Chapter 3: What I Want
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: What I Want
"The Empire leaves nothing unconquered."
This was the slogan of the Arken Empire, a power that exerted its influence from the Central Region, the very heart of the Serdes Continent.
While it was a sentiment that successfully captivated those within the Empire’s borders, to those on the outskirts, it sounded like nothing more than an absurdity. In fact, when Ferda was still with House Rosnova, the first thing he was taught was that such a claim was utter bullshit.
There were many lands in Serdes that remained unconquered, and the East was the most prominent example.
'The Land of Demons.'
The East had become a realm teeming with demonic energy following the appearance of a Demon King. Though the threat was eventually suppressed, the aftermath left the vegetation growing at an unnaturally rapid pace and the wildlife several times more ferocious. That was how the Land of Demons came to be.
Valdrova was the ruler who reigned over the very front lines of that blighted territory.
'Is that why she’s also called the Demon Dragon?'
Regardless of the truth, her public image was that of a tyrannical dragon. Rumors claimed she grew stronger by absorbing the Demon King’s lingering power or that she was secretly raising an army of monsters.
'Her infamy far outweighs her actual deeds.'
There were countless conspiracies painting her as a villain who deserved to die, yet not a single person had ever dared to rebuke her or formally raise an issue. Even a fool knew that poking a dragon’s nest was a suicidal act.
Rustle—.
As I walked along the path, the sound of something moving reached my ears. Just as Ferda shifted his consciousness toward the source—
"There is no need to worry," the maid walking ahead of him interjected. "As long as you are with me, those creatures won't dare strike."
It seemed they were being stalked by monsters after all. That aside, did this woman have eyes in the back of her head?
'Well, she’s an attendant serving a dragon. She’s bound to be on a different level.'
Ferda observed her quietly from behind. Her appearance was doll-like. Her form-fitting maid uniform revealed the silhouette of a girl clearly in her growing years. Her hair, tied up in a side-up ponytail, combined with her soft features to create the image of a young lady. Had he met her anywhere other than Valdrova’s territory, he would have simply thought of her as a pretty maid.
"What is your name?"
"It is Ruri," she replied in a dry tone.
"Nice to meet you, Ruri. How much further do we have to walk?"
"It will take another two hours."
"That’s quite a long time. It didn't seem to take you that long to reach me, though."
"Of course. If I were alone, ten seconds would have been enough to get here."
Two hours versus ten seconds. The difference in efficiency was staggering.
"Then why don't we use that method to get to the lair?"
"Wouldn't that require me to hold you, Lord Ferda?"
"You don't need to worry about me. I can handle a bit of flight."
"No. It is simply that I do not wish to."
"……."
She was incredibly insolent. Normally, if a servant in a maid uniform said something like that to a noble, they would get a slap across the face immediately.
"If you don't want to, then there's nothing to be done."
However, Ferda did not react that way. More than one noble had died in a foreign land because they couldn't swallow their pride, but the decisive factor here was her identity.
'A Dragon Spawn.'
Dragon Spawn were created through an 'Ascension Ceremony,' where they were chosen by a dragon to receive its blood. Simply by accepting that blood, they instinctively awakened magic and gained immense power. Even with such a small frame, she possessed enough strength to easily overpower a dozen knights.
'And she can even hide her tail and horns…'
This meant her strength was on a completely different trajectory compared to ordinary Dragon Spawn. Thus, Ferda followed her in silence.
Even that was not easy for Ferda, whose physical stamina was currently abysmal. His walking speed gradually slowed, and the distance between him and Ruri widened. When they had drifted apart significantly, Ruri turned her head.
"Are you exhausted?"
Ferda nodded. "Yes, I am. Can we take a short break?"
"There is no time to rest. Keep moving. My Master is waiting."
Silver hair and silver eyes. Unlike her youthful face, her Death Eyes glowed eerily, urging Ferda forward.
"Whew, fine."
Ferda caught his breath as best as he could. Getting married was no easy task.
* * *
The Red Dragon’s sanctuary, the place called a lair, was located a bit further away from what was known as the Empire’s front line.
After passing through a dense, uncultivated forest, there stood a solitary mountain. Halfway up that mountain, a castle had been built. It was a structure so massive it could be seen from miles away on a clear day.
'Some people mistook that for Valdrova’s lair.'
But Valdrova did not live in the castle. The entire mountain was her lair. Upon reaching the entrance, Ruri turned around and casually rattled off some precautions.
"It is a bit dark, but the ground is level, so please do not make a fuss for no reason."
"Understood."
"Well, occasionally stalactites do fall… but please avoid them on your own. If you can, that is."
Ruri’s explanation was half-hearted at best. Instead of reacting to the provocation, Ferda simply nodded.
"I understand."
"Then, let us proceed."
Ruri took the lead again and headed inside. Soon, a massive iron door blocked their path. It was a thick, plain door without any ornate carvings. It felt like a sealing door created with every ounce of effort specifically to keep whatever was behind it contained.
Ruri knocked lightly on the door.
"Master. Your fiancé has arrived."
There was no verbal answer. Instead, a massive shifting from beyond the door caused the ground to vibrate. The hair on Ferda's body stood on end. Even with the heavy iron door between them, he could feel it vividly—the presence of a terrifying dragon.
Thump—.
The sound of something hard tapping against the iron door echoed. Ruri turned toward Ferda.
"I will go and receive her message."
Ruri opened a small iron door set into the side of the larger one and stepped inside. It was deathly silent beyond the door, and Ferda waited with patience. Three minutes later, Ruri emerged and spoke.
"I shall deliver the message from the Archduchess of Valdrova."
Ruri cleared her throat and began to speak.
"I am aware that the reason you have come here is to be betrothed to me by order of the Arken Empire. I commend you for setting foot here despite knowing full well the atrocities I have committed."
Ferda didn't like the sound of that. Given the context, something negative was bound to follow. And Ferda’s prediction was spot on.
"However, I have no intention of forcing you into an engagement. Therefore, return to where you came from."
For those who thought they were going to their deaths, this would have been the best possible moment. To be a free man. If it had been the Ferda of his younger years, he would have surely cheered, bowed, and retreated.
But the current Ferda was different.
"Is that so? Go back and tell her this."
Ruri’s eyebrows twitched.
"It is true that the Emperor arranged this, but setting foot here was done purely by the will of Ferda Rosnova. Therefore, I will not return, and I will proceed with the engagement."
"……."
Hearing this, Ruri stared intently at Ferda. Her expressionless face was cold and disconcerting, but Ferda didn't flinch.
"Are you not going to deliver the message?"
"……Understood."
Ruri opened the iron door again and went inside. When she returned ten minutes later, she was carrying a heavy bundle.
"I shall deliver the message. I think highly of the fact that you came here of your own accord. In recognition of that spirit, I shall grant you my treasure to provide funds for your foundation. Take this money and establish a new life in a new place."
Clink—.
Inside the pouch were gold and silver treasures. Additionally, she threw a piece of paper, which was undoubtedly a certificate from the Archduchess. Ferda looked down at it. However, he looked at the gold as if it were mere stones.
"Go back and tell her. I have no interest in power; I only came here because I am interested in the engagement with the Archduchess of Valdrova."
"……."
"You keep spacing out. It wouldn't be good for the Archduchess’s attendant to appear sluggish, would it?"
Ruri didn't even answer as she stepped back through the iron door.
"……Sigh."
No, she seemed to step in for a moment, but then she let out a sharp sigh and slammed the door shut! Ruri’s professional face remained expressionless. However, Ferda, who had harbored hatred and a desire for revenge for a long time in his past life, knew. He could clearly read the emotion contained in her eyes.
It was loathing.
"I will not mince words. Turn around and leave this place."
A command laced with emotion. But Ferda was not flustered.
"That’s a short message for the Archduchess of Valdrova."
"No. These are words spoken of my own will as my Master’s attendant."
She walked slowly toward Ferda. Her appearance changed with every step she took. A pair of horns that pierced the sky sprouted from her head, and her skirt, which reached her ankles, puffed out wide. She revealed her hidden Dragon Spawn form to threaten Ferda.
'Is this Dragon Fear?'
He thought she would be extraordinary, but this exceeded his expectations. For a Dragon Spawn working as an attendant to be able to manifest Dragon Fear… Ferda felt his throat tighten and cold sweat pour down his back.
Separately, his mind remained calm. To him, who had already seen far worse, this was nothing more than a child's tantrum.
"I know all about people like you."
"What kind of person am I?"
"Insignificant mortals who cannot control their greed and believe they can manipulate the heavens with their own hands."
He could feel the loathing in her words, rooted in past experiences.
"Trash who care nothing for my Master and are only filled with the power and ambition they hope to gain."
Ferda felt a sense of déjà vu at those words. He wondered where he had heard that story before, and the answer lay in the conversation he had with Huren just a few hours ago.
"Is that why the 3rd Imperial Prince died?"
Ruri nodded. "Yes. That man was full of plans to treat my Master like a servant once they were wed. It was pathetic. I don't know how he thought he wouldn't get caught."
Ferda muttered under his breath. 'So that was the reason?'
Ferda had understood Valdrova’s emotions after consuming her heart in his previous life. So he knew that, at the very least, she wasn't a tyrant who would kill the 3rd Prince simply because he didn't know his place. The 3rd Prince had been painting too large a picture. The reason he had stepped down from the throne was only to seize even greater power and usurp it later.
'Crucially, he was too arrogant.'
"So, while my Master is offering you this money, leave this place at once. If you wish, I will grab that body of yours and escort you back to the Empire myself."
It was a justified hatred. At the same time, it was a hatred Ferda had no reason to receive. But Ferda did not get angry. He had realized too much to be shaken by such trivial loathing.
"I, Ferda Rosnova, shall speak here purely and without a single point of falsehood."
Ferda looked down at her with serious eyes and spoke.
"I, Ferda Rosnova, did not come to this place due to anyone's pressure."
He recalled the emotions he had learned through Valdrova’s heart. She had many dreams, but all of them were thwarted. She had to endure slander and cold stares, and internally, she had to fight her own murderous impulses. She wasn't even on her own side. Yet, she had fought constantly. That was something even Ferda could not do.
"I, Ferda Rosnova, desire no power, nor any treasure."
Even if Valdrova didn't know it yet, Ferda remembered. How Valdrova had sacrificed her own life while praying for someone else's happiness. That memory of her giving her heart even to the selfish Ferda.
So, even if the current you does not know me.
"I, Ferda Rosnova, have come here purely as the man who will become Valdrova’s fiancé."
As long as I remember, I will be on your side.
"Since we are to be husband and wife in the future, tell her that we should resolve any misunderstandings by speaking with our own mouths and ears, not through the mouth of an attendant."
Ruri’s patience finally reached its limit.
"You arrogant brat, how dare you speak such nonsense when you don't even know who my Master is—!"
Her small, dainty hand reached for Ferda’s neck. The moment he was caught, his neck would snap like a reed in autumn.
Thump—.
The sound of a tap on the iron door. Ruri immediately regained her composure. Simultaneously, the vibrating Dragon Fear vanished. The girl who had shown murderous intent looked at him and bowed her head.
"Excuse me."
"Yes. Go ahead."
Ferda remained calm until the end. Ruri, having heard Valdrova’s will, emerged again. Her doll-like face looked strangely dissatisfied. Ferda instinctively knew it was good news.
"She said she has understood your intent and told me to convey that the engagement will proceed."
As expected. No matter how insolent an attendant might be, they cannot go against their master’s will.
"I see. Understood."
"Then, this way……."
The chilling conversation they had just shared vanished without a trace as she returned to her professional demeanor. Ferda followed behind her once again.
* * *
Late at night, beneath Valdrova’s castle.
Ruri, Valdrova’s attendant, returned to the dragon’s lair. She passed through the firmly closed iron door and went inside. There, a massive dragon with red scales lay coiled elegantly.
—Have you come?
Golden Death Eyes glowed through the darkness. Ruri greeted her with an elegant and disciplined posture.
"I greet the Great Twelve Rulers, and among them, the absolute Aspect of Power. You lie there with a posture truly befitting the Aspect of Power that rules the world."
—Is that so? I am merely lying down.
"True elegance always looks ugly when one tries to imitate it. That which is so ingrained in one's body that they are unaware of it is true elegance."
—Is it……?
Ruri’s eyes sparkled as if she were being sincere. Valdrova reacted as if she couldn't understand the praise.
"Do you truly intend to be engaged to a mortal?"
—Is it not what I wished for? You also respected my opinion.
"At that time, I only said so reluctantly. You can still change your mind even now. Having the courage to reverse a decision is also a virtue of a monarch."
Though she persistently called for a reversal, Valdrova shook her head.
—I have no intention of reversing it. That is still my only thought.
"Tsk……."
Ruri clicked her tongue with a face full of dissatisfaction. Valdrova, unbothered by the insolent behavior, asked.
—Tell me. My partner…… what kind of man was he?
Ruri shook her head side to side. "Don't even get me started. He is a weakling of a human."
—How weak?
"I thought his body would be sturdy since he’s from a knight family, but he has a frail body that looked like it was going to die just from the journey here."
—And?
"He is incredibly ugly. I believed him when he said he was eighteen, but his face looks like an old man's, perhaps because he hasn't taken care of it."
—Ruri.
"My apologies. He is actually quite handsome. Like a man who has made quite a few women cry."
—No, that is not what I am asking, is it?
Ruri knew what answer Valdrova wanted. She didn't want to say it, but she had no choice.
"He is not ordinary."
—Not ordinary?
"I am a Dragon Spawn, one who has inherited the blood of a dragon. Therefore, triggering fear in a mortal is an easy task for me. However……."
Ruri recalled the Ferda in her memory.
"That man was not afraid of me even once. Therefore…… he will be able to look you straight in the eye, Master."
—Is that so?
Ruri grimaced. The idea of a human being able to look a dragon straight in the eye was something that shouldn't happen.
—That is good.
On the other hand, a smile played on Valdrova’s face.
—To think he is a person who can face me normally.
"Nor……mally?"
—Yes. Normally.
It was far from the 'normal' that Ruri knew. Humans looking at each other is normal. But a human facing a dragon is impossible. A relationship where the dragon rules and the human submits is what is normal.
Ruri had much she wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. Regardless, if her Master was satisfied, that was enough.