Chapter 95: Awareness (3)
WaVNz0k“I didn’t expect you to reject the request so firmly. Don’t you usually accept most commissions as long as there’s a reasonable reward?”d5p3b5L
1tH“Not necessarily. I don’t take requests I believe aren’t right.”ILK
YrRxDereck refused Trisha’s request and dismissed her.1THIR
H1pSE5OThough it could have been quite annoying, it was hard to deny that Trisha’s request was dangerous, so she left without another word.eIYcyn
kZK“Well, if you accept every request and then can’t handle it, you’d only cause trouble.”DtlmL
bSim“That’s right. Being able to properly judge commissions is one of the important qualities of a mercenary.”hX7qeN
tJbhWhen the sun began to set, Siern quickly entered a private room carefully prepared in a secluded part of the baron’s mansion.NQHK
2fJ64Ellen, who was heading toward the main hall following Dereck, tilted her head, apparently surprised that there was a room set aside specifically for Siern to use whenever she wished.HeK8Dai
crPSAg“Does Lady Siern stay here?”F2hIzBV
DTtZxb“My understanding is that there’s a separate mansion in the noble district purchased with Rochester family funds. However, since she comes often for magic training, a room has been reserved for her here.”dY6GHh
0dzp2S8“…The Duke of Rochester allowed this as well?”apzsk
mvgYV“Yes. From the start, the title of baron was given to raise my status so I could properly assist Lady Siern. Since Lord Melverot has received much, he must take good care of Lady Siern so she has no inconveniences.”Vi7I2
ixEvDereck headed toward the training grounds, swinging one arm back and forth.bus
eCwlm8XDespite being busy all day with baronial duties, lessons, and receiving visitors, he never seemed to neglect his magic training.Y4uyZS8
0qFynuh‘The more I see him, the more mysterious he seems. He doesn’t look much older than me, yet he gives the feeling of someone who’s lived several lives.’MxqAC
LsAEllen, stroking her chin, spoke.UamFcWG
G5eqy“Still, sending your daughter alone to a mansion managed by a young baron… The Duke of Rochester must trust you quite a bit, Dereck.”1RF
fhs“…May I ask what you mean by that?”ZZFE
9bK“Exactly what I said.”VKKfC
LK1nuqIn truth, Ellen had noticed that Aiselin’s gaze toward Dereck was unusual.KKq6VA
VOIWhether or not it was romantic, it wouldn’t be strange for someone as attractive as Dereck to suddenly stir subtle emotions in a person.d8z
VoAG“I heard from Lady Denise… that the wife named Pheline was brought in merely as a figurehead to receive the title.”6bE
k0UeNNs“Yes. She has no interest in noble life and simply enjoys earning money through mercenary work. She’s probably drinking at the Tears of Beldern right now.”b0A
bAiL24PHaving seen Pheline a few times, Ellen already knew her well.2ju
d0vP6RpLaughing loudly, drinking several rounds, and then collapsing in a drunken mess—she was simply an ordinary mercenary.Wp0l0
ZGTUXQIndeed, she was someone with no desire for social advancement, making her the perfect candidate to fill the wife’s position as nothing more than a decorative figure.Mun
Z4x“Well… setting that aside, Dereck, you’re still a man. Don’t you have any romantic dream of a destined encounter or a partner who stirs your protective instincts? Given your profession, you’re surrounded by many women.”WVUt
b3We“…Even so, would I ever see Lady Siern as a romantic interest?”TuW
HbkThose who had faced Siern in her full fury all felt the same.v33R7
AT0l80Let your guard down, and you die.chaiDoX
jmbqZeIn that sharp sense of danger, someone might mistake a racing heartbeat for love. But at least Dereck was not one of them.FK5
rMMf“…I can’t deny that.”6ixo
Xpt“Don’t worry too much. I’m not the type who can’t tell public matters from private ones. Even if I were to meet a woman and feel a special connection, I’d still follow the rules that must be followed.”9tKb0BB
6s6YMG“True. Hearing you say that, Dereck, is reassuring…”yzXFZry
iq37nTvIn truth, Dereck had traveled to the far north with the enigmatic Aiselin, but it didn’t seem he had crossed any lines with her.nz5U
MBygIn a noble society full of scoundrels and libertines, a decent man like Dereck was rare.MokF1n0
Uc7U2He was truly a passionate mage who had devoted his whole life to magic.nfW4H
qZq‘Still… touching the hair of the most famous lady in the northern continent without a second thought, or holding her hand without any particular feeling— isn’t that a bit dangerous?’08pe
O4V3Regardless of Dereck being a decent young man, there was no way to know how Siern, who was in the throes of turbulent adolescence, might feel.SEQwbp
MwfNMyEAs the saying goes, you don’t notice your clothes getting wet in a drizzle.vBlDL
95IRZLA relationship that seems comfortable and harmless is actually the most dangerous.VfjE95J
C22DThere was no benefit to letting scandals spread in Ebelstein’s noble society, so Ellen glanced worriedly toward Siern’s room.hwo22N
E98“Lady Ellen knows well that I’m a harmless person, right?”IM3
BFzy“Hmm… that’s true. Being able to relax without pretense is only possible because this is the Ravenclaw Barony.”ccbN
HHvEs2OEllen laughed and played with her unadorned hair.UzN95
MgV7XPeIt felt strange not to have anything on her head, which was always decorated with jewels and floral ornaments.mVTYP
Qob21FYFor a lady of renown, ornaments were like part of the body, so not having them felt uncomfortable.N1PYI5o
jRK“Well. Today’s magic lesson was productive, so I should return to the Belmierd estate. This place is farther than I thought, so it’s hard to visit often.”d7k
mCdUFz“It would be nice to meet in Ebelstein, but as you can see, I’ve been so busy lately that I can’t frequent the noble district. Besides, it’s a bit far.”j98RM6
yXP“Well, that’s understandable. Now that I think about it, doesn’t Lady Siern receive etiquette and manners lessons from Lady Aiselin? Lady Siern must be busy too. Traveling between the two places must be exhausting…”EdtH
t3WCeAiselin’s mansion was in Ebelstein’s noble district, while the Ravenclaw Barony was on the inner border.ycw6DC
fUgTraveling between both for lessons was, in practice, too troublesome. Therefore, a solution had to be found.A9d
cV0“We made arrangements when the two Duplain ladies visited earlier.”S0v
k26AkfL“Oh, really?”pDyo
iUs7eyK“We decided to set aside a room for Lady Aiselin to stay in.”RN6D1
du077“…”YqA8fd
dMyIn the end, Ellen’s expression hardened again.5bT6
w7tbw4It was inevitable to think that the proposed solution was somewhat delicate.EYRc
En2“It’s unfortunate, but the Duplain family will inevitably fall behind in Ebelstein’s main noble competition. As a result, she’ll have quite a bit of free time, so it seems she plans to visit the baron’s residence regularly and stay to teach Lady Siern.”S5e
5Hm0jDJ“Is that… really okay?”ZXWsz
uASqRUV“Actually, isn’t this the most efficient way? Why do you think the Duke of Rochester’s residence provided such a mansion? It’s to accommodate Lady Siern.”xspL5u
1sG8Grf“Well, that’s true, but… Lady Siern and now also Lady Aiselin…?”snKz
feqWhat baron’s residence could host the two most famous ladies of the high nobility?JxrkL
YSMkIt was a sight that would leave lesser nobles—who spent all day trying to get the attention of the high nobility—utterly speechless.yml
6lShT“Well, since she’s coming to teach, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”M5wvw1h
TBD“Lady Aiselin is very diligent as well…”KsMo
FZusMmF“The compensation provided by the Duke of Rochester’s residence is considerable. Even Lady Aiselin, who urgently needs money, couldn’t refuse it.”wLVbh
1nWuQK“Money… yes, money is important…”2ngMb
CyOqDereck was leaning against the wall near the training grounds, pressing an arm firmly as he checked his magical condition.xVzO
RqlTGe6“So, while she teaches Lady Siern, we decided to accept additional requests from those who want to learn etiquette and manners from Lady Aiselin. There’ll surely be high demand for etiquette lessons from someone who was practically the queen of the social world.”WwWE72
damP“You did something like that?”W5FEy5D
yGkvXf“Yes. If you’re going to teach at the baron’s residence anyway, why not teach more students? From minor nobles in the outskirts to some high-ranking nobles, many debutantes will come. It should bring in some money.”YqUAFR
F25Dereck didn’t have any big intentions with this, but he started it to help Aiselin, who was in a difficult financial situation.LFnP
QOk“I owe Lady Aiselin a lot, so I thought I’d help her a little.”kV91Tx
cwt“…”dpYNQ
2zAV“To make it more organized, I plan to give her a classroom in one wing of the baron’s residence. It’s quite a large room… and it wasn’t being used anyway. Since I’m providing the space, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare a simple blackboard, desks, and writing supplies.”QZ8B
CdVXDXi“This is more serious than I thought.”Hr0
Rip0“It’s nothing much. Most of it will be handled by the servants.”wV9i
oxN9buDereck spoke while checking the condition of his staff.4JK3b
GaM“Well, if among the visitors there are any nobles knowledgeable in magic, they might help with that. It’d be good to expand my network and might even aid my magic research, so it’s a positive thing, right?”ALYvT
vgX1UNd“Yes. What you say isn’t wrong, but… Dereck…”qyisD
4IcZxQEllen, resting her chin in her hand, pondered for a moment and then spoke, sweating slightly.kYg
k8F“This building is used as the residence of the baron who governs the Ravenclaw Barony, right?”9EeEEO0
5bloBQw“Huh? Of course. Why do you ask?”v9MtH8
quvEg“…No, it just seems like the purpose is changing—forget it, it’s just an unnecessary worry.”ULzKF
lFaVWzEllen shook her head firmly.V47
wllyRUkIt seemed that the direction the Ravenclaw Barony was taking was subtly shifting, but it wasn’t something that could be judged as right or wrong at that moment.oiG
K0e“Well, no matter how good the public opinion is, the number of people willing to come learn something in such a remote barony will be limited. There’s no need to put too much on your shoulders.”hsC
TFDngDereck, having decided as much, seemed much more at ease.p9Xz2
1P2***3DGuM
3ggXdPThe following week.dHBl
VaRDVJIn a single day, a total of seventeen noble ladies visited the Ravenclaw Barony.0fJnz
rE7h“…”jDDRbDM
bfA9USaMurmuring.aAy
onJChattering.v10gV
yWnBK6UBang! Crash!BdvwfH2
c9XSJ“We’re out of Glenford Mountain tea! Is there anything else suitable to serve the guests?”oYg
d2JaIy“The lady of the Sidmore Viscounty is approaching the main gate!”baMJbkI
7wt7f0b“There’s no more space to park carriages inside the mansion! It’s terribly discourteous, but tell them to tie the carriages outside the wall!”vEhFc
jFKuKfa“It’s a disaster! We’ve run out of the cookies prepared for the guests! Should we… should we go get more right now?”OiZo9
4bh0t1“Clear the bedroom in the outer wing on the second floor! It’s a bit modest, but we have to use it as a VIP waiting room regardless.”dD1
v7lSThe servants and attendants, forced to care for all manner of distinguished guests, ran frantically with wild eyes.cMFuf
iCf5TaQEach carriage that brought a noble lady included, besides the coachman, attendants ranging from at least three to a dozen people.Tlpn
ALfIt was an excessive number for a modest frontier barony to handle.Hpl8gpG
cjSv45Each person had to be treated as a distinguished guest. However, it was impossible to uphold protocol with everyone.JdXf
sQIBang! Crash!7iUN7
pfzg“Kyaa!”7chf
6DVFqk“Be careful! The more urgent it is, the calmer you need to be!”j9HZ3z
nNxHUT8“S-sorry, butler!”Gc8pX
Qeeodnx“Miss Rose, go help in the kitchen. Mr. Claes, guide the new guests through the garden.”0RKmQwh
5M74eAs for Dereck, who was watching the servants scurrying about, he was drenched in sweat.2Rs
6FmHe was a man who didn’t change expression even on a battlefield full of monsters, but this was the first time he’d faced a situation like this.c3YWpB
XnnEnYP“Oh, Dereck. Your face is completely pale. I never thought I’d see you like this in my life. Hahaha.”U1JLu
sg0MKrpDenise, of the Beltus family, made her way through the crowd and greeted him cheerfully.YLVfW
kdQqAShe was a lazy sort who rarely left her mansion, but today, for some reason, she had visited the Ravenclaw Barony early in the morning.K5IJ
gKlVK0a“Or should I call you Sir Dereck? If you’re managing a training center of this scale, it’s hard to ignore your influence now.”dKD9il
4z1e“…A training center?”Lhv6PBK
0jmTi“Oh. Now that I think about it, you said you were too busy to visit often because of the noble district in Ebelstein. The rumor has already spread through the Elfontaine Salon. They say you’re establishing an independent training center in the barony. And that Lady Aiselin herself is teaching etiquette classes?”rZi
FjsDenise, aware of the eyes around her, lowered her voice slightly.bx1I
g7YCtIn public, she was an elegant and refined figure, so she strove to maintain a modest appearance.e0ofEM
nZUBeq— Look over there… Even Lady Denise came in person.LyrxC5W
6MQ— It’s hard to even sit near her in the Rosea Salon… I never thought I’d see her in a place like this…Kb5D
gHqBMFmHowever, the gazes were already focused on them.Iq29vl
8w5X7“There are quite a few eyes watching… Shall we go inside to talk…? No, I suppose you must be quite busy right now with the training center business, right?”99ydq4
zAd3k“A-a training center… I had no intention of setting up such a thing.”fQkPVr
JLm“Hmm… So it was just a rumor. I know you’re not the type to do those things… Though it did seem a bit odd to me.”Nbxd2Z
sULc7R9Denise laughed gracefully and maintained a dignified posture.NLB
TSPA4CFrom afar, it looked like they were having a courteous, noble conversation, but up close it was a casual dialogue. Of course, no one could clearly hear the content.atuy4
xA2“Still, whether that rumor is true or not might not depend on your will… Dereck.”SDClr6P
wjwIgj“…”8XpG
RlN21“I took a look on the way here and saw that the ladies of Baron Rodtek and Viscount Bleton were here as well. They’re from the far southeast of the continent, and yet they came all the way here… Are you going to send them all back now that the situation’s reached this point?”eNT0L
8sn“…No, I don’t think it’s right for so many people to come to such a remote barony…”Ko13
eFm5“Oh, Dereck… You lack self-awareness.”Bec
jLjwDenise let out a small laugh and covered her mouth with a small peacock-feather fan to hide her undignified smile.imwalnQ
VBfI“It’s common in those who achieve extraordinary feats at a young age, absorbed in their interests. They often lack awareness of their abilities or reputation. It’s quite common.”OPMX
NG6yS“What do you mean by that?”jtbm
hP3eovC“You know as well as I do, Dereck, what these times are like. Do you know how hard it is for lesser nobles to find a decent magic instructor? It’s like trying to pluck stars from the sky.”tYrNQDj
FFtZF“…”fbK
5y4n“And if you add etiquette lessons from Lady Aiselin, who reigns like a queen in social circles… Do you think noble families with debutante daughters will sit idly by? It would be stranger if they didn’t rush here with wide eyes.”sxLo0z
Aj66Of course, Dereck couldn’t fully grasp the circumstances of those remote noble families.Vmv
z2uZzThe result was this hall full of ladies and their attendants from various houses.csndhSQ
V6P6M5pThere were even people from the other side of the continent, which was dizzying.WjzG
G7OevJGSeeing the exhausted servants receiving them, he decided to at least double their wages.7qFFnfo
5IH7“No matter what, we can’t handle this many nobles. The building is too small and, more importantly… Lady Aiselin will tire first.”tWz
0EgDwA1“Hmm… If that’s your judgment, so be it. In any case, it’s been an interesting spectacle after so long. Still, hold out.”mZzx
EPuiqDenise whispered and then snapped her fan shut. Immediately afterward, she turned and spoke loudly, as if performing for the onlookers.Kls
oEx“It’s been a pleasure seeing you again after so long, Sir Dereck. Next time, please give another magic lesson in Ebelstein~. If I have the chance, I’ll make time for it~!”1K0
uAVNrWith that, she looked at Dereck and smiled brightly.T7n5U
fvAqA young baron with a newly established house and empty authority. Even the most prestigious duchess of the Rosea Salon greeted him with respect.mgA
jAYz8Seeing Denise like this, it seemed the reason for her early visit to the Ravenclaw Barony was to preserve Dereck’s image.80Jg
CjLCaAs a member of one of the three great families of the Rosea Salon, a lady of her standing coming early to wish the event success was a huge support, both politically and socially.Xga
WQkCOf course, it wasn’t Dereck’s intention, but Denise smiled seductively and slipped into the crowd as if it didn’t matter.4R5yfqh
UOAMurmuring.tA8LkpI
DV7m“The reception room is this way! Please enter in order!”qaCp
JECAKQ“Move slowly!”Dv0o
2Eqv2SmOnly the desperate shouts of the servants trying to control the crowd remained ringing in his ears.TIDnU
B0KiTPr‘Nothing good comes from taking on something you can’t handle. Above all, Lady Aiselin wouldn’t have thought this would grow so large.’R9hcIke
pK4kDereck straightened his clothes and walked quickly into the mansion.ua2z2SG
3d89rAiselin, who had finished her preparations, would soon be coming out of her room. She had surely already checked the situation, so they needed to discuss what to do right away.FoRz
HkXkyAs Dereck walked down the hall, he saw Aiselin, beautiful in her dress, coming out of the farthest room.AOaoEpa
SrA“Lady Aiselin, did you see the situation?”54fgo9
M3A4Dereck quickly approached her and asked.tNy
j1dIt seemed she had already heard about it from the servants. Aiselin swallowed and replied.TVdZ4
J1wl“D-Dereck… I heard as well. About twenty ladies… have come…”JgN
OnS“It’s not over yet. We can’t predict how many more will come. You won’t be able to handle this number, so even if you have to ask for understanding separately—”syJri0B
JniO1“Dereck.”j8DU
3nnnZBbBefore Dereck could finish, Aiselin grabbed his hands tightly. Her soft hands wrapped around Dereck’s rough ones, and then she spoke in a much louder voice, eyes wide open.oCQuEg
ygvsj“How much should we charge for each lesson?!”GQ6p1MP
b79CR2“….”qpMKJJm
n99gy“Huff… Hahaha… Hah… The drool… I’m so… lacking in dignity… Sorry… How shameful…”ONFn
ftFOaS6Perhaps because of her dignified appearance reigning at the top of the social world, it was easy to forget.yoB
zCHDtsvSince becoming a fallen noble, Aiselin had awakened to the concept of livelihood.hUb
c2pGIn simple terms, she was already an excellent miser.TKrt
XuLiBX“Ah, no… Will you be able to handle it?”e4YVCB
wVkZz“We have to! Opportunities like this don’t come to just anyone!”Y5v3tTg
ekEz“….”7blzg
NVIc“I-I’m so nervous… If we get paid in Rophelon gold coins from so many noble ladies… How much would that be…?”WWk
m98i1‘Oh, God…’PMWs
0dZpRAiselin’s eyes were already full of gold coins.IQBnAd
h4YMBRHe wondered if this was really okay, but she didn’t seem to have shown this much determination even in the magic duel that put the honor of the Duplain family on the line.YAMriU
weWDereck had to take a deep breath and reorganize his thoughts.Sxw8y
90VWhether he liked it or not, he would have to take responsibility for this academic center now that he had started it.Euru
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