Chapter 11: Imam (1)
PfmVILJThe next morning, when Lady Diella led the servants to the main house, there was a great stir among the staff. This was because she usually remained secluded in the annex.6dFieqf
k7rWhen Housekeeper Katarina entered the central foyer of the annex, a young girl leading the servants walked past the nobles with a frown.uFcM3F
R3IqW7The sky-blue frilled dress she wore as casual attire looked more sweet than elegant, perhaps due to the wine-colored ribbon on her chest.w5Jt
j3KNOThe annex servants ran behind her, and the nobles passing by quickly bowed their heads, sweating profusely.BV0r1NX
QDkgXEveryone was tense, knowing that even the slightest mistake could result in a flurry of abuse.khVD
AB0sOIt had been too long since the girl had visited the main house directly, and not knowing where Dereck was, she randomly stopped a noble passing by.rH8zcKJ
2ZdPtTQ“You, there.”aHRD34a
FMHk“Yes, Lady Diella. Good morning.”vM0
RxgyXCThe servant, who had been carrying ropes since early morning to repair the garden, stood at attention, sweating heavily.PuVBh
jbEaHousekeeper Katarina took a deep breath and hurried down the foyer stairs. The low-ranking servants, who did a lot of physical labor in the garden from early morning, were often tired or lacked proper hygiene.M8c
OaO28mKatarina had to step in immediately, lest he smelled of sweat or looked like a beggar—getting hit would be a problem.MCfhZLY
qcpz“Do you know where the mage from Ebelstein is staying?”M0u7
hj9bBQk“Ah, the mage from Ebelstein… you mean the mercenary Lady Aiselin brought?”4NAmki
Ffw“Yes. Answer me.”ovjHA
2mbF“Sorry! I’ll find out right away!”WTMzx1
J5FG0YrThe servant stood at attention, sweating buckets. He clenched his lower abdomen in anticipation of a blow or kick that could come at any moment.PWJc
Q7vF33bBut Diella wasn’t much interested in wasting time on such matters.QkpUf
o67KhK“Forget it. I’ll ask the housekeeper.”aRQVW
viy“…?”oGtdRqB
vHHSdi“What’s with that face? Is there a problem?”eG7iYxJ
jSgT“No! I’m going, I’m going!”0J4L
iXFodEThe servant quickly gathered the ropes and ran off, and the housekeeper, who had rushed down, approached and bowed. She was inwardly surprised that the servant hadn’t been hit but spoke with the utmost courtesy.40xQtMS
uiz“Lady Diella, I apologize for the commotion. If you had informed us, we would have prepared properly.”DH7p
l7bnd3“Forget it. Just take me to where that mage from Ebelstein is.”7wqka
Y7Rxo“Yes. He’s staying in the guest room on the second floor.”Llqd
GVTxMWith that, the housekeeper walked ahead three steps calmly, swallowing nervously.dz2al
ewJGlancing sideways at Lady Diella now and then, she didn’t seem too upset. She was completely different from when she scolded over the smallest things.0CxRS
zdp‘Oh, she seems to be in a good mood today. I’d better be careful not to irritate her too much.’Pdvkh6
6geNo matter how difficult Diella was, she wouldn’t hit the housekeeper, one of the top three maids in the mansion. At least the housekeeper could manage the infamous Diella.xwwQ
KtvzKAs the housekeeper led the way beside Diella, all the servants and followers who passed by kept silent. Her self-sacrifice truly deserved the title of “Holy Mother.”QAI
5XmlmEThus, Diella and the housekeeper walked quietly for a while, eventually reaching the guest room on the second floor.9HJeLsg
API9SWhen the housekeeper gently knocked on the door in a polite gesture, a groan was heard from inside, as if someone was dying.62ElG
GrD6hBl–CreakIYv
uTtdB7XThe wait was brief. The door opened, and out came a figure that looked like a corpse—or maybe a corpse that resembled a human.yTY
VJetAt“What’s going on?”9YnHI
bXAV1QDereck had spent the previous night unleashing his magic during the chase, and after returning Lady Diella to the annex, he had gone back to the main house to discuss future plans with Jayden.TnI3N
TyEdmmOnly after his routine of studying spellbooks and training his powers did he finally sleep. According to the clock, he’d only had three hours of rest.Afw
KChcjaeHis face, full of exhaustion, shadows under his eyes, and his disheveled white hair made it clear he’d just woken up.kFHgi
B6Dj7Housekeeper Katarina, seeing Dereck exhausted, felt pity but also silently prayed for a solution to the disaster named Diella who had shown up that morning.oTZF
6heAfter all, Dereck now had the full confidence of Duke Duplain with educational authority over Lady Diella.t00l
RBbC4UH“Lady Diella is looking for you, so I came to guide you.”y7K6T
C9r“Lady Diella?”0MBhIIW
BrXJWhen Dereck asked, Diella stepped forward quickly, looked at him, and said,dFa
fCrNU“Teach me how to control the magic that’s materialized. I tried it myself, but it didn’t work.”erqLPE
R0ZPS6V“…”b1Mwg
WCHoHs“You said you’d teach me.”aWdu
NLLKatarina doubted her ears upon hearing Diella’s words. The servants who had worked at the mansion for a long time had all but given up on Diella’s magical progress.fX4c64
pKn‘Lady Diella has materialized magic?’aoYfh
cu1IQaFThis was something that needed to be reported to Duke Duplain immediately. The whole noble household would likely be in an uproar. It was understandable why Diella had come to the main house so early. Newly awakened mages were often ecstatic over their growing accomplishments.qOsqEYr
XvvjjSo captivated by that sense of achievement, many would pursue magical training as if bewitched. That overwhelming excitement was more addictive than the rumors of the finest wine—at least until they hit their growth limit.Xpon
Np8UVbIt made sense why the duchess herself went out of her way to come so early. The thirst for knowledge among mages who had just opened their eyes to magic was beyond imagination.ipZ
y1rfdNAnd it seemed clear now why Diella wasn’t lashing out at the servants.
Once she found something to focus on, it was expected.ygjSr
jeVKatarina looked at Dereck with sparkling eyes. Maybe this boy could save the staff from that demon’s grasp.6u2iLBe
B4HJust as she was about to say something to him—c6Kxj
VAQkY“Come back in the afternoon.”uE06
0CS92q–Bang!g89A
VRGDereck, exhausted, said it and shut the door. In front of the closed door.Z19vv
lGFNtZNThe housekeeper and Diella stood frozen for a long while.g5hV31j
85Co“What is this?! Are you kidding me?! You send me away at the door?! Who do you think you are?!”wl19TR
LkRU6Finally, Diella banged on the door, raising her voice, but Dereck simply put in his exploration earplugs and buried himself back in bed.rP4Bd
5J35HDereck, with experience under two masters, knew this well. The relationship between master and apprentice ultimately needs to be led by the master to run smoothly. It didn’t matter if the apprentice was a noble lady from one of the empire’s greatest families—there was no difference. After all, hadn’t Duke Duplain given him full authority?1NMAm
Lvx0–Bang! Bang! Bang!pDABP
fHx8qWG“Open the door! Open it now!”EtyZLIQ
3HgEven amid the loud banging, Dereck was ready to sleep deeply. After a life as a mercenary, one naturally acquires the ability to sleep through noise.OVX5RP
OCnWatching the scene, Housekeeper Katarina could only rub her face.OIxpA
oKsd4Both the master and the apprentice—stubborn to the core.aJW
a2Bzmgt***C3Z
iWk4R“Today, Lady Diella didn’t break a single plate during her meal.”v3mZSI
8gdOax“Ha, she didn’t hit me even once. But she seemed to be in a bad mood…”oPU
aheTGE“This morning, she was definitely using magic with that hand.”I05F3Bu
9EdZPOValerian, the first prince, seated at one side of the duke’s office table, wore a surprised expression. Though his mouth was hidden by his hand resting on his chin, his slightly widened pupils made his thoughts easy to guess.vqG71q
PhkHe looked toward Duke Duplain, who was seated at his desk, and their eyes met.XjqO
INgHCmnThe duke, fiddling with his quill, set it down for a moment and asked the servants who had come to report.w6NT
bj6“Is this true?”Wf9S
TK4uKTr“Yes. I verified it several times before reporting. It seems Lady Diella has finally materialized her magic.”pH4
R3IAT93“Did you hear that, Father? What a relief. A real relief.”jp87
KybeValerian sighed with relief, as if the worst had been averted.TmGC5
s4IgzOf course, it was odd to celebrate the mere materialization of magic, especially for someone born into the Duplain family. But given Diella’s recent behavior, this was a significant and positive development.T1JjMRo
8i4wzRe“Father, I told you Diella could do it.”3985
6AaByN3“There appears to be progress. We’ll postpone her transfer to the monastery and observe whether the situation merits monitoring.”yuvr9U3
2EW8DDuke Duplain stroked his chin, lost in thought.Wde9o
jvWyY6“However, to be honest, there are still shortcomings in her achievement.”vb3I
RvMmNO“Father… but consider how much effort Diella has put in. Please take that into account.”L45
LczSiw“Then let’s not talk about the monastery. However, granting her separate land to prepare for social debut is a different matter.”91PW65M
JwfPv8At the very least, one must be able to cast a one-star spell to claim to know magic. In noble society, that was the standard. Even that wasn’t a point of pride, but merely proof of not being completely incompetent.nnC
MwPUBH0“Of course, manifesting magical power is something to celebrate, but whether she’s truly reformed is still unknown, Father.”Gi2JeCp
m8OfLBEAt that moment, Leigh, sitting beside him, made a blunt remark. Valerian frowned upon hearing it.ZHPVHgF
TGFarkn“What do you mean by that, Leigh?”0qotOBR
xLEVY“Seriously, brother? When someone materializes magic for the first time, they get so excited nothing else matters. But once that excitement fades and they realize their situation again, who knows when their true nature will return?”WTZ
VdHPSYNShe may have advanced as a mage, but as a noble lady, she might still be shallow. That’s what Leigh meant.C1Qzt
zgGx6Valerian saw Leigh’s expression and, as always, remained composed.FefNm
whYFrankly, Leigh deeply disliked Diella. Even if one could forgive past emotions, it was hard to feel affection for someone who had caused so much trouble for the family like a delinquent.1HiR
oysuValerian understood Leigh’s feelings to some extent. It was remarkable that Valerian and Aiselin continued to patiently embrace Diella rather than blaming Leigh for giving up hope.POZFJ5
ii9BPCg“People’s true nature doesn’t change easily, Father.”0edEmP
TnS“Leigh. But since there has been progress, can’t we trust Diella a bit more?”QpLLUGw
yUJM“Brother, your approach is too soft. Especially at times like this, we need to be more firm. Don’t be quick to dismiss sending her to the monastery, Father. That’s when she’ll truly listen.”I7B
z08MeDuke Duplain picked up his quill again and drew a line on a document as he spoke.yNxd
6IDZs9“Leigh’s words have merit. However, since some progress has been made, a softer approach isn’t entirely wrong. It’s better to observe her longer.”MlWs
ZDsLeigh wore a dissatisfied expression, but Valerian’s face relaxed. Duke Duplain tapped the desk for a moment before lowering his head to focus on the document.kvUq
zo9CV‘That plebeian mage. He truly is remarkable.’cW5Aapg
SrsThe duke had been thinking this ever since the boy brazenly asked his question in the grand office. Still, being remarkable and producing results were different matters. The Duke had no choice but to raise his assessment of the boy called Dereck a notch.a8s
0QTtpDHowever, in the end, he was still a plebeian. There were inherent limits to that status. Though he had reached quite a high level for his age, it was still within the bounds of the lower class.aCYwU
ZB6D“Let’s wrap up Diella’s matter for now. The next priority is the upcoming holiday conference.”9WbROmY
5ZeyzX“…Duke Beltus and Prince Belmierd will also attend. I heard Duke Beltus is coming in person, and Prince Belmierd will be represented by Lady Elente.”QSYjqb
ueJtVWUIf one mentioned the three most influential families in the western part of the Empire where Ebelstein was located, the same answer would always follow: Beltus, Duplain, Belmierd.lHlMg
HsHnIt wasn’t common for the heads of such influential houses to gather in one place.yX4
0qTClearly, they would discuss matters like trade routes near Ebelstein and changes to the Empire’s tax laws.7ywCeHj
ynUE‘Sending Lady Elente to represent in such a meeting? Not even a central retainer?’5x0XJ
FGpGJuDuke Duplain felt a strange sense of insult. It wasn’t that the other heads were too lazy to attend—it was because the meeting was important.t5iUaG
lU5XmTuHowever, Prince Belmierd was a wise man. He couldn’t be unaware of the rudeness this entailed. A truly odd incident.VAEY0R
zuH2Duke Duplain sat with his hands clasped, lost in thought. Known for his deep contemplation, his two sons had already begun organizing the documents.4rc
4Iv“I’ll be leaving now.”ugU4pT
myiDWith a dissatisfied expression, Leigh left the office.7ms8
EzUbrSHe clearly wasn’t pleased that Diella had escaped her fate of being sent to the monastery.Mtqc
CUr***hGO5NW
OK3Dereck had a deep sleep, woke up to eat the meal prepared by the servants, bathed, breathed in the fresh air, and sipped tea.2C54bo
VLd9By afternoon, he headed to the annex only to find Diella completely sulking, hugging her knees in the corner of her bed.y0ru2WW
Gp5“Are you upset?”S5CeL
jOzw3“It’s not sarcasm—I’m angry.”xfutyu
VY621Gj“Doesn’t matter how much you sulk. Everything has its order.”DRMWu
WnD“It’s not sulking—I’m angry.”k4mUXfs
G0MI6“Rushing in excitement after manifesting magic will only tire you out. I speak from experience.”2il
pqhDereck pulled a wooden chair in front of her bed. He calmly placed it beside her, sat down, and brushed off the grass from his pants.fVpOza
UFTop“Rest is as important as study. Always be fully prepared when doing anything. Don’t forget that.”Nes
WOFbmaM“Hearing you reminds me of that boring ethics teacher reading from a textbook.”G5b
MH8Epi“…Should I make it less boring?”FTrK
8gHsRemembering that very “unboring” night running through the forest, Diella shuddered. She decided it was better not to get too flashy.bxbnvB9
R4NTjK“Forget it.”Xic
KORapei“Come here. It’s time to practice magic materialization and build the basics of one-star spells. Don’t you want to learn magic?”N2mAad
dEkCiDiella’s pride didn’t like being ordered around by a plebeian.XRU5
lBSxpBLLike a cautious cat, she glared with wide eyes, then adjusted her golden hair several times before crawling across the bed to sit.AkC
xmkHer lips forming a sulky triangle, she looked ready to pout at any moment, but when Dereck manifested magic in his hands, her eyes immediately widened in amazement.iWxK6RP
QIVbLNrThe way his magic moved was quite different from her family’s. The colors varied, and the movement patterns were diverse.gCFkw9
kgTm6Wo“To learn Wild School magic, you first need to free yourself from stereotypes and rules. It’ll be hard at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll be able to learn advanced spells on your own.”gNt
fpw“Dereck, did you learn on your own?”FtXneW
FoyAQ3“No. I had a teacher too. He was from the Disciplined School, so I learned half on my own.”Qx3p
pITyDereck showed how his magic moved freely in his hands, demonstrating that controlling energy freely was the first goal.xV65
k63Sg“Wow, this looks harder than I thought.”IVaO
6PYO“It’s fine. The core of the Wild School is self-learning. The lack of a strict system is actually a strength at times like this.”pOvUc0C
5jbY“Can I try?”wlTY
3aISU“I’m not saying this to flatter you, but honestly and frankly, Lady Diella, you have talent.”mG7IYP3
93OjUpon hearing those words, Diella’s eyes sparkled.pYNB
yppbOau“Really?”Ny6wi0g
HaPe6“Though your efforts were misdirected, the magical knowledge you memorized and the various exercises weren’t in vain. After all, you not only recognized and materialized magic power, but also imbued it with cold to create ice pillars, right?”E026Lb
Z9q“Huh, yeah…”RkSpS
nEC4U“That’s not something ordinary people can do right away. With a bit of refinement, it could become a one-star spell.”e2DZ87
Gy6prFThe talent was there. Chewing over those words like nursing a deep resentment, the girl quietly reflected. Looking back, it wasn’t strange. The simple word “talent” held power to stir the heart.dqRPG
2baJx9“Having self-esteem is good, as long as it doesn’t turn into arrogance. So it’s okay to be proud.”fMR
JYg“I’ve never been arrogant in my life.”HyP6
XGap16“Don’t lie.”JtBoY
rTcfo“Why do you speak so rudely? Do you want to die?”Idb
OtBUz“Your mouth is too foul. Show some dignity.”Py8jg
b6eRDereck dispersed the magic energy gathered in his hands and ended the demonstration. Then, staring at Diella who had been watching intently, he gestured for her to try it herself.hOLxMx
XpwHIt wasn’t something that could be mimicked just by watching once, but Diella seriously tried to feel the magic from her own hands.R3NS
MnD7nB7After repeating it several times, she started to become more comfortable with the magic inherent within her. There was clear progress. Honestly, it was fun.6CiZxjf
e8DLearning something was fun. It was a feeling she had long forgotten.XN4NE
gpmlWCmRealizing she was smiling, Diella quickly composed herself and put on a face of feigned indifference.WkwB
yzwqkYY“Wow, I think I’ve mastered it! Like you said, Dereck, maybe I am a bit of a genius.”SITU
7jvu“…”gYsra
m8ShQcDereck, resting his chin on his hand, said:UzL4k
nHljLl“You have talent, but I never said you were a genius.”2Tqr93
6KrRMw“…You’re really not like the others.”
•pdG
DLmF4xAfter that, Diella took every chance to learn magic from Dereck.vLA
3hhXAThough she grumbled at first, she quickly became absorbed in magic, and it became clear she hadn’t always been a demon from the start.qXrkdlX
5oqVGQEvery day, having lessons solely in the annex felt a bit limiting, so they sometimes enjoyed the sun in the rose garden or the lawn near the main house.sLURM
TEOKjIf time allowed, they wandered through the nearby forest and rivers, where grander spells could be demonstrated. As they came and went, they often caught the eyes of passing nobles and servants.w98P
f8EV7The sight of young Lady Diella following Dereck around, peppering him with questions, often reminded people of her younger self.Ml1l83V
1qieEventually, the shouts within the Duplain family began to fade.JHwm
kR4Q0For the servants, there was no greater relief. Before long, Dereck had become the savior of the mansion staff.jMXHi
10Pp“Hmm…”r4aXi
CDcIn the private office of the Duplain family’s second son, Leigh, after hearing the rumors about Diella, sat alone with his legs crossed, drumming his fingers idly on the desk.z6dveUp
cxXeThough there were some favorable rumors about Diella, he couldn’t imagine she had changed so easily.RT3Y5La
VOHgHe had been one of the victims of Diella’s worst days. She would rant and spread malicious gossip at every opportunity, tormenting and dismissing even her most beloved personal maid. One of them had served with Leigh for over a decade.JYV0w1
DT9nXzqNo matter what people said about new beginnings, accumulated hatred didn’t disappear so easily. That was the nature of karma.yxbtMOm
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