There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Belmiard (4)

“Cutting to the chase, I can do anything if it means I can beat Lady Aislinn.”

The location was a large mansion in the heart of the noble district of Ebelstain.

The nobles residing in Ebelstain’s noble district often owned their own mansions, a concept akin to pre-studying before becoming a grand mansion’s lady.

Here, they held a status similar to that of a full-fledged lady of the house.

It was important for noble ladies to possess beauty and culture, but equally crucial was knowing how to navigate and manage the mansion as its mistress.

The mansion prepared for Lady Ellente by the Belmiard family in the noble district made one wonder if it could be any more luxurious.

Beltus, Belmiard, Duplain.

Among the nobles of Ebelstain, these three families were said to be in a league of their own. And for good reason.

In such a metropolis, home to hundreds of thousands, owning a garden this expansive was no ordinary feat.

In one corner of Ellente’s mansion was a tea table set up for visitors.

Derek, having stayed at the Duplain duke’s estate, had seen such well-appointed tea tables scattered throughout the mansion. It seemed the nobility enjoyed the act of sipping tea in beautifully manicured gardens.

“Lady Aislinn has not yet reached the two-star realm either. I wish to ascend to it faster than her… but if not, I at least want to hold the upper hand in magical duels.”

“Are you speaking of Miss Aiselin?”

“Yes. You, who have worked as a teacher at the Duke of Duplain’s estate, would know well, but she is truly a perfect lady. No matter how hard one tries, not a single flaw can be found.”

If there were any to be found, perhaps it would be in the family relations, with the youngest, Diella, being quite the troublemaker.

Such collective responsibility cannot be ignored in noble society, but rumors abound that Diella has almost completely reformed, and as for family, Elente herself was not in a position to proudly boast.

Her brother was a debauched rake, and her sister a nun; in truth, if family were to be criticized, it would be Miss Elente who should remain silent.

What more is there to say? She is the pillar supporting the Earl of Belmiard’s house.

Unlike Aiselin, who can focus solely on refining her own qualities, Elente’s circumstances are different.

Yet, despite this, Elente herself seems determined to outdo Aiselin by any means necessary.

“Your competitive spirit is remarkable. That must be how you’ve reached such lofty heights.”

“You flatter me. I’m well aware that my personality isn’t exactly the kindest.”

The truth is, Miss Aiselin has done nothing wrong.

She’s just living diligently according to her duties, but those around her, consumed by their own inferiority complex, grind their teeth and try to best her by any means.

“Right now, you might call it a fair competitive spirit, but you have no idea of the ugly things I’ve done before.”

“…Miss Elente, you’ve had your own share of wandering, I see.”

“Jealousy is just that. If, as you say, I used it constructively for my own growth, who would object? But human psychology doesn’t work that way.”

Miss Elente’s eyes looked complicated, as if reminiscing about the past.

During her time adapting to the social circles of Ebelstein, she must have experienced various incidents.

She doesn’t recount them crudely, but it seems her experiences in society were not particularly pleasant.

“Instead of bettering myself, I’ve become fixated on finding faults in others. There’s no point in hiding it. I tried to slander Miss Aiselin, to find some fault in her. And how do you think that paragon of grace responded?”

“…”

“She tried to understand and comfort my heart. Yes. I was utterly defeated.”

Miriela says that the social circles of Ebelstein are like walking on thin ice.

If you show even a slight weakness, they’ll seize it to gossip and smear you, to solidify their own allies. Why wouldn’t there be such people where humans gather? Such ugly crowds are bound to exist.

Perhaps Miss Elente was… one of those people. Even she admits it.

“What I’m about to tell you is my greatest shame.”

“If you’d rather not speak of it, you don’t have to.”

“No, I have a particular request for you, so I must reveal some of my cards.”

After taking a sip of tea, Miss Elente set down her pretty, floral-patterned teacup.

Then, with a somber expression, she quietly continued her story.

“What methods are there to slander someone? When gossiping about a noble lady, a delicate flower, there’s always a set way to do it.”

“What is that?”

“It’s about condemning frivolous behavior, spreading rumors of a family’s disgrace, or finding fault over nothing to slander someone’s lack of culture, and driving people away by saying their vanity or desire to show off is too excessive.”

“…”

“I hold a rather firm position in the Ebelstein social circles. There are quite a few empty-headed people who lay out all sorts of flattery just to catch my eye. It’s no different for the lower nobility. And when you receive such adulation, there are times you fall into the delusion that you can control the world as you please.”

Lady Ellente’s expression had darkened considerably.

Derek could infer enough at this point. She was truly a villain.

It seemed he understood why she would expose her own flaws.

She was the epitome of the nobles who take pleasure in striking others, pulling down those more dignified than themselves.

However, the Lady Ellente that Derek saw now was not quite so.

She appeared to be someone who knew how to consider the commoners, respect the hardworking, and give her best in everything. It seemed she had arrived at her destination after a long and wandering journey.

Derek was curious about what Lady Ellente was like during her tempestuous times, but at this moment, he refrained from showing such curiosity, as it would be a breach of etiquette.

“Lady Aiselin often pretended not to know that I was the source of all the defamation and rumors.”

“Was there such an incident?”

“Yes. At first, I thought she was ignoring it out of fear and terror. But that wasn’t it. She was already a person of strong character, not swayed by petty faults or forced defamation. Even amidst such malice, she never lost her gentle nature.”

Lady Ellente’s gaze became distant.

“And so, there came a time when I felt utterly pathetic.”

At times, she simply disliked Lady Aiselin, yet deep down, she acknowledged her.

Despite that, the desire to break her pride and triumph over her did not fade.

The complex emotions in the girl’s short life were too difficult to comprehend.

Acknowledging someone and not being jealous. These were clearly separate issues.

Would defeating Aiselin sort out these complex feelings? With that thought, she couldn’t let go of the desire to crush her in at least the magical duel.

“Lady Aiselin often spoke highly of you. Even after leaving the Duplain household, she mentioned your name now and then.”

“Did she?”

“Yes. I thought you would stop by the mansion for tea at least once, but she even expressed disappointment.”

Derek couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed about that.

After leaving the Duplain mansion, he had been immersed in magic training and fulfilling requests all day long.

Being connected to someone like Lady Aiselin might be an incredible thing for merchants or aspiring politicians.

But the boy had devoted himself solely to mastering magic, so much so that he hadn’t been near Aiselin’s mansion even as the seasons changed twice.

People who value connections in this world might find such behavior incredibly foolish, but paradoxically, such conviction was also what maintained Derek’s reputation.

“You must know well, having stayed at the Duplain household for several months.”

“Indeed, I have seen Lady Aislinn use magic at the duke’s meetings and during small duels a few times.”

“Yes. You are quite familiar with Lady Aislinn’s magical prowess, having experienced a duel with me as well. Though we exchanged only a few blows, it was enough to feel. You are quite adept at such magical duels.”

“That’s an overstatement.”

“…Between Lady Aislinn and me, at least until one of us masters a two-star spell, the outcome will be decided by the proficiency and application of one-star spells. You might be able to tell me what I should focus on training to defeat Lady Aislinn,”

It was then that I began to understand why Lady Ellente had dragged Derrick to the mansion.

It’s not typical to serve expensive tea and show such courtesy to a mere commoner. Ellente had her own reasons for wanting to hear from Derrick.

Derrick fell into thought.

During his stay at the Duplain household, he occasionally saw Aislinn, who came to stay at the main house, demonstrate her magical achievements.

He had seen her wield magic in front of Duke Duplain and practice duels with the retainers. He was well aware of her level of magic.

“Indeed, Miss Aislinn’s magical skills are truly remarkable.”

In the Duplain family, the eldest son Valerian was recognized as the highest level for mastering two-star magic early on, but it seemed that Lady Aislinn was not far behind.

She had not yet reached the realm of two-star magic, but her use of magical power was already mature enough.

If her sister Diella handled magic freely like painting over a picture, Aislinn’s use of magic was the epitome of the aristocratic rule school of magic.

And the rule school of magic is the mainstream school in the magical world. The reason the hierarchy of skills is so clear is that the school’s magic is so efficient.

The theories of magic in the rule school, already thoroughly researched, allow one to cast the most efficient magic possible from one’s skill level if mastered properly. There is a reason why the standard is the standard.

The magic of the wild school, which involves some application, is inherently not very efficient. However, it often focuses on irregular and free use of magic. In other words, Diella was the exact opposite style of her sister.

Derrick could easily guess that both Diella and Aislinn would become masters of magic in their respective fields in the future. The blood of Duplain was certainly extraordinary.

Considering all this, Derrick could not offer hopeful words.

But what does it matter if that’s the truth?

There is a conventional answer to such questions.

Lady Ellente’s magic had already reached an outstanding level, so it wouldn’t matter if he just gave her some flattering words.

Aislinn’s level of magic is certainly tremendous, but Lady Ellente could also win someday if she diligently hones her skills. Such cookie-cutter answers are often correct when dealing with nobility.

Derrick was about to behave just so when…

“…”

Lady Ellente’s earnest eyes were looking straight at the boy.

Derrick finally realized. There was a reason she had recited her weaknesses to a mere commoner like him.

She knew all too well that a noble lady like her would only receive perfunctory answers to such words, already receiving plenty of adulation.

Therefore, she needed to show how serious she was beforehand. She hadn’t grabbed Derrick by the collar to hear some banal praise.

With things having come this far, he couldn’t just spout some trite encouragement about trying hard. Derrick quietly met her gaze and eventually had to speak in a lowered voice.

“You absolutely cannot win.”

Derek spoke with finality.

At his words, Lady Ellante’s eyes trembled greatly once.

Derek was certain.

Soon, Lady Aislinn would reach the realm of two stars.

*

In life, there are things that just can’t be done.

Accepting this plain fact is not as easy as one might think. Because people have something called a competitive spirit.

What can’t be done, can’t be done. Sometimes, someone needs to state this fact unequivocally.

When a credible person makes such a statement, usually one comes to accept their own limits.

Derek, knowing her sincerity well, decided to take on this gloomy role.

The current level of Lady Ellante’s magic is truly excellent, and her learning ability is outstanding compared to other magicians.

Still, compared to the level of magic Derek knew Lady Aislinn possessed, it was still far lacking.

“…”

When spoken to so definitively, the reaction is usually one of two.

The first is to be hurt in one’s pride, to grind one’s teeth and to lash out, asking ‘Who are you to speak to me in such a manner?’

It’s a spiteful reaction, but it’s mostly how people respond to such words. It’s not incomprehensible. It’s a statement that scratches at one’s pride.

Therefore, if Ellante were to react in such a way, Derek planned to listen quietly and then leave the mansion, never to return. He had been treated to good tea, so taking on this role was payment enough.

But Lady Ellante did not do so.

Then it was likely the second reaction. Despair.

If Derek, who seemed to know both sides’ levels of magic and appeared to have some expertise in dueling, was so definitively certain… then there was no hope for her.

To accept this and be deeply heartbroken was one way. If that were the case, Derek intended to quietly comfort her.

But Lady Ellante did not even despair.

Without a flicker of expression, she simply said to Derek,

“I still want to win.”

Only then did Derek realize that Lady Ellante’s firm expression wasn’t made overnight.

It was clear to see. This wasn’t the first time she had been advised ‘it’s impossible.’

“…”

“I intend to do everything I can,” she said. “If you, who even taught the noble magician Diella Catrinne Duplain, can’t think of any methodology, then who can?”

She certainly seemed emotionally mature.

She had already noticed even the subtle consideration behind Derek’s firm tone.

When Derek did not respond immediately, Lady Ellente finally thrust her head forward and spoke. It seemed to be her habit to lock eyes with her interlocutor, almost uncomfortably so.

“If you have any ideas, teach me anything.”

“…It’s not that I have nothing to try, but there are a couple of things weighing on my mind before that.”

“What are they?”

Teaching Lady Ellente the art of magical duel was not an insurmountable task.

Putting aside whether she could truly defeat Lady Aislinn, I was confident that I could elevate her level of magical combat.

Of course, making Ellente capable of defeating Aislinn was a significant challenge… but it wasn’t that I had no ideas at all.

However, it was clear that Lady Ellente was unaware of my teaching methods.

“Do you know how I taught Miss Diella?”

“The details haven’t spread that far. Wasn’t it a calm approach, focusing on the use of magic?”

“…That’s not entirely incorrect.”

Upon meeting Miss Diella, Derek had slapped her and dragged her into the forest, where he threatened her life with magic.

To summarize, one would have to exclaim, “Where in the world is there such a madman?”

Such drastic measures were possible only with the tacit consent of Duke Duplain, and because Diella was no ordinary person. It was only to that extent. He would not do such a thing to Lady Ellente.

Yet, it was necessary to know that Derek’s methods were more violent and radical than one might think. When he was serious, he did not spare even noble ladies.

Could Lady Ellente understand that? It was something I had to confirm first…

“I’m ready for anything. If only I could break that Lady Aislinn’s pride…”

“Really… Are you prepared to do anything?”

“…Saying it like that makes me anxious, but you know well that I’m serious.”

It seemed there was already a certainty about that aspect.

Then, I had to address the second point.

“As I said, I am a mercenary, Lady Ellente.”

“…”

What does it mean to learn magic from a mercenary? That was the question I had to ask.

“Indeed, this is not a manor with only family members, and this place is the noble district of Ebelstein. For someone like me to learn magic from a mere mercenary could be a blemish. Rumors spread fast here.”

“…”

“But that is for me to deal with. Didn’t I just say it? I’m ready to do anything to defeat Lady Aislinn. Felmiar may strongly oppose it, but I don’t care. After all, I am the master of this manor.”

Lady Ellente’s eyes were already ablaze. The girl, raising her voice, laid out her words with conviction.

“Don’t judge my sincerity by just that! I… I truly want to surpass her and be the best. If I can’t stand out even in the social circles of Ebelstein in the western empire, how can I play in bigger waters? I intend to make a name for myself across the entire empire. So, don’t worry about such things.”

Ellente laughed confidently.

If one could find a new direction in the sluggish magic training, it was said that such a thing could be endured no matter what. Indeed, her thirst for knowledge was burning fiercely.

Therefore… Derrick had no choice but to cautiously pour cold water on it.

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“…What?”

“…I meant that you have to pay a fair amount of money.”

There is no mercenary in the world who works without compensation.

Hearing Derrick’s words, Lady Ellente realized she had made a mistake and had to blush with embarrassment.

The speech had already ended. The shame was entirely hers.