I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 34
Ferda is an aristocrat.
He was born into the Rosnova family, a lineage of knights.
He held the rank of Viscount and was a vassal to Duke Houston.
As befitted a member of an honorable knightly family, Ferda had undergone rigorous training in basic etiquette since childhood.
Though he had been cast out by his family under the pretense of being the Archduke’s fiancé, he had clawed his way up to become a Great Mage, attaining a status that rivaled even the highest nobility.
Despite this, Ferda was a man far removed from the world of social graces.
In the Rosnova family, he was an illegitimate son who never had the opportunity to socialize; as a Great Mage, he had simply refused to mingle.
I never even touched food prepared by others.
After surviving several assassination attempts, he had made it a rule never to consume anything provided by another person. This remained true even after his body reached a state where poison could no longer kill him.
His strategy had always been to manipulate others through hatred and discard them, rather than to foster human relationships.
Thus, this was the very first tea party of Ferda’s life.
One hour before the appointed time.
“This is the recreation room where you and the Master can enjoy various leisure activities after your marriage. We will be holding the tea party here.”
Ruri guided Ferda to the location ahead of time, explaining the details. Since it was Ferda’s duty to act as the escort, she was ensuring he was familiar with his surroundings.
Ferda turned his gaze toward the terrace.
“It overlooks the western lands.”
“It is a room designed to allow one to focus entirely on leisure, after all.”
The atmosphere was distinctly different. The Demonic Lands, which felt gloomy even in broad daylight, naturally invited somber contemplation, but this place felt purely peaceful. It was the perfect spot to find tranquility while watching the sunset.
“And the tea party will be held right here.”
Two chairs and a single table were positioned to take in the view from the terrace. On the table sat two teacups, a tiered tray treated with cooling magic, and an assortment of decorated desserts.
They were lavish and unfamiliar to his eyes.
“What are these confections?”
“Macarons, Mont Blancs, pastries… they go by many names. I selected twenty varieties from the hundred and fifty types of desserts that the patissiers scouted from the Imperial Palace can create.”
“I see.”
Ferda was about to brush it off, thinking she had gone to a lot of trouble, when he suddenly dwelled on her words. The fact that she had selected them personally meant…
“Does that mean you’ve tasted them all yourself?”
“Is that not obvious?”
“All one hundred and fifty?”
When he emphasized the number, Ruri’s expression soured.
“I know exactly what you are thinking. Do you think I gorged myself just to satisfy my own cravings?”
“Isn’t that exactly what happened?”
Ferda answered honestly. Having seen Ruri eating honey preserves with such relish in Escoleia, he couldn’t help but be suspicious.
Ruri scowled deeply.
“That is a very rude assumption. I put a great deal of effort into preparing this tea party. I tasted and selected each one with care, agonizing over whether I had missed anything. This was a labor of love, and you don’t appreciate it at all?”
To Ferda, it sounded like she had simply eaten three hundred desserts. Her face was so impassive that most people would have been fooled. Even the suspicious Ferda might have succumbed to that ironclad expression.
If only she hadn’t made one fatal mistake.
“There is powdered sugar on your mouth.”
At Ferda’s remark, Ruri swept her finger across her lip. A white powder came away. She glanced at it and then naturally popped her finger into her mouth.
“I simply needed to determine whether they were poisoned. The Master is immune to amateur poisons, but you are a mere human, Ferda-nim.”
“Is that so?”
“You don’t believe me. You aren’t thinking of me as a pig, are you?”
“How could you be a pig? Your loyalty is more akin to a dog’s… if I had to say.”
Ferda nodded slightly.
“You’d be a dog-pig, then.”
“Please, just once, tell me I can hit you. I am begging you.”
Ruri’s face was flush with irritation. As someone who didn’t enjoy pain, Ferda had no intention of ever granting that request.
Ruri glanced at the sun and took a step back. The appointed time was drawing near.
“I shall go and bring the Master. In the meantime…”
Ruri shot him a fierce glare.
“Do not touch the tray.”
“Don’t worry.”
I’m not like you.
Ruri exited the recreation room to fetch Valdrova. Ferda waited quietly for her arrival.
This will be our second meeting.
In Ferda’s memory, their only meeting had been when he had seen her face clearly. At the engagement ceremony, he had caught only a glimpse of her chin, and when she had been overwhelmed by her bloodlust, his mind had been in a haze. This would be their first time having a proper conversation.
The first… I see.
A sudden sense of uncertainty washed over him.
What should I say first…
Ferda brushed his lips with his hand. If this were an ordinary meeting, he could simply flow with the atmosphere. But the reason for this meeting was rooted in Valdrova’s anxiety. And Ferda still had no answer for that.
That was why he had sought advice from a man who was an expert in such matters, Zed Swallow.
—That? It’s best to just pretend you don’t know.
Zed Swallow. He was a man who had seduced many women during his time as a gigolo.
—There’s no need for explanations; just show her through your actions. There’s no need to dampen the mood with depressing talk, is there? Just play dumb and try to liven things up.
Ferda thought it made sense. While it might be best to apologize for making her feel weary of him, she likely wouldn’t want such a somber mood at a tea party.
Pretending not to know might be the most appropriate course.
Not bringing the issue to the surface was one way to handle it. The important thing, ultimately, was to ensure that Archduke Valdrova did not feel anxious.
Ferda steeled his heart and waited for her.
“The Master is entering.”
Ruri’s voice drifted in from outside the door. Simultaneously, the doors swung open. Ferda welcomed her with his prepared greeting.
“Welcome—”
Ferda’s words caught in his throat. Even for someone as composed as him, he couldn’t help but be bewildered by the sight before him.
Red hair and golden eyes. Her face, so beautiful that it would be a sacrilege to even attempt to capture it in a painting.
It wasn’t there.
A dragon knight?
Stepping through the door was a dragon knight. The helmet and armor were designed to trigger a human’s primal fear. Of course, in Ferda, that fear was replaced by sheer confusion.
At the same time, he felt a sense of déjà vu from the armor.
I wondered where I’d seen it—it was at the engagement ceremony.
It was the same armor he had seen when he was being scolded after spilling the Engagement Wine. That meant the person inside was undoubtedly Valdrova.
Why was she wearing that armor?
Ferda glanced at Ruri standing behind her. Their eyes met. Ruri stared at him intently and then slowly shook her head. It was a gesture that practically begged him not to ask.
Having finished his thoughts, Ferda offered a polite greeting once more.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my King.”
In response, her hands folded neatly together, and the dragon-headed helmet gave a slight, jerky nod. Her movements felt like those of a clumsy young lady who had just made her social debut.
Clank, clank.
With stiff movements, she stepped onto the carpet and sat down across from Ferda.
Screeeech—.
The chair let out a scream. Despite the immense weight of the armor, the chair held firm without breaking.
As if nothing is out of the ordinary…
Recalling the advice Zed had given him, Ferda spoke.
“I am very pleased that you suggested this meeting first.”
A nod. All he received was another jerky movement of the head.
An awkward silence descended. Everything seemed to freeze around that silence. A cold sweat broke out, and even breathing felt difficult. Ferda struggled to find words to lead the conversation once more.
“That armor is truly befitting of a dragon’s majesty.”
A nod. She answered with another tilt of her head.
“How have you been faring lately?”
“…….”
He had thrown out a topic that required more than a simple nod. Valdrova made a circle with her thumb and index finger.
“You have been well, then. I am glad.”
A nod.
Ferda felt like he was going to die. He wanted to let out a sigh to ease the tension, but he didn’t dare. His anxious heart was simmering, making him feel as stifled as a tightly sealed pot.
Meanwhile, Ruri performed her role as a background prop perfectly, pouring the brewed tea into the cups.
He decided to at least moisten his parched throat. Ferda picked up his cup.
Come to think of it, does that helmet even have an opening for drinking?
He suddenly wondered how she would manage. She sat perfectly still, her gaze fixed on the floor.
“Are you able to eat while wearing that armor?”
“…….”
She fumbled with her helmet, tapping near the lips. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she jerked her head up. Her actions suggested she hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Would it not be better to take it off?”
Shake, shake!
She refused vehemently. He could feel her resolve not to show her face. Ferda, who had been trying to carry on as if everything were normal, began to find this awkward atmosphere unbearable.
She suggests a tea party, yet she neither eats nor drinks…
It would have been less awkward if they were at least talking, but she was refusing even that.
She must be angry after all.
Until now, Ferda had made Valdrova believe he was weary of her. To think he was just making small talk after making her so anxious. He felt utterly pathetic.
Thus, Ferda decided to apologize to her.
“I am sorry.”
Clatter!
Valdrova’s armor gave a great lurch.
“I was foolish to make light of things when I have caused such concern to the Archduke. I should have apologized first…”
—…….
“You may blame me. I was in the wrong, so whatever you have to say—”
“T-That’s not it!”
Ferda was startled. A loud voice echoed from inside the helmet. Though there was a gap between her tone and her words, something else had surprised him.
It was the voice itself. What emerged from the helmet was the heavy, booming voice of a warrior.
“That is…”
Valdrova seemed surprised by her own voice as well, covering the mouth of the helmet.
“That is… the reason I’m not speaking… isn’t because I’m angry, or because you did something wrong, Ferda-ssi.”
The head of the fearsome dragon knight fidgeted shyly.
“I-It’s just that I c-can’t bring myself to speak to you… I just c-couldn’t… answer….”
“Ah.”
Only then did Ferda remember something Ruri had told him during the engagement ceremony.
Social anxiety.
She found humans difficult.
Right. Even though he knew that, why had he assumed she was angry? He had been so focused on his own situation that he had forgotten her circumstances.
“I apologize. My thoughts were narrow. Please forgive me.”
“No. I’m the one who’s sorry…. Calling you here and then keeping my mouth shut like this….”
“Not at all, I was the one who…”
They continued to exchange apologies until the conversation came to a sudden halt. In the heavy atmosphere, Ferda didn’t dare open his mouth. He secretly searched his mind for any magic that could break this silence.
“Um…”
Having finally found her voice, Valdrova struggled to bring up a topic.
“The reason I’m wearing this armor… is.”
Ferda waited for her to finish.
“Ruri says… my expressions are too obvious.”
Ferda tilted his head at that answer.
“Your expressions are too obvious?”
“When I’m in human form…. She says everything shows on my face. So… I wasn’t confident about what kind of face I’d be making when I looked at you…”
She hesitated before finally finishing her sentence.
“So I woooore it.”
Her voice trailed off into a squeak at the end, and Valdrova covered her mouth with both hands.
“It’s truly… stup…id, right?”
The heavy warrior’s voice trembled delicately. Looking at her behavior, he could see it clearly—how difficult it was for her to hide her emotions.
Truly…
To be unable to hide them meant she was pure. Because she was so pure, neither the shell she wore nor the heavy voice she projected could conceal the essence of what her heart felt.
She is beautiful.
And that was why she was beautiful. Ferda answered her question.
“That is not true. I, too, am trembling even at this very moment.”
Valdrova lifted her head to look at Ferda. He could feel her eyes scanning him.
“Liar.”
Valdrova said.
“Pardon?”
“You say that, but you don’t seem to be trembling at all…. I’m even stuttering, but you look perfectly fine, Ferda-ssi.”
“It is because I want to look good for you. I am forcing myself to act as if I am not trembling.”
“Is that how it is?”
She reacted as if she couldn’t understand. Since Valdrova had confessed her embarrassment, it was now Ferda’s turn to speak his mind.
“The reason I haven’t seen you lately was because I was afraid as well.”
“Of what?”
“The mana within me is steeped in darkness.”
“Darkness…?”
“Yes. My mana contains darkness. I was worried that darkness might harm you. That is why…”
Ferda’s eyes turned toward her again. His blue eyes were shining like sapphires.
“I didn’t have the confidence to face you.”
“…….”
There was no answer. Upon hearing his words, Valdrova fidgeted with her fingers, repeatedly clenching and unclenching her fists. It was an action as if she were trying to suppress an escalating emotion.
“Ferda-ssi…”
And her voice was strained with restraint.
“You were worried about me?”
“Yes. It was presumptuous of me, wasn’t it?”
“No. It’s just… I’m a little happy….”
Only then did he see it. All those actions were those of a delicate maiden.
“You are happy about that?”
The menacing helmet nodded lightly.
“I’ve never thought of anyone worrying about me before, except for Ruri…. People think I’m strong. And I am. But… you were afraid I might get hurt, Ferda-ssi. So… strangely, it makes me happy.”
She placed her hand on her chest, calming her emotions.
“What you gave me back then…”
On the day she was suffering from uncontrollable bloodlust.
“What I felt… was a sensation I had never experienced before.”
Valdrova recalled the memory of that day with a voice filled with sentiment.
“That warm, cozy feeling flowing through my body… I think that’s what it would feel like if someone were to embrace me. How could something like that ever harm me?”
“Is that… so?”
“Yes.”
Her fingers fidgeted again. Her legs twisted together. Her girlish behavior stood out in stark contrast to her solemn way of speaking.
“Just being here like this makes me so happy. This moment, facing you, Ferda-ssi, I’m so happy…. It’s so much that…”
Valdrova’s voice cut off abruptly.
“Ah.”
As if she had suddenly become conscious of something she hadn’t realized.
“Are you alright?”
“Um… I’m sorry, but… m-may I s-stand up…?”
“Pardon?”
“I-It’s just, i-if I stay any l-longer, I-I feel like I’m g-going to s-scream, and that would be a nuisance, so s-sorr….”
Valdrova, trembling violently, seemed at a loss for what to do.
“I’m sorrryyyy!”
With that apology, she threw herself off the terrace.
Ferda and Ruri stared down at the spot where she had disappeared. Even at a glance, the height from the ground was dizzying. However, neither of them thought for a moment that Valdrova would be hurt.
Ruri, who had been standing like a folding screen, finally spoke.
“Well, I suppose we can call this tea party a success.”
She popped a dessert from the tiered tray into her mouth. Ferda looked down at the spot where she had fallen, dwelling on her words.
Yes.
And suddenly, he realized.
Valdrova was such a modest woman.
A pure woman who couldn’t even look her fiancé in the eye. Such a woman had been forced to act as a King under the weight she carried.
But the world is not so kind.
He knew this as well. The world tried to crush her as if even that modesty were too much of a luxury. The swarming monsters, the corruption of the Empire, her past—all of it constantly tested and weighed her down.
I have made a vow.
That he would protect what she loved and fulfill the things she had only dared to wish for. That ultimately, the name Valdrova would be reborn as a name of joy, not a synonym for fear.
To achieve that, what Ferda needed was decisiveness.
Sometimes, I must be bold.
And if necessary, cruel. The fear that he might harm Valdrova could no longer shake him. A sense of duty became the fuel that ignited his fading heart.
The next day, Ferda summoned Zed and told him about his plan. After hearing the story, Zed asked:
“Are you in your right mind?”
It was a considerably rude remark, but surprisingly, it was a word Zed had chosen after much deliberation. That was how absurd Ferda’s plan was.
“You’re going to rob the Imperial treasury?”
