Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 9: Diella (2)

Moving with difficulty, moving with difficulty.

In the deep night—when everyone except the on‑watch servants slept—Dereck crossed the garden toward the pavilion, gathering his thoughts.

To teach a first‑tier spell, you must first materialize basic magical power.

Trying to wield magic hastily without knowing how to release that power is like firing a gun with no bullets. The foundation of all magic is recognizing and materializing mana.

None of the mages who taught Diella so far could have ignored that. There must be a reason they all failed. In truth, training this fundamental aspect of magical power has no single fixed theory—each academy holds different views, making the process difficult. Every mage develops their own instinctive method for shaping mana.

When that happens, anyone would be confused—which is why magic instructors are considered advanced personnel.

It makes sense that noble houses across the continent compete to bring capable tutors to their estates. Teaching magic is an immense responsibility.

“If the Regulated Academy’s method doesn’t work, I have no choice but to try a different approach.”

Dereck kept walking. Diella must already have studied all the theory about magical power long ago. Most likely she still lacked the trigger to manifest it.

The Regulated Academy breaks mana use into four stages: recognition, extraction, manipulation, and manifestation. Once those four proceed smoothly, you can willfully control your magical energy.

But Dereck didn’t learn magic that way. What taught him wasn’t reference books, ink, or quills—it was the sword that appeared before his eyes, the arrow flying at him, the axe wielded by a goblin.

When did young Dereck first show his supernatural power? It was when he climbed the back mountain to gather dry herbs and encountered a wild boar.

The fear of death lurking behind him, the stark reality of fighting for his life—that materialized his magical power for the first time. That was his first spell.

That’s the life of a Wild‑School mage: they always manifest their power in the crucible of extreme survival instinct.

“…”

Recalling Diella’s paintings with empty margins, Dereck nodded and pressed on.

*

Bang!

When Dereck kicked open the pavilion door, the waiting servants in the hall jumped.

Pitch‑dark night. A cloaked youth bursting through the main door under moonlight—it was impossible not to be alarmed. Once they recognized him as Dereck, the servants grew even more uneasy.

“What brings you here…?”

“Thank you for your service.”

Dereck passed the servants and strode down the hall. His determined gait left them unable to intervene. He was Diella’s tutor, authorized directly by the Duke.

Before entering Diella’s room, he paused by the kitchen. He spotted the cold, clean water the cooks had prepared for the next day. He lifted an oak bucket of it and climbed the stairs from the central hall. Ignoring anxious stares, he went straight to Diella’s door and kicked it open.

Bang!

Amid the lace‑adorned bed lay Diella, buried like a sleeping princess.

Her elegant pajamas and hair swept to one side shone softly. Anyone seeing her sleeping form would think no more graceful lady existed.

Splash!

Without mercy, Dereck poured the water over her. The servants who had followed shrieked, and the guards roused from sleep froze in alarm.

“Kyaaak!”

Like a bolt, or rather a cold plunge at dawn, Diella awoke with a start. Dereck stood before her.

He let the empty bucket clatter to the floor and fixed his cold red eyes on her, as always.

“Sleepy now?”

“What?”

“Do you want to go back to sleep?”

If this continued, she’d be sent straight to the monastery. Diella must feel it too. If she kept silent, not only would her social debut be impossible, she wouldn’t even be allowed to remain in the mansion.

Rather than waking to filthy water, Diella stared at him in disbelief. From Dereck’s view, this was mercy—better than soaking in dirty water.

He then grabbed her arm and hauled her up. She tried to resist his commanding grip, but his strength was overwhelming.

“Kyaaak! What are you doing? Everyone! Why are you just watching? Stop him! Stop this commoner!”

“…”

The servants outside the door looked on worriedly, powerless to help.

Their rising anxiety questioned whether this was truly permitted—but in any case, the reason lay with Dereck.

Diella struggled in vain against his grasp, but it was useless. With determined steps, he dragged her down the mansion stairs.

The butler Delron watched them go, concern in his eyes, having hurried over at the news.

He nevertheless had no grounds to stop Dereck. With a curt nod, Dereck continued, taking Diella from the pavilion.

“Do you think you can get away with this?!”

Dereck kept walking, exiting the pavilion and crossing the grounds. He dragged the protesting Lady Diella onward, walking, walking, as if the procession would never end.

Eventually, under the ambitious moonlight, they reached the central meadow, far from the mansion. Dereck finally swung his arm and flung Diella onto the grass.

Thud!

“Kyaa!”

Her wet pajamas clung to her, grass blades poking up beneath her.

Even her once‑silken golden hair was tangled with leaves, rendering her all but unladylike.

Her fingertips trembled, but at last she managed a bitter smile.

“Ha… hah… Do you think this changes anything?”

“…”

“Teach me magic? Me? You think you’re the only one who’s ever said that? You think I haven’t tried before? I’m sorry, but wake up! Go tutor some other noble!”

Though trembling, Diella spat out her defiance. Soaked and cast upon the grass, her tone never wavered.

“How dare you, commoner…!”

Ignoring her cries, Dereck stepped closer, leveling the tip of his sword at her. The moonlight glinted sharply off the blade as it entered her vision. Her fingers shook uncontrollably.

“We’re far from the mansion and no one can hear us, so let me tell you this now.”

“What…?”

“I have absolutely no special desire to teach Lady Diella anything—like magic.”

“What??”

At the same time, the corner of Dereck’s mouth curved into a cold smile. Even at night, wrapped in darkness, the moonlight shone brightly. Bathed in that light, Dereck’s red pupils gleamed as his smile grew more chilling.

“I only enjoy beating nobles to a pulp.”

“What… are you saying…?”

He always maintained a veneer of dignity in front of the Duplain nobles. But once out of sight, his true nature flowed freely, as though it had always been there.

“As I said, I’m a plebeian from the sewers. Why on earth should I like nobles who look down on me from their mansions just because they were born with noble blood?”

“What… are you talking about…?”

“Being a tutor or whatever is all just an excuse. Besides, punching and hearing the screams of an arrogant, snobby noblewoman like you—what better reason is there to smack someone around shamelessly? And on top of that, I get paid for it.”

Seeing that terrifying smile, Diella involuntarily held her breath. Had she been wrong to think that Dereck was acting on her behalf?

Before Diella could answer, Dereck kicked her in the shoulder with his boot.

“Ah!”

—Thud!

When Diella fell to the ground and looked up again, Dereck drew his longsword. The moonlight reflected off the sharp blade, filling her vision. Her fingertips began trembling uncontrollably.

“You—you—you… are you insane…?”

“I greatly enjoy hearing haughty nobles like you scream in pain. The more you believe in your lofty status and lord it over everyone, the better.”

“If you do this… you think you’ll save your life?”

“What difference does it make with no witnesses? And since they’ll send you to the monastery soon, who will believe your words? Do you think anyone in this house is on your side?”

As Dereck advanced, sword pointed, Diella crawled backward through the grass, but from the ground there was no escape—she would be caught in moments.

“Fear not. Experienced mercenaries know how to inflict pain without permanent harm. The human body has many parts that heal quickly. Like fingernails, for example.”

“…Agh… Hah…”

“What if there are lasting effects?”

The man approaching under the moonlight was clearly insane. Diella felt her entire body start to tremble uncontrollably. She had sensed it from the moment he raised his hand to her—he wasn’t in his right mind. In a way, all of this felt like fate.

“If something like that happens, I suppose death will be my redemption.”

“Ah… Ahhh…!”

Diella grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it at Dereck’s eyes.

Swish!

“Ugh.”

Dereck quickly shielded his face with his elbow, blocking the clump. Taking the opportunity, Diella sprang to her feet and dashed toward the nearby forest.

Running across the meadow would get her caught quickly. Even in that fleeting instant, she reasoned that the forest was her best chance. Hiding in the darkness, she’d first have to deal with the madman among the bushes.

As she ran and thought this, a wave of pressure swept through the area like a gathering gust of wind.

Swish!

Desperate to escape, she fled into the woods. But then, compelled by a terrible feeling, she looked back—only to question her eyes. A flame larger than a human.

Dereck, no longer holding his sword, seemed to be controlling the area with his very presence, gathering magic into his free hand.

‘What, what is that…?!’

Level Two spell—Fireball. A combat spell used by nobles who had gradually become proficient in magic. He hadn’t even spoken the usual incantation.

Even Valerian, her magically gifted older brother, had secluded himself for months to begin learning level two spells. Seeing such magic erupt from Dereck’s hand felt utterly unreal.

No—she could only hope it wasn’t real. Her opponent was a madman who took pleasure in beating her to pieces. Suddenly, a massive pressure burst forth, and the fireball he launched flew toward her.

“Ugh!”

Diella, heedless of the scratches on her body, dodged by leaping. The enormous fireball crashed just beside where she had been, and a pillar of flame shot up.

Bang!

A surge of searing heat exploded. The spot hit by the spell was reduced to flying black ash. A direct hit would have meant instant death—or something close to it. The power was undeniable.

With trembling eyes, Diella looked toward Dereck, who was casually brushing dust off his now-cooled hand.

His eyelids flicked as he glanced at her, then he muttered to himself.

“Missed.”

A chill ran down Diella’s entire body.

*

Crack! Bang!

Diella fled into the forest.

Dereck, walking slowly across the meadow, seemed to treat it like a hunting game, showing no urgency. Beneath the moonlight, his lifted lips and glowing red eyes only deepened the terror.

Bang! Thump!

Diella stumbled as her legs buckled. She forced herself up and fled deeper into the forest, but she couldn’t put much distance between them.

Crack! Thump!

Somehow, she forced her way through the underbrush. Still, she had to go farther.

But her fear-weakened legs wouldn’t obey.

‘Move…! Move, move, move…! Please…!’

Swish!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Waves of magical energy shattered the surrounding branches. Level one attack spell—Magic Arrow. And it was a triple shot. Even among level one mages, mastery varied. A single hit would be too much for fragile Diella.

“Didn’t hit…?”

From behind the bushes, Dereck’s cold voice rang out. Fortunately, Diella was small. The darkness that blanketed the forest was on her side.

Rodents scurried through the brush, and wind-rustled leaves filled the air.

In such conditions, finding Diella hidden among the shrubs wouldn’t be easy.

Step, step, step.

The madman’s footsteps reached Diella’s ears.

Just behind the bushes in front of her, Dereck searched, slicing through branches with his sword.

Diella shoved her hand into her mouth, holding her breath to avoid making any sound.

Humming to himself, Dereck searched her possible hiding spots like a predator hunting prey.

Bang.

Finally, Dereck’s boot appeared just meters from where Diella lay in the brush. The surrounding darkness was so thick that even night-acclimated eyes could barely see.

Diella clamped down on her heart, which felt like it would explode any second, as she covered her mouth. Even though she was still, her lower lip trembled uncontrollably, and her breathing became erratic. She didn’t know whether she was inhaling or exhaling.

After a while, Dereck’s steps swept the area, then receded farther into the forest.

Gasp… Gasp…

As the distance slowly grew, Diella finally had the luxury to gather her thoughts.

‘I have to run back to the mansion…! But if I run across the open meadow, his magic will hit me…! Then what? I can hide for now, but eventually, he’ll catch me…!’

Clutching her head in the darkness, she crouched low, trying to calm her pounding heart.

‘Calm down, calm down, calm down. There has to be a way. There has to be a way…!’

Finally, she spotted a large rock. Almost the size of her head. She crawled toward it and, upon touching it, found it heavy but manageable.

Thank goodness night had fallen. The darkness shrouding the forest would perfectly conceal her small body, making it easier to stay hidden. It was the perfect setting for an ambush.

Against a strong man, weak Diella had no chance. Especially if he was truly a two-star mage, resistance was futile. In the end, the answer was a surprise attack from the shadows.

If she could catch him off guard, she might create an opening—maybe even knock him unconscious.

Hidden in the dark, she waited for a chance to strike when his guard was down.

This was her only shot at victory. Though trembling, Diella dragged the rock to the edge of the shrubs.

She gripped it with both hands, ready to lift it at any moment. For that, she sharpened her senses in the darkness.

But the more focused she became, the more fear took hold of her heart.

Drip, drip, drip.

Tears fell onto the rock. She bit her lip hard to stifle her sobs, too weak even to wipe away the large droplets.

‘Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. No noise.’

She suppressed her rising emotions with reason. The thought that she might die here brought a flood of memories. Times when she laughed and chatted, ran through the courtyard, or went out with canvas and easel to paint the landscape… Moments of innocent joy.

Then came the memories of failure and frustration. Abandonment by her brothers, pitiful glances from her family, her own missteps, constant effort, failure, and more failure. The servants’ pitying eyes, gossiping that she had nothing going for her but her looks, and harsh comments from nobles who said she was lucky just to be born Duplain.

And finally, the harsh reality that her noble blood was the only thing she had left to show.

‘I can do this. I can do this. I can do this…!’

Pushing away the negative memories, Diella clenched her teeth. She would ambush the madman and somehow return to the mansion. The forest’s darkness was on her side.

Just then, her resolve hardened—

Spark!

The darkness of the forest—her only ally—vanished.

“Light Manifestation”—Transformation Spell, Class 1.

An enormous source of light bloomed behind the shrubs, illuminating everything nearby. The reason mages are considered the most reliable allies among mercenaries is their adaptability—capable of dominating any battlefield. In particular, Dereck excelled at controlling the battlefield.

But for Diella, it was a devastating surprise. The darkness she relied on was completely gone.

Gasp…!

Her plan to hide in the shadows was ruined. Deciding she had to flee instead, Diella started to rise when—

The white-haired madman, a glowing orb floating beside him, suddenly turned his head toward her.

“Found you.”

The boy grinned widely.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelCet