Noble Lady Reformation Guide

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

“…”

When Linus opened his eyes, the cool morning air already filled the room.

Inside Ravenclaw Academy, everything was in chaos as the aftermath of the incident was being handled, but the room in which Linus had awakened was wrapped in absolute silence.

Bandages covered his body everywhere, accompanied by a sharp pain that surged up all at once.

Linus let out a groan and, at the same time, a bitter laugh.

“So… it’s already morning.”

He gathered his greasy red hair into a low ponytail, ran a hand over his face, and over his bandage-covered body put on a clean robe and a leather vest.

On the dresser he saw a full bottle of wine.

From the color and the aroma, it was wine from the mountains of Rodelen, a specialty of the Ravenclaw territory.

There was no need to think too much to know who had left it there.

They knew perfectly well that, upon waking up, the first thing he would look for was alcohol.

All things considered, it was surprisingly considerate of them.

Linus shook out the hem of his pants, took several long gulps straight from the bottle, and staggered out into the hallway.

As he passed through the morning sunlight, he could see soldiers everywhere, busy organizing the scene.

Since he had no desire to get caught up in the commotion, he pursed his lips, scratched the back of his neck hard, and took the opposite path.

That was when he ran into a familiar face.

“Brother Linus?”

“…Oh, Ellen.”

“D-don’t tell me that in that situation… you were sleeping until now? After all that disaster…?”

Ellen opened her eyes wide in astonishment.

Linus let out a carefree laugh and shook the wine bottle, making it clink.

Her face looked visibly tired, as if she had stayed awake all night.

That was only natural, given the circumstances.

“Who can beat alcohol? It seems the grapes from Dereck’s territory are of tremendous quality. Just imagine, knocking out the great Linus with a single bottle.”

“…”

Facing Ellen’s incredulous stare, Linus gave her a few light pats on the shoulder.

He had no intention of detailing what had happened the previous night or embellishing his own achievements.

He always lived walking a tightrope, betting his life at gambling tables.

He fell asleep drunk on good wine and, when he saw the sun rise the next day, smiled, thinking that he had survived one more day.

What happened the night before stayed buried in the night before.

There was a time when he lived as the proud heir of a powerful family, chin held high.

Now, on the other hand, his life was nothing more than that of a drifting vessel, letting itself be carried by the current.

It seemed that Ellen still had not learned about the bloody battle of the previous night.

The sun had just risen and the situation was still chaotic, so it was understandable.

When she spoke at length with Dereck, she would undoubtedly end up scolding Linus with a mixture of anger and concern for having gambled with his life as if it were just another bet.

It would not be strange if one day he were found dead in some alley.

Even if she acknowledged his merits, to Ellen he was still a constant source of anxiety.

Having someone in the family who always lives on the edge of the abyss means carrying that worry forever.

That was why Linus simply brought the bottle to his lips and continued toward the exit, swaying.

“From what I can see, everything’s already settled and the barrier broke too… So I’ll head back to Ebelstein. They say that tonight that guy Lapen is setting up a pretty good gambling table.”

“…”

“If I win big, maybe I’ll buy some whisky from the Rublen mountains and go visit our father. It’s expensive, but I’m sure you’d like it too.”

“I don’t drink alcohol, brother.”

“Ah, right. Well, living such a boring life gets you nothing. Nothing at all, really.”

Ellen looked at him as if she couldn’t believe that, after everything that had happened, he was thinking about gambling again.

That expression was not one she showed when dealing with nobles using her social mask, and precisely because of that, Linus laughed even more when he saw her so exasperated.

That uprightness was, in the end, what had carried Ellen to the top.

Linus let out a low laugh and walked past her, who stood with her hands on her hips and her brow furrowed, heading outside.

Before going down the stairs, he stopped and left her with a few words.

“They say that in Ebelstein, a good magic teacher is as rare as a perfect jewel, without a single impurity.”

“…”

“Your teacher is good. Don’t let him slip away, hold on to him tightly.”

It wasn’t that Linus lived an exemplary life fit for giving advice, but even so, he left that remark behind before leaving the residence.

“That… you don’t need to tell me that.”

“Good. Then, until next time.”

Perhaps, once everything settled down, his achievements would be recognized and he would receive a reward.

Perhaps he would even earn the respect of many.

But, as always, the man left all of that behind and followed his own path.

The sun was already climbing high in the sky. The warmth of the light, so gentle that it erased any memory of the night before, the fresh air, and the untended paths filled with overgrown grass.

Wearing a worn robe, frayed leather pants, greasy red hair tied back, and a coarse beard growing unchecked, Linus took another swig of his Rodelen wine and let out a satisfied sigh.

The promising heir of the Belmierd family, or a mere ruffian rubbing shoulders with vagabonds in alleyways while gambling money.

It didn’t matter who you were—with a good bottle of wine in hand and the open sky before your eyes, anyone would end up saying the same thing.

“It’s an incredible life.”

That was, to him, life.

***

The disposition regarding the confusion mage Marilyn would be formally debated at Gremport Palace.

Considering the severity of her crimes, it was impossible for her to avoid the maximum penalty.

However, if she truly was an existence invoked by a 6-star summoning mage, it could not be ruled out that there was something more hidden behind it.

To grasp that trail, a far more exhaustive interrogation was necessary.

For that reason, the trial for the murder of the emperor had to be postponed.

Slap!

“…”

However, the first thing Princess Roselin did upon waking was slap Marilyn across the face.

After receiving four consecutive slaps while bound, Marilyn simply lowered her head without uttering a single word.

Roselin felt the urge to hurl insults at her immediately, but letting herself be swept away by emotion and losing authority at that moment would serve no purpose.

Even so, though her voice was low, an icy hatred seeped through it.

“Do not think you will die comfortably.”

With those words, Roselin left the room where Marilyn was being held.

Until they reached Gremport Palace, she would have to be watched constantly to prevent her from recovering even a single shred of magical power.

Kohella, who knew the curse attached to the Book of Longing well, would be monitoring her continuously, so there was no cause for concern on that front.

Roselin moved down the corridor, wiped her face dry, and let out a long sigh.

She felt her chest pounding violently and her teeth grinding together.

At that moment, all she wanted was to send the mage called Marilyn straight to the executioner’s block.

Even so, after taking several deep breaths and gradually calming herself, reason began to prevail.

“Father is dead. The other members of the imperial family will not seek power. By the time I return to Gremport Palace, the situation will already be almost settled, and I will be the strongest candidate for the throne.”

Gremport Palace had been built for the emperor, but those who truly took up residence there were the central bureaucratic nobles.

Emperor Gattrel knew how to handle them, but Princess Roselin stood in open opposition to them.

Since her base of support had not yet been firmly established, even if she seized power suddenly, it would not be easy to control the imperial palace.

‘In the current situation, it won’t be easy to crush either Damon’s noble faction or Kohella’s magical faction. At the very least, I need someone who can act as my right hand.’

Roselin thought of Melverot, who guarded the north.

Among the bureaucratic nobles, he was one of the few she could trust, but he lived detached from politics, limiting himself to watching over the northern territory of Rochester with an empty gaze.

“The Duchy of Rublen will surely support me. The border count of Elvester is one of Kohella’s people, and I’ll have to feel out which side the Countess of Renuel, who subjugated Rodents Island, will take…”

Putting her thoughts in order, Roselin headed to the Main Hall.

There, Dereck was informing the gathered nobles and directing the organization of the place.

Though he had spent the entire night pursuing Marilyn and should have been exhausted, he did not stop moving as he worked to restore normalcy to Ravenclaw Academy.

“Baron Ravenclaw. I have already heard the story.”

“You’ve awakened, Princess. I apologize for all the hardship you endured last night.”

“No. The situation was resolved well, so it was an effort worth making.”

Upon hearing Roselin’s voice, all the officials present bowed their heads and knelt.

Dereck also tried to kneel, but Roselin brusquely waved her hand to stop him.

She wanted to speak with him, and such formality was unnecessary.

For an imperial princess and leading candidate to the throne to treat a low-ranking border baron so openly was not something common.

Even though the previous night had been an emergency, the situation was now under control, and there were many observers present.

Even so, Roselin rubbed her tired eyes and spoke as if it were nothing special.

“We must discuss the future handling of that confusion mage… huff—”

At that moment, Roselin saw Aiselin bowing her head behind Dereck and took a step back, holding her breath.

“W-what…? How is it that you…?”

“Ah, no… she is the real Lady Aiselin. No, please don’t misunderstand, Princess.”

For the past three days, Roselin had been engaged in a fierce mental battle against the confusion mage who had taken on Aiselin’s appearance.

It was not strange that she would be startled upon seeing her.

“…S-sorry…”

Aiselin spoke in a weak voice, completely shrinking in on herself.

Since arriving at Ravenclaw Academy, she had felt as though everyone was looking at her with suspicion.

In truth, Aiselin had done nothing wrong.

However, seeing even Dereck and Princess Roselin look at her with distrust, she could not help but think that perhaps she really had made some mistake.

“I-I really… shouldn’t have taken a vacation…”

“…”

“I’ll take today as a lesson… and I’ll work even harder… to fulfill my duty…”

For an instant, it seemed as though a new monster had been unexpectedly born, but it was not the time to worry about that.

“I-I must apologize. Last night was mentally very hard on me…”

“No, Princess Roselin. I-it’s understandable… you don’t have to apologize to me…”

It was not common to see Aiselin so timid.

After all, she was the daughter of Duke Duplain.

Dereck closed his mouth, filled with mixed feelings.

Roselin cleared her throat briefly to dispel the awkwardness, looked around, and finally spoke.

“Sir Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw.”

That haughty Princess Roselin even went so far as to address Dereck with the addition of “sir.”

Dereck immediately sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere.

The same was true for the other nobles and servants kneeling around him.

And Roselin herself confirmed it when she saw Dereck’s gaze turn serious.

As expected, he was a perceptive man.

‘I can’t deny it. This man is valuable as a noble, as a mage, and as a ruler. Fortunately, I found him before Kohella or Damon could reach out to him.’

At first, it had all been distrust.

Now she understood why the taciturn Melverot had granted a title and territory to a magic teacher from the slums, and had even entrusted his daughter to him.

That old wolf guarding the north certainly had a keen eye for judging people.

“There is no need to elaborate. You personally captured the culprit behind my father’s murder, an unforgivable criminal, and furthermore you apprehended alive a formidable 6-star enemy. The merits accumulated in that process are considerable, so as a candidate for the imperial throne, I cannot leave you without a reward.”

“…”

“That said, understand that given the complexity of the current situation, I can only promise it verbally.”

Roselin spoke curtly, sharpening her gaze even further.

Here, she had to bring Dereck in.

The value of talent can be measured in many ways, but when something truly exceptional appears, one must not be stingy.

The safest reward is a vast territory and a high title.

Ideally, one should grant a reward that makes all the nobles drool and thereby secure an oath of loyalty.

She could not afford the mistake of misjudging and losing this valuable talent to another faction of Gremport Palace.

In this chaotic juncture, Roselin needed people loyal to her.

Having found Dereck at the scene felt as though the heavens themselves were helping her.

“The political landscape will change, and a long period of transition will arrive. In such unstable times, people capable of stabilizing the Empire’s borders are needed. At the very least, you are not someone who should be limited to managing vineyards in Rodelen.”

“…”

“I need someone to govern the western region of Adenka, the direct territory of Lugtel, and the coast of Bolos. I will grant you the position of border count, with authority to command the direct knightly order, as well as the title of count as a territorial noble, if you so desire.”

The atmosphere froze upon hearing those words.

A reward had been expected, but its magnitude far exceeded any prediction.

It was a deal comparable to that received by Countess Rodelia, who had subjugated Rodents Island.

A territory equivalent to a third of the western frontier meant completely shaking the balance of power in the southwest of the Empire.

In a single day, Dereck would become a figure so influential that even Rodelia or Count Belmierd would have to take him into account.

Moreover, he was on the verge of reaching 5 stars, so in terms of magic he lacked nothing.

He was someone it was prudent to align with as soon as possible.

At the very least, the nobles of the west had clearly changed their gaze.

The place fell silent.

But that silence, laden with voiceless screams, was the greatest sign of shock.

Roselin herself knew that her offer was bold, but it was far better than stopping halfway.

As she had said, the moment one hesitates in valuing a talent, the situation can change drastically.

With a confident expression, Roselin was about to receive the oath of loyalty.

However, there was something she had not considered.

The most important thing in bringing Dereck in was not that.

“There is no need, Princess.”

At that instant, the atmosphere grew even more frigid.

It was a cold that, in sensation, surpassed even the snows of the Rochester territory.

Some nobles opened their eyes wide in disbelief.

Something unthinkable was happening before them.

“It is a reward far too great for me.”

Dereck—rejected Princess Roselin’s offer.

Even after proposing such conditions, she had failed to draw him in.

How could that be possible?

An absolute silence, as if time itself had stopped, enveloped the place.