Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 150: The Youngest Disciple (2)

As soon as morning arrived, the icy winter air also seeped into the garden of the Count Renuel’s residence.

When she exhaled, a puff of vapor floated out, and small droplets of water formed on the edge of her winter coat.

Trisha looked with an annoyed expression at the droplets that lingered for a moment and then ran her hand over her face.

She had gone out early to get a bit of fresh air, but her heart was filled only with worry.

‘Mother is going to ask me again how things are going with the Ravenclaw family.’

Every time she went down to the main house, Countess Rodelia widened her eyes and asked Trisha.

Seeing how she always checked whether she could help with anything, it was clear she wanted at all costs to draw that Baron Ravenclaw under her wing.

‘Even if I enter the Ravenclaw Academy and get good grades, I’m not sure I could become his direct disciple…’

How difficult it was to gain Diella’s approval didn’t need to be explained; everyone already knew.

That girl named Diella, who this time rose officially to the highest position among Dereck’s direct disciples, showed clearly that she didn’t want to accept any more disciples.

It had nothing to do with the personal resentment between Trisha and Diella.

She rejected all young nobles as if she were an iron wall, crushed them with just her presence, and reigned as the queen of the Rose Hall.

Feeling as if she had crashed into a huge wall, Trisha could only sigh deeply again and again.

Even if everything went well and she managed to enter as Dereck’s direct disciple, it would be a problem.

Diella, Ellen, Denise, Siern—among such dazzling figures, there would be no way for Trisha to lift her head.

Besides, if she entered now, she would practically end up in the position of the youngest; something so terrible that it almost seemed preferable to swim in a hell of fire.

But she couldn’t ignore Rodelia’s expectations in this inescapable situation.

Lost on the edge of a cliff without knowing what to do, almost a month had already passed.

“I heard he will come to the Count Renuel’s house regarding the support for the construction of the Academy. We should receive him splendidly. Even if he is a baron in charge of a remote and distant region, he has accomplished many merits, so we must treat him with respect.”

And so, disaster always arrived suddenly.

Lately, Baron Ravenclaw had been running everywhere because of the Academy’s construction and the stabilization of the territory.

It would have been what was truly strange if he had not come to the Count Renuel residence during the winter, when there were no classes at the training center.

The Count Renuel’s house was one of the most influential in the southwestern region of the continent.

It seemed that Countess Rodelia wanted to take this opportunity to formally unite Trisha with Baron Ravenclaw and was planning how to arrange the situation.

“I ordered a new dress with pretty frills to be made. We also brought new jewels; check which one suits you best.”

“Ah… yes… th-thank you… m-mother…”

“As I said, your mother does not have good taste for these things, I am not interested in outer appearance. You, who have cultivated an aesthetic sense through social activities, should choose yourself what suits you best, so tell me if anything bothers you.”

Countess Rodelia was not completely ignorant of noble feminine etiquette, but because she had hardly participated in social activities and had spent most of her life on the battlefield, she was rather a rough person.

That she paid so much attention to clothing was something very unusual.

She truly intended to capture Baron Ravenclaw properly with this opportunity.

Politically, she had Melverot as support, and economically she was already secure thanks to her collaboration with the Duplain.

The only thing that could bind him now was a man–woman connection.

That was the origin of Rodelia’s determination, capable of using any method if necessary.

Trisha said goodbye to Rodelia with a slight smile and entered her room, sitting in front of the mirror.

While sitting there, sighs escaped her on their own.

She wiped her face dry, sweating a little, and thought.

‘Yes, if in the count’s residence the other disciples aren’t present, maybe I could persuade him as I wish. Lately my confidence has disappeared, but I must hold firm. I am Trisha, the young noble of the Count Renuel house.’

After holding her breath several times, Trisha finally straightened her back to recover her arrogant attitude.

She opened her chest, placed her hands on her waist, lifted her chin, and let out an arrogant little laugh.

Now, she felt that a bit of her elegance had returned.

Just as Rodelia said, her appearance was more than acceptable, and the Count Renuel house was not something that could embarrass her anywhere.

So there was no reason to be intimidated before Baron Ravenclaw.

All she had to do was remain as always—proud, self-assured, letting her elegant laughter fall.

After looking at herself several times in the mirror to convince herself, she began to feel a little lighter.

However, there were figures that rose like shadows behind her.

People with such authority that they could silence an entire hall with just a glance.

Whether Diella, Ellen, Denise, or Siern.

All of them were people who could crush her effortlessly.

From the perspective of a commoner, Trisha, daughter of a count, would be someone who lived among the clouds.

But from the point of view of those who truly lived in that sky, Trisha was nothing more than one of many ordinary young nobles.

Of course, the authority of the Renuel house was rising without pause, and Trisha’s name was not something that could be ignored easily.

But between the only daughter of a rising lineage and the lineages that had dominated the region for generations, there existed an abyss impossible to explain only with titles.

Neither ignoring, nor boasting, nor adopting an arrogant attitude could close that distance.

Much less with Baron Ravenclaw, who was above all of them—it was a distance that could not be described with words.

Trisha lowered her gaze again.

In worldly authority, magical ability, innate personality.

The disciples of Baron Ravenclaw were on a level different from hers.

There was no way she could place her name among them.

Even so, she could not allow her spirit to break.

Lowering her head like a defeated one, hiding her tail, and living bowed.

In noble society, that was the same as receiving a death sentence.

Losing confidence was accepting death.

That was the unwritten code of the battlefield of women—the high society.

*

Although he was recently the most famous person in Ebelstein and throughout the entire southwest of the continent, Baron Ravenclaw always dressed simply.

A leather vest, a tunic, tight pants comfortable for movement, and well-oiled boots.

Over that, he wore a cloak as an outer garment.

At first glance, his outfit looked more like that of a wandering mercenary than that of a noble.

That was why, even among nobles, he was often considered an unusual case, and when the servants saw him stepping down from the carriage, they couldn’t help but be unsettled.

It was a level that went beyond austere and bordered on having no ornamentation at all.

Depending on the person, it could be seen as a lack of etiquette or dignity, but in the eyes of Countess Rodelia, it actually made him look practical and trustworthy.

Perhaps Rodelia’s eyes were already clouded by him, but it was also a consequence of the long years she had spent living on the battlefield.

“The wounds you took in the last battle must have been deep, but it seems you’ve almost recovered. My heart feels lighter. You must be tired from coming from so far away.”

“It is nothing, your ladyship the countess. Thanks to the help you gave me that day, the matter didn’t escalate. I should have come earlier to express my gratitude—my apologies for not doing so.”

“Express gratitude? I saw with my own eyes how badly injured you were. I also have common sense, you know.”

Rodelia, who hadn’t seen Baron Ravenclaw in some time, showed a completely satisfied smile.

To her, Baron Ravenclaw was practically already her future son-in-law; she was thinking of what dowry to give when they married and what land to grant them so they could live separately as newlyweds.

Unlike when she slaughtered black mages of the necromancy branch on the battlefield, in moments like this she showed a surprisingly naive side; that contrast was part of the charm of Countess Rodelia.

Every time Trisha watched from afar that sweet gaze and satisfied smile her mother directed at Dereck, she couldn’t help but feel cold sweat run down her neck.

It seemed Rodelia still didn’t realize how unapproachable that man named Dereck truly was.

She seemed to believe that someone with Trisha’s appearance and personality could conquer him without difficulty, but that was the thought of someone like Rodelia, who didn’t fully understand emotions between men and women.

Dereck was, essentially, a madman who knew only magic; he had accepted countless brilliant women as his disciples, and yet not even a shred of romance ever appeared.

Provoking an emotional reaction in him was almost the same as trying to push over a mountain.

Trisha could only wish her mother would finally understand how irrational the demand she was placing on her daughter truly was.

“Ah, this is my daughter Trisha. You must already know each other, but as a mother I always worry that you might not greet each other properly.”

“Ah… hello, Baron Ravenclaw. We meet again.”

Trisha bowed her head with a tense tone, and Dereck, after looking at her in silence, returned the courtesy.

“Do not worry. I have spoken with Miss Trisha on several occasions, and last time she even visited the Duplain main house.”

“Oh, that’s right, she did. My body is old now and my memory fades. Well then, our precious Trisha didn’t inconvenience you in any way, I hope?”

“Not at all. Miss Trisha, as befits the daughter of Count Renuel, always treated me with dignity and courtesy. I heard the same from the servants—they told me that during her entire visit she was so kind and considerate that they were deeply moved.”

One of the habits Dereck had developed when joining noble society was avoiding unnecessary enemies.

In truth, both in the Ravenclaw household and in the Duplain household, Trisha’s conduct had been more arrogant and haughty than dignified.

However, Dereck made sure to polish her behavior so that she wouldn’t face problems in the residence of Count Renuel.

That consideration had already become natural within him.

Trisha found Dereck’s treatment unexpected.

Even though he had a noble title, his behavior was usually closer to that of a commoner.

She had unconsciously assumed he lacked refinement, so she held her breath for a moment.

‘Does becoming a noble really change a person this much?’

Trisha cleared her throat several times, adjusted her tone, and lifting the edges of her dress slightly in a demure manner, bowed again.

“Baron Ravenclaw is very considerate with me. Compared to the other young ladies of the Rose Hall, I am far behind.”

“That is not so.”

When it was necessary to affirm something, Dereck did so without hesitation; it was clear he knew how to treat a lady.

Rodelia smiled in satisfaction again upon seeing this and immediately led him inside the Renuel mansion.

Trisha swallowed, tightly grasped the edges of her dress, and followed behind.

The tension was so great that her vision felt clouded, so she forced herself to gather her resolve and harden her expression.

To get through the situation, she could only face the crisis with determination.

‘When you participate in society, you’ll meet people with a presence far more imposing than yours, who seem superior in every aspect.’

Her father, Hutton, a famous merchant who died at the hands of a black mage, had been a remarkable man.

He had gained prestige by financing trade branches in the western continent and selling insurance to merchant ships.

Despite being of commoner origin, he had built a wide network in society.

That he had caught Rodelia’s attention and married her was almost unbelievable; their personalities were opposites.

Rodelia was brave and righteous; Hutton, a timid opportunist.

Rodelia devoted herself to martial arts; Hutton mastered business strategies, rhetoric, and persuasion.

Rodelia was upright and firm; Hutton a man whose values shifted with the situation.

But they say people are drawn to what is opposite to them.

That fiery love story between young Rodelia and Hutton, from Trisha’s point of view, wasn’t hard to understand.

The romance between a magnate who traveled the world accumulating gold from a young age and a warrior who lived her entire life absorbed in sword and magic was romantic enough to spark anyone’s imagination.

But all that was already history.

The stories Hutton told young Trisha as he stroked her hair were things the upright Rodelia could never have taught her.

With her eyes wide open with curiosity about the world, Trisha listened as he once again passed his hand over her head.

‘Even if it seems like everyone in the world is above you, even before people who could crush you with a single glance, you must keep your head held high. Surviving in society is like that.’

‘If I were in a situation like that, I think I’d be very scared…’

‘Of course. Being human, it’s impossible not to feel fear. What matters is never showing it. Wear an arrogant smile and a mask, act as if the whole world belongs to you. Even if you’re at a disadvantage, never be servile.’

In life, there will come a moment when everyone around you seems like monsters running among the clouds.

You’ll find yourself before a huge wall and wonder if you are nothing but a weak, mediocre creature.

Before people who shine dazzlingly, you may feel like a worthless worm or a hedgehog covered in spikes.

In those moments, never show your depths.

Even if a single wrong step could make you fall into the mud, you must smile calmly, straighten your back and chest, and sit with arrogance.

Even atop a sandcastle about to collapse, you must be able to lie down as if nothing were happening.

Among extraordinary people, ordinary beings will always be tested that way.

‘If you do that, even those who fully understand your situation won’t be able to look down on you so easily.’

That was what Hutton said, the man who had gone out into the world without a single coin and became a renowned banker.

He was no longer in this world, but thanks to those memories, Trisha still vividly kept his voice.

They were memories from many years ago.

“Is it some matter concerning Clementine territory? It likely must be decided immediately.”

While they walked down the corridor of the Renuel mansion toward the reception room where refreshments had been prepared, the butler approached to whisper something to Countess Rodelia.

Something must have happened on the outskirts of the territory and required her immediate judgment.

Rodelia furrowed her brow, showing displeasure, and then looked toward Dereck and Trisha.

“A matter has come up that I must attend to right now. I’ll go to the office for a moment; the two of you may converse in the reception room.”

Upon hearing she would be left alone with Baron Ravenclaw, Trisha held her breath.

She felt the air leave her lungs, but she had no other choice.

“I’m sorry to leave you like this, after you came all the way to the mansion.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Trisha. Baron Ravenclaw is a guest of honor, behave properly so as not to disrespect him.”

“Ye-yes, mother.”

After saying that, Countess Rodelia quickly headed toward the main hall.

Most of the servants followed her, so aside from a couple of maids, no one else remained.

Only Trisha and Dereck were left. Silence filled the corridor.

“…”

Trisha swallowed and, after clearing her throat, spoke.

“Ah… thank you for speaking well of me before my mother. B-but… it wasn’t necessary for you to be so considerate. I know how to keep my place within the family… and my mother always notices such obvious courtesies… it could backfire, you know?”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. So it’s enough to be as you are. Just as you are. My mother isn’t a fan of such blatant formalities. Although she saw it was consideration toward me, so she was satisfied… we were lucky this time. Do you understand?”

She felt she was beginning to speak too much, so Trisha cleared her throat again and lifted her nose slightly.

“S-so… there’s no need for that much consideration. I can handle my—”

“Miss Trisha.”

The abrupt interruption from Dereck made Trisha shiver.

It was rare for him, always so attentive and respectful, to cut someone off like that.

Without showing surprise, Trisha quickly turned her head and glanced at him.

Dereck watched her in silence for a moment and finally said, as if letting it drop.

“You don’t need to try so hard.”

Creaak.

After saying that, he opened the door to the reception room and walked in first.

“…”

Trisha didn’t know whether he was ignoring her or upset; she stood there tense, expecting some reaction.

But his response, so direct and calm, was completely unexpected.

She held her breath.

She stared for a moment at the open door with wide eyes.

She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she felt as if Dereck had seen straight through the depths of her mind, and for an instant, she blanked out.

‘Uh…’

Trisha swallowed again and, gripping her dress, rushed inside. A thin trail of cold sweat ran down her back.

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