Chapter 34: Chapter 34
Chapter 34 - Tea Party
Ferda was a noble.
He had been born into House Rosnova, a Knight Family.
By rank, he was a viscount and a vassal of Duke Houston.
As a prestigious Knight Family, Ferda had been raised under strict instruction in proper etiquette.
Although he had been expelled from his family under the title of the Grand Duchess’s fiancé, he had eventually become a Grand Mage, earning a status comparable to that of the highest nobles.
Even so, Ferda himself had always kept his distance from high society.
As an illegitimate child in House Rosnova, he had never been given the opportunity, and after becoming a Grand Mage, he had simply refused to associate with others.
’I never touched anything prepared by someone else.’
After nearly being poisoned several times, he had stopped eating any food prepared by others.
That remained true even after his body had become one that poison could no longer kill.
Rather than building relationships, his strategy had always been to use people through hatred and discard them afterward.
Which meant...
This was the very first tea party of Ferda’s life.
One hour before the tea party—
"This is the recreation room where you and Master can enjoy various leisure activities after your marriage, Sir Ferda. The tea party will be held here."
Luri guided Ferda to the meeting place ahead of time, explaining everything one by one.
Since Ferda would be the one escorting Valdrova, she wanted him to familiarize himself with the surroundings first.
Ferda turned his gaze toward the terrace.
"So this overlooks the western lands."
"It’s designed so that you can focus entirely on recreation."
The atmosphere truly felt different.
The Land of Demons, forever shrouded in gloomy light even beneath the sun, naturally invited deep contemplation.
This place, on the other hand, felt nothing but peaceful.
It was the perfect spot to relax while watching the setting sun.
"And the tea party will take place right here."
On the terrace stood two chairs and a single table positioned to enjoy the scenery.
Upon it sat two teacups, a tiered tray preserved with cooling magic, and an assortment of beautifully arranged desserts.
Everything looked extravagant and unfamiliar.
"What are these pastries?"
"Macarons, Mont Blancs, pastries... they all have different names. I selected twenty kinds from over one hundred and fifty desserts that can be made by pastry chefs personally chosen from the Imperial Royal Palace."
"I see."
Just as Ferda was about to let the matter pass, he suddenly reflected on what she had just said.
If she had personally selected them...
"Does that mean you tasted them yourself?"
"Isn’t that obvious?"
"All one hundred and fifty of them?"
As he emphasized that point, Luri’s expression turned sour.
"I know exactly what you’re thinking. Are you assuming I stuffed myself simply to satisfy my own cravings?"
"Isn’t that the obvious conclusion?"
Ferda answered honestly.
He had seen Luri happily devouring honey preserves back in Escolleia, so he couldn’t honestly deny the possibility.
Luri frowned deeply.
"What an insulting assumption. I put tremendous effort into preparing this tea party. I carefully tasted everything again to ensure nothing had been overlooked before selecting only the finest desserts. Do you have any idea how much work that was?"
To Ferda, it sounded no different from saying she had eaten three hundred desserts.
Her expression remained so calm that most people would have believed her without question.
Even someone as suspicious as Ferda might have been fooled by that perfectly composed face.
Had she not made one fatal mistake.
"You’ve got powdered sugar on your lips."
At Ferda’s words, Luri instinctively brushed a finger across her lips.
A fine white powder came away on her fingertip.
She glanced at it before casually popping it into her mouth.
"I merely needed to verify whether they contained poison. Master wouldn’t be harmed by such mediocre toxins, but you’re still human, Sir Ferda."
"I see."
"You don’t believe me, do you? Surely you aren’t treating me like a pig?"
"A pig? Of course not. Your loyalty is more like that of a dog... if I had to compare you to something."
Ferda gave a small nod.
"I suppose that makes you a pig-dog."
"Please... just tell me to hit you once. I’m begging you."
Luri’s face flushed with pure frustration.
Since Ferda hated pain, he would never ask for something like that.
A moment later, Luri glanced at the sun before taking a step back.
It was almost time.
"I’ll go escort Master here. Until then..."
She shot Ferda a fierce glare.
"Please don’t touch the dessert tray."
"Don’t worry."
I’m not you.
Luri stepped outside the recreation room to bring Valdrova.
Ferda quietly waited for her.
’This will be our second meeting.’
In Ferda’s memory, the only real encounter he’d had with her was seeing her face.
During the engagement ceremony, he had seen little more than her chin.
When she had lost control of her Bloodlust, he himself had been in no state to pay attention.
This would be the first time they truly spoke to one another.
’The first time...’
An overwhelming sense of uncertainty crept into him.
’What should I even say first?’
Ferda gently touched his lips.
Had it been an ordinary meeting, he could have simply gone along with the atmosphere.
But this meeting existed because of Valdrova’s anxiety.
And Ferda still had no answer for it.
So he had sought advice from a man renowned in this particular field—
Zed Swallow.
"That? Just pretend you don’t know anything."
Zed Swallow.
As a Swindler, he had seduced countless women.
"There’s no need to explain yourself. Show it through your actions. Why bring up depressing topics and ruin the mood? Just act as though nothing happened and lighten the atmosphere."
Ferda thought the advice made sense.
Apologizing for making her uncomfortable seemed proper, but perhaps such a gloomy topic wasn’t suitable for a tea party.
’Perhaps pretending not to notice really is the best approach.’
Sometimes the best solution was simply not to bring the problem to the surface.
What truly mattered was ensuring that Grand Duchess Valdrova no longer felt anxious.
Steeling himself, Ferda waited.
"Master is entering."
Luri’s voice came from beyond the door.
At the same moment, the door opened.
Offering the greeting he had prepared, Ferda welcomed her.
"Welcome—"
The words caught in his throat.
Even Ferda couldn’t help being stunned by what he saw.
Crimson hair.
Golden eyes.
A face so beautiful that capturing it in a painting would almost be an insult.
...Except it wasn’t there.
’A Dragon Knight?’
The one entering through the door was a fully armored Dragon Knight.
The helmet and armor had been designed to awaken humanity’s instinctive fear.
For Ferda, however, fear was replaced entirely by bewilderment.
At the same time, the armor felt strangely familiar.
’Now I remember... the engagement ceremony.’
It was the same armor he had seen after spilling the engagement wine and being scolded.
Which meant the person inside was undoubtedly Valdrova.
Why is she wearing that armor?
Ferda quietly glanced toward Luri standing behind her.
Their eyes met.
Luri looked at him for a long moment before slowly shaking her head.
It was a silent plea.
Please don’t ask.
After gathering his thoughts, Ferda respectfully bowed once more.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my Queen."
In response, both of her hands folded neatly together, and the dragon-shaped helmet gave a tiny nod.
The gesture resembled that of an awkward young noble lady making her social debut.
Clank.
Clank.
Moving stiffly, she crossed the carpet before sitting opposite Ferda.
Creeeak—
The chair let out a painful groan.
Despite the tremendous weight of the armor, it somehow held together without breaking.
’As though nothing were out of the ordinary...’
Remembering Zed’s advice, Ferda spoke.
"I’m truly delighted that you were the one who suggested this gathering."
Nod.
Only a single nod came in return.
An unbearably awkward silence followed.
Everything seemed to stop around that silence.
Cold sweat formed on Ferda’s back.
Even breathing became difficult.
With great effort, he opened his mouth again to keep the conversation alive.
"That armor truly suits the Aspect of Strength."
Nod.
She answered once again with nothing more than another nod.
"How have you been?"
"..."
Ferda felt like he was dying.
He wanted to sigh to ease the tension, but he couldn’t even bring himself to do that.
His pounding heart felt like a boiling cauldron sealed shut with a heavy lid.
Meanwhile, Luri silently poured tea into their cups, faithfully playing the role of invisible attendant.
Finally, she presented a topic that required at least some kind of response.
Valdrova raised her thumb and index finger into a circle.
"I see. So you’ve been doing well. That’s a relief."
Nod.
His throat was burning dry.
At the very least, he decided to take a sip of tea.
’Come to think of it... does that helmet even have a drinking port?’
Curious, he watched to see what she would do.
She simply sat there, staring quietly at the floor.
"Can you even eat or drink while wearing that armor?"
"..."
She rubbed her helmet for a moment before tapping around where her lips should have been.
Then she suddenly looked up.
As if she’d only just realized she hadn’t considered that problem.
"Wouldn’t it be better if you took it off?"
Shake.
Shake.
She vehemently refused.
Her determination to hide her face no matter what was unmistakable.
Even Ferda, who had intended to pretend nothing was wrong, was beginning to find the atmosphere unbearable.
’She suggested the tea party... yet she won’t eat or drink...’
If only they were talking, things would have been less awkward.
Instead, she was refusing even conversation.
’She’s still angry after all.’
Until now, Valdrova had believed that Ferda had become disgusted with her.
After making her so anxious, here he was joking around as though nothing had happened.
What a truly pathetic man he was.
And so, Ferda decided to apologize.
"I’m sorry."
Clank!
Valdrova’s armor jolted violently.
"I caused Your Grace, the Grand Duchess, needless worry, yet I stood here making lighthearted conversation. It was incredibly thoughtless of me. I should have apologized before anything else..."
"..."
"You may criticize me as much as you wish. I was the one at fault, so no matter what you say—"
"N-No, that’s not true!"
Ferda froze in surprise.
Her voice echoed loudly from inside the helmet.
The contrast with her appearance was startling.
But that wasn’t what surprised him most.
It was her voice itself.
What emerged from inside the helmet was the deep, powerful voice of a seasoned warrior.
"Th-that’s..."
Startled by her own voice, Valdrova hurriedly covered the mouthpiece of her helmet.
"Th-that’s... I... I wasn’t staying quiet because I was angry... and it wasn’t because you did anything wrong, Mr. Ferda."
The fearsome Dragon Knight fidgeted awkwardly with her fingers, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
"I-It’s just... I c-can’t really talk to you... so... I couldn’t answer... th-that’s all..."
"Ah."
Only then did Ferda remember something.
It was something Luri had told him during the engagement ceremony.
’Social anxiety.’
She struggled with people.
Right.
He had known that all along.
So why had he convinced himself she was angry?
He had been so preoccupied with his own concerns that he had forgotten the burden she carried.
"I’m sorry. I was thoughtless. Please forgive me."
"No... I’m the one who’s sorry... I invited you here... and then just sat here without saying a word..."
"No, it was my..."
They continued apologizing back and forth until the conversation abruptly died.
With the atmosphere having completely sunk, Ferda couldn’t bring himself to speak.
He almost wished there were some kind of magic that could break this silence.
"Um..."
At last, Valdrova painfully forced herself to continue.
"The reason... I’m wearing this armor..."
Ferda quietly waited for her to finish.
"Luri... told me... that my expressions show everything."
Hearing that answer, Ferda tilted his head.
"What do you mean by ’show everything’?"
"When I’m in my human form... everything shows on my face. So... when I look at you... I don’t know what kind of expression I’ll make..."
She hesitated before finally finishing her sentence.
"So... I wore it..."
Her final words trailed off, and Valdrova quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
"I-It’s... really... s-stupid... isn’t it?"
The heavy voice of a warrior trembled delicately.
Just watching her mannerisms made it obvious.
How desperately she struggled to hide her emotions.
’How...’
To be unable to hide them...meant she was pure.
She was so genuinely pure that no matter how much armor she wore, no matter how deep a voice she produced, she couldn’t conceal what her heart truly felt.
’Beautiful.’
That was precisely why she was beautiful.
Ferda answered her question.
"Not at all. Even now, at this very moment... I’m nervous as well."
Valdrova raised her head to look at him.
He could feel her eyes carefully examining him.
"You’re lying."
That was what she said.
"Pardon?"
"You say that... but you don’t look nervous at all... I keep stuttering... but you look completely fine."
"It’s because I want to make a good impression. I’m forcing myself to pretend I’m not nervous."
"Is... that how it is?"
She reacted as though she couldn’t quite understand.
Now that Valdrova had confessed her embarrassment, it was Ferda’s turn.
"The reason I haven’t come to see you recently... is because I was afraid as well."
"Afraid... of what?"
"There is Darkness dwelling within the Mana inside me."
"Darkness...?"
"Yes. Darkness resides within my Mana. I feared that darkness might one day harm Your Grace. That is why..."
Ferda’s blue eyes met hers once again.
They shone like sapphires.
"I didn’t have the confidence to face you."
"..."
No answer came.
After hearing those words, Valdrova repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists.
It looked as though she were desperately suppressing emotions that threatened to overflow.
"Mr. Ferda..."
Her voice was carefully restrained.
"So... you were worried about me?"
"Yes. It was rather presumptuous of me, wasn’t it?"
"No... it actually... makes me... a little happy..."
Only then did he finally see it.
Beneath everything...she was simply a delicate young woman.
"That makes you happy?"
The intimidating dragon helmet gave a gentle nod.
"Until now... I’ve never believed anyone worried about me... except Luri. Everyone thinks I’m strong."
"And... they’re right."
"But... you’re afraid that I might get hurt, Mr. Ferda."
"So..."
"Somehow... that makes me happy."
She placed a hand over her chest, quietly gathering her emotions.
"What you gave me that day..."
The day she had been suffering from uncontrollable Bloodlust—
"What I felt..."
"...Was something I had never experienced even once before."
In a voice filled with nostalgia, Valdrova recalled that day.
"There was something warm and gentle flowing through my body..."
"I thought..."
"...That if someone ever hugged me..."
"...Tt would probably feel like that."
"Something like that..."
"...Could never possibly harm me."
"I... see."
"Yes."
Her fingers began fidgeting once more.
Her legs twisted together nervously.
Despite her solemn tone, every movement she made was unmistakably that of a shy young girl.
"I’m already so happy just sitting here."
"I’m so happy simply because I’m facing you right now, Mr. Ferda."
"I’m so happy that..."
Valdrova’s voice suddenly stopped.
"Ah."
It was as though she had suddenly become aware of something she hadn’t consciously realized before.
"Are you alright?"
"Um... I-I’m... terribly sorry... b-but... may I... stand up...?"
"Pardon?"
"I-I think... if I stay here any longer... I-I’ll... I’ll s-start screaming... and... that would bother everyone... so... I’m... s-sor..."
Valdrova trembled helplessly, completely at a loss.
"I’m sooooo sorry!"
With that final apology...she threw herself straight off the terrace.
Ferda and Luri silently looked down after her.
Even at a glance, the ground lay unimaginably far below.
Yet neither of them believed for even a second that Valdrova would be injured.
Luri, who had stood quietly like a decorative screen the entire time, finally spoke.
"Well, I’d say the tea party was a success."
She casually popped one of the desserts from the tiered tray into her mouth.
Looking down at the place where Valdrova had disappeared, Ferda quietly repeated Luri’s words in his mind.
’Yes.’
Then, all at once, he realized something.
’Valdrova... is such an ordinary woman.’
A pure woman who couldn’t even properly look her own fiancé in the face.
Yet someone like her had forced herself to play the role of a king beneath the crushing weight she carried.
’But the world is not so forgiving.’
He knew that all too well.
Even that small, ordinary happiness was something the world refused to grant her.
The endless waves of monsters.
The corruption within the Empire.
Her painful past.
All of it constantly tested her...and crushed her beneath its weight.
’I made a vow.’
To protect everything she loved.
To grant every wish she had only ever dreamed of.
And one day...the name Valdrova would no longer be synonymous with fear.
Instead, it would become a name that inspired joy.
To make that happen...Ferda needed resolve.
’Sometimes...’
...He would have to be bold.
If necessary...he would even have to be ruthless.
His fear of harming Valdrova could no longer shake him.
His sense of duty became the fuel that reignited the fire that had nearly gone out within his heart.
***
The following day, Ferda summoned Zed and explained his plan.
After listening, Zed asked only one question.
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
It was an incredibly rude thing to say.
Surprisingly, however, it was the most carefully chosen wording Zed could come up with after giving the matter serious thought.
That was just how absurd Ferda’s plan was.
"You’re saying... you want to rob the Empire’s treasury?"
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