I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 91
“Short and intense. To threaten us without a hint of fear…”
Isabella expressed her displeasure.
The way the letter was cut short after saying only what was necessary, and the fact that it was written in red ink—everything about it felt that way. It was easy to interpret it as a provocation.
Perhaps because of that, Ferda saw it differently.
“Isn’t it a bit too bold to call it a threat?”
If they were just some small-timers looking to squeeze out a few coins, they wouldn’t have used the phrase I look forward to seeing you soon at the end.
Moreover, the opponent was the Black Bandana. If they were the continent’s largest secret intelligence organization, they would have already grasped exactly what kind of person Ferda was.
‘So, it makes me curious.’
He wondered whether that promise to meet soon would be a benefit to the Principality.
“Administrator. Is there a flagpole in Hestia?”
“We plan to install one soon.”
“Erect that flagpole today and hang this in the middle. That will serve as our reply.”
Following Ferda’s orders, Isabella set up a flagpole in the center of Hestia and tied the scarf halfway up.
Surrounding them were lonely mountains and dense forests. She wondered if anyone would even notice it hanging there, given the lack of people in the vicinity.
However, a few hours later, a group of six figures clad in black robes and riding black horses arrived at Valdrova Castle.
At a glance, they looked like the secret envoys of some kingdom, but those who knew better recognized who they were.
Ruri went down to identify them and reported back.
“Ferda-nim, there are those below the castle who say they have come in response to your call.”
“Bring only their representative inside.”
As they were a secret organization, they had to be handled with caution.
The one who entered Valdrova Castle as the representative was a slender woman. She had sky-blue eyes, ash-gray hair, and sun-kissed skin.
The woman, who looked as if she had been raised in the southern regions, bowed politely.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent. This humble girl’s name is Garnet Swallow.”
As she spoke, her slightly parted lips revealed sharp, pointed teeth.
‘A Dark Elf?’
Though she possessed striking beauty, her fierce expression was enough to make one flinch. Furthermore, her blunt ears indicated she was a beauty from the south.
Ferda questioned her.
“So, will you tell me why you threatened me and then had the audacity to show up here?”
Garnet lowered her head.
“A threat? Perish the thought. How could those of us who live in the sewers threaten the Regent of the Duke, the spouse of a Dragon?”
“Then you must explain the contents of that letter.”
“The red ink was provocative, I admit, but it is merely a stale custom of our organization. If it caused you concern, I must apologize a hundred times over. However, if I truly intended to threaten you, I would have no reason to reveal myself like this.”
She had a point.
Garnet placed the bag she had brought with her onto the table.
“This is the first gift I offer as the representative of the Black Bandana.”
Ferda checked briefly to see if any cheap tricks, like an explosive magic circle, had been laid. There were no traces of magical tampering.
Having finished his inspection, Ferda opened the bag. Inside was a stack of documents.
“Please, read it. I am certain it will be to your liking.”
At her urging, Ferda scanned the contents quickly. There was a reason Garnet was so confident. They contained information Ferda needed immediately.
‘Everything regarding Tilda Pascal.’
It was a comprehensive document detailing the plans she had concocted to surpass Murchit, Stefan, and Herman to become the master of the Pascal Company.
It ranged from the organizational chart of the agitators Tilda Pascal had planted to contingency plans up to Plan C. The content was so detailed it made the information Murchit and Stefan were trying to dig up look like a mere amateur show.
‘The accuracy is something I’ll have to verify later, but…’
Ferda did not doubt it. This was a message from the Black Bandana, the largest secret intelligence organization. They wouldn’t do something as foolish as spitting on their own faces by providing false information.
Still, he had to ask.
“What is the reason for giving me this information?”
The Black Bandana, which had repeatedly rejected recruitment offers from the Empire, had reached out first. Ferda needed to know why.
Garnet replied.
“It is not a simple provision; it is closer to an intermediary service.”
“An intermediary?”
“Yes. Tilda Pascal has been a target we’ve had our eyes on for a long time. Our first client has been tracking and investigating her for four years.”
Only then did it make sense. The reason such a wealth of information had been accumulated was that they had been investigating for a long time. And the reason they had suddenly appeared to offer Tilda Pascal’s information as a gift was the will of their client.
“She is truly a remarkable individual. We have followed and stuck to her for nearly four years to dig up information, and do you know how many incredible things she has accomplished in those four years?”
Garnet spoke as if she found it absurd.
“She turned most of the people in the mansion into her own followers and poisoned her father-in-law, leaving him in a vegetative state.”
“Without killing him?”
“She is planning to have the will altered.”
“Using schemes to seize the fortune, then.”
“Precisely. I have never seen a woman whose heart was so filled with greed where a conscience should be.”
It wasn’t particularly surprising to Ferda. In the past he remembered, Tilda Pascal was the mistress of the Dandolo Company. After the head’s death, she moved quickly with a wedding, and a few months later, the next head also died. Tilda was the one who inherited the Dandolo Company, which had no other relatives.
That was how she was designated the next owner of the Pascal Company and stood on equal footing with Murchit. Reading the documents, he could clearly feel it—just how much this woman craved the Pascal Company.
“Do you know why this woman remains unscathed despite committing such atrocities?”
“I do not.”
To be honest, he wasn’t very interested.
“After piecing everything together, our conclusion is that Filiaz is behind her.”
Now, that changed the story.
Filiaz, the source of all Witches. Most of them forcibly pierce the Red Circle through resentment, usually a grudge held against a man.
However, Tilda Pascal was not a Witch. If she were, he would have known.
“That means she has formed a Garden Contract.”
A Garden Contract. It was a medium that allowed a woman who had not awakened as a Witch to wield a Witch’s power. A woman filled with as much malice as a Witch would contract with them to act as their proxy.
However, such cases were extremely rare, and since there was no awakening of a Red Circle, they were not easy to detect.
“Have you identified who she made the contract with?”
“We cannot be certain, but the most likely candidate is Yor Filiaz.”
The Witch of Poison and Snakes, Yor Filiaz. She was also skilled in illusion magic, and considering the charisma and organizational cohesion Tilda Pascal displayed, Ferda thought it was entirely possible.
“And so?”
Ferda tossed the documents back into the bag and asked.
“I get the information, and the client gets their revenge, so it’s a win-win? Is that it?”
“How could that be? This information is merely a gift. If you agree to this deal, you will gain two advantages.”
Garnet held up her index finger.
“First, as I mentioned, the matter can be settled swiftly.”
Then, her middle finger.
“Second, using this incident as a catalyst, you will be able to take possession of the Dandolo Company.”
The second condition was so extraordinary that Ferda wondered if he had misheard.
“Possess the Dandolo Company?”
“Yes.”
“We would?”
“Not ‘we’.”
Garnet pointed politely at Ferda.
“It can fall entirely into the hands of Regent Ferda of Valdrova.”
The Pascal Company was the largest merchant company in the Empire. The second largest was the Dandolo Company.
‘If those two companies were to merge…’
It was a proposal so massive it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it meant swallowing half the Empire. Because of its scale, it was hard to believe. Even coming from the Black Bandana, whose reputation was built on trust, it felt like a lie.
“How could I possibly take the Dandolo Company?”
“I cannot give you the details without a commitment. However, everything is linked to Tilda Pascal. That includes Henri Dandolo and Rico Dandolo.”
Henri Dandolo was already famous for being a naive man. Regardless of his personality, his business acumen was excellent, and he was contributing greatly to stabilizing his father’s aggressive expansion.
‘Once Henri stabilizes the business…’
Tilda would reveal her hidden fangs and bite Henri’s throat.
‘A truly pitiful man.’
But Ferda did not pity him. If he could save a man’s life when he was destined to die, that alone was something to be grateful for.
“If you bring about her downfall, House Dandolo will lose its credibility, and the Dandolo Company will not wish to be ruled by House Dandolo.”
“Aren’t you overlooking the client’s greed?”
“The Black Bandana guarantees it. If these terms are not met, we will step in as the executors.”
The Black Bandana was an organization with a long history that maintained trust no matter what. If an opponent refused to honor a deal, their business was to take what was owed by force.
Ferda had no reason to refuse if he could swallow the company. Since such a sweet and massive prize had rolled his way, he thought it over several more times. He wondered if this matter could truly end so smoothly.
The Black Bandana could be trusted, but he knew nothing about the client. Couldn’t the client stab him in the back once the deal with the Black Bandana was finished? To deduce who that person was, Ferda decided to throw out a few more questions.
“So, what do you need?”
“Again, there are two things I would like to propose.”
“You certainly like the number two.”
“That is just how the conversation has unfolded.”
“Speak.”
“First, I would like to borrow some manpower.”
“What kind of manpower?”
“To find the medium of the contract with Yor Filiaz.”
For a Garden Contract to be officially established, a medium was required. Ironically, the easier the medium was to destroy or the more it stood out, the stronger the power became. If the poison was enough to fill the mansion with her people and leave the master of the Dandolo Company helpless, it was undoubtedly something conspicuous and easy to break.
“That woman’s medium will be inside the house. We do not know the exact location, but we need an expert who can pinpoint it.”
“And it seems you already have an expert in mind.”
Garnet nodded.
“Yes. I would like to borrow the strength of Zed Swallow—or rather, the man who must now be called Sir Zed.”
At this point in time, Zed was known only as a simple swindler, far removed from actual thievery. If they had watched his performance in Halim, they would have only grasped that his movements were beyond those of an acrobat.
‘But the fact that Zed has a talent for thievery shouldn’t be known yet.’
As expected of the Black Bandana. Their intelligence was vast enough to make one’s tongue click in admiration, and their deduction skills were excellent. They were indeed an information organization the Empire would covet.
Ferda finished his thoughts and gave his answer.
“I will lend him to you. And the second?”
“I want you to turn Tilda Pascal into an imbecile.”
“An imbecile?”
“Keep her alive, but in a state where the body imprisons the soul.”
“You mean you want her left in a state where she is alive but cannot truly live.”
The one called the client clearly wanted revenge. As someone who had enacted terrible vengeance thousands of times, turning someone into an imbecile was among the most cruel acts.
‘Who would wish for such revenge?’
Given Tilda Pascal’s infamy, it could be anyone. But piecing the story together, there was one most likely candidate.
‘Rico Dandolo.’
Looking at the big picture, he was the most probable. He would certainly choose to hand his business over to someone else rather than let it be stolen by a piece of trash daughter-in-law.
‘In any case, for them to make such a request…’
The Black Bandana proposed it because they believed Ferda was capable of it. Then, what did they see in Ferda that made them believe it was possible?
“Specifically, what method do you expect from me?”
Her eyes shifted slightly to the girl standing diagonally behind Ferda.
“Dragon Fear.”
It was Ruri.
“I have heard that ordinary dragon spawns are incapable of emitting Dragon Fear. However, it is said that dragon spawns who have trained enough to approach the level of a dragon can use a portion of that authority.”
Her gaze returned to Ruri.
“And I know that the maid over there is skilled enough to use Dragon Fear. We want that Dragon Fear.”
Only then did it make sense. To hand a massive corporation like the Dandolo Company over to Ferda, such power was necessary. Garnet needed not only the strength of a master thief but the power of a dragon as well.
“Ha.”
Ferda let out a laugh as if he found it absurd.
“That is an incredibly insolent request.”
Ferda lowered his voice. The atmosphere turned cold in response. Garnet’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. She was currently like someone walking a tightrope in the middle of a raging storm. Knowing that the moment she slipped, she would fall into the abyss, she spoke cautiously.
“I am already aware that I am overstepping my bounds. That is why I offered the condition of handing over the Dandolo Company, which I believed would be sufficient compensation for the Valdrova Principality.”
“Pathetic. Do you think there is balance in this trade?”
Ferda asked with cold anger.
“Do you think you can borrow the power of a dragon with human treasures? Do you think it is possible to bribe us with mere money?”
“It is possible.”
“?”
“?”
Ruri, who had been standing like a folding screen, chimed in. Ferda glanced at her. After locking eyes for a few seconds, he spoke to Garnet.
“She says it’s possible.”
“Uh… really?”
“She is not my servant, after all. Since she said she can do it, then so be it.”
Garnet could not hide her bewilderment at the unexpected turn. Nevertheless, she bowed her head toward Ruri.
“I thank you for your assistance. It is more than I could hope for that a servant of the great Valdrova would grant such a stubborn request.”
“You must keep your promise.”
“Of course. We are not so arrogant as to mock immortals.”
Having confirmed Ruri’s cooperation, Garnet breathed a sigh of relief.
“Since there seem to be no major issues with the deal, I will proceed as planned. Please read the contract and grant your approval.”
The paperwork was handled directly by Isabella, who was standing nearby. After meticulously checking for traps, she handed it back to Ferda, and the contract was established.
Ruri’s power could be borrowed later, so…
“What will you do about Sir Zed?”
Garnet replied nonchalantly as if she had already thought of it.
“According to our information, he is expected to arrive soon. Since the Regent has given permission, I will speak with Sir Zed directly.”
“I wonder if that will go well.”
“There is no need to worry. Sir Zed and I are already old acquaintances.”
One of Ferda’s eyebrows twitched.
“Old acquaintances?”
“We worked together in a mercenary group called Swallow. We were together for three years, so it’s quite a deep connection.”
“Swallow…”
Zed Swallow. Garnet Swallow.
Only now did he notice the commonality.
‘There was a reason she knew so much about Zed.’
Because they were close, she knew Zed well.
A moment later, a frivolous clattering sound echoed from the hallway. The sound grew closer and closer until it finally reached the audience chamber.
“Regent, I have returned!”
Zed, who had been sent away for training, returned gallantly.
“Having successfully completed his field training and armed himself with chivalry, Zed Swallow has made his grand entrance!”
“Welcome back.”
“Ah, you have a guest. The guest is…”
The two stared at each other for a long time. Zed, who had claimed to be gallantly armed with chivalry, turned pale the moment he saw her face.
“Ugh! Fiendteeth!”
He jumped as if he had seen a ghost and covered his face with his helmet. Garnet stood up and approached him.
“Zed.”
“…Who are you? I’m not Zed, I’m Malcolm from Peach Hill.”
“Stop that strange nasal voice. I already know you’re a knight belonging to this place.”
“…No, really, miss. I don’t know who you are. I’m Malcolm. I’m a blockhead. I don’t know my numbers, and I don’t know my left from my right.”
“Sigh…”
Garnet let out a long sigh. Then, she kicked him hard in the shin. In common terms, she gave him a swift crack to the joint.
Whack!
The sound was loud enough to echo through the entire audience chamber. Zed jumped just as loudly as the sound. Even so, he didn’t forget to keep his face covered with his helmet.
“Khkh! Kh! Kh! Kh!”
“You damn coward! Follow me! You’ve been sold to me!”
“Gwaaaaah! What does that mean?! Regent? What is she talking about!? Regent?!”
Garnet dragged him away by the ear while Zed demanded an explanation. However, the last sight reflected in Zed’s eyes was Ferda waving goodbye.
Eventually, six black horses and one brown horse departed the castle gates. Zed was sitting on the brown horse. And Penelope was seated behind him. She, too, was being sold off alongside him and was shouting something noisily, but her voice faded as they entered the forest.
“Hmm?”
Ruri, who had been watching the scene, spoke up.
“What is it?”
“The horses have all left, but one person is missing.”
“Didn’t Zed and Penelope leave?”
“I know that. But one of the black-clad ones is missing.”
Sensing something strange, Ruri immediately began searching for the missing person. The search didn’t last long. A man draped in a robe was standing idly below the castle where the representative had been waiting.
On the man’s chest, a note was kindly attached.
-The second gift.
Ferda peeled off the black robe as if unwrapping a birthday present. He soon realized why a human was the second gift.
“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmm-mmph!”
It was Frank Fontaine. The man who had gone missing during the ambush. And perhaps, the man who could testify regarding this entire situation.
When the gag was removed from his mouth, he shouted.
“I-I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything, so please, just spare my life!”
