Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 46: Wild Horse (3)

To the dear Miss Diella,

It has been quite some time since the end of spring, yet the nights remain cold. During these important days for you, I hope you take good care of your health.

The reason I write this secret letter with a quill is because it saddens me to see that you harbor resentment toward me.

Although I cannot express it openly in public, I have no reason to be your enemy, Miss Diella. Above all, I have always wished to be rid of the magic instructor named Dereck whom you mentioned.

As you well know, the Beltus family is not willing to dismiss Dereck. Therefore, my desire to do so runs counter to my family’s interests.

By expressing this intention, I feel as though I’m exposing a weakness to you, Miss Diella. If you see this letter as a lie or a ruse, you are free to take it and present yourself directly to the Beltus family.

If you deliver this letter to my father, it will be reported that a noble lady of the Beltus family has acted against our house. Of course, this would also gravely damage my own position.

The reason I’m revealing my vulnerability so openly is simple—our interests are aligned.

As I mentioned, I deeply wish for someone, anyone, to take away the magic instructor named Dereck.

However, I cannot make decisions on matters that affect the family’s true interests alone, so I would like to make a proposal.

A magic duel.

I will wager Dereck. Miss Diella, please wager something of equal value.

Considering that the three great families all covet this magic instructor, a trivial bet would not suffice for a duel—but in truth, that does not matter. After all, I intend to lose the duel.

If the Duplain family wagers something valuable enough to convince my father, we can make this duel a reality.

Losing the duel and handing over Dereck is something I can accept. It would be seen as a mistake on my part, but not rebellion—rather, an act openly against the family’s wishes. I am willing to take that risk.

As I mentioned in the tea room, Dereck truly is a good magic instructor and will be someone even more remarkable in the future. But I am not worthy of someone like him.

A good tutor shines even brighter when matched with a good student. I hope someone as exceptional as Lady Diella can take away this treasure named Dereck.

Please respond to me.

I must reiterate: since my position in the family is at stake, make sure this letter is not leaked.

*

Cri, cri.

Dawn arrived accompanied only by the chirping of crickets beyond the window frame.

In the darkness, Denise’s hand moved swiftly with the quill as she leaned over a small candle.

It seemed quite urgent—she wrote the letter while occasionally glancing at the door or window to ensure no one discovered her.

After all, she had to send this letter to Diella somehow, as she was the only one who could take Dereck away right now.

“I hope there aren’t any mistakes from my haste… Let’s read it through once more. Even if it’s a little clumsy, Lady Diella will understand.”

Since it would do no good for anyone else to know the contents of this letter, Denise wanted to finish it quickly.

It was practically proof that Denise herself was actively going against the wishes of the Beltus family. Not even the family’s servants could be allowed to see it.

With that in mind, she glanced toward the door—and accidentally met the eyes of the butler, who was patrolling the hallway late at night.

“Ah…”

“…!”

The butler also seemed a bit surprised. But he had long been supportive of Denise in his own way. Without showing panic, he whispered softly:

“I sensed a presence and thought there might be an intruder, so I came to check.”

“I, this… I mean…”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I’ve confirmed there are no intruders, so I’ll be on my way. I apologize… um… for interrupting your concentration… Please… continue your writing in peace!”

“…”

The butler, considerate of Denise’s feelings, quickly disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. His departure felt almost like a retreat.

“…”

Denise couldn’t help falling into a distant, complicated mood.

*

As the seasons changed, warmth began to spread across the southwest of the empire.

The romantic and mild spring landscape gradually receded, giving way to lush greenery. The servants of the Duplain estate were busy each day preparing for the upcoming heat.

Chiek!

Ding! Clack! Clack!

Though every day was hectic, today was certainly even more so.

It was the day when the family troops, who had departed to conquer the White Zone in the northern territory, would reunite for the first time.

Valerian and Leigh, who had brought only their most trusted lieutenants and outstanding soldiers, now entered through the estate gates.

The two brothers, riding large white horses, wore thick, splendid armor. Following them were soldiers and their uncle Flam, who had accompanied them as their mentor. A veteran four-star mage, he had provided the Duke Duplain’s sons with valuable knowledge on battlefield command.

Prince Valerian, the leader of the group, already radiated the dignity of a noble.

“Father. The conquest of the White Zone remains difficult, but it hasn’t been without success.”

Valerian, who had returned after repelling monsters in the White Zone and exploring several dungeons, appeared several years more mature.

The Duke of Duplain, pleased by his eldest son’s appearance, rose from his desk, approached the still-armored Valerian, and patted him on the shoulder.

“I’m glad to see you return so spirited from your first battle.”

“No, as I mentioned, we’ve conquered a few dungeons near the White Zone. Not many, but the monster population along the border has significantly decreased.”

“Indeed. You can’t expect to feast with the first bite. It’s enough that you’ve returned safely. You must’ve learned a lot from Flam, yes?”

“Yes. Uncle, being a veteran soldier, taught us much about leading troops. I’m sure we’ll achieve even more on the second expedition.”

The Duke also looked at Leigh, who stood behind Valerian with arms crossed.

The second son had grown much sturdier compared to when he trained alone at the estate. The other two great families, Belmierd and Beltus, were impressive, but one reason they could never surpass the Duplains was the presence of such reliable heirs.

Robenalt, the eldest of the Beltus family, was diligent but lacked talent and capability, still far from reaching his potential. The Belmierd children had either scattered or entered the clergy, leaving their eldest daughter Ellen to bear the burden.

However, the Duplain family was complete—from Valerian, Leigh, and Aiselin to Diella—no one lacking, and many rumors spoke of the family’s abundant and brilliant offspring.

This was why Duke Duplain could sleep soundly, even as Grand Duke Beltus and Count Belmierd eyed his position with envy.

“I’ve brought back some soldiers who achieved great feats in the conquest of the White Zone. They fought for our house’s glory, even risking their lives; please be sure to commend them.”

“Yes. Invite them to tonight’s dinner. Aiselin and Diella will also come to the estate upon hearing of your return. Be sure to see them before dinner.”

“Oh, really?”

It had been a while since Valerian had seen his beloved younger sisters. His face brightened, though Leigh, behind him, wore a slightly uncomfortable expression.

Aiselin was one thing, but Diella still seemed uneasy and wary around Valerian. The awkwardness from their turbulent childhood memories still lingered.

Whether it was Valerian or Leigh, both held a strong desire to reconcile with the teenage girl, but Diella’s strange discomfort remained unchanged.

In the end, the two strong men would find themselves bewildered and embarrassed in front of Diella, their awkwardness reminiscent of a third-rate comedy.

“Don’t worry, Leigh. I’ve prepared a secret weapon.”

“…What?”

Seeing Leigh’s expression, Valerian seemed to read his mind and said:

“Don’t you remember that item we took from the dungeon during the White Zone conquest? It was Rainteheim clay.”

“Ah… That? I heard it’s very valuable—something that changes form based on the user’s wish. But I also heard it doesn’t last long, not very practical…”

“Yes. I used it to make statues of Diella and Aiselin, remembering them during the battle.”

Valerian pulled statues resembling Diella and Aiselin from a leather bag carried by a servant.

“What do you think? The quality is far better than the failed homemade dolls I made last time, right? It was careless of me to try to win my sisters’ hearts with something so silly.”

“…”

“I’m sure they’ll applaud and be amazed. These don’t just capture the beautiful appearance of Aiselin and Diella, but also their dignified presence.”

The butler, observing from behind, grew visibly gloomy. The statues were so lifelike they were eerie—more frightening than impressive. Their appearance was such that one could call them cursed dolls without exaggeration.

Leigh, staring at the statues, wore a serious expression for a moment, then looked Valerian in the eyes and said confidently:

“Oh… This is amazing, brother. A cute gift will surely cheer them up. When did you prepare something like this?”

In truth, he wasn’t very different from Valerian.

“Haha… How could I not think of family, even amid the chaos of battle? Returning home after so long truly puts my heart at ease.”

Valerian’s face beamed warmly, eager to see his dear younger sisters.

Still, he had one more thing to report. After all, the most important news hadn’t been shared yet.

“Anyway, the most important report remains. During the conquest of one of the White Zone dungeons, we found a magical weapon in its deepest part. It’s stored in a carriage; I’ve already instructed the servants to bring it to the warehouse.”

“Oh, really? If it’s an item from a White Zone dungeon, it must be quite extravagant. I’ll have to inspect it myself.”

“…However…”

Valerian’s expression turned a bit uneasy. Leigh also lowered his gaze. Noticing something was off, Duke Duplain stroked his beard and asked:

“…Is there a problem?”

“…It’s a rather large staff, and it seems to be an item used for necromancy. You might want to take a look.”

The Duke’s expression gradually darkened.

He had heard that treasures buried in the White Zone tended to be strange, but this one seemed especially unpleasant.

*

“Ah.”

Denise suddenly opened her eyes in bed, and the morning birdsong flowed into the room through the window frame.

It was early morning. Or rather, dawn.

Ever since she had started sharing her daily routine with Dereck, waking up early had become normal. Lately, she would wake up automatically at dawn.

Now fully adapted to Dereck’s lifestyle, Denise felt a mix of complicated emotions, but since she was already awake, she had to get up.

Dereck maintained such a precise routine that it made one question whether he was a machine.

Within five minutes of Denise waking up, he would open the door and read her the day’s training schedule.

Then, as usual, Denise would grimace as if she’d just swallowed sand, drink a glass of milk, leave her messy hair down, and go through her morning routine half-alive.

The sequence of events was so easy to imagine that Denise wanted to cry as soon as she opened her eyes.

During those five minutes before Dereck barged in, she could feel her life’s flame slowly dimming. It was a rather happy life.

“…”

But ten minutes later, Dereck hadn’t shown up. Only the peaceful chirping of birds filled the quiet and tranquil room.

“…What? Did that man-machine mess up his schedule?”

It was the first time in months that the man, who had never missed a single appointment, displayed erratic behavior.

Struggling, Denise sat down at the table in the middle of the bedroom. After stretching her stiff body and yawning, the pleasant morning air filled her lungs.

Soon after, a maid arrived to check on Denise.

“Lady Denise, you’re already awake. I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare breakfast.”

“Ah, yes, that… But, didn’t Dereck come?”

“Yes, I was about to mention it. The captain of the Beldern Mercenaries, Jayden, was seriously injured and requested urgent leave. The Duke has approved it, so it seems your schedule will be cleared for today.”

This was undoubtedly good news. It was the perfect opportunity to deliver the letter she had worked so hard to write to Diella.

“…Really?”

“Yes. I was informed that the leader of the Beldern Mercenaries has a special connection with him and approved his request. He apologizes for the sudden schedule change and promises to make up for today in any way necessary.”

“No, that’s not necessary. No compensation or apologies needed.”

Denise suddenly imagined a world in bloom. There was nothing to do. Her daily schedule was completely free.

She felt as though her whole body was submerged in honey, an illusion caused by her present happiness—something she hadn’t experienced in months. Dereck wouldn’t be coming. That man, a harbinger of hell, wouldn’t show his face all day.

She couldn’t believe it, even as she repeated it to herself. But this was the reality she faced. Dereck hadn’t come to the mansion, not even at training time.

“This can’t be…”

Dazed, Denise quietly moved toward the window to look outside. A vast panorama embraced her. This was life. This was living. The lost routine, the lazy days as precious as gold and silver, had returned to the girl’s embrace.

With tears welling up, Denise flopped back onto the bed.

“I’ll skip breakfast.”

“Will you? Then I’ll relay the message.”

After dismissing her maid, Denise pulled out all the wonderful books she had bought but never read.

‘Lady Apfelroc,’ ‘The Duke of Loen’s Wolf,’ ‘Honey and Love,’ ‘The End of Flirting,’ ‘The Star of Levantein’… She piled up countless masterpieces, wondering which one to read first.

However, after putting them off for so long due to training, she hesitated, unsure where to begin. After all, Denise typically read books in the afternoon or evening, not in the morning when her mind was still foggy.

“Hmm…”

The girl lay back in bed again. She gazed at the ceiling through the space between the scattered books.

A fresh dawn breeze stirred the window curtains, filling the quiet room.

Silence.

The young mage who remembered every little detail about Denise and worked tirelessly for her was no longer there. Her bedroom felt like a vast emptiness due to the absence of a single person. It made her realize just how hard he worked.

“…What did I used to do at this hour?”

Sometimes, when you immerse yourself in something for so long, you forget what your routine used to be. So Denise simply stayed there, calmly staring at the ceiling.

It was a day without Dereck.

*

Creak.

‘Tears of Beldern’ was temporarily closed.

After returning to Ebelstain, Dereck had been too busy with assignments from the Beltus family. He had passed by the tavern a few times to check in, but the last few weeks had been so hectic that he could barely reach the tavern street.

So, after his long-awaited return, when he opened the main door of the bar, only the dusty counter welcomed him.

Dereck nodded and then walked through the inner kitchen to the door of the back room.

“I’m coming in.”

He said it casually as he opened the door and saw Jayden lying flat on the wide floor of the back room, with Pheline tending to him.

The atmosphere was clearly grim.

“Oh, long time no see. As you can see, I’m in no shape to greet you.”

“Jayden…”

Beside Jayden, who spoke in a relaxed tone, sat Pheline with a complicated and polite expression.

Unlike usual, she hadn’t tied her platinum blonde hair into a ponytail. Instead, she wore it loose and disheveled, draped in a robe. Dereck swallowed hard and sat in a wooden chair in the corner of the room. Then he spoke in a low voice.

“Did you return from a dangerous mission?”

“Heh… To make the busiest man rush over, I must be getting old.”

When Jayden lifted his upper body, Dereck’s expression grew tense.

“I’ve been to the White Zone Labyrinth.”

As he struggled to sit up, Jayden was missing his left arm. Only a neatly wrapped bandage remained in its place.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Dereck.”

Jayden’s expression and voice turned serious. It was not an ordinary occasion.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelCet