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Chapter 174
Because It's Precious
The eastern plains of the Arken Empire.
Spring has fully ripened, a cool breeze blows, spreading the scent of flowers.
It's a wide and peaceful plateau, but a blood wind blows there in an instant.
Spring, when new life emerges after a harsh winter.
Dire wolf packs of that season are more ruthless and cruel than ever.
E n̊ u mӓ .і̀d́
Their prey was a woman walking alone on the plateau in the middle of the night.
They familiarly formed an encirclement, completely blocking any escape route.
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It was only a matter of time before she too became bone fragments on this peaceful plateau.
But this woman was different.
There was no sign of fear or tension.
Grrrrr......
Еnūṁ а . i ď
The dire wolves narrowing the encirclement suddenly let out threatening sounds.
They instinctively realized.
That this woman, whom they thought was caught prey just a few seconds ago, was by no means easy.
The woman showed no sign of fear.
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A blank face as if everything was empty.
She stared blankly with that face, then rolled her eyes to look at the dire wolves.
Е̊ ṅŭ m a. і̆ d̊
Two moons were embedded in her eyes.
The dire wolf that met those eyes flinched.
Mere beasts, they saw their future.
That the moment they lunged at this frail woman, they would become corpses on the plateau.
The dire wolves released the encirclement and started fleeing for their lives.
The woman survived like that.
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Clap clap!
At the same time the dire wolves retreated, applause rang out.
The woman standing on the plateau only then noticed.
That there was someone else here besides herself.
"As expected of Yubel. Your wild instincts are still alive."
The woman called Yubel turned her head to look where the voice came from.
Enu m̀_ӑ
A woman with a common appearance, plain clothes, and freckles on her face was standing there.
That woman looked at Yubel and smiled broadly.
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"......?"
Instead of answering, Yubel narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.
The woman reacted with an "Oh my," as if disappointed.
"Oh my, it's only been a few years and you've already forgotten. That's a little disappointing, Yubel."
E n̊ um̈a. і̃ d̀
"......!"
Yubel's eyes began to shine silver again.
The deaths the dire wolves saw were visible to that woman too.
Even at the gaze that stimulated survival instinct, that woman just sighed as if nothing was wrong.
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"Just because I wore a bit of disguise, you show me the Eyes of Death too. We're not that distant, though......."
The freckled woman grabbed her own face literally, as if it couldn't be helped.
Е n̂ u m а̀
And tore it off.
Inside was a woman smiling with an innocence unlike before.
Seeing that face, Yubel's wariness disappeared.
"Sak."
What came from her mouth was a single syllable.
"Oh my, how cold. Even so, shouldn't you recognize me just by hearing my voice?"
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"Sak."
"To think such rude thoughts. My, Angrem's youth stays 19 forever even after decades?"
"Sak. Sak."
Yubel narrowed her eyes and glared, and Angrem covered her face with a troubled expression.
Let's save the trivial talk for later.
"You said you escaped from the Empire?"
Ê ṅ u m a
"Man."
Yubel nodded.
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"For that, you resolved it remarkably peacefully. You didn't even get blood on your hands?"
Angrem asked as if asking if she forgot to get dressed.
Then Yubel stared with half-lidded eyes and answered like this.
"Man."
Ѐnu ṁ ӑ
"Man?"
Her index finger was pointing at the sky.
Following her gaze upward, the moon was visible.
"Ah, come to think of it, today is the full moon."
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The full moon is the moon that bestows mercy.
On that day, even those who deserve to die cannot be killed.
Ё nüm̄ ӑ
That was the rule Sierra set.
"Sak."
"Can't be helped. It's been over 20 years since I worked as Sierra's Dancer. The time I've looked at the moon and prayed is even longer than that."
"Sak. Sak."
"Don't be angry. So what will you do now? You must have been frustrated locked up for 3 years, do you have a place to go?"
"Man."
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"Oh my, you do? Where?"
Yubel turned her head with a wistful expression.
That place was the east.
"Ferda."
"Oh my."
Angrem was startled upon hearing those words.
Е̄ n̄ūm̃а̇
"To think you'd mention that name. You must really like him?"
Yubel didn't say more, as if embarrassed.
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"Don't be impatient. You'll meet him soon enough."
The woman's mouth held a crescent moon-like smile.
"Because he is the only child of Goddess Sierra remaining on this land."
* * *
Е̊ ň ũ m а
Ferda's carriage safely arrived near the Grand Duchy.
Isabella greeted Ferda at the village castle gate right on time.
"Congratulations on securing the justification for autonomy."
"It was the natural result."
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"You say natural result, but didn't you make extensive preparations for that natural result? It's a joy that those preparations weren't in vain."
As the saying goes, praise makes even whales dance, it wasn't bad at all.
Eñ um a.і̌ d̄
Isabella pushed up her glasses and spoke.
"Please come inside. To commemorate this matter, there's a gift Lord Ferda wants to show you."
A gift.
Entering the village, Ferda saw the gift she mentioned.
The village central plaza that had been left empty during urban planning.
In the center stood a structure never seen before.
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"A fountain."
"Yes. It's a monument created by the Iorga Tower Master together with the tower's artisans."
In the place that should have been a wide plaza, there was a fountain made of white marble.
On the hexagonal border, a palace-like tower stood in the center.
One could tell at a glance what the dragon figure on the pointed tip symbolized.
"It represents Lady Valdrova during the subjugation war."
W̊ ѐbñ о̀ ṽè_l Е̊ n̆ ů ḿā
"Yes. They said they sculpted it because that would be best."
It was actually a song widely spread among bards, and the hymns of people who couldn't forget that appearance still continued.
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For Ferda, it was a heartwarming story.
But separate from that, one worry came to mind.
'Whether I have the power to run this thing.......'
The fountain was a symbol of prosperity with extremely demanding conditions.
Е̄nü m̃a. і̊d
First, magical power supply to continuously pump the fountain's water.
Second, the water pipes formed in the city and a massive amount of water enough to circulate the entire village.
Third, that massive amount of water must be clean enough to drink.
If there's a flaw in these three conditions or they're ignored, it instead becomes a crystallization of vanity and greed, turning into an eyesore.
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Iorga wouldn't have sent this here without checking those conditions.
'If it's not that they sent it to screw me over.......'
Ë ñũ_m a . і_d̄
Ferda could notice one more fact.
"It seems you've succeeded in mass-purifying the water held in the Demon Land."
At Ferda's guess, Isabella couldn't hide her surprise.
"That is the second gift from the Magic Tower. I was going to explain slowly, but you beat me to it."
"I was thoughtless."
"Not at all. I'm just glad the Grand Duchy's survival has brightened."
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Isabella smiled with a face full of pride.
"It would be good to show you the second gift, but let's put it off for now."
"Is there something urgent?"
"Her Highness the Grand Duke is waiting for you, Lord Regent."
For Ferda, there was no work more important than that.
* * *
E̊n ǔmа̀.
After washing clean and changing clothes, Ferda headed to the arcade.
The red woman sitting on the balcony opposite sat demurely.
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Valdroba, fiddling with her fingers while watching the sun tilting west.
He stared blankly there, then felt Ferda's presence and turned her head.
"Ah."
She stood up abruptly and welcomed him.
W̄e̊bṅ о v̆е l Е n̂ u m̀ӓ
"Welcome, Ferda-ssi."
With an excited heart, she approached Ferda with quick steps.
"You've worked hard."
At the unexpected distance, Ferda forgot what to say and just looked down at her quietly.
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"Master-nim."
Ruri interjected into the awkward atmosphere.
Е̇ n.ů m̌ǎ
"It's not proper for Master-nim to come out to greet."
"Ah right....... Sorry. My heart got ahead of itself. Did I...... look frivolous?"
Frivolous.
That word didn't suit this woman.
"It is an infinite honor for His Highness the Grand Duke to come and greet me."
Ferda greeted politely and took a seat.
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Ruri became a screen and filled Ferda's teacup with black tea.
"How was it? My visit to the Arken Empire?"
Ferda recalled Valdrova's appearance when she visited the Empire and answered.
"You sent a representative."
Valdroba nodded.
"Yes. I sent Penelope. I heard it was perfect, but did she make any mistakes?"
Ŵ.е̊ b̊n ō ṽ е l̆ Е̊n u ṁа̄
"No. Penelope fulfilled her role sufficiently. Thanks to that, the image of Grand Duke Valdrova would have been imprinted."
"Even though it wasn't me?"
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"It's common for a king to use a body double. For battlefields or unimportant diplomacy, they rather send such doubles."
It commonly happens in places with high assassination risk and little gain to return.
Of course, for Valdrova, who's harder to assassinate than piercing an iron fortress, it was unnecessary, but he deliberately didn't mention that.
The certain thing was Penelope did her part.
E n ů m̀ а̌
Her gait and the aura she exuded.
Whether she was used to acting like a queen, for people who'd never seen her even once, it was enough to feel like Valdrova.
"Are you satisfied too, Ferda-ssi?"
"Yes. Of course."
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"Do you really think so?"
At her counter-question, Ferda raised his head.
Èn u mа
"What do you mean?"
"That...... you look very disappointed."
It felt like a skewer suddenly flew and pierced his chest.
Ferda reflexively touched his face.
He wondered if he'd frowned while saying those words.
"I'm fine."
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Ferda evaded.
As if it was nothing.
But Valdroba didn't let that discomfort go.
"I sent her for no one else but Ferda-ssi. So I wish you'd speak honestly."
Today she was persistent.
It was something he could've kept saying it's fine and evading.
Е n̂ ū m̈.а̇ . і d̊
But what would happen if he kept evading like that?
Wouldn't only misunderstandings and distrust toward each other pile up?
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Such a thought came to mind.
Ferda had to choose.
Lie to embrace her kindly?
Or speak the truth prepared for wounds?
W̆ eb n о́.v el̀ Е́ ǹ ü m̄ӑ
"Actually......."
Ferda chose.
"When I heard Your Highness was coming...... I had high expectations."
What was the Ferda of that time feeling, walking majestically to greet his partner?
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The phrase 'the appearance of greeting the bride at the wedding' would fit best.
Expectations were that great.
Е̊ n̄ um а̃ . їd
So the sense of betrayal was also great.
The one wearing a red dress and acting like a queen was a third-rate demon, not Valdrova.
"And the fact that Your Highness became friends with that demon...... was a bit uncomfortable too."
"That...... is it a problem?"
If it's a problem, there obviously is.
That demon was Hestia Village's famous troublemaker.
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It's fortunate the fact she's a demon hasn't been exposed yet; if caught, there would've been an uproar about a demon living in the Grand Duchy.
Keeping such a guy as a demon would surely only harm Valdrova's reputation.
'......It's just an excuse.'
Even if she's a famous troublemaker in Hestia Village, she never once harbored malice.
He also knows the incidents she causes don't significantly damage Valdrova's dignity.
Thinking like this is all just Ferda's jealousy.
Е̄ń ùṁ а
He was jealous that Valdroba could face Penelope comfortably, jealous that she seemed closer than him.
Vomiting the ugly heart in Ferda's mind would only be blocking her again as she tries to come out to the world.
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Ferda didn't answer.
Valdroba didn't urge that answer either.
In the awkward air, they both fell silent.
"The heart is truly...... a strange thing."
Eñ ũm̌ а
Valdroba placed her hand on her chest and spoke.
"Actually...... that day, I could've greeted Ferda-ssi myself. Strangely, after showing my face to Penelope, that child, I thought showing it to others wasn't scary anymore......."
"But......."
"Just for one person, it wasn't like that."
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Valdroba slightly raised her head and looked at Ferda.
It felt like meeting the eyes inside the mask.
Ën̆ u m̃ а . і d̊
"The closest person, and the person I must be with the most...... the person I want to spend ten thousand years with, why is showing my face to them so difficult? I show it to others but wear a mask before Ferda-ssi. The more I think, I wonder if this is right. I can't do it for the person who did so much for me, but do it for others...... isn't that too selfish......."
Ferda could know what that emotion she feels is.
Isn't he feeling that same mood too?
Just as she can't show her bare face, Ferda can't show his true nature either.
Wanting to look better to the other, he becomes more fake.
Because feelings for each other are great, he becomes that much more careful.
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Why didn't he know this?
That in the end, Valdroba and he were thinking the same thing.
The jealousy and resentment rising in Ferda's chest subsided.
As the muddy soil settled, clear water rose and became a mirror reflecting Ferda's face.
His narrow-minded self was visible, and it was disgusting.
Ferda reached out and carefully held Valdroba's hand.
E n umӑ
Valdroba showed a slightly surprised expression, then soon held Ferda's hand tightly as if comfortable.
"Since Your Highness has mustered this courage, is there nothing I can do for you?"
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"......."
It's quiet.
But it wasn't uncomfortable.
The pulse of her fidgeting fingers was saying she was contemplating.
Ĕ ñ ümа́.ĩ d̈
"Th, then......."
Valdroba shyly proposed.
"Please...... don't call me Your Highness."
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