Chapter 121 - Scandal

Looking at the excited Valdrova, Luri spoke.

"As Ferda is the host of the banquet, the role of the hostess is also important."

["If it's the hostess... you mean me, right?"]

"Yes."

["Hmm..."]

Valdrova dropped her head.

No matter how much she admired it and wanted to attend, she became frightened the moment it became about her.

Luri, naturally, saw right through that tendency.

"Ferda will be performing a dance there."

["A dance?"]

"It is something called a waltz, a dance where a man and a woman move together in sync. It is a basic refinement for nobles."

["A man and a woman together..."]

The man was Ferda, and the woman was herself.

Her heart fluttered at the thought of them becoming a pair.

Because of her massive size, the pounding sound of her heart echoed clearly.

["And if I say I cannot go...?"]

"Then Ferda will likely dance with another partner."

["Mmm..."]

Valdrova fell into deep thought.

Imagining him dancing with another woman made her chest ache even more.

She had to attend, no matter what.

["Then what about going in my armor..."]

"That is impossible."

Fearing that she might even come up with the idea of shrinking her armor size, Luri spoke even more firmly than usual.

"Above all, wouldn't Ferda be troubled? He would have to lead a giant over two meters tall. Furthermore."

["Furthermore?"]

"If you accidentally step on his foot, his bones will be crushed. If you plan to cripple him, I'm all for it, but that's not the case, is it?"

["Of course not."]

In her dragon form, the weight of her armor alone exceeded several hundred kilograms. The fragile Ferda naturally wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Realizing she had a point, Valdrova nodded.

Watching her struggle to make a decision, Luri spoke.

"Not attending is also an option."

["Do you truly mean that?"]

"Yes."

Luri continued.

"Master, you are the Aspect of Fire and Power. Since you are an immortal being who does not easily reveal yourself to humans, it is better to maintain your mystique."

["... I suppose so?"]

She nodded, clearing her throat as if she had gained a good excuse.

Luri knew that by doing this, Valdrova would try to hide even more.

After all, Luri was the attendant who had served her longer than anyone else.

"I forgot to mention this."

However, what Valdrova didn't know was that this was a step back in order to take three steps forward.

"Did you know that Olivia Arken came today?"

Valdrova's movements stiffened.

She knew she was called the Golden Rose of the Empire and was very popular with men.

Ferda was also a man.

["I have a rough idea."]

"Then did you also watch when she came in?"

["I couldn't see because I was working."]

"That woman came and personally instructed Ferda."

["Are you saying she danced with my fiancé?"]

"Yes. They were holding hands and dancing the waltz without any music. For nearly four hours, at that."

["Four hours..."]

Even when she heard that Ferda had held her hand, she had felt terrible.

But a dance.

And for four hours at that.

A man and a woman, for four hours.

Valdrova felt as if the world inside her mind was turning gloomy and depressed.

"Do you know what that means?"

["What is it?"]

"It means Ferda wants to dance with you, Master."

Her restless mood instantly soared.

Flapping her wings wildly and snorting breaths of air, Valdrova transformed.

Her body slowly began to shrink.

Her scales retreated beneath smooth skin, and her form finally morphed into a beautiful woman.

A woman with gentle eyes that did not suit the Aspect of Fire and Power.

With a look of great determination, the woman spoke.

"I-I want to try that w-wildcat thing!"

"It's a waltz."

Considering the work you do, you're practically a wildcat anyway.

Inwardly satisfied that everything had gone smoothly according to her intentions, Luri spoke.

"I will teach you how to dance."

"Huh? You know how to dance?"

"I didn't originally, but I ended up learning."

She had watched them practice dancing for nearly four hours.

During that time, she had completely mastered all the dance moves and details.

While Ferda, who was actually receiving the lessons, couldn't even take a proper step, Luri had memorized everything.

The undeniable truth was that Olivia Arken was a good teacher, and Ferda was a hopeless klutz.

"Imagine that I am Ferda, and try holding my hand."

"Ferda isn't this small, though..."

"That's why I'm telling you to just imagine it, Master."

"O-Okay, sorry..."

She had unintentionally offended her.

Valdrova lightly grasped Luri's hand and looked down at it.

'This is Ferda's hand...'

Once she became conscious of it, it really did look that way.

That hand that warmly enveloped her.

That hand that made her heart flutter and grow tense just by looking at it.

Ferda's hand.

CRUNCH!

Or so it was.

"Kyaaaah!"

"..."

"Fe-Ferda! No, Lu-Lu-Luri!! Is your hand okay? What do we do, what do we do?"

The one with the broken hand stood perfectly still, while the one who broke it was making a huge fuss.

Luri quietly looked down at her own hand.

Her fingers wouldn't move and hung completely limp.

Seeing that, Luri realized something.

Practicing the waltz right now wasn't the issue.

She let out a sigh and said,

"Let's start by practicing how to control your strength first."

She had to stop Valdrova from committing murder first.

The planners Olivia promised to send from the Empire arrived.

They brought several luxurious carriages with them to prepare for the banquet and events.

They dedicated their full effort not only to the events inside the castle but also outside, paying attention to Hestia village to ensure everything concluded successfully.

The only thing Ferda had to worry about was how much would be spent on the Start of Spring Festival, so everything was proceeding smoothly.

"These are greeting letters that flew in from all over the Serdes Continent."

She dumped the box of letters onto the desk.

It was enough letters to drown in.

"That's a lot."

"This is what's left after filtering them again and again. Factoring in regional influence and growth potential, we've reduced it to roughly four hundred people."

"Did you do this all by yourself?"

"If I had, I wouldn't have been able to send them out in time. I worked 'together' with Miss Mori."

No wonder her skin looked so strangely smooth.

Only 250 people could attend the Start of Spring Festival. Filtering out the remaining 150 was a task Ferda had to handle himself.

Ferda read through their letters.

—I sincerely support Regent Ferda Valdrova's construction of Hestia village. I am...

Content praising Hestia village, which they had no real interest in, and content appealing to what kind of noble they were.

And by subtly slipping in a sentence wishing for the success of the Start of Spring Festival, they showed their desire to attend.

Every single one was exactly like this.

"There is one more letter, but this one is a bit of an exception."

He wondered what she meant by an exception, but upon seeing the sender, Ferda understood.

"It was sent by House Yurei."

"What do you think?"

The duchy had incurred massive debt after losing the war.

The farmers, exploited by that debt, had come to Hestia village for freedom and survival.

From Duke Yurei's perspective, Ferda was no different from a kidnapper.

"I think the better choice would probably be to let them attend, but..."

Duke Yurei was the biggest victim.

If they didn't send an invitation just because the situation was uncomfortable, it would only give him an excuse to play the victim.

"Even if you do interact with them, it will likely just be Duke Yurei's son anyway."

"That is true."

The Start of Spring Festival was a gathering to celebrate the coming of spring.

It was a social event for the youth, where the rule was that only unmarried, young individuals could participate.

For such an occasion, Olivia Arken was a truly excellent bait.

People from the Empire might see her at tea parties or events often enough, but to those outside the Empire, she was a figure they could hardly ever hope to meet.

'It's a relief that the plan is proceeding smoothly.'

He hoped things would just continue like this without any interruptions.

However, as always, the world did not move the way he wanted.

BANG!

Someone appeared, violently throwing the door open.

Contrary to the forceful sound, a girl with a petite stature walked in.

Without her usual maid-like composure, she marched right up to Ferda and asked,

"Have you perhaps been running your mouth loosely?"

He wondered what was wrong with her.

"You're speaking quite aggressively."

"I have received information that I am both sorry and simultaneously not sorry about."

She handed him the telegram paper she had received.

He could see why she was so furious.

Because the moment Ferda saw it, he was also struck with disbelief while anger boiled up inside him.

"Rumors that Regent Valdrova and the Arken Princess are having an affair have spread throughout the entire Empire. What do we do about this?"

When Olivia said she was coming to Valdrova Castle, Ferda had considered several bad scenarios.

There were countless possibilities, but the one he had worried about the most was exactly this.

'A scandal.'

There were times when a young lady unavoidably stayed at a man's house, but because retainers and knights strictly guarded the boundaries, it usually wasn't considered as big a deal as one might think.

However, the more beautiful a jewel is, the larger a small scratch appears.

The higher one's status, the more severely they are shaken by even the smallest rumor.

'This is especially severe for Olivia.'

Protecting her chastity and maintaining proper conduct to avoid any suspicion was her duty as a Princess.

To the people who adored her, Ferda Valdrova was an enemy.

If their relationship soured over this, it would be fatal for Ferda.

But rather than such political calculations, a certain someone's face appeared at the forefront of Ferda's mind.

"Does... she know about this?"

To his fury-laced voice, Luri answered calmly.

"She doesn't know yet. But she will eventually find out."

"..."

What would happen when Valdrova found out?

He felt like he could kill someone.

He just wanted to rip out his own pounding heart out of sheer anxiety.

"Huu..."

Ferda took a deep breath.

Getting angry wouldn't solve anything, so he had to do what needed to be done.

"I suppose we should have a talk."

Left with no choice, he decided to connect to the imperial family and speak with Olivia.

Since she was at the very heart of the Empire, she would know exactly how to handle a situation like this.

["It's nothing more than light gossip."]

Unlike the anxious Ferda, Olivia was completely relaxed.

Since she understood the importance of saving face better than anyone, he didn't think she was just spouting nonsense.

Ferda asked her for the reason.

"Light gossip?"

["Think about it. Did we do anything there that could be misunderstood?"]

"We did not."

["I didn't stay the night, and we only stayed in the drawing room. The Knight Captain did step outside, but there was an attendant inside, wasn't there?"]

"That is correct."

["Luri Silverwind swore loyalty to Valdrova. Of course, if that loyalty means turning a blind eye to an affair, it would be a different story—."]

"If you had tried any of that nonsense, I would have ripped your head off."

Luri aggressively cut in.

She didn't specify whose head, but judging by her glare, Ferda was definitely included.

Despite that, Olivia fired back without missing a beat.

["A forceful answer fitting of such a loyal person. We have a witness, so that's plenty."]

After hearing that explanation, his anxiety eased slightly.

["Still, the fact that the rumor spread at all is a headache. It could serve as fuel for hostility toward you, Regent."]

"That is exactly my point. That is why I contacted you."

["Oh my, do you need my advice?"]

"Regardless of how you look at it, you would know this area better, so it's a situation where I should seek your advice."

["Hmm~ So you're saying you need me."]

Olivia let out an amused breath.

Then she said,

["If so, how about doing it like this? Ask me for a dance at the banquet hall."]

No matter how he thought about it, that seemed far from a solution.

"And what happens if I do?"

["I will politely reject you."]

"Then wouldn't it just look like I got dumped?"

It would be interpreted as him having some degree of romantic feelings for Olivia.

He didn't want Olivia to be the only one who came out looking good.

["Oh my, to think you would say that. Does my image seem like a witch to you, Regent?"]

"It does not."

As someone who had already seen all the witches, to him, she was an angel.

["Do not worry. As the party host, Regent, you have a duty to socialize with the young ladies who do not have a dance partner."]

"The Flower of the Empire wouldn't be left without a partner, so does that duty even apply?"

["You really don't know anything, do you? I never dance with any man."]

Hearing those words, Ferda understood.

Olivia summarized the information and explained it again.

["Regent, as the host, dance with the other young ladies, and then approach me. You must give off the impression that you're just fulfilling your duty as a host, not that you have ulterior motives. When you ask like that, I will reject the dance."]

"Will that really be enough?"

In Ferda's opinion, the fundamental problem wasn't solved.

How could that one situation alone clear everything up?

["Yes, you don't even need to make a specific statement. Speaking about it could actually invite trouble. Time will naturally show everyone that it was just nonsense."]

"What makes you so sure?"

["Because I know just by looking at your eyes, Regent."]

"My eyes...?"

["You always act so serious, but you do know you're terrible at acting, right? Just do as you always do."]

Olivia suddenly dropped an insult on him.

["Anyway, this is just light gossip, so don't overthink it. I'll be going now. Even this could start another rumor."]

"Understood. Thank you for the advice."

Ferda cut off the telepathic message and stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

"Luri."

"Yes."

"Do you know what she meant when she said she knows just by looking at my eyes?"

Hearing that, Luri met Ferda's eyes.

She gave him a strange look, as if asking why that was even a question.

"I know."

"What is it?"

"It's a secret. But it should be enough, just as the Princess said."

"Hmm..."

He see.

Sighing in relief, Ferda threw himself against the backrest.

"So, do you feel better now?"

"... No."

That was that, and this was this.

Ferda couldn't tolerate this situation.

Who was the son of a bitch trying to test him?

'The starting point must be the Knight Captain.'

He was the Emperor's man, not Olivia's.

But he probably wasn't the mastermind.

It must have spread to various people while he was reporting to the Emperor.

'I need to find him.'

He had to know what the bastard's goal was.

No, actually, he didn't need to know the goal.

He just needed to destroy him.

That was why Ferda took something out from inside his drawer.

It was a black bandana.