Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 41: Spell (3)

Listen to this, Dereck, magic instructor of the Beldern Mercenary Group.

As I was informed by Butler Clerven, I understand that you have begun teaching Denise at the Ebelstein mansion.

First of all, I commend your efforts. Your reputation for excellence precedes you, and the Beltus family has made many efforts and sacrifices to bring you here. I hope you will deliver results worthy of that reputation.

As the instructor directly educating my daughter, it would be natural for me to meet and greet you in person, but as you know, the situation in the southwest of the empire is too chaotic for me to leave my post.

However, summoning the instructor who is fully engaged in teaching my daughter to the estate would only delay matters, so please accept this letter as a substitute for a personal meeting.

My daughter Denise has excelled in various fields of magic even before becoming active in Ebelstein’s social circles, but at some point, she stagnated and has not made further magical progress.

As a renowned magic instructor, I greatly anticipate your ability to help her break through this seemingly impenetrable wall of limitations.

I grant you full authority over Denise’s education. If you need anything, speak through the butler or the mansion staff, and if there are any accomplishments to report, send a letter directly.

—The wisest and longest-ruling sovereign of Beltus Territory,

His Highness, Andeloph Kellock Beltus, Grand Duke.

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Reply:

To His Highness, the Grand Duke Beltus,

It is a great honor to receive a handwritten letter from you. I will honor the trust you have placed in me and remain faithful to my duty.

Please do not worry too much about Miss Denise’s progress.

If I say I will do it, I will.

Sincerely,

Dereck.

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*

For Denise, attending meetings at the Rose Hall wasn’t a difficult trial.

From early morning—getting dressed, maintaining an elegant demeanor, chatting with nobles while forcing a smile—it was all incredibly exhausting.

As she walked through the various luxurious halls of the noble district, Denise would always think to herself: how much she wished she could return home, collapse, and read a romantic novel.

However, over time, attending the Rose Hall meetings had become a kind of break. Because home was even more of a hell.

“Dereck isn’t coming to the mansion today, right? In the morning, I plan to attend a lecture on Aintress philosophy at the Cultural Center… and in the afternoon, I have a meeting at Rose Hall. It’ll be late at night when everything’s over…”

“Yes. There’s been no special contact from Mr. Dereck. It wouldn’t make sense for him to come since you’ll be busy with social activities all day.”

“I must… I must finish getting ready quickly before that stubborn man arrives. The schedule is set to leave after breakfast, but let’s eat something simple and leave the house before dawn.”

However, Dereck was already standing at the front door, carrying several magical training tools.

“Good morning, Miss Denise.”

“Eek!”

“The dawn air is quite refreshing. Today, let’s focus on basic physical conditioning and theoretical lessons instead of magical training.”

“D-Dereck! Lessons are fine, but social activities as a noble lady are also important!”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right.”

Dereck wasn’t unreasonable.

No matter how hard he tried to correct Denise’s lazy mindset, he couldn’t go against her noble responsibilities.

Therefore, with a refreshing expression, Dereck told Denise:

“I’ll wait at the mansion until you finish your schedule. I also have much personal training to focus on. Please don’t worry about me and dedicate yourself to Rose Hall and your social duties.”

“…You’ll wait? At the mansion?”

“Won’t you return around dinner time? From then until you go to bed, if you make time, you can train for over six hours. Considering you’ll be physically exhausted, let’s focus on theoretical lessons. I’ve already prepared all the study materials. I even used my savings to buy them, so please read them thoroughly.”

“M-Mr. Dereck… those expenses should be charged to the mansion…”

When her exclusive maid Bella gasped in surprise, Denise shook her head firmly and looked at her.

“I—I’m going to attend the meeting for now!”

Denise felt a chill run through her, as if the tenacity of her magic instructor had latched onto her like a water ghost.

*

Dereck silently watched Denise’s retreating figure as she fled, then followed the servants’ guidance into the mansion.

The servants had completely emptied the drawing room to make Dereck comfortable. After all, with the lady of the house away, no honorable guests were expected.

Dereck placed several magical artifacts and the letters he brought on the lounge table.

He also unpacked all the food and household supplies he had bought at the market. There was a reason he brought all these items from dawn.

‘Phew…’

Due to the absence of the young lady he was supposed to teach, Dereck kept himself busy.

He took off his cloak, carefully folded it to the side, and rolled up his sleeves.

After all, to gain support among the three noble families, one had to show at least some results.

Whether intentionally or not, Dereck had gained recognition among the noble families by teaching their teenage daughters. Given his current situation, giving his all was the right course of action.

What does it mean to teach someone?

If it’s merely the transfer of knowledge, reading a book would suffice. Teaching someone means connecting and sincerely communicating with that person—progressing together.

Therefore, the current situation, where Denise feels overwhelmed and runs from Dereck, couldn’t be viewed positively.

Denise was completely different from Ellen. While Ellen actively absorbed Dereck’s teachings, Denise seemed to avoid them. In other words, a different approach was needed.

Dereck was someone who handled everything efficiently and methodically. It was his habit to research the safest and cleanest way to complete any task.

To gain control over Denise, foster magical accomplishments, correct her attitude toward magic, and repay his debt to the Beltus family—this grand plan would begin by tying Denise down so she couldn’t protest.

Although he had been acknowledged by the Duke of Beltus as a magic instructor, that alone wasn’t enough.

To truly win over Denise, the best way was to gradually turn her environment.

The grand mansion was her domain.

Backed by the Beltus family, it was a place where the servants gathered solely to serve her as their lady.

The first step was to win over the hearts of the servants who toiled year-round just to support her.

That’s why Dereck arrived at the mansion early in the morning, even though Denise wasn’t there.

The first person Dereck sought out was the gatekeeper of the grand mansion.

“Please take it easy. With the increasingly extreme temperature changes, you need to stay warm to avoid health issues.”

“Oh, such a fine tea… Thank you. You’re the magic instructor who came to teach Miss Denise, aren’t you?”

“Yes. The young lady is away, so it’s a bit more relaxed here.”

“Haha… An uneducated man like me certainly has a different spirit than her. Though we’re both commoners, the difference is stark… Still, please take good care of the young miss. She may seem unmotivated, but she has a kind heart.”

“Of course. I’m here to serve Miss Denise, so I must remain loyal to my duty.”

And so, that day, until Denise returned, he shared tea and mundane stories with the mansion’s gatekeeper.

That evening, after lessons were over, under the pretext that there was liquor available, he invited the gatekeeper out to drink at the seaside dock. Hence, he occasionally drank with the gatekeeper.

Next, he discussed the flavor of food with the mansion’s chef and butler.

Dereck spent whole days in the cultural corridor’s library, studying various ingredients and culinary cultures.

While walking down the hall, he would talk in-depth about the ingredients used in that day’s meal and debate the depth of flavor they brought.

From time to time, Dereck would bring rare ingredients from the market to the chef, cook delicious dishes together, or even serve them to Denise.

When Denise praised the flavor of the food, the chef, wearing a satisfied expression, would hug Dereck in the kitchen.

Seeing Dereck slowly immerse himself in the culinary world, the chef would passionately lecture—spitting as he talked—about the difference in sweetness between fruits from the western continent and the northeast, and explain for over thirty minutes how the direction of an ingredient’s cut affected how the sauce soaked in.

Dereck listened to all these stories with great interest.

He also discussed the flora of the southwestern continent with the gardener whenever he had the chance.

He spent entire days reading books about plants and ecology to build a basic foundation. He couldn’t amass the knowledge of an expert just by reading a few books, but at least he could pretend to be someone worth talking to and learning from.

Having worked for several noble families, befriending the servants was no problem. Understanding their hardships, he empathized with them, occasionally helped with washing or cleaning, and shared delicious food in the kitchen—soon earning warm smiles whenever they saw him.

It was easy to get along with the seed vendors and guards. They were fascinated by the rugged lifestyle of mercenaries. They listened eagerly to Dereck’s stories of slaying monsters in various labyrinths.

The butler was the hardest to crack, but once he realized Dereck’s main goal was to rehabilitate Denise, he even came to Dereck’s lounge first to share stories about the mansion’s history.

“Miss Denise! Mr. Dereck has arrived…! He brought a lot of good ingredients today! Is seafood okay for dinner? I’ll cook with no restraints!”

“Oh, Dereck. Poor man. You’ve been working hard since morning. Rest a bit.”

“Mr. Dereck, I’ve already mended the clothes you mentioned last time. They were really helpful for training the apprentice servants.”

Before long, the mansion’s gatekeeper was laughing heartily while hugging Dereck, the servants welcomed him warmly, and the butler smiled in satisfaction.

The gardener spread good words about the man, saying he was truly honorable, and some clumsy apprentice servants blushed whenever he passed by.

“…He’s more sociable than I thought. But of course, to stand out in the harsh mercenary world, you need sharp insight into people and wisdom…”

“No… Bella… Still, it’s strange how quickly he integrated into the mansion… Could he be using magic or deception?”

“…Well, it’s true Mr. Dereck himself is a substantial person. Though as a mentor, he can be tough.”

“Uh…”

Denise lay on her back in bed, enduring the pain that tormented her body.

Since lunchtime, Dereck had stopped training and gone out to talk with the servants.

Though he hadn’t been appointed instructor for long, his reputation among the staff had already skyrocketed.

Of course, this goodwill wasn’t gained for free.

He had spent his own money on various gifts, and though busy with magic training, he studied people’s interests, listened to them, and helped late into the night when needed—slowly building relationships. All of this was the result of time and effort invested.

Most importantly, there was an insurmountable gap between Denise and Dereck. Denise was a high-ranking noble, someone to approach cautiously, while Dereck was a commoner who had risen from nothing.

It was obvious whom the servants would feel more comfortable with.

“So what… It’s not strange to socialize with the servants, right?”

“Yes, but… I feel uneasy. That mercenary is straightforward and indifferent; he wouldn’t flatter without a reason… So there must be a motive behind his actions. Surely… it’s a tactic to trap me…”

“…”

“Bella… you mustn’t… be deceived by the unknown intentions of that mercenary.”

Bella quietly rested her chin on her hand, daydreaming.

It was true Dereck had always been kind to Bella. The magic instructors who came to the mansion were usually arrogant and proud, treating the servants poorly, so his refreshing demeanor was a welcome change.

He would help Bella clean artworks using a soft breeze spell, and when she had trouble cleaning supplies late at night, he would nonchalantly step in to help her carry them.

It might seem like a blatant attempt to win favor, but it was hard to believe someone as respected as Dereck would try to win over low-ranking servants… After all, he simply helped without seeking praise and moved on with his tasks.

“…Could he really be a good person?”

“Bella… you too…!”

Before she knew it, Dereck had completely infiltrated Denise’s household. Getting rid of him was becoming increasingly difficult.

It was hard to understand this side of him when she only saw him buried in magic in a dirty cave. Dereck was already skilled in social maneuvering. Much of it was influenced by the tavern owner, Jayden, who could handle any guest with ease.

Denise felt herself slowly being pulled under his control.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelCet