Chapter 24: Belmiard (4)
aA4I“Let’s get to the point. I’ll do whatever it takes to defeat Aiselin.”QriJk
b2wThe setting was a mansion in the heart of Ebelstain’s noble district.YLOJqmg
bOB0h6lNoblewomen residing in this district typically had their own main residences, serving as a form of preparation before becoming the ladies of noble households. Here, they held a status akin to that of hostesses.K27tC87
5JmVVFor a noble lady, beauty and culture were important, but equally crucial was the ability to manage and oversee a mansion.AjV
0SkRXThe mansion that the Belmiard family had prepared for Ellen in the noble district was so luxurious that one might wonder if it could be any more ostentatious.4FUwF
66rhUkYBeltus, Belmiard, Duplain.ZoUe
VQJnHhZAmong the nobles of Ebelstain, these three families were in a league of their own. And for good reason.uq12ELc
JP0In a metropolis inhabited by hundreds of thousands, owning a garden of such magnitude was no common achievement.bcZ5
D2iIn a corner of Ellen’s residence, a tea table was set up for visitors.SYD1
78Crg7Dereck, who had once lived in the mansion of Duke Duplain, had seen elegantly arranged tea tables everywhere. It seemed that nobles enjoyed having tea in meticulously maintained gardens.4w1YX
ZaCboE“Aiselin hasn’t reached the two-star level either. I want to achieve it before she does… but if not, at least I want to surpass her in magical duels.”AAf
08yxshs“Are you referring to Lady Aiselin?”72u
r4Ve99“Yes. You, who worked as an instructor in Duke Duplain’s lands, must know well—she is a perfect woman. No matter how hard one tries, no flaws can be found in her.”TtKVA
LaRAoiIf anything, the only issue might be her familial relationship with her younger sister, Diella, the troublemaker.OUSe5
Y34dJlIn noble society, collective responsibility couldn’t be ignored, but rumors suggested that Diella had changed almost completely. As for family matters, Ellen wasn’t in a position to boast.rEZtCW
jgWHer older brother was a libertine, and her sister was a nun. In reality, if family was criticized, it was Ellen who should remain silent.gNQs52
gGmWhat more could be said? She was the pillar supporting the House of Count Belmiard.14fWJq
6GtgQ2Unlike Aiselin, who could focus solely on self-improvement, Ellen’s situation was different.AT4y0pV
BmGFEven so, Ellen seemed determined to defeat Aiselin at any cost.6p7b
pup4“Your competitive spirit is admirable. Undoubtedly, that’s how you’ve reached such heights.”YHmmv
eMNr0Y“You’re flattering me. I’m very aware that my personality isn’t the best.”2Yc
uUq2wIn reality, Aiselin hadn’t made any mistakes.JbQV0
dbkShe simply lived diligently according to her duties, but those around her, consumed by their own complexes, gritted their teeth and did everything possible to surpass her.V0R
UDvBRyA“Now you might call it a healthy rivalry, but you don’t know the dark things I did in the past.”dA5nS
31B”…Lady Ellen, then, have you also wandered down that path?”anf
55sxxOP“Jealousy is like that. If, as you say, I had used it constructively to grow, who would have complained? But the human mind doesn’t work that way.”u0uhV3
lvU6OqEllen’s eyes seemed clouded, as if recalling the past.PK3
Pz2Adapting to Ebelstain’s society, she must have experienced all kinds of situations.
She didn’t say it openly, but her social life didn’t seem to have been very pleasant.0ISZu
X4mbD“Instead of improving myself, I became obsessed with finding flaws in others. There’s no point in hiding it. I tried to defame Lady Aiselin, to find her mistakes. And do you know how that paragon of grace responded?”8Qxs
7aJK”…”qcDs
joQ“She tried to understand me and comfort me. Yes. I was completely defeated.”0T86
G11LwMiriela used to say that Ebelstain’s society was like walking on thin ice.
If they showed the slightest weakness, it would be used for gossip and slander, strengthening their own alliances. Why weren’t there people like that wherever humans gathered? That mob of ugly faces always existed.h49
uUilPerhaps Ellen had been… one of those people. She even admitted it.Imt8sF
6QXi7“What I’m about to tell you is my greatest shame.”PqoGD
e2KYSz“If you prefer not to talk about it, it’s not necessary.”tgUNHu
yFnOg“No, I have a special request for you, so I must reveal some of my cards.”w8t3Ypm
3ve7XZAfter taking a sip of tea, Ellen set down her delicate floral-patterned cup.NmU
vw5YL7Then, with a somber expression, she calmly continued her story.XYoGZg
OdTQ4Y1“What methods are there to defame someone? When speaking ill of a noble lady, there are always certain ways to do it.”NGdvyll
71Eff“What are they?”6F6ZE6
E3He7“It’s about criticizing her frivolous behavior, spreading rumors about family dishonor, finding faults to accuse her of lacking culture, or alienating people by saying her arrogance or desire to show off is excessive.”dDy3h7
iFi”…”mFTrey1
hKZMwb“I hold a fairly strong position in Ebelstain’s society. There are some fools who throw all kinds of flattery just to get my attention. They’re no different from lowly nobles. And when you receive so much praise, sometimes you fall into the illusion that you can control the world at will.”PokalHP
O8oyVOEllen’s expression darkened.JzjQn
7TBgBDereck could deduce quite a bit at that moment. She had been truly cruel.MVYRMK
BmV77qINow he understood why she was revealing her own weaknesses to a commoner like him.evGmVwp
0KtPShe knew that a noble lady like her would only receive superficial responses to such questions, already accustomed to flattery.uMI1M
mLGThat’s why she needed to show how serious she was from the beginning. She hadn’t grabbed Dereck by the collar to hear empty compliments.x30YE
uFMWith everything that had happened so far, she couldn’t just give generic encouragement. Dereck maintained his gaze and finally spoke in a low voice.haL6Ib1
Uhlr6“You really can’t win.”IivZ
pzGHis words were firm.iK7WM
FrxOZUpon hearing them, Ellen’s eyes trembled for an instant.S0u
o3uxDereck was certain.osfIz9
nzhLady Aiselin would soon reach the two-star level.uRtfg1k
PHAC0***TeITGij
QGKEqgVIn life, there are things that simply can’t be achieved.dTJ8mv
QITqRAccepting this reality is not as easy as it sounds. Because society values competitiveness.JIG
iAFWhat can’t be done, can’t be done. Sometimes, it must be said clearly.
When someone credible makes such a statement, people usually accept their limits.poX7f
s3raKnowing this well, Dereck decided to take on this grim role.6P7c7U
ExyEllen’s current magical level was impressive, and her capacity for learning exceeded that of many mages.2NFGwGJ
CiQQCBut compared to what Dereck knew about Aiselin, she was still far behind.2neM9I
3hDfr“…”URRB
cjbWhen stated definitively, there were usually two possible reactions.2ANOn
pOnThe first was to be offended, pride wounded, clenching one’s teeth and snapping, “Who are you to speak to me like that?”Dur
iGmFIt was a resentful reaction, but understandable—a blow to the ego.Hwn13
LStZwrIf Ellen reacted that way, Dereck planned to listen in silence, then leave and never return. He had enjoyed a good cup of tea, and that was enough payment for playing this role.im0kLmC
QT53But Ellen didn’t do that.7Eh
nDBHtThe more likely reaction was the second one—despair.Kw0FKw0
i8bT8lIf Dereck, who seemed to know both their magical levels and had dueling experience, was so certain… then there was no hope.q0l
pdY59To accept that and collapse inwardly was a real possibility. In that case, Dereck planned to quietly offer comfort.AtfD0g
Jm96ddBut Ellen didn’t even despair.a5pw81
UgwJCBWithout changing her expression, she simply said:GDSOWb
IfTX“I still want to win.”1cZfM
EQAThat was when Dereck realized the determination in Ellen’s eyes hadn’t come overnight.ViGo
jfPXgHiOf course. This wasn’t the first time she had been told “It’s impossible.”sj5v
zRBh45O“…”M91
EbZQk“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” she said. “If you, who even taught the noble mage Diella Katherine Duplain, can’t think of a way—then who could?”2YHImv1
KcKf1Her emotional maturity was evident.yCSP
ASWZShe had even grasped the subtle considerations behind Dereck’s firm tone.iCU08I
IYsueWhen Dereck didn’t respond immediately, Ellen leaned her head forward and spoke.
She seemed to have a habit of locking eyes with the person she was speaking to—it was almost uncomfortable.BiA
16fUqt“If you have an idea, teach it to me.”1gk2wSF
5Az“…It’s not that I have nothing in mind, but there are some concerns I need to address first.”cxvNC
IEif4r“Like what?”9Ou4H
HniTeaching Ellen the art of magical dueling wasn’t an impossible task.0p8n
ckZcwdWhether or not she could actually defeat Aiselin was another matter… but he was sure he could raise her combat level.caW
2HihAGOf course, getting Ellen to surpass Aiselin was a massive challenge—but it wasn’t without hope.X5Lfpi
QefeQYStill, it was obvious Ellen didn’t know his methods of teaching.Tjq4p
qdnhh0“Do you know how I taught Diella?”BQPQ76
GC97“Details haven’t spread that much. Wasn’t it a calm approach focused on magical control?”Wqa
e1Zc“…Not entirely wrong.”weWeSC
h2efPWhen Dereck met Diella, he slapped her and dragged her into the forest, where he threatened her life with magic.OF6Km
1mU9hhfIn short, one could exclaim, “What kind of lunatic does that?”n35
dHYSuch drastic measures were only possible thanks to the Duke Duplain’s tacit approval, and because Diella wasn’t an ordinary person. Only because of that. He would never do such a thing to Ellen.K7lK
B2svGymBut it was important to know that Dereck’s methods were more brutal and radical than expected. When determined, he didn’t spare even noble ladies.kKbUF
0cPCould Ellen accept that? That was something he had to confirm first…Ensn2z3
r6j“I’m willing to do anything. If I could just shatter that Lady Aiselin’s pride…”J7ky
Eb7qv“Really? Anything?”NKiC
M5ID19F“…Putting it that way makes me nervous, but you know I mean it.”eHzXb
0lAThere seemed to be certainty in that.8zNvB
vOfv1Then, the second point had to be addressed.Beup
yL6Nvv“As I said, I’m a mercenary, Lady Ellen.”Iyq9hd
HjTK7R“…”6HR
E6w1TWWhat did it mean to learn magic from a mercenary? That was the real question.aqAV
B4upg02“Right, this isn’t a palace filled only with relatives, and this is Ebelstain’s noble district. For someone like me, learning magic from a mercenary might be a stigma. Rumors spread quickly here.”mXgYTW
lA175qK“…”wy1EwH
BMhysr2“But that’s something I’ll handle. Didn’t I just say it? I’ll do whatever it takes to beat Aiselin. Felmiar might oppose it, but I don’t care. After all, I’m the mistress of this mansion.”th8X
xiJGGEllen’s eyes gleamed with determination. The young lady raised her voice, speaking with conviction.Hq51
HwVr2“Don’t underestimate my sincerity! I… really want to surpass her and be the best. If I can’t even stand out in Ebelstain society, how could I ever hope to in bigger waters? I plan for my name to resound across the empire. So don’t worry about that.”Wxdpa
vys30M7Ellen laughed confidently.TL2
Pk2DqiqPeople said that if you could find a new direction in your stalled magical training, you could endure anything. Undoubtedly, her thirst for knowledge burned bright.ldEypU
HbOvSAnd so… Dereck had no choice but to pour cold water carefully.HSdxN
mUs0“…That’s not what I meant.”4ktGw
lTL2“…What?”WayNZ7
7nsncdh“…I meant you’ll have to pay a considerable fee.”GkCf9Id
5AiGMThere wasn’t a mercenary in the world who worked without pay.lVgN5iG
TJmUpon hearing this, Ellen realized her mistake and blushed.8DYF
JBCHer speech had ended. The embarrassment was entirely hers.UYLP0Bb
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