Chapter 74: People (1)
EPu13OThe first time Siern killed someone was when she was around ten years old.2nTYjl
xtv7One day, she suddenly killed a maid who had brought her a snack.g5M
G8hxEfkAt that young age, she stood still, covered in blood, silently staring at the young servant lying lifeless in a corner of the room.Wj8R0Yc
XrSBang!LqVvem
PfDr5ZpWhen Lord Melverot burst into the room, Siern was simply there, drenched in blood.pBg6hgc
VhzVeShe showed no signs of fear or trembling over what she had done, nor any concern about how to deal with the consequences.uLEJDI
gw3NbHer pale eyes, visible through her blood-splattered cheeks, looked at him silently. The stains on her white pajamas looked like part of the decorative lace.d44mnsB
262d5Even when the servants who arrived afterward covered their mouths in horror, and the squires rushed to clean the scene… Siern remained calm and indifferent.yZX
JgojXThe servants were terrified by the scene, but her father, Lord Melverot, didn’t even frown.CJw6Fvc
koJeThe butler Layton watched him and thought.MwPKV
ie3DVEven upon witnessing the murder committed by his daughter, he didn’t show a trace of distress… as if he had expected it from the start.hB4RkZ
6JlSiern’s indiscriminate murderous impulse had begun without warning.fYLq5
NAwFEAnd yet, despite the series of shocking events, Melverot never once showed a sign of panic.Cin
Jtkr6Bs***In1Y
mOZi4so“Mr. Dereck!! That’s enough!! If you try to control Lady Siern with violence!! I, I…!! In the name of Duplain!! I won’t stand by and do nothing!!”voGs1i
suA0xDereck thought he couldn’t allow Aiselin to continue that performance.Vi3Cdo
Km7QPAyHer terrible sense for dialogue, the awkward tone that popped up here and there, and those sudden outbursts of rage were completely off.VLI5w
BIUaaIt was probably because she had almost no experience raising her voice at someone.etz
8hApHhcMaybe it was too much to demand such emotions from a girl who had always lived as an elegant and refined lady.DMXKrU8
cBcDereck raised his staff and spoke.mmhF
Iu2F“Lady Aiselin. I’m someone who doesn’t worry about consequences. Lord Melverot ordered me to reform Lady Siern by any means necessary, and I will use every tool at my disposal to achieve results. If Lady Aiselin interferes, I’ll have no choice but to remove her by force.”adu
8Go“I am the lady of the Duplain duchy. Don’t you dare… don’t you dare…! No! Don’t you dare speak of using force in front of me!! How dare you!!”SWAFk
9cv“…”SAauH
NZX4pDereck felt great confusion trying to follow the emotional track.QcqWH
z2Du71Aiselin’s acting was a black hole that swallowed all emotion around it. If that continued, a real disaster would occur, so Dereck raised his magical power and increased his pressure.98xLNH9
4jaWhooosh.uwLC
R17Dereck’s mana swirled around him, and the accumulated snowflakes began to form a mist.K5X5
s5s3B26Siern, lying down, held her breath and nervously swallowed, but Aiselin stepped forward again, spreading her arms to block Dereck.9FSRdmI
9AmtZaR“If you’re going to shoot… then shoot! I won’t move from here!!”D7g54cP
oY9LE07Dereck’s magical power concentrated at the tip of his staff.7Dpkzd
kMFFDAnd the two-star combat magic, Fireball, began to take shape. Just from manifesting it, the snow around began to melt, exposing the ground.LSbEo
R3HTSiern trembled and swallowed hard. A direct hit from a fireball like that would be fatal.GuhJ
GYzel2If she tried to escape, Dereck would predict her movements and stop her. If she stayed still, he’d beat her to death.1yxi
OCrDespite Dereck’s cruel teaching policy, Siern tried to stand up as best she could. But her legs were too weak to move.eUhAiMr
kCVyNwZWhile Siern trembled in fear, Aiselin stood with arms outstretched, facing Dereck.344
7R0hJDespite the overwhelming magical pressure, with her fingertips trembling, she expressed her determination not to yield.70q2bCX
vsGIMThe cold-blooded mage before her, as if the lady of the Duplain family meant nothing, amassed even more magical power and generated a fireball larger than a human body. That level of flame was near the peak of two-star magic.PygsWN
47CQT“This is your last warning. Move aside.”5mgxM
HEI“If you hurt me… Mr. Dereck, you won’t get away with it…!”NKAGuM
WCEvi“I told you I wouldn’t stop at anything. If you ignore my final warning, I’ll have no choice.”vieoO
Yin7As exaggerated as it sounded, it was hard to believe he’d cast a spell of that magnitude at the young lady of the Duplain duchy.2KTnPyE
TlJxBut he was a scoundrel who had even tried to beat the lady of the Rochester family, Siern. The fear that he might actually do it began to grip Siern’s heart.mo2Rv5z
p0UUWhoosh!6Lfg
9nU6And indeed, Dereck fired the fireball. It was a scene hard to believe even with one’s own eyes.MrINB
q1LK2KAiselin, arms open in front of Siern, trembled from head to toe with her eyes closed. Even faced with the oncoming fireball, she didn’t move an inch.1wy
1KvzSoon, the fireball exploded.vlKT
PGbxFBoom!!LdwM1
9MPaeXA massive explosion echoed, and flames filled the entire field of vision.kNf9d
k21gThe intense heat melted all the surrounding snow. Smoke rose, and the image of the fire lingered like a burn in the eyes.JZBeWmU
Sop“…”RqwIrmE
mdI3Y0The fireball missed its mark.ZhOQ
63OWhen Siern opened her eyes wide, the spell had only grazed Aiselin and struck the ground.Vo348
ZQdEtMzAiselin, still in a protective stance in front of Siern, remained with arms outstretched. The trembling of her fingers revealed the fear she felt.8nmwdb
sS5RAAnd still, Aiselin didn’t move an inch.G8FzPVd
vSwKn6Biting her lower lip, she stared at Dereck with resolve, but her body shook uncontrollably.Wj5a
np9Dereck watched her silently, then finally slung his staff over his back.CwKMq
tktP7oV“I’ll let it go this time. But if you interfere again…”R1puQ
39y62aAmid the swirling snow, his chilling red eyes locked onto both of them.ayg
3XZVEab“You’ll pay for it.”Oy3ICf
7Z4With that, Dereck turned his cloak and walked toward the mansion’s main building.ap1
eTjaHis retreating silhouette looked like that of a reaper who had postponed a death sentence.yL3KEMV
hhVmThe fear that had overtaken Siern’s body climbed up her spine.xpAzpn
zWLCrunch, crunch.BQtDr
9xsNjlThud.eqspn
U44nRGWWhen Dereck disappeared from sight, Aiselin’s legs gave out and she fell onto the snow. She took several deep breaths.RZH
vFjqytAfter a moment to calm herself, Aiselin quickly turned her head toward Siern.wdiw5bb
TnaSiern, unable to move due to her weakened legs, trembled. Aiselin looked at her and managed to force a smile.2I80Ay
Ni0g6“Lady Siern. You were very scared, weren’t you? That insolent mercenary Dereck is always like that. He thinks everything can be solved with violence…”DLTxB
0Y0rkF“I-I… I… then…”s2Kws
ENchcH“It’s okay. It’s understandable that you’re confused. Are you hurt? Let me see your wounds.”o8DFfl4
Ro6With great effort, Aiselin managed to stand up and, dragging her tired body, crouched in front of Siern.04fV
TxIcEven in her confusion, Siern felt a certain warmth in seeing her.eW1kT
ORHFAiselin had a kind heart that knew how to welcome others, and her appearance held something noble and sacred.wlG
tHUihWSeeing her protect and comfort with sincerity was something that could move anyone. That’s why Dereck had insisted on bringing Aiselin. If he played the role of the whip, someone had to play the role of comfort.4Hv
WnQSkrIn fact, even as Siern backed away, she felt a strange relief watching Aiselin approach with long strides.2KP
2fWm5Kj“Come on, show me your wounds. If we treat them quickly, they won’t leave a scar.”FIQnq4V
ZJO“N-no, I don’t want to…”Xl7y7l
oXSVFSWhen Aiselin extended her hand, Siern pushed it away with a dry sound.KAEVWKh
WFTeLHowever, even as she looked at the hand she had rejected, Siern’s gaze trembled with confusion.hVQX
knCT9k“…It’s okay. You don’t have to be so tense.”nDEk
Hosd2Flash!DLjoB
yoJAs Aiselin spoke again in a gentle tone, Siern quickly ran toward the tower and vanished.MQfEgy
mHc8C3The confusion on her face was understandable. Too many things had happened in too little time.znB
crEEStill, it was noteworthy that she didn’t hurt Aiselin.foBQ
FGWssTap, tap.MnPpIW
F9XWatching Siern escape quickly by stepping on the building’s ledges, Aiselin sighed.QIy5qz
3pHFFw3Due to the northern cold air, a puff of breath escaped her small lips. It was hard to judge whether Siern had opened her heart or not, just based on her reaction.9vmb4
wWv0“Ambiguous…”xGaV7d
nUJMurmured Aiselin with a discouraged expression.C3Pk3lK
jCgdkBu***EerqfuC
YZvEdKnock, knock, knock.D2kIqW8
TUHsyU“Come in.”BNtn1t
IShXRG8Dereck had just finished bathing in the guest room and was drying his hair. Naturally, he was lightly dressed.XJi
iTUAs he shook out his hair in the robe handed to him by the servants, the door opened and Aiselin entered.xeCQ
Q5Q7X“Mr. Derek, about Lady Siern…”kOlUa6
9q5Bang!ELAbu6
f6y4And then she shut the door again.Y1UJe7
vtvhNIn reality, although the amount of exposed skin on Dereck was minimal, even that slight glimpse of his torso was excessively stimulating for Aiselin.rlbNMvo
KUIThe speed with which she backed into the hallway without finishing her sentence was comparable to that of a veteran mercenary.Tbvnx
erB“D-D-Dereck, I didn’t know you weren’t dressed. I-I’m really sorry.”QMnA
kf4“It’s fine. I thought you were a servant since you knocked. If you had spoken first, I would’ve come out.”1iJ
T8j“I-I was just going to be brief since you must be tired…”pCEHJ
3HULFI“What noble lady goes to a commoner’s room? Even if your family is in hardship, you should act according to your status.”F218si
MPkJw“I-I told you.”ftnz
tm7mpHearing a deep breath on the other side of the door, Dereck quickly put on a tunic and leather pants.OFadx
ARrTr3O“I’ve decided to accept that I’m a fallen noble. I must stand firm and with confidence.”HpOZ5Vd
oyrJJ89The image of a fallen noble that Aiselin had seemed more like a woman full of vitality overcoming adversity than someone wandering dark alleys.RNAX
5RlO6If she saw it that way herself, there was no reason to correct her.jVv7c9h
I0bbHAfter checking his appearance, Dereck opened the door.rXrV59d
p5UNCHe saw Aiselin sitting against the hallway wall, her face buried in her knees.UsG
wAYMC7It was something he would never have imagined while they discussed philosophy or history in the Rose Hall.TRFo0
xhLSince she got involved in her family’s affairs, this truth had become evident: Aiselin was much more naïve than he had thought.Nm2m
qSqIt seemed she had been quite skilled at playing the noble lady role until now. After all, in aristocratic circles, one didn’t get involved in such trivial incidents.ioIi9L
DfApGKM“Are you dressed?”tFy5P
Qs6R“Yes.”BM9O3
Es46w“Are you really dressed?”F0plFd
Naj2RNr“Yes.”WKz
CaK5Dereck responded without changing tone.1YY7P
tFvKAiselin lifted her head sharply, quickly entered the room, and sat at a table in the corner.JtR
P45B5She cleared her throat, regained her polite expression, and spoke in an archaic manner.Lv7ctwb
AXE“Pardon the spectacle.”p0F1c
Gaqmi“It’s no problem. You came to talk about Lady Siern, right?”2Tdy
PaX“Yes… We just parted ways after a scandal…”UCBwh
USU71Yj“How did Lady Siern react?”BEb6G
dbRi“She seemed bewildered… but I don’t think she completely closed her heart.”gqW
rchuFrom the start, Aiselin and Dereck had already anticipated it.wNZy1
3NCvxm9Aiselin would be the one to embrace, understand, listen, empathize, and console.6sww
FRshDASDereck would be the one to scold, get angry, punish, suppress, and instill fear.rVaA
ReuCFIt was expected that if both fulfilled their roles well, Siern would eventually open up to Aiselin.SH0nBl4
YbyXrAiselin had expressed from the beginning her doubts about making Dereck take the role of the villain.Qv5nQP
Cil50dBut Dereck wasn’t someone who cared about that.a7SynQ
TduUHftGaining affection or hostility was just a matter of correcting mentalities. He was a man focused on results, not human relationships.SDF
SZfmaStill, Aiselin would glance at him or ask if he was okay, as if feeling guilty. Each time, Dereck would simply say it was fine.lP4
vRkO4“Anyway, I don’t think we should rush too much. We could say our brilliant teamwork is bearing fruit.”h48hoCg
ydPv50“…”C4fC
ChOI1mk“I know… I’m not good at acting. Even after taking lessons from the best actors in the Levelton company, it didn’t work…”N3IG
chOlr5Aiselin finally confessed it. And it was true that a crisis had almost broken out because of how bad her acting was.rtIbQ
fv8Gd“It’s strange, isn’t it? I can hide my emotions in a salon chat, but… when I try to act for real, I stutter…”Ddnz
TmuO“Not just you, Lady Aiselin. Acting is hard and stressful by nature.”m51p5a
SG0Es“And here I am, being comforted again by Mr. Dereck… I didn’t come north for this…”ulxWf9s
3UVqObJAiselin sighed deeply, then shook her head and clenched her fist.GYte51A
Pr1aO“This isn’t the time to be discouraged. In the end, I’m getting paid, so I have to do my part…”PEp
PrC5“It doesn’t matter whether you act or not. You’re doing quite well.”e16
rfLGSa“Don’t praise me so much, Mr. Dereck. I told you I’ve accepted my status as a fallen noble.”1atQWq
GGsYiOY“What’s the point of pointing out what you already know?”nnKj
DMg“Ugh…”HOb
78EW“And even though there were some clumsy parts at first, you did well after that.”ZdU
HJWXjS“R-really?”Dr5
HqLBRIWhen Aiselin glanced at him, Dereck was direct.rtmy0I
47ilIyl“Yes. The trembling of your fingers, your unsure voice just before taking the fireball… it was realistic. Extraordinary. Lady Siern must’ve been completely fooled.”mWr5OC4
yGF59“That… wasn’t acting…”N2ojhw
iBGfq“…”dOa0C8
t6JikrN“I-I was really scared… How could you not tremble when a fireball the size of a house is flying at you… I barely held back tears, but… showing fear seemed undignified…”WjJR
MPRDereck decided it was better not to say anything else. Praising or criticizing wouldn’t help.gwO
MAE6ws“Anyway… it’s a relief that Lady Siern opened her heart even a little. I’ve been investigating and found some concerning things.”DIO
3vo4TM“Really?”Z4Na
RXUZDLWhen Aiselin lifted her head, she saw several documents and books on the table that Dereck had gone through.dmwCL
9QwThere were service records, Siern’s routines compiled by servants…bmId
6L1And curiously, there were also historical records of the ‘Dawn War’ that took place in the north.aTm
9sYb1‘Why is he reading history books…?’ltWl7BW
sd6While Aiselin frowned in doubt, Dereck finished drying his hair and sat in front of her.zt8f
2nmamt“In short, it seems Lady Siern has really killed many people. The rumors about her weren’t baseless.”cz8w9
JZIm9Iy“…”Nxj9
yAn3“Lord Melverot told us to swallow any doubts while educating Siern. But how could we fulfill our mission with just surface-level information? We have to find out everything.”Ol6tyr
SB6NSeeing Dereck’s serious expression, Aiselin felt a chill.wmo3V
s68When that man committed to something, he achieved it at any cost. She had seen him complete tasks that seemed impossible.FNAhGu
vCrzsUL“…I also… felt that Lord Melverot was hiding something.”y7Y663
KeKSPv7“That’s the key. We don’t know what it is, but it’s clearly something Lord Melverot doesn’t want revealed.”AoqQGuK
EmD“…Mr. Dereck. Lord Melverot is a hero of the north, one of the few six-star mages on the continent… Is it really wise to uncover something he wants hidden…?”IOtq1P
XT9“If we manage to become confidants who share secrets, even better.”r2R8
VqDOWyAiselin swallowed hard.EO1P
VsAUDereck usually showed his human side, but when it came to assessing his position and interests, he could be colder than anyone.Sgb5ZZ4
TUUaOIf he managed to discover the secret of the six-star mage Melverot, he would gain a weapon of immeasurable value.aWqj
LxA5Z9GAnd if he ended up on the same side as Melverot, there would be no better ally for Dereck’s path as a mage.hFGNFP
TpbOf course, one can’t negotiate with a transcendent being. They can crush you simply with their power.ujkB
SFSThat’s why he had brought Aiselin.esym
bbnV7GONo matter how far her family had fallen, a minimum courtesy still had to be shown toward the daughter of a ducal family.mhcllXA
rvNH0Realizing this, cold sweat ran down Aiselin’s back. Dereck planned to use Lady Siern to somehow control Lord Melverot.pjtqkb
1lc3And to become a higher-level mage, he wouldn’t stop at anything. That was the kind of man Dereck was.I4Bw
MUDhOe“Mr. Dereck…”5PpXz
vBCVGVt“…”hEcw
ULNOLr“Do you have any… suspicion?”Sfi
RiJw25Dereck only spoke when he was certain.QUhex1z
5nNrHe didn’t make irresponsible comments based on half-baked assumptions. If he hadn’t said anything until now, it was because he didn’t yet have clear proof to support his judgment.iz43sV
FMMFUBut, since Aiselin had been direct, he couldn’t just ignore her, as they were in the same boat. Dereck hesitated a moment, cracking his knuckles, and finally responded.KqU7viS
5xnlV“Lady Aiselin, what kind of person do you think Lady Siern is?”jIYiwD
JTu“Eh? Eh? Well… although she has some rough edges… she’s actually very pretty… if properly educated, she seems like someone who could become a good lady… like a diamond in the rough, don’t you think?”C7vJ
TtB“A person like a diamond in the rough?”pBOUg0
Vt4u“Yes, yes… that kind of person.”UcCFl
uiwz“Hmm, are you sure?”1A5
Z9XWJH“…What do you mean?”g388AX
DX0Aiselin swallowed instantly. She had to rethink what Dereck had just said.czdN
hiqvmHowever, even after reorganizing her thoughts, Dereck’s intent became more or less clear.X9Dd7p
3P9Id0Dereck’s gaze, sitting calmly and making eye contact, was penetrating.oavQxBm
dobIHis pale red eyes peeked out through his fallen white hair. It was exactly the same gaze that stirred a strange fear in Siern.b9irI3
2A51qeZThis man had spent his whole life wandering through labyrinths, researching, and killing countless monsters.Eev3
J0nuIf you piled up the corpses he’d left behind, they would form a mountain, and the blood of those creatures soaked his body and soul in a way that could never be washed away.ONegw
JsyVp2That known fact… seemed to carry meaning.eqyst
sM5YAiselin’s fingertips began to tremble, and she held her breath.Mhok
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