The Northern Grand Duke and the Girl in White
Under Puyol's care, I grew up strong and healthy. She taught me all sorts of otherworldly languages. Of course, the only one I could speak fluently like a native speaker was Lusa. It sounded remarkably similar to the modern English I knew, so I adapted quickly. After all, Lusa was an empire founded by settlers from the neighboring Bratan Kingdom, who spoke a form of English close to Middle English.
Then one day, Puyol opened the door with trembling hands and made a grave declaration to the village youths.
Afterward, she let out a long breath, returned to me, and spoke to the girl still hiding under the blanket, worried that some stalker might be peeking through the window or roof cracks.
"Seira, everything's going to be all right now. Mommy will protect you."
"Waaah! Mommyyy!!!"
Even though I knew it was pointless, I tried acting cute. Strangely, after possessing the body of the world's most beautiful woman, seeing myself in the mirror, and constantly receiving attention from the village men, my personality seemed to be changing little by little.
This won't do… At night I'm a delinquent dragon… no, an arrogant, dignified dragon…
Of course, if I stayed up all night, I could switch the possession times between Seira and Dragonai. But for Seira, it was far more advantageous to operate safely during the day. In the daytime, countless people showed interest and tried to approach her. If I slept during those hours, someone could carry me off and I wouldn't even know it.
Seira Hart-singer
Fame: 2,151,421
My fame had already surpassed two million. Wasn't the Lusa Empire Emperor's fame around 1.9 million?
As my renown spread further across the continent, Puyol began treating the daily crowds of followers gathering in front of the house like a cult leader, delivering long speeches as part of her routine.
"…And let me add, I'm only looking after this child temporarily! She was originally a child of the gods, so if any of you lowly humans so much as touch a single hair on her head, you'll face the terrifying curse and punishment of the gods!"
"Ooooooh! So she really is a child of the gods?!"
"Lady Seira!! We believe in youuuu!!!"
No, what the hell is this?! This wasn't in the original story at all.
"Author-nim, why are you doing this to me…? There has to be a reason for this!"
Just how much more miserable and brutal did they intend to make my life?! The real reason I was worried was something else.
That guy will be here soon.
Bam. Baa-baa-baaam—!!!!
A loud trumpet blast suddenly echoed through the quiet, peaceful village. It was as if an orchestra was announcing a wedding banquet, and the villagers began moving about in a flurry. Even the village youths who had been standing guard with pikes, ready to smash the head of any count or duke who dared touch our door, now parted like the Red Sea before Moses.
"H-h-hic…!!"
He's here. He's finally here. The thing I feared most had arrived.
Already, not only from the Lusa Empire but from kingdoms across the continent, messengers requesting marriage had set out simultaneously for Puran Village. When it reached the point where people were willing to commit treason against the imperial family for Seira's sake and spark historical power struggles everywhere, one ambitious man had devised a plan to monopolize her completely.
He was Niberia, the Northern Grand Duke who ruled over the great city of Covansy nearest to Puran Village, the Cora Plains, and effectively reigned as king over the autonomous territory of Corazm.
"The most beautiful woman in the world…"
From the moment the Northern Grand Duke Niberia heard that a beauty of mythical proportions named Seira had appeared in his domain, he had been overjoyed all day.
"Heh heh, she's also a product of my land, isn't she?"
"Indeed, Your Grace Niberia!"
"Then why are the imperial messengers and those from other kingdoms all rushing here to propose?"
Among them were messengers from the neighboring kingdom of Duralia and even from the 'Mountain King' of 'Skymountain,' said to be the kingdom of the dwarves.
"Have these old bastards all gone senile together…?!!!"
That very day, upon hearing the news, Niberia flew into a rage and split the castle wall with his fist. Literally—he looked toward a distant mountain and struck the wall, and it cracked. Of course, it was an ordinary wall, not one reinforced with magic.
"H-H-Hic…!"
His adjutants, who witnessed the terrifying might of the Northern Grand Duke with their own eyes, were terrified.
"Seira will be mine. Heh heh. She's a product of my land, after all."
With a joyful heart, Niberia set out for Puran Village in person—the village governed by the subordinate of the subordinate of the subordinate of the subordinate of his subordinate.
However, on his way to meet Seira, the Northern Grand Duke Niberia encountered countless enemies.
"Your Grace, another ambush!"
"Waaaaah!"
"Die, Niberia!"
Every time he passed through terrain perfect for ambushes, dozens of assassins in black night clothes charged at him.
"J-Just how many times has this been…?!"
Whoosh. After staining his beloved sword with the blood of the flowing waterfall… after beheading hundreds of assailants, the Northern Grand Duke asked his adjutant.
"That would be approximately the eighth time, Your Grace."
In his own peaceful duchy, he had been ambushed a full eight times. All because he had spent only about three days and nights riding to meet 'Seira.'
But the Grand Duke felt no regret about not bringing his elite 'Black Star Knights.' Rather, he was delighted, thinking he had gotten some light exercise against these impudent ruffians who had dared challenge him after so long.
After all, as the great lord ruling over more than half of the Lusa Empire's north, he was always preparing for invasions from the enemy kingdom of Bratan. In other words, he was the lord of the most frequently contested border region in the Lusa Empire. It was said that eight out of ten battles in the empire took place in his territory.
Moreover, his own level was known to be in the 800s. A level in the 800s meant he was one of the rarest powerhouses on the entire continent. As an exceptionally outstanding general, he was evaluated as the Empire's First Sword, with no equal even when combining the empire and its three neighboring kingdoms.
"To think there are fools who would dare challenge me…"
This was the first time. The invincible, all-powerful Grand Duke who could make birds fall from the sky and force even charging boars to kneel and crawl… who could kill mosquitoes with nothing but his aura before they even approached… had never once faced rebellion. It was something that should never have happened, and must never happen again.
"Your Grace!!! A meteor is coming from the front!!!"
"This damned… shit."
This time it wasn't falling rocks. It was a meteor?!
"This is the imperial family! The imperial family is definitely involved in this conspiracy!!"
After cutting down dozens of high-ranking mages and magic soldiers, Niberia dismounted his horse for the first time, furious, to investigate the attackers' identities. Until now, he hadn't even bothered checking because he was in such a hurry to see Seira.
"Y-Your Grace…!"
"These people are…"
Yet without needing to look further, he realized a shocking force was involved.
Ellior, the Holy Law Emperor Empire
Unexpectedly, the ones who had been continuously ambushing Niberia were not humans. They were beautiful male elf warriors of the noble class. All of them had come prepared to die against the notoriously brutal Northern Grand Duke.
"Damn it, why are they…!!?!"
The Ellior Empire was an unprecedented superpower that had swallowed a full two-tenths of the current Velvet Continent.
"Hurry, increase the speed!!"
"Hyaah!!"
Niberia urged his horse faster, racing toward Seira.
"H-Hiik…!! This is bad. That bastard Niberia arrived in the courtyard looking even more battered than in the original story?!"
In the original, the greatest scoundrel in Lusa, the lecher who wouldn't leave any pretty girl he saw on the street alone, had taken out all his anger from the ambush on this village and on 'Seira.' To his heart's content, with all his lust!
Ahh, when is my other half, Dragonai, going to get here…?!