I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 54
Chapter 54
The Grand Council had concluded, and the after-party was in full swing.
The atmosphere felt even more desolate than it had before the meeting.
If the pre-meeting vibe was one of relaxed probing for information, now the various factions were busy displaying their solidarity.
‘Like children.’
It was no different from picking sides after a spat.
The only difference was that these people held blades capable of commanding thousands.
The Empire was no exception.
Befitting a massive empire, there were over thirty individuals at the rank of Duke or higher.
Rather than acting as a single imperial entity, the sub-factions within were mingling amongst themselves.
1st Prince Alexander, who had been showing boundless interest, spotted Ferda and approached him warmly.
“Did something happen?”
“I just shared a few words regarding Valdroba’s agenda.”
“Ah, right. I didn’t expect you to answer so ambitiously about conquering the Far East. If you need anything, just say the word. I’ll do everything in my power to help!”
“Thank you.”
With that, the conversation ended, and Alexander returned to acting as the leader of his group.
Zed, who was quick to pick up on the nuances of aristocratic society, noticed Alexander’s attitude.
“Did things go south with the 1st Prince? You two seemed fine before the Council started….”
“He’s ignoring me because I don’t seem useful anymore.”
Ferda left the group without a hint of regret.
He hadn’t intended to mingle with them in the first place.
Soon after, another man approached Ferda with a low bow.
“Bernard Wayne, Chancellor of Escoleia. It is an honor to meet the consort of the Great Power’s Eminence.”
“I greet the President of the Treasury of Human Knowledge.”
The man who had raised the agenda regarding the appearance of Demon Followers.
Ferda reflexively furrowed his brow.
“Is something the matter? Your expression….”
“No….”
Bernard’s slick head reflected the light from the chandeliers.
“It’s just that your head is quite dazzling.”
“Ahem… let us move past that. I wanted to thank you for today.”
“Thank me?”
“The imperial prince nearly derailed the agenda, did he not? Thanks to you stepping in personally, I was able to finish my piece.”
Ah, that.
“Don’t worry about it. I simply loathe those who play politics with monsters. I prefer people with competence.”
“It is no easy feat to treat others with such conviction. That is why I feel I shall get along quite well with the Regent of Valdroba.”
Chancellor Bernard gave an awkward laugh.
It made him feel unpleasant, like someone plotting a sinister scheme.
However, Bernard was a man far removed from such conspiracies.
He was a man who was needlessly diligent and overflowing with a sense of responsibility.
“Speak your mind.”
“I originally intended to announce a certain technology in line with today’s presentation. But seeing the atmosphere today, the timing didn’t feel right.”
“Technology?”
“Something I have devoted my life to researching. The mechanism for a monster appearance prediction device.”
“A monster appearance prediction device… I feel as though I’ve heard of that somewhere.”
“How could that be? It is being prepared in secret within Escoleia.”
While it might have been developed in secret, Ferda, who possessed information from the future, had indeed heard of it once.
Ferda finally remembered who he had heard it from.
‘Thessalos Walcher.’
He had mentioned it.
That a monster appearance prediction device was nearly completed but ultimately vanished.
He had said that if it had existed, the duration of their work could have been cut by more than half.
Ferda had once considered Thessalos’s obsession with it pathetic.
But looking back now, it was Ferda himself who was pathetic.
“Chancellor.”
“Yes.”
“When do you plan to showcase that technology?”
“I intend to reveal it soon. Are you familiar with Halim? I’ve rented a venue there and plan to hold an exhibition and briefing for merchants from across the lands. Of course….”
The Chancellor glanced around before leaning in with a sly whisper.
“We shall also be unwinding and enjoying some entertainment together.”
“I suppose I’ll have to stay alive until then.”
“Indeed. Would it not be a tragedy to die without enjoying the finer things? If you are able, Regent….”
“If you invite me, I shall attend.”
“Ho ho, a true man of the world, I see.”
The Chancellor sent him a sly look of camaraderie.
“Very well. I shall have an invitation prepared for you. I must go and greet the others now, so I will take my leave.”
“Safe travels.”
The conversation with the Chancellor of Escoleia was a significant gain for Ferda.
The fact that an exhibition for merchants would be held in Halim.
And that the monster appearance prediction device was a technology that actually existed.
‘And the fact that I can put the Chancellor in my debt.’
He disliked politics, but if there was something he needed, he would obtain it by any means necessary.
That was the reason Ferda had attended the Grand Council.
“Zed, Arwen.”
“Yes?”
“Yes!”
The same answer, but with different tones.
“From now on, keep a secret watch on the Chancellor of Escoleia.”
“That bald guy? What did he do to deserve that?”
“He’s a man whose days are numbered, so keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn’t do anything foolish and check for any suspicious presence around him. This is top priority.”
“Understood.”
Unlike Arwen, Zed didn’t answer immediately.
“I’ll do it if you say so, but what’s the reason?”
“A knight talks too much.”
“I’m a self-made knight, you see. The person I pledged my loyalty to won’t even throw me an appointment banquet.”
“Stop complaining and just do it. I’ll see to it you’re compensated.”
“Tsk, fine. Understood.”
Zed’s complaints vanished at the mention of compensation.
He had likely only voiced them to hear those words in the first place.
After sending the two away, Ferda surveyed his surroundings again.
While grasping the general layout of the factions, Ferda spotted Olivia.
She was mingling with clergymen dressed in white priestly robes trimmed with gold.
‘The Holy Kingdom of Odograsado side?’
It was a strange sight.
The Holy Kingdom of Odograsado and the Arken Empire were supposed to be factions that shunned each other under the pretense that two suns could not coexist.
Moreover, a woman wearing a dress that blatantly revealed her cleavage was mingling with priests.
Just then, as if sensing his gaze, she locked eyes with Ferda.
She gave a small smile and discreetly beckoned him over.
It was uncomfortable.
But if he had to mingle with someone, Olivia was probably the most manageable choice.
With that thought, Ferda walked toward her.
Olivia’s eyes held an intense gaze.
As always, she wore a bright, perfect smile.
She placed a hand on Ferda’s shoulder.
“Let me introduce you.”
Two men were there.
One was an elderly man of slight build wearing a crown.
The other was a middle-aged man with a scar on his face, standing as straight as a soldier.
“This is Ferda, the Regent of Valdroba and the future husband of the Red Dragon, Valdroba-nim. You’ve met before, haven’t you?”
“Ho ho, I know him. It was impossible not to notice him.”
The old man stroked his snow-white beard and chuckled.
His forearms, visible past his sleeves, were revealed.
He was so thin that the phrase ‘skin and bones’ suited him perfectly.
Though he wore high-heeled shoes, he was a frail old man significantly smaller than Olivia, making him look quite precarious.
One might even worry that the very clothes he wore were too heavy and would cause him to collapse.
However, that outward appearance was a different story once you looked him in the face.
From his wide-open eyes, a golden brilliance seemed to pour out.
Even Ferda, who had burned away every last shred of faith in his heart, felt that a god dwelt within those eyes.
Ferda offered his respect willingly.
“I greet the Son of Miracles, the Father of the Holy Kingdom, Holy Emperor Gregorio-nim.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent Ferda. I heard this is your first Grand Council.”
“It is.”
“For someone stepping foot here for the first time, you made quite a bold statement.”
“Yes. I imagine it wasn’t to your liking.”
Gregorio shook his head.
“Not at all. The thoughts you expressed are questions this old man has occasionally pondered himself. Whether the Malice Dragon Valdroba, whom everyone despises, might actually be the Guardian of the East.”
“Is that so?”
“I have come here to represent the will of Orosagrado-nim. As such, I have a duty to be cautious in all matters. Therefore, I cannot support your opinion immediately.”
He let out a regretful sound and lightly patted Ferda’s arm.
“However, if you show the will to clear that misunderstanding, I shall have no choice but to support you in the name of the Golden Scales.”
In the name of the Golden Scales.
It was the absolute oath taken by those who followed Orosagrado.
For someone of the Holy Emperor’s status to make such an oath meant he truly intended to follow through.
On the surface, at least.
However, Ferda did not take those words at face value.
After all, even the Holy Emperor of this Holy Kingdom prioritized interests above all else.
“I am merely moved that you would think so.”
“Carry out your will. If you believe in the god within your heart and take a step forward, He will surely answer you.”
Once the greetings were over, Olivia, who had been watching the conversation, stepped in.
“We shall take our leave now, Your Holiness. Please take care of your health.”
“May the golden grace follow the Flower of the Empire.”
After the formal farewell, Olivia naturally linked her arm with Ferda’s.
She was so swift that Ferda had no chance to refuse.
“Let’s go.”
She moved Ferda with subtle gestures, as if he were the one leading.
Once they had put some distance between them, Olivia asked a question.
“I heard what happened at the meeting.”
Her gaze was one of disapproval.
“Was that agenda something you thought of yourself, Ferda-nim?”
“Yes.”
“It was a truly foolish move.”
Despite the cold sentence, Olivia was smiling radiantly.
Judging by her face alone, it was impossible to tell what kind of conversation they were having.
“It was a story that had to be told.”
“Not at your debut at the Grand Council. It was a story that could only bring about a negative effect. It was a moment where the unestablished image of the Far East could have been negatively decided, you know?”
Her tone held a sharp edge, unbefitting a hothouse flower.
“Is a Princess of the Empire lecturing me after she herself was speaking with the Holy Emperor of another nation?”
“Oh my? Please don’t compare yourself to me. This is just who I am. I am like a butterfly.”
“A butterfly?”
Ferda asked, and Olivia smiled brightly.
She gently let go of his arm and walked a few steps away.
No, she fluttered away, her dress billowing.
“I flit here and there, hovering around. I seem within reach, yet I cannot be caught, making others chase after my tail. I carry weight without being frivolous, yet I am light without being a complete fortress.”
She truly was like a butterfly.
Her movements were like a tightrope act.
And just like that, she alighted softly back toward the hand Ferda was holding.
“Still, it wasn’t all bad. That declaration to conquer the Demonic Land didn’t just leave a bad impression.”
“Is that so?”
“Look. Look at those old, fearful faces. It’s proof that they clearly remember your face, which was once nothing more than a minor role in a play.”
That was something Ferda had felt as well.
“You have no allies now, but as you show your capabilities, they will soon bow their heads to you. If you show even a 1% possibility of realization, they definitely will.”
“What makes you so certain?”
“Duke Valdroba has a prerogative that others do not. Territorial expansion.”
There was only one place where the territory could be expanded. The Far East. The Demonic Land.
A land that no one else could covet.
But if one were to mention that to others, they would have laughed it off as a joke.
In reality, the Ducal territory was currently shrinking, let alone expanding.
“If you can purify that wasteland and make it our land again, it will become the second capital.”
“The second capital….”
“The Empire is currently saturated. There are many young people who abandon their orchards and fields to move to the capital for success. They call it the Empire Dream.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having a dream.”
“Exactly. There’s nothing wrong with it. But in the Empire right now, they are no different from discarded rags. Do you know how many people enter the Empire and die?”
“Even if you tell me that, it’s outside my interest.”
“Anyway, if you prove the value of that land, the Far East will be reborn as a new land of opportunity rather than a mere remote area. As the territory grows, the population will increase, and your voice will carry more weight.”
The East growing larger.
At those words, Ferda asked Olivia.
“Will the Empire just stand by?”
Olivia answered.
“Of course not. They will keep you in check as if they don’t care what happens to you, Regent Ferda.”
The Arken Empire would not give up the formidable power it held in the capital.
Even if it meant someone had to die.
“So, you must help me.”
Her tone carried weight.
As if the next words were crucial, Ferda focused on them as well.
“With what?”
“I am a butterfly, but at the same time, I am a jewel placed in an auction house. A jewel that will eventually be sold off to the central nobles.”
The title of Princess that elevated her was a stepping stone, but also a shackle.
It wasn’t a surprising story.
This tragedy wasn’t unique to Princess Olivia.
It was the case for most daughters of prestigious families whose parents were strict about their upbringing.
The better their education and the more they cultivated their beauty, the higher the chance they would enter a family even more prestigious than their own.
Men sought social advancement in their way, and women in theirs.
A Princess was the ultimate color and card held by the Emperor.
Hearing that, it suddenly clicked.
Why she was building a friendship with the Holy Kingdom of Odograsado.
“I must become a Saintess.”
Olivia smiled deeply.
“If I become a Saintess, I can be free from the price tag of a Princess.”
“Because no one would want to claim a devout Saintess and face the wrath of God and the people.”
“Exactly.”
Olivia was someone who possessed the seal of the oath, devoutness, and popularity among those around her.
However, the decisive deficiency she faced was her status as a Princess.
‘If she escapes being a Princess and becomes a Saintess….’
Olivia would become a child of the Emperor rather than a mere tool, and the power dynamic would shift.
She would not just be a pretty, beautiful flower, but a savior who could rescue the weak.
She would be supported by the clergy, and in doing so, she could escape her status as a jewel on the auction block.
She would form a stable support base within an unstable power structure.
It sounded like a good story, but Ferda already knew.
’Olivia fails to become a Saintess.’
Because of that, she betrayed her oath and flaunted her charms.
She became a femme fatale who seduced her own kin into her bed and brought the nation to ruin, ultimately taking her own life.
Ferda remembered it vividly.
“Can you do it for me?”
A hidden message, unspoken, emanated from her eyes.
For my sake.
Her fragile voice stimulated a protective instinct.
Ferda looked straight into her eyes and spoke.
“I will certainly do it.”
But not for your sake.
“Provided you cooperate sufficiently.”
For the sake of my fiancée.
This matter was strictly a business transaction under a contract.
“Of course.”
Olivia, looking into Ferda’s eyes, was momentarily flustered.
Her voice came out with a very slight tremor.
Her face threatened to turn red from the embarrassment, but Ferda didn’t notice.
Ferda disentangled his arm from hers and spoke.
“Then, I shall be going.”
“Where are you going?”
“I feel like I should go find a lost little brat soon.”
“A lost little brat?”
Ferda let go of Olivia’s hand and walked away.
The men who had held Olivia’s hand were always the same.
When their eyes met, she had to face the possessiveness dwelling within them, and they couldn’t let go of her hand, forcing her to be the one to release it.
But Ferda was different.
He walked away without a single lingering look or regret.
Though she was praised as the greatest beauty in the Empire, she wasn’t even on Ferda’s radar.
On the contrary, Olivia couldn’t take her eyes off him until he disappeared.
‘A collaborator who isn’t swayed by emotion.’
Someone who doesn’t focus on useless things and can exclude variables through rational judgment.
He had said that was exactly the kind of collaborator Olivia needed most.
‘Even though I said that….’
The fact that he didn’t actually look at her wasn’t as pleasant as she had thought.
A wave of disappointment washed over her, but she didn’t have time to dwell on that sentiment.
Nobles began to gather around Olivia.
“I greet the Princess of the Arken Empire, Olivia-nim.”
“I am called Ken. A prince of the Principality of Hus….”
As soon as Ferda vanished, flowers gathered toward the butterfly.
No, beasts holding dirty money to buy her body.
Olivia smiled toward them.
Like a rare jewel.
