“Yes. To be blunt, our Beltus family won’t stop you from leaving.”
Denise spoke with her usual indifferent expression.
The hem of her fine silk dress brushed the floor. She was in the middle of getting ready for her afternoon philosophy class.
Even after finishing her morning training session with Dereck and eating breakfast, she showed barely any signs of fatigue. Even Denise herself could tell her stamina had improved noticeably.
“Father’s thoughts are obvious. The Belmierd family has already started moving to support Ellen as their successor, and the Duplain family doesn’t hold much power anymore… so your value, Dereck, has dropped quite a bit.”
“That’s true.”
The main reason the Beltus family had wanted to retain Dereck was to keep him from going to another house. At this point, there was no reason to tie him down with a large sum of money.
However, if Denise firmly insisted on renewing the contract with Dereck, the situation could have changed.
“And, I have no intention of keeping you, Dereck.”
Nevertheless, Denise said this firmly. She was tying up her beautiful platinum hair and fastening a necklace with a clasp over her bare nape.
She spoke without even glancing at Dereck, who stood in a corner of the room with his hands behind his back.
“As I said, I’m just a puppet of the Beltus family. Even if you speak of my value, there’s nothing to gain from being with
right now.”
“For soone who says that, you certainly crushed Diella with full force when she challenged you to a duel.”
“Ugh…”
Denise flinched like he’d struck a nerve, then let out a long sigh.
“Dereck, you’re strangely dull where you should be sharp, and sharp where you could afford to be dull.”
“…”
“Well, my pride was a little involved with Lady Diella, and in the end, the Duplain family suffered quite a bit… so staying with the Beltus family was the right choice, don’t you think? You should be thankful.”
“I am. Thank you.”
“I didn’t expect you to say thank you so honestly… ugh…”
She tried to mask her discomfort with arrogant words, but Dereck never acted the way Denise wanted.
She placed a few butterfly-shaped pins in her hair, smoothed the hem of her dress, and finished getting ready.
Then she walked over to Dereck, placed her hands on her hips, and looked up at him with her lips slightly pursed.
“It’s obvious without asking. You’re going to teach Lady Siern, right?”
“…”
“No matter how much I tried to stop you, you can’t resist anything related to magic. I don’t know what you plan to gain from Lord lverot, but if you can get involved with a six-star mage, you’ll do whatever it takes.”
Denise was the one who had seen Dereck’s ecstatic expression up close when he mastered magic under Drest.
Lord lverot had a sowhat arrogant deanor, but if Dereck decided to take advantage of him, the payoff would be imnse.
And Dereck was soone who never missed an opportunity. That’s why Denise had no intention of holding him back.
He was reliable, always standing by his allies no matter the circumstances.
Even when the Duplain family was in dire straits, he continued to help Diella and Aiselin.
But he was also soone who couldn’t be tied down easily. You couldn’t keep him close by stifling his ambition. His pure, almost noble passion couldn’t be broken so easily.
Denise closed her eyes for a mont and let out a hollow laugh as she thought:
‘Now I understand why the Duplain family let this man go.’
The first student Dereck had taught was Diella. Denise had never understood why Diella let Dereck go to Ebelstein.
She’d thought maybe he’d made so excuse, or there were internal issues in the family.
But now, she seed to get it. Denise, who had closed her eyes softly, sighed deeply and raised her head to speak.
“The North is a dangerous place, very different from the Southwest. Unlike the peaceful plains of the Southwest, it has many mountainous areas and the climate can be harsh. Monsters appear much more frequently… sotis, even truly dangerous high-level ones.”
“Yes. The harsher the place, the tougher the people, and they tend to distrust outsiders.”
“People who live in such dangerous territories, where threats to life are common, can’t be the sa as those who live in peaceful big cities like this.”
Denise gestured to the servant who had helped her dress and whispered sothing into his ear.
The servant, after nodding, quickly went to the jewelry storage room.
Soon after, he returned with a large bracelet and handed it to Dereck.
“What is this?”
“It’s one of the magical accessories made by the Arendale Society and sold to high-ranking nobles. Its main function is to indicate the location of the person wearing the matching item.”
“…”
“It’s worth dozens of gold coins. Be careful not to let it get stolen.”
Denise rarely gave Dereck gifts. He took the bracelet and, feeling a sense of déjà vu, tried to collect his thoughts.
‘It’s a magical accessory sent by the Arendale Society as a coming-of-age gift. It cos paired with this ring, and when worn, they can show each other’s location.’
He rembered receiving a similar item from Lady Freya during the disaster at the Duplain mansion.
Though he carried it in his inner pocket, he’d never had the chance to return it, even though it was an expensive item.
When Dereck pulled it out, Denise’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait, soone else gave you one besides ?”
“Lady Freya gave it to . It’s so small I had no reason to take it out, so I just kept it.”
“…”
Denise suddenly squinted at him. While Dereck looked at her with a puzzled expression, she sighed and sat back down at her vanity.
“This is usually given as a sign of trust. Do you think a high-ranking noble lady would give an item that reveals her location to just anyone?”
“Well, the situation was urgent… I thought it would be best to know where we were.”
“I understand the situation, but… it’s better not to take sothing like that out in front of other ladies.”
“Is it a problem?”
“It’s usually given to soone they want to pair with for dances or events. Well, Lady Freya and I gave it to you for practical reasons, but… the fact that they can track each other’s location could be interpreted more romantically than you think.”
Denise looked at Dereck up and down again. She knew he was handso, but now that she took a good look, he was really attractive.
His well-maintained rcenary attire gave him a rugged air, but that was part of his charm.
“What will people think if they see a good-looking man carrying multiple magical items gifted by noble ladies?”
“…”
“Well… there are so vulgar noble youths who collect things like that and brag about their conquests, but even jokingly, it’s not a good look. The ladies who gave gifts to such a promiscuous man would look like fools too.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“I trust you because you’re not that type. If you take it out at the right ti, it’ll prove you have the recognition of the Beltus family, and you can use that authority.”
Denise spoke in a light tone with her arms crossed, but in reality, she was telling him she would support him.
“As you know, noble society is built on connections. Knowing a few influential figures can be a huge help. Even though the North is far, the na of one of the three great noble families is widely known.”
“You’ve been considerate with . Thanks to you, I won’t have many problems proving my identity wherever I go. Thank you.”
“Ugh…”
“…?”
“No, it’s just that… sotis you thank
so sincerely, but when you teach magic you’re like a beast, and it’s strange… I’m not used to it.”
In short, she felt a little embarrassed. From Dereck’s perspective, being considered kind was a bit awkward, so he just accepted it quietly.
Even that reaction was so typical of him that Denise could only glance at him a few more tis from the corner of her eye.
“Sigh… Well, no matter how crazy Lady Siern of the North is, she won’t get the better of you so easily. You’re skilled in both magic and social skills, so I won’t worry.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“But… things like lady etiquette and high society culture? You can’t teach those, right?”
“I already found an assistant. Soone with a solid foundation, great knowledge of the aristocratic world, capable and willing to take on those tasks.”
“I knew your network was broad, but you had soone like that? That kind of talent isn’t common…”
“No need to go far. It’s Lady Aiselin.”
“…What?”
Denise, who had been listening to Dereck’s story with relaxed shoulders, sharpened her hearing and opened her eyes again.
Her feminine intuition scread. She instinctively knew that Aiselin’s affection for Dereck wasn’t just admiration for exceptional talent.
“Ah, you’re going north with Lady Aiselin?”
“I might not be able to go to the Rose Salon as often, but Lady Diella said she’d take on more responsibility.”
“Ah, no… why would Lady Aiselin go to a place like that?”
“She said she urgently needed money.”
It wasn’t an entirely far-fetched situation. No matter how noble and beautiful a woman was in the southwest of the continent, if money was tight, she had to do sothing.
Denise wasn’t unaware of Aiselin’s circumstances, but the fact that she would accompany Dereck gave her an imdiate bad feeling.
‘Is sothing really going to happen…?’
Aiselin seed wise and thoughtful, but having been raised like a precious gem, she’d realized her romantic feelings far too late. Such were girls raised in greenhouses.
If it was already decided she would go north with him, then only one course of action remained for Denise. Even if it was drastic, she needed to apply so shock therapy.
“Dereck.”
Denise looked at him seriously.
“I think Lady Aiselin likes you.”
“I also like Lady Aiselin. In tis like these, a person so steadfast is truly rare. I should consider myself lucky to have soone like that as an acquaintance.”
“That’s not what I an. I think she likes you as a man.”
Denise got straight to the point without hesitation. Once she made a decision, she didn’t hold back on what needed to be done.
“…”
Even Dereck, a man of steel, was montarily speechless.
He wasn’t entirely oblivious to the matter, so he hadn’t overlooked Aiselin’s recent odd behavior.
Even so, he hadn’t connected it to romantic feelings. There were many handso, high-status n around Aiselin. Her standards had to be high.
After all, the three leading ladies of the Rose Salon received marriage proposals whenever they got bored. One of their daily tasks was to reject noble sons of questionable repute who lingered around them.
Why would soone like that take interest in Dereck? He was very self-aware in that regard. That’s why he answered frankly.
“You’ve been reading too many romance novels.”
“Are you underestimating my intuition?”
“I knew Miss Denise had a good eye… but this feels like too much of a logical leap.”
Dereck crossed his arms with a thoroughly incredulous expression.
“I knew you’d react that way, Dereck. But my wild instincts never fail. Aiselin likes you romantically, and if you go north together, who knows what might happen.”
“…”
“So I’ll tell you directly now. If you don’t keep your head cool, sothing big could happen. I’ve never seen a relationship between a commoner and a noble lady end well.”
It wasn’t uncommon for heads of families or young lords to secretly keep concubines or touch their maids.
However, for a noble lady, getting involved in that kind of scandal was a massive burden. If it remained a rumor, it could still be managed, but if it were true and not just gossip, the problem beca far more serious.
That’s why Denise was warning Dereck—for Aiselin’s sake.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Dereck?”
“To be honest, I don’t have the kind of confidence that makes
think a highborn lady would take a personal interest in . If I did, I’d be an extre narcissist.”
“…”
“Even so, if Miss Denise says so, I can’t just sit by. I’ll do sothing about it in my own way.”
“You’ll do sothing? What are you going to do?”
At that response, Denise showed an ambiguous expression.
It wasn’t a smile, nor a frown, nor was it expressionless… It was truly peculiar and indescribable.
*
“Miss Aiselin, do you like
romantically?”
“Pffft!”
Seeing the sun rise in the west or Aiselin spit out tea ungracefully and nearly choke were equally unreal sights.
Watching her lose her composure like that was sothing extrely rare.
Even so, Aiselin, seated in the half-ruined reception room, averted her eyes and spoke to Dereck.
“D-Dereck. I’m sorry. Did I mishear you? I’ve been handling family matters all day lately… I think I’m hearing things…”
“I asked if you like
romantically. I know it’s an extrely presumptuous and disrespectful question, but I think it’s better to make things clear.”
Asking directly. It was a response only Dereck could give.
How could anyone with a heart do sothing like that? Despite such questions, Dereck seed immune to emotions like embarrassnt or sha.
Even when he was covered in dirt by Diella, or when he recited the novel written by Denise… he was a man of steel, immune to any emotion.
Raised in the slums, walking a path stained with blood, the delicate sensibilities of a young girl were to him stories from another world. They didn’t even graze his emotional ice.
That absolute rationality was a blessing for a rcenary.
However, for a woman trying to approach him, it was an impenetrable fortress. Gaining psychological ground on him wasn’t easy, not even for those who’d seen it all.
For Aiselin, who was practically a novice in these matters, it was an unbearably harsh test.
“T-that…”
Aiselin’s eyes began trembling uncontrollably, unable to focus, as if struck by a blow.
Though she was quick-witted, her thoughts seed jamd. Her tongue moved on its own, and sohow, she managed to respond as naturally as possible.
“Nooooo!”
Although in reality, it was anything but natural.
Her tone was absurdly abrupt. She concluded that, given the situation, outright denial was best.
In fact, that was the most appropriate response when dealing with commoners. The elegance instilled in her since childhood finally kicked in.
“That can’t be! Mister Dereck, of course I always think you’re dependable, and that you’re amazing in both appearance and ability, but thinking of you romantically is sothing completely different!”
“I see. I apologize. It seems my self-esteem inflated too much from my recent achievents. I’m embarrassed.”
“Everyone makes mistakes! It’s okay! Don’t be so embarrassed!”
Aiselin’s behavior, acting like a soldier on high alert, was excessively unnatural.
Even though Dereck was supposed to be the one embarrassed, her tone and conduct made it hard to tell who was more flustered.
“Anyway, I ca to talk about the travel itinerary to the north, so let’s get to the main topic.”
“Let’s!”
“But I’ll go get the map first. I’ll be right back, please wait a mont.”
“Yes!”
As soon as the door closed, Aiselin collapsed into her chair as if lting. Her ragged breathing lasted for a while.
In silence, she thanked the heavens that Dereck was so dense about these matters.
*
“…”
Dereck, after closing the door, walked silently down the hall, sat on the windowsill, and rubbed his chin.
‘I shouldn’t take what Miss Denise said lightly. I should be careful.’
Aiselin, who knew little about relationships between n and won, thought Dereck simply wasn’t interested in them.
But that was a naive view. Growing up in the suburbs, one saw all kinds of murky, twisted, and unhealthy relationships.
Those scenes might be far from the glamorous social culture, but at the very least, it was an environnt where one inevitably developed male awareness.
‘Good thing I checked in advance. I need to keep my head cool.’
It’s naive to think Dereck has no interest or knowledge about won.
Rather, he was soone who even evaluated female affection with logic. He was very much the type noble ladies would call “a dangerous man.”
For the naive Aiselin, trying to handle him alone was excessively difficult.
‘Let’s finish the preparations soon.’
After straightening his clothes, Dereck crossed the hall.
Whatever it was, he just needed to finish the northern business quickly and return.
*
Swoosh, swoosh.
Late at night, Denise, who had been writing quietly, suddenly stopped.
She set down her pen and looked up at the moon in the sky, arms crossed.
‘Thinking that Dereck’s contract is about to end makes
feel empty.’
After all, she was quite fond of him. She worried about him going north because he’d given her so much in so many ways.
Even though she was concerned he’d be traveling with Aiselin to teach Lady Siern, it wasn’t good to interfere with a bird that had already left its cage.
‘Maybe I should’ve ddled a little more? I’m worried sothing might happen…’
In any case, Denise had already done nearly everything she could.
Even so, she still felt a strange frustration about the Aiselin situation. It was like sothing was stuck in her chest, bothering a corner of her mind.
It wasn’t even that serious… but it was a truly strange matter.
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