Chapter 8: Diella (1)
kkCWa—“What does it really mean to teach someone, Master?”r71OUp
lcZB9While absorbed in studying magic, Dereck asked Katia that question.
They were inside the carriage, returning from a monster extermination mission near the border.OJ8c
Wj1apDereck had some injuries, and Katia was treating them, applying the proper care.6fN7gS1
Amf4X9—“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”YolpD
TYUgxPI—“…Just curious.”GWo
azD7WuHaving explored the mercenary world from a young age, Dereck often saw fighters serving their masters under the pretense of a master-disciple relationship.WB3Xwn
SMankIt seemed illogical to him how even those with hard and cruel temperaments could act so reverently toward their masters.Bmh5qa6
fUsVFThis sparked great curiosity in him.pexp
iQeF—“I’ve seen people who wouldn’t hesitate to stab someone in the back or scream at strangers completely repress their nature in front of their masters. Hmm… Maybe it’s because you’re somewhat kind, Master Katia, but is everyone like that?”IwQyHa
NmR6l—“It would be a problem to assume everything in the harsh mercenary world applies here. Not all master-disciple relationships are like that.”WMcHufk
q9iuQlaKatia spoke softly while wrapping a bandage around Dereck’s arm.zzE
sZsZ—“And you, Dereck, are relatively easy to teach. You have exceptional talent for magic, you absorb knowledge quickly, and you’re always cooperative.”tD7K
tn1ehp—“Isn’t being cooperative just natural if you’re trying to learn something?”S1Dxka8
fDxvq—“That would be ideal, yes. But the world doesn’t always function according to ideals, does it? Sometimes there are those who despise their teachers, grinding their teeth, ready to lash out at any provocation.”IHq
egiDeWQDereck rubbed his chin thoughtfully.u1Z4F
N7yoHrkIf a disciple is someone who bares their teeth at their master, can they really be called a disciple? Is there even a need to teach such people?6jfx
ZW0yiHowever, as Katia said, the world doesn’t always follow the ideal path.mNFiBU
HLPBUDt—“If you had to teach such a rebellious and ungrateful student, what would you do, Master?”4bM
zH5pHl—“I would try to understand them to the end, embrace them, and guide them.”RJN
TXG—“…That sounds way too idealistic.”wiRmJ
IRARiS—“…Yes, you’re right. But ultimately, the essence of teaching lies in guiding the student down a better path, embracing and leading them.”VZUkjI
k1ZVit0Her tone was casual.jCEycvu
4ia—“If communication through understanding and compassion isn’t possible, then we must look for a different starting point, but we must not forget that essence.”kCy
iND—“A different starting point? What would that be?”kogZiD
tN5Katia continued bandaging in silence, her gaze lowered.DhLcTi
4In7a6j—“Instill fear.”WQyZ
OP9BMnnDereck closed his mouth silently.t6pz
f5mH—“There are times when you have to start from there.”Utp6D
6oyx1GL***oeXD90
EE8—“Treat others with consideration and respect.”SdWw6
at8hWWDereck’s cold voice rang out in the silent room.ntWbaZ
8LhIn Lady Diella’s messy room, stained with dirty water, Dereck spoke again amid the silence.SBYJ
hjVKv“Get up.”clpghuj
UhTwBLady Diella, her eyes trembling, stared at Dereck, then, following his order, stood up.i290Crq
E1AoaAnd slowly, approaching Dereck, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.U37Pv
jGybVSlap!IOE
oGTyEDereck’s head turned to one side.W5NX5bB
J2HFDiella, panting, spoke with a voice burning with fury.fJpJqZ
rIV“You… who do you think you are…? You…”ckysyTH
0vK96XmSlap!Cj0Qa
d6mQBefore Diella could finish, Dereck’s hand moved again.V84zZ
ZGokepEThis time, Diella’s head turned the other way. Her pupils dilated to the limit.Hjs
iL55ALkLooking at Dereck, his expression remained unchanged. His red eyes stared solely at Diella.TBHHza
SVpknhnShe had grown like a flower in a greenhouse, and he like wild grass on the roadside.IzA0JJ
xuLGJAt the moment they felt the abyss between them, an emotion they seemed to experience for the first time overwhelmed them.uGS1j77
sveEmsThat emotion was fear—fear of the unknown.DRErBnP
nWl5c69“As I said, when dealing with others, you must be considerate and respectful.”WijDW
danTJM“Shut up!”YVEyXP6
FwwGYGDiella, with her small hands, somehow grabbed Dereck’s tunic by the collar.Pfyg96S
CQWNMNo matter what she tried, it was useless. No matter how many times the small girl repeated her spiteful words, Dereck didn’t even flinch.ZhsN
YbVAof“What’s going on here? Why isn’t anyone stopping this?”koIC
eQmPjwHearing the commotion, Butler Delron quickly pushed past the servants and ran in.hQt2V
GsX97The elderly butler, alarmed, scolded the confused servants and immediately stepped between Dereck and Diella.jDY
nPQHe knew Dereck. He was the one who had come with the mercenary group, seeking a teacher along with Lady Aiselin.bi7tMi
H8P6XN“Let’s stop here. Going any further would be extremely dangerous.”EF9myi
a5iqDangerous.PVQk9
38UZbWrThat word seemed more like a warning for Dereck than Diella.FlwqK
DH1A commoner daring to touch the duke’s daughter; it was a serious crime, punishable by mutilation without hesitation.TAAJ
jxu“If this ends here, you might be crippled for life, but at least you’d survive.” That’s what Butler Delron meant.SZUnF
CV6EGGOHowever, Dereck, indifferently, pulled a document with the duke’s seal from his coat and threw it onto the tea table.SR57
I4NGThe contents weren’t complicated.aCQ
8Zg2gG“His Grace, the Grand Duke Duplain, has granted me full authority over Lady Diella’s education. Whatever methods I choose, remember they carry his approval.”TZ5Cy6
NN9gq“What… are you saying?”tneLtEd
0genZUIt was a document even the butler hadn’t seen. He was stunned. That meant it hadn’t been sent officially through the butler; the Grand Duke had written it directly.ffZ
z8jVlqhButler Delron doubted its authenticity. A commoner striking a noble wasn’t just a moral matter about violence. It was a challenge to the nobility’s authority.uDcCO
GJvWh6If actions like this were allowed, it would be a great disgrace to the entire noble house. Nobles had to remain superior at all times.vvG
xftUTHow could the Grand Duke Duplain, at the top of power, allow such a thing?ZtJONwY
adlPxWhen Butler Delron looked at Dereck with that question in mind, Dereck responded as if reading his thoughts.K37ec
w8s“Prince Leigh asked you to investigate something, didn’t he?”jlzq
lXPLLe“…!”58WJW1A
2ojw3YjThe duke’s second son, Leigh, had given up all hope on Diella’s rehabilitation.9OWH0
BJzHe had changed course, planning to send her to a monastery on the border. It was part of the plan he had ordered the butler to investigate.Ue0za
IFUFQThe Grand Duke Duplain had rejected the proposal, but he felt overwhelmed. The fact that such a suggestion was boldly presented to the Grand Duke meant the situation was beyond tolerable.zTg
z83cNot only the pavilion’s servants, but even the retainers in the main house were exhausted from her tantrums. As the head of the household, he couldn’t turn a blind eye forever.LR3V
k4SUZNLTherefore, this decision was a drastic measure a father, loving his daughter, had to make with a resolute heart.W2U
5zeJamIf this extreme measure failed, then the condition would be deemed incurable.lWR
WRmiI“Lady Diella, you don’t have many chances left.”eCUJL
UvcDQVWith that implicit warning, Delron’s expression hardened.Q3wnW
theZcB8Most importantly, Dereck’s actions were hard to believe.XM2
TB58vA boy, a mercenary turned mage. Though he’d grown wild, like something born of nature, no commoner had that level of audacity.whQ
xi8upREven with the Grand Duke’s certificate backing him, it was rare for someone to dare slap a noble lady.89n
GDen5HDThe Grand Duke Duplain had a keen ability to judge a person’s potential.p3xF
pRqhWhether he foresaw this or not, Delron didn’t know at the time.F3RxUnY
Jkq***jqT
hCX“Brother! Brother! Please, calm down for a moment, brother.”TcVbRy
gIMgiaACreack!jAcbK5
ocUThat night, after the situation had calmed down, Dereck was organizing his gear in the guest room provided by the butler.x0fu
iTUlaA man, full of rage, burst into the room where Dereck was staying.rG0
GDP“You’re the mercenary Aiselin brought? Yeah, you’re the one I saw outside the audience chamber today.”gI8Pm
LPf“Brother! No, calm down before you act! Brother!”oGbPe0
4guValerian Leonard Duplain, the eldest son of the Duplain family. A handsome man with long blond hair and a tall figure, his face was livid as he grabbed the collar of Dereck’s tunic.7OpCRf
Ge3gHe had been designated as the heir to the Duplain household, known for his gentle and affectionate demeanor.xcMl
ZkCKHowever, there wasn’t a trace of kindness in his face as he glared at Dereck, gripping his collar.Z1DGz1
EqHY“You dare… you dare…”z29BA
PGOXD“Brother!”mN56K
vrSaIvLeigh, trying to pull him away, looked desperate.yrU
FsUWx3Dereck, still held by the collar, listened and then replied calmly.8Qp
eKW“This matter has His Grace’s permission.”n3r
Y06mHItHe declared the obvious fact with great respect. At that, Valerian held his breath for a moment, then shut his eyes tightly and released Dereck’s collar.lfubyLv
hL5af“…Ah.”vP29Wr
DQkAjValerian then sighed deeply, rubbed his face as if washing it without water, and said,ZT9dnp0
V2gj4“Follow me. Leigh, let’s train.”FlQo
UUeqHTr“No, if I don’t follow you, who knows what’ll happen…”0zAAOD
cjpO“I won’t argue about this any further.”6cVeRi
mFBKb6nWith that, Valerian looked at Dereck, indicating he should come along, and left through the open door.KgTxN8U
sCLGHcLeigh watched Valerian go, took a deep breath, and patted Dereck on the shoulder.2hu
xUCZIuY“Yeah. I heard what happened earlier. I’m on your side. Diella needs a good slap to wake up. Does she really think being noble will protect her from everything?”EkLC
GziwRU2“…No.”Al9vS
nznyA“Anyway, she’s hopeless. Well, she’ll be sent to the monastery soon, so hang in there a bit longer. Valerian… he’s too kind, but he’s a good guy. He won’t hurt you, so don’t be nervous… Anyway, with that, I’ll be off.”rL9wgSG
KBUBLeigh, with his sturdy frame and square jaw, sighed deeply and followed through the open door.WKnx
FZz9x“Good grief… What’s the point of clinging to a hopeless cause…? My brother, seriously.”EWq5
u4vPqhLLeigh’s grumbling expression as he left didn’t look very cheerful either. He seemed to have completely lost hope in Diella.xvbv
4glYSHF***5yTJ
dlGBtThe room Valerian led Dereck to was on the first floor of the main building of the mansion.iMPGd
coaabAt a glance, it seemed like a place that hadn’t been visited in a long time. However, despite that, not a speck of dust could be seen—as if it were cleaned meticulously on a regular basis.EMM
lab4YSwoosh!RiUb
gCpq0DWith a magical gesture from Valerian, the scattered chandeliers in the room lit up, revealing a glimpse of the interior.xGO
KcWpSIt was a beautiful and small room.BHTKAkS
QfhbOn one side was a bed decorated with cute bows and ribbons, and on the other, a neatly arranged shelf displayed small, charming dolls. A wardrobe full of lovely lace dresses, and another tidy shelf with various books—it was an old-fashioned but childlike room. Far too spacious for one girl, but given her status, it wasn’t unusual.URk
dpeRD“This was Diella’s room when she stayed in the main house,” Valerian said softly.CQIdsWa
xjoVRNow she lived in semi-isolation in her own pavilion, but apparently, Diella had been different back when she was here.U4RW
icsIYIn a corner of the room, several canvases and painting supplies were arranged. As Dereck looked toward them, Valerian offered an explanation.9D3LY0
LWVEl“Diella loved to paint. Mostly landscapes. It started as part of her social education, but she became very interested and would always come to show me her work with joy.”0e1eV6
Q8suI5J“…”KfN2N
pYx0F“I often remember how she used to run over, asking me to look at her paintings.”RAGQB
a2lRStrolling between the canvases, Dereck’s eyes fell on one covered with a pristine white cloth.rpeLo
id1oNoNoticing his gaze, Valerian unveiled it. A carefully painted sunset began to emerge.6Byi8
RuaThe painting showed a young girl on her maid’s back, looking at a magnificent sunset.aHBY6V
YBRHowever, the edges of the canvas were empty.etpLois
2OkSa“This is the last painting she worked on. As you can see, it’s incomplete.”GDt
d4tmS“Incomplete?”4Ofl
U7HFm1K“Diella always enjoyed painting, but she rarely finished her works. She’d leave the margins empty and only paint the parts she liked.”8kBBe7
5z0OeTmLooking again, it was evident that the landscape was only partially filled, with blank spaces here and there.xr56
YWPAs they observed the paintings, Valerian sat on the edge of a table in the corner of the room.zJXka
XxqLsDxThen he pressed his forehead, sighed, and said,huxKB6L
Xm61IX“…I apologize for letting my emotions get the better of me earlier. I truly apologize.”Y4sshD
lte383bHis expression conveyed remorse. It wasn’t easy for a noble of his status to apologize to a commoner.xa120
BYY7YMs“I’ve always vowed to be rational, but I acted emotionally at a crucial moment. Especially when family is involved. In that sense, I’m still far from being a competent leader.”QPFqfrZ
Vcrr“…May I ask why you showed me this room?”JDsYJWQ
PtUP729“…I wanted to reassure you. She’s not a girl who deserves to be insulted and abused like that.”cnyOk
ndYeQValerian spoke in a grave voice, explaining calmly.xc4
JGQJlO“But at some point, she became obsessed with her lineage, looking down on those beneath her. I don’t know why… what triggered this change. She started changing little by little, and recently she’s become the person you know.”4e4
wjv“….”GiMa
kImSdZ2“I just… don’t understand. Why she became so fanatical about her bloodline, what made Diella so bitter. She was slow to learn magic and imperfect in many ways, but… she always lived brightly. She used to paint what she loved, and she was a lovely girl who always enjoyed cheerful conversations with her family.”3U8WDW
Hc8FPsXValerian rose from the table where he was seated, straightened the formal clothing worn by nobles, and bowed his head. Dereck couldn’t help but be shocked.VRFW
izaThough the power struggle was far off due to the Duke’s good health, he was still the next head of the noble Duplain family.v15
BJVKEBWHis status didn’t allow him to bow casually to a commoner. Beyond pride, it was against noble etiquette.uhSBcd5
pzQ“I’ve heard from my father. If things continue this way, Diella will be sent to the monastery.”So0
FGN5mc“That would be a problem.”3MhH2O
tjtVbK“If she could just master one first-tier spell, I might be able to persuade my father. At least, she could prepare for her societal debut. So please… I beg you… give Diella one more chance.”qXM9s
ZiaulOSValerian raised his head, his expression serious. He understood the urgency, but from Dereck’s perspective, it was instantly a headache.RLyC
LguMD3According to the servants, when something didn’t go her way, she hit people, broke things in frustration, insulted retainers, and flaunted her status.ylQFfF
Nz7Valerian’s story was hard to believe; she was a spoiled brat, a failure, someone with a ruined character. Rehabilitating her into a refined lady and teaching her magic as well. It was like asking for a miracle.DnK070
XmvDsThe record of burning through 20 tutors in 8 months suddenly made sense.DeyYf6r
2lHo“…”t9WXg
cnUcREven so, Dereck decided to take another look around Diella’s room to collect his thoughts.2jxW3
UFqC4The canvases were full of various landscapes. The blankets were neatly folded. Delicate bows and ribbons.Yg8FjK
CmKah7As he silently examined the bookshelf, he saw many volumes used for home education.M4TPv
VeD3dh7Books on embroidery, flower arrangements, horseback riding. Even the expensive magic books were just one part among them. It seemed that, as a daughter of a noble house, she had her own separate magic education set.7THXqmJ
9Tt4wlC“…Hmm.”fE3z6
BsJGDereck rubbed his chin and slowly scanned the bookshelf. They were all etiquette-based magic books. Of course. This was House Duplain.uDG8m
w11VHe took one and flipped through it—the signs of diligent reading were clear. Notes and practice reflections were scribbled throughout.4xKCuq
ikMiuIt was obvious. Diella hadn’t given up from the beginning. Though her efforts were exhausting, the results never came. The magnitude of the effort mattered, but the direction of that effort was just as important.GkBnU2
kM739ULSeeing the shelf filled with theory-based etiquette books, Dereck couldn’t help but think so.vve4
vF4C“Let’s give it a try.”d0JFaW
0APDvDereck returned the book he had taken to the shelf and said to Valerian. Then, once again, he put on his cloak and hat and left the room.GAlc51g
jt6iYHis steps didn’t head toward his bedroom, but toward the mansion’s pavilion, surrounded by rose vines. The darkness of midnight greeted him as he quietly crossed the garden.tbeRHg
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