Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 8: Diella (1)

—“What does it really mean to teach someone, Master?”

While absorbed in studying magic, Dereck asked Katia that question.

They were inside the carriage, returning from a monster extermination mission near the border.

Dereck had some injuries, and Katia was treating them, applying the proper care.

—“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

—“…Just curious.”

Having explored the mercenary world from a young age, Dereck often saw fighters serving their masters under the pretense of a master-disciple relationship.

It seemed illogical to him how even those with hard and cruel temperaments could act so reverently toward their masters.

This sparked great curiosity in him.

—“I’ve seen people who wouldn’t hesitate to stab someone in the back or scream at strangers completely repress their nature in front of their masters. Hmm… Maybe it’s because you’re somewhat kind, Master Katia, but is everyone like that?”

—“It would be a problem to assume everything in the harsh mercenary world applies here. Not all master-disciple relationships are like that.”

Katia spoke softly while wrapping a bandage around Dereck’s arm.

—“And you, Dereck, are relatively easy to teach. You have exceptional talent for magic, you absorb knowledge quickly, and you’re always cooperative.”

—“Isn’t being cooperative just natural if you’re trying to learn something?”

—“That would be ideal, yes. But the world doesn’t always function according to ideals, does it? Sometimes there are those who despise their teachers, grinding their teeth, ready to lash out at any provocation.”

Dereck rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

If a disciple is someone who bares their teeth at their master, can they really be called a disciple? Is there even a need to teach such people?

However, as Katia said, the world doesn’t always follow the ideal path.

—“If you had to teach such a rebellious and ungrateful student, what would you do, Master?”

—“I would try to understand them to the end, embrace them, and guide them.”

—“…That sounds way too idealistic.”

—“…Yes, you’re right. But ultimately, the essence of teaching lies in guiding the student down a better path, embracing and leading them.”

Her tone was casual.

—“If communication through understanding and compassion isn’t possible, then we must look for a different starting point, but we must not forget that essence.”

—“A different starting point? What would that be?”

Katia continued bandaging in silence, her gaze lowered.

—“Instill fear.”

Dereck closed his mouth silently.

—“There are times when you have to start from there.”

*

—“Treat others with consideration and respect.”

Dereck’s cold voice rang out in the silent room.

In Lady Diella’s messy room, stained with dirty water, Dereck spoke again amid the silence.

“Get up.”

Lady Diella, her eyes trembling, stared at Dereck, then, following his order, stood up.

And slowly, approaching Dereck, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

Slap!

Dereck’s head turned to one side.

Diella, panting, spoke with a voice burning with fury.

“You… who do you think you are…? You…”

Slap!

Before Diella could finish, Dereck’s hand moved again.

This time, Diella’s head turned the other way. Her pupils dilated to the limit.

Looking at Dereck, his expression remained unchanged. His red eyes stared solely at Diella.

She had grown like a flower in a greenhouse, and he like wild grass on the roadside.

At the moment they felt the abyss between them, an emotion they seemed to experience for the first time overwhelmed them.

That emotion was fear—fear of the unknown.

“As I said, when dealing with others, you must be considerate and respectful.”

“Shut up!”

Diella, with her small hands, somehow grabbed Dereck’s tunic by the collar.

No matter what she tried, it was useless. No matter how many times the small girl repeated her spiteful words, Dereck didn’t even flinch.

“What’s going on here? Why isn’t anyone stopping this?”

Hearing the commotion, Butler Delron quickly pushed past the servants and ran in.

The elderly butler, alarmed, scolded the confused servants and immediately stepped between Dereck and Diella.

He knew Dereck. He was the one who had come with the mercenary group, seeking a teacher along with Lady Aiselin.

“Let’s stop here. Going any further would be extremely dangerous.”

Dangerous.

That word seemed more like a warning for Dereck than Diella.

A commoner daring to touch the duke’s daughter; it was a serious crime, punishable by mutilation without hesitation.

“If this ends here, you might be crippled for life, but at least you’d survive.” That’s what Butler Delron meant.

However, Dereck, indifferently, pulled a document with the duke’s seal from his coat and threw it onto the tea table.

The contents weren’t complicated.

“His Grace, the Grand Duke Duplain, has granted me full authority over Lady Diella’s education. Whatever methods I choose, remember they carry his approval.”

“What… are you saying?”

It was a document even the butler hadn’t seen. He was stunned. That meant it hadn’t been sent officially through the butler; the Grand Duke had written it directly.

Butler Delron doubted its authenticity. A commoner striking a noble wasn’t just a moral matter about violence. It was a challenge to the nobility’s authority.

If actions like this were allowed, it would be a great disgrace to the entire noble house. Nobles had to remain superior at all times.

How could the Grand Duke Duplain, at the top of power, allow such a thing?

When Butler Delron looked at Dereck with that question in mind, Dereck responded as if reading his thoughts.

“Prince Leigh asked you to investigate something, didn’t he?”

“…!”

The duke’s second son, Leigh, had given up all hope on Diella’s rehabilitation.

He had changed course, planning to send her to a monastery on the border. It was part of the plan he had ordered the butler to investigate.

The Grand Duke Duplain had rejected the proposal, but he felt overwhelmed. The fact that such a suggestion was boldly presented to the Grand Duke meant the situation was beyond tolerable.

Not only the pavilion’s servants, but even the retainers in the main house were exhausted from her tantrums. As the head of the household, he couldn’t turn a blind eye forever.

Therefore, this decision was a drastic measure a father, loving his daughter, had to make with a resolute heart.

If this extreme measure failed, then the condition would be deemed incurable.

“Lady Diella, you don’t have many chances left.”

With that implicit warning, Delron’s expression hardened.

Most importantly, Dereck’s actions were hard to believe.

A boy, a mercenary turned mage. Though he’d grown wild, like something born of nature, no commoner had that level of audacity.

Even with the Grand Duke’s certificate backing him, it was rare for someone to dare slap a noble lady.

The Grand Duke Duplain had a keen ability to judge a person’s potential.

Whether he foresaw this or not, Delron didn’t know at the time.

*

“Brother! Brother! Please, calm down for a moment, brother.”

Creack!

That night, after the situation had calmed down, Dereck was organizing his gear in the guest room provided by the butler.

A man, full of rage, burst into the room where Dereck was staying.

“You’re the mercenary Aiselin brought? Yeah, you’re the one I saw outside the audience chamber today.”

“Brother! No, calm down before you act! Brother!”

Valerian Leonard Duplain, the eldest son of the Duplain family. A handsome man with long blond hair and a tall figure, his face was livid as he grabbed the collar of Dereck’s tunic.

He had been designated as the heir to the Duplain household, known for his gentle and affectionate demeanor.

However, there wasn’t a trace of kindness in his face as he glared at Dereck, gripping his collar.

“You dare… you dare…”

“Brother!”

Leigh, trying to pull him away, looked desperate.

Dereck, still held by the collar, listened and then replied calmly.

“This matter has His Grace’s permission.”

He declared the obvious fact with great respect. At that, Valerian held his breath for a moment, then shut his eyes tightly and released Dereck’s collar.

“…Ah.”

Valerian then sighed deeply, rubbed his face as if washing it without water, and said,

“Follow me. Leigh, let’s train.”

“No, if I don’t follow you, who knows what’ll happen…”

“I won’t argue about this any further.”

With that, Valerian looked at Dereck, indicating he should come along, and left through the open door.

Leigh watched Valerian go, took a deep breath, and patted Dereck on the shoulder.

“Yeah. I heard what happened earlier. I’m on your side. Diella needs a good slap to wake up. Does she really think being noble will protect her from everything?”

“…No.”

“Anyway, she’s hopeless. Well, she’ll be sent to the monastery soon, so hang in there a bit longer. Valerian… he’s too kind, but he’s a good guy. He won’t hurt you, so don’t be nervous… Anyway, with that, I’ll be off.”

Leigh, with his sturdy frame and square jaw, sighed deeply and followed through the open door.

“Good grief… What’s the point of clinging to a hopeless cause…? My brother, seriously.”

Leigh’s grumbling expression as he left didn’t look very cheerful either. He seemed to have completely lost hope in Diella.

*

The room Valerian led Dereck to was on the first floor of the main building of the mansion.

At a glance, it seemed like a place that hadn’t been visited in a long time. However, despite that, not a speck of dust could be seen—as if it were cleaned meticulously on a regular basis.

Swoosh!

With a magical gesture from Valerian, the scattered chandeliers in the room lit up, revealing a glimpse of the interior.

It was a beautiful and small room.

On one side was a bed decorated with cute bows and ribbons, and on the other, a neatly arranged shelf displayed small, charming dolls. A wardrobe full of lovely lace dresses, and another tidy shelf with various books—it was an old-fashioned but childlike room. Far too spacious for one girl, but given her status, it wasn’t unusual.

“This was Diella’s room when she stayed in the main house,” Valerian said softly.

Now she lived in semi-isolation in her own pavilion, but apparently, Diella had been different back when she was here.

In a corner of the room, several canvases and painting supplies were arranged. As Dereck looked toward them, Valerian offered an explanation.

“Diella loved to paint. Mostly landscapes. It started as part of her social education, but she became very interested and would always come to show me her work with joy.”

“…”

“I often remember how she used to run over, asking me to look at her paintings.”

Strolling between the canvases, Dereck’s eyes fell on one covered with a pristine white cloth.

Noticing his gaze, Valerian unveiled it. A carefully painted sunset began to emerge.

The painting showed a young girl on her maid’s back, looking at a magnificent sunset.

However, the edges of the canvas were empty.

“This is the last painting she worked on. As you can see, it’s incomplete.”

“Incomplete?”

“Diella always enjoyed painting, but she rarely finished her works. She’d leave the margins empty and only paint the parts she liked.”

Looking again, it was evident that the landscape was only partially filled, with blank spaces here and there.

As they observed the paintings, Valerian sat on the edge of a table in the corner of the room.

Then he pressed his forehead, sighed, and said,

“…I apologize for letting my emotions get the better of me earlier. I truly apologize.”

His expression conveyed remorse. It wasn’t easy for a noble of his status to apologize to a commoner.

“I’ve always vowed to be rational, but I acted emotionally at a crucial moment. Especially when family is involved. In that sense, I’m still far from being a competent leader.”

“…May I ask why you showed me this room?”

“…I wanted to reassure you. She’s not a girl who deserves to be insulted and abused like that.”

Valerian spoke in a grave voice, explaining calmly.

“But at some point, she became obsessed with her lineage, looking down on those beneath her. I don’t know why… what triggered this change. She started changing little by little, and recently she’s become the person you know.”

“….”

“I just… don’t understand. Why she became so fanatical about her bloodline, what made Diella so bitter. She was slow to learn magic and imperfect in many ways, but… she always lived brightly. She used to paint what she loved, and she was a lovely girl who always enjoyed cheerful conversations with her family.”

Valerian rose from the table where he was seated, straightened the formal clothing worn by nobles, and bowed his head. Dereck couldn’t help but be shocked.

Though the power struggle was far off due to the Duke’s good health, he was still the next head of the noble Duplain family.

His status didn’t allow him to bow casually to a commoner. Beyond pride, it was against noble etiquette.

“I’ve heard from my father. If things continue this way, Diella will be sent to the monastery.”

“That would be a problem.”

“If she could just master one first-tier spell, I might be able to persuade my father. At least, she could prepare for her societal debut. So please… I beg you… give Diella one more chance.”

Valerian raised his head, his expression serious. He understood the urgency, but from Dereck’s perspective, it was instantly a headache.

According to the servants, when something didn’t go her way, she hit people, broke things in frustration, insulted retainers, and flaunted her status.

Valerian’s story was hard to believe; she was a spoiled brat, a failure, someone with a ruined character. Rehabilitating her into a refined lady and teaching her magic as well. It was like asking for a miracle.

The record of burning through 20 tutors in 8 months suddenly made sense.

“…”

Even so, Dereck decided to take another look around Diella’s room to collect his thoughts.

The canvases were full of various landscapes. The blankets were neatly folded. Delicate bows and ribbons.

As he silently examined the bookshelf, he saw many volumes used for home education.

Books on embroidery, flower arrangements, horseback riding. Even the expensive magic books were just one part among them. It seemed that, as a daughter of a noble house, she had her own separate magic education set.

“…Hmm.”

Dereck rubbed his chin and slowly scanned the bookshelf. They were all etiquette-based magic books. Of course. This was House Duplain.

He took one and flipped through it—the signs of diligent reading were clear. Notes and practice reflections were scribbled throughout.

It was obvious. Diella hadn’t given up from the beginning. Though her efforts were exhausting, the results never came. The magnitude of the effort mattered, but the direction of that effort was just as important.

Seeing the shelf filled with theory-based etiquette books, Dereck couldn’t help but think so.

“Let’s give it a try.”

Dereck returned the book he had taken to the shelf and said to Valerian. Then, once again, he put on his cloak and hat and left the room.

His steps didn’t head toward his bedroom, but toward the mansion’s pavilion, surrounded by rose vines. The darkness of midnight greeted him as he quietly crossed the garden.

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