Chapter 50

Chapter 50
## Chapter 50

That occurred the day after Diella, having finalized the preparations for her debut, visited the Rose Salon.

The inspection program for the mansion had concluded, and the registration process at the beauty salon had proceeded without a hitch.

For Diella, who had clashed with so many noble ladies, extending her hand to the Rose Salon was an extremely unusual event. As a result, interest in Dereck—the man who had tamed and brought in this roaring lioness—skyrocketed.

Many rumors claimed he possessed a silver tongue so charming that even the most famous merchants would envy it, or that his physical attractiveness could bewitch the heart of any woman. Some even whispered that he was the son of a noble, concealing great wealth and honor.

Upon hearing such rumors, Denise could not help but feel a twinge of irritation. Most were groundless, but the fact that Dereck had managed to convince Diella to attend was quite a feat.

“Good afternoon, Lady Denise. I have reviewed the letter you sent me last time.”

However, even though Diella had yielded to Dereck’s insistence to join the Rose Salon, her spirit remained unbroken.

She had promised to maintain good relations with the beauty salon, but she had no intention of ceasing her efforts to pull Dereck away from the Beltus family.

Upon arriving at the meeting, Diella immediately drew everyone’s attention and approached to greet Lady Denise.

Denise, who held no grudge against Diella, welcomed her with a radiant smile.

“I cannot express how happy I am that you have applied to join the Rose Salon. Having the jewel of the Duplain family, Lady Diella, is a great honor for us.”

“I appreciate it. In any case, I have considered the proposal you made to me. How does a magic duel next week sound?”

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Diella’s way of speaking lacked the courtesy typical of the nobility.

Ignoring Denise’s intention to engage in light conversation, Diella went straight to the point, paying no mind to the gazes around her. Her attitude was somewhat rude, but from Denise’s perspective, it was not unpleasant. If the other person intended to take Dereck away, she could only be grateful.

“That sounds interesting. I have often heard rumors about Lady Diella’s extraordinary magical ability, and I would love to see who is superior.”

“If I win, the Beltus family must terminate Dereck’s contract completely.”

“That decision lies with my father. I assume you have brought something of equal value, right?”

At that moment, Diella paused, crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and spoke.

“If I lose, I will purchase ‘View of the Corhess Granary District’ from your estate using Duplain family funds. I have obtained consent from Valerian, the next head of our house.”

At her words, Denise’s expression tightened momentarily. The meaning of Diella’s declaration was not immediately clear. It was evident that those present, like Aiselin and Ellen, were confused.

“View of the Corhess Granary District” was the name of a highly valued large-scale painting kept in the basement of Denise’s estate.

It was a landscape representing the Corhess granary district in the southwest of the continent, a famous masterpiece by the renowned artist Countess Lependor.

How could the offer to “buy it” constitute such a bold condition? Before the attendees could feel uncomfortable, Denise stepped forward, smiling as she spoke.

“Of course, it is wonderful that our art is recognized for its value simply by being acquired at a fair price. Especially by the Duplain family, and not just by anyone, but by the watercolor expert Lady Diella. If she pays a fair price for a painting, it also validates my reputation through her choice.”

Denise quickly formulated a plausible explanation in her head. Upon hearing her words, Diella snorted briefly but added nothing more.

“Are you sure there is no problem? Countess Lependor’s paintings often reached exorbitant prices even during her lifetime.”

“Don’t worry, I will pay whatever price. Although I doubt it will come to that.”

“Yes, then it is likely my father will view it favorably.”

Denise replied with a radiant smile.

After all, she only needed to present the conditions that would allow the duel. She had no intention of winning it.

Even so, the conditions Diella proposed were surprising. The other ladies of the salon wondered if buying a painting was such a big deal, tilting their heads with curiosity, but Denise remained tense.

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Still with her arms crossed, Diella snorted and turned around.

“I will send more details by letter.”

With that, Diella departed, followed by some lower-ranking nobles.

Despite Diella’s imposing presence, many nobles were still eager to win her favor.

***

That day, right after the meeting ended and she returned to the mansion, Dereck was there to receive her.

Dereck had been reviewing the day’s training program while waiting for Denise to return, and his presence felt so natural, almost like that of a family member, that Denise let out a sigh.

She had to admit that Dereck’s presence had become something normal for her.

“Miss Denise, you worked hard today. After dinner, we will delve into two-star exploration magic training…”

“Did you hear the news from the butler?”

“…”

“Lady Diella of House Duplain has challenged me to a magic duel. If I lose, you will have to leave for House Duplain.”

In reality, it was simply about terminating the contract with House Beltus.

After that, Dereck would decide which house to join, but it was obvious that moving to House Duplain would be more advantageous. Diella listened intently to Dereck’s every word, so being by her side clearly meant a greater rise in Dereck’s status.

However, upon hearing Denise’s words, Dereck went straight to the point.

“Isn’t this a situation you orchestrated yourself, Lady Denise?”

“…Ugh.”

This man, Dereck, had a sharp intuition for the strangest things. He could behave like a simple man who only knew one spell, but once he got serious and rested his chin on his hand, he began to connect the dots, and it was not easy to deceive him.

It was true; Dereck had easily deduced that Denise had orchestrated the entire situation. He reached that conclusion after observing her movements, her attitude in the salon, and her lack of hostility toward Diella.

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Denise narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. After all, she thought it was time to be honest with Dereck.

“Alright. I admit it quite honestly: you are a good instructor.”

After putting on a beautiful ruffled dress, Denise sat on the bed in a corner of the room. Her silver-gray hair fell like a shimmering blanket.

The white-haired mage, as always, showed no emotion on his face. He could be very talkative when discussing magic, even enthusiastic, but he still remained composed until the end.

“At first, it was hard for me to adapt to your teaching style, and my laziness didn’t help at all… But well, effort has its reward. Mastering magic is fun.”

“…It’s rare to hear you say that. I thought you would never admit that magic is fun.”

“I have my pride, you know? After denying and rejecting it so vehemently, suddenly admitting it’s actually fun is a bit embarrassing.”

Denise was a completely different person inside the mansion compared to outside.

On the outside, she was the most admired and beautiful woman; on the inside, she was nothing more than a lazy creature.

Too proud to accept Dereck’s genuine kindness, she fought against it.

“Anyway, I know you are a good instructor. And precisely because of that, there is nothing for you in House Beltus. Thinking you could be my instructor was not a good idea. You should move to the Duplain side when I give you the chance.”

“Miss Denise, you are the most beloved woman of the famous Beltus family in Ebelstain. Everyone desires this position.”

“You know one thing, but not the other. Well, given the situation… and since the Duplain family seems to know everything, there is no harm in telling you.”

Denise crossed her arms and looked quietly at Dereck.

Then she scoffed and said:

“You aren’t as valuable as you think.”

With that, she stood up and headed to the basement of the mansion with Dereck.

***

“Do you know what condition Lady Diella set for the magic duel? If she loses, she will have to buy the painting ‘View of the Corhess Granary,’ which is kept in the basement of this mansion.”

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“…What does that mean?”

The stairs leading down to Denise’s basement were dark and damp. For a basement under such an old and luxurious mansion, it felt quite unsettling.

Dereck conjured a small magic light to illuminate their path, and Denise, grateful, followed him deeper into the basement.

“Is buying a painting that big of a deal?”

“You wouldn’t understand… but once you know the full story, you’ll understand why my father has no choice but to accept these conditions.”

They descended the stairs and found themselves in front of a large wooden door. Carved with intricate reliefs, the inscription “Art Warehouse” was engraved above it. Denise pulled out the Beltus family seal and channeled magic through it; the door slowly opened. With a tired gesture, she signaled Dereck to follow her inside.

The sign at the entrance did not lie; the basement was packed with all kinds of artworks. Famous paintings, large sculptures, small musical instruments, and even clay dolls were on display.

Seeing that each object even had an elegant label, it was evident they were all valuable pieces. However, it gave the strange sensation that they were piled up inside a large mansion built for a woman very socially active in Ebelstain.

“I didn’t expect to find an entire art archive down here.”

“Normally, you wouldn’t find an art storage room in the Ebelstein mansion, where a noble lady resides. I’m not as expert in art as Lady Diella, so it’s strange, right?”

Denise took a deep breath and looked around. She had barely brought any servants. In that dark and damp basement, the only one present was the silent white-haired mercenary.

As if it didn’t matter, Denise made her way through the artworks, showing Dereck various valuable objects.

Dereck, who didn’t know much about art, realized, even as a layman, that those objects seemed quite valuable.

As they moved forward, a display case appeared, covered by a large curtain. There was a simple sign describing the artwork.

‘View of the Corhess Granary – Logdel Agnes Rephondor’

“Is this it? The painting you said she would buy if she won the duel?”

“Would you like to see it?”

Denise pulled back the curtain covering it. There was curiosity as to what kind of painting would be the subject of such a major bet.

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However, as the curtain opened, the canvas revealed was completely blank.

“…”

“Well? Do you understand Countess Rephondor’s perspective on the use of negative space?”

“I often encounter the use of negative space in Lady Diella’s work, but a completely empty canvas is hard to evaluate; to me, it simply looks blank.”

“Hahaha… I expected as much. The painting called ‘View of the Corhess Granary’ actually doesn’t exist.”

As Dereck watched her in silence, she naturally gathered her carefully styled hair and sat on a dusty shelf.

Dereck noticed how little she cared about the dust on her luxurious dress. Denise seemed to want to say something.

“It’s a painting that only exists in the account books. Countess Rephondor was very prolific, but she never painted such an image.”

“…”

“Officially, it is recorded that I used family funds to acquire it. The amount was considerable, but after all, it is not unusual for a noblewoman’s house to be decorated with expensive artworks. It is a plausible reason to claim it is an investment to enrich my taste and artistic judgment.”

At that point, Dereck asked nothing more. Even after this event, he knew the story being revealed was not something told simply to a tutor of commoner origin.

Dereck held his breath for an instant, remembering Denise’s mansion. Its size was impressive, but compared to the houses of other noble ladies, it lacked artwork and luxuries.

He thought it reflected Denise’s temperament, but that wasn’t the only reason.

“The family embezzled taxes.”

“To achieve great things, funds and power that are not under the Empire’s scrutiny are needed. That means even the taxes owed to the royal family must be reduced and manipulated.”

“Is that Lady Denise’s opinion or that of His Grace the Duke of Beltus?”

“Does it matter? My father and I are one family.”

Denise laughed, her voice hollow.

In short, the mansion in Ebelstein where Denise lived was used as a sort of money-laundering hub, diverting taxes under the name of House Beltus.

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Of course, Denise, the owner of the house, could not ignore this. Nor could she refuse to cooperate.

Occasionally, the royal family reviewed accounts or sent inspectors to properties. But it was unlikely they would search the basement of a house intended for the social education of their daughter. This mansion in Ebelstein, transferred to her name, was, in practice, a blind spot for royal audits.

Although the large canvas was said to be a work of art, it had no paint. Denise found the empty scene amusing and traced a strange smile.

“Lady Diella must have found out about this situation. She is interested in art history and the works of famous female painters.”

“…Can you tell me this?”

“After all, Lady Diella hides nothing from you, right? If someone from House Duplain knows this, it cannot be kept secret. The only thing left is an agreement.”

This dark art warehouse was likely one of Denise’s greatest secrets. Of course, diverting taxes to create independent funds was something powerful border nobles did when they were bored. The Empire surely got dizzy with it.

The issue lay simply in the skill with which it was hidden. Neither House Duplain nor House Belmierd could claim detachment from such corrupt practices. It simply remained a secret at the imperial level.

But whether it came to light or not, and whether a noble lady was directly involved in acts of corruption, was another story.

“You said she would buy this painting.”

How could Diella buy a painting that didn’t exist? Still, thinking about it, it wasn’t impossible.

After all, it was a matter between families. Recording the purchase in the account books was not complicated. It was enough to dip a pen in ink and jot down a few lines; that was all.

Finally, Dereck seemed to understand the true intention hidden behind Diella’s superficial words.

The story was intended to exploit an accounting loophole related to a nonexistent painting for House Duplain. And most importantly, they were offering cash, an extraordinary condition.

For a family as large as the Duplains, hiding such a hole was not difficult. The larger and denser the forest, the more places there were to hide treasures. Such were the transactions between noble families.

In the Empire, many things ultimately depended on the discretion with which one could hide and reveal corruption. Diella was well aware of this, and Denise understood she could not escape that reality.

“Lady Diella has a very sharp gaze. She must not be underestimated. I didn’t expect her to expose the core problem so frankly.”

Young, inexperienced, and brash. However, a glimpse of her nobility and her sovereign attitude made it impossible to predict what kind of person Diella would become.

For now, the only person who could keep things under control in Ebelstein was Dereck.

“In the social circle of Ebelstein, those who represent the names of the three great noble families are all the same. I have tried to teach them in various ways, but none are easy to handle.”

“You’re right, Dereck. Lady Aiselin, Lady Ellen… they all know how to handle the power they possess. They are not influenced by power; they naturally embody the art of controlling it.”

The most prominent young women of Rose Hall usually enjoyed the love of the family heads, were entrusted with full authority over their homes, and became influential figures.

In a few years, each would likely stand out.

However, it was Denise herself who let out a hollow laugh and lowered her gaze. In that gesture, Dereck felt that all aspects of Denise he had seen until then joined into one.

A girl whose goal was to lead a life without vitality, without ambition, stingy with achievements and content with simply looking after the house, reading novels, and wasting time.

As they spoke, memories of an exhausted Denise in the cave of Raspah came to his mind.

She lost interest in magic when she realized that no matter how hard she tried, her achievements would always be only a small part of the grand House Beltus.

“I am like a chess piece,” Denise said, as if the words escaped her.

She received all the support from the family, just like Lady Aiselin and Lady Ellen, but the motivation behind that support was different.

There was no trace of love for a daughter, nor family affection. The cold gaze of the Duke of Beltus, who oversaw the house, did not reflect family love. She was simply one of the many gears that made up House Beltus.

In reality, this was a common trait among the high nobility.

“Do you understand now? Right now, I am adored in Rose Hall and House Beltus treats me as someone valuable, but it is all out of necessity. In the end, if necessary, they will blame me for the embezzlement, sell me in a political marriage, or use me in the most efficient way possible. That’s how things work.”

“…”

“It’s just that the other girls at Rose Hall are too exceptional. They have strong convictions, they can influence the family atmosphere, and they know how to make important decisions… If you’re going to invest, isn’t it worth doing in that direction?”

Although she believed she was only trying to convince Dereck to leave, there was sincerity in her words.

She always complained of pain during training with him, but deep down, she had already accepted it. Dereck’s eyes narrowed as he watched her in silence, sitting quietly with her silver-gray hair spread over the shelf.

That girl, sitting with her head down, already had broken wings. Her numerous childhood experiences must have led her to accept her current reality. What followed was chronic apathy.

But she couldn’t simply throw everything away. Those without value would be discarded; that was the harsh reality of that aristocratic world. Therefore, she had to be a singular human figure, fulfilling at least her minimum duty without giving up her ambitions.

A bird with broken legs.

Although she longed to walk on the earth, she had to keep flying with folded wings.

The end of this flight, with no end in sight, probably wouldn’t be good. The bird itself sensed it, at least to some extent.

That’s why Denise told Dereck to go to House Duplain. Whether it was Aiselin or Diella, they would handle the helm with much more skill than Denise. They were people of another category.

Even both fully trusted Dereck. Where else could they find better conditions? It was always wiser to stay close to power.

A noble lady with an upturned nose would not normally speak so frankly. However, in Denise’s eyes, someone like Dereck belonged to a much wider world.

At first, her goal was to recover her quiet daily life, but after meeting Diella, those thoughts began to form in her mind.

After all, Denise was nothing more than a horse domesticated by House Beltus.

“What do you think? You can’t deny it, right?”

“It’s true. Lady Denise’s words are undeniable.”

“Good. Then, once everything is settled, contact the Duplains.”

As Denise laughed feignedly, Dereck finally gave a simple answer, making her long explanation seem useless.

“I don’t want to.”

“…??”

Faced with a totally unexpected answer, Denise tilted her head in confusion. After making sure she hadn’t misheard, she looked at Dereck with wide eyes.

“I appreciate the intention, but shouldn’t I be the one to decide where I live?”

Denise had an expression of incredulity. For anyone who saw her, taking Denise as a mentor seemed like an irreparable loss.

At least, that’s how it seemed to Denise.

However, Dereck moved silently and sat on the shelf next to her.

She couldn’t help but question his actions.