The Beginning-of-Spring Festival

Ferda's speech had barely ended when several nobles approached him.

“Regent Waldrova, it is a pleasure to meet you. I was pleased to hear your speech.”

“I'm afraid I'm not very eloquent, so I don't know whether I conveyed it properly.”

“What are you saying? I was deeply moved by what you just said! I want to join that great dream! I really do, Regent!”

Most merely expressed their approval, calling it a fine speech, while some reacted passionately as though they had truly been inspired.

Middle-aged people think with their heads, but the young think with their hearts.

In their hearts, the hero was still setting out on an adventure, making his way toward the princess imprisoned in the castle.

In that sense, Ferda was thinking about the speech he had given with his head.

‘This is so embarrassing I could die.’

Hope, friendship, and all that.

They were empty embellishments that did not suit Ferda.

Thinking of such things was difficult enough, let alone coming up with them.

Anyone who was not seasoned in politics would have found it impossible to deliver a speech like that.

He cast a sidelong glance toward that ambitious woman.

Olivia Arken.

She stood at a round table near the banquet's host.

Of course, she was not alone.

She was mingling with other high-ranking noble ladies.

‘Was it the Golden Rose?’

A social circle centered around Olivia Arken.

It was said to be a device for fending off the men who approached her.

Olivia, the golden rose, was protected by the thorns and leaves surrounding her.

Ferda watched her smile.

It was overflowing with affectation.

It was strange.

He had definitely not sensed such affectation when she had looked at him.

‘Perhaps she has simply gotten much better at hiding it in the meantime.’

After accepting all the greetings from the nobles who had gathered around him, Ferda approached Olivia.

He was doing so to follow the scenario she had devised.

“Thank you for helping with the Beginning-of-Spring Festival.”

“Not at all. It was my honor to be able to help.”

“Then I hope you enjoy yourself.”

Olivia smiled faintly and tilted her head slightly.

Ferda moved on without saying anything more than necessary.

They looked perfectly proper, not at all like a man and woman involved in a scandal.

‘She’s being very helpful.’

Secretly satisfied with her assistance, Ferda continued making the rounds of the banquet hall and greeting people.

Although it was supposedly a banquet for everyone, it was an unspoken rule that knights and nobles were kept separate.

The distinction was made through their clothing.

Nobles wore flamboyant clothes, while knights wore vests and were relatively plain.

Ferda spotted two familiar faces among the knights.

They were Zed and Malcolm.

“I found your speech truly impressive, Regent.”

“I-I thought it was really cool! Totally!”

Despite wearing the same clothes, they gave off entirely different impressions.

Zed looked neat and stylish in anything, while Malcolm looked like a country bumpkin no matter what he wore.

‘William would be perfect for this kind of gathering.’

William was such a thorough man that even Ferda considered him a role model.

In fact, Ferda had wanted him to attend, but William had politely declined.

As captain of the security force, he was devoted to his duty and intended to stand watch all night throughout the festival.

It was a shame, but Ferda had to respect that.

“Regent, may I have a word with you?”

Despite his broad grin, his mouth produced a disgruntled complaint.

“How long are you going to let this bastard keep tailing me?”

“Tailing you?”

“Every time I try to go somewhere, this guy says, ‘Sir Zed, where are you going?’ and tries to follow me around.”

“Is that so?”

“To shake him off, I’d have to tell him I was on a secret mission, right? Then isn’t there a chance that bastard would go blabbing about it everywhere? In that case, it wouldn’t be a secret mission anymore, would it?”

He glared at Ferda with eyes reddened by stress.

Extreme stress was not Ferda’s concern, but Zed had a point.

“Go. I’ll handle it.”

“Then I’ll be off.”

He moved away so quickly that it was impossible to tell whether he felt as though he had set down a heavy burden or was simply fleeing without being noticed.

“Huh? Where did Sir Zed go……?”

“I remembered an errand I’d forgotten, so I sent him to take care of it.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“There’s no need to look for him. Why don’t you mingle with the other knights?”

“Uh…… well……”

Malcolm scratched his head awkwardly.

“Um…… Was I getting in Sir Zed’s way after all? I’m not used to places like this, so I wanted to get some help from Sir Zed, but……”

So that was why he had been tailing him?

“You even became a knight of the Imperial household, but you’ve never attended a gathering like this?”

“You’re the only one who ever invites me to places like this, Regent……. I wasn’t even allowed to attend my knighting ceremony; I only received my appointment letter. So I naturally assumed I’d spend the Beginning-of-Spring Festival at my quarters, eating some leftovers and going to sleep. But then you invited me, didn’t you? I wanted to help you save face……. I wanted to ask how I was supposed to act, but it seems I was bothering Sir Zed.”

He might never attain the rank of knight in his entire life, but his tenacity was second to none.

Ferda had been about to send him back to his room, but he could not help changing his mind.

“You would feel more comfortable carrying out orders than socializing in a place like this, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, sir! I’ll do anything, as long as it’s something I can do!”

“Then I’ll give you an order.”

Malcolm wagged his tail like a country puppy in the morning.

“Keep watch here and see whether any trouble breaks out. Understood?”

“And I’m supposed to clean it up if something happens?”

“There’s no need for you to intervene. Just watch. Eat some food and drink something while you do it. Understood?”

“Yes, sir! Understood.”

Malcolm accepted the order, but belatedly sensed that something was strange.

However, thinking that he only had to carry out the order, he soon put aside his doubts.

In reality, nothing had changed from before he received the order, but the period of aimless wandering that had enveloped Malcolm was over.

That settled the matter of Malcolm, for now.

After passing through one unfamiliar person after another, Ferda found someone he knew.

It was Arwen.

Arwen was not even on the list, but Ferda had deliberately added him.

“Arwen Wolfheart, knight of the County of Concilus, pays his respects to the Regent. Thank you for inviting me to the Beginning-of-Spring Festival.”

“Count Concilus dotes on you. Wouldn’t it be only right for me to help?”

“Dotes on me? That is far too generous.”

Ferda had never specifically asked for it, but he knew that Concilus had recently grown very fond of Arwen.

He was an old man and would need someone to inherit his domain.

One day, Arwen would be recognized not as a knight but as Ulbera Concilus’s adopted son and inherit the county.

Therefore, Arwen had to become Ferda’s man, and Ferda had to look after him.

“Zed told me you have a woman in mind.”

“C-cough…… There hasn’t been any real progress yet…….”

It was the reaction of a confirmed bachelor who knew nothing but the sword and honor.

Then he sent a sidelong glance somewhere.

When the woman in the green dress met his gaze, she smiled brightly.

That immature-looking young lady was undoubtedly the woman he had seen at the Grand Council.

“She’s from House Purity.”

“Yes. She’s their third daughter.”

She looked like a princess from a fairy tale.

Not in a good way—she had a vacant air that made her seem dim-witted.

Unlike the sharp eldest and second daughters, who had clearly been forged into strategic weapons, she strongly resembled someone raised in a greenhouse and left unattended.

In other words, she was of no use.

It did not look as though Arwen would have much to suffer over.

Still, just in case, Ferda gave Arwen a word of warning.

“Don’t do anything strange here.”

“Of course not. What kind of trouble would I cause here? I wouldn’t do that.”

“Even if you do, do it after you return to the county.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes, understood.”

Arwen did not understand what Ferda meant.

After finishing his conversation, Arwen walked over to the young lady.

Arwen smiled awkwardly, and the young lady gave him a shy smile.

Watching them made Ferda’s stomach ache for no reason.

Some people could not even hold hands with their fiancées, while others were having a wonderful time……

‘I suppose this atmosphere is making it worse.’

What had it been like when he attended parties like this before his regression?

No one had approached Ferda when he had come as a guest.

It had been as though he had merely been thrown a ceremonial invitation, and his actually showing up had made everyone uncomfortable.

‘I was just like Malcolm.’

That must have been why he had felt a vague sense of pity.

Because he had been like that, and because he knew what that feeling was like.

Ferda felt lonely even at this moment.

No, he felt even lonelier than he had back then.

It felt as though he had left his other half somewhere behind.

A short while later, a signal sounded from the musicians’ side.

They had spent enough time laughing and chatting; it was time to properly liven up the atmosphere.

It was the sound of the ball beginning, the event that would heat up the banquet.

Dressed-up bees moved about, pestering the flowers they liked.

‘The host’s duty.’

Among the flowers the bees ignored, Ferda searched for a quiet one.

A freckled, extremely thin young lady with black hair.

She was not pretty, but neither was she particularly ugly; more than anything, she had an unremarkable air.

Naturally, he did not know which family’s daughter she was.

Ferda walked over and held out his hand.

“As host, I would like to ask you for a dance. Would that be all right?”

The freckled young lady looked around, then pointed at herself.

“Oh my, you really want to dance with someone like me?”

“You shouldn’t be unable to enjoy yourself at such a wonderful gathering.”

“If it’s all right with you, Regent, I would be delighted.”

The freckled young lady shyly took his hand.

Once enough pairs had formed, the musicians moved from the prelude into the main piece.

It was a light waltz, not a passionate dance.

The volume was adjusted so that the men and women could converse with one another.

The newly paired men and women were sizing each other up.

Of course, Ferda said nothing.

He thought he only needed to fulfill the host’s duty, so he had no reason to make small talk.

“You’re engaged to Lady Waldrova, aren’t you, Regent?”

The freckled young lady brought up the subject first.

“That’s right.”

“Have you ever met the Grand Duke in person?”

“Yes.”

“Um…… Weren’t you afraid? It sounds like a rather silly question, but……”

“I wasn’t afraid.”

The woman opened her eyes wide.

“Is that possible? When your partner is a dragon?”

“……”

“Oh dear, I keep being rude. But it’s just so fascinating to people as insignificant as us that you’re marrying such a great being…….”

“It’s all right.”

As she said, no one could understand why he was engaged to Waldrova.

Only Ferda knew what she truly was.

“She has a wiser and warmer heart than any human, and I know that because I’ve seen it myself.”

“Is that so?”

“Besides, she takes an interest in many things and makes an effort to understand and empathize.”

It was a side of her that only Ferda knew.

And it was a side he wanted other people to know.

That was why Ferda told the freckled young lady about her, one thing at a time.

The freckled young lady listened quietly, then said,

“Now that I think about it, you seem like a very warm person too, Regent.”

“Pardon?”

He wondered what she meant.

“I can feel that you love her with all your heart.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because I can see you smiling when you talk about the Grand Duchess?”

Smiling?

Ferda was startled by that fact, and his feet got tangled in the steps he had been concentrating on.

But it did not lead to a major disaster.

The freckled young lady skillfully turned her body and corrected their offbeat steps.

Ferda naturally asked her,

“Am I smiling?”

“Yes. Didn’t you notice?”

He had not.

For Ferda, who rarely found himself smiling at other people, it was astonishing even to him.

“Ah. Your face is trying to return to normal.”

The young lady drew Ferda’s attention.

“Please keep smiling like that. Show everyone that the man engaged to the Grand Duchess is someone who knows how to love.”

“Do you think that would be better?”

“Of course. Please keep talking. Tell me what Lady Waldrova is like.”

As he listened to the freckled young lady, Ferda’s expression naturally relaxed.

Following his heart, he let his true self show and talked about Waldrova.

A short while later, the song ended.

“Thank you for granting a lowly young lady the honor of dancing with you, Regent.”

“Not at all. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

He meant it sincerely.

The freckled young lady met his eyes, smiled faintly, and disappeared.

Watching her go, Ferda realized he had forgotten something.

‘Come to think of it, I never asked her name.’

Because they had spent such a comfortable time together, he had failed to properly gather information about her.

Even so, it would be rude to suddenly approach her and ask her name.

The ball was in full swing, so he could do it afterward.

Ferda followed the scenario, which was his top priority.

‘Now I ask Olivia to dance.’

The scenario for resolving the scandal.

Then he would be rejected, implying that their relationship was not romantically intimate.

Ferda moved toward the table where the Golden Rose stood.

As planned, he approached her like a stranger.

Showing that although he was acquainted with her, he had no romantic feelings for her,

he reached out toward a single flower.

“As host, I would like to ask you for a dance. Would that be all right?”

Olivia’s answer, her mouth hidden behind a fan, was exactly as expected.

“Yes.”

“Yes, then…… pardon?”

No—

“I’d love to.”

She had shattered the scenario she herself had devised.

“Let’s dance.”