I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
—There is nothing the Empire cannot conquer.
The Central Region, the heart of the Serdes Continent.
This was the slogan of the Arken Empire, which exerted its influence outward from that very point.
While it was excellent for infatuating those within the Empire, to those in the outskirts, it sounded like nothing but utter nonsense.
In fact, when Ferda was with the Rosnova family, the very first thing he was taught was that such a claim was futile bullshit.
There were plenty of lands in Serdes that remained unconquered, and the Eastern Region was one of the prime examples.
‘The Demonic Land.’
The Eastern Region had become a land teeming with demonic energy due to the appearance of the Demon King.
Though he was eventually stopped, the aftermath caused plants to grow at an unnaturally rapid pace and animals to become several times more ferocious.
Thus, the Demonic Land was born.
Valdrova was the king who reigned over the front lines of that very Demonic Land.
‘Is that why she’s also called the Demon Dragon?’
In any case, the image the world held of her was that of a tyrannical dragon.
Rumors flew—that she was growing her power by absorbing the Demon King’s strength, or that she was secretly building an army of monsters.
‘For someone who’s actually done so little, she has an unnecessarily high amount of notoriety.’
Conspiracies abounded as if she were a villain who deserved to die, yet not a single person had ever actually rebuked her or formally raised an issue.
Even a fool knew that plucking a dragon’s whisker was a suicidal act.
Rustle—
As I walked along the path, the sound of something moving reached my ears.
Just as Ferda shifted his consciousness toward the sound,
“There is no need for concern.”
The maid walking ahead of him spoke first.
“As long as I am by your side, those things will not dare to attack.”
As expected, they seemed to be monsters.
That aside, does this woman have eyes in the back of her head?
‘Well, she’s an attendant serving a dragon, so she’s bound to be on another level.’
Ferda watched her slowly from behind.
Her appearance was like that of a doll.
The form-fitting maid uniform revealed the contours of her body, which was clearly that of a girl in her growth phase.
Her hair, tied up in a side pony-tail, and her soft features painted the image of a young lady.
Had he not met her in Valdrova’s territory, he would have simply thought of her as a beautiful maid.
“What is your name?”
“It is Ruri.”
She replied in a dry tone.
“Nice to meet you, Ruri. How much further must we walk?”
“It will take another two hours.”
“That’s quite a long time. It didn’t seem like it took you that long to come find me, did it?”
“Of course. For me alone, ten seconds would have been sufficient to reach this spot.”
Two hours versus ten seconds.
The difference in efficiency was stark.
“Then why don’t we use that method to go to the Lair?”
“If we did that, would I not have to hold you, Ferda-nim?”
“No need to worry about me. I can handle something like flying.”
“No. It is simply that I do not wish to.”
“…….”
It was a truly insolent thing to say.
Normally, if a servant wearing a maid uniform said something like that, wouldn’t they get slapped across the face immediately?
“If you don’t want to, it can’t be helped.”
However, Ferda did not do so.
There were more than a few nobles who had died in far-off lands by trying to assert their pride, but the decisive factor was her identity.
‘A dragon spawn.’
Dragon spawn are created through the so-called ‘Ascension Ceremony,’ where they are chosen by a dragon and granted its blood.
Just by accepting that blood, they instinctively awaken magic and gain immense power.
Even with such a small frame, she possessed enough strength to easily overpower a couple of knights.
‘Furthermore, she can even hide her tail and horns…….’
It meant her strength was on a different trajectory compared to ordinary dragon spawn.
So, Ferda followed silently behind her.
Even that was not easy for Ferda, whose physical stamina was pathetic.
His walking speed gradually slowed, and the distance between him and Ruri widened.
Once they had drifted a certain distance apart, Ruri turned her head.
“Are you exhausted?”
Ferda nodded.
“Yes, I am. Could we take a short rest?”
“There is no time for rest. Please move quickly. My Master is waiting.”
Silver hair and silver eyes.
Unlike her youthful face, her eerily glowing mystic eyes urged Ferda’s steps forward.
“Whew, very well.”
Ferda caught his breath as best he could.
Getting married was no easy task.
* * *
The Red Dragon’s hideout, the place called the Lair, was located a bit further beyond the so-called front lines of the Empire.
After passing through a dense, uncultivated forest, there stood a solitary mountain, and on the mountainside, a castle had been built.
It was a castle so large that it could be seen from afar on a clear day.
‘There were some who mistook that for Valdrova’s Lair.’
However, Valdrova did not live in the castle.
The entire mountain was her Lair.
Upon reaching the entrance, Ruri turned her head and casually recited the precautions.
“It is a bit dark, but there is nothing underfoot, so please do not make a fuss unnecessarily.”
“Understood.”
“Well, occasionally stalactites do fall…… you should dodge them on your own. If you can, that is.”
Ruri gave a half-hearted explanation.
Instead of reacting to the provocation, Ferda simply nodded.
“I see.”
“Then.”
Ruri took the lead once more and headed inside.
Soon, a massive iron gate appeared, blocking their path.
An iron gate that was merely thick, devoid of any ornate carvings.
It felt like a sealing gate made with every ounce of effort to keep whatever was beyond it from coming out.
Ruri knocked lightly on it.
“Master. Your fiancé has arrived.”
There was no reply.
Instead, a massive slithering movement from beyond the gate vibrated the ground.
The hair all over his body stood on end.
Even with the heavy iron gate between them, he could feel it clearly.
The fact that a very terrifying dragon lived behind it.
Thump—.
The sound of something hard tapping against the iron gate.
Ruri turned toward Ferda.
“I will go receive the message.”
With that, Ruri opened a small iron door next to the large one and went inside.
It was dead silent beyond the door, and Ferda waited with patience.
Three minutes later, Ruri came back out and spoke.
“I shall deliver the message from Duke Valdrova.”
Ruri cleared her throat and began to speak.
「I am aware that the reason you have come here is to become betrothed to me by the order of the Arken Empire. I shall commend you for stepping foot here despite knowing full well the atrocities I have committed.」
Ferda was not pleased.
Given the context, negative words were bound to follow.
And Ferda’s prediction was spot on.
「However, I have no intention of entering a betrothal by dragging you here against your will. Therefore, return to whence you came.」
For those who thought they were going to die, this would be the best possible moment.
To be a free man.
Had it been the Ferda of his childhood, he would have surely cheered, bowed, and retreated.
But the current Ferda was different.
“Is that so? Go back and deliver this message.”
Ruri’s eyebrow twitched.
“While it is true the Emperor designated this, stepping foot here was done purely of Ferda Rosnova’s own will. Therefore, I shall not return and will proceed with the engagement.”
“…….”
Hearing those words, Ruri stared intently at Ferda.
Her expressionless face made the atmosphere cold and awkward, but not for Ferda.
“Will you not deliver the message?”
“……Understood.”
Ruri opened the iron door again and went inside.
When Ruri came back out ten minutes later, she was carrying several things.
“I shall deliver the message. 『I think highly of the fact that you came here of your own accord. In recognition of that spirit, I shall grant you my treasures to provide the funds for you to establish a foundation. Take that money and build a new life in a new land.』”
Clink—.
Inside the pouch were gold and silver treasures.
Additionally, she tossed a piece of paper, which was undoubtedly something like a Duke’s certificate.
Ferda’s eyes looked down at it.
However, it was a gaze that looked upon the gold as if it were mere stones.
“Go and tell her this. Say, ‘I have no interest in power; I have only come because I am interested in the engagement with Duke Valdrova.’”
“…….”
“You keep spacing out. It wouldn't be good for a Duke’s attendant to appear sluggish, would it?”
Ruri didn’t even answer and stepped back through the iron door.
“……Sigh.”
No, she seemed to step in for just a moment before letting out a sigh and slamming the door shut with a Bang!
Ruri’s business-like face remained expressionless.
However, Ferda, who had harbored hatred and a desire for revenge for a long time, knew.
He could sufficiently read the emotion contained in her eyes.
It was loathing.
“I will not mince words. Turn around and leave this place.”
A command tinged with emotion.
But Ferda was not flustered.
“That’s a short message for one from Duke Valdrova.”
“No. These are words spoken of my own will as my Master’s attendant.”
She walked slowly toward Ferda.
Her appearance changed with every step she took.
A pair of horns piercing the sky sprouted from her head, and her ankle-length skirt puffed out wide.
She revealed her hidden dragon spawn form to threaten Ferda.
‘Is this Dragon Fear?’
He thought she would be extraordinary, but she exceeded his expectations.
To think a dragon spawn working as an attendant could wield Dragon Fear.
Ferda felt his throat tighten and cold sweat pour down his back.
Separately, his mind was calm.
To him, who had already seen much worse, this was merely a child’s tantrum.
“I know very well about people like you.”
“What kind of person am I?”
“Mere mortals who cannot control their greed and believe they can manipulate the heavens with their own hands.”
In her words, he felt a loathing based on experience.
“Trash who care nothing for my Master and are only full of the power and ambition they hope to gain.”
Ferda felt a sense of déjà vu at those words.
He wondered where he had heard such a story, and the answer lay in the conversation he had with Huren just a few hours ago.
“Is that why the Third Prince died?”
Ruri nodded.
“Yes. That man was full of intentions to use the marriage to treat my Master like a servant. It was pathetic. I don’t know how he thought he wouldn’t get caught.”
Ferda muttered under his breath.
‘Was that really the reason?’
Ferda had eaten Valdrova’s heart and understood her emotions.
So he knew that, at the very least, she was not a tyrant who would kill the Third Prince simply because he didn't know his place.
The Third Prince had been drawing too large a picture.
The reason he stepped down from his position as Emperor was merely to seize even greater power and usurp it later.
‘Crucially, he was too arrogant.’
“So, while my Master is offering you this money, leave this place at once. If you wish, I will grab that body of yours and escort you back to the Empire.”
A loathing with reason.
At the same time, it was a loathing that Ferda had no reason to receive.
However, Ferda did not get angry.
He had realized too many things to be shaken by such trivial contempt.
“I, Ferda Rosnova, shall speak purely and without a single point of falsehood in this place.”
Ferda spoke while looking down at her with serious eyes.
“I, Ferda Rosnova, have not come to this place due to anyone’s pressure.”
He recalled the emotions he had learned through Valdrova’s heart.
She had many dreams, but all of them were thwarted.
She had to endure slander and glares directed at her, and she had to fight against her own murderous intent within.
She was not even on her own side.
Yet she had fought constantly.
That was something even Ferda could not do.
“I, Ferda Rosnova, desire no power, nor any treasure.”
Even if Valdrova did not know, Ferda remembered.
How Valdrova had prayed for someone’s happiness even while sacrificing her own life.
That memory of her giving her heart even to the selfish Ferda.
So, even if the current you does not know me.
“I, Ferda Rosnova, have come here purely as the one who will become Valdrova’s fiancé.”
As long as I remember,
I will be on your side.
“Since we are to be husband and wife in the future, tell her that we should resolve our misunderstandings by speaking through our own mouths and ears, not through the mouth of an attendant.”
Ruri’s patience finally reached its limit.
“You arrogant bastard, how dare you spout such nonsense knowing who my Master is—!”
Her small, dainty hand reached for Ferda’s neck.
The moment it grabbed him, Ferda’s neck would snap like a reed in autumn.
Thump—.
The sound of tapping on the iron gate.
Ruri immediately regained her composure.
At the same time, the vibrating Dragon Fear vanished.
The girl who had shown murderous intent to kill Ferda looked at the gate and bowed her waist.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
Ferda remained calm until the very end.
Having heard Valdrova’s wish, Ruri came back out.
Her doll-like face looked strangely dissatisfied.
Ferda sensed that it was good news.
“She said that she has understood your intent well and to tell you that she will proceed with the engagement.”
Just as he thought.
No matter how insolent an attendant might be, they cannot go against their master’s will.
“I see. Understood.”
“Then, this way……”
The murderous conversation from just moments ago was nowhere to be found as she returned to her business-like demeanor.
Ferda moved once again, following behind her.
* * *
Late at night, beneath Valdrova’s castle.
Valdrova’s attendant, Ruri, returned to the dragon’s Lair.
She passed through the firmly closed iron gate and went inside.
There, a massive dragon with red scales lay coiled elegantly.
—Have you come?
Golden mystic eyes shone through the darkness.
Ruri bowed with an elegant and disciplined posture.
“I greet the great one of the Twelve Rulers, the absolute apex of power, in this place. You are lying there in a posture truly befitting the majesty of the power that rules the world.”
—Is that so? I am merely lying down.
“True elegance is something that looks ugly when one tries to imitate it. That which is so ingrained in one’s body that they themselves do not realize it is true elegance.”
—Is that right……?
Ruri’s eyes sparkled as if she were speaking from the heart.
Valdrova reacted as if she couldn't quite understand.
“Do you truly intend to become betrothed to a mortal?”
—Is it not what I wished for? And you also respected my opinion.
“At that time, I only said so reluctantly. You can still change your mind even now. Having the courage to reverse a decision is also a virtue of a monarch.”
Though she persistently called for a reversal, Valdrova shook her head.
—I have no intention of reversing it. Even now, that is my only thought.
“Tsk……”
Ruri clicked her tongue with a face full of dissatisfaction.
Valdrova didn’t mind the insolent behavior and asked.
—Tell me. The man who is to be my partner…… what kind of person was he?
Ruri shook her head left and right.
“Don’t even get me started. He is a weakling of a human.”
—How weak is he?
“I thought his body would be sturdy since he’s from a knight family, but he has a frail body that looked like it was going to die just from the exhaustion of the journey here.”
—And?
“He is incredibly hideous. I believed it when they said he was eighteen, but his face looked like an old man's, perhaps because he hasn't taken care of it.”
—Ruri.
“I apologize. He is quite handsome. Like a fellow who has made more than a few women cry.”
—No, that is not what I am asking, is it?
Ruri knew what answer Valdrova wanted.
She didn’t want to say it, but she was forced to bring it up.
“He is not ordinary.”
—Not ordinary?
“I am a dragon spawn, one who has inherited the blood of a dragon. Therefore, it is an easy task for me to poke at a mortal’s fear. However……”
Ruri recalled Ferda from her memory.
“That man was not afraid of me even once. Therefore…… he will be able to look straight at you, Master.”
—Is that so?
Ruri furrowed her brow.
It was something that should not be—for a human to be able to lock eyes directly with a dragon.
—That is good.
On the contrary, what appeared on Valdrova’s face was a smile.
—To think he is a person who can face me normally.
“Nor……mally?”
—Yes. Normally. I mean.
It was far from the ‘normal’ that Ruri knew.
For a human to face another human is normal.
But for a human to face a dragon is impossible.
The normal relationship was for the dragon to rule and the human to obey.
Ruri had much she wanted to say, but she could not bring herself to speak.
In any case, if her Master was satisfied, that was all that mattered.
