Wild Horse (2)
From Delia Catherine Duplein, there was a unique oppressive presence that made it hard to speak to her carelessly.
The many noble Young Ladies gathered in the tea party hall only watched the situation, unable to approach her rashly first.
The reason she could give off that much pressure with such a small build was partly because of her background as the youngest of the Duplein Ducal House, and partly because Delia herself was emitting an icy, cold aura.
Of course, Denise was not someone who would be cowed by a family name alone.
She liked the calm air of this tea party hall, which was at least a honey-like rest within her training-filled days, so her heart had loosened a little.
So Denise was sitting there with the most relaxed expression in the world, when she suddenly saw Delia approaching and had no choice but to straighten her posture.
'The youngest daughter of the Duplein Ducal House who will soon have her debutante.'
When she was lazy, Denise would sprawl about as if she were melting away, but when she kept the posture of a noble Young Lady, her appearance alone became quite convincing.
In the first place, when coming to the gathering at Rosea Salon, the servants would rush in and dress her up in a very classical style, so at least in outward appearance, she was a figure worthy of being one of the three of Rosea Salon.
"You're Young Lady Denise of the Beltus family, right?"
Delia's way of speaking felt strangely mixed with both bluntness and politeness.
Despite being someone who had just set foot in Rosea Salon for the first time, she showed no sign of being intimidated at all.
Denise instantly grasped the temperament of the person called Delia with a sharp gaze.
To be able to be that confident in an environment full of nobles she was meeting for the first time meant her self-esteem was outstanding. Rather than being polite, she looked closer to someone who was overbearing.
She had met a good magic instructor and cultivated some social skills, but that wild-horse-like temperament that ran across the plains still remained.
At a glance, she was clearly looking down on most of the nobles gathered in this Rosea Salon as being beneath her. So there was no way she would be intimidated by a situation where no one dared to speak to her. In the first place, she did not even regard them as equal human beings.
Because the one person she could at least consider an equal was Young Lady Denise, she had spoken to her while keeping the bare minimum of courtesy.
However, even if she had kept only the minimum courtesy, it would be more accurate to say that she was fundamentally lacking in manners.
If it were Young Lady Ellente, she might have frowned immediately, but Young Lady Denise was the type to let such things slide easily.
"You're Young Lady Delia of the Duplein Ducal House, right? I heard in advance that you would be coming to today's gathering. As I heard, you are beautiful and carry an air of dignity. It's an honor to meet you."
"Thank you."
Conversations between noble Young Ladies were, by nature, imbued with praise and respect for the other party.
If the other person praised you once, then this time it was your turn to praise them—that was the basic flow. It would have been proper to praise Young Lady Denise's angel-like looks or dignity, but Delia knew that and deliberately did not do so.
'How arrogant.'
Denise summarized Delia's temperament in a single sentence.
Among the nobles who first stepped into the Ebelstein High Society, there were many who were either excessively timid or excessively bold. Young Lady Delia seemed closer to the latter.
Failing to measure the proper distance was not a great sin. If one was battered and swept around by the storms of High Society, they would naturally learn proper conduct. This much could be considered a one-time mistake.
However, at the words that followed, Denise had to change her mind.
"I don't really like exchanging useless pleasantries, so I'll get to the point."
"..."
"I heard that Derrick is in the Beltus family."
In short, Young Lady Delia was not someone who was ignorant of etiquette and rude in all things. She was simply being particularly hostile toward Young Lady Denise.
That was why.
And the reason for that was, in the end, the existence of one magic master whom the Beltus family was holding tightly as something precious.
"If you mean Derrick… yes. He is teaching me magic."
When Derrick's name suddenly popped out, Denise felt sick to her stomach. As soon as this gathering ended and she returned to the mansion, physical training would be waiting for her.
Recently, Derrick said it was good for training and started buying various foods from the market district and even cooking himself, and he had seeped into the mansion to the point that the servants were even allowed into the kitchen.
At this point, it was terrifying.
Still, she couldn't show such feelings in a place where nobles were socializing, so Denise forced a smile.
"He's a good magic master. Since I receive his guidance while training every day, it's been a big help to me. He was a master worth all the trouble we went through to bring."
Young Lady Delia was Derrick's first disciple.
She didn't know why she liked that magic-crazed madman, but since she was basically favorable toward Derrick, it was proper conduct to speak of him as positively as possible.
However, upon hearing Denise's words, Delia instead clenched her teeth.
"You seem happy."
'In what way?'
Delia seemed to find it unpleasant that Denise was speaking so contentedly about Derrick's teaching.
At this point, Denise could also notice it. Delia was jealous of her right now.
After sending Derrick away from the Duplein mansion, Delia had been hoping to meet him again in Ebelstein.
However, when it was finally time to debut in Ebelstein High Society, Derrick had gotten caught up in political competition between families and was teaching the Young Lady of the Beltus family.
How much of that was Derrick's own will was unknown.
No matter how strong-willed Derrick was, once the three great families started rushing in and squabbling, being swept along was the limit of a commoner's background.
Delia wanted to find that out. Whether Derrick teaching Denise was truly his own will.
It was hard to accept that this fox-like man whose true intentions were unreadable would teach someone while even throwing away the Duplein Ducal House and refusing Aiselin's recommendation.
"..."
Seeing Delia staring at Denise like a growling small dog, Denise felt the need to organize her thoughts for a moment.
Suddenly earning the hostility of a Young Lady of the Duplein Ducal House was extremely burdensome. Since Denise always handled even trivial matters perfectly, she felt the need to respond carefully in this situation.
However, the more Denise tried to sort out her thoughts, the more a new perspective began to emerge.
'…So basically, she wants to take Derrick, right? My goodness…'
Outwardly, it looked like the Beltus family was tightly holding onto that mad mage, but in reality, it was that mad mage who was holding Denise and shaking her around.
Anyone was fine as long as they could take Derrick away. However, Duke Beltus would probably not allow that.
Duke Beltus would hold onto the talent called Derrick, which other families were constantly eyeing, like a precious chess piece and would never let him go.
To take Derrick out of his grasp, one would have to offer compensation worthy of it. The only people who could even attempt such negotiations would be those from Belmiard or Duplein.
And Delia Catherine Duplein.
She was precisely that Young Lady of the Duplein Ducal House, and the one who was more desperate than anyone to take Derrick away.
Starlight began to pour out from Young Lady Denise's eyes.
'A benefactor. A benefactor has come to me…!'
The atmosphere of the scene had completely frozen.
A child of a prestigious family who had merely come to greet Rosea Salon had approached the Young Lady who was originally acknowledged as having the greatest authority in Rosea Salon and openly picked a fight.
In that stifled, rigid atmosphere, no one could even swallow their dry saliva comfortably, but Denise herself saw it as if a halo were pouring out from behind that girl called Delia.
A messenger of the heavens sent down by the sky. Looking at her noble figure, it was as if a savior had appeared.
'She's going to… take Derrick away…! She's declaring right now that she'll take Derrick away…! Oh God!'
Of course, she didn't vulgarity shout hurrah, but she wanted to hug that doll-like cute girl tightly right now.
If only she could return to that life of rolling around in bed all day and devouring third-rate romance novels, she could throw away even this little bit of pride.
Still, reason put the brakes on Denise.
Derrick was a person whom Duke Beltus, the head of the family, was trying to hold tightly in his own hands and had even put under contract.
For her to step forward first and hand him over to the Duplein Ducal House would have too great a chance of negatively affecting her position and standing within the family in the future. It would look like she was openly opposing the family's interests and the Family Head's decision.
Declaring in the middle of this Rosea Salon gathering, where so many eyes were watching, that she would hand Derrick over would be nothing more than tightening a noose around her own neck.
But how often would such an opportunity come? It wasn't just any family, but a Young Lady of the Duplein Ducal House directly declaring she would take Derrick. She had to make use of this situation somehow.
"You should think carefully, Young Lady Denise. The might of the Beltus family is tremendous, and even if there is already a contract, no one knows what decision Derrick will make in future negotiations with the Duplein Ducal House."
At those words, all the noble Young Ladies gathered there swallowed their dry saliva.
Openly declaring that you would take someone from another family was a major breach of etiquette.
To make such a declaration in front of a Young Lady of the Beltus family of all families—no matter how angelic Young Lady Denise was, she wouldn't just stay still here.
And yet Denise herself wore a peaceful expression, as if she were lying on a sunlit meadow.
'She's being provoked this openly, and yet she's still so relaxed?'
Delia felt a great sense of discomfort at Denise's appearance. Certainly, the most famous Young Lady of the Beltus family was not an easy opponent.
Even while being openly insulted in front of so many people, she didn't change her expression and was calmly observing Delia's condition. Rather, because of that composure, her dignity stood out even more.
Delia felt as if she were facing a huge wall.
She was someone who had taken Derrick while fending off all competition among the three great families. As expected, there was a reason for that achievement—starting from the size of her vessel, she was on a different level.
While all the nobles gathered in the tea party hall were breaking out in cold sweat, Denise answered Delia with a warm smile.
"That's right. No one knows how things will turn out."
"..."
Delia clenched her teeth.
Even though she was openly saying right in front of her that she would take Derrick, that relaxed expression made it clear that Denise was not treating Derrick as a precious magic master, but rather as a political piece.
It was too much of a waste for Derrick's talent to be spent teaching magic to such a person.
"If you wish to take a good master, then you should become a good disciple worthy of being taught. And I'm sure Young Lady Delia is someone valuable enough to take a good master as well."
"..."
"So, please do your best."
It was pure encouragement, exactly as it sounded, without even a grain of hidden meaning. At this point, that was all Denise could do.
However, from Delia's point of view, it looked like nothing more than provocation.
"If you want to meet Derrick, please send a separate letter. I'll let you see him anytime. I can actively help you."
"That's enough."
It was truly pure goodwill without a shred of malice, but Delia ground her teeth and turned around sharply.
In the sight of her back as she strode away with clenched fists, there was a cold chill lingering.
'Please do your best…!'
Even in the suffocating atmosphere of the tea party hall, Denise was clenching her fist and sending cheering energy toward that cute and admirable Delia.
All the gathered nobles had trembling fingertips, but to Denise alone, that Delia looked incredibly lovely.
*
Young Lady Delia's preliminary visit ahead of her debut in High Society was a hot topic at Rosea Salon all day. After that, at the tea party, she also exchanged many conversations with Young Lady Ellente of the Belmiard family and with her own elder sister, Aiselin.
Unlike how she openly showed hostility toward Young Lady Denise, when dealing with Young Ladies of other families, she was surprisingly someone in whom one could feel noble dignity.
However, the salon's Young Ladies had already confirmed it.
Young Lady Delia had a wild-horse-like temperament that was controlled by no one. If you tried to use her carelessly, sharp teeth would bite back instead.
At least, she succeeded in giving the impression that she was not an easy person.
After successfully finishing her debutante and starting to truly mingle in High Society, it seemed possible that a different faction from the other three great Young Ladies would form.
The lower-rank nobles who were being swayed around like reeds everywhere were most concerned about who would become the most authoritative figure in this Ebelstein High Society in the future.
In the end, depending on which side they lined up with, not only their own rise to prominence but also the direction of their family's power could be decided.
What lay at the base of this Ebelstein High Society, which was like walking on thin ice, was nothing but a desire for power and ambition.
It was a fact that felt obvious even if one pointed it out now.
Denise left the tea party hall stained with those desires and walked along the central avenue of the noble district. Instead of taking a carriage, she walked with the servants, partly to get some fresh air.
If she returned to the mansion like this, that mage would come after her with eyes blazing and start reciting the next magic training schedule. She really wanted to catch her breath for a bit.
'Sigh…'
Not only Aiselin, but even Delia was desperate to take that master away.
Ellente was also watching to see if there might be an opportunity.
On top of that, as rumors spread that he was a decent magic instructor, other lower-rank nobles were also asking around, trying to snatch him if they got the chance.
'I know he's a great mage, but is there really a need to make such a fuss…?'
Just looking at the reactions of those around her, it felt as if Denise were holding some incredible treasure in her hands.
And yet Denise herself didn't feel any sense of superiority at all.
'Anyway… if I want to get rid of that mage called Derrick quickly, I need to create a pretext. Right, if Young Lady Delia wants Derrick that badly… let's give her some room to take him.'
All the way back to the mansion, Denise deeply thought about a way to hand Derrick over to Delia naturally, cleanly, and without leaving any future trouble.
By the time she had more or less sorted out all those thoughts, the mansion at the corner of the noble district began to come into view.
"..."
Derrick was waiting for Denise near the entrance of the mansion, quietly with his arms crossed.
Along with his neatly dressed mercenary outfit, his pure white hair with a few stray strands here and there, his bright red eyes, and his firm expression were always unchanged.
Even from afar, he always looked the same.
There was a feeling about him like a massive mountain. No matter what happened, no matter how turbulent the situation became, once you took him in as an ally, he gave you the reassurance that he would definitely stay on your side.
That was probably the core secret to how he could make a name for himself as a mercenary. In the end, employers wanted someone who would stay on their side until the very end.
"Welcome back, Young Lady Denise."
"Y-you were waiting here?"
"Yes. You usually don't take a carriage for distances you can walk, do you?"
Derrick already remembered even Denise's small tendencies and habits.
"So, what are we doing today?"
"Nothing too special. They say the weather will be bad from the afternoon, so we'll do a bit of mastery of magic inside the mansion."
"Ugh…"
"We won't use mana to the limit. We'll start slowly from the parts you mastered last time…"
As he naturally talked about the schedule with Denise and went into the mansion, that aspect was already considered a natural scene by the other servants.
Before she knew it, Denise too was already being led around here and there by Derrick without resistance.
Her expression was still one of doom, but at the point where she had already accepted her fate, there was a part of her that felt more at ease. When she came to her senses, this situation of always bickering with Derrick no longer felt that strange.
That is what it means for someone to seep into your daily life. It's like clothes getting wet in a drizzle.
She was always groaning about it, but Derrick was already becoming a part of Denise's daily life.