Chapter 119

Chapter 119
## Chapter 119

‘To become a 4-star mage, one must leap over or break through that invisible wall.’

Late at night, Fina let her hair down and silently contemplated the stars in the night sky.

‘I wonder if that mage, Adelbert, also knew this.’

The man named Dereck, who was struggling as her disciple, was quite talented, but he was still one step away from reaching the level of a 4-star mage.

As someone who considered herself his master, it was her duty to create the opportunity for him to overcome 그 wall.

Fina sketched a faint, bitter smile, then jumped from the rooftop and landed in the mansion’s backyard, where no one could see her.

And while she hid among the shadows, she blinked several times, letting her eyes glow slightly.

***

“Ha.”

When Aiselin opened her eyes in bed, the sun was already high in the sky.

The autumn breeze coming through the window, making the curtains rustle, gave her a warm sensation.

“Eh… what…?”

Aiselin blinked, and only after sitting up did she understand the situation.

The last thing she remembered was the shock she felt upon seeing blood suddenly, quickly grabbing a handkerchief, and then losing consciousness, as if she were floating.

“Sister!”

“Lady Siern…”

Siern, who had been watching over her by the bedside, rose immediately and took Aiselin’s hands.

It was rare to see Siern, normally irritable and sharp-tongued, show such an emotional expression. It was almost the first time since that incident at the Rochester estate, when Aiselin appeared to have been stabbed by Dereck’s sword.

“Sister Aiselin, you have finally awakened. Do you feel any discomfort? Is your vision blurry, or does your head hurt?”

“Miss Siern… I… what happened…?”

“I heard that you fainted from overwork. You have been unconscious for almost four days and woke up today. I must inform Delbritton.”

With an expression of relief, Siern quickly left the room.

It seemed she had remained by Aiselin’s side practically the entire time during those four days.

‘Asleep for four days…?’

Aiselin was so shocked she had to catch her breath.

As a key figure of the Ravenclaw Training Center, she had so many responsibilities that even being absent for half a day caused work to pile up.

But after having been unconscious for four days, the center must be on the verge of collapse.

‘My God! How could I make such a mistake…?’

Aiselin covered her face with both hands, horrified.

Having neglected her health at such a crucial moment, just when the center was beginning to stabilize, must seem like a great lack of respect toward Dereck, who sought perfection in everything.

She had always taken pride in enjoying her work and claimed that no one should worry about her; however, when she was needed most, she collapsed exhausted. How shameful and unreliable!

All of that was a consequence of her lack of discipline. Aiselin sighed deeply, still covering her face.

«And to think that back then I was wasting it on the jealousy I felt for Lady Fina, trying to get Dereck’s attention when there were important things to do, distracting myself with nonsense and ending up collapsing from exhaustion…»

‘How shameful… I am a pathetic person…’

Aiselin knew Dereck well.

After working with him for so long, she believed she deeply understood his way of thinking.

He was infinitely patient when teaching the young ladies, but when it came to work, he was as sharp as a razor.

He reprimanded and punished servants or subordinates severely when they showed irresponsibility. He was almost inflexible regarding duty, so he would surely be very disappointed by Aiselin’s negligent conduct.

‘I must apologize, but… how…?’

Aiselin was lamenting with her head bowed when suddenly…

*Bang!*

The people Siern had called opened the door and came running in.

There was the person in charge of medical affairs, the butler, the assistant director of the center, Lady Siern, and at the front of them all, leading the group, was Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw.

It seemed everyone had dropped what they were doing; some still held pens, others still wore their work coats. They had rushed there as soon as they heard the news.

“Miss Aiselin, you have opened your eyes.”

“Yes, yes… Lord Dereck. It’s just that…”

“What a relief!”

Dereck took a step forward and let himself fall into the wooden chair beside Aiselin’s bed.

Then he spoke slowly, looking into her eyes.

“Do you feel any discomfort? Any other pain?”

“Eh? No… I was tired… I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to end like this…”

“Apologize? Why?”

“Well, regarding the work schedule…”

“…”

Dereck looked silently at Aiselin, who was looking at him guiltily, and then placed a hand to his forehead with a grave voice.

“Miss Aiselin, you have no reason to apologize for this.”

“But many people must have been affected by my four-day absence…”

“Who in their right mind would blame someone who collapses from overwork? In any case, the blame is largely mine, as the one responsible. I knew Miss Aiselin was always overloaded with tasks, and yet I overlooked it.”

“No, that’s not…”

Dereck took Aiselin’s hands firmly.

Her face flushed at the sudden contact. She barely managed to suppress a small gasp while an electric chill ran down her spine.

«Miss Aiselin, this incident has made me realize something. There is a limit to governing solely through criticism and reprimand. Only by deeply understanding the circumstances and the way each person works within the barony can one truly lead.»

“No, you don’t have to say all that…”

By the way, Dereck’s hands were enormous. He wasn’t particularly tall, but his body felt incredibly solid. And his hands… so warm.

Even his face was very close, and his fragrance—a mixture of wood and wild roses—enveloped her.

Trivial and insignificant details filled Aiselin’s mind, tormenting her. She felt her brain was about to collapse; her head burned, and she had to take a deep breath.

Seeing her like this, Dereck frowned.

“It seems your body has not yet fully recovered.”

“No, it’s just that… eh… yes… you’re right…”

“In any case, I have reflected deeply following this incident. I should have treated you better while you were here. I took your sacrifices and dedication for granted.”

“No, you mustn’t think like that. I really enjoy what I do; besides, it also helps my family…”

Dereck, still sitting in the wooden chair, spoke with an even more serious expression.

“During these four days, I came to see you every day whenever I had a free moment. I don’t know what Miss Aiselin thinks about it, but seeing you faint due to my negligence made me reflect.”

“Every day… you came to see me…?”

Dereck was as busy as Aiselin, barely having time to breathe.

Often, to be able to dedicate time to such things, he had to sacrifice part of his schedule, but the fact that he came every day to check her condition and care for her strangely moved Aiselin.

It was a tacit confirmation that Dereck truly cared for her.

“Please, rest this week. It is better to be cautious until you are completely sure your body has recovered.”

“I… I’m fine…”

“No, you are not. I will come to see you regularly, so focus solely on your recovery.”

“E-every day…?”

Aiselin, lying diagonally on the bed, let out a small hiccup.

It was already hard to see Dereck’s face even once, but now he said he would come every day, sit by her side, ask how she was, talk about trivial things, and spend time with her.

No matter how busy his schedule was, it was absurd for him to exert such effort for her, so Aiselin tried to shake her head, but it was as if something was stuck in her throat and she couldn’t move it.

“That is…”

“Dereck is right, Aiselin! You have to rest!”

Siern, who rarely raised her voice, also stepped forward with a worried expression and looked at Aiselin.

Siern, who always had tea with her when she had time, had been taking etiquette classes and felt that life in the mansion would become empty without Aiselin.

Her face, already tired, reflected genuine concern. Even the other servants and the butler, Delbritton, bowed their heads with an air of guilt seeing Aiselin prostrate in bed.

‘What… what is this feeling…?’

Aiselin felt a dense and warm sensation forming in her heart.

The young woman still could not understand it: the regret, the loneliness, and the obsession that reside in the human heart.

‘I feel… satisfied, in a way… Why… why…? This… this is wrong…’

The sinister sensation of fulfillment inherent in human nature confused her, and she did nothing but question it.

For someone as serene as Aiselin, that emotion was completely new.

***

From then on, Dereck began to visit Aiselin’s room every day to check her condition and ask if she felt any discomfort.

He would sit by her bed and tell her what had happened at the training center or mention that many young ladies were worried about her while waiting for the etiquette classes, which had been temporarily suspended, to resume.

“They also talked about organizing a tea party in the garden, but since the baron’s mansion is smaller than the estates of the great nobles, it seems a bit difficult.”

“Hahaha. That’s true. Mr. Delbritton also suggested expanding the garden, and I think it would be good to consider it positively.”

“The budget has become a bit more flexible; I will suggest it to the administrators.”

After a few days, Aiselin, who had been weak, regained some strength and was able to sit at the table.

The servants also took care of her meals, so her appearance, previously emaciated, became elegant and beautiful again; it was as if she were surrounded by a garden of flowers every day.

And, above all, Dereck visited her daily.

Talking to him produced a strange feeling of fulfillment, as if she were enjoying the best vacation.

Thus, Aiselin drank tea and enjoyed the sun alongside Dereck.

The difference between now and when she ran endlessly from one task to another at the center was immense.

She spent her days doing nothing, simply resting or chatting with the people who came to visit her, and that was all she did.

There was a limit to how long she could keep the people around her occupied, so she decided to convince herself to enjoy that happiness for a few days and spent pleasant moments with Dereck.

“Lady Ellen is scheduled to visit us next week.”

And so, the happiness that had soared to the heavens vanished in an instant.

“What…?”

“We have informed the Duplain family and the Rose Salon that Lady Aiselin is unwell. It is the right thing to do. If something were to happen to her, we must notify them immediately.”

“Well, that’s true. My family would want to know how I am, but why Lady Ellen…?”

When they competed in the Rose Salon, Ellen was suspicious of Aiselin.

However, lately, that relationship had inverted. Although it was hard to explain, Aiselin felt a strange reaction every time she heard Ellen was approaching: her breath hitched and her gaze went blank.

“Although it has been some time since Lady Aiselin was expelled from the Rose Salon, she still retains many acquaintances. Many wanted to visit you, and although I turned down most, there were some I could not refuse.”

Ellen, the rightful heir of the House of Belmierd, was not someone a rural baron could easily control.

“Lady Denise as well.”

Aiselin felt a chill run down her spine.

Lately, Ellen had shown a strange hostility toward her, and Denise, being lazy by nature, was not the type to engage in deep relationships.

It would have been enough to send a polite and elegant gift, but the fact that both were coming personally to the Ravenclaw Mansion could only mean one thing: they had ulterior motives.

In short, their apparent concern for Aiselin was nothing more than an excuse.

It was unpleasant to use someone’s illness as a pretext to act. Of course, Aiselin was kind by nature and was not one to get angry over such things.

Even so, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps Ellen only wanted to see Dereck’s face.

But why would Denise come?

While Ellen’s intentions as an influential woman were understandable, those of Denise, as a strategist, were a complete mystery.

And that made Aiselin feel even more uneasy.

“…”

When Aiselin’s face turned pale again, Dereck, who was having tea across from her, let out a deep sigh.

It seemed the day when Aiselin’s fatigue would finally disappear was still far off.

***

“…”

Denise pinned a beautiful rose-shaped brooch to her chest, put on a dress with discreetly decorated ruffles, and stepped into the carriage.

Once seated in the luxurious vehicle, she held her breath for an instant, frowned as if something worried her, and let out a long sigh.

“I already told you, Dereck. I am only a chess piece.”

Inside the carriage heading to the Baron of Ravenclaw’s mansion, the young woman murmured in a low voice, though no one could hear her.

Grand Duke Beltus was trying, one way or another, to control and overthrow the Barony of Ravenclaw.

And in any case, Denise was in no position to oppose his will.

Even though she was heading to reunite with her long-awaited teacher, she felt as if a great weight were pressing on her chest.

‘If the opportunity presents itself, attack Dereck from behind. Until then, earn his trust and stay close to him.’

The heavy message from Grand Duke Beltus weighed on the girl’s shoulders.