Chapter 46

Chapter 46
## Chapter 46

To the dear Lady Diella,

A considerable amount of time has passed since spring ended, yet the nights remain cold. During these days that are so important to you, I hope you take great care of your health.

The reason I am writing this secret letter with a pen is because it saddens me to see you harboring resentment toward me.

Although I cannot say it openly in public, I have no reason to be your enemy, Lady Diella. Above all, I have always desired to get rid of the magic instructor named Dereck whom you mentioned.

As you well know, the Beltus family is not willing to dismiss Dereck. Therefore, my desire to do so goes against the interests of my family.

By expressing this intention, I feel as though I am revealing a weakness to you, Lady Diella. If you consider this letter a lie or a deception, you may take it and present yourself directly before the Beltus family.

If you hand this letter to my father, word will spread that a noble of the Beltus family has acted against our house. Of course, this would also severely damage my own reputation.

The reason I reveal my vulnerability so openly is simple: our interests coincide.

As I already mentioned, I deeply desire for someone, anyone, to take away the magic instructor named Dereck.

However, I cannot make decisions on matters affecting the true interests of the family on my own, so I would like to make a proposal.

A magic duel.

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I bet on Dereck. Lady Diella, please bet something of equal value.

Considering that the three great families covet this magic instructor, an insignificant bet would not suffice for a duel; but, in reality, that does not matter. After all, I intend to lose the duel.

If the Duplain family bets something valuable enough to convince my father, we can make this duel a reality.

I can accept losing the duel and handing over Dereck. It would be a mistake on my part, but not a rebellion—rather, an act openly contrary to the family’s wishes. I am willing to take that risk.

As I mentioned in the tea room, Dereck is an excellent magic instructor and will undoubtedly become someone even more prominent in the future. But I am not worthy of someone like him.

A good tutor shines even brighter when they have a good student. I hope someone as exceptional as Lady Diella can take this treasure called Dereck.

Please, respond to me.

I must reiterate: since my position in the family is at stake, ensure that this letter is not leaked.

Denise

***

*Chirp, chirp.*

Dawn arrived accompanied only by the song of the crickets heard beyond the window frame.

In the darkness, Denise’s hand moved rapidly with the pen as she leaned over a small candle.

It seemed very urgent; she wrote the letter while glancing occasionally toward the door or the window to ensure no one discovered her.

After all, she had to send that letter to Diella somehow, as she was the only one who could take Dereck away at that moment.

*I hope there are no mistakes due to my haste… Let’s review it one more time. Even if it’s a bit clumsy, Lady Diella will understand.*

Since it would not benefit anyone else to know the contents of this letter, Denise wanted to finish it quickly.

It was practically proof that Denise herself was actively opposing the wishes of the **Beltus family**. Not even the family servants were allowed to see it.

With that in mind, she looked toward the door and, by chance, met the gaze of the butler, who was patrolling the hallway late at night.

“Ah…”

“…!”

The butler also seemed a bit surprised. But he had long supported Denise in his own way. Without showing panic, he whispered softly:

“I felt a presence and thought there might be an intruder, so I came to check.”

“I, this… I mean…”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I have confirmed there are no intruders, so I am leaving. Excuse me… uh… for interrupting your concentration… Please… continue writing in peace!”

“…”

The butler, considerate of Denise’s feelings, quickly disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. His departure almost seemed like a retreat.

“…”

Denise could not help but fall into a distant and complicated mood.

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***

With the changing of the seasons, heat began to spread through the southwest of the empire.

The romantic and peaceful spring landscape gradually faded, giving way to lush vegetation. The servants of the Duplain estate busied themselves every day preparing for the coming heat.

*Chiek!*

*Ding! Clack! Clack!*

Although every day has been hectic, today has undoubtedly been even more so.

It was the day when the family troops, who had set out to conquer the White Zone in the northern territory, would reunite for the first time.

Valerian and Leigh, who had brought with them only their most trusted lieutenants and most outstanding soldiers, now entered through the estate gates.

The two brothers, mounted on large white horses, wore thick and splendid armor. They were followed by soldiers and their uncle Flam, who accompanied them as their mentor. A veteran four-star mage, he had passed on valuable knowledge of battlefield command to the sons of Duke Duplain.

Prince Valerian, the leader of the group, already radiated the dignity of a noble.

“Father. The conquest of the White Zone remains difficult, but it has not been without successes.”

Valerian, who had returned after repelling monsters in the White Zone and exploring several dungeons, seemed several years more mature.

The Duke of Duplain, pleased by the appearance of his eldest son, rose from his desk, approached Valerian—who was still wearing his armor—and patted him on the shoulder.

“I am glad to see you return with such spirit from your first battle.”

“No, as I already mentioned, we have conquered some dungeons near the White Zone. Not many, but the monster population on the border has decreased significantly.”

“Indeed. You cannot expect to feast on the first bite. It is enough that you have returned safe and sound. You must have learned a lot from Flam, right?”

“Yes. My uncle, being a veteran soldier, taught us much about leading troops. I am sure we will achieve even more in the second expedition.”

The Duke also looked at Leigh, who was standing behind Valerian with his arms crossed.

The second son had grown much stronger than when he trained alone on the estate. The other two great families, Belmierd and Beltus, were impressive, but one of the reasons they could never surpass the Duplains was the presence of such reliable heirs.

Robenalt, the eldest of the Beltus family, was diligent but lacked talent and ability, and was still far from reaching his potential. The children of the Belmierds had scattered or dedicated themselves to the clergy, leaving their eldest daughter, Ellen, with the responsibility of assuming the burden.

However, the Duplain family was complete—from Valerian, Leigh, and Aiselin to Diella—no one was missing, and many rumors spoke of the family’s abundant and brilliant offspring.

For this reason, Duke Duplain could sleep peacefully, even while Grand Duke Beltus and Count Belmierd observed his position with envy.

“I have brought back some soldiers who achieved great feats in the conquest of the White Zone. They fought for the glory of our house, even risking their lives; please, do not forget to congratulate them.”

“Yes. Invite them to dinner tonight. Aiselin and Diella will also come to the estate upon hearing of your return. Make sure to see them before dinner.”

“Ah, really?”

It had been a long time since Valerian had seen his beloved younger sisters. His face lit up, although Leigh, behind him, showed a somewhat uncomfortable expression.

Aiselin was one thing, but Diella remained uncomfortable and suspicious of Valerian. The discomfort of her turbulent childhood memories still persisted.

Both Valerian and Leigh felt a strong desire to reconcile with the teenager, but Diella’s strange discomfort remained unchanged.

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In the end, the two strong men would find themselves bewildered and embarrassed in front of Diella, and their awkwardness would resemble a third-rate comedy.

“Don’t worry, Leigh. I have prepared a secret weapon.”

“…What?”

Seeing Leigh’s expression, Valerian seemed to read his mind and said:

“Don’t you remember that object we took from the dungeon during the conquest of the White Zone? It was Rainteheim clay.”

“Ah… That? I’ve heard it’s very valuable; something that changes shape according to the user’s desire. But I’ve also heard it doesn’t last long, that it’s not very practical…”

“Yes. I used it to make statues of Diella and Aiselin, remembering them during the battle.”

Valerian pulled from a leather bag carried by a servant some statues that looked like Diella and Aiselin.

“What do you think? The quality is much better than the homemade dolls I made last time, right? It was foolish to try to win my sisters’ affection with something so ridiculous.”

“…”

“I’m sure they will applaud and be marveled. These photos not only capture the beauty of Aiselin and Diella but also their dignified presence.”

The butler, watching from behind, visibly darkened. The statues were so realistic they were unsettling, more terrifying than impressive. Their appearance was such that, without exaggeration, they could be called cursed dolls.

Leigh, staring at the statues, adopted a serious expression for a moment, then looked Valerian in the eye and said confidently:

“Oh… This is incredible, brother. Such a beautiful gift is sure to make their day. When did you prepare something like this?”

In reality, he was not much different from Valerian.

“Haha… How could I not think of **my family**, even in the midst of the chaos of battle? Returning home after so long really settles my heart.”

Valerian’s face radiated warmth, eager to see his dear younger sisters.

However, he still had something else to communicate. After all, the most important news had not yet been made known.

“In any case, the most important report still stands. During the conquest of one of the dungeons in the White Zone, we found a magic weapon in its deepest part. It is kept in a carriage; I have already instructed the servants to take it to the warehouse.”

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“Ah, yes? If it is an object from a White Zone dungeon, it must be quite extravagant. I will have to inspect it myself.”

“…However…”

Valerian’s expression turned somewhat uneasy. Leigh also looked down. Noticing that something was wrong, Duke Duplain stroked his beard and asked:

“Is there a problem?”

“…It is quite a large staff, and it appears to be an object used for necromancy. You might want to take a look at it.”

The Duke’s expression gradually darkened.

He had heard that the treasures buried in the White Zone were often strange, but this one seemed particularly unpleasant to him.

***

“Ah.”

Denise suddenly opened her eyes in bed, and the song of the morning birds flooded the room through the window frame.

It was early morning. Or rather, at dawn.

Since she started sharing her daily routine with Dereck, getting up early had become normal. Lately, she woke up automatically at dawn.

Now fully adapted to Dereck’s lifestyle, Denise felt a mixture of complex emotions, but since she was already awake, she had to get up.

Dereck maintained a routine so precise that one wondered if he wasn’t a machine.

Within five minutes of Denise waking up, he would open the door and read her the day’s training schedule.

Then, as usual, Denise would make a face as if she had just swallowed sand, drink a glass of milk, leave her hair loose and messy, and follow her morning routine half-asleep.

The sequence of events was so easy to imagine that Denise felt like crying as soon as she opened her eyes.

During those five minutes before Dereck burst in, she felt the flame of her life slowly fading. It was quite a happy life.

“…”

But ten minutes later, Dereck had not appeared. Only the peaceful chirping of birds filled the quiet room.

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“What? Has that machine-man’s schedule been disrupted?”

It was the first time in months that the man, who had never missed a single appointment, showed erratic behavior.

With difficulty, Denise sat at the table in the middle of the bedroom. After stretching her stiff body and yawning, the pleasant morning air filled her lungs.

Shortly after, a maid arrived to see how Denise was.

“Lady Denise, you are already awake. I will tell the kitchen to prepare breakfast.”

“Ah, yes, that… But, didn’t Dereck come?”

“Yes, I was just going to mention it. The captain of the Beldern Mercenaries, Jayden, was seriously injured and requested urgent leave. The Duke has approved it, so it seems your schedule will be free for today.”

Without a doubt, this was good news. It was the perfect opportunity to deliver the letter to Diella that had cost her so much to write.

“…Really?”

“Yes. I was informed that the leader of the Beldern Mercenaries has a special connection with him and approved his request. He apologizes for the sudden change of plans and promises to make up for today in whatever way is necessary.”

“No, it’s not necessary. No compensation or apology is needed.”

Denise suddenly imagined a world in bloom. She had nothing to do. Her daily schedule was completely free.

She felt as if her whole body were submerged in honey, an illusion caused by the happiness she felt at that moment, something she had not experienced for months. Dereck would not come. That man, a harbinger of hell, would not show his face all day.

She couldn’t believe it, even as she repeated it to herself. But that was the reality she faced. Dereck had not gone to the mansion, not even at the hour of training.

“This cannot be…”

Stunned, Denise crept to the window to look outside. A vast panorama enveloped her. This was life. This was living. The lost routine, the leisure days as precious as gold and silver, had returned to her arms.

With eyes full of tears, Denise collapsed back onto the bed.

“I’ll skip breakfast.”

“Will you? Then I will pass on the message.”

After dismissing her maid, Denise pulled out all the wonderful **books** she had bought but never read.

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‘Lady Apfelroc’, ‘The Wolf of the Duke of Loen’, ‘Honey and Love’, ‘The End of Flirting’, ‘The Star of Levantein’… She accumulated countless masterpieces, wondering which to read first.

However, after having postponed it for so long due to her training, she hesitated, not knowing where to start. After all, Denise usually read in the afternoon or evening, not in the morning when her mind was still groggy.

“Hmm…”

The girl lay back down in bed. She stared at the ceiling through the space between the scattered books.

A fresh morning breeze stirred the window curtains, filling the quiet room.

Silence.

The young mage who remembered every detail about Denise and worked tirelessly for her was no longer there. Her room felt like an immense void because of the absence of a single person. That made her realize how hard he worked.

“What did I used to do at this hour?”

Sometimes, when you immerse yourself in something for so long, you forget what your routine was. So Denise simply stayed there, quietly staring at the ceiling.

It was a day without Dereck.

***

*Creak.*

‘Tears of Beldern’ temporarily closed its doors.

After returning to Ebelstain, Dereck had been too busy with commissions for the **Beltus family**. He had stopped by the tavern a couple of times to say hello, but the last few weeks had been so busy that he could barely reach the street where the tavern was located.

Thus, after his long-awaited return, when he opened the main door of the bar, only the dusty counter welcomed him.

Dereck nodded and then walked through the inner kitchen to the back room door.

“I’m coming in.”

He said it naturally as he opened the door and saw Jayden lying on the wide floor of the back room, with Pheline attending to him.

The atmosphere was clearly somber.

“Oh, long time no see! As you can see, I’m in no condition to greet you.”

“Jayden…”

Next to Jayden, who spoke in a relaxed tone, sat Pheline with a complex and polite expression.

Unlike usual, she had not tied her platinum blonde hair in a ponytail. Instead, she wore it loose and messy, covered with a robe. Dereck swallowed hard and sat in a wooden chair in the corner of the room. Then he spoke in a low voice.

“Did you return from a dangerous mission?”

“Heh… To make even the busiest man come running, I must be getting old.”

When Jayden lifted his upper body, Dereck’s expression tightened.

“I’ve been in the Labyrinth of the White Zone.”

As he struggled to sit up, Jayden realized his left arm was missing. Only a well-placed bandage remained in its place.

“There is something I need to tell you, Dereck.”

Jayden’s expression and voice turned serious. It was no ordinary occasion.