Chapter 134

Chapter 134
## Chapter 134
Pity.

What an absurd emotion! When a person makes a mistake, unbearable shame and humiliation inevitably arise.

After listening to Dereck’s explanation, Denise had to endure her dizziness while covering her face.

From the beginning, Dereck had shown no hostility toward Denise.

The words “You can stab me in the back” were not a bold declaration directed at an enemy, but words spoken out of consideration for Denise’s position.

“Ah, no… if you think about it logically, I am the most well-known lady of the Beltus family, and if someone is hostile toward Beltus, it’s only natural to think they would also have negative feelings toward me, right…?”

“How many times have I told you? I don’t hold any particular resentment toward Lady Denise.”

“…”

“Do you remember what I always say?”

Denise, who had fainted, looked at Dereck under the moonlight and spoke as if reciting.

“…That there are no bad girls in the world, it just depends on how you educate them, right?”

“Actually, there is nothing to teach or not to teach. From the beginning, Lady Denise has nothing particularly wrong with her. I understand if you can’t trust me, but can’t you at least trust yourself?”

“No, it’s just that… logically… yes, logically this is… inconsistent…”

Having said that, Denise let out a hiccup and began to reflect on the man named Dereck.

He was relentless with those who showed hostility, malice, and attempted to crush him.

If someone attacked him, he counterattacked; if they drew a sword, he also drew one; if they tried to kill him, he killed them without hesitation.

But what about the opposite?

He was infinitely kind to those who showed no hostility. He did not usually take the initiative to do good deeds, but he knew how to appreciate what he received.

He seemed to hold a deep affection for the teachers he had met throughout his life and never forgot them. Did he not visit the grave of the old man from the slums when he had time, exchange letters with Katia, and rejoice upon receiving news from Drest?

Did he not seem to have a good eye for people?

Dereck was a person who, if you approached him with goodwill, responded with goodwill; a completely logical man.

Even knowing that, Denise could not judge the situation rationally.

It was the most natural thing. It would be strange for someone to maintain rationality in such a situation.

The only reason he had drawn his sword against Grand Duke Beltus was because the Duke had drawn his first.

Denise covered her face and bowed her head deeply.

“I want to die…”

“To that extent…?”

“Yes, honestly, considering the situation, I thought you, Dereck, were cornering me completely, trapping me, trying to punish me…”

“Me?”

“Isn’t this the perfect situation for that? Beltus showed clear hostility toward you.”

Denise already knew it well.

Grand Duke Beltus had even attempted to kidnap Baroness Pheline, and if necessary, he was prepared to take Baron Dereck’s life.

Being lenient with someone like that was unthinkable, so Denise assumed that Dereck would also use every means possible.

However, Dereck knelt on one knee, lowered his posture, and looked Denise in the eye as he spoke.

“That is Grand Duke Beltus. Not Lady Denise, right?”

“I am someone of Beltus.”

“And so?”

At those words, Denise’s eyes widened, unable to say anything.

“Grand Duke Beltus is Grand Duke Beltus. And Lady Denise is Lady Denise. What else could that mean…?”

What meaning could such a simple and obvious statement have when said in that manner?

Because it was Dereck—who deeply understood the arrogant Lord Robain and the person named Denise—who uttered those words, Denise understood the reflection contained within them.

What could she say now? In her entire life, no one had ever separated Denise from the Beltus family.

That is why, the moment Beltus became his enemy, Denise thought that Dereck would also completely become her enemy.

But that premise was flawed.

That man, who always looked at Denise with indifference under the moonlight, saw the Beltus family and Denise as completely separate entities.

Everything she achieved was “for Beltus.” Everything she did was “for Beltus.”

Because of that, a person who saw Denise only as Denise was more valuable than gold.

Why did she only realize that now?

Even when Dereck taught her magic, he never treated her as “the lady of Beltus.”

Only when Denise handled magic carelessly or dismissed it as useless did he become angry and teach her with all the strength possible.

In reality, when he considered the lesson sufficiently explained, he simply left without saying another word.

To him, Denise was simply Denise.

Denise, who had lived her entire life under the glory of her family, finally understood why she had never been able to push Dereck away abruptly.

He was the only person in this world who saw her as someone apart from the Beltus family.

The girl, without realizing it, did not want to lose that person.

“Dereck…”

“…”

“If… if the Beltus family’s influence weakens greatly because of this incident… and I end up being treated like Lady Aiselin… will you still be my teacher…?”

Not even Denise herself understood why she was asking that.

But she felt she had to ask it now.

“…Why ask such an unnecessary question?”

Dereck did not even consider it a real question.

Once a bond is established between teacher and student, that relationship endures. It was enough to see how Dereck treated the teachers who had shaped him to understand what that bond meant to him.

Upon hearing those words, a lump formed in Denise’s throat.

Even if the word “Beltus” disappeared from her name, she was convinced that this man would remain by her side until the end.

The reason was simple: they were teacher and student.

Just as many masters had once taken Dereck’s weak arm and guided him, this man was also determined to protect the one he had once considered his student.

Diella had done it, Ellen had done it, Siern had done it.

Dereck had more than enough reasons to abandon them and turn his back on them, and yet, he never evaded his responsibility.

The old man from the slums, Katia, Drest… Dereck had been taught that way.

He acted according to what he had learned and taught others in the same way.

In the end, in this world, we are all someone’s teacher and student.

And Derek lived naturally under that belief.

To doubt someone like that was shameful. Denise understood the nature of the shame that consumed her.

Denise rubbed her face over and over again, letting out sighs of relief.

He was a truly mysterious man.

Like a zelkova tree that always remains in the same place, the only one confused and in crisis was Denise.

“You’ve been through a lot, Lady Denise. Don’t worry too much. All of this will soon come to an end.”

Seeing Dereck protect her in that way, Denise felt her breathing quicken for no apparent reason.

A man from the slums. Yet, he had firm convictions, always welcomed everyone, and never judged people by their family’s power.

He seemed like a familiar character to her, so she tilted her head and repeated the idea several times. Only then did she remember who the heroine Tracy was in *The Arrogant Lord Robain*.

In that instant, she felt her breath catch.

In *The Arrogant Lord Robain*, a romance novel filled with Denise’s personal desires, the male protagonist and most important character, Lord Robain, was none other than a projection of Denise herself.

The unfortunate man who lost his valuable relationships because of his family’s power, that Robain, placed there to mock herself, would love someone like Tracy.

He was just a character in a story.

However, after spending so much time immersed in *Lord Robain* and wielding the pen, the character’s mindset and values were already deeply rooted in Denise’s mind.

The reason why Lord Robain loved Tracy so deeply was a process she herself had created and believed in.

That is why, when she looked at Dereck, she understood Lord Robain’s feelings.

The process by which someone oppressed by their family’s power comes to feel affection for Tracy, who treated them with sincerity as a person—Denise herself had described that process so convincingly.

And, unfortunately, her passion for that story became the fuel that fanned the flames of Denise’s heart.

Through her eyes, Dereck seemed as precious as a jewel.

While everyone else recited the name of Beltus, Dereck’s voice asking about Denise’s well-being sounded strangely sweet.

Denise was a rational person.

Even with her heart pounding, she evaluated her current situation objectively.

This is bad.

In the midst of this crisis, with her family crumbling and monsters everywhere, she tried to convince herself that it was simply the “suspension bridge effect,” but nothing worked.

She felt as if she were about to throw herself down a path full of thorns. And of course she was.

Dereck’s relationships with women were so complicated that just observing him from afar was enough to give Denise a headache.

If simply watching the fire from the other shore was exhausting, throwing herself directly into that war was something that Denise, always lazy and calm, could never tolerate.

However, human emotions are not always governed by reason.

Having devoured all kinds of third-rate romance novels, Denise knew better than anyone how this type of situation unfolded.

In short, Denise did not respect this man solely as her mentor.

“Miss Denise. The situation is urgent right now…”

“D-Dereck… w-wait a moment…”

Bewildered, Denise took a step back, but the tree trunk behind her prevented her from retreating.

Attempting to hide her face, which was turning red for no apparent reason, she covered her cheeks and lowered her head.

Everything was a mess.

In the midst of the appearance of monsters and uncontrolled demons, letting herself be carried away by these emotions would only plunge everything into even greater chaos. That’s why Denise tried to regulate her breathing, and just when she thought she should listen to Dereck’s plan…

*Crack!*

*Whish!*

*Bang!*

When Denise raised her head, Dereck was suddenly knocked down by a flying spell.

*Crash! Bang!*

First-level combat magic: “Shockwave.”

After the impact, Dereck was thrown against a tree at the edge of the forest as a cloud of dust rose into the air.

Although it happened in an instant, Dereck, who resorted to his magical power and superhuman reflexes to cushion the blow, appeared through the mist of dust.

He was kneeling on one knee, drawing his staff and adopting a combat stance. His reaction speed was so fast it seemed superhuman.

“W-What…?”

Looking in the direction where the magic had come from, the mercenary leader Orel had arrived with his detachment.

For a long time, he had served as commander of the Emperor’s personal guard. While his skills may have diminished slightly with age, his responsiveness in crisis situations remained exceptional.

“Are you alright, Lady Denise?!”

He surrounded her with his mercenaries, forming a protective barrier. General Orel, who had moved quickly to protect Denise, drew his sword and pointed it at Dereck.

Emerging from the dust, Orel’s eyes were already full of hostility.

“O-Orel, leader… w-what are you doing…?”

“You are safe. I am glad to hear it.”

Orel, spinning his sword once, stared intently at the beast emerging from the bushes.

At first glance, he did not seem like an easy opponent.

Though he looked young, he was already a mercenary hardened by countless battles.