? Considering the place.”

There was no big intention or meaning in those words. It was just a straightforward expression.

It was not a bluff or an empty word. She was really asking for permission.

If Aisellin shook her head, she would really do something─ Trisha’s face turned completely pale.

“L-Lady Sieren. Please calm down. I’m fine. Lady Trisha must have had her reasons. It’s difficult if you act based on just the surface. That’s how social activities are.”

Eventually, Aisellin began to defend Trisha.

If Sieren really lost her reason in anger, no one here could handle it unless Derrick was brought in.

“L-Lady Trisha… right? It’s not like she was really going to do something to me… it’s just… a mistake… right?”

“Yes…?”

“R-Right? Yes?”

“Ah, yes? Yes…”

Sieren grabbed the hem of her robe and turned back to look at Trisha.

She stared at the stammering Trisha for a moment, then finally recalled the etiquette Aisellin had taught her.

When she bowed her head with her small frame, the hair that had not been tidied up swayed.

“Nice to meet you. I am Sieren Alayna Rochester.”

It was just a simple greeting… but the following words were like a bolt from the blue for Trisha.

—

—

“Before late spring, I think I’ll debut in the Ebelstein social circle. We’ll be seeing each other often.”

It was news that the young lady of the Rochester family, led by the hero of the North, Melverot, would debut in the Ebelstein social circle.

It was obvious that she would enter the Rosea Salon.

Trisha’s expression began to harden.

*

“Here, wear this for now.”

“…”

When Derek handed over the ring, Pellin looked at it with a disgusted expression.

It was as if she had received a proposal ring from a sibling she had been bickering with for a long time, reacting as if her whole body was breaking out in hives.

Of course, Derek felt the same way, so it was hard to say anything to her. Derek seemed to be struggling to endure the itchiness all over his body.

“Derek… When you hand over something like this, shouldn’t you say something romantic…?”

“Would you like that?”

“…I just imagined it, and it was so terrible that I feel dizzy.”

“Yes, be grateful…”

The tavern ‘Tears of Veldern’

The two sat side by side at the bar table. It would be hard for anyone around to think they were prospective nobles.

– Thud.

“It’s a celebratory drink. Take it. I’m so happy that the members I considered like my own children are getting married and starting families.”

“…”

“…”

Jayden, who had brought out Pellin’s favorite apple wine and honey wine, was laughing heartily.

Jayden knew well that these two did not see each other as even a bit of the opposite s*x, so the current situation felt oddly amusing.

Of course, Derek and Pellin were just staring at the glasses Jayden had brought out with expressions as if they were chewing sand.

“Loosen up a bit. Since you’re doing something necessary, try to do it with a positive attitude.”

“Yes… Anyway, I’ve finished all the preparations on my end to receive the title… I should think positively.”

“Since you’ve been expanding your connections and getting a lot of attention from the nobles lately, our Veldern Mercenary Corps has been benefiting a lot. We have plenty of work, and many requests from nobles… It’s like a treasure trove. I’ll never charge you for drinks, so keep that in mind.”

Jayden would never abandon his materialistic tendencies.

Derek, whose name value was increasing day by day, was like a magical being that called for gold coins.

That’s why Jayden’s always hearty laughter seemed even more energetic these days.

Derek, too, was quite pleased with Jayden’s satisfied appearance, so he didn’t say anything.

—

—

“By the way, when you brought those noble ladies last time, and when the Duke of Belmiard came looking for you himself… Since you started mingling with the nobility, we’ve had more nobles coming to our Beldern’s Tears.”

“Well, the only people I know are mostly young ladies from the noble district…”

“Really? Recently, a young man from a noble family came and drank here… Do you not know him?”

There are more than a few young men from noble families.

Of course, nobles are easily recognizable, so Jayden couldn’t treat them carelessly.

“If they come to our tavern to drink, I thought they must be connected to you…”

“Well… Do you not know his name?”

“I don’t. But he always leaves a tab, which is a headache. He has an oddly noble aura… I wonder if he’s penniless… And he seems to have a high status, so it’s hard to treat him carelessly… It’s quite a dilemma.”

It’s the first time I’ve heard of a noble leaving a tab instead of giving more tips.

Derek scratched his head, trying to recall, but he didn’t know any noble who would come here and leave a tab.

It was then, while he was quietly sitting at the bar table.

“Oh dear, the owner has no affection. I always pay back in time. Hic.”

When did he come into the tavern?

Even Jayden, who had a keen eye, was startled and shivered. At that moment, he couldn’t help but feel something was off. Jayden was a mercenary who lived by his keen eye.

Wasn’t he just gossiping about nobles?

Despite the awkward situation of the person hearing the gossip, the man staggered and sat next to Derek, hiccuping happily. He didn’t seem to care about Jayden’s words.

With long red hair tied back and a scruffy beard.

His attire looked expensive, but his appearance was far from tidy.

He suddenly put his arm around Derek’s shoulder, grabbed the mead in front of Derek, and toasted.

“Hic… I thought I got close to the owner… I’m so sad… So sad…”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just living day by day…”

“I’ve been gambling for seven years… I feel like I’m going to win big soon. When I get the chance, I’ll pay off all my tabs and treat everyone here, so please bear with me. Hic…”

Then he gulped down the mead, burped again without wiping the spilled drink from his mouth.

“Oh… I’m getting drunk. It’s sweet but strong. The young ladies would get drunk easily without knowing. Wow, this is Ronen’s mead.”

“…”

“Oh, right. Derek. You’re Derek, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. Your name is well-known in the Ebelstein social circle. Wow, it’s an honor to see a celebrity in person.”

“Who… are you?”

“Didn’t the owner tell you? Have I never mentioned my name? Hic…”

Jayden exchanged glances with Derek and shrugged.

“I’m sure I mentioned it once… Hmm… Did I say it in a dream… It’s fuzzy because of the alcohol… Maybe my tongue was too twisted to understand…”

—

—

The man, already reeking of alcohol, scratched his greasy head vigorously, then released his arm from around Derek’s shoulder and collapsed onto the bar table.

“Linus, that’s right, Linus. Yeah. Derek. I’ve always wanted to meet you. Ugh. Ugh. I’m Linus, you’re Derek.”

Derek, who had been quietly watching the man who was too drunk to keep his wits about him, looked at Felinne with an incredulous expression. Felinne also had a look of disgust on her face.

She hated nobles and she hated drunks. A noble drunk was almost her nemesis.

‘The name sounds familiar…’

Linus. He felt like he had heard that name somewhere before, but he was certain this was their first meeting.

If he could just jog his memory, it might come to him, but nothing came to mind immediately.

“…Just one favor, Derek. You can’t resist magic, right? Then you might be interested in this.”

Anyway, he was a client.

That meant his attitude had to change.

Of course, it was necessary to review his ability to pay.