Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 102: Power and Love (7)

“W-why did you break the window…?”

“Shh.”

Thud, thud.

Dereck shook off the water, tended to the wound on his hand, and looked again through the broken window.

Rain was pouring down in torrents, and the growing darkness outside the window covered the landscape like a curtain.

Fortunately, it seemed no one had seen Dereck climb the outer wall and break the window.

While slowly repairing the shattered glass with transmutation magic, Dereck spoke.

“Currently, Lady Ellen cannot meet outsiders nor obtain information without the consent of the high servants. If anyone outside were to discover that I slipped into the room without the servants and vassals knowing, things would become needlessly complicated.”

“Y-you slipped in? The number of servants in Belmierd mansion easily exceeds a hundred, and with the soldiers stationed, it’s not a place one person could handle quickly…”

“There was someone who helped me. Now is not the time to explain the details.”

When the window was perfectly repaired, Dereck began to bandage the blood dripping from his hand with a piece torn from the collar of his shirt.

“I had not planned on making such a fuss by breaking the window, but I had to burst in a little violently, fearing that Lady Ellen might make a rash decision because of the situation.”

“That…”

Dereck’s blood was on the dagger rolling on the floor. Ellen looked at her own disheveled appearance with a sinking heart.

What had she tried to do?

If she had gone through with it, it would have been the most futile and foolish decision of her life.

Yet Ellen’s fingertips still trembled.

A single step away, she was caught in the sweeping intrigues of nobility, bearing the blame for a crime she had not committed.

For someone who had already fought within the social circles of Ebelstein, it was not a trial she could not endure.

But more important than all that was the doubt about the values she had pursued all her life.

Whoever one may be, to rule over the masses one must know it. The human being is, by nature, a being that betrays.

Those subjugated by authority and power may turn their backs on you at any moment if you fall.

Some criticized this as ruthless, while others accepted it as human nature.

Ellen gathered strength in her trembling chin and slowly raised her head.

From her shrunken position, looking up at Dereck, he appeared tall.

His eyes, visible beneath the cloak, did not seem to hold much emotion.

That appearance was not so different from when he had walked past her with Leonard.

But why had she forgotten? Dereck had always been like that.

“…”

Dereck remained silent for a moment.

For Ellen, who had only just returned to the path of life before making an extreme decision, he might have recited lines from the third-rate romance novels Denise loved.

Your life is noble and valuable, so don’t make foolish choices.

I will be by your side, so cast away that fear.

Trust only in me and give me your heart, and surely I will heal your wounds.

It was easy to imagine that process where he consoled her with grand words, became her pillar, and rewove trust by holding hands.

Like pulling a girl’s arm trapped in a pit.

However, Dereck did not do that.

Dereck was Ellen’s master.

Dereck did not believe in one-sided words of salvation from the heart.

To see a girl who sought power, who believed in righteous values and carved her own path of life, and then extend a one-sided hand of salvation, he thought, was not to respect her life nor her ideals.

That is what teaching someone means.

The one who unilaterally pulls the arm of someone trapped in the mire is not a teacher.

A true teacher is one who rolls up their sleeves, presses against the ground, and teaches how to climb out of the mire by oneself.

That was why Dereck did not lift Ellen up, but knelt on one knee at her side and met her gaze.

Ellen, who was sitting on the floor, raised her head and met his eyes.

Her appearance was gaunt. Her tangled hair clung to her cheeks, and her dull eyes were like those of a living corpse.

“You have understood loneliness.”

In an empty room, the experience of seeing those you believed would follow and believe in you for life turn against you one by one left a void and a hollow in the heart.

Those who advance to reign over the masses must experience it at least once, sooner rather than later.

Ellen was also in that process.

Even those who reigned over the world from on high had lived it at least once.

But there was no one to tell her.

So Dereck whispered quietly, without the need for many words.

“You have grown again.”

At hearing that, Ellen’s eyes widened.

Seeing the blood dripping from Dereck’s fingertips, she finally felt as if cold water had been poured over her.

One who would be the next head of Belmierd must always live with dignity, like a single flower.

However, mental strength is a consumable resource.

Sometimes, you must let it all go and prepare a place where your mind can rest.

Only now, feeling a great doubt about the purpose of life and as if she had hit rock bottom, could she understand the importance of that.

“Dereck.”

She pressed her nose tightly and held back the tears that were about to burst.

Ellen stood up on her own without Dereck’s help.

Then, after lifting her chin again, she raised her still gaunt eyes, but now with a spark of life regained.

“I made a fool of myself. I’m sorry, Dereck.”

“It’s fine. Anyone would be cornered mentally in a situation like this.”

“Hahaha… Such slander can be refuted by gathering evidence and responding logically. For a moment I nearly went astray thinking it was difficult, but it was only an illusion. As heir of Belmierd, who has reigned for so long, I will not be swayed by such a small obstacle, so…”

Ellen, who was once again speaking fluently, revealing her strong character.

But when she saw the young man in front of her, who watched in silence without refuting or agreeing, she was left speechless.

“Then…”

Her voice faded as she looked around the room.

A dagger stained with blood, an overturned table, a carpet soaked with rainwater. It was a complete mess.

Her reflection in the mirror looked so gaunt she could hardly recognize herself at a glance.

And the same was true of her reflection in Dereck’s eyes.

Ellen faltered and finally, with a trembling chin, spoke.

“So I was struggling.”

“…”

“Dereck, I understand what you meant. Even though I’ve had much authority and power at this age, my core wasn’t that strong. But still, Dereck…”

Ellen finally embraced Dereck’s chest and spoke in a trembling voice.

“I’m so glad you’re still on my side.”

After an emotional storm, people quickly regain composure and calm.

When Dereck finished cleaning, Ellen was sitting quietly in the corner of the bed, her head turned toward the wall.

Seeing her fidgeting with her fingertips and avoiding his gaze, it seemed that, as her head cooled, she felt embarrassed.

“Lady Ellen.”

“Yes! No, I mean, yes…”

Her voice rose suddenly, and Ellen hurried to lower it again.

The calm that comes after an emotional jolt, as if one had become a sage.

However, that calm did not drive away the embarrassment.

“Oh, I should warn you beforehand to avoid misunderstandings, but it would be troublesome if you thought I was the type of woman who easily throws her arms around a man’s shoulders. I just let myself go a little and did something I normally wouldn’t do. Think of it as if I had been drunk on strong liquor.”

“Understood. I’ll consider Lady Ellen as someone who clings to a man when she’s drunk.”

“…Why do you say it like that?”

“Have you calmed down?”

Dereck, naturally, caused Ellen to turn her head.

Ellen suddenly trembled and faltered, and then realized that even that reaction had been induced by Dereck.

‘Even though I possess far greater secular power and maintain strict etiquette, when I speak with this man, I feel as if I’m being swept along.’

For Ellen, who had been seated as the next head of Belmierd since she was young, it was a new experience.

If one is above, one is above, and if one is below, one is below—it was the first time she felt that someone beneath her controlled her, and yet, it neither hurt her pride nor angered her.

Dereck was a peculiar man who seemed neither inferior nor superior.

‘I see. I think I understand why Lady Aiselin fell for him. Noble ladies are often weak to men like this.’

Then, she put two fingers to her forehead and murmured to herself.

‘A womanizer.’

In truth, Dereck thought nothing of the sort.

It was only that Ellen gave it meaning on her own.

However, Ellen was not just anyone, so her perception was not entirely wrong.

Noble ladies had temperaments so subtle that they often found no charm in men who were overly courteous, kind, and accommodating.

Rather, they tended to feel a burning love for men who did not move entirely according to their will but still seemed within reach—it was truly paradoxical.

‘Suddenly, thinking this way makes me shiver. To consider that someone who manipulates others effortlessly, while I hold all of Belmierd in the palm of my hand, makes me falter like this—it’s a harsh blow to my pride, isn’t it?’

Ellen placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

‘For Lady Aiselin’s sake, I must never lose my composure.’

“Lady Ellen.”

“Eh?!”

However, as soon as Dereck suddenly approached and called her name, Ellen broke into a cold sweat and stepped back.

She leaned against the wall and spoke with wide eyes.

“Don’t approach me so suddenly. I only just recovered from a state of mental and physical weakness, and even a light stimulus can startle me.”

“Sorry. I was inconsiderate.”

“No, no… strictly speaking, it’s not your fault… no, I’m the one who should apologize.”

Ellen shook her head and fanned her face with her hand.

Dereck, after arranging the letters on the table, spoke in a slightly quicker tone.

“Staying here too long only increases the risk of being discovered by the guards, so I’ll quickly deliver the necessary information and then leave.”

“Leave? You’re going to leave me here alone?”

“Well, it’s not as if I could stay here forever…”

“No, I was just asking. It’s natural.”

Ellen lifted her gaze and sat on the bed.

Alone, the darkness of that private room seemed to weigh on her shoulders, but she didn’t want to show such weakness before Dereck.

As mentioned, she was in a state of mental and physical weakness. In such a situation, saying strange things would only create problems later.

“I’m pretending to cooperate with Young Master Leonard while probing him. Do you remember when Lady Trisha visited Baron Ravenclaw?”

“Lady Trisha? Yes… she asked us to investigate the necromancers who escaped from Rodentz Island.”

“Necromancy is not something ordinary mages can easily access, and its nature is difficult to grasp. But having encountered it in the Duplain family, I can understand it.”

Dereck, with arms crossed, quickly reviewed the information.

“The necromancy lab in the basement is quite different from the necromancy I saw during the Duplain family disaster. It seems highly likely it’s related to Rodentz Island’s necromancy. Of course, it’s not a story with solid proof.”

“So Leonard wasn’t on pilgrimage all this time…”

“For some reason, he came across necromancy and studied it on Rodentz Island.”

The six-star necromancer Fina is a person who has written numerous books on necromancy.

The necromancers of Rodentz Island gathered to study the books written by Pine, venerated her somewhere on the continent, and sought her writings scattered across it.

Leonard also became one of them and was active until the island was subdued by the family of Viscount Renouel, after which he had no choice but to return to the family of Count Belmierd.

Upon returning, he discovered that Linus had relinquished the position of heir and Ellen had taken his place.

From Leonard’s perspective, having been displaced by Linus, he must have thought he was more fit to be head of the family than Ellen.

“…But the connection between Rodentz Island’s necromancy and Leonard is only speculation. Without proof, how can we counter Leonard’s slander?”

“There’s no need to counter it. We can return it with even greater slander.”

“What…?”

“Why fight on the battlefield created by the opponent? Let’s redefine the game where we are the masters.”

Dereck unfolded a letter and showed it.

It was a message written directly by Aiselin of the Duplain family.

— The late Prince Valerian of the Duplain family made a grave mistake under the influence of vile necromantic magic, but it was not of his own will; he was dominated by that magic’s control. It brought great misfortune to our family, and the outcome was not good, but he never actively researched necromantic magic.

— To distort these facts is a great disrespect toward our Duplain family. We sincerely mourn the late Prince Valerian and will not tolerate unnecessary slander against the deceased.

This was a letter directly refuting the claim that Ellen had discussed necromantic research with Valerian.

Of course, no one would want to proudly admit that someone in their family researched necromancy. These negative words from the Duplains might only be a formal expression.

However, it would be one of many elements to prove Ellen’s innocence.

“…Sending such an aggressive letter to Belmierd must have been a difficult decision for Lady Aiselin…”

“Lady Aiselin firmly believes in your innocence.”

“…And this letter from Viscount Renouel?”

“It’s a letter stating that the great hero of Viscount Renouel, Lord Rodeia, will soon visit the Belmierd family.”

At hearing those words, Ellen’s eyes widened.

The Viscount was a Hero who had conquered Rodentz Island and was recognized as someone soon to receive the title of Margrave, greatly increasing her authority.

She despised necromantic magic and was a person who spared nothing in hunting down and killing all remnants of Rodentz Island.

Dereck had contacted Trisha with the intent of bringing the Viscount, who was practically the nemesis of necromancers, to Belmierd.

“Are you really going to escalate this matter so much? What if Leonard has nothing to do with Rodentz Island? Will you be able to handle the consequences?”

“I can handle it.”

“How?”

“Because this letter is a fabricated lie by me.”

At those words, Ellen’s mouth fell open.

“When the opponent argues with lies and pressures us with fabricated evidence, why should we fight fairly?”

“…”

“Viscount Rodeia of the Renouel family is practically a Reaper for the necromancers of Rodentz Island. With just her name mentioned, we’ll gain the advantage.”

If Rodeia, who had killed more necromancers than anyone, visited and inspected the place, she could detect the magical energy left in the traces of Rodentz Island’s necromancy.

It would be a difficult task for most experts, but for a master like Rodeia, it was different. No one in the world knew Rodentz Island’s necromantic magic better than she did.

If that happened, Ellen’s innocence would be proven.

Ellen had spent her whole life in Ebelstein and with the Belmierd family, and had never been near Rodentz Island.

“Dereck. Leonard is skilled at forging documents and creating situations. This letter may look good at first, but Leonard could quickly see it as a crude and clumsy forgery.”

“That’s what I expect.”

Seeing Dereck smile as he said that, Ellen could no longer argue. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Dereck was laying a trap.

“Staying here any longer will only increase the risk of being discovered, so I’ll leave now through the window.”

“A-already?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, no… I mean, it’s a relief that the rain has already stopped.”

Having received Dereck’s plan, Ellen looked at him with a complex, subtle gaze as he tied a rope to the window frame.

It was the first time she had poured out her deepest resentment to someone, especially someone of the opposite sex, so it was hard to easily correct that awkward, faltering attitude.

However, she couldn’t continue like this, so Ellen shook her head vigorously and said.

“The outer wall will be slippery, be careful not to fall.”

“Don’t worry.”

Whooosh.

When the window opened, the wind of the sky rushed into the room.

Feeling the cold night air, she suddenly realized. That man had burst in like the wind, deflecting Ellen’s dagger, and now was about to leave again like the wind.

Well, they would meet again tomorrow morning when the plan was set in motion.

But why did that brief farewell make the empty darkness seeping in from behind feel a little heavier?

“Tomorrow, Count Belmierd will come to hear everything in person. That’s the moment we act.”

“Don’t worry. I can clearly convey my opinion to Father.”

“Yes, I trust you will. Then rest well for the remainder of the night…”

Before descending the rope, Dereck made eye contact with Ellen and assured her firmly.

“Don’t forget that I’m on your side, Lady Ellen.”

Confirmation of the facts.

That was all, yet Ellen suddenly felt as if a knife had been thrust into her chest.

As always, she only needed to nod coolly and say “Yes.” But… it was strange that her heart felt so full with just those words.

When Ellen nodded, the man quickly descended into the darkness of the night. Soon he landed on the ground and melted into the shadows.

Confirming this, she untied the rope, closed the window, and returned to the empty darkness.

Lying on the bed, she silently looked up at the ceiling.

“Don’t forget that I’m on your side, Lady Ellen.”

The words he had left behind as a gift before leaving seemed to echo in her ears.

“Don’t forget that I’m on your side, Lady Ellen.”

“Don’t forget that I’m on your side, Lady Ellen.”

Was it because of those words that echoed like a refrain?

When she suddenly came to herself, she no longer felt the empty darkness of the room, but instead, a strange sense of fullness welled up inside her.

Ellen thought calmly and rationally.

This is definitely dangerous.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelCet