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Chapter 170
The Archduke's Visit
His face contorted, yet he did not grow excited.
"Don't play dumb. The Princess alone couldn't pull off something like this."
"Correct. I went to that bastard's mansion."
"And?"
"He tried to feed me drugged black tea, so I fed it to him instead. In the process, I got pissed and called people to search the place, and that's how I found out about that filthy place."
En umӓ . і̆ d̂
"Hmm, is that so?"
Valdemar let out an exclamation of interest.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
For someone who'd lost his right arm, his reaction was far too calm.
"Did you trigger that bastard's trigger? That couldn't have been easy......"
"I know well about those scheming perverts."
There's a common pattern mages display.
Е́ǹù m а
Once they go through Circle stages, they look down on lower Circles.
No matter what, they believe they can't be surpassed in ability, so a hierarchy is established.
That superiority always leads to carelessness.
Ferda had exploited that blind spot dozens of times over.
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"Truly unfortunate."
Valdemar stroked his chin and muttered.
Ŵ еb̈n̆_о̀ v̄е l̂ Е̄ṅu m̈ а̄
"There'll come a time when I'll have to discard him, but for now, he still had some use left."
I thought his reaction was suspiciously lukewarm for someone who lost his right arm—there was a reason.
"Want to know what my plan is?"
"Not curious."
"Originally, I was thinking of bringing that magitech guy from your territory."
Even though it was a fact he already knew, it grated on Ferda's nerves.
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An urge to wipe that smug expression off his face surged up.
"I'd give him a research environment, money, and support to use precious resources like water. Would that be all? Nobles from all over would beg him to take their daughters. I'd marry him off, he'd have kids. Doesn't that sound pretty great?"
"You'd be creating things to lose."
"Exactly. That's the purpose of attaching them. Things a human can't bring themselves to discard while in their right mind—you hang them around his neck one by one. At first, he'll eagerly accept them, but before he knows it, his neck will stiffen and ache."
Emotions take the lead, thinking dulls, and rational judgment becomes impossible.
Him telling me this means he knows there's no way to recruit Vernel no matter what.
É nù m̂а́ . і d
"Becoming my new right arm like that. That was the plan."
"Is the price of Marquis de Belung's loyalty becoming a boiled dog?"
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Valdemar chuckled.
"Loyalty to me is meaningless. Everything is about what one can do for this nation. De Belung has nothing more to offer the nation, but Vernel is a man with much to give."
He was a bastard who deserved to die, but that's only from Ferda's perspective.
Acad's father had stopped the Third Prince's ambition.
Е̃ nu̇ m а . і d
And Acad had worked hard to quarantine for the sake of this empire.
"Since we're on the subject, let me ask. You think you're different?"
His eyes sharpened.
Tension crackled, as if he'd draw a sword at any moment.
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"How many people are behind you? Right now, it might be a manageable number. But looking at your track record, your forces will gradually grow. Before you know it, you'll have grown too large to embrace them all."
"........."
Ë nu m̆ а
"Eventually, a time will come when you must give something up. Whether to live as a ruler, or just as an emotional human."
"Are you a ruler?"
"I am."
"For a ruler, you sure can't hide your ugliness."
Ferda provoked him with a sneer.
"The reason you're this pissed off isn't because you couldn't get Olivia, is it?"
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Valdemar's expression flickered once more.
In that moment, he became an infinitely emotional human.
"Yeah, if it weren't for that... I wouldn't be this angry."
Valdemar readily admitted it.
"You've done this much for me—if I just let you go, my face won't stand for it."
"So what are you going to do?"
Ẁë b n̆о v̇е l Ẽnŭm ӓ
Ferda doesn't back down either.
I was curious what kind of scenario he'd drawn up in that mouth of his, how he'd play it out.
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Bring it on.
Like Acad did, I'll take it and strangle the life out of you.
It was the moment Valdemar tried to speak.
Outside suddenly grew noisy.
We b̂ n̂о́v̊е ľ Ẽ ǹu m̀ а
Footsteps running urgently somewhere.
Conscious of it, Valdemar set the conversation aside and beckoned to the attendant behind him.
"What's going on outside?"
"I'll find out."
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Leaving those words, the attendant went outside.
"Let's wait a moment."
W ĕb̊ n о́ v̀ ĕ l̄ Е́ ñum̌ a
"Sure. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"........."
Valdemar didn't speak.
Shortly after, the attendant returned.
He came back and whispered in his ear.
Ferda subtly strained his ears to eavesdrop on the story.
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"Seems like... the one acting all high and mighty was me."
Valdemar's gaze was extraordinary.
Within it remained the greed of one who'd seen a precious gem, and the regret that it could never be his.
"Watch your step on the way back."
"I'll do that."
Valdemar rose from his seat and released him.
Е̃ ňũm̈.а̇
Ferda's attendant, a beat late, also entered.
"Regent-nim. You'll need to prepare quickly."
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Ferda cut off what he was about to say.
"Is His Highness the Archduke coming here?"
"Yes, that's... how did you know?"
There's no way I wouldn't know.
Wе́ b̌n̈ оv̂ёl̆ Е̃ń úm̊а
I just heard it myself.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the Valdrova Archduchy, inside the Red Dragon's lair.
"Ferda-nim... Understood."
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Ruri, having received the message from the spirits.
Valdrova asked.
Е̌ ṅ.umа
"Good news?"
"Yes. He says the plan is going smoothly in every way."
"Hmm, I see."
Fingers fidgeting, Valdrova's face reddening.
Ruri didn't like that anxious expression.
The one who should be burning with impatience and doing the courting is Ferda, yet the Emperor stands frozen—what a sight.
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She was so restless that the letters she'd been writing smoothly became crooked like a child's scribbles.
Regardless, Ruri conveyed what she'd heard.
"Since the Far East has frequent special circumstances, autonomy has been strengthened. There's no justification to interfere with the magitech research either, so there won't be any trouble for Hestia Village."
"Before, they could interfere?"
"If you'd stepped forward directly, Milord, it would've been resolved even faster."
"Hmm......! Th-that's how it was......"
E̊.ň ǔm а̄ . i̊ d
Valdrova turning her head away in embarrassment.
"Of course, if Milord had moved, the problem would've grown larger."
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"I can't speak well, and I'm bad at taking criticism, so that might be why......"
"That's not it. Ferda-nim's authority would've been doubted."
"Ferda-ssi? Why?"
Ruri answered.
Е ńü m̀ a. іd̂
"Ferda-nim is still a greenhorn Regent of only one year. Even with many achievements in a year, some view it as a beginner's luck. If Milord had stepped forward then, Ferda-nim's voice would've weakened considerably."
"Hmm...... So simply put, staying still got half the job done?"
"No. It means Ferda-nim chose the difficult path, and in doing so, protected not only his own authority but Milord's as well."
Ferda is her fiancé, but he's also Valdrova's subordinate.
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The fact that the subordinate solved it without the superior shows the superior has capability too.
That was dragon society.
Е n̂ûm̌ а̄. їď
"It's truly fortunate that Ferda-nim handled his work so well."
"Right, right. There are many who like Ferda-ssi, and Ruri likes Ferda-ssi now too."
"Tha... yes?"
Wondering if she'd misheard, she asks again.
Innocent golden eyes gaze at Ruri and smile brightly.
"Ruri likes Ferda-ssi now too, right?"
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Her heart dropped like a stone.
Ruri desperately furrowed her wide-as-the-moon eyes to hide them.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Huh? I mean... when you said Ferda-ssi brought good news, you looked super happy..."
"Isn't it natural to be happy when good news arrives?"
"Even so, you were way too happy about it?"
Ẅе b n̊ о v ê l E n̄ um а̇
Ruri hated humans.
Especially after the Third Prince, she didn't trust any noble son.
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"I was a bit worried since Ruri was so wary of Ferda-ssi at first. Now it seems like you're seeing Ferda-ssi properly and opening your heart, so I'm glad."
"Ugh......"
Her face burns, expression crumpling.
First, the misunderstanding that she'd said she liked him as a lover.
Ё ñũḿ а
Second, there was nothing wrong with her words.
That's why I hate this.
That smirking face.
With that face, she sees right through me, and even the face I tried to maintain at my own pace crumbles.
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'Milord is this kind of person.'
Like an awl hidden in a pocket eventually pokes out, she is the Emperor.
Е n ūm̃_а́
Those eyes held insight rivaling Silverwind, whom she regarded as her father.
She just doesn't speak, and forgets quickly, so she only looks dull and like she has nothing but flower fields in her head.
'Milord's words are right.'
Honestly, she did have favorable feelings toward Ferda.
But not as a man and woman.
If asked if she loved Ferda, she could shake her head.
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If she defined that favor, it would be familial love.
'Family......'
Ferda is a family-like person.
When Ferda's around, she finds herself glancing at his face once more, and when anxious, his face comes to mind first.
If he says it'll go well, for some reason it really feels like it will, and she's relieved.
The only one she'd ever felt this way toward was Silverwind, whom she regarded as her father.
W e̊b̊n̊ о̊ ṽ ėl E ń úm ā
'The same feeling as Silverwind-nim......'
Ruri found that fact terribly embarrassing.
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A man much younger than her feels mature, she admires him, feels comfortable, and now even wants to rely on him.
The more so, the more she should be strict as Valdrova's attendant, but it wasn't easy.
'This fact......'
Must not be known to Valdrova, at least.
Е̃ n̈ üma
It's a shameful secret that must never be told, one that could break the attendant's image she'd maintained all this time!
"I'll check the writing practice you did."
So she forcibly changed the subject and examined Valdrova's handwriting.
Elegant young lady's handwriting was contained within.
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Toward the end, it got crooked, but that was because she was shaken by Ferda's story, so she let it slide.
"You've reached quite a high level now."
Е̃n̆ü_m̊ а́
"Right?"
"See, you can do it if you try."
"Yeah, I guess......"
Valdrova couldn't hide her surprise either.
"Learning is this fun."
Valdrova looked down at the letters she'd received and smiled contentedly.
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"I want to show off my handwriting to Ferda-ssi. I hope he returns soon."
"Milord would praise anything you do, wouldn't he?"
"Right? Hmm...... Then shall I try getting acknowledged as the Armor Knight?"
Unlike Valdrova, she was viewing it with objective eyes, so it was an excellent choice.
But there was a problem.
"I won't stop you if Milord wants to, but it won't be good."
W̃ еb nо̌ v̈.è l Е̂ ǹū ma
"Why?"
"Think about it. What if Milord and that Armor Knight bastard write with the exact same handwriting?"
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"Hmm...... They wouldn't know, would they?"
"They wouldn't know?"
"N-no......?"
"The one who's counted the number of monsters Milord killed since you came as her fiancé?"
Wеb.ň о̃ v̄ е̌ l̀ Ѐ.n_ú ma
"R-really?"
Ruri thinks it's a truly creepy track record.
Valdrova smiling shyly at the fact that she'd watched over her so carefully, unlike her.
Ruri couldn't understand that sentiment, but let it slide.
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"Besides, the handwriting you're practicing now is what noble women use. If a big man writes with a woman's handwriting, that's weird in its own right. It's better to practice and use a man's handwriting separately."
"Hmm...... Then I'll keep this handwriting and practice a second one."
Én̂u ma
She minded having to learn again what she'd already learned, but the fact that she could receive more praise made her smile.
'On top of that, something good happened to Ferda too, so I can talk about that?'
She has a hunch there'll be a proper man-to-woman story.
When he returns, let's have a tea party.
And let's share many stories.
"Hmm......"
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Valdrova closed her eyes, thought quietly, then opened her mouth.
"Ruri-ya."
"Speak."
"Is Ferda-ssi... satisfied?"
Ruri tilted her head.
"Satisfied... as in?"
Е́ n u mа̃ .і́d
"You haven't been by his side all this time, have you."
"We're still fiancés, and in human terms, he's practically a live-in son-in-law. Even sharing a room, not contacting one's partner is common."
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"I-is that so?"
"Of course, Milord Valdrova doesn't need to follow such etiquette. If there's something you want, please don't hesitate to say so."
At Ruri's words, Valdrova fidgeted and barely opened her mouth.
"So... about that......"
Еǹ úm а́
She asked.
"What if I go to the capital to welcome Ferda-ssi?"
* * *
The grand boulevard connecting the Arken Empire's capital outer walls to the Imperial Palace is famous as the widest on the continent.
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Eight carriages could move side by side with room to spare, and from sunrise to sunset, the street is packed with people.
It leads to the Imperial Palace, but simultaneously serves as a great root leading to all roads.
W̆ ĕ b ň о v́е̌l E nu m̆ а̊
The only time that street can be cleared is when the blood of the Arken family, the imperial family, moves—and even Valdemar cannot control that street.
Such a street was cleared for someone who wasn't royalty.
On the Serdes Continent, only one existence is acknowledged as standing above the Emperor.
"The Red Dragon, His Highness Valdrova, is making a procession!"
"Shouldn't that person be in the Far East? Why the Empire...?"
Things were already noisy due to demon worshippers.
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The Red Tyrant of the Far East, whom they'd only heard of in rumors, setting foot in the Empire at a time like this was no ordinary matter.
People finally abandoned their work and headed for the boulevard.
Dragon.
Since the Dragon-Demon War, exchanges with dragons had dwindled—this was a generation that had never seen a dragon.
Even if it was a fearful dragon, the desire to confirm it with their own eyes couldn't be stopped by anyone.
Who knows?
Еn ǔ m̊.а̇ .і̂d.
Maybe someone would buy them free beer for the story of having greeted that dragon.
Tens of thousands of crowds gathered to watch the cleared boulevard.
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"Mind your manners!"
Ruri's voice thundered across the sky.
All imperial citizens placed both hands on the ground and pressed their foreheads to the earth.
This is the etiquette used for the Emperor's procession.
Ѐ ǹü mа̀. i d́
Because one who stands above the Emperor has set foot in the capital.
Contrary to expectations of a carriage led by six white horses, what stepped onto that street were two small, slender legs.
A wide-brimmed satgat and a thin red cloth hanging from it.
Barely piercing sunlight silhouettes revealed a woman's form.
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The woman adorned in red walked with dignity.
Those who'd stepped out thinking it'd be tavern gossip couldn't raise their heads, not a single one.
W̆ е̊b̃ň о́v е́ l̈ Ѐ ṅu m а̂
As if their instincts had become dictators dominating their bodies in this moment, it felt like their heads were being crushed under boots.
The Archduke walked the center of that long boulevard with only a single attendant.
Their destination soon came into view.
The Regent and fiancé, Ferda.
He waited with knights and carriages.
Ferda straightened his bearing more than ever.
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Inside that silhouette-visible form is the Red Dragon, Valdrova.
The person who makes his heart flutter so.
Contrary to expectations of trembling, his body was calm.
As she approached, Ferda knelt politely and bowed his head.
"I greet the Great Archduke."
Valdrova responded to Ferda's greeting.
Е̊ň ü m̌ӑ . іd
"Raise your head."
An uncharacteristically subdued atmosphere.
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The dignity of a king was felt.
"You are the one who will become my partner."
"......Yes."
"I received word that you would return with good news."
Ŵ eb̂n̄о̃v е́ĺ Е ńum̀_а
"Not at all."
Through the red cloth, she extended her hand to Ferda.
"Come, let's go back together."
Ferda stared at that hand for a long moment, then carefully took it.
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"Yes, my King."
Led by her hand, he rose and escorted her.
Wе̇b n о̊v̊ӗľ Е n u m а́
Valdrova elegantly walked and boarded the carriage.
The Empire's reporters busily sketched Ferda and Valdrova's figures, not wanting to miss that picturesque scene.
The Archduchy's carriage door closed and moved.
The moment they left the castle gate, the dominated space regained its freedom.
The commoners who'd bowed their heads could breathe again, barely rising from their spots.
They all thought the exact same thing.
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Would anyone believe them if they described the fear they'd just experienced?
***
The Archduchy's carriage, having left the castle gate.
Ferda looked at Valdrova's face.
The wide-brimmed hat was already off, so her face was clearly visible now.
Conscious of Ferda's gaze, Valdrova smiled.
Ẅе̄ b̆n о̂ v e.l Ё numа
"Hehe, why like that? Your expression looks like puh-hah!"
Valdrova's words cut off.
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Ferda lunged at Valdrova on the opposite side and grabbed her by the throat.
"Shut your mouth."
Ferda's voice trembled.
That trembling stemmed from rage.
Ӗ ńum̃a. і́ d̂
"Speak. Who are you?"
"I-I am me, your fian—."
"There won't be a second time."
Ferda's two eyes burned with blue light.
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"Her face is still vivid in my head. A bitch like you can't confuse me."
She may be the Emperor, but she's far from being the Emperor.
Е ñu m̆ a . íḋ
Those sharp eyes and lithe build like the Valdrova here right now—never.
She might fit the words Emperor Dragon, Tyrant, but she's not Valdrova.
"Who are you?"
If you spout nonsense, you really die.
Valdrova screamed.
"Hiiieek! It's Penelope! Save me!"
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The red hair turned pink, the two pairs of horns returned to a demon's.
It was Penelope.
Contrary to the expectation that facing that mug would calm his anger, the rage only grew.
"You cheeky demon bitch."
Ferda ground his teeth.
"You dare impersonate her, not knowing your place?"
Ŵ ë b̃ǹo v̄ē l̃ Ӗ n̊ ũm а̇
The reason Ferda was angry wasn't simply the impersonation.
As her form drew closer, Ferda had mistaken it for the real Valdrova.
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Only later did every element seem unlike Valdrova, and finally, when Penelope opened her mouth, Ferda's suspicion became certainty.
The time it took to reach that certainty made him furious.
"Th-th-th-that's...?! I was asked to do this too?!"
"Who asked? She'd never ask a bitch like you to do that?"
Еn ù m̌ă
"Surprisingly, she did?!"
He couldn't believe it.
Ferda looked up at Penelope.
She closed her mouth and sighed through her nose.
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Ferda couldn't understand.
"Why......"
Ẁ еb̄ nô v е̂ l̂ Е̇ ǹ u̇ m̌а̃
Ferda asked like a man who'd watched the world collapse.
"She asked a bastard like you to do that?"
"Uh, um...... That's......"
Penelope scratched her cheek awkwardly and answered.
"Because the Archduke and I are friends?"
What kind of dog-eat-dog nonsense is this?
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"Th-that... it'll be a long story, and do I really have to tell it—."
"Tell me everything."
Blue flames blazed in Ferda's eyes.
"Everything that happened between you and her. Without leaving anything out."
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