Chapter 204
The story continues off the page
The Last Dance Before Midnight
A masked dragon asks the lanternwright for one slow dance
“Princess Olivia and the Second Prince are coming?”
Valdrova, seated in her lair, asked after hearing Luri's report.
“That's right.”
“Olivia... the very beautiful one?”
“That's right.”
“The one who came to the festival?”
“Yes, the one who almost danced with Lord Ferda and was constantly at his side.”
“I-I don't think it was quite like that…….”
Her bright blond hair and blue eyes.
A woman whose smile was perfect, too.
Even without trying to remember her, her presence was like an awl poking out of a pocket.
It kept poking out no matter what.
The radiance she gave off made Valdrova feel so shabby that she shrank back.
“Shall I tell her not to come in?”
At Luri's question, Valdrova jumped.
“Why?”
“You seem worried that Lord Ferda might take an interest in her, so shouldn't I keep them from meeting?”
Valdrova shuddered.
“Mr. Ferda isn't that kind of person.”
“He certainly isn't that kind of person.”
“Then why did you put it that way?”
“Because it is my duty to prevent, in advance, any situation that might displease you, Master.”
Valdrova flinched.
“They say there is no smoke without fire, and no leaves grow on a rootless tree, do they not? If Princess Olivia stays close to him, Lord Ferda may one day be captivated by her allure.”
“Even though I'd spent more time with him?”
“Men are like that.”
“Are they...?”
“Yes.”
Valdrova had no idea why Luri was so certain.
She had never even been in love herself, so she should not know much about men.
Still, merely hearing Olivia's name had immediately made her anxious.
She imagined Olivia clinging to Ferda's side.
And she ended up thinking that they looked very well suited to each other.
Valdrova did not want to doubt Ferda.
Therefore, ideally, she should avoid seeing Olivia, just as Luri had said.
If she needlessly put herself through this anguish, Ferda would notice it with uncanny ease, too.
‘He might think I'm a tiresome woman.’
The thought that he might grow tired of her someday and leave made her anxious.
How could she ease this feeling?
Valdrova thought it over and reached a conclusion.
* * *
Valdrova Castle.
Olivia followed Luri's guidance.
The unfamiliar direction, different from the route she usually took, felt refreshing.
‘Valdrova...’
The dragon who guarded the Far East.
She had readily accepted the title of Grand Duke, bestowed on her arbitrarily by humans, and become the dragon who protected that place.
But who ever treated her as a guardian dragon?
She was still an evil dragon, nothing more than a dog guarding a house.
Olivia had once even thought that Valdrova's achievements might have been exaggerated, and that she might actually be an unremarkable dragon.
But that had been an arrogant thought.
Because Olivia had taken part in the monster subjugation campaign, she could feel it with certainty.
At the time of the expedition, everyone yearned for hope, but for Olivia, that had not been enough.
She could move the masses, but she could not sustain them.
It took only a single gesture to turn the tide.
The red dragon stood alone atop a lonely mountain peak and turned everything around.
No matter how many speeches Olivia gave or how loudly she raised her voice, she could never have done what Valdrova did.
That was unquestionably the choice of a sovereign.
‘That Valdrova summoned me...’
What could she possibly find appealing in a mere human like me?
No, she could more or less guess what this was about.
Since she was a woman as well, it had to be “that” reason.
‘Don't flirt with someone else's fiancé... It must be some obvious accusation like that.’
She had heard it often enough.
Ever since she had reached adolescence, people her own age, old men, men with fiancées, and even married men had shown interest in her.
-The little thing's already flirting with someone else's man.
-At that rate, how will she ever marry? Tsk, tsk…….
Olivia, who had never once viewed a man romantically, found it terribly unfair.
She had always drawn an appropriate line, as she had learned in her social lessons, and kept proper decorum to avoid being misunderstood.
Even so, it was always the men who crossed the line.
There had even been women who, despite no one crossing the line between the two of them, had immediately hurled resentful accusations out of jealousy.
Men looked at her with lust-filled eyes, while women glared at her with eyes full of jealousy.
Olivia was always tired.
If the Red Dragon Valdrova was a woman, then this meeting had to be born of jealousy.
‘Then it will be simple.’
All she had to do was say that she would no longer associate with that man.
She could swear in the name of God that she would pass him by, ignoring him like a stone without even exchanging the simplest conversation.
Then everything would be settled.
Olivia could reduce the unnecessary things she had to say, and the jealousy she needlessly provoked.
‘……But I don't want to do that.’
Her relationship with Ferda was not simply that of a man and woman.
He was a partner she could trust, and at the same time, the god she held in her heart.
She could not casually say that she would sever ties with him.
Then what should she do?
‘Perhaps I won't be coming back today.’
Imagining that, Olivia let out a little laugh.
“My lady, Princess Arken is entering.”
Luri led Olivia to a garden inside the castle.
It was tended with such meticulous care that it could not be compared to the gardens of the Imperial Palace, where dozens of gardeners worked.
In the middle of the garden stood a single roofed pavilion, with a table laid with refreshments.
A woman in red sat there.
‘That person... Valdrova.’
Olivia had already seen Valdrova's human form twice.
The voluptuous curves of her body and her fair skin.
And, contrasting with them, two pairs of ferocious horns.
The tips of those horns gleamed with an exceptionally sharp light, unsettling Olivia.
‘I can withstand this much.’
No matter what happened, she must not lose her composure.
Even if she entered a dragon's jaws, she had to hold out until the end.
Olivia offered a polite greeting.
“I pay my respects to Your Highness Valdrova, Great Aspect of Fire.”
“……”
Valdrova did not answer, merely dipping her head.
Olivia inferred it from that action alone.
‘She seems displeased.’
It was certain that she had not been invited here with good intentions.
The pressure felt as if it were squeezing her chest beyond her control.
Luri pulled out a chair behind her, and Olivia sat across from Valdrova.
“It is an honor to see Your Highness, the Grand Duke. I had heard that Your Highness Valdrova was a woman, but I cannot express how delighted I am to have the opportunity to meet you in person before even my brothers.”
“……”
“Please forgive me. I kept prattling on without knowing my place.”
“Ah, no…….”
Her first words were so halting that Olivia almost wondered if she had heard correctly.
Her voice was so warm and gentle that Olivia wondered if she had heard correctly,
“No, you did not.”
She put some force into her voice and said it again.
Olivia felt as though a child were pointlessly playing king, but she deliberately ignored it.
Olivia replied without offending her.
“Then I am relieved. The fact that you wished to speak with me leaves this Olivia Arken deeply honored.”
“I see……”
“If it would not be an imposition, I would like to sample Your Highness the Grand Duke's tea. What do you think?”
“Let us…… do so…….”
At Valdrova's halting reply, another uncomfortable silence quickly settled over them.
Olivia could easily shatter a situation like this whenever she wished.
As the mistress of the Imperial Palace, she had mastered ways to skillfully guide a conversation.
Even so, she could not bring herself to accommodate Valdrova and begin a conversation.
‘I can't figure her out…….’
Facing Valdrova now, Olivia felt as if the information she gathered kept tangling itself into knots.
Valdrova the hostess, who had stood out as she walked before everyone at the Spring Festival.
Valdrova the dragon, who had stood tall atop a lonely mountain peak.
The human Valdrova, who now seemed like a young lady making her social debut.
These three had to be one and the same person, yet Olivia could not make them match.
All she needed was to identify what kind of being Valdrova was, but even that proved difficult, making her continually watch what she said.
Olivia kept one thing in mind.
What was Valdrova's purpose in summoning her here?
She did not leap to an easy conclusion and rush ahead.
For now, Olivia had to be innocent.
An innocent Olivia knew nothing.
So she pretended not to know and casually tossed out the question.
“Would it not be better for Your Highness to speak with the Second Prince rather than me……?”
“……Why do you think that?”
“I am a princess. A princess is practically the hostess of the palace, is she not? If you speak with someone like me, you will only exchange petty, trivial talk. As Your Highness is a good ruler who must put state affairs and the national interest first, surely it would be more appropriate for you to speak with my brother rather than me……”
“Er, um…… the thing is……”
Valdrova stammered awkwardly.
“That sort of thing is, well…… someone like Mr. Ferda…… No, what was it……? Anyway, I think it is right for someone like Ferda to handle it……!”
“I-I see.”
What on earth had she been trying to say?
Olivia was now perplexed herself.
Valdrova's masked gestures looked extremely flustered.
“……I wished to speak with you because you are intelligent and beautiful.”
Her heart sank.
It had never been a good sign when another woman, alone with her, told her she was intelligent and beautiful.
Olivia forced herself to pretend not to understand and smiled.
“I am deeply honored that an immortal would judge a mere mortal so highly. But humans are ultimately merely beings that imitate the form of gods. I doubt I could surpass the beauty of a dragon so close to divinity.”
“……”
Valdrova did not answer.
The gaze beyond that mask was fixed on Olivia's eyes.
What was she thinking?
Olivia felt the pressure.
“You truly are intelligent. Intelligent enough to make me think you and Ferda suit each other.”
Having heard that, Olivia could no longer smile.
To be told that she and her fiancé suited each other so well.
From the moment those words were spoken, it was as good as over.
Olivia forced down her pounding heart, took care not to let cold sweat trickle down, and opened her mouth.
“Olivia Arken begs Your Highness the Grand Duke's forgiveness here.”
“Er, um……?”
“It is improper for a young man and woman to be alone together, and, above all, it goes without saying that one should not be alone with someone who is already spoken for…… I was terribly foolish.”
“Huh??”
“However, Regent Ferda's meetings with me are strictly political. Since the Regent always draws a clear line, even misunderstandings like scandals are quickly dispelled.”
“I-Is that…… so?”
“Yes. It must be because Your Highness loves him very much.”
“Love……”
She murmured the word like a young girl.
“He speaks of Your Highness often, too.”
Valdrova leaned her head forward.
“W-What does he say?”
As the strain left her voice, a warm tone slipped out.
Olivia was startled, but continued.
“He often says that you are so beautiful that he feels unworthy of you. He said you are like his muse, a presence that makes every day feel new.”
Of course, that was a lie.
Ferda always ended discussions after dealing with practical matters and never spoke of Valdrova.
Even so, she had said this to soothe Valdrova.
Once she had said it all, she regretted it anew.
‘Did I overdo it?’
A lie reveals itself quickly when one goes too far.
With a dragon's keen insight, Valdrova should have realized at once that Olivia's words were false.
“R-Really?”
No.
Valdrova's shoulders gave a little wriggle, then she lowered her head.
That reaction conveyed something that shocked Olivia.
‘Is she embarrassed right now?’
A dragon of such venerable age, embarrassed merely because her fiancé had spoken about her so often?
It made no sense.
She was not some immature young lady squealing over a prince on a white horse, so how could she act like this?
Internally aghast, Olivia smoothly passed over the scene with a pleased smile.
“Even so, there is a saying that one should not even retie one's shoelaces in an apple orchard.”
“……?”
Since Valdrova looked as though she did not know it, Olivia explained further.
“It means that one must not do anything that could invite misunderstanding. I used an analogy that only humans would understand.”
“Ah, no. I knew that…….”
“In any case, if Your Highness is concerned about Regent Ferda meeting with me……”
Strangely, the words seemed to slip out on their own.
She had not realized how difficult it would be to say them herself, but Olivia finally told her,
“I will stop meeting with the Regent.”
It hurt as though she had been told they were breaking up, even though she was the one who had said it.
“Huh? Th-There is no need!”
“Pardon?”
Olivia raised her head.
“I mean that it is all right for you and Ferda to meet. Did you not say that meeting was necessary?”
“But…… Was it not troubling Your Highness that I met with Regent Ferda? Would it not therefore be right for me to stop meeting with Regent Ferda?”
Valdrova had said as much:
That Olivia was very intelligent and beautiful.
“That is not why I summoned you.”
“Then……?”
“As I said, it was simply because I thought you were intelligent and beautiful.”
“And you said that we seemed very well suited to each other.”
“That is right.”
Those words carried a threat not to covet someone else's fiancé.
“So I summoned you because I want to be as beautiful and intelligent as you are.”
Yet what Valdrova had shown was pure admiration.