Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 50: Value (4)

That was the day after Diella, having completed preparations for her debut, visited the Rose Salon.

The mansion inspection schedule had concluded, and the salon membership process had gone smoothly.

For Diella, who had clashed with so many noblewomen, extending her hand to the Rose Salon was a highly unusual event. As a result, interest in Dereck—the man who had tamed and brought this roaring lioness—skyrocketed.

Many rumors claimed he had a tongue so charming even famous merchants would be envious, or that his outstanding looks could bewitch the heart of any woman. Some even whispered that he was a hidden noble’s son, concealing great wealth and honor.

Denise, upon hearing such rumors, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation. Most were baseless, but the fact that Dereck had fully persuaded Diella to attend was a remarkable feat.

“Good afternoon, Lady Denise. I’ve reviewed the letter you sent last time.”

However, although Diella had yielded to Dereck’s persuasion to join the Rose Salon, her spirit remained unshaken.

She had promised to maintain good relations with the salon, but she had no intention of stopping her efforts to pull Dereck out of the Beltus family.

Upon arriving at the meeting, Diella immediately drew everyone’s attention and approached to greet Lady Denise.

Denise, who bore no ill will toward Diella, welcomed her with a radiant smile.

“I can’t express how happy I am that you applied to join the Rose Salon. Having the shining jewel of the Duplain family, Lady Diella, is a great honor for us.”

“I appreciate it. In any case, I’ve considered the proposal you offered. How about a magic duel next week?”

Diella’s manner of speaking lacked the expected courtesy of nobility.

Ignoring Denise’s intent to start with light conversation, Diella went straight to the point, paying no mind to the glances around her. Her approach was somewhat rude, but from Denise’s perspective, it wasn’t unwelcome. If the other party intended to take Dereck, she could only be thankful.

“That sounds interesting. I’ve often heard rumors about Lady Diella’s extraordinary magical skill, and I’d love to see who’s superior.”

“If I win, the Beltus family must cancel Dereck’s contract entirely.”

“That decision lies with my father. I assume you’ve brought something of equal value?”

At that, Diella paused, then crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and spoke.

“If I lose, I’ll purchase ‘View of the Corhess Granary District’ from your estate using Duplain family funds. I’ve obtained consent from Valerian, the next head of our house.”

At her words, Denise’s expression tensed momentarily. The meaning behind Diella’s statement wasn’t immediately clear. It was evident that those present, like Aiselin and Ellen, were confused.

‘View of the Corhess Granary District’ was the name of a large painting highly valued and stored in the basement of Denise’s estate.

It was a landscape depicting the Corhess Granary District in the southwestern continent, a famous masterpiece by the renowned female artist Countess Lependor.

How could the offer to “buy” it serve as such a bold condition? Before the attendees could feel uneasy, Denise stepped forward, smiling as she spoke.

“Of course, it’s wonderful for our art to be acknowledged in value simply by being bought at a fair price. Especially by the Duplain family—and not just anyone, but the watercolor expert Lady Diella. If she pays a proper price for a painting, it also validates my reputation through her selection.”

Denise quickly formulated a plausible rationale in her head. Upon hearing her words, Diella scoffed briefly but didn’t add anything further.

“Are you sure it’s okay? Countess Lependor’s paintings often fetched irrational prices even while she was alive.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay whatever price is asked. Though, I doubt it’ll come to that.”

“Yes, then my father will likely consider it favorably.”

Denise responded with a bright smile.

After all, she just needed to present terms that would permit the duel. She had no intention of actually winning it.

Still, Diella’s proposed terms were startling. The other ladies in the salon wondered whether buying a painting was such a big deal, tilting their heads in curiosity—but Denise remained tense.

Still with her arms crossed, Diella huffed and turned away.

“I’ll send more details by letter.”

With that, Diella departed, followed by a few lesser nobles.

Despite Diella’s intimidating presence, many nobles were still eager to win her favor.

*

That day, just after the meeting ended and she returned to the mansion, Dereck was there to greet her.

Dereck had been reviewing the day’s training schedule while waiting for Denise to return, and his presence felt so natural—almost like family—that Denise let out a sigh.

She had to admit that Dereck’s presence had become something normal for her.

“Lady Denise, you’ve worked hard today. After dinner, we’ll dive deeper into the two-star exploration magic training…”

“Did you hear the news from the butler?”

“…”

“Lady Diella of House Duplain has challenged me to a magic duel. If I lose, you’ll have to leave for House Duplain.”

In truth, it was simply a matter of terminating the contract with House Beltus.

After that, Dereck would decide which house to join, but it was obvious that moving to House Duplain would be more advantageous. Diella clung to every word Dereck said, so being by her side clearly meant a greater boost in Dereck’s status.

However, upon hearing Denise’s words, Dereck got straight to the point.

“Isn’t this a situation you orchestrated yourself, Lady Denise?”

“…Ugh.”

This man, Dereck, had a sharp intuition for the strangest things. He could act like a simple man who only knew a single spell, but once he got serious and rested his chin on his hand, he’d start piecing things together—and he wasn’t easy to deceive.

It was true; Dereck had easily deduced that Denise had set this situation up. His conclusion came after observing her movements, her demeanor at the salon, and her lack of hostility toward Diella.

Denise narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. After all, she thought it was time to be honest with Dereck.

“Fine then. I’ll admit it honestly—you’re a good instructor.”

After changing into a lovely ruffled dress, Denise sat on the bed in a corner of the room. Her silver-gray hair fell like a shimmering blanket.

The white-haired mage, as always, showed no emotion on his face. He could be talkative when discussing magic—even enthusiastic—but still remained calm to the end.

“At first, I had a hard time adapting to your teaching style, and my laziness didn’t help at all… But, well, putting in effort has its meaning. Mastering magic is fun.”

“…That’s rare to hear from you. I thought you’d never admit that magic is fun.”

“I do have my pride, you know? After vehemently denying and rejecting it, suddenly admitting it’s actually fun is a little embarrassing.”

Denise was a completely different person inside the mansion compared to outside.

Outside, she was the most admired and beautiful woman; inside, she was just a lazy creature.

Too proud to accept Dereck’s genuine kindness, she wrestled with it.

“Anyway, I know you’re a good instructor. And that’s exactly why there’s nothing for you in House Beltus. Thinking you could be my instructor wasn’t a wise decision. You should move to the Duplain side when I give you the chance.”

“Lady Denise, you’re the most beloved woman of the famous Beltus family in Ebelstain. Everyone wants this position.”

“You know one thing but not the other. Well, given the situation… and since the Duplain family seems to know everything anyway, there’s no harm in telling you.”

Denise crossed her arms and looked calmly at Dereck.

Then she scoffed and said,

“You’re not as valuable as you think.”

With that, she stood and headed to the mansion’s basement with Dereck.

*

“Do you know what Lady Diella stipulated as the condition for the magical duel? If she loses, she will buy the painting ‘View of the Corhes Granary’ stored in this mansion’s basement.”

“…What does that mean?”

The stairs down to Denise’s basement were dark and damp. For a cellar beneath such an ancient, luxurious mansion, it felt rather unsettling.

Dereck conjured a small magical light to illuminate their path, and Denise, grateful, followed him deeper into the basement.

“Is buying a painting a big deal?”

“You wouldn’t understand… but once you know the whole story, you’ll understand why my father has no choice but to accept these terms.”

They descended the stairs to reveal a large wooden door ahead. Carved with intricate reliefs, the words ‘Art Storage’ were engraved above it. Denise produced the Beltus family seal and channeled magic through it; the door slowly swung open. She gestured wearily for Dereck to follow her inside.

When Denise took out the Beltus family seal and channeled magic into it, the door responded by slowly opening. Immediately after, she wore a tired expression and motioned for Dereck to follow her inside.

The sign at the entrance hadn’t lied; the basement was filled with all kinds of artworks. Famous paintings, large sculptures, small musical instruments—even clay dolls were on display.

Seeing that each item even had an elegant label, it was clear they were all valuable pieces. However, there was a strange sense that they were stacked inside a grand house built for a socially active woman in Ebelstein.

“I wasn’t expecting an entire art repository down here.”

“Normally, you wouldn’t find an art storage room in the Ebelstein mansion where a noble lady resides. I’m not as much of an art expert as Lady Diella, so it’s strange, isn’t it?”

Denise took a deep breath and looked around. She had barely brought any servants. In this dark and damp basement, the only one present was the silent white-haired mercenary.

As if it didn’t matter, Denise weaved her way between the artworks, showing Dereck various valuable items.

Dereck, who wasn’t very knowledgeable about art, could tell even as a layman that those objects seemed quite valuable.

As they went deeper in, a display appeared, covered by a large curtain. There was a simple sign describing the artwork.

‘View of the Corhes Granary – Logdel Agnes Rephondor’

“Is this it? The painting you said you’d buy if you won the duel?”

“Would you like to see it?”

Denise pulled back the curtain covering it. There was curiosity about what kind of painting would be the subject of such an important bet.

However, when the curtain was opened, the canvas revealed was completely blank.

“…”

“And? Do you grasp Countess Rephondor’s perspective on using negative space?”

“I often encounter negative-space art in Lady Diella’s work, but a canvas that’s entirely empty is hard to evaluate—to me, it just looks blank.”

“Ahaha… I expected that. The painting called ‘View of the Corhes Granary’ doesn’t actually exist.”

While Dereck watched her in silence, she casually tied up her neatly groomed hair and sat down on a dusty shelf.

Dereck noticed how little she cared about the dust on her luxurious dress. Denise seemed to want to say something.

“It’s a painting that exists only in the accounting books. Countess Rephondor was very prolific, but she never painted such an image.”

“…”

“Officially, it’s recorded that I used family funds to purchase it. The amount was quite large, but after all, it’s not unusual for a noblewoman’s home to be decorated with expensive artwork. It’s a plausible reason to say it’s an investment to enhance my artistic taste and discernment.”

At that moment, Dereck asked no further. Even after this event, he knew that the story being revealed was not something told merely to a plebeian-born tutor.

Dereck held his breath for a moment, recalling the sight of Denise’s mansion. Its size was impressive, but compared to other noblewomen’s homes, it lacked artworks and luxuries.

He had thought it reflected Denise’s temperament, but that wasn’t the only reason.

“The family diverted taxes.”

“To accomplish great things, one needs funds and power that don’t fall under the Empire’s scrutiny. That means even the taxes owed to the royal family must be reduced and manipulated.”

“Is that Lady Denise’s opinion, or His Grace the Duke of Beltus’s?”

“Does it matter? My father and I are one family.”

Denise laughed, her voice hollow.

In short, the mansion in Ebelstein where Denise lived was used as a kind of money laundering facility, diverting taxes under the name of House Beltus.

Of course, Denise, the mistress of the house, couldn’t be unaware of this. Nor could she refuse to cooperate.

From time to time, the royal family audited the books or sent people to inspect the domain. But it was unlikely they’d search the basement of a house meant for their daughter’s social education. This mansion in Ebelstein, transferred to her, was effectively a blind spot for royal audits.

The large canvas, although said to be a work of art, had no painting. Finding the empty scene amusing, Denise gave a strange smile.

“Lady Diella must have caught wind of this situation. She’s interested in art history and the works of famous female painters.”

“…Can you tell me this?”

“After all, Lady Diella doesn’t hide anything from you, does she? If someone from House Duplain knows this much, it can’t be kept secret. The only thing left is an arrangement.”

This dark art storage was likely one of Denise’s greatest secrets. Of course, diverting taxes to create independent funds was something powerful frontier nobles did when bored. The Empire surely got dizzy from it.

It was just a matter of how skillfully it was hidden. Neither House Duplain nor Belmierd could claim to be uninvolved in such corrupt practices. It simply remained a secret at the imperial level.

But whether it came to light or not—and whether a noble lady was directly involved in corrupt acts—was a different story.

“You said you’d buy this painting.”

How could Diella buy a painting that didn’t exist? Still, upon reflection, it wasn’t impossible.

After all, this was a matter between families. Making a purchase in the accounting books wasn’t difficult. Just dip a quill in ink and jot down a few lines—that was all.

Dereck finally seemed to grasp the real intent behind Diella’s superficial words.

The story aimed to exploit an accounting loophole centered on a nonexistent painting for House Duplain. And most importantly, they were offering liquid cash—an extraordinary condition.

For a family as large as the Duplains, hiding such a hole wasn’t difficult. The larger and denser the forest, the more places to hide treasures. That was the nature of transactions between noble families.

In the Empire, many things ultimately came down to how silently one could hide and reveal corruption. Diella was well aware of this, and Denise understood she couldn’t escape it.

“Lady Diella has a sharp eye. She shouldn’t be underestimated. I didn’t expect her to expose the core issue so openly.”

Young, inexperienced, and brazen. Yet a glimpse of her noble perspective and sovereign attitude made it impossible to predict what kind of person Diella might become.

For now, the only person who could keep things under control in Ebelstein was Dereck.

“In Ebelstein’s social circle, those who represent the names of the three great noble families are all the same. I’ve tried teaching them in various ways, but none are easy to handle.”

“You’re right, Dereck. Lady Aiselin, Lady Ellen—they all know how to wield the power they possess. They’re not influenced by power; they naturally embody the art of controlling it.”

The standout young ladies of Rose Hall were typically blessed with the love of their family heads, entrusted with full authority over their households, and developed as influential figures.

In a few years, each would likely stand out.

However, it was Denise herself who gave a hollow laugh and averted her gaze downward. In that demeanor, Dereck felt as though all aspects of Denise he had seen so far came together as one.

A girl whose goal was to maintain a life without vitality, without ambition, stingy with accomplishments, and content with simply maintaining the house, reading novels, and wasting time.

The memories of a worn-out Denise in Raspah Cave came to his mind as they talked.

She lost interest in magic when she realized that no matter how hard she tried, her achievements would always be just a small part of the grand House Beltus.

“I’m like a chess piece,” Denise said, as if letting the words slip.

She received full support from the family, just like Lady Aiselin and Lady Elente, but the motivation behind that support was different.

There wasn’t a shred of love for a daughter, nor familial affection. The cold gaze of the Duke of Beltus overseeing the household contained no familial love. He was just one of the many cogs that made up House Beltus.

In truth, this was a common trait among the high nobility.

“Do you understand now? Right now, I’m adored in Rose Hall and treated as valuable by House Beltus, but it’s all out of necessity. In the end, if needed, they’ll blame me for the embezzlement or sell me off in a political marriage—or use me in the most efficient way possible. That’s how it works.”

“…”

“It’s just that the other girls in Rose Hall are too exceptional. They have strong convictions, can influence the family environment, and know how to make big decisions… If you’re going to invest, isn’t it worth doing so in that direction?”

Although she thought she was just trying to talk Dereck away, there was sincerity in her words.

She always complained of pain during training with him, but deep down, she had already accepted him. Dereck’s eyes narrowed as he silently looked at her, sitting calmly with her silvery-gray hair splayed over the shelf.

That girl, sitting with her head bowed, already had broken wings. Her many childhood experiences must have made her accept her current reality. What followed was a chronic apathy.

But she couldn’t just throw everything away. Those without value would be discarded—that was the cold reality of this aristocratic world. Therefore, she had to be a unique human figure, fulfilling at least her minimum duty while preserving her ambitions.

A bird with broken legs.

Even if she longed to walk on the ground, she had to keep flying with her wings folded.

The end of this flight, with no end in sight, probably wouldn’t be good.

The bird itself sensed it, at least a little.

That’s why Denise told Dereck to go to House Duplain. Whether it was Aiselin or Diella, they would handle the helm more skillfully than Denise ever could. They were individuals of a different caliber.

Even both of them fully trusted Dereck. Where else could better conditions be found? It was always wiser to stay close to power.

A high-nosed noble lady wouldn’t normally speak so openly.

However, in Denise’s eyes, someone like Dereck belonged to such wide waters.

At first, her focus was on regaining her peaceful daily life, but after meeting Diella, such thoughts began to form.

After all, Denise herself was just a horse tamed by House Beltus.

“What do you think? You can’t deny it, can you?”

“It’s true. Lady Denise’s words are undeniable.”

“Good. Then once everything’s resolved, contact the Duplains.”

While Denise laughed emptily, Dereck finally gave a simple reply, making her long explanation seem pointless.

“I don’t want to.”

“…??”

Faced with a completely unexpected answer, Denise had to tilt her head in confusion. After making sure she hadn’t misheard, she looked at Dereck with wide eyes.

“I appreciate the thought, but shouldn’t I be the one to decide where I live?”

Denise wore a look of disbelief. To anyone watching, taking Denise as a mentor seemed like nothing but a loss.

At least, that’s how it seemed to Denise.

However, Dereck moved silently and sat on the shelf next to her.

She couldn’t help but question his actions.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelCet