I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 121
Watching Valdroba’s excitement, Ruri spoke.
“Since Ferda-nim is the host of the banquet, the role of the hostess is also vital.”
-Hostess… that would mean me, wouldn’t it?
“Yes.”
-Hmm….
Valdroba lowered her head.
No matter how much she longed to attend, the moment it became about her, she grew frightened.
Ruri, of course, saw right through that nature.
“At the banquet, Ferda-nim is scheduled to perform a dance.”
-A dance?
“It is something called a waltz, a dance where a man and a woman move in unison. It is a basic requirement of etiquette for the nobility.”
-A man and a woman together….
The man was Ferda, and the woman was her.
The mere imagination of becoming a pair made her heart throb.
Because of her massive size, the thumping of her heart echoed clearly.
-What if I say I cannot go…?
“Then Ferda-nim will likely dance with another partner.”
-Mmm….
Valdroba fell into deep thought.
The thought of him dancing with another woman made her heart ache even more.
Whatever it took, she had to attend.
-Then, what if I go in my armor…?
“That is impossible.”
Fearing she might even consider the idea of shrinking the armor’s size, Ruri spoke more firmly than usual.
“Above all, would it not trouble Ferda-nim? He would have to lead a person over two meters tall. Furthermore.”
-Furthermore?
“If he were to accidentally step on your foot, his bones would be crushed. If your plan is to turn him into a cripple, then I shall support it, but that isn’t the case, is it?”
-Of course not.
In her dragon form, the weight of the armor alone exceeded several hundred kilograms. The fragile Ferda would certainly not be able to withstand it.
Realizing there was truth in those words, Valdroba nodded.
Watching her struggle to decide, Ruri spoke.
“Not attending is also an option.”
-Are you saying that sincerely?
“Yes.”
Ruri continued.
“Master is the Aspect of Power and Flame. Since you are an immortal being who does not easily reveal yourself to humans, it is better to maintain an air of mystery.”
-……I suppose so?
She nodded, humming as if she had found a good excuse.
Ruri knew that if she left it at that, Valdroba would only hide away further.
Ruri was the servant who had served her longer than anyone else, after all.
“I forgot to mention one thing, though.”
But what Valdroba didn’t know was that this was a single step back to take three steps forward.
“Are you aware that Olivia Arken arrived today?”
Valdroba’s movements stiffened.
She knew the woman was called the Golden Rose of the Empire and was immensely popular with men.
Ferda was a man too.
-I am aware of it.
“Then did you watch her when she entered?”
-I was working, so I did not see.
“That woman came and personally tutored Ferda-nim.”
-Are you saying she danced with my fiancé?
“Yes. They held hands and danced the waltz without music. For nearly four hours.”
-Four hours….
She had already felt terrible hearing that Ferda had held her hand.
But a dance.
And for four hours at that.
A man and a woman, for four hours.
The world inside Valdroba’s heart began to feel overcast and gloomy.
“Do you know what that means?”
-What is it?
“It means Ferda-nim wants to dance with you, Master.”
Her restless mood instantly soared.
Valdroba fluttered her wings uselessly, her breath coming in huffs through her nose.
Then, Valdroba’s body began to shrink.
Scales retreated beneath smooth skin, and her form finally transformed into that of a beautiful woman.
A woman with gentle eyes that didn’t seem to fit the Aspect of Power and Flame.
With a face full of resolve, she spoke.
“I, I’ll try that, that wild-cat thing!”
“It is a waltz.”
Though considering what she usually did, ‘wildcat’ wasn’t entirely inaccurate.
Ruri, seeing everything proceeding exactly as intended, felt inwardly satisfied.
“I shall teach you the dance.”
“Huh? You know how to dance?”
“I didn’t originally, but I came to learn it.”
She had watched the dance practice for four whole hours.
In that time, she had mastered all the movements and details.
While Ferda, who was actually being taught, couldn’t even move his feet properly, Ruri had memorized everything.
One thing was for sure: Olivia Arken was a good teacher, and Ferda was an utterly hopeless dancer.
“Think of me as Ferda-nim and try taking my hand.”
“Ferda-ssi isn’t this small….”
“That is why I am telling you to imagine it, Master.”
“O-oh, sorry….”
She had unintentionally pricked the servant’s pride.
Valdroba lightly took Ruri’s hand and looked down at her.
‘This is Ferda-ssi’s hand….’
As she consciously thought so, it really began to look that way.
The hand that warmly embraced her.
The hand that made her heart flutter and grow nervous just by looking at it.
Ferda-ssi’s hand.
Crack—!
…Or what used to be.
“Kyaaaak!”
“…….”
“Fe-Ferda-ssi! No, Ru-Ru-Ruri!! Is your hand okay? What, what do I do?”
The one who was broken stayed silent, while the one who did the breaking was in a panic.
Ruri silently looked down at her hand.
Her fingers were limp and mangled, devoid of any strength.
Seeing that, Ruri realized.
Practicing the waltz wasn’t the immediate problem.
She let out a sigh and spoke.
“First, let us practice controlling your strength.”
She had to prevent the murder Valdroba was bound to commit.
The planners Olivia promised to send from the Empire arrived.
They brought several luxurious carriages and began preparing for the banquet and events.
They didn’t just focus on the events within the castle; they put all their effort into ensuring the festivities in Hestia Village were a success as well.
Since the only thing Ferda had to worry about was the budget for the Start of Spring Festival, everything was proceeding smoothly.
“These are letters of greeting from all over the Serdes Continent.”
Ruri poured the box of letters onto the desk.
It was enough to drown in.
“There are so many.”
“This is after I filtered them. I narrowed it down to about 400 people, considering regional influence and growth potential.”
“Did you do this all alone?”
“I wouldn’t have been able to send them out in time if I had. I did it ‘together’ with Mori-yang.”
No wonder her skin looked strangely radiant.
Only 250 people could attend the Start of Spring Festival. The task of filtering out the remaining 150 was up to Ferda.
Ferda began reading through the letters.
—I sincerely support Regent Ferda Valdroba’s construction of Hestia Village. I am….
Content praising Hestia Village, which they previously had no interest in, and content appealing their status as nobles.
And by subtly inserting sentences wishing for the success of the Start of Spring Festival, they showed their desire to attend.
Every single one followed this pattern.
“There is one more letter, but this one is more of an outlier.”
He was puzzled by the word ’outlier,’ but upon seeing the sender, Ferda understood.
“It’s from the House of Duke Yuray.”
“What do you think?”
A ducal territory burdened with massive debt after losing the war.
The peasants exploited by that debt had come to Hestia Village for freedom and survival.
From Duke Yuray’s perspective, Ferda was no different from a kidnapper.
“It seems like the better choice would be to have them attend….”
Duke Yuray was the biggest victim.
If he didn’t send an invitation because the situation was awkward, it would only give the Duke an excuse to act the victim even further.
“Besides, even if someone attends, it will likely be the Duke’s son.”
“True.”
The Start of Spring Festival was a place to celebrate the coming of spring.
It was a social gathering for the youth, where the rule was that only unmarried and young individuals could participate.
In such a setting, Olivia Arken was truly a great bait.
While those in the Empire might see her several times at tea parties or events, she was a figure difficult for those outside the Empire to even catch a glimpse of.
‘The plan is proceeding smoothly, so that’s a relief.’
It would be grand if things continued this way without a hitch.
But as is always the case, the world did not move according to his wishes.
Slam!
A figure burst through the door, throwing it open violently.
Contrary to the powerful sound, a girl of petite stature walked in.
Shedding her usual maid-like composure, she strode forward and asked Ferda.
“Have you perhaps been running your mouth?”
He wondered what had gotten into her.
“You’re speaking quite aggressively.”
“Information has reached me that is both regrettable and simultaneously not regrettable.”
She handed him the telegram she had received.
Now he understood why she was so angry.
Because upon seeing it, Ferda also felt a mix of absurdity and rising fury.
“Rumors that Regent Ferda and the Imperial Princess Arken are involved in an affair have spread throughout the entire Empire. What are you going to do about this?”
When Olivia said she was coming to Valdroba Castle, Ferda had considered several bad scenarios.
Among the many possibilities, there was one he worried about most.
‘A scandal.’
While there are cases where a noble lady inevitably stays at a man’s house, it usually isn’t taken too seriously because vassals and knights guard them strictly.
However, the more beautiful the gem, the more a small scratch stands out.
The higher the status, the more one is shaken by even the smallest rumor.
‘It’s especially serious for Olivia.’
It was an Imperial Princess’s duty to maintain her chastity and conduct herself with decorum to avoid any suspicion.
To those who adored her, Ferda Valdroba was now an enemy.
If their relationship soured over this, it would be fatal for Ferda.
But rather than such political calculations, one face stood at the forefront of Ferda’s mind.
“Does she… know about this?”
At his voice laced with suppressed anger, Ruri answered calmly.
“She doesn’t know yet. But she will find out eventually.”
“…….”
What would happen if Valdroba found out?
He felt like she might kill someone.
He wanted to rip out his heart, which was pounding with anxiety.
“Whew….”
Ferda took a deep breath.
Getting angry wouldn’t solve anything, so he had to act.
“I’ll have to talk to her.”
Inevitably, he decided to contact the Imperial family and speak with Olivia.
Since she was at the heart of the Empire, she would know how to handle this situation.
-It’s just light gossip.
Unlike the anxious Ferda, Olivia was relaxed.
Since she knew the importance of reputation better than anyone, he didn’t think she was being foolish.
Ferda asked for her reasoning.
“Light gossip?”
-Think about it. Did we do anything there that could be misunderstood?
“We did not.”
-I didn’t stay the night, and we were only in the drawing-room. Though the Knight Commander went outside, there was a servant inside, wasn’t there?
“There was.”
-And Ruri Silverwind-nim has sworn loyalty to Valdroba-nim. Of course, if that loyalty includes turning a blind eye to an affair, then the story changes—.
“If he had done something that foolish, I would have ripped his head off.”
Ruri cut in savagely.
She didn’t specify whose head she meant, but judging by her eyes, Ferda was definitely on the list.
Despite that, Olivia countered without losing her composure.
-As expected of a loyal person, that is a powerful response. We have witnesses, so it’s sufficient.
Hearing that explanation eased his anxiety a little.
-Still, the fact that the rumor spread at all is a headache. it could serve as fuel for hostility toward the Regent.
“That is my point. That is why I contacted you.”
-Oh my, do you need my advice?
“In any case, you know more about this field than I do, so I must listen to your advice.”
-Hmm~ So you’re saying you need me.
Olivia let out a playful breath as if she were enjoying this.
Then she said.
-In that case, how about this? At the banquet, ask me for a dance.
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t seem like a solution.
“Then what happens?”
-I will politely refuse.
“Doesn’t that just make it look like I got rejected?”
It would be interpreted as him having some romantic interest in Olivia.
He didn’t want to be the only one looking bad while Olivia benefited.
-My, to think that way. Do you view my image as something akin to a witch, Regent?
“Not at all.”
Having seen actual witches, he found her to be an angel in comparison.
-Don’t worry. As the host of the party, the Regent has an obligation to mingle with noble ladies who do not have a dance partner.
“The Flower of the Empire wouldn’t be left without a partner, so does that obligation even apply?”
-You really don’t know anything. I do not dance with any man.
Ferda understood after hearing that.
Olivia synthesized the information and spoke again.
-As the host, dance with other noble ladies, and then approach me. It shouldn’t look like you have other intentions toward me, but rather that you are fulfilling your duty as the host. If you say it like that, I will refuse the dance.
“Is that enough?”
In Ferda’s mind, the fundamental problem wasn’t solved.
How could that one situation clear everything up?
-Yes, you don’t even need to voice an opinion. In fact, bringing it up might only cause more trouble. Time will naturally reveal it as nonsense.
“What is the basis for your confidence?”
-I can tell just by looking into your eyes.
“My eyes…?”
-You’re always acting all serious, but you know you’re really bad at acting, right? Just do as you always do.
Olivia suddenly threw an insult his way.
-Anyway, this is just light gossip, so don’t think too deeply about it. I’ll be going now. Even this conversation might start another rumor.
“Yes. Thank you for the advice.”
Ferda cut off the transmission and stared up at the ceiling for a moment.
“Ruri.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what she means by saying she can tell just by looking into my eyes?”
Hearing that, Ruri met Ferda’s eyes.
She gave him a strange look as if questioning whether that was even a real question.
“I know.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a secret. But as the Princess said, it will be enough.”
“Hmm….”
I see.
Relieved, Ferda threw himself back against his chair.
“Is your mood better now?”
“……No.”
This was one thing, and that was another.
Ferda could not tolerate this situation.
Who was the bastard putting him to the test?
‘The starting point must be the Knight Commander.’
He was the Emperor’s man, not Olivia’s.
But he likely wasn’t the mastermind.
It was certain that the rumor spread through various people as he reported to the Emperor.
‘I have to find them.’
He had to find out what that person’s goal was.
No, the goal didn’t actually matter.
He just had to destroy them.
With that, Ferda pulled something out from his drawer.
It was a black hood.
