Chapter 41

Chapter 41
## Chapter 41
Listen to this, Dereck, magic instructor of the Beldern Mercenary Group.

According to what the steward Clerven has informed me, I understand that you have begun giving lessons to Denise at the Ebelstein mansion.

First of all, I commend your efforts. Your reputation for excellence precedes you, and the Beltus family has made great efforts and sacrifices to bring you here. I expect you to achieve results that live up to that reputation.

As my daughter’s direct instructor, it would be natural for me to meet with you to greet you personally, but as you know, the situation in the southwest of the empire is far too chaotic for me to leave my post.

However, summoning the instructor—who is fully dedicated to my daughter’s education—to the estate would only delay matters, so I ask that you accept this letter as a substitute for a personal meeting.

My daughter Denise already excelled in various fields of magic even before she began frequenting the social circles of Ebelstein, but at some point, she stalled and has not progressed further in the magical realm.

As a renowned magic instructor, I have full confidence in your ability to help her overcome this seemingly impenetrable barrier of limitations.

I grant you full authority over Denise’s education. If you need anything, communicate with the steward or the mansion staff, and if there are any achievements to report, send a letter directly.

—The wisest and longest-reigning sovereign of the Beltus Territory,

His Highness, Andeloph Kellock Beltus, Grand Duke.

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**Reply:**

To His Highness, Grand Duke Beltus,

It is a great honor to receive a handwritten letter from you. I will honor the trust you have placed in me and fulfill my duty.

Please do not worry too much about Lady Denise’s progress.
If I say I will do it, I will do it.

Sincerely,
Dereck.

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***

For Denise, attending meetings at Rose Hall did not pose a difficult trial.

From the early morning hours—getting dressed, maintaining an elegant demeanor, chatting with nobles while forcing a smile—everything was incredibly exhausting.

As she strolled through the various luxurious halls of the noble district, Denise always thought to herself: how much she wished she could go home, collapse, and read a romance novel.

However, over time, attending Rose Hall meetings had become a kind of escape. Because at home, hell was even greater.

“Dereck isn’t coming to the mansion today, right? Tomorrow I plan to attend a lecture on Aintress philosophy at the Cultural Center… and in the afternoon I have a meeting at Rose Hall. It will be very late by the time everything is over…”

“Yes. Mr. Dereck has not contacted you specifically. It wouldn’t make sense for him to come, since you will be busy with social activities all day.”

“I must… I must finish getting ready quickly before that stubborn man arrives. The plan is to leave after breakfast, but let’s eat something simple and leave the house before dawn.”

However, Dereck was already standing at the main gate, carrying various magic training tools.

“Good morning, Lady Denise.”

“Eek!”

“The dawn air is very refreshing. Today, let’s focus on basic physical conditioning and theory lessons instead of magic training.”

“D-Dereck! The lessons are fine, but social activities befitting a noble lady are also important!”

“Yes, you are absolutely right.”

Dereck was not unreasonable.

No matter how hard he tried to correct Denise’s lazy mindset, he could not go against her noble responsibilities.

Therefore, with a refreshing expression, Dereck told Denise:

“I will wait at the mansion until you finish your commitments. I also have plenty of personal training to attend to. Please, do not worry about me and dedicate yourself to Rose Hall and your social obligations.”

“You’re going to wait? In the mansion?”

“Won’t you be back by dinner time? From then until you go to sleep, if you organize yourself, you can train for more than six hours. Since you will be physically exhausted, let’s focus on the theory lessons. I have already prepared all the study materials. I even used my savings to buy them, so read them carefully.”

“M-Mr. Dereck… those expenses should be charged to the mansion…”

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When her personal maid, Bella, gasped in surprise, Denise shook her head firmly and looked at her.

“I… I’m going to attend the meeting for now!”

Denise felt a chill run through her body, as if the tenacity of her magic instructor had latched onto her like a water ghost.

***

Dereck silently watched Denise’s figure as she fled, and then followed the servants’ directions into the interior of the mansion.

The servants had completely emptied the hall so that Dereck would be comfortable. After all, with the lady of the house absent, no guests of honor were expected.

Dereck placed several magic artifacts and the letters he had brought on the parlor table.

He also unpacked all the food and household items he had bought at the market. There was a reason why he had brought all those things since dawn.

‘Phew…’

Due to the absence of the young lady he was to tutor, Dereck kept himself busy.

He took off his cloak, folded it carefully to one side, and rolled up his sleeves.

After all, to gain the support of the three noble families, one had to show at least some results.

Intentionally or not, Dereck had earned the recognition of the noble families by tutoring their teenage daughters. Given his current situation, giving his all was the right thing to do.

What does it mean to teach someone?

If it were simply a matter of passing on knowledge, reading a book would suffice. Teaching someone involves connecting and communicating sincerely with that person, progressing together.

Therefore, the current situation, in which Denise feels overwhelmed and flees from Dereck, cannot be viewed positively.

Denise was completely different from Ellen. While Ellen actively assimilated Dereck’s teachings, Denise seemed to avoid them. In other words, a different approach was needed.

Dereck was a person who handled everything efficiently and methodically. He had a habit of researching the safest and cleanest way to perform any task.

To control Denise, foster her magic skills, correct her attitude toward magic, and settle his debt to the Beltus family, this grand plan would begin by immobilizing Denise so she could not protest.

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Although the Duke of Beltus had recognized him as a magic instructor, that alone was not enough.

To truly win Denise over, the best way was to gradually change her environment.

The great mansion was her domain.

Backed by the Beltus family, it was a place where servants gathered exclusively to serve her as their lady.

The first step was to earn the affection of the servants who worked tirelessly all year round just to maintain her.

That was why Dereck arrived at the mansion early in the morning, even though Denise was not there.

The first person Dereck sought out was the porter of the great mansion.

“Please, take it easy. With the temperature changes becoming more extreme, you need to stay warm to avoid health problems.”

“Oh, what exquisite tea… Thank you. You are the magic instructor who came to teach Lady Denise, right?”

“Yes. The young lady is out, so it’s a bit quieter here.”

“Haha… An uneducated man like me certainly has a different spirit than hers. Although we are both common people, the difference is abysmal… Still, please, take good care of the young lady. She may seem unmotivated, but she has a good heart.”

“Of course. I am here to serve Lady Denise, so I must remain faithful to my duty.”

And so, that day, until Denise returned, he shared tea and trivial stories with the mansion’s porter.

That afternoon, after finishing classes, under the pretext that liquor was available, he invited the porter for a drink at the dock by the sea. Therefore, from time to time, he drank with the porter.

Next, he discussed the taste of the food with the chef and the mansion’s steward.

Dereck spent entire days in the library of the cultural corridor, studying various ingredients and culinary cultures.

As he walked down the hallway, he spoke in detail about the ingredients used in the day’s meal and debated the intensity of the flavor they provided.

From time to time, Dereck brought rare ingredients from the market for the chef, they cooked delicious dishes together, or he even served them to Denise.

When Denise praised the taste of the food, the chef, with a satisfied expression, embraced Dereck in the kitchen.

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Seeing Dereck gradually immersing himself in the culinary world, the chef would lecture passionately—spitting as he spoke—about the difference in sweetness between fruits from the western continent and those from the northeast, and explained for more than thirty minutes how the direction of an ingredient’s cut affected the way the sauce was absorbed.

Dereck listened to all these stories with great interest.

He also spoke with the gardener about the flora of the southwestern continent whenever he had the chance.

He spent entire days reading books on plants and ecology to acquire a solid foundation. He couldn’t accumulate the knowledge of an expert just by reading a few books, but at least he could appear to be someone worth talking to and learning from.

Having worked for several noble families, befriending the servants posed no problem for him. Understanding their hardships, he sympathized with them, sometimes helping them with laundry or cleaning and sharing delicious food in the kitchen, soon earning warm smiles whenever they saw him.

It was easy to get along with the seed vendors and the guards. They were fascinated by the austere lifestyle of the mercenaries. They listened eagerly to Dereck’s stories about killing monsters in various labyrinths.

The steward was the most difficult to convince, but once he realized that Dereck’s main goal was to rehabilitate Denise, he even came to Dereck’s parlor first to share stories about the history of the mansion.

“Lady Denise! Mr. Dereck has arrived…! He brought a lot of good ingredients today! Does seafood for dinner sound good to you? I will cook without restrictions!”

“Oh, Dereck. Poor man. You’ve been working hard since morning. Get some rest.”

“Mr. Dereck, I’ve already mended the clothes you mentioned last time. It was very helpful for training the servant apprentices.”

Soon, the mansion’s porter was laughing loudly while embracing Dereck, the servants gave him a warm welcome, and the steward smiled with satisfaction.

The gardener spoke well of the man, saying he was truly honorable, and some clumsy apprentices blushed whenever he passed by.

“…He’s more sociable than I thought. But of course, to stand out in the harsh world of mercenaries, one needs great insight to understand people and wisdom…”

“No… Bella… Still, it’s strange how quickly he integrated into the mansion… Could he be using magic or deception?”

“…Well, it’s true that Mr. Dereck is a person of integrity. Although as a mentor, he can be demanding.”

“Oh…”

Denise lay on her back in bed, enduring the pain that racked her body.

Since lunch time, Dereck had stopped training and had gone out to talk to the servants.

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Although he hadn’t been an instructor for long, his reputation among the staff had already skyrocketed.

Of course, this goodwill was not obtained for free.

He had spent his own money on various gifts and, although he was busy with his magic training, he studied people’s interests, listened to them, and helped them until late at night when necessary, building relationships little by little. All of this was the result of time and effort invested.

The most important thing was the enormous gap that existed between Denise and Dereck. Denise was a high-ranking noble, someone to be approached with caution, while Dereck was a commoner who had risen from nowhere.

It was obvious who the servants would feel more comfortable with.

“So what?… It’s not unusual to socialize with the servants, right?”

“Yes, but… I feel uncomfortable. That mercenary is direct and indifferent; he wouldn’t flatter without reason… So there must be a reason behind his actions. Surely… it’s a tactic to set a trap for me…”

“…”

“Bella… you must not… let yourself be fooled by that mercenary’s hidden intentions.”

Bella rested her chin on her hand, absorbed in thought.

It was true that Dereck had always been kind to Bella. The magic instructors who came to the mansion were usually arrogant and proud, and treated the servants poorly, so his pleasant attitude was a welcome change.

He helped Bella clean the artwork using a gentle breeze spell, and when she had trouble cleaning the utensils late at night, he naturally stepped in to help her carry them.

It might seem like a blatant attempt to gain favor with others, but it was hard to believe that someone as respected as Dereck would try to ingratiate himself with low-ranking servants… After all, he simply helped without seeking recognition and went on with his tasks.

“…Could he really be a good person?”

“Bella… you too…!”

Without realizing it, Dereck had completely infiltrated Denise’s house. Getting rid of him was becoming increasingly difficult.

It was hard to understand that side of him when she only saw him immersed in magic in a dirty cave. Dereck was already skilled in social relationships. Much of it was due to the influence of the tavern owner, Jayden, who could deal with any customer with ease.

Denise felt how little by little he drew her toward him and controlled her.