Noble Lady Reformation Guide

The morning of the opening day of the Ravenclaw Academy.

The sight of countless carriages flooding in through the enormous golden gates was so imposing that it could easily resemble the advance of the imperial capital’s armies.

Each young lady from an influential family arrived accompanied by, at minimum, five or six servants, hauling two or three carriages behind them.

And when the number of applicants reached one hundred and fifty, the scene could be described, without exaggeration, as a truly overcrowded marketplace.

A gathering of such illustrious guests was something unfamiliar to the young nobles arriving from various regions, so the tension was clearly reflected on the faces of the ladies entering the Delphinia Pavilion alongside their servants.

Even from the atmosphere itself, this was different from the society of Ebelstein.

There, it was merely a street where many nobles gathered; here, by contrast, it was a place of learning, where they would refine their studies together.

The difference from simply attending an academy was immense.

The bonds formed from this point onward could, in the future, become decisive connections upon entering the noble world.

The most important thing was the first impression.

And this opening ceremony was precisely the occasion on which the gathered young noble ladies could show who they were, without reservation.

“Everyone seems to have taken special care with their attire. It’s natural that they’re nervous. Most of them haven’t officially debuted in society yet.”

“Are there any issues with the event schedule?”

“Don’t worry, Sir Dereck. Most of it is just formal procedures. Once the social event ends in the banquet hall, we’ll move directly to the dormitory assignment process.”

Seated calmly in the director’s office of the Delphinia Pavilion, Dereck reviewed one by one the documents Aiselin had brought in large quantities.

Since she had already coordinated almost the entire schedule, there was not much left for him to adjust.

“The academic calendar will begin once this vacation period ends. Until then, it’s enough to finish assigning the dormitories and review the teaching staff.”

“I’ll meet separately with the staff representatives, but what worries me a little are the dormitories.”

“Don’t worry about that! I am the head of the dormitories! Ahem, ahem.”

Aiselin struck her chest proudly and smiled with an air of confidence.

Those who did not know her might tilt their heads in doubt, but those who knew who Aiselin was understood perfectly how reliable she was.

The real problem was the employees under her command, who wore cadaverous expressions from being worked so hard.

“Delbriton… are you all right…?”

“D-don’t worry… Baron Ravenclaw. Ever since I ran out of the ducal house of Rochester, I prepared myself for everything. Even if I have to burn this body to the very end… I will fulfill my duty by properly supporting Miss Aiselin…”

The chief butler Delbriton, who said that, already looked like someone on the verge of death.

It was not common to see that ever-unflappable veteran Delbriton in such a state.

Judging by everything, he had barely slept during the final preparations.

The only thing Dereck could do was raise his salary.

At least that way, he thought, it wouldn’t be quite so unfair to live buried under extreme work.

With that thought in mind, Dereck rose from his seat.

***

— That’s Baron Ravenclaw. They say he’s at the pinnacle of magical education in the southwest of the continent…

— He reached the 4-star level on his own and will soon reach the 5-star level. They say he didn’t even have a magic teacher… how is that possible?

— Look behind him! Miss Aiselin is there too, the queen of Ebelstein society! They say that, in practice, she’s the true power of the academy…!

— I-isn’t Miss Ellen there as well?

— W-where?!

— Over there, drinking tea by the refreshment table in the west wing of the banquet hall. They say she’s second in the hierarchy of the Ravenclaw faction! I can’t believe I’m seeing her in person…

— I’d only heard rumors about her at the academies… and now seeing her like this…!

As Dereck walked around the perimeter of the banquet hall inspecting the staff, and Aiselin guided the new students, murmurs spread everywhere.

Up to the entrance of the Delphinia Pavilion, chaos reigned due to the multitude of carriages and servants, but beyond the banquet hall only nobles and academy staff were allowed to enter.

Because of that, it was possible to see many young noble ladies struggling to carry enormous wooden travel trunks themselves.

In principle, ladies of influential families should not soil their hands with even a drop of water.

The mere fact that they were transporting their own luggage made it clear that the Ravenclaw Academy was a completely different world from that of conventional nobility.

Each of them would be a revered guest above all others in her own territory, but in a place where only people of equal nobility gathered, they were reduced to ordinary figures.

Status and authority are relative; there was no avoiding it.

And those who had decided to enter the Ravenclaw Academy seemed to have already accepted that.

…

Murmur.

As expected, the pillars of the Ravenclaw Academy were the direct disciples of the Ravenclaw faction.

From Diella, first in the hierarchy, followed by Ellen, Denise, Siern, and Trisha—many had come to the academy drawn by admiration for these disciples, each with clearly defined traits.

However, if one had to point out the person with the greatest influence and authority among them, it was Ellen.

The other young noble ladies were, in essence, greenhouse flowers carefully protected by their families.

Ellen, by contrast, was a genuine ruler in the making, already positioned as the next head of House Belmierd.

Being a noble lady and being the future leader of a family were completely different things.

As proof of that, around Ellen—who observed the new students while drinking tea in silence—emanated such pressure that no one dared approach her lightly.

“Whatever people may say, it seems all the new students want to enter the Rosemary wing, led by Miss Ellen. Unless something extraordinary happens, it will surely be the largest dormitory.”

The head maid, Elpin, stayed close to Dereck while explaining the atmosphere of the place to him.

Bands had come out to perform music, and the banquet hall was filled with all kinds of exquisite delicacies.

The social event, which continued as more young ladies arrived, had become a stage where each displayed her first impression.

Ladies meeting for the first time introduced themselves by naming their houses and struck up lively conversations, gradually blending into the atmosphere.

The one who drew the most gazes was Ellen.

After her, Denise and Diella received a similar level of attention, while no one dared approach Siern.

Although her bad reputation had diminished considerably compared to the past, the rumors that she was the assassin of the north still followed her.

Even by default, when she showed no expression, Siern gave off an icy impression.

Added to that were those fierce rumors and the confirmed fact that she had beaten Trisha senseless in the past, so no one felt inclined to approach her easily.

And Siern, as if comfortable with that atmosphere, simply remained in a corner, absentmindedly chewing on some scones.

‘Judging by the overall atmosphere, Rosemary will be the largest dormitory wing by affinity; Camellia or Iris will also attract quite a few people, and Lavender, led by Miss Siern, will have very few members.’

Dereck thought as he observed the situation and formed a general idea of how the dormitory assignment would proceed.

However, there was one thing that still did not sit right with him.

‘And what about Sepia, Miss Trisha’s wing? As soon as the banquet ends and everyone is present, the dormitory assignment will begin immediately.’

With a serious expression, Dereck checked on the young ladies and staff throughout the venue.

He looked everywhere, but could not manage to spot Trisha anywhere.

When the headcount of attendees finished and the banquet atmosphere began to fully liven up, the representatives of each dormitory would step onto the stage to explain their management policies and select students who fit them.

Before that, he wanted to make sure everyone was all right—but, peculiarly, Trisha was especially difficult to find.

“…”

An unsettling premonition ran through him, but since he still had many things to check, he decided to let it go for the moment.

***

After that, the rest of the program proceeded without incident.

Aiselin, who was in charge of coordinating the entire event, moved tirelessly, yet her face was filled with satisfaction.

‘The opening ceremony went well, Dereck’s speech was excellent, and the rest of the staff’s work had no major issues. If the presentations by the dormitory representatives end without incident and the assignments are completed, today’s program will be perfectly wrapped up…’

Although she was carrying a large number of documents and looked exhausted, the fact that everything was proceeding according to plan was immensely gratifying to her, to the point that she had to restrain a spontaneous hum.

A major incident had occurred during the imperial inspection, and she had gone through very difficult moments fearing that they might not even be able to inaugurate the academy.

However, thanks to Dereck reaching a direct agreement with Princess Roselin, not only were there no delays, they even managed to open under the protection of the Empire.

That sense that everything was moving forward with the wind at their backs brought her a satisfaction difficult to put into words.

Aiselin was, by nature, someone who found ecstasy in that kind of achievement.

“For that reason, our Iris wing is a place where those devoted to study, who love academic knowledge and immerse themselves in practical learning, can enjoy a fully satisfying student life. Therefore, those who desire not only the authority inherent to nobility but also to become truly wise individuals, please do not hesitate to knock on our doors.”

With a refined demeanor, Denise inclined her head in greeting and stepped down from the podium amid applause.

Although in private she often complained about everything out of sheer laziness, when all eyes were on her, she always displayed impeccable conduct as a young noble lady.

The speeches for Diella’s Camellia wing, Ellen’s Rosemary wing, and Denise’s Iris wing had already concluded. Now only Siern and Trisha remained.

The young noble ladies gathered in the hall looked on with shining eyes at those exemplary figures who bore the title of direct disciples of the Ravenclaw faction.

Each of them was someone who, no matter which social circle she entered, could become the absolute centerpiece of the place.

By contrast, when Siern climbed onto the podium with her tiny body, a cutting silence spread throughout the hall.

Without showing the slightest sign of nervousness, Siern spoke.

“In our Lavender wing, we have no intention of accepting mages below 3 stars. And we also have no intention of accepting more than three people.”

She began directly with an explosive declaration.

“…”

Aiselin swallowed, breaking into a cold sweat.

She knew Siern was difficult to handle, but she was still a formal direct disciple of the Ravenclaw faction.

Moreover, Siern respected Aiselin, so she did not believe Siern would behave in an openly problematic way.

She trusted that, at the very least, Siern would respect common sense—but the reality was that Siern had no interest beyond learning magic from Dereck.

“It’s not that the Lavender wing will offer better benefits than other dormitories, nor better conditions, nor special facilities.”

“…”

“So if you’re not truly interested, there’s no need to come. That’s all.”

Silence.

There was no emotion to be felt in Siern’s dry tone.

Unlike Trisha, who always lived in constant anxiety about being ignored, Siern seemed to consider that everything was equally meaningless to her.

“Oh, right. Even so, if you truly have a calling for magic, you can try knocking on the door at least once. My goal is to reach 4 stars in a few years, so if anyone has an objective at that level—well, at least you can talk to me.”

It was practically the same as saying she had no intention of accepting anyone.

The 4-star level was something that, even among the great noble houses, appeared once every several hundred people.

By merely brushing against 4 stars, one could become the director of a regional magical institution; and approaching 5 stars already meant reaching a level comparable to that of a family head.

After tossing out those words as if they were nothing, Siern patted her skirt a couple of times and stepped down from the podium with a light gait.

Before that presence, impossible to describe in words, the hall fell into silence.

In terms of impact, no other dormitory could compare.

Diella was fierce and brave.

Ellen, imposing and full of authority.

Denise, intelligent and wise.

And Siern… was simply a genius.

If you weren’t a genius, you shouldn’t even think about entering the Lavender wing.

That speech, closer to a proclamation, lit the eyes of some of the ladies present.

They were people with a pure and sincere passion for magic.

‘Dereck will probably value the students of the Lavender wing the most.’

Aiselin thought with a dry laugh, glancing sideways at his expression.

Just as she expected, Dereck stood with his arms crossed, nodding in silence.

In the end, those obsessed with magical progress were always like that.

“Then… next, we would like to ask Miss Trisha to come up to the podium…”

“…”

It was at that very moment that Aiselin searched for Trisha again with her eyes.

She was certain she had seen her that very morning, nervously walking around the banquet hall. It was already time for her to step onto the podium and present the Sepia wing.

Diella, Ellen, and Denise—the dazzling figures of the great noble houses—had already finished.

Expectations were sky-high, and the hall was filled with young ladies whose eyes shone with romance and determination.

What would Trisha say in front of all that?

With a voice full of anticipation, Aiselin called out to her.

“Miss Trisha! Please come up to the podium!”

“…”

Dereck, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watched in silence.

But despite Aiselin’s ringing call, Trisha did not appear among the audience.

“………Miss Trisha?”

Aiselin’s expression began to stiffen little by little.

At some point, Trisha’s figure had completely disappeared from the hall.

Just moments ago they had seen her sitting by the refreshment table, drinking tea—but now she was nowhere to be found.

Everything had proceeded so smoothly that Aiselin’s satisfied expression began to harden.

An awkward silence settled over the banquet hall.

“……”

Trisha had run away.

That single, cruel fact… was etched with absolute clarity into the icy atmosphere of the hall.