Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 24

"Let's cut to the chase—I'll do anything to defeat Lady Aiselin."

The location was a grand mansion at the heart of the Noble District.

Nobles residing in Evelstain's affluent quarter typically maintained their own mansions as a preparatory step before becoming full-fledged heads of households.

Within these residences, young noblewomen enjoyed status nearly equivalent to that of a matriarch.

For noble ladies, cultivating beauty and refinement was important, but so was learning to properly manage a household and direct servants.

The mansion Count Belmiere had prepared for Lady Elente in the Noble District was so luxurious it defied imagination.

Beltus, Belmierd, Duplein.

Among Evelstain's nobility, these three families stood in a league of their own. There were reasons for such distinction.

Merely possessing such expansive gardens in a metropolis housing hundreds of thousands was extraordinary in itself.

In one corner of Elente's mansion stood a tea table prepared for visitors.

During his stay at Duplein Mansion, Derek had seen many such well-appointed tea tables scattered throughout the estate. Apparently nobles particularly enjoyed taking tea in beautifully landscaped gardens.

"Lady Aiselin hasn't yet reached 2nd Grade Magic either. I want to reach 2nd Grade before her... but if that's impossible, I at least want to gain an upper hand in magic duels."

"Lady Aiselin, you mean?"

"Yes. Having worked as a tutor at Duplein Mansion, you must know—she's the epitome of a perfect lady. No matter how hard you look, you can't find a single flaw."

If anything, the only blemish might be her troublemaker younger sister Diela—but even that family circumstance was fading as rumors spread of Diela's reformation.

Truth be told, Elente's own family situation wasn't exactly spotless either—with a playboy older brother and a monk for a younger sibling, she could hardly boast about her lineage.

More importantly, she served as the Belmierd Count Family's pillar of support.

Unlike Aiselin who could focus solely on self-improvement, Elente's circumstances were fundamentally different.

Yet despite this, Elente seemed determined to surpass Aiselin by any means necessary.

"Your competitive spirit is remarkable. No doubt that's how you reached such heights."

"Flattery won't work. I know my temperament isn't exactly pleasant."

To be blunt, Lady Aiselin had done nothing wrong.

She simply lived virtuously, while others like Elente nursed inferiority complexes and ground their teeth trying to surpass her.

"Right now you might call it healthy rivalry, but you wouldn't believe the ugly things I've done before."

"...It seems Lady Elente has had her own period of wandering."

"Jealousy naturally breeds such behavior. If I could channel it productively as you suggest, who would criticize? But human psychology doesn't work that way."

Elente's eyes took on a complicated glint, as if recalling past years.

While adapting to Evelstain's high society, she'd undoubtedly experienced many incidents.

Though too refined to recount them all, her social experiences clearly hadn't been entirely pleasant.

"Rather than self-improvement, I sought flaws in others. Why hide it? I tried slandering Aiselin, hunting for weaknesses. Guess how that paragon of virtue responded?"

"..."

"She sought to understand and comfort me. Yes. I was utterly defeated."

As Miriela often said, Evelstain's high society was like walking on thin ice.

Where people gathered, there would always be those who seized on any weakness to tear others down while bolstering their own factions.

Apparently, Elente had been one such person—something she now openly admitted.

"What I'm about to confess is my greatest shame."

"You needn't speak of it if uncomfortable."

"No, since I have a request, I should lay my cards on the table."

After sipping her tea, Elente set down the floral-patterned cup.

Her expression darkened as she continued.

"How does one slander others? For noble ladies, the methods are quite standardized."

"Such as?"

"Questioning their virtue, dredging up family scandals, nitpicking their refinement, or accusing them of vanity and ostentation."

"..."

"I occupy a fairly established position in Evelstain's society. Many sycophants vie for my favor—lesser nobles are no different. Such flattery can make one delusionally powerful."

Elente's face grew increasingly somber.

By now Derek could surmise—she had been a villain.

Her earlier mention of"revealing shame"made sense.

She epitomized the stereotypical noble who took pleasure in cutting others down to size.

Yet the Elente before him now seemed different.

She showed consideration for commoners, respected hard workers, and pursued excellence—apparently the result of her long wandering.

While curious about Elente's turbulent past, Derek refrained from prying.

"Lady Aiselin knew I was the source of all those rumors yet pretended otherwise."

"That happened?"

"Yes. At first I thought she feigned ignorance out of fear. But no—her mental fortitude was simply unshakable against petty slander. She never lost her gentle grace."

Elente's gaze grew distant.

"Eventually, I reached a point of self-loathing."

Though she claimed to dislike Aiselin, she clearly respected her deeply.

Yet the desire to surpass her remained.

Recognizing someone's worth and not envying them were clearly separate matters.

Perhaps defeating Aiselin would resolve these conflicted feelings—hence her determination to best her in magic duels.

"Lady Aiselin often praised you. She mentioned your name even after you left Duplein."

"Did she?"

"Yes. She said she'd expected at least a visit for tea—seemed rather disappointed."

Derek felt slightly awkward hearing this.

After leaving Duplein, he'd focused solely on magic training and mercenary work.

For merchants or politicians, connections with someone like Aiselin would be invaluable.

But Derek cared only for magical mastery—hence not visiting her mansion for two seasons.

Though high society might consider this foolish, such single-mindedness ironically maintained his reputation.

"Having stayed months at Duplein, you must know."

"Indeed, I witnessed Lady Aiselin demonstrating magic at gatherings and practice duels several times."

"Good. You're well-acquainted with her magical prowess and have dueled me. You're quite experienced in such contests."

"You flatter me."

"...Until one of us reaches 2nd Grade, victory will depend on 1st Grade proficiency and adaptability. You could advise where I should focus."

Now Derek understood why Elente had brought him here.

Her hospitality toward a mere commoner wasn't random—she wanted his insight.

Recalling Aiselin's demonstrations before the Grand Duke and retainers, Derek knew her capabilities well.

"Lady Aiselin's magical prowess is truly exceptional."

Though Duplein's eldest son Valerian had mastered 2nd Grade Magic earlier, Aiselin wasn't far behind.

Not yet 2nd Grade, but her mana control was already masterful.

While Diela painted freely with magic, Aiselin embodied the Noble Discipline School's textbook perfection.

As the mainstream magical faction, their methods'hierarchical clarity stemmed from unparalleled efficiency.

Wild School magic might be more flexible but less efficient—making Diela her sister's polar opposite.

Derek could easily imagine both becoming masters in their respective styles—the Duplein bloodline was extraordinary.

Considering this, Derek couldn't offer hopeful words.

But what did that matter?

Standard answers existed for such questions.

Given Elente's own considerable skill, platitudes would suffice.

As Derek prepared such diplomatic responses...

"..."

Elente's intensely earnest gaze locked onto him.

Now Derek understood—she'd revealed her past precisely to avoid hearing empty flattery.

Having heard countless sycophantic praises, she wanted brutal honesty.

Under that piercing stare, Derek lowered his voice.

"You cannot win."

His blunt statement made Elente's eyes widen.

Derek was certain.

Soon, Aiselin would reach 2nd Grade.

Some things in life are simply impossible.

Accepting this is harder than it seems—human competitiveness gets in the way.

Sometimes people need definitive pronouncements of their limits.

Elente's current skill was impressive, her learning ability exceptional.

Yet compared to Aiselin, she still fell short.

"..."

Such bluntness typically elicited two reactions.

First—wounded pride leading to angry outbursts.

Second—crushing despair.

But Elente displayed neither.

"I still want to win."

Her resolute expression showed this wasn't her first hearing such verdicts.

"..."

"I'll do whatever it takes. If you could teach that wild Diela Catherine Duplein refinement, surely you have methods."

She'd clearly matured emotionally.

When Derek hesitated, Elente leaned forward intently—apparently her habit when focusing.

"Teach me anything you can think of."

"...There are two concerns first."

Teaching Elente duel techniques wouldn't be difficult.

While guaranteeing victory over Aiselin was impossible, he could elevate Elente's skills.

"Do you know how I taught Lady Diela?"

"The rumors weren't specific. Patient mana training, I assume?"

"...Not entirely inaccurate."

In truth, Derek had immediately slapped Diela, dragged her into the forest, and threatened her life with magic.

Such extreme measures had only been possible with the Grand Duke's tacit approval—and Diela's extraordinary resilience.

He wouldn't treat Elente that way, but she needed to understand his methods could be radical.

"I'll do anything. If it means humbling that woman's pride—"

"Anything... truly?"

"...That tone worries me, but you know my sincerity."

She seemed prepared.

"Secondly, as mentioned, I'm a mercenary."

"..."

What did it mean to learn from a mercenary? This needed clarification.

"...True, this is Evelstain's Noble District. Someone of my station learning from a mercenary would raise eyebrows. Gossip spreads fast here."

"..."

"But that's my burden. Didn't I say I'd do anything? Pellmier would object, but this is my mansion."

Elente's eyes burned with determination.

"Don't question my resolve! I... I truly want to surpass her. How can I shine in the empire's greater circles if I can't stand out here? I aim to make my name empire-wide. So don't worry about such things."

She laughed boldly.

If Derek could provide new training directions, she'd handle the consequences.

Her scholarly passion was evident.

Thus... Derek had to carefully douse her enthusiasm.

"...That wasn't my meaning."

"...What?"

"...You'll need to pay appropriate fees."

No mercenary worked for free.

Realizing her misunderstanding, Elente flushed crimson.

Having finished her grand speech, the embarrassment was hers alone to bear.