[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-noble-lady-reformation-guide":3,"chapter-noble-lady-reformation-guide-noble-lady-reformation-guide-chapter-151":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Noble Lady Reformation Guide",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1706112,2179,"Chapter 151: The Youngest Disciple (3)","noble-lady-reformation-guide-chapter-151",151,"\u003Cp>Although she had in front of her a cup of tea with a strong aroma of rosemary leaves, Trisha felt not even the slightest intention of bringing it to her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that man sitting in front of her made her want to down cold water in a single gulp instead of excellent-quality tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, she could not show such an unrefined behavior, so she held back, although she could not avoid letting a tired expression slip out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just by looking at him, she felt as if she aged ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew that Lady Trisha does not exactly consider me someone comfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who took the initiative first was Dereck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without elaborate greetings or phrases to break the ice; he simply spoke as he was, with his arms crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even nobles with a decent title treated a distinguished young lady like Trisha with extreme delicacy when meeting her, but this man did not show even a trace of that caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not as if people like him did not exist—rural peripheral nobles often spoke in such a direct manner. But Trisha was not very fond of that style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had at least the minimum training in etiquette and conversation, so replying even to someone like Dereck was something natural for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, I can’t say I’m completely comfortable. Lately your name has gained too much renown… how could I treat you casually? The influence of Lord Ravenclaw is such that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Trisha spoke of “treating him comfortably” had a meaning—she usually showed contempt toward those she considered below her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she found someone weak, she crushed them without hesitation to place herself above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrogant and authoritarian to the core. Dereck had already seen that side of Trisha several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from Trisha’s perspective, pretending modesty before someone to whom she had already shown all her worst facets also felt somewhat absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she was going to be exposed anyway, she preferred to speak frankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fine. I will admit what I must admit. Baron Ravenclaw is not someone I can treat lightly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Dereck’s title was limited to baron, his influence in Ebelstein’s society was something no one could ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even restored the lost dignity of the Duplain, whom everyone thought doomed to disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Political power was not something he lacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—so what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Trisha was still the only daughter of Count Renuel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Dereck was at his peak, she had enough status to keep her head raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would not let herself be intimidated. With that thought, Trisha straightened again and let out a little laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may consider it a great honor. I, Trisha, do not easily acknowledge anyone. I hope Lord Ravenclaw appreciates that properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Very grateful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Dereck never allowed himself to be dragged by Trisha’s rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When someone spoke to her like that, normally they reacted with anger or lowered their head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he showed no emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that made Trisha feel as if she were a child performing antics before an adult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, she was the one who ended up frowning and sighing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every time I see you, I feel that Baron Ravenclaw does not care much about me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Lady Trisha already feels burdened by me, what can I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… you’re not wrong… haaa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha let her shoulders drop and sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, looking at the hand holding her feather-decorated fan, she murmured in a voice that slipped downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will tell you directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this brief exchange, she had understood something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of such an impenetrable man, speaking indirectly or attempting mind games was completely meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a mercenary who had always lived in the practical world; he was immune to such subtleties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So only speaking clearly remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to become Lord Dereck’s disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a huge gamble for Trisha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pushed the cup aside, set down the fan, removed her gloves and tossed them onto the table. Then she gripped her knees tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck, who was about to take a sip of the rosemary tea, lifted his eyes slightly, surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed he did not expect her to retreat so far in posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you interested in magic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I am not especially talented, nor do I have great ambitions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then, why do you want to enter as a disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because by being Lord Dereck’s disciple, I can draw closer to secular power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too honest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally one would say something like “I want to become a great mage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Trisha lowered her gaze and affirmed it with complete seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That caught Dereck by surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not expect Trisha to confess so openly such a mundane motive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that did not mean it was the correct answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck only taught those who were worth teaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who did not seek knowledge but only power did not interest him in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, it was the only card Trisha had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha squeezed her eyes shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first person who came to mind was Aiselin, whose kindness as vast as the sea had managed to move her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before her, Trisha had broken internally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a true noble lady—elegant, elevated, pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could Trisha Lenuel even compare herself to the brilliance of a woman like Aiselin of the Duplain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was impossible to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Ellen of Count Belmierd had fallen into inferiority before Aiselin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha felt envy toward Ellen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inferiority only arises among people of similar level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before a flower so high she could not even imagine touching it—there was no inferiority, only longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest… I am an ambiguous person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a heavy atmosphere, Trisha confessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In magic, I’m better than commoners, but not enough to stand out in studies, same. In status, I’m above certain lesser nobles, but not high enough to compete with the true elite. I am… well, simply like that. Ohoho.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere turned strange; so Trisha only laughed awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck, however, did not burst out laughing or anything like that upon seeing Trisha in that state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, he was a man with whom one could not speak comfortably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s… all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha’s mother was Countess Rodelia, a heroine who had killed more dark mages than anyone in the southwest of the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father was Hutton, a first-class merchant who had fled his rural home without a cent and built a huge company on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha had lived her whole life between those two extraordinary beings, while she herself was just an ordinary person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had not been born with the elegant natural dignity of a noble daughter like Aiselin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor did she possess ruling aptitude like Ellen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was not cunning or calculating like Denise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor did she have a turbulent or dramatic past like Diella, with reasons to have gone astray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had simply been born as a normal person within a great lineage, and stumbling her way through life, she had reached this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In magic, studies, and authority, she had always remained at an “acceptable” level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she ever experienced a deep tragedy or a pain that forced her to rise from the abyss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she ever governed others from above, imposing her absolute power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not only Trisha—this is how most people live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never climbed the top of the mountain, nor swum in the deepest underground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lived her life as it had been given to her, without great ups and downs. That could not be considered laziness or irresponsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unfortunately, around her were always extraordinary people who lived colorful, brilliant lives. Each showcased their achievements to the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in a world full of exceptional beings, a simple mortal could feel small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, sometimes, she had to gather what she had and exaggerate it, raise her voice, and shout that she, too, had value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Even if it seems like everyone is playing above your head, never let yourself be intimidated, Trisha. —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The will Hutton left before he died was deeply engraved in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She clung to those words during her childhood, walked through the fields raising her voice, and thus reached the high society of Ebelstein.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, before the most renowned master of Ebelstein, Trisha spoke, slightly shrinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could someone like me… become your disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question slipped out before she could think, and Trisha flinched as she realized it. She felt she had said something absurd and searched for how to fix it, when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course you can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Trisha could retract her words, Dereck had already responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so unexpected that she opened her eyes wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I only teach those who have the worth to be taught. I had never considered learning magic for mundane reasons, but if you think about it, it’s quite natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck studied magic to obtain secular power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha was the opposite—she would study magic to elevate her status within the aristocracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he analyzed it that way, it made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why wouldn’t it be possible? Of course you can. As long as your determination is firm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Trisha feel she was beginning to understand that man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He taught magic, but not to show off power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because of his purity, the disciples who did wield great influence bowed before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps that was why Dereck was considered the best magic master of Ebelstein—because he only cared about teaching magic, and nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha let out a weak laugh and lowered her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t expect you to say it so clearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt as if she had shown the most sincere part of her heart, and that embarrassed her. But she couldn’t deny she also felt relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even someone so arrogant, vulgar, full of complexes, and without any exceptional talent compared to the other disciples—if even she, an insignificant noble of House Renuel, could be accepted…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps she could allow herself to let her guard down a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that comfort, Trisha spoke softly for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… would you accept me as your disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I refuse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a second passed before she was rejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From inside the hall, a bang was heard against the table. Trisha, her eyes watery, shouted with a voice full of injustice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Weren’t you going to accept me based on the flow of the conversation?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that is one thing and this is another. They’re different matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servants standing silently to the side turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countess Rodelia had ordered them to treat Baron Ravenclaw with the utmost etiquette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Trisha whining like that, there was no trace of dignity left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a scene that made cold sweat run down their backs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After saying so many nice things, rejecting me so bluntly! What am I supposed to be now? And I was smiling, thinking it would become a pretty memory! Ugh… my… my back is burning…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I publicly announced that I would only accept as a disciple someone who was acknowledged by Lady Diella. If I change my words now as if nothing happened, what would become of Lady Diella?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-it’s just… how am I supposed to get the recognition of a savage like her?! You know better than anyone—that maniac doesn’t intend to accept any disciple ever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand. So I’ll get straight to the point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck put on a serious expression, laced his fingers together, and leaned forward slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha swallowed nervously. She was about to hear how to win the recognition of that beast called Diella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s not my problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaagh!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha grabbed her head and collapsed onto the back of the chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-so… there’s no other way? Anything I can do to become your disciple… or to catch Lady Diella’s attention… something…?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would I know? Only Lady Diella knows that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trisha let out a sound as if she were about to faint, exhaling furiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck only watched her in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing more he could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—‘He only knows how to say “it can’t be done,” “it’s difficult”… And I’m dying here!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—‘What if you send her a gift? Lady Diella likes sweet things.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—‘G-gifts won’t solve this… ugh…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—‘You know it’s partly your fault, right?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—‘……’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Madam Countess… that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Countess Rodelia returned after handling an urgent matter, the servant standing before the door stammered with a pale face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the order to treat Baron Ravenclaw with utmost etiquette, the conversation he heard from inside was anything but dignified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loyal servant tried to think of how to handle the situation, but he couldn’t find a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Countess Rodelia, after listening for a moment at the door, let out a small laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She patted the servant’s shoulder reassuringly and, with no intention of entering the hall, signaled her legal adviser to follow her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed intent on returning to her office without intervening at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s leave them a little longer. Let’s also finish the army budget before going back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With her hands behind her back and humming, Countess Rodelia walked down the corridor on her way back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servants watched her leave with bewildered expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>",2202,"2026-06-06T14:44:05.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","f470a70f3c01349bbec0b8b35b7db9a142ebdc51e882edec2358fe60026dd84b","noble-lady-reformation-guide-chapter-152",null,177,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnoble-lady-reformation-guide-cover.jpg"]