Chapter 118

Chapter 118
## Chapter 118
**’Aren’t Lady Fina and Lord Dereck spending too much time together lately…?’**

Aiselin thought to herself as she carried materials on court etiquette and exited the classroom building.

While she had been absorbed in her work, autumn had suddenly settled in completely, bringing clear blue skies and pleasantly mild weather.

Following the start of the semester, the Baron Ravenclaw mansion had been in chaos, but now the weekly schedule had stabilized, and a sense of calm was beginning to spread among the young ladies carrying out their academic activities.

It was an afternoon where the weekly routine was about to end and the time for rest was beginning.

In the central garden of the Baron’s mansion, where a fresh and pleasant breeze blew, many young ladies were having tea or chatting.

Some boarded carriages to visit Ebelstein Street during the break, and other more diligent students practiced magic on their own in the training field without taking the day off.

Without realizing it, the Baron Ravenclaw mansion had grown quite a bit.

After all, many families, given that their daughters studied there, spared no expense to support the institution. In addition to tuition, several families wanted to use their own funds to build additional convenience, cultural, and academic facilities for them.

Delbriton accepted those intentions and decided to add various facilities, and in a short time, the Baron’s mansion, originally a single estate, had become a complex with seven large buildings and more than eleven auxiliary facilities, becoming a well-equipped place for social exchange.

If one had to ask who had contributed the most to all of this, without a doubt, it would have been Aiselin.

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She walked through the hallway of the mansion’s main building with a somber expression, unaware that she herself was already the true power behind the Ravenclaw Training Center.

«Lord Dereck is also human; he cannot treat all the young ladies equally. It is natural that there is someone among them who awakens his affection, attracts his attention, or whom he wants to teach more…»

Speaking of Dereck and Fina, their private conversations had increased notably lately.

Most of the time, they talked about magic classes or impressions of the humanities classes taught in the annex building. It was the kind of conversation a teacher would have with a student, and Aiselin tried not to give it too much importance.

However, although they were close, they were *too* close.

After meals, she often saw Fina hurriedly leaving Dereck’s office, or the two of them conversing seriously about magic in a corner of the training field. She had even seen her visit Dereck’s office late at night.

At that moment, Aiselin couldn’t help but have complicated thoughts.

Although it seemed impossible, she couldn’t get the idea out of her head that Dereck and Fina might develop a relationship that went beyond that of teacher and student.

Absorbed in questions that even she herself couldn’t answer, she ended up hiding her face at her desk.

“My goodness… what am I doing? How undignified…!”

Aiselin quickly raised her head and straightened her jet-black hair.

While twisting the ends of her hair, she let out a deep sigh and reflected.

Fina had a strangely captivating aura.

«As a business partner, shouldn’t I confirm this with Lord Dereck? If they end up having an inappropriate relationship, who knows what could happen…»

But thinking that way also felt strange to her.

«Inappropriate? In what sense? Can what Lady Fina and Lord Dereck do really be considered inappropriate? That a man and a woman of their age fall in love doesn’t seem strange at all. Both come from baronial families from remote regions, so they probably have things in common, and their ranks are similar; there would be no incongruity if they were together…»

In reality, Aiselin came from the high-ranking noble Duplain family, several levels above Dereck.

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Of course, the Duplain family had recently fallen into decay, and that was already a thing of the past, but the saying that a noble’s wealth lasts three generations was not false.

When Dereck and Aiselin stood next to each other, the difference was evident.

The nobility hierarchy was cruel.

“What on earth is wrong with me?”

Suddenly, she felt a strange void and raised her head.

When she looked in the elegant full-length mirror in the corner of her office, she didn’t see the Jewel of Ebelstein, the Queen of the Hall of Roses, but an ordinary woman blushing for no apparent reason.

Aiselin Eleanor Duplain. Herself.

“Yes, let’s stop making ridiculous excuses that don’t favor me and speak truthfully. I don’t like to twist things.”

Grabbing the mirror with both hands and exhaling, Aiselin barely managed to calm herself.

Even in a cold social world, at least when she was alone in her room, there was no reason to lie to herself.

And then came an unexpected self-questioning.

“What is it that bothers me so much?”

She waited a few seconds before continuing.

“Whatever Lady Fina and Lord Dereck do, it’s their decision; it would be ridiculous for a third party to meddle in their personal lives… Then why am I so restless and upset to the point of pacing back and forth…?”

“…”

“…”

She remained silent for a while as she looked in the mirror.

There was a girl with a completely red face, touching her hands nervously.

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“…I have no choice but to admit it. I… am jealous. Ugh…”

Aiselin leaned back, slumped into the chair, and covered her face with her hands. She felt her fingers burning from the strange heat.

No problem can be solved without first recognizing its existence.

Aiselin was mature enough not to lie to herself or justify things with rationalizations.

But that didn’t mean the problem was solved.

“How ugly, but… I admit it… I’m jealous! I’m envious!”

For someone who had been the flower of House Duplain and the Queen of the Hall of Roses, envy was an unknown emotion.

Only Ellen, who had always lived in her shadow, had known that feeling.

Only then did Aiselin feel that she understood a small part of the emotion that burned in Ellen’s eyes.

In short, she was jealous of Fina!

Although she hadn’t done anything special, she envied her greatly: her position, the fact that she hogged all of Dereck’s attention. She also wanted to be the center of attention.

And by admitting it so directly, she felt a kind of relief spreading through her chest.

Human emotions, once recognized and released, produce a strange sense of liberation.

“…Could it be that I am a very complicated woman…?”

Of course, that remorse that comes afterward was a kind of punishment in itself.

*Or maybe I’m naive…? In moments like this, do I try to get attention anyway…? No, I’m not a child having a tantrum! What am I saying…? How far am I going to go…?*

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Aiselin straightened her hair and took a deep breath for a while.

Once she calmed down a bit, she put a pretty accessory back in her hair, sat in front of the mirror, and straightened up with a serene and elegant air.

Now, the most renowned noble lady of the Hall of Roses had returned to the mirror.

“Oh… I must concentrate.”

It was no time to lament over unimportant things.

Aiselin was a key figure in the Ravenclaw Training Center. Thanks to her daily dedication, the seasons had changed, and each day brought her something new that made her feel her life had meaning.

For a fallen noblewoman, wasn’t that already a great happiness?

Feeling envy, wanting to draw attention… all of that now seemed pitiful. Even at that very moment, the servants of her house, Diella and Leigh, worked tirelessly for the family.

“Yes. I too must do my best.”

Work had accumulated to the point where she could only sleep two or three hours a day.

She had maintained that pace for months.

Having so much work was a blessing. Grateful for that environment, she decided to carry out her duties with even more determination.

It was then that Aiselin reaffirmed her determination.

*Drip.*

“Eh… what…?”

A thread of blood ran down Aiselin’s nose.

Startled, she quickly grabbed the handkerchief on her desk and covered her face.

It was more than clumsiness: it was a humiliation. If that had happened in public, her dignity would have been seriously damaged.

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Dizzy, she tried to wipe the blood gushing from her nose.

“Oh, no…”

Suddenly, her vision clouded as if a shadow covered her, and Aiselin’s body collapsed backward.

*Crash! Bang!*

A loud noise echoed in her office, and Butler Delbritton did not take long to notice the unusual sound and rush to the scene.

***

A guide spirit emitting a faint glow, summoned by a first-class summoning spell, floated on Dereck’s fingertips.

Among summoning spells, which are divided into biological and non-biological, this one in particular was uniquely classified as non-biological.

Was it because the fairy did not communicate, had no consciousness, and only moved following orders that it was not considered a living being?

In fact, the fairy summoned by that spell followed the summoner’s orders completely mechanically, without making any judgment.

Its only function was to track the path traveled so far or observe the surroundings and report on possible dangers.

Even those supposed dangers were usually limited to detecting the presence of monsters.

«It’s not versatile and it’s useless in combat. Although it has helped me a couple of times exploring labyrinths, I definitely need to learn at least two-star level summoning magic».

The weekly routine was almost complete, and Dereck was sitting alone in a corner of the garden, silently observing the glowing fairy.

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“Well, it seems Lord Dereck has a great interest in summoning magic.”

With a mischievous laugh, Fina approached from behind and raised her voice.

It was hard to believe that this girl, who now smiled so shamelessly while calling Dereck, was the same necromancer who, at night, observed everything with sharp, narrowed eyes.

“Did you finish your humanities class?”

“Of course. As I already said, there are many interesting things to hear, so I’m quite satisfied. Although it doesn’t exactly fit the real history.”

When Fina said that, her tone took on a significant nuance.

After all, that girl had personally witnessed several of the events considered historical.

“Someone might be listening.”

“That’s why I’m being so respectful, isn’t it? To me, Lord Dereck is like a great master in the heavens.”

“…You seem to be having a good time.”

“Acting is always fun, no matter the age. So? How is it going? Do you think you can overcome the four-star barrier?”

“…”

The truth was that Dereck still didn’t fully understand it.

It wasn’t a level that could be reached overnight or just by intuition, even for pure-blooded nobles who had full support.

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Certainly, theoretical knowledge alone was not enough.

Something else was needed. A catalyst.

«Ideally, I would be able to consult separately with a summoning magic master, but there aren’t many summoners in the southwestern part of the continent…»

Dereck fell into thought.

‘Famous summoners of the southwest: Rope Gale of the Drest Society, Pablo of the Krem Guild, Viscount Blythe… and no others…’

There was one person who could not be missed when talking about the great masters of summoning.

Grand Duke Beltus.

A five-star summoner, capable of summoning an army of mountain spirits or even a massive magic library if he so desired.

«…It’s not easy to contact any of them.»

“So you’re thinking of lining your pockets elsewhere, leaving behind this noble master you have before you?”

“…There may be eyes watching during the day, so please maintain formality.”

“Seriously, men are so timid.”

The presence of a necromancer was like a bomb that could annihilate an entire family.

There was nothing wrong with being cautious, so Dereck didn’t yield.

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Fina, who understood Dereck’s situation well, gently closed her eyes, smiled calmly, and nodded.

“I originally had three other mentors.”

“I thought you were just lucky with women, but it seems you’re also lucky with teachers. Although, of course, none would have more magical knowledge than I.”

“Well…”

“Was that a joke?”

Even if one of them had been a beggar from the slums or Katia, Dereck’s third master was someone who could rival the legendary necromancer Fina.

That was also the reason why Dereck’s search magic surpassed that of common mages.

Fina observed Dereck’s reaction in silence and then frowned.

“That hurts my pride.”

“…”

“Who on earth could it be?”

As she said that, Fina was about to flash a seductive smile.

*Knock, knock!*

Delbritton, who had always valued dignity and usually walked calmly, suddenly became alarmed and ran toward where Dereck was.

He didn’t even care that his antique monocle was hanging from its chain; he ran at full speed, breathing heavily.

“Huff… huff… He was in the garden, Baron.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Lady Aiselin has fainted.”

At those words, even Dereck, who rarely showed surprise, couldn’t help but open his eyes wide for an instant.

***

*Creak, creak.*

*Bang!*

Aiselin, her face flushed, lay on the bed, emitting small groans in her sleep.

The servant in charge of medical duties observed the situation by the bed, and when he saw Dereck burst into the room, he quickly bowed his head.

“Baron.”

“Report on the situation.”

“The butler found her unconscious in her room. I rushed there and administered first aid.”

Dereck entered and examined Aiselin’s condition.

She didn’t seem to be in immediate danger. However, she was sweating slightly and her complexion was quite pale.

“It’s exhaustion. Sometimes, those who dedicate themselves entirely to work don’t even realize that their body is deteriorating.”

“There doesn’t seem to be any risk to her life or serious aftereffects.”

“Yes, that is correct. Once the fever goes down, she will soon regain consciousness.”

The servant only said that before retreating to the edge of the room.

“…”

Dereck silently observed Aiselin, who had not yet woken up, and let out a deep sigh.

Then he sat on the wooden chair next to the bed, resting his hands on his knees, absorbed in thought.

Thinking about it, it was even more surprising that Aiselin hadn’t collapsed before from overwork.

However, Aiselin was such a strong and firm person that he thought she could easily handle it.

Although it was clearly unreasonable, her always-smiling face and her ability to handle everything naturally made it difficult to notice any signs of tension. She was always looking for new tasks to take on.

But there is something that must never be forgotten: a person’s physical and mental strength is a resource that is consumed.

Even though he knew it, he believed Aiselin was an exception.

If sacrifice and dedication are taken for granted, the organization will eventually collapse.

Dereck realized that he had made a very basic mistake as a leader.

“…”

Dereck was not very expressive with his emotions.

However, there was a clear seriousness in the way he remained sitting in silence, pressing his knees with his hands.

The servants, noting the gravity in his expression, could only bow their heads, not knowing what to do.