There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Journey (3)

“Well, anyway, I’m personally grateful to you.”

Raeg, after idly chatting for a bit, spoke earnestly in a more relaxed atmosphere.

“The mood at home has been good lately. It seems Valerian brother has been able to focus on the domain’s affairs, and father, though he doesn’t show it much, seems satisfied.”

“Is that so? It’s hard to grasp the Grand Duke’s feelings.”

“Well, I find it difficult too. Heh.”

Raeg crossed his legs in a relaxed posture, stroked his chin a few times, then sighed.

“Yeah, I guess I have to accept what I need to accept.”

“…”

“People can change. Especially those in that age group, even more so.”

Raeg, with a face that seemed to stare blankly into the distance, appeared to be reminiscing about the past.

It wasn’t hard to guess the reasons why he harbored such resentment towards Diella, but delving into the specifics of those events was another matter.

He disliked Diella, but after their last duel, he had to acknowledge her inner growth. By now, he seemed to have revised his earlier low opinion of her.

“She used first-class magic, but her way of harnessing mana was unique. It was like… how should I put it… like painting.”

“Did you notice the difference?”

“Of course, I saw it right in front of me. I don’t think Diella learned the rule and system-centered theories that we nobles use.”

Raeg was sharper than expected. After all, he was a magical prodigy born into the Duplain family lineage.

His achievements might not yet compare to his brother Valerian, but his innate sense of mana was by no means lacking.

“Does Diella use magic in a different way?”

“Yes. The utilization of mana in the Wild School varies greatly from person to person. Perhaps… once she reaches a certain trajectory, she won’t need me to teach her anything more; she’ll be able to self-study. At that level, honestly, any intervention calling itself ‘teaching’ might be more of a hindrance.”

“That in itself seems quite special.”

Raeg closed his eyes tightly.

He seemed to be ruminating on Diella’s past, which, devoid of anything remarkable, was filled with failures, leading her to seclude herself quietly in the annex.

And then, with a voice neither overly emotional nor dry, Raeg recited,

“The days to see the light are bound to come.”

*

Thus, spring arrived.

If life were the four seasons, lately, it feels like an endless spring.

At least for Diela.

While other family members might be preoccupied with the estate’s various issues or other macroscopic matters… For Diela, who could devote herself solely to her training, the whole world seemed a warm paradise.

Her magical skills felt like they were progressing with each training session. As is often the case with learning, once you start to feel your own growth, it becomes more enjoyable than any amusement.

The liberal arts classes were also more manageable than expected. Playing the piano and arranging flowers were personally quite fun, so much so that she would practice them in her room during her leisure time, even without being asked.

Walking in the garden bathed in the warm sunlight, the servants no longer broke into a cold sweat at the sight of Diela.

Occasionally, a bold retainer would comment on the lovely weather, and Diela could now respond with a genuinely pleasant demeanor.

The maid working in the annex began to sincerely believe in and follow Diela, taking good care of her appearance and conduct.

The head butler Delon would greet her with a soft smile, and Diela, in turn, could reflect on how much he had aged compared to her childhood.

She, who once had no interest in worldly affairs, began to notice her surroundings.

The lowly maid, who always seemed to be watching out for her, was actually more admirable and capable than she thought.

How busy and competent the head maid Katarina was. How early the scolded servant would start bustling about for the day’s work at the mansion.

How delicious the soup prepared by the mansion’s chef, who had worked at the royal palace, was. The quality of the spices sprinkled at the end. The fine flavor of the black tea served at tea time. The depth of its fragrance.

She took up the brush again.

Sometimes, when she had time, she would take her canvas and easel out to the garden, painting the diligent gardener or the mansion’s silhouette at dusk.

Most didn’t understand Diela’s style, full of empty spaces, but she didn’t care and painted whatever she liked.

Dipping her brush into the well-mixed paint and drawing it across the canvas, she felt as if time stood still.

Once, while painting the blue sky behind the mansion, she came to her senses to find the day fading into dusk.

Time continued to flow, but the warm feeling of an everlasting spring never faded.

After such a long winter, perhaps it’s alright for spring to be just as lengthy.

That was the thought Diela always cherished.

“You’ve become accustomed to manifesting magic faster than I thought. You’re progressing faster than I expected. You don’t need to train anymore.”

“I told you I could do it if I tried, didn’t I?”

Many flowers bloomed in Diela’s world, but still, the time spent with Derek was the longest.

Who could deny it? That boy was the spring that came to Diela.

He taught her magic, discovered her talent, showed her the right path to walk, and stood firm in his duties even in front of her disdainful family. And yet, he always did so with his usual expressionless face, fulfilling his role.

Dielra felt gratitude towards Derek, yet, as a teenage girl, she was incredibly clumsy at expressing her own heart.

As always, in front of Derek who praised her as she was, Dielra narrowed her eyes like a sly cat, and soon, with a triumphant expression, she placed her hands on her waist.

“Hmm!”

“…”

“Every time I feel proud like this, you always look at me with such a pitiful expression?”

“It’s not pity… It’s just that sometimes, I envy that innocence of yours.”

“You have a pretty way of saying I’m naive about the ways of the world.”

“How could I speak so bluntly to the lady of the Duplain family? You are of noble blood.”

There was no denying it. This boy seemed to observe all formalities, but he never spoke empty words.

In fact, that aspect was somewhat reassuring. In a world of nobles filled with empty words and pretense, a person like Derek, who was polite yet sincere, was more precious than gold.

What a blessing it was to find a mentor one could trust and follow.

Before she knew it, Dielra found herself humming a tune whenever she walked quietly.

She would enjoy the fragrant scent of roadside flowers or reach out to the high and blue sky.

When she had time, she would draw portraits for the servants of the mansion.

At first, the servants modeled with discomfort, but eventually, they began to desire a drawing from Dielra.

After a month, and then two, Dielra was remembered among the servants as a compassionate and dignified lady.

She was once a pure and innocent girl, and although she had her moments of rebellion, confined to the annex and acting willfully, she quickly came to her senses and became the lady worthy of her lineage once again.

Dielra’s period of wandering was thus glossed over. If one lives in the present and moves forward well, a brief period of wandering becomes just a minor deviation in life.

Even Lady Miriela, who looked at Derek with disapproval, had to acknowledge his achievements, and when passing him in the corridor, she would simply close her eyes and continue on her way.

Seeing such a sight, Dielra felt as if there was nothing in the world too rough for her.

“Hey, Derek.”

In the late spring, as Dielra gazed absentmindedly at the fluttering of a butterfly on a garden flower, she asked.

“Derek, you’ve lived a life of wandering as a mercenary.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then you must have lived in an environment completely wild, not like this ducal residence. The magic you wield is based on the theory of the Wild School, after all.”

“That’s true. Most Wild School mages are like that. It’s not common to come across the Wild School theory in such a noble environment. You are special.”

Special.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of fulfillment at that word, Dielra smiled broadly.

Derek, engrossed in a three-star magic book borrowed from the library, asked Dielra across the tea table.

“But why do you ask?”

“Just. I was curious about how Derek lived.”

Although Diela had never been interested in her surroundings, recently her perspective began to widen, and she started to take an interest in Derek.

“Derek, you probably know as well, but noble ladies seem to live quite similarly, I suppose. There might be some differences based on authority or prestige, but most likely, they live like me. But it’s not the same for commoners.”

“That’s correct. The way commoners live is quite diverse. The values they hold most dear differ from person to person, and they are freer than you might think. Of course, most of them live trembling in poverty rather than enjoying their freedom.”

“Yeah. So I wondered about Derek. Just curious.”

Derek listened quietly to Diela’s words, then spoke as if it were nothing.

“I just want to become a higher-level magician. That’s the only goal I have right now.”

“Really?”

“All I’ve ever done is struggle to survive from the bottom, and the only notable talent I have is handling magic well.”

Derek spoke in a candid tone, seemingly without a care, but Diela listened intently to her mentor’s words, her radiant eyes blinking.

“Just live doing what you’re good at. That’s all I have in mind. There’s no grand reason for it.”

“I think that’s quite grand. Derek, for a commoner, you wield magic at an unbelievable level.”

“That’s only by commoner standards. For a noble-born magician like Miss Diela, it’s a realm you will eventually reach.”

In Diela’s small eyes, Derek reflected as a person whose capacity was much greater than she had imagined.

“If you’re going to dream, you have to look further ahead. It’s not something I can openly say anywhere.”

She couldn’t help but think that was very much like Derek.

Every time Derek spoke of his ambitions, Diela felt a strange sense of disconnection from him.

Their backgrounds and approaches to life were too different from Diela’s.

Yet, following his footsteps was a joyful task.

Diela, who had been wandering aimlessly through life, felt as if she had found a milestone, and before she knew it, she was always smiling contentedly.

*

“Miss Diela, you seem to be in a very good mood today.”

“Do I look like it? Actually, I almost perfectly mastered a one-star magic yesterday. Valerian also reached this level around this time, didn’t he? Maybe I really do have talent?”

“Of course. The magical achievements you’ve made in the past few months are truly remarkable. You will surely become a magician no less than Master Valerian.”

Early in the morning, the maid brushing Diela’s hair smiled pleasantly.

Diela, too, was in high spirits, responding to the maid’s words.

The maid’s words were not empty. Diela’s magical abilities, which were accelerating in terms of achievement, were now truly beyond ordinary.

It was said that mastering several one-star magics before coming of age was considered highly talented, and beginning two-star magic was practically a sign of a prodigy. Even by noble standards, this growth was definitely not ordinary.

Diela had fully absorbed the techniques and methods of mastery passed down by Derek, and it seemed that learning a new one-star magic was not far off.

“Today, I have magic lessons from the morning. I have to study geography in the afternoon, so I need to practice as much as possible in the morning.”

“The weather is said to be nice this morning as well, so I will set up the tea table in the garden. Shall we conduct the lesson there?”

“Yes!”

Diera responded with a lively flush of color, and then she stepped out into the hallway with a quick pace.

There was still some time left before the morning lesson, but she had come out early, caught up in her excitement.

At this hour, her magic tutor was likely holed up in his personal room, engrossed in a magic tome. He was someone who always practiced magic whenever he had spare time.

If she went a bit early and pestered him to start the lesson sooner, the boy would sigh as if he had no choice and then let himself be led out by Diera’s arm.

Since the weather was nice in the morning, why not bask in the warm sunlight while receiving the transmission of a new one-star magic?

With that thought, Diera hummed a tune and moved with light steps.

– Thud

Entering Derek’s private room without a second thought, Diera raised her voice, full of excitement.

“Derek! It’s time for our magic lesson this morning! I’ve been waiting for it all week since we only had liberal arts classes!”

“…”

Upon opening the door, as usual, there was the boy in his familiar mercenary attire, sitting at the table.

However, today, the girl’s older brother, Prince Valerian, was visiting his room. Busy with the affairs of his domain, what could have brought him here?

“Ah, oh. Brother.”

“Oh, Diera. Good morning.”

Valerian greeted her with a gentle smile, but a strange unease lingered in his heart. It seemed he had been discussing something with Derek.

Taken aback by the unexpected visitor, Diera hesitated for a moment, but then continued with a brighter voice.

“Brother, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had arranged to meet with Derek separately this morning for a magic lesson.”

“No. I didn’t come here for a scheduled appointment. I just had something I wanted to ask him.”

“Should I come back after you’re finished?”

It was Derek who stopped her.

“It’s alright, Miss Diera. We were discussing your magic lesson.”

“Huh? A discussion about my magic lesson?”

As Diera tilted her head in confusion, Derek spoke, looking down.

“The truth is, there is nothing more I can teach you.”

Such was the way of the seasons.

Just as there is no eternal winter, neither is there a perpetual spring.