Chapter 134: The Subjugation of Beltus (8)
A2iylTShame.5fkDb
x76What an absurd emotion. When a person makes a mistake, unbearable shame and unbearable humiliation are bound to arise.cxRF3
ukZAfter hearing Dereck’s explanation, Denise had to endure the dizziness while covering her face.Mxg3N3
QGqOFrom the beginning, Dereck had no hostility toward Denise.1vmG
5EWYUuaThe words “You can stab me in the back” were not a bold declaration aimed at an enemy, but words spoken out of consideration for Denise’s position.daV
azA“Ah, no… if you think about it logically, I’m the most well-known lady of the Beltus family, and if someone is hostile toward Beltus, it’s only natural to think they’d also have negative feelings toward me, right…?”L9gPbJ
0vI“How many times have I told you? I hold no particular resentment toward Lady Denise.”0hTZ9
BcoHCRc“…”3gpff
yVq“Do you remember what I always say?”pmz
KBMDenise, who had collapsed, looked at Dereck under the moonlight and spoke as if reciting.ZBs7ge
7rmi“…That there are no bad girls in the world, it only depends on how you teach them, right?”ocnkof3
cQ6q4b“In truth, there’s nothing to teach or not to teach. From the start, Lady Denise has nothing particularly bad about her. I understand if you can’t trust me, but can’t you at least trust yourself?”fIblUZd
RvF3o“No, it’s just that… logically… yes, logically this is… inconsistent…”xm6Gg8
dQ06CkcWith that, Denise let out a hiccup and began reflecting on the man called Dereck.IZS
soVwHe was ruthless toward those who showed hostility, malice, and tried to crush him.yyKOL
vp4VIf someone attacked, he struck back; if they drew a sword, he drew one too; if they tried to kill him, he killed them without hesitation.edfwr3X
9a0O4But what about the opposite?svb
52rHe was infinitely kind to those who showed no hostility. He wasn’t usually the one to take the initiative in doing good deeds, but he knew how to appreciate what he received.p8pW
X0uJBUDHe seemed to treasure deeply in his heart the teachers he had met in his life and never forgot them. Didn’t he visit the grave of the old man from the slums when he had time, exchange letters with Katia, and rejoice upon hearing news from Drest?xAr5s
RRfDidn’t he seem to have a good eye for people?CMp
j8tGqDereck was someone who, if you approached him with goodwill, responded with goodwill—a completely logical man.RiDGl7y
wiKIjnvEven knowing that, Denise couldn’t judge the situation rationally.ub0FT9
YYsHdIt was only natural. It would be strange for anyone to remain rational in a situation like this.9pfvt
68hZimThe only reason he had drawn his sword against Grand Duke Beltus was because the Duke had drawn his first.2zTpA
whfVxaCDenise covered her face and bowed her head deeply.P6ihT41
82Vs“I want to die…”95ICyBD
YIqJ0pl“To that extent…?”TcRil79
992S“Yes, honestly, considering the situation, I thought that you, Dereck, were completely cornering me, trapping me, trying to punish me…”MErHxls
Xx5UoO7“Me?”oDSLFEM
XsBq“Isn’t this the kind of situation for that? Beltus showed you clear hostility.”k8z
8uYILFDenise already knew it well.nIUXmb
emX7MTGrand Duke Beltus had even tried to kidnap Baroness Pheline, and if necessary, was willing to take Baron Dereck’s life.ih5
ZszKBeing lenient toward someone like that was unthinkable, so Denise assumed Dereck would also use every means possible.UK2ukz
HB6icRBHowever, Dereck knelt on one knee, lowered his posture, and looked Denise in the eyes as he spoke.ecEqA
BhsQTMZ“That’s Grand Duke Beltus. Not Lady Denise, correct?”oWgwf
R2C“I’m someone from Beltus.”0QBd
xjcIPT“And what of it?”vV0U
kZXN9HAt those words, Denise’s eyes widened, unable to say anything.cV6O9vC
zDm0gG“Grand Duke Beltus is Grand Duke Beltus. And Lady Denise is Lady Denise. What else could that mean…?”KNAkR
oxiHWhat kind of meaning could such a simple, obvious statement carry when said that way?RWl
W6DBecause it was Dereck—who deeply understood the arrogant Lord Robain and the person named Denise—who spoke those words, Denise understood the thoughtfulness contained within them.JN0qLer
w2HyWhat could she say now? In her entire life, no one had ever separated Denise from the Beltus family.5GLRZo
HR1WyyThat was why, the moment Beltus became the enemy, Denise thought Dereck would also become entirely her enemy.0gY
wztOBut that very premise was wrong.b3wPTL
pPXThat man, who always looked at Denise indifferently under the moonlight, saw the Beltus family and Denise as completely separate entities.4y61PHN
mndSEverything she achieved was “for Beltus.” Everything she did was “because of Beltus.”PQjr6A
MpdV8vThat was why a person who saw Denise only as Denise was more precious than gold.E5n
lkFWhy did she only realize that now?Rffc0S
IOaVn4EEven when Dereck taught her magic, he never treated her as “the lady of Beltus.”V2XlTuc
Hk1Only when Denise handled magic carelessly or dismissed it as useless did he get angry and teach her with full force.5rx
j2ljEFIn truth, when he felt the lesson was sufficiently covered, he simply left without another word.2Wc05X7
WKgrQwTo him, Denise was just Denise.WCZKZ0
5JPtNpDenise, who had lived her entire life under the glory of her family, finally understood why she could never bring herself to push Dereck away harshly.9N2clj
UO3shLHe was the only person in this world who saw her as separate from the Beltus family.AwnumrW
WE6ktThe girl, without realizing it, didn’t want to lose that person.639t
a0pxC“Dereck…”sfR3yE
Z2tb5s“…”YKSY
Yha“If… if the influence of the Beltus family weakens a lot because of this incident… and I end up being treated like Lady Aiselin… will you still be my teacher…?”u8op0
t5dEven Denise herself didn’t understand why she was asking that.7cQLS
Xk47Tu7But she felt she had to ask it now.sAIVb
l7NC“…Why ask such an unnecessary question?”m4qWYvD
ynl1uWDereck didn’t even consider it a real question.bvY2wr
qWrqOnce a teacher-student bond is formed, that relationship continues. One only had to see how Dereck treated the teachers who had trained him to know what that bond meant to him.R1q3RTV
2SKsZvVAt those words, a lump rose in Denise’s throat.gJQ6T
4VbFEven if the word “Beltus” disappeared from her name, she was convinced that this man would remain by her side until the end.42c
3x8mThe reason was simple — they were teacher and student.cZ3EU
zgQAJust as many teachers had once taken Dereck’s weak arm and guided him, this man, too, was determined to protect the one he had once considered his student.aL6RyA
gHxlQnDiella had done it, Ellen had done it, Siern had done it.Figl
OiFZDereck had more than enough reasons to abandon them and turn his back, and yet, he never avoided his responsibility.Ifq8
FQzPGTfThe old man from the slums, Katia, Drest — Dereck had been taught that way.TgD
rO1z2He acted according to what he had learned and taught others in the same way.U1i
McsCIn the end, in this world, everyone is someone’s teacher and someone’s student.QB66dkI
gJWFAnd Dereck lived naturally under that belief.zDFpBN9
A4t4To doubt someone like that was shameful. Denise understood the nature of the shame that consumed her.YEcOcb
vbkzDenise rubbed her face again and again, letting out sighs of relief.1WXk
LQNHHe was a truly mysterious man.PytpM
SReLike a zelkova tree that always remains in the same place, the only one confused and in crisis was Denise.7byvF0I
U1GWgCV“You’ve been through a lot, Lady Denise. Don’t worry too much. All of this will soon come to an end.”fwX
irLqPZPSeeing Dereck protect her that way, Denise felt her breathing quicken for no reason.liso
w0cA man from the slums. Yet he had firm convictions, always embraced everyone, and never judged people by their family’s power.tcNtX
rAIc0faHe felt like a familiar character, so she tilted her head and repeated the thought several times. Only then did she remember who the heroine Tracy was in The Arrogant Lord Robain.nIp
sXNqHtAt that moment, her breath caught in her throat.vDlyYRM
3SepIn The Arrogant Lord Robain, a romance novel filled with Denise’s personal desires, the male protagonist and most important character, Lord Robain, was none other than a projection of Denise herself.wa6pFKn
hXPThe unfortunate man who lost his precious connections because of his family’s power — that Robain, placed there to mock herself, loved someone like Tracy.xqIf6
vFAHe was just a character in a story.hcOWn
YUlHowever, after spending so much time immersed in Lord Robain and wielding the pen, the character’s mindset and values were already deeply imprinted in Denise’s own mind.eejbNhH
jpCTZThe reason Lord Robain loved Tracy so deeply was a process that she herself had built and believed in.Cg8l1
Py5LwThat was why, when she looked at Dereck, she understood Lord Robain’s feelings.a0mlgp7
rAy3SThe process of someone oppressed by their family’s power feeling affection for Tracy, who treated him sincerely as a person — Denise herself had described that process so convincingly.mKq3iXx
mhSFAnd, unfortunately, her passion for that story became the firewood that stoked the flames of Denise’s heart.iDg1jZ
Ym1LThrough her eyes, Dereck seemed as precious as a jewel.bDD7
mCBggFTWhile everyone in the world recited the name of Beltus, Dereck’s voice asking about Denise’s well-being felt strangely sweet.Yono09C
SCaadDtDenise was a rational person.N0l
cNtNocEven with her heart fluttering, she judged her current situation objectively.k4d
OgW‘This is bad.’8gZN
DfsI0cIn this crisis, with her family collapsing and monsters everywhere, she tried to convince herself that it was merely the “suspension bridge effect,” but nothing worked.man2nlY
kWJzEKkIt felt like she was about to throw herself onto a path full of thorns. Of course it was.uhN
rRbVhDereck’s relationships with women were so complicated that just watching him from afar was enough to give Denise a headache.fZAs3f
YOLS1wIf simply watching the fire from the other shore was exhausting, jumping directly into that war was something that Denise — always lazy and calm — could never tolerate.C2e08o
Nn5hHowever, human emotions don’t always follow reason.kaGrn
NkJDHaving devoured all sorts of third-rate romance novels, Denise knew better than anyone how this kind of situation developed.vP7
bPyfrIn short, Denise didn’t respect this man only as her mentor.zXdWC
HQwei“Lady Denise. The situation is urgent right now…”vjm
5XtBwY“D-Dereck… w-wait a moment…”drdqygy
IW1Flustered, Denise took a step back, but the tree trunk behind her blocked her retreat.Wyccc
crh0uTrying somehow to hide her face, which was turning red for no reason, she covered her cheeks and lowered her head.4jcmXZ
WFxycEverything was a disaster.huYVR
uqHMuIn the midst of rampaging monsters and demons appearing, being swayed by these emotions would only throw everything further into chaos. That’s why Denise tried to regulate her breathing — and just when she thought she should listen to Dereck’s plan—GcVoPL
ZrZYM8Snap!gQC
1gfWhoosh!B7Au8qE
XJwyz3Bang!6LB
yXY30When Denise raised her head, Dereck was suddenly struck down by a flying spell.0tQaRw
g7qoMP1Crash! Bang!atiHDIH
ZAY7Combat Magic of the First Level — “Shockwave.”Ouh1XQ
35yThrown by the impact, Dereck was slammed against a tree at the edge of the forest as dust rose into the air.27blk0
Kj6iSMThough it happened in an instant, Dereck, who drew on his magical power with superhuman reflexes to soften the blow, appeared through the haze of dust.fdv
IHk3He was kneeling on one knee, pulling out his staff and taking a combat stance. His reaction speed was so fast it seemed inhuman.CdAaAfW
NaCp“W-What…?”4HKIHl
GuVZg3jLooking in the direction from which the magic had come, the mercenary leader Orel had arrived with his detachment.awmn23
pqaHe had long served as commander of the Emperor’s direct guard. Though his abilities may have dulled slightly with age, his responsiveness in crises remained exceptional.e8eWq
rMUjB6“Are you all right, Lady Denise?!”kqJSSkr
JnfToHe surrounded her with his mercenaries, forming a protective barrier. General Orel, who had quickly moved to shield Denise, drew his sword and pointed it toward Dereck.63zHCa
AxknoEMRising from amidst the dust, Orel’s eyes were already filled with hostility.c49XU6u
H4MlW0o“O-Orel, leader… w-what are you doing…?”Se7ni
GrPd3“You’re safe. I’m glad to hear it.”Pf62My6
UFEaMOrel, spinning his sword once, glared sharply at the beast emerging from the bushes.VywzXD
n1cAt a glance, it didn’t look like an easy opponent.1AVfpJ
YZ4mirThough he appeared young, he was already a mercenary hardened by countless battles.Hc2
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