Chapter 34
Ferda was a noble.
He was born into the knightly House Rosnova.
He held the title of viscount and was a vassal of Duke Houston.
As befitted an honorable knightly house, Ferda had received strict training in basic etiquette.
Although he had been cast out of his family under the pretext of being the Grand Duke's fiancé, he had clawed his way to becoming a Great Mage and attained a status rivaling that of a high noble.
Such was Ferda, yet he was actually far removed from high society.
As an illegitimate child in House Rosnova, he had no opportunities, and when he became a Great Mage, he refused to associate with others.
‘I never even put into my mouth anything someone else had prepared.’
After nearly being poisoned several times, he stopped eating food prepared by others.
That remained true even after he became immune to poison.
Rather than cultivate relationships, his strategy was to run them on hatred and discard them.
Thus, this was the first tea party Ferda had ever attended.
One hour before the tea party,
“This is a recreation room where you and the Master can enjoy various pastimes after your marriage. The tea party will be held here.”
Luri guided Ferda to the meeting place first and explained everything to him one thing at a time.
Since escorting her was Ferda's responsibility, she made sure he was aware of his surroundings beforehand.
Ferda turned his gaze toward the terrace.
“A place where one can see the west.”
“It is a room arranged so that you can focus solely on recreation.”
The feeling was certainly different.
Even beneath the sun, the Demon Lands had a gloomy cast that naturally made one pensive, but this place felt simply peaceful.
It was the perfect place to relax while watching the setting sun.
“And the tea party will take place here.”
Two chairs and a table had been arranged to enjoy the view from the terrace.
On it sat two teacups to match the number of guests, a tiered tray treated with cooling magic, and decorated desserts.
They were elaborate and unfamiliar.
“What are these pastries?”
“Macarons, Mont Blancs, pastries… They have various names. I selected twenty from among the roughly 150 desserts that pâtissiers from the Imperial court can make.”
“I see.”
Ferda was about to let it pass, thinking she must have gone to considerable trouble, when he suddenly mulled over what she had said.
She had selected them herself…
“Does that mean you tasted them yourself?”
“Isn't that obvious?”
“All 150?”
When he emphasized that point, Luri made an offended face.
“I can tell what you are thinking. Do you think I ate them all merely to satisfy my own selfish desires?”
“Isn't that obvious?”
Ferda answered honestly.
He had seen Luri happily eating honey preserves in Escolleia, so he could not deny it.
Luri's brow furrowed sharply.
“What an insulting thought. I made extensive preparations for this tea party. I savored and carefully selected them once more while pondering whether I had overlooked anything. There could be no greater labor, yet you fail to understand that?”
It sounded like nothing more than an admission that she had eaten 300 desserts.
Her impassive face was bland enough to fool ordinary people completely.
Even suspicious Ferda would have been taken in by that impenetrable expression.
If she had not made one crucial mistake.
“You have powdered sugar on your lips.”
At Ferda's words, Luri ran a finger over her lips.
A pure white powder came away.
She glanced at it, then naturally popped it into her mouth.
“I only needed to determine whether they contained poison. The Master cannot be harmed by a shoddy poison, but you are human, Lord Ferda.”
“I see.”
“You don't believe me. You don't think of me as a pig, do you?”
“You couldn't possibly be a pig. Your loyalty is like that of a dog, though… if I had to put it one way.”
Ferda gave a small nod.
“A dog-pig, then.”
“Please ask me to hit you just once. I am begging you.”
Luri's face was flushed with irritation.
Ferda, who disliked pain, had no reason to say such a thing.
Then Luri glanced at the sun and took a step back.
It was gradually nearing the appointed time.
“I shall go bring the Master. In the meantime…”
Luri shot him a fierce look.
“Please do not touch the tray.”
“Don't worry.”
I'm not you, after all.
Luri left the recreation room to bring Valdrowa.
Ferda waited patiently for Valdrowa.
‘This will be our second meeting.’
The only meeting Ferda remembered consisted entirely of seeing her face.
At their first engagement ceremony, he had seen no more than her chin, and when she had been unable to control her bloodlust, Ferda had been too distracted to take anything in.
This was the first time they would have a proper conversation.
‘The first time… huh.’
The feeling that suddenly arose was one of helplessness.
‘What should I say first…?’
Ferda touched his lips with his hand.
If this had been an ordinary meeting, he could simply have fallen naturally into the mood.
But the reason for this meeting stemmed from Valdrowa's anxiety.
And Ferda still had no answer to it.
So he had called for a man with some expertise in this area, Jed Swallow.
-You mean that? It would be best to pretend you don't know.
Jed Swallow.
He was a man who had seduced many women while playing the ladies' man.
-There is no need to explain yourself; just show her through your actions. There's no point in bringing up something depressing and unnecessarily dampening the mood, is there? Just pretend you don't know and try to liven things up.
Ferda thought there was merit to that.
It would be better to apologize for making her think he was tired of her, but she surely did not want such a gloomy atmosphere at a tea party.
‘Pretending not to know may really be the best approach.’
Keeping the problem below the surface was one possible method as well.
What mattered in the end was ensuring that Grand Duke Valdrowa did not feel anxious.
Ferda steeled himself and waited for her.
-The Master is coming in.
Luri's voice came from outside the door.
At the same time, the door opened.
Ferda greeted her with the salutation he had prepared.
“Welcome—.”
Ferda's words caught in his throat.
Even Ferda could not help being flustered at the sight.
Red hair and golden eyes.
Her face was so beautiful that capturing it in a single painting would have been an insult.
None of it was visible.
‘A dragon knight?’
A dragon knight was entering through the open door.
A helmet and armor designed to provoke humanity's instinctive fear.
Of course, for Ferda, bewilderment had taken the place of fear.
At the same time, the armor gave him a sense of déjà vu.
‘Where had I seen it before? Ah, at the engagement ceremony.’
It was the armor he had seen when she overturned the engagement wine and left after being reprimanded.
Which meant that the one inside was undoubtedly Valdrowa.
Why had she come wearing that armor?
Ferda glanced at Luri, who was standing behind her.
Their eyes met.
Luri stared at him for a moment, then shook her head.
It was a gesture asking him not to ask.
Having finished thinking, Ferda composed himself and politely greeted her again.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my king.”
Her hands came demurely together, and the dragon-headed helmet dipped slightly forward.
Her manner felt like that of an awkward young lady making her social debut.
Clink, clink.
She stepped onto the carpet with stiff movements, came inside, and sat opposite Ferda.
Squeeeak—.
The chair was crying out.
Despite the armor's considerable weight, the chair held firm without breaking.
‘As though nothing happened…’
Recalling Jed's advice, Ferda opened his mouth.
“I am very pleased that you suggested this gathering first.”
Nod.
The only response was a single dip of her head.
An awkward silence settled over them.
Everything stopped around that silence.
Cold sweat broke out, and even breathing became difficult.
Ferda managed to open his mouth again, trying to lead the conversation.
“That armor befits the majesty of a dragon.”
Nod.
She answered by nodding once more.
“How have you been?”
“…….”
He offered a topic that made it impossible not to converse at all.
Valdrowa formed a circle with her index finger and thumb.
“So you have been well. I am glad.”
Nod.
Ferda felt as though he was dying.
He wanted to sigh and ease the tension, but he did not dare.
His tense heart boiled, yet the pressure only built inside him like a tightly sealed cauldron.
Meanwhile, Luri poured the brewed tea into their cups, thoroughly playing the role of a decorative screen.
At least let me moisten my parched throat.
Ferda picked up his cup.
‘Come to think of it, does the helmet have a drinking port?’
He suddenly watched to see how she managed it.
She sat motionless, her gaze lowered toward the floor.
“Can you drink while wearing that armor?”
“…….”
She rubbed her helmet, then tapped around the mouth area.
Then she suddenly lifted her head as if she had realized something.
It was the behavior of someone who had not thought that far ahead.
“Why not take it off?”
Shake, shake!
She refused vehemently.
He could feel her determination not to show her face by any means.
Even Ferda, who had been trying to continue the conversation as though nothing was wrong, was beginning to find this awkward atmosphere difficult.
‘She suggested a tea party, yet she neither eats nor drinks…’
It would have been less awkward if she had at least talked, but she was refusing even to converse.
‘She must be angry after all.’
Valdrowa had been led to believe that Ferda was growing tired of her.
And now he was making light of it despite being the one who had made her anxious.
What a pathetic man he was.
That was why Ferda decided to apologize to her.
“I am sorry.”
Clatter!
Valdrowa's armor heaved violently.
“I made the Grand Duke worry, yet I was making light of it like this. What a foolish thing to do. I should have apologized first and foremost, but…”
-…….
“You may blame me. I was in the wrong, so whatever you wish to say—”
“Th-that isn't it!”
Ferda was startled.
Her voice rang loudly inside the helmet.
There was a gap in her speech itself, but that was not what surprised him.
It was the voice itself.
What emerged from inside the helmet was the heavy voice of a seasoned warrior.
“The thing is…”
Valdrowa seemed startled by her own voice as well and covered the mouth of her helmet.
“The thing is… the reason I, I don't talk… isn't because I'm angry or because you did anything wrong, Mr. Ferda.”
The fearsome dragon knight fidgeted with her fingers as though embarrassed.
“I-I just couldn't bring myself to ta-talk to you, Mr. Ferda… so I couldn't answer, th-that's all…”
“Ah.”
Only then did Ferda remember something.
Luri had told him about it at the engagement ceremony.
‘Anthropophobia.’
She found humans difficult.
Right.
Even knowing that, why had he assumed she was angry?
He had been too focused on his own concerns and had forgotten what she herself carried.
“I apologize. I was thoughtless. Please forgive me.”
“No. I am sorry too… I invited you here and then clammed up…”
“No, I…”
They repeatedly apologized to each other, until the conversation abruptly broke off.
In the sunken atmosphere, Ferda did not dare open his mouth.
He secretly searched for some magic that might break the silence.
“Um…”
Valdrowa, having finally found her voice, struggled to bring up a topic.
“The reason I wore this armor…”
Ferda waited for her to finish.
“Luri says… all my expressions show.”
Ferda tilted his head at the answer.
“What do you mean, all your expressions show?”
“When I take human form… she says everything shows on my face. So… when I see you, I am not confident what expression I might make…”
She hemmed and hawed, then finally finished.
“So I put it oooon.”
The end of the word leaked out in a wavering squeak, and Valdrowa covered her mouth with both hands.
“It really is… stupid of me… right?”
The heavy warrior's voice trembled weakly.
Her actions made it immediately apparent.
How difficult it was for her to hide her feelings.
‘Truly…’
Being unable to hide oneself meant being pure.
Because she was so pure, whether she donned a shell or forced out a deep voice, she could not hide even the essence her heart felt.
‘Beautiful.’
That was why she was beautiful.
Ferda answered her question.
“It is not. I am trembling too, even now, at this very moment.”
Valdrowa raised her head and looked at Ferda.
He could feel her eyes scanning him.
“Liar.”
Valdrowa said that.
“Pardon?”
“If that's true, you don't seem very nervous… I stumble over my words and everything, but you look perfectly fine, Mr. Ferda.”
“It is because I want to make a good impression. I am forcing myself to pretend I am not trembling.”
“Is that so?”
She reacted as though she could not understand.
Since Valdrowa had confessed her embarrassment, it was Ferda's turn to confess.
“The reason I have not seen you lately is because I am afraid as well.”
“Afraid of what?”
“There is darkness dwelling in the mana inside me.”
“Darkness…?”
“Yes. Darkness dwells in my mana. So I was worried that it might harm Your Highness. That is why…”
Ferda's eyes turned toward her again.
Her blue eyes shone like sapphires.
“I did not have the confidence to see you.”
“…….”
There was no answer.
Hearing those words, Valdrowa fidgeted with her fingers, repeatedly clenching and unclenching her fists.
It was as though she were trying to suppress some emotion building inside her.
“Mr. Ferda…”
And her voice was restrained.
“You were worried about me?”
“Yes. Was that presumptuous?”
“No. It’s just… I’m a little happy…”
Only then did he see it.
All those actions were like those of a delicate young woman.
“Does that make you happy?”
The threatening helmet dipped lightly.
“Until now, apart from Luri, I had never thought that anyone worried about me… People think I am strong, after all. And I am. But… you are afraid I might get hurt, Mr. Ferda, aren’t you? So… strangely, that makes me happy.”
She placed a hand over her chest and composed herself.
“What you gave me back then was…”
On the day she had been suffering from uncontrollable bloodlust,
“What I felt was something I had never felt even once before.”
Valdrowa revisited the memory of that day in a voice steeped in emotion.
“The soft warmth moving through my body… I thought that if someone hugged me, it might feel like that. Something like that could never make me bad, could it?”
“Is… that so?”
“Yes.”
Her hands began fidgeting again.
Her legs twisted together.
Her girlish actions stood out all the more against her solemn tone.
“I am so happy just to be here like this. I am so happy at this very moment, facing you, Mr. Ferda… I am so happy that…”
Valdrowa's voice abruptly cut off.
“Ah.”
As though she had suddenly realized something she had not been conscious of.
“Are you all right?”
“Um… I’m sorry, but… c-can I, I get up now…?”
“Pardon?”
“I-I think if I stay any longer, I’ll, I’ll… make another, another s-sound, and that would b-be a nuisance, so I’m s-sorry, s-sorry…”
Trembling violently, Valdrowa did not know what to do,
“I’m sooorry!”
With the apology, she threw herself straight off the terrace.
Ferda and Luri quietly looked down at the spot.
It was a height that, at a glance, seemed terrifyingly far from the ground.
Yet neither of them thought Valdrowa would be hurt.
Luri, who had done nothing but stand like a folding screen, opened her mouth.
“Well, I think it is fair to call the tea party a success.”
She popped one of the desserts from the tiered tray into her mouth.
Ferda looked down at the spot where she had fallen, mulling over her words.
‘Right.’
And then he suddenly realized.
‘Valdrowa was such a small, unassuming woman.’
An innocent woman who could not even properly look at her fiancé's face.
Such a woman had forced herself to act like a king under the weight she carried.
‘But the world is not so easy.’
He knew that as well.
Even that simplicity, as though it were far too much to ask, was something the world sought to crush.
The monsters surging toward them,
The Empire's corruption,
Her past,
All of it constantly tested and pressed down upon her.
‘I swore.’
I would protect what she loved and make the things she had only wished for come true.
That in the end, Valdrowa's name would be reborn as a name of joy, not a byword for fear.
To do that, what Ferda needed was decisiveness.
‘Sometimes, boldly.’
Cruelly, if necessary.
The fear that he might harm Valdrowa could no longer shake him.
A sense of duty became fuel, rekindling the heart within him that had gone cold.
* * *
The next day, Ferda summoned Jed and told him about his plan.
After listening to the story, Jed asked,
“Are you out of your mind?”
It was an extremely rude remark, but astonishingly, it was the words Jed had chosen after much deliberation.
That was how absurd Ferda's plan was.
“You mean you're going to rob the Empire's warehouse?”
The story continues off the page
The Last Dance Before Midnight
A masked dragon asks the lanternwright for one slow dance