There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Awareness (3)

“I didn’t expect you to reject the request so firmly. Didn’t you usually accept most requests as long as there was a reasonable reward?”

“Not necessarily. I don’t accept requests that I think are not right.”

Derek refused Trisha’s request and sent her away.

Although it could have been quite upsetting, it was hard to deny that Trisha’s request was dangerous, so she left without a word.

“Well, if you accept any request and can’t handle it, it would only cause trouble.”

“That’s right. Being able to discern requests well is one of the important qualities of a mercenary.”

As the sun began to set, Siern quickly entered a neatly prepared private room in a secluded part of the baron’s mansion.

Elente, who was walking towards the main hall following Derek, tilted her head, seemingly surprised that there was a room specifically prepared for Siern to use whenever she wanted.

“Does Lady Siern stay here?”

“I understand that there is a separate mansion in the noble district purchased with the funds of the Rochester family. However, since she visits often for magic training, a room has been set aside for her.”

“…Did the Duke of Rochester also permit this?”

“Yes. From the beginning, the baron title was given to elevate the status so that he could assist Lady Siern well. Since Sir Melverot has received many things, he must take good care of Lady Siern to ensure she is not inconvenienced.”

Derek was heading towards the training ground, swinging one arm back and forth.

Despite being busy all day with baron duties, classes, and entertaining visitors, he never seemed to neglect his magic training.

‘The more I see him, the more mysterious he seems. He doesn’t seem much older than me, yet he feels like someone who has lived multiple lives.’

Elente, stroking her chin, spoke.

“Even so, sending your daughter alone to a mansion managed by a young baron. The Duke of Rochester must trust you quite a bit, Derek.”

“…May I ask what you mean by that?”

“Just as it sounds.”

In fact, Elente had sensed that Aiselin’s gaze towards Derek was unusual.

Whether it was a romantic feeling or not, it wasn’t strange for someone as handsome as Derek to suddenly evoke subtle emotions in someone.

“I heard from Lady Drinis… that wife named Felline was brought in as a puppet to receive the title.”

“Yes. She has no particular interest in noble life and just enjoys earning money through mercenary work. She’s probably having a drink at the Tears of Veldern by now.”

Having met Felline a few times, Elente already knew well.

Laughing loudly, drinking a few times, and then collapsing and causing a drunken scene, she was just an ordinary mercenary.

—

Indeed, he was a person with no desire for social advancement, making him the perfect candidate to sit in the wife’s seat as a mere figurehead.

“Well… aside from that, Derek, you are still a man. Don’t you have any romantic dreams about a fateful encounter or a partner who evokes a protective instinct? Given your profession, you are surrounded by many women.”

“…Even so, would I ever see Lady Siern as a romantic interest?”

Those who have faced Siern in her full fury all share the same sentiment.

Let your guard down, and you die.

In that sharp sense of crisis, someone might mistake their pounding heart for love. But at least Derek wasn’t one of them.

“…I can’t deny it.”

“Don’t worry too much. I’m not the kind of person who can’t distinguish between public and private matters. Even if I were to meet a woman and feel a fateful connection, I would adhere to the rules that must be followed.”

“Right. Hearing you say that, Derek, is reassuring…”

In reality, Derek had traveled to the distant north with the enigmatic Aiselin, but it didn’t seem like he had crossed any lines with her.

In a noble society filled with all sorts of ruffians and libertines, a decent man like Derek was rare.

He was truly a passionate wizard who had devoted himself entirely to magic.

‘Even so… touching the hair of the most renowned lady in the northern continent without a second thought, or holding hands without any particular feeling, isn’t that a bit too dangerous?’

Regardless of Derek being a decent young man, there was no telling how Siern, who was going through the turbulent period of adolescence, would feel.

As the saying goes, you don’t realize your clothes are getting wet in a drizzle. A relationship that seems comfortable and unremarkable is actually the most dangerous.

There was no benefit in having various scandals circulating in the Ebelstein noble society, so Ellente glanced worriedly towards Lady Siern’s room.

“You know well that I am a harmless person, don’t you, Lady Ellente?”

“Hmm… that’s true. Being able to relax without any adornments is only possible because it’s the Ravenclaw Barony.”

Ellente chuckled and fiddled with her unadorned hair.

It felt unnatural not to feel anything on her head, which was always adorned with all sorts of jewels and floral decorations.

For a prominent lady, ornaments were like a part of her body, so not having them felt more awkward.

“Right. Today’s magic lesson was fruitful, so I should head back to the Belmiard estate. This place is farther than I thought, so it’s hard to come often.”

“It would be nice to meet in Ebelstein, but as you can see, I’ve been so busy lately that I can’t frequent the noble district. It’s also a bit far.”

“Well, that’s understandable. Come to think of it, doesn’t Lady Siern receive lessons on etiquette and manners from Lady Aiselin? Lady Siern must be busy too. Traveling between the two places must be exhausting…”

Aiselin’s mansion was in the Ebelstein noble district, while the Ravenclaw Barony was in the inland frontier.

Traveling between the two places for lessons was realistically too difficult. Therefore, a solution needed to be devised.

“We made arrangements when the two ladies from Duplain visited earlier.”

“Oh, really?”

“We decided to set aside a room for Lady Aiselin to stay in.”

“…”

—

Eventually, Ellente’s expression hardened again.

It was inevitable to think that the proposed solution was somewhat subtle.

“It’s unfortunate, but the Duplain family will inevitably fall behind in the mainstream noble competition of Ebelstein. Consequently, you will have a lot of free time, so it seems you plan to visit the baron’s residence regularly and stay to teach Lady Siern.”

“Is that… really okay?”

“Actually, isn’t this the most efficient way? Why do you think the Rochester Duke’s residence provided such a mansion? It’s to accommodate Lady Siern.”

“Well, that’s true, but… Lady Siern and now even Lady Iselin…?”

What kind of baron’s residence could house the two most renowned ladies in the high noble society?

It was a scene that would leave lower nobles, who run around all day to catch the eye of high nobles, speechless.

“Well, since you’re coming to teach, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

“Lady Iselin is also very diligent…”

“The compensation provided by the Rochester Duke’s residence is substantial. Even Lady Iselin, who is in urgent need of cash, couldn’t refuse.”

“Money… yes, money is important…”

Derek was leaning against the wall near the training ground, pressing one arm firmly. He was checking his magical state.

“So, while you’re teaching Lady Siern, we decided to accept additional applications from those who want to learn etiquette and manners from Lady Iselin. There should be quite a demand for etiquette lessons from someone who was practically the queen of the social world.”

“You did such a thing?”

“Yes. If you’re going to teach at the baron’s residence anyway, couldn’t you teach more students? From lower nobles in the outskirts to some higher nobles… Many debutantes will come. It should make some money.”

Derek didn’t have any grand intentions for this, but he started it to help Iselin, who was in a tight financial situation.

“I owe a lot to Lady Iselin, so I thought I’d help her a bit.”

“…”

“To make it more systematic, I plan to give up a classroom on one side of the baron’s residence. It’s quite a large room… It wasn’t being used anyway. While providing the place, it wouldn’t be bad to prepare a simple blackboard, desks, and writing tools.”

“It’s more serious than I thought.”

“This much isn’t a big deal. Most of it will be handled by the servants.”

Derek spoke while checking the state of his staff.

“Well, if there’s a noble among the visitors who has some knowledge of magic, I could help with magic. It would be nice to expand my network, and it might help with my magic research, so it’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Yes. What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but… Derek…”

Ellente, resting her chin on her hand, pondered for a moment and then spoke, sweating slightly.

“This building is used as the baron’s residence managing the Ravenclaw barony, right?”

“Yes? Of course. Why do you ask?”

“…No, it feels like the purpose is changing… Never mind, it’s just a needless worry.”

Ellente shook her head vigorously.

—

—

It seemed that the direction the Ravenclaw Barony was pursuing was subtly twisting… but it wasn’t something that could be judged right or wrong at the moment.

“Well, no matter how good the public’s evaluation is, the people who come to learn something in such a remote barony will be limited. There’s no need to put too much strength in your shoulders.”

Derek, who concluded so, seemed much more at ease.

*

The following week.

A total of 17 noble ladies visited the Ravenclaw Barony in a single day.

“….”

– Murmuring

– Chattering

– Bang! Crash!

“We’re out of Glenford Mountain tea! Is there anything else suitable for serving guests?”

“The lady of the Sidmore Viscount is approaching the main gate!”

“There’s no more space to park carriages inside the mansion! It’s a great discourtesy, but… tell them to tie the carriages outside the wall!”

“It’s a disaster! We’re out of cookies prepared for the guests! Should we, should we procure some now?!”

“Clear the bedroom on the outer side of the second floor! It’s a bit shabby, but we have to use it as a VIP waiting room anyway!”

The servants and attendants, who had to deal with all kinds of distinguished guests, were running around frantically with their eyes spinning.

Each carriage that brought a noble lady, the coachman driving the carriage, and the personnel to assist the lady ranged from at least three to as many as a dozen.

It was an excessively large number for the modest barony in the outskirts to handle.

Each person had to be treated as a distinguished guest. However, it was impossible to treat all of them according to the proper etiquette.

– Bang! Crash!

“Kyaa!”

“Be careful! The more urgent it is, the more you need to stay calm!”

“S-sorry! Head butler!”

“Miss Rodman, go help with the kitchen work. Mr. Claes, guide the new guests in the garden!”

As for Derek, who was watching the bustling servants… he was sweating profusely.

He was a man who didn’t change his expression even in a battlefield swarmed with all kinds of monsters, but it was the first time he had faced such a situation.

“Oh, Derek. Your face is completely pale. I never thought I’d see you make such an expression in my life. Haha.”

Lady Denise of the Beltus family squeezed through the crowd and greeted him cheerfully.

She was a lazy person who rarely left her mansion, but today, for some reason, she visited the Ravenclaw Barony early in the morning.

“Or should I call you Sir Derek? If you’re responsible for a training center of this scale, it’s hard to ignore your influence now.”

—

“……A training center?”

“Oh? Come to think of it, you said you were too busy to come often because of the Ebelstein noble district. The rumor has already spread in the Elfontine Hall. They say you are setting up a separate training center in the barony. And Lady Iselin herself is said to be teaching etiquette classes?”

Lady Denise, conscious of the surrounding gazes, lowered her voice a bit more.

Publicly, she was a graceful and elegant figure, so she tried to maintain a demure appearance.

– ‘Look over there… Even Lady Denise has come in person.’

– ‘It’s hard to even sit close to her at the Rosea Salon… I never thought I’d see her in a place like this…’

However, the gazes had already gathered.

“There are quite a few eyes watching…. Shall we go inside and talk…? …No, you must be quite busy right now with matters related to the training center, right?”

“A, a training center… I had no intention of setting up such a thing.”

“Hmm… So it was just a rumor. I know well that you are not the type to do such things… It did seem a bit strange.”

Denise laughed gracefully with a dignified posture.

From a distance, it would look like they were having a noble and courteous conversation, but up close, it was a casual chat. Of course, no one could hear the exact content of their conversation.

“Still, whether that rumor is true or not may not be up to your will… Derek.”

“…”

“I glanced around on my way here and saw that the ladies from the Baron of Rodtek and the Viscount of Bleton were here too. They are from the far southeastern part of the continent, yet they came all the way here… Are you going to send them all back now that things have come to this?”

“…No, it doesn’t seem right for so many people to flock to such a remote barony…”

“Oh dear, Derek. You lack self-awareness.”

Denise chuckled and covered her mouth with a small peacock feather fan to hide her undignified smile from others.

“It’s common for those who achieve extraordinary feats at an early age by being engrossed in their interests. They often lack awareness of their abilities or reputation. It’s quite common.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You know as well as I do, Derek. These are the times we live in. Do you know how hard it is for lower nobles to find a proper magic teacher? It’s like picking stars from the sky.”

“…”

“And if you add etiquette lessons from Lady Iselin, who reigns like a queen in social circles… Do you think noble families with debutante children will just sit still? It would be stranger if they didn’t rush in with their eyes wide open.”

Of course, Derek couldn’t fully grasp the circumstances of such remote noble families.

The result was this hall filled with ladies and their escorts from various families.

From noble mtl dot com

There were even people from the opposite side of the continent, making it dizzying.

Seeing the exhausted servants who had been welcoming them, he resolved to at least double their wages.

“No matter what, we can’t handle this many nobles. The building is too small, and more importantly… Lady Iselin will get tired first.”

“Hmm… If that’s your judgment, then so be it. Anyway, it was an interesting sight after a long time. Still, hang in there.”

Lady Denise whispered and then snapped her peacock feather fan shut. She then turned around and spoke loudly, as if performing for those present.

—

“It was nice to see you again after a long time, Sir Derek. Next time, please give another magic lesson at Ebelstein~. If I get the chance, I will definitely make time for it~.”

Saying so, she looked at Derek and smiled brightly.

A young baron with a hastily established family and empty authority. Even the most prestigious duchess of the Rozea Salon greeted him with respect.

Seeing Denise like this, it seemed that the reason she came to the Ravenclaw Baron’s house early in the morning was to save Derek’s face.

A member of one of the three great families of the Rozea Salon. For a lady of such stature to come early in the morning to wish for the success of the event was an enormous support, both politically and otherwise.

Of course, it wasn’t Derek’s intention… but Denise smiled seductively and slipped away through the crowd as if it didn’t matter.

– Murmuring

“The reception room is this way! Please enter in order!”

“Please move slowly!”

Only the desperate cries of the servants trying to control the crowd lingered in his ears.

‘Nothing good comes from taking on something you can’t handle. Above all, Miss Aiselin wouldn’t have thought things would get this big.’

Derek quickly straightened his clothes and walked briskly into the mansion.

Aiselin, who had finished her preparations, would soon come out of her room. She must have already checked the situation, so they needed to discuss what to do immediately.

As Derek strode across the corridor, he saw Aiselin, dressed beautifully in a dress, coming out of the innermost room.

“Miss Aiselin. Did you see the situation?”

Derek quickly walked up to Aiselin and asked.

It seemed she had already heard the situation from the servants. Aiselin swallowed dryly and then answered Derek.

“De, Derek… I heard too. About twenty young ladies… have come…”

“It’s not over yet. We can’t predict how many more will come. No matter what, you won’t be able to handle this number, so even if you have to ask for understanding separately…”

“Derek.”

Before Derek could finish his words, Aiselin grabbed Derek’s hands tightly.

Aiselin’s soft hands wrapped around Derek’s rough hands, and then she spoke in a much higher voice, her eyes wide open.

“How much should we charge for each lesson?!”

“…….”

“Ugh… Haha… Hah… Saliva… I am so… lacking in dignity…. I’m sorry… How embarrassing…”

Perhaps because of her dignified appearance reigning at the top of the social world, it was easy to forget.

Since becoming a fallen noble, Aiselin had awakened to the concept of livelihood.

In short, she was already an excellent miser.

“Ah, no… Can you handle it?”

“We have to! Such an opportunity doesn’t come to just anyone!”

—

—

“…”

“I, I’m so nervous… If we receive payment in Rophelon gold coins from so many noble ladies… How much would that be…”

‘Oh God…’

Aiselin’s eyes were already filled with gold coins.

She wondered if this was okay, but it seemed she hadn’t shown this much determination even in the magical duel that staked the honor of the Duplain family.

Derek had to take a deep breath and gather his thoughts again.

Whether he liked it or not, he had to take responsibility for this academic facility once he had started it.