— Before teaching her anything else, the first thing Lady Siern must learn is the weight of death.
— Do you think I haven’t tried sothing like that?
— It’s not sothing that can be taught with just words and actions. If Lady Siern’s homicidal impulses co from her instincts, we must use a thod strong enough to imprint it into those sa instincts.
The next day, Dereck visited Lord lverot’s office. He said he wanted to request his understanding in advance and explained his plan on how to socialize Siern.
— So what? Are you going to push Siern to the brink of death? That’s a rather violent thod.
— Of course not. But it’s hard to deny that we might resort to sowhat violent ans. That’s why I’ve co to ask for your understanding.
Dereck laid out to lverot what would happen in the future.
lverot listened in silence, his face stiff. It was clear he understood Dereck was not an ordinary person.
However, he did not oppose the plan.
He simply nodded.
— If you have no further objections, I’ll take my leave.
The sound of Dereck’s steps as he bowed and left the office was unusual.
It seed like he didn’t plan to carry this matter for long.
*
“How is Lady Siern’s food delivered?”
“Each al is taken to the tower by the servants. They go in protected by all sorts of magic and gear. After all… it’s a dangerous task…”
The next place Dereck went after leaving the office was where the head maid, Serena, was located.
She was supervising the organization of the mansion’s storeroom and, upon eting Dereck’s gaze, gave a bow. Judging by her still-bruised body, she had clearly been through a lot.
Dereck expressed his gratitude for her efforts and asked several questions that had been on his mind.
“Does Miss Siern often go out into the snowy field?”
“Yes… She often cos back covered in blood. Most of it is from beasts or monsters… but not always…”
“…”
“How long has this been going on?”
“About seven or eight years. Before that, she was a normal child. She laughed, learned well, played…”
Dereck’s expression didn’t change, but Serena’s grew a little complicated.
She had been caring for Siern for a long ti. Although it would have been natural for her to harbor resentnt, she genuinely seed concerned for her.
After all, children are not to bla. The ones at fault are the adults who failed to teach them. That’s what Dereck believed.
And soone like Siern especially wasn’t soone just anyone could teach.
“The scarlet ribbon is impressive. Was it made here in the mansion?”
“Eh…? All of a sudden? Normally we use ready-made products, but the head maid’s clothing usually has extra embellishnts or patterns.”
“What kind of dye do you use? Do you have a separate workshop in the mansion for that?”
“Huh…? Why are you asking that all of a sudden…?”
“I’m curious about how the mansion staff works.”
“…We use madder or similar plants for dyeing, but for Miss Siern’s clothes we usually use flower petals like safflower or balsam. The scent is also important… And the actual work is usually done by an artisan from Levelton. We just receive the dye and use it.”
“There must be many people connected to the mansion through distribution.”
“That’s right…”
It wasn’t clear why he was interested in the mansion workers, but Serena didn’t ask.
A maid’s virtue is to not be needlessly curious.
“I’m also interested in the protective magic used by the servants before entering Miss Siern’s room. I also want to know how her als are prepared.”
“I can tell you everything in detail. Lord lverot gave us specific instructions to cooperate actively.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
As Dereck walked away with firm steps, Serena bowed and followed.
As long as he had lverot’s protection, no one could oppose him acting as if he owned the mansion.
Aware of that, Dereck thought he should gather as much information as possible while he had the chance.
In any case, Dereck already had all his plans in order. It was ti to train the leading actress with his own hands. Most likely, he would also be the director.
“From today on, I will inspect all the als that enter Lady Siern’s room.”
While crossing the hallway, Dereck gave that order.
Soone was secretly watching him from afar.
‘…’
Aiselin swallowed hard as she watched Dereck’s actions.
*
“It’s fine even if Lady Siern doesn’t trust . Even if she thinks to use
and discard
later, I don’t mind.”
Aiselin, who had returned to the room through the snow, took off her cloak and hung it next to the bed, speaking with a determined expression.
Siern, trembling inside the room, looked at Aiselin’s resolute figure and rembered Dereck again.
She rembered the image of that beast-like man walking firmly through the snowy field.
In that snowy world where it was either kill or be killed, he had the aura of a supre predator.
There were few in this mansion who could match Siern’s magical abilities, but at least that man, Dereck, seed capable of overpowering her with ease.
“I… I have to do what I believe is right. Even if Sir Dereck tries to kill Lady Siern, I will protect you with all my strength.”
“Why… why do you try so hard for ?”
“…You won’t believe , but there’s no concrete reason.”
That was precisely the biggest reason Dereck acknowledged Aiselin. She had the ability to embrace people.
The way to earn soone’s trust and make them feel you’re trustworthy is simpler than it seems. You only need one thing—sincerity.
When all personal gain, success, and reward are discarded, and one acts solely based on what they believe is right and just, the other person perceives that sincerity.
Sincerity is a quality only the sincere can possess.
That’s why Aiselin’s noble and brilliant eyes were etched into Siern’s pupils. For a mont, Siern almost nodded.
However, the terrible mories stored in her heart could not be undone with a single kind look.
The expressions of fear and disgust shown by countless teachers when they looked at Siern pierced the gaps in her mory.
Everyone had approached her with smiles at first, saying they were different.
They promised to guide her to a better world with flowery words. In her more naive days, she had hopeful thoughts. But the accumulation of frustrating experiences made her shake her head.
“I don’t believe it.”
Siern, curled up in a corner of the bed, hugged her knees and growled.
“I don’t believe in anyone.”
“You don’t have to believe . Be suspicious of . That’s better for you, Lady Siern.”
“Of course. After all, you’re the one accompanying that… lunatic nad Dereck. Why should I… trust you?”
“That… is true…”
Aiselin lowered her gaze and spoke as if she didn’t have the face to look up.
“Even so, I believe in Sir Dereck. To you, Lady Siern, he may seem cold and ruthless… but I still believe there’s humanity and kindness in him.”
“Lies. What you’re doing now is betraying that magic teacher nad Dereck.”
“That… is true. But please, wait a little longer. I’ll do everything I can to convince Sir Dereck.”
Aiselin slowly approached Siern.
Siern backed away, pushing the sheets with her bare feet, but Aiselin approached with a gentle smile and held her hands tightly.
“It’s natural to be suspicious of
now, Lady Siern. But please, trust
for now. I’ll try to buy ti while avoiding Sir Dereck’s sches, and I’ll do everything I can to make him change his mind.”
“Do you really think that heartless monster will change his mind? I’d rather… tell everything to my father. Tell him that lunatic is trying to kill
and beg him to kick him out.”
“Right now, Sir Dereck has the full trust and support of Lord lverot. In this Rochester mansion, having Lord lverot’s backing ans there’s no way to stop him.”
Siern showed a look of disbelief.
To think that a magic teacher she didn’t even know, who had co from sowhere in the southwest of the continent, would have such trust.
However, once she cald down a bit, she quickly realized that the situation was not in her favor.
A killer who murdered people when given the chance, versus a competent magic teacher recognized in the southwestern empire.
It didn’t take much thought to know who lverot would believe. In the end, she would need Aiselin’s help. If that man nad Dereck really tried to kill her, she wouldn’t be able to escape on her own.
“Fine. Keep being suspicious of , Lady Siern. I’ll do what I can.”
However, on Aiselin’s serious face, with her lips tightly pressed together, there was sincerity.
It wasn’t an act or a lie, but the look of soone who genuinely cared about Siern.
‘Don’t be fooled.’
Siern clenched her teeth and pushed Aiselin away. A coldness even more frigid than the vast snowy fields of the north flowed inside her.
No matter how much Aiselin tried to embrace her with warmth, she couldn’t win over the heart of that thorny girl.
Siern glared at her fiercely. Even so, Aiselin kept a resolute expression.
She was soone with a strong heart.
Thus, Aiselin began secretly visiting the tower several tis, whispering information to Siern.
She even warned her that Dereck was poisoning the food. She cautioned her repeatedly not to let her guard down, since it was a slow-acting poison, and not to touch any food brought by Dereck or the servants.
Although she doubted Aiselin’s words, Siern never touched the food brought by Dereck with the servants.
She pretended to eat just enough, then spat everything out, surviving only on the food Aiselin brought separately. The als managed by Dereck were removed by Aiselin and discarded completely.
From ti to ti, Dereck examined Siern’s body with his icy gaze, as if checking her condition, and each ti, Siern suppressed her growing fear and pretended it didn’t affect her.
Whenever Dereck spoke to her, she responded coldly, provoked him, and thought about how to drive that arrogant commoner out of the mansion.
anwhile, Aiselin never stopped moving around.
Fearing for Lady Siern’s health, she checked on her condition several tis and, when possible, begged Dereck to reconsider killing her.
Each ti, Dereck firmly rejected her pleas, but she continued her double life without losing her resolve.
Thus, one day beca three, and three days beca a week.
During that long ti, Aiselin barely slept and gave most of her own als to Siern, enduring the biting cold.
At night she would visit Siern’s room to report the latest news, and during the day she discussed Siern’s educational policy with the servants or kept an eye on Dereck’s movents.
As ti passed, Aiselin’s face grew paler and more exhausted, but thanks to her, Siern remained alive.
“There’s nothing abnormal with your health, right? I hope you never let your guard down, Lady Siern. When Dereck notices the dicine isn’t working, he might resort to other thods. I’ll… try to find out what he’s thinking as soon as I get a chance.”
“…”
“Don’t worry so much, Lady Siern. I’ve told you many tis. Dereck may seem cold and ruthless, but he has a human and selfless side. As soone raised in the Duchy of Duplain, I know that better than anyone.”
“That’s enough.”
When she ca to, Siern was already speaking informally to Aiselin.
Her unwavering righteousness was admirable, but everything had a limit.
“What’s the point of enduring like this?”
“Lady Siern…”
“Life is like the jungle. Kill or be killed. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Siern let her bluish hair fall as she got out of bed and looked directly at Aiselin.
“You… what are you? You’re not on my side, nor on that man’s side…”
“That… that’s…”
Although she was deceiving Dereck solely to save Siern, she couldn’t completely abandon her fundantal trust in him.
Siern couldn’t understand Aiselin’s way of thinking. How could she still have emotional empathy for a man so monstrous, who acted with such violence and arrogance? How was that different from a wife who says she’s fine while being beaten every day?
However, she couldn’t say it out loud because she herself wasn’t free from the accusations of being violent and arrogant.
That girl nad Aiselin trusted and believed even in people like them. She was soone who extended her unshakable faith even to the possibility that man nad Dereck represented.
That’s why Siern felt frustrated.
“That’s enough. Let
die. If that man kills , so be it. I don’t want pity from soone with a head full of flowers like you, nor do I want to beg for my life.”
Snap!
Just as Siern said that, brushing the edge of despair, Aiselin clenched her teeth and slapped her.
In an instant, Siern’s pupils widened.
If soone were to choose the kindest and most benevolent person in the world, many would na Aiselin.
It was rare for soone so simple to resort to violence. Even Siern was so surprised she couldn’t help but tremble.
“Don’t accept death so easily. Don’t you know that everything ends once you give up?”
Aiselin spoke every word through clenched teeth. She was a girl raised carefully in a noble family. Normally, people like that lack a sense of reality and only talk about ideals.
However, Aiselin was a young woman who rolled up her sleeves to stand even in the crumbled mansion of the Duplain family.
The truly strong don’t show their swords. The poison hidden in sweetness is the one that has real value.
She was soone with an iron will to live, capable of spreading manure with her own hands to sow, and selling household items despite the sha.
That’s why she couldn’t ignore those who gave up on themselves.
Ever since she wandered through taverns in search of Diela’s teacher, her strong nature had already been evident.
Siern felt she was seeing Aiselin’s true depths and couldn’t say anything.
“You can live. I won’t ask you to learn magic or etiquette. You don’t need any of that. Just… don’t throw away your precious life over a nature you don’t even understand. That… just that… I can’t bear it…”
“What… what… why… why are you crying…?”
“Did you understand what I said?”
Aiselin’s eyes turned red and she began to sob. It was an undignified reaction, but that didn’t matter in that mont.
Aiselin knew soone in a situation similar, though subtly different, to Siern’s. Her sister, Diella.
Diella now aspired to beco the true power behind Ebelstein, with the qualities of a ruler, but during her wandering days, she had been a girl who despised her own life, just like Siern.
Aiselin knew better than anyone how sad, lonely, and painful that was. That’s why she couldn’t leave Siern alone.
“I… I…”
“I’ll try to fool Sir Dereck a little more. While he changes his mind, we’ll gain ti. And sohow… I’ll convince him…”
Aiselin tried to speak with a deeply serious expression.
“That won’t work.”
Bang!
It was Dereck who burst into the inner room.
Both Aiselin and Siern flinched and looked in that direction. The man, dressed in rcenary garb with a frozen expression, was standing there.
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