The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 05: The Shy Wiz Falls in Love

Chapter 05: The Shy Wiz Falls in Love

Wiz Delphia was the second daughter of the Viscount Delphia family.

She had a timid and introverted nature. She could never raise her voice against others, yet when it came to studying or magic, she always excelled.

On the day she was set to leave for the academy, her mother told her:

“Wiz. At the academy, you must be sure to marry into a family of at least count-rank or higher.”

“…”

Wiz stayed silent at her mother’s command. But of course, her mother wouldn’t let that pass.

“Wiz! You understand, don’t you!? You are the most talented child in our entire bloodline! Which means you’re in a position where you must win in the power struggles between noble houses!”

The way noble families fought for true power in this world was complicated.

For example, the position of family head was always inherited by a man. Because of that, nobles were required to produce a male heir, no matter what.

But men had an extremely low birth rate. They weren’t born easily, and by their very nature, they couldn’t be replaced.

So, paradoxically—while the one who inherited the title was a man, the one who actually held the reins of power was a woman.

Why? Because without someone managing that power, the family would collapse. And whoever managed it would inevitably be targeted. It wasn’t something you could ever risk leaving to an irreplaceable man.

So then—what must a woman do to seize power?

―Marry the man who inherits the family headship, and bear his son.

That was the role of women who wanted to gain real influence.

That was why noblewomen fought brutal battles in the marriage market, and even after marrying, they had to outmaneuver the other women in the harem to secure the upper hand.

This was the very concept of “house” in the male line of nobility, and “bloodline” in the female line of nobility, in this chastity-reversed world.

“Listen well, Wiz. You are the most gifted child born of our ‘Archmage Scholar’ bloodline. Raising the value of that bloodline is your duty.”

“…Yes.”

There was no point resisting—so Wiz simply gave up and nodded.

Her mother nodded back, then smacked her on the back.

“Good. Now go and snag yourself a fine man!”

“Ow…” Wiz muttered in protest as she climbed into the carriage.

The Delphia Viscount family ranked fairly high among the lower nobles. But the family’s wealth and resources were directed toward the eldest daughter from a different mother, and the eldest son from another branch.

As a result—even though she was still a viscount’s daughter—Wiz had to ride in a rough, shared carriage.

“…”

About half the passengers seemed to be noble daughters as well. Just like Wiz, they kept their hoods pulled low to hide their faces.

That was the way of things for women here. There were too many of them, they were sturdy, and so they were treated roughly.

…Well, that was fine. Men were the fragile ones. Precious because there were so few of them.

“Haah…”

And so began Wiz’s long, exhausting journey in a shared carriage.

The next several days were brutal.

For starters, just because it was spring, the carriage didn’t even have a canopy. A canopy—the cloth roof that shielded against wind and rain. Without it, they had nothing.

So when the wind whipped mercilessly, or when rain came pouring down, all they could do was sit there and endure. Heat, cold, everything slammed into them directly.

Probably because all the passengers were women. If men had been riding, the trip would’ve been gentler—they couldn’t risk men falling ill. But women? Women were simply expected to tough it out.

Even so, the discomfort was no joke.

After days of enduring that bare-bones, open-air misery, Wiz finally caught sight of the academy—and her face lit up at last.

“Finally…! Finally this hell is over…!”

Wiz was smiling so brightly, it was a face she hardly ever made back home. That was how unbearable the carriage ride had been.

Just then, the woman driving the carriage called out.

“We’ll be taking the last break here. If anyone wants to pick flowers, go ahead.”

After saying that, the driver tugged her hat low over her face and promptly dozed off.

Wiz felt a bit of pressure in her bladder, so she stood up and stepped off the carriage. No one else followed, which was a relief—at least she wouldn’t have to feel awkward.

Heading toward the forest and slipping under the shade of the trees, her thoughts drifted toward the academy.

Shy as she was, marriage prospects were one thing, but what worried her most was making friends.

She vividly remembered one of her lively younger sisters teasing her: “But Wiz-sis, you’re a total gloomy introvert, haha.” If they hadn’t been half-sisters, Wiz might’ve smacked her flat with magic.

Because of that, she had never once in her life managed to find anyone she could truly call a friend.

And now, starting tomorrow, she was going to live in a full-boarding academy.

“…I wanna go home… Even that house is better than the academy…”

The thought made Wiz’s heart sink.

Still grumbling in her head, she finished her business and stepped out from the shade—

Only to find that the carriage was gone.

“…Eh?”

The carriage was gone. Wiz’s eyes darted left and right, desperately scanning the area. Nothing.

Her blood ran cold as she whispered,

“…They left me behind…?”

Wiz turned her eyes toward the academy. No carriage in sight. Her thoughts spun in circles.

First—her luggage. All of it was heavy, so she had left it on the carriage. Sure, it was packed inside a magically sealed bag, so no one could just open it… but still, it wasn’t with her.

Next—the distance to the academy. Even a rough, rattling carriage was far faster than Wiz’s jog. No matter how hard she tried to run now, she’d never catch up.

In other words—checkmate.

Pathetically enough, Wiz had already hit a dead end in life before even reaching the academy.

“Nooo~~! Nonono~~!”

There she was, half-crying and flailing in frustration—an image of pure misery.

But no one came to help. That was the fate of a worthless girl.

Shaken to her core, Wiz stumbled back into the shade of the trees and crouched down.

“Sniff…! I hate this, I really hate this…! I hate the academy, I hate marriage hunting…! I’ll never make friends, and marriage is even more impossible…!”

The life she wanted was simple—just staying home, doing nothing but magic research. That alone would honor her Archmage Scholar bloodline. Anything else—acting like a noble, acting like a normal person—was something Wiz could never manage.

Sulking like that, she suddenly noticed a shadow fall over her.

“…Huh?”

She looked up. A silhouette loomed above her, darkened by the shade of the trees. It took her a moment to process.

Then it hit her.

This person—was a boy.

“Um, are you okay? You looked like you might be in trouble.”

“Hyah! A-A-A boy!? Ah, um, n-no, it’s not what you think—I-I’m not suspicious or anything!”

“I’m not suspicious of you. You’re a new student too, right?”

The boy gave her a bright, easy smile.

Wiz, the shy introvert, could only panic.

What? What!? A boy… a boy is actually talking to me!?

Aside from her father, Wiz had never spoken to a man before. She had zero resistance—and now she was on the verge of a total breakdown.

But the boy just kept smiling warmly, patiently waiting for her to calm down.

“S-So, um… I was riding a shared carriage to the academy, and during the last break I went to… um, relieve myself, and they must’ve forgotten me—or just left me behind…!”

Her words tumbled out at near hyperventilation speed.

The boy frowned thoughtfully.

“Ah, I see. Yeah, that’s definitely a problem. Walking from here would still take a long time.”

After a beat, his expression brightened again.

“Then, wanna ride in my carriage?”

“Eh…? Ah, um, i-is that… really okay…?”

“Of course. Helping each other out is important.”

After introducing themselves, Wiz let the boy named Tect take her hand and guide her into his carriage.

The carriage rattled as it rolled forward, the seats shaking with every bump.

Through the window, the scenery streamed past.

Wiz sat stiffly, staring down at her knees.

All she could think was—this didn’t match what she’d always been told.

From what she knew, men were supposed to be arrogant and selfish.

Her father, for example. He toyed with his ten wives on a whim, never once showing even a hint of guilt. He had dozens of daughters, most of whom he casually forgot about.

Her much younger half-brother was said to be spoiled rotten as well. Disillusioned with men, Wiz had been grateful for the excuse of being half-siblings and kept her distance entirely.

But this boy—this Tect—was different.

He had gone out of his way to find and help Wiz, a girl so forgettable that even other girls could overlook her.

Could a boy like this really exist?

When Wiz timidly raised her eyes, she realized Tect was looking straight at her. Flustered, she immediately ducked her head again.

“Ah, um, um, uh—w-why are y-you, um, looking over h-here…?”

“Hm? Oh, sorry. Did it bother you?”

“Ah, n-no, um, i-it’s not that I hate it, it’s just, um, it’s…”

After a small pause, Wiz continued—

“D-Don’t you think… I’m ugly…?”

The words slipped out, and though she didn’t exactly regret saying them, Wiz immediately felt drained.

She had always kept her long bangs over her face, hunched her back, and buried herself in research. At home, that lifestyle had earned her the title of a plain, unattractive girl.

It was an unshakable fact. But when those self-deprecating words came out of her own mouth, Wiz couldn’t help but feel like sighing.

And of course—look at him. The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, and surely he’d be disgusted by such a gloomy, pitiful girl like her—

“Eh!? No way! You’re obviously a total beauty, Miss Delphia!”

“Eh…?”

This time, Wiz was the one left blinking in confusion.

“Wait just a sec!” Tect said, rummaging through his belongings. He pulled out a hairpin, a comb, and a small hand mirror, then leaned closer to her.

“Hyah—w-wait, wh-what are you—”

“Sorry, just don’t move, okay?”

“Hyah… y-yes…”

Wiz froze as Tect looked at her with serious eyes.

Her heart pounded so loud it seemed to echo through her whole body. Trembling, she squeezed her eyes shut tight.

What she felt was the touch of his hand near her forehead—the firm, warm weight of a boy’s hand.

Slowly, that touch drifted down, running through her hair, parting it here and there.

After a moment, she realized—he was combing through her bangs.

That strange, delicate time stretched for several minutes.

And then Tect’s voice rang out, seeping into the darkness behind her eyelids.

“There. All done. Here, take a look.”

“Fweh…?”

Wiz slowly opened her eyes. Tect was proudly holding up the hand mirror for her.

And what she saw made her gasp.

Reflected there was—

A girl with sleek, flowing black hair and refined features, so beautiful she could hardly believe it was herself.

“Eh, ah, w-wait, this is… me…?”

“Yeah. I had a hunch from the way your eyes peeked out through your bangs, but wow—you’re way more of a classic beauty than I expected, Miss Delphia.”

“N-No, that’s not true…! I-I could never be…”

Still unable to believe it, Wiz denied it outright. But Tect pressed on.

“No way. You’re seriously a textbook beauty. Small face, big clear eyes, hair that turns silky with just a little combing… plus, you’ve got a great figure too.”

“Ah, w-w-wha…!”

Wiz’s head spun. She had never been showered with praise like this from a boy before—her brain nearly short-circuited.

She accepted the hand mirror he passed to her, moving on instinct. Then she realized—her fingers were resting on the hairpin that held her bangs up.

“Oh, that? I just have a ton of older sisters and younger sisters. Taking care of them all the time, I got used to carrying little things like this around.”

Tect said it with a wide, cheerful grin.

That smile hit shy little Wiz like a shock to the system.

Her face burned hot. Her heart pounded harder than it ever had before.

W-What? Boys could be this kind? No one told me that…! She had always thought men were selfish creatures who barely even saw women as people.

But she had never been treated this gently—not even by other girls.

Shaking all over, Wiz stared at Tect as if he were glowing.

And that was the moment the timid girl, Wiz Delphia, experienced her very first love.