I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 43
The actions of Ruri, who had trespassed into the Imperial Palace, might have seemed impulsive.
In reality, however, her conduct was closer to a rational act based on cold logic.
Destroying the magic circles and forcing the mobilization of every mage and knight was a calculated move to instill a sense of crisis and demand alertness. It was a small warning, a demonstration of what could happen should the Dragon’s consort be harmed.
To that end, Ruri had revealed everything she usually kept hidden.
Her tail, her horns, and even her chilling, four-white eyes.
If the opposing commander proved to be someone she could reason with, they would eventually ask for her affiliation. Ruri would simply answer that she was an attendant to the Archduke of Valdroba, and they would proceed from there.
‘Ferda-nim will be safe regardless.’
Even if he were injured within the Imperial Palace, there would be priests on standby. Each possessed divine power equivalent to that of a bishop; healing Ferda’s wounds would be a trivial matter for them.
‘And yet…’
Thoughts continued to circle in Ruri’s mind.
She could not find peace.
Just as immortals differ from mortals, there are vast differences between dragon spawn and humans. What if the injuries were so severe that he failed to wake even after the wounds were healed? What if some demon within the Sealed Storage had cast a curse upon him? What if he had been unable to resist some temptation and entered into an absurd contract?
These anxieties, all leading back to the potential sorrow of Valdroba, cluttered her mind.
The master’s worry is the servant’s worry.
Ruri did not allow herself to be swayed by that unease, maintaining her composure until the end. She knew well that emotion would be of no use in this situation.
Ruri cleared her path by slicing through the Imperial gardens that blocked her way. After tearing through a wall of rose briars, she saw the knights who had been moving so noisily now standing ready to face her.
Among them, Ruri discovered a familiar man.
‘Ferda.’
Gray hair and blue eyes.
A tall stature, yet a slender frame. And a gravity in his expression that belied his age.
Ferda Valdroba.
Everything that entered her sight was the very Ferda she knew. Contrary to the reports of his injury, he appeared perfectly fine.
‘He is safe.’
In that instant, she felt the anxiety that had taken root in her heart drain away.
With her worries gone, she should have felt relieved. However, the sensation was different from the usual sense of resolution. It wasn’t the pride one feels watching deep-seated grime being washed away, nor the comfort of resolving a maddening uncertainty.
What remained in Ruri’s heart was neither of those.
‘…I’m angry.’
She was furious. Rage filled the void left by the massive worry and concern.
‘The man who is Regent, the man who is the betrothed of Valdroba, goes to useless places to cause trouble and get hurt?’
As the thread of her logic snapped, Ruri unleashed her Dragon Fear.
Directed straight at Ferda.
The innocent knights, caught in the crossfire without knowing why, felt as if their backs were breaking under the pressure.
“Co-Commander! Give the order, quickly…!”
If they remained locked in this stalemate, they would collapse before the fight even began. The knight order guarding the palace had to decide: fight or retreat.
“A-At….”
The moment the commander tried to give the signal to attack, someone placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Wait. Hold your position.”
It was a calm male voice, a stark contrast to the trembling commander.
“I shall handle this.”
“Pardon? If I may ask, who are you…?”
“I am Regent Ferda. I was invited here today.”
Ferda gestured toward Ruri with his chin.
“And that maid over there is an attendant of the Archduke of Valdroba.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The Knight Captain’s tension eased slightly. If the Regent of Valdroba was here, it meant there was someone to talk to.
“So, will you give me a moment?”
Naturally, he had no choice but to comply. He was curious about everything—why she had broken through the magic circles and why she was radiating Dragon Fear—but settling the situation came first.
The knights maintained their formation and stepped back, while Ferda walked forward.
With every step he took, the Dragon Fear grew more intense. Lines deepened on his expressionless face, and the veins in his neck stood out.
‘It feels like I’m walking right into a dragon’s maw.’
He stopped five paces away from her.
When Ruri made a motion as if drawing a circle on the ground with her index finger, a pure white wind began to swirl around the spot where she and Ferda stood. The wind rose up, covering them in a hemispherical barrier.
Ruri, who had been keeping her mouth tightly shut, let out a deep sigh through her nose. It was as if she were releasing the pressure built up by her rising heat.
“This space is cut off from the outside. Nothing we say will leak out.”
“I see.”
“So… I will just say it.”
Ruri spat out her surging emotions.
“Are you insane?”
She was brutally honest.
“Does the man who is the Archduke’s fiancé not realize the significance of his position, that he goes around doing such foolish things?”
“It was necessary.”
“That is no answer. Even if it was necessary, if this news had reached my Master, everything would have been ruined. Are you even aware of that?”
“I know. And I knew you wouldn’t tell her.”
“And why is that?”
“Because you cherish your Master. You wouldn’t want her to be disturbed.”
He knew that if anyone were to come from Valdroba Castle, Ruri would be the first.
“Yes. It is my duty to serve my Master. However, it seems you do not love her as much as I thought, Ferda-nim.”
“I, too, cherish her.”
“And yet you let news reach me that you were injured in the Sealed Storage? Fine, I shall concede that much.”
Ruri had grown even angrier as Ferda approached, and there was a specific reason for it. Even he had overlooked one thing.
Ruri grabbed Ferda’s wrist and brought her nose close to it.
“And such a man goes around with the scent of a woman’s perfume on his hand?”
“….”
She shook his wrist and demanded, “Who was she?”
“…Olivia Arken.”
“You mean the ‘Flower of the Empire’ with that vulgar body?”
A deeper venom entered Ruri’s expression. Simultaneously, her grip on his wrist tightened. It felt as though it might snap.
“…She does have such a moniker.”
Ferda decided to ignore the previous comment. Not only was he injured, but her Master’s fiancé had been holding hands with the greatest beauty in the Empire. Ruri’s entire body trembled. Her gaze, which had been looking up at Ferda, dropped to the floor as if she could no longer endure it.
“Are you the kind of man who just grabs any woman’s hand? Was approaching my Master also just a way to try and hold her hand?”
“Do not jump to conclusions. She grabbed it of her own accord. I had no choice but to play along to speak with her. It’s not as if I enjoyed it.”
“…I don’t believe you.”
Ruri’s left hand clenched into a tight fist. Watching her fuming, Ferda asked with a resigned face.
“Do you want to hit me?”
“….”
“You may strike me once. If that is what you wish.”
Only then did Ruri’s eyes, which had been fixed on the floor, flick up to look at Ferda. She saw his sharp jawline and his cheek. That face she had wanted to strike at least once because his blunt words were so vexing. Her emotions wouldn’t subside; they kept surging.
Eventually, Ruri reached out her hand.
Ferda closed his eyes tightly, like a prisoner awaiting execution.
Several seconds passed, but no stinging sensation hit his cheek. Instead, he felt his collar being ruffled and straightened.
“So… did you obtain what you wanted?”
Ferda nodded.
“There was a harvest.”
“I see.”
Having finished tidying him, Ruri pulled her hand away. The spot her hand had passed over was now perfectly neat.
“Please, do not disappoint my Master.”
“I understand.”
Ruri studied Ferda’s expression as she spoke. Only after seeing his face—which looked as though dead emotions were flickering back to life—did she feel at ease.
“Then.”
With another gesture from Ruri, the hemispherical barrier dissolved, and the surroundings returned to normal. Ruri gave the knights a sweeping glance before taking flight and leaving the Imperial Palace.
The knights and mages, who had been watching with bated breath, could only stare up at the spot where she had vanished.
“…Situation cleared.”
“Phew!”
“Huff, huff….”
They had essentially let an intruder go free, but no one dared to point it out.
“But is it really okay to just let her go? She’s an intruder.”
Except for one person who lacked any sense of the room.
Once the Level 1 alert was lifted, the commander walked over to Ferda and bowed politely.
“Thank you for resolving the situation.”
“No. I should be the one to apologize. This happened due to my carelessness, and it caused quite an uproar.”
“Not at all. We should be satisfied that we avoided a bloody conflict that could have incurred a Dragon’s wrath. How would you like us to handle this matter, Regent-nim?”
If he raised an issue, they could have ended up in a messy dispute, arguing over who was at fault. But that wasn’t what Ferda wanted. Now that he had an ally in Olivia Arken, it wasn’t wise to make unnecessary enemies among the Imperial family.
“Let’s just let it slide, as you said. Without assigning blame. Thanks to this, didn’t you learn that a single dragon spawn can break through your magic circles and enter?”
“That is true. I’ve been thinking the Ministry of Magic has been too focused on protecting their own interests lately; this gives us a good excuse.”
The commander nodded, looking pleased. Ferda didn’t know the specifics of palace politics, but it was clear the interior was a fierce battlefield.
“It seems our business is concluded. May I take my leave?”
“If your business is finished… of course. But how about staying the night at the palace to rest? You were injured today, so it might be better to stay for a couple of days to recover and monitor your condition….”
The sun was still up, but sunset was approaching. As the commander suggested, it was better to rest for the day.
“I apologize. I am a busy man.”
“Ah, you have a schedule? I understand.”
He didn’t particularly have one, but Ferda simply wanted to leave this uncomfortable place and return home as quickly as possible.
“Ah, and one more thing.”
Ferda spoke to the commander as if he had just remembered.
“Yes.”
“I would like to take one of the knights here with me. Would that be alright?”
“A knight… you say?”
It was a sudden request, and an unacceptable one. Each knight of the Imperial Palace was an exceptional talent; even the very last one in the rankings could serve as a brilliant knight in any other kingdom.
However, the person asking was the Archduke’s fiancé. It wasn’t proper etiquette to refuse immediately.
“Which fellow has caught your eye, Regent-nim?”
“I saw him earlier… but I don’t recall his name.”
Ferda glanced around to find the man. It wasn’t long before he spotted him. He was in a push-up position, being scolded by his seniors.
“Malcolm, you bastard! You missed the formation earlier, didn’t you?”
“Hey, you punk! What were you doing while we were working our asses off? Sleeping?”
“Ah, I-I’m sorry! At that time, I was trying to stop the Regent-nim….”
“Stop the Regent? And did you stop him, you idiot!?”
“When I saw you, you were definitely just walking through the garden?”
“I couldn’t stop him! They said I shouldn’t lay hands on a noble’s body…!”
“Don’t you know that during a Level 1 alert, we come first after the Imperial family!?”
“I-I didn’t know!”
“If you don’t know, is your military life over!? Do you really want to see the end of this!?”
Ferda pointed at the man who was sweating profusely while receiving disciplinary training.
“That fellow there.”
“…That deadweight?”
The commander looked as if he were asking if Ferda was serious.
“Is he famous?”
“In all the wrong ways. I don’t know how that guy even got into the Imperial Palace Knights, but he’s useless. He can’t use a sword, and he drives a horse that looks like a donkey…. Other than that, I have no idea how he got here.”
“Is that so?”
“I was actually thinking of kicking him out anyway… but you still want him?”
The commander asked worriedly. He wasn’t worried about losing talent; he felt like he was passing off a live bomb.
However, Ferda nodded firmly.
“He’s perfect. Wrap him up for me.”
“Understood.”
Every knight in the palace was precious. But Malcolm was an exception.
As the sun dipped behind the hazy western mountains and the sky began to glow with the sunset, the Valdroba Castle official carriage departed from the capital. At the same time, a man who had been hiding breathlessly beneath the carriage revealed himself.
“Phew!! It’s finally over.”
It was Zed. Having emerged from the Sealed Storage, he had somehow managed to escape and climb onto the carriage.
“Good work. The item?”
“I’ve kept it safe here. And I haven’t opened it.”
Zed pulled out a golden bundle he had been carrying. It was a black cover bound by silver chains and wrapped in golden silk. Ferda wouldn’t be able to break these chains and open it by any ordinary means. Since he had no intention of looking at it right away, Ferda wrapped it back in the cloth and set it aside.
“But, sir. Are you sure we won’t get into trouble? I mean, we took a book from the Sealed Storage; there’s no way things will stay quiet….”
“It’s fine. It became easier now that I have a collaborator.”
“Who is it?”
“Olivia Arken.”
Zed’s eyes went wide.
“Oh. You talked to the Flower of the Empire? I heard she’s incredibly beautiful and pure. How was she?”
“She has a devious side.”
“Well, she is a noble lady…. There are quite a few people like that.”
Zed had dealt with many nobles, but he couldn’t hide his envy. She was truly a woman of bewitching charm.
Neigh!
Just as they were leisurely making their exit, the sound of a horse’s cry drifted from where the knights were.
“Whoa, whoa! Hey, mister! I told you to stay in line! How many times do I have to tell you that things get messy when the horses get too close!”
“Ah, I-I’m sorry! Rosy, you brat! I told you not to pester them!”
Hearing a voice for the first time, Zed poked his head out the window. There, he saw a man who had hurriedly packed his belongings and piled them high onto a saddle.
“I’ve never seen that face before. Who’s that?”
He was dressed as a wandering knight, but he looked incredibly awkward. His attire was one thing, but…
“And he’s riding some kind of donkey…?”
He wasn’t on a horse, but a donkey.
“He’s a fellow named Malcolm. An Imperial knight and an apprentice at the same time. I plan to use him as a specimen.”
“A specimen?”
Zed tilted his head at Ferda’s words.
“Yes, a specimen.”
Ferda simply gave a brief reply.
