Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 19: Journey (3)

“Well, anyway, I personally thank you.”

Leigh, after chatting for a while, spoke seriously in a more relaxed atmosphere.

“Things at home have been good lately. It seems that brother Valerian can now focus on domain affairs, and our father, though he doesn’t show it much, seems satisfied.”

“Really? It’s hard to understand the Grand Duke’s feelings.”

“Well, it’s hard for me too. Heh.”

Leigh crossed his legs in a relaxed posture, stroked his chin a few times, and then sighed.

“Yeah, I guess I have to accept what must be accepted.”

“…”

“People can change. Especially those in that age group, even more so.”

Leigh, with a distant look in his eyes, seemed to be recalling the past.

It wasn’t hard to guess why he harbored resentment toward Diella, but delving into that specific incident was another matter. He didn’t like Diella, but after their last duel, he had to acknowledge her inner growth. At this moment, it seemed he had revised his former low opinion of her.

“She uses first-tier magic, but her way of channeling mana is unique. It feels like… how should I say this?… like painting.”

“You noticed the difference?”

“Of course, I saw it firsthand. I don’t think Diella learned the rules and system-based theories that we nobles follow.”

Leigh was more perceptive than expected. After all, he was a prodigy born into the Duplain family lineage.

His achievements might not compare to his brother Valerian’s, but his innate sensitivity to mana was not inferior at all.

“Diella uses magic differently?”

“Yes. The mana usage in the Wild Academy varies significantly from person to person. Perhaps… once she reaches a certain level, she won’t need me to teach her anymore; she’ll be able to learn on her own. At that point, honestly, any so-called ‘instruction’ might actually become a hindrance.”

“That alone sounds quite special.”

Leigh closed his eyes tightly.

He seemed to be reflecting on Diella’s past—one filled with failures, leading her to silently isolate herself in the pavilion.

Then, with a voice that was neither too emotional nor too cold, Leigh said:

“The days to see the light will surely come.”

*

And so, spring arrived.

If life had four seasons, it recently felt like an eternal spring.

At least for Diella.

While other family members might be busy with estate matters or larger issues… for Diella, who could devote herself solely to training, the whole world felt like a warm paradise.

Her magical abilities seemed to progress with each practice session. As often happens in learning, once you begin to feel your own improvement, it becomes more enjoyable than any form of entertainment.

The liberal arts classes were also more manageable than expected. Playing piano and arranging flowers herself were quite enjoyable, so she practiced them in her room even during her free time without being asked.

Walking through the garden bathed in warm sunlight, the servants no longer sweated nervously at the sight of Diella. Sometimes, a bold servant would comment on the nice weather, and Diella could now respond with genuine grace.

The servants working in the pavilion began to sincerely believe in Diella and followed her, maintaining their appearance and behavior impeccably. Butler Delron would greet her with a gentle smile, and Diella, in turn, could reflect on how much she had grown since childhood.

She, who once showed no interest in worldly affairs, was now beginning to pay attention to her surroundings. The low-ranking servants, who always seemed to be watching her, were actually more admirable and skilled than she had thought.

How busy and capable the housekeeper Katarina was. How early the scolded servants began their daily duties in the mansion.

How delicious the soup prepared by the chef who once worked in the royal palace was. The quality of the spices sprinkled at the end. The subtle flavor of the black tea served at tea time. The depth of its aroma.

She picked up her brush again.

Sometimes, when she had time, she would take her easel and canvas to the garden, painting the diligent gardener or the profile of the great house at sunset. Most didn’t understand her style, full of empty space, but she didn’t care and painted what she liked.

Dipping her brush in the well-mixed paint and tracing it across the canvas, it felt as though time stood still. Once, while painting the blue sky behind the mansion, she realized the day was already turning to dusk.

Time continued to flow, but the warm feeling of an eternal spring never faded. After a long winter, perhaps an endless spring wasn’t such a bad thing.

That was the thought Diella always held.

“You’ve gotten used to manifesting magic faster than I expected. Your progress is quicker than I anticipated. You don’t need more practice now.”

“I told you I could do it if I tried, didn’t I?”

Many flowers bloomed in Diella’s world, but still, the time she spent with Dereck was the longest.

Who could deny it? That boy was the spring that came to Diella.

He taught her magic, discovered her talent, showed her the right path, and stood firm in his duty even when faced with her dismissive family. Yet, he always did it with his usual emotionless face, simply fulfilling his role.

Diella felt grateful toward Dereck, but as a teenager, she was clumsy in expressing her feelings. As always, in front of Dereck, who praised her as she was, Diella squinted like a sly cat and, with a victorious expression, placed her hands on her hips.

“Hmph!”

“…”

“Every time I act proud like this, do you always look at me with that pitying expression?”

“It’s not pity… Sometimes I just envy your innocence.”

“You have a very peculiar way of saying I’m naïve about the world.”

“How could I speak bluntly to a lady of the Duplain family? You have noble blood.”

It was undeniable. This boy seemed to fulfill all formalities yet never spoke empty words. In fact, that quality was rather comforting. In the noble world, full of hollow words and pretenses, someone like Dereck—polite but sincere—was worth more than gold.

What a blessing it was to find a mentor one could trust and follow. Before she realized it, Diella found herself humming a tune whenever she strolled quietly.

She enjoyed the scent of flowers by the roadside or reaching out to the high blue sky. When she had time, she would draw for the mansion’s servants.

At first, the servants posed awkwardly, but over time, they began to look forward to her drawings.

After one month, then two, Diella was remembered among the servants as a loving and dignified woman. She had once been a pure and innocent child, and though she had gone through a rebellious phase, caught up in her own emotions and acting out on purpose, she quickly came to her senses and became again a woman worthy of her lineage.

Thus, Diella’s wandering phase was covered over. If one lived in the present and moved forward well, a brief detour in life would only be a minor deviation.

Even Lady Miriela, who had once looked disapprovingly at Dereck, had to acknowledge his accomplishments, and when they passed in the hallway, she would simply close her eyes and move along.

Seeing scenes like that, Diella felt that there was nothing in this world too difficult for her.

“Hey, Dereck.”

At the end of spring, as Diella absentmindedly watched butterflies fluttering among the garden flowers, she asked:

“Dereck, you’ve lived a wandering life as a mercenary.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then you must’ve lived in truly rough environments, nothing like this noble mansion. After all, the magic you use is based on Wild Academy theory.”

“That’s right. Most mages from the Wild Academy are like that. It’s rare to find Wild Academy theory in such a noble environment. You’re special.”

Special.

Feeling an inexplicable satisfaction hearing that word, Diella smiled brightly.

Dereck, absorbed in a three-star magic book borrowed from the library, asked from the other side of the tea table.

“But why do you ask?”

“I just… wanted to know how you lived.”

Though Diella had never shown interest in her surroundings before, her perspective had recently broadened, and she began to care about Dereck.

“Dereck, you probably already know this, but I think noblewomen live similarly. There may be some differences based on status or prestige, but generally, they live like me. But that doesn’t apply to commoners.”

“That’s true. The lifestyle of commoners is quite varied. The values they hold most dear differ from person to person, and they’re freer than you’d think. Of course, most live trembling in poverty rather than enjoying that freedom.”

“Yeah. That’s why I asked about you, Dereck. I just wanted to know.”

Dereck quietly listened to Diella’s words and then spoke as if it were nothing.

“I only wanted to become a high-level mage. That’s the only goal I have now.”

“Really?”

“All I’ve done is fight to survive from the bottom, and the only talent I have is handling magic well.”

Dereck spoke in an honest tone, as if it didn’t matter, but Diella listened intently to her mentor’s words, blinking with bright eyes.

“Live doing what you’re good at. That’s all I think. There’s no great reason behind it.”

“I think that’s pretty big. Dereck, for a commoner, you use magic at an extraordinary level.”

“That’s just by commoner standards. For nobles born as mages like you, Lady Diella, it’s a world you’ll reach eventually.”

In Diella’s small eyes, Dereck appeared as someone whose ability was far greater than she had imagined.

“If you want to dream, you have to look further. That’s not something I can say openly just anywhere.”

She couldn’t help but think—that was so very Dereck. Every time Dereck spoke of his ambitions, Diella felt a strange sense of disconnect from him.

Their backgrounds and approaches to life were vastly different from each other. Still, following in his footsteps was an exciting endeavor. Diella, who had once wandered aimlessly through life, felt like she had finally found a milestone, and before she realized it, she was always smiling contentedly.

*

“Miss Diella, you seem to be in a good mood today.”

“Do I? Actually, I nearly mastered first-tier magic yesterday. Did Valerian also reach this level at my age? Maybe I really do have talent?”

“Of course. The magical progress you’ve made in the past few months is extraordinary. There’s no doubt you’ll become a mage on par with Master Valerian.”

Early in the morning, the maid brushing Diella’s hair smiled kindly. Diella responded enthusiastically to her words. The maid’s praise wasn’t empty—Diella’s rapidly advancing magical abilities were truly exceptional.

It was said that mastering several first-tier spells before coming of age was considered very talented, and beginning to practice second-tier magic was practically a sign of a prodigy. Even by noble standards, this level of growth was clearly uncommon.

Diella had fully absorbed the techniques and mastery methods taught by Dereck, and it seemed she would soon learn a new first-tier spell.

“Today I have a magic lesson early on. In the afternoon I need to study geography, so I want to practice as much as I can in the morning.”

“The weather is nice this morning too, so I’ll prepare the tea table in the garden. How about having your lesson there?”

“Yes!”

Diella replied cheerfully and then stepped lightly into the hallway. There was still time before her morning lesson, but she headed out early, caught up in her excitement.

At this hour, her magic instructor was probably hidden away in his private room, absorbed in a thick spellbook. He was someone who always practiced magic in his spare time. If she arrived early and pushed him to start the lesson sooner, he would sigh as if he had no choice and let himself be led outside by Diella.

Since the morning weather was so nice, why not enjoy the warm sun while receiving a new transmission of first-tier magic?

With that thought, Diella hummed a tune and moved with a spring in her step.

Without thinking twice, she entered Dereck’s private room and raised her voice, full of excitement.

“Dereck! It’s time for our morning magic lesson! I’ve been looking forward to this all week because we only had liberal arts classes!”

“…”

Upon opening the door, as always, there was the boy in his mercenary outfit, sitting at his desk.

However, today, her older brother—the noble Valerian—was visiting his room. Busy with domain affairs, what brought him here?

“Oh, um. Brother.”

“Oh, Diella. Good morning.”

Valerian greeted her with a gentle smile, but a strange unease lingered in his heart. He seemed to have been discussing something with Dereck. Surprised by the unexpected visitor, Diella hesitated for a moment but then continued in a brighter tone.

“Brother, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a separate appointment with Dereck for magic lessons this morning.”

“No. I’m not here for a lesson. I just came to ask him something.”

“Should I come back after you’re finished?”

It was Dereck who stopped her.

“There’s no problem, Lady Diella. We were discussing your magic lessons.”

“Huh? A discussion about my lessons?”

As Diella tilted her head in confusion, Dereck spoke with a slight bow.

“Actually, I have nothing more left to teach you.”

So it was the season.

Just as there is no eternal winter, there is no eternal spring either.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelCet