Chapter 54 - Butterfly and Jewel

An afterparty was underway following the end of the Grand Council.

The atmosphere felt even more desolate than before the meeting.

If they were relaxed and probing for each other's information before the meeting, they were now showing solidarity within their own groups.

'They're like children.'

It was no different from taking sides after a verbal argument.

The only difference was that they held blades capable of commanding countless people.

The Empire was the same.

Befitting a massive empire, there were thirty people of duke rank or higher alone.

Rather than mingling under the grand framework of the Empire, the factions within it were socializing among themselves.

Alexander, who had been showing boundless interest, spotted Ferda and approached him amiably.

"Did something happen?"

"I just had a brief conversation regarding the proposal."

"Ah, right. I certainly didn't expect you to ambitiously answer that you would conquer the far east this time. If you need anything, let me know anytime. I'll gladly step up and help you out!"

"Thank you."

With that, the conversation ended, and Alexander went back to acting like the boss of his group.

Zed, who was quick to pick up on the nuances of noble society, noticed Alexander's attitude.

"Did you have a falling out with the 1st Prince? You seemed fine just before entering the Grand Council..."

"He's ignoring me because he thinks I won't be of any help."

Ferda stepped away from that group without any lingering attachment.

He had no desire to mingle with that group in the first place.

Shortly after, another man approached Ferda with a bow.

"I, Bernard Wayne, Chancellor of Escolaia, am honored to meet the spouse of the great Aspect of Power."

"I greet the chancellor of humanity's treasury of knowledge."

The man who had brought up the agenda regarding the appearance of Demon Followers.

Ferda absentmindedly furrowed his brow.

"Are you displeased by something? Your expression..."

"No..."

Bernard's smooth, shiny head reflected the light of the chandelier.

"It's just that your head is too blinding."

"Ahem... Let's move past that, and I thank you for what happened today."

"Thank me?"

"Wasn't there an incident where the Imperial Prince stepped forward and almost derailed the agenda? Thanks to you personally stepping in, I was able to finish speaking."

Ah, that matter.

"You don't need to mind it. It's just that I despise those who play politics using monsters. I favor capable people."

"Treating people with conviction is no easy task. That's why I feel I will get along well with the Regent of Valdrova."

Chancellor Bernard flashed an awkward smile.

It made him look unpleasantly like someone hatching a sinister plot.

However, Bernard was a man far removed from sinister plots to begin with.

He was a man who was unnecessarily diligent and overflowing with a sense of responsibility.

"Please speak."

"I originally planned to present a technology in line with what I announced today. But seeing the situation today, the timing didn't feel right at all."

"Technology?"

"It is something I dedicated my life to researching. It is the mechanism for a monster appearance prediction device."

"A monster appearance prediction device... I feel like I've heard of that somewhere before."

"How could that be? We are preparing it in secret at Escolaia."

It might have been conducted in secret, but Ferda, who possessed information of the future, had heard of it once before.

Who did he hear it from? Ferda finally remembered.

'Thessalos Vulture.'

He had said it.

That something called a monster appearance prediction device was almost created, but ultimately disappeared.

That if they had it, the duration of this work could have been reduced by more than half.

Ferda had considered such obsession from Thessalos to be pathetic.

But looking back now, the pathetic one was Ferda himself.

"Chancellor."

"Yes."

"When exactly do you plan to showcase that technology?"

"I plan to unveil it soon. Are you familiar with Halim? I rented a hall there, and I intend to gather merchants from various regions to hold an exhibition and presentation. Of course..."

The chancellor glanced around swiftly before slipping in a sly whisper.

"We'll also unwind and enjoy some entertainment together."

"I suppose you'll have to stay alive until then."

"Of course. How could I sleep from the sheer unfairness if I died without enjoying what there is to enjoy? If it is possible for you as well, Regent..."

"If you invite me, I will participate."

"Haha, you're a true man, indeed."

The chancellor sent him a sly gaze filled with a sense of kinship.

"Understood. I will prepare an invitation for you. I need to greet the others, so I will be on my way now."

"Take care."

The conversation with the Chancellor of Escolaia was a huge gain for Ferda.

Gathering merchants to hold an exhibition in Halim.

And learning that the monster appearance prediction device was actually an existing technology.

'And that I can make the chancellor indebted to me.'

He hated politics, but if there was something he needed, he would obtain it no matter what.

That was the reason Ferda had attended the Grand Council.

"Zed, Arwen."

"Huh?"

"Yes!"

The two gave the same answer but with different punctuation.

"From now on, secretly keep an eye on the Chancellor of Escolaia."

"You mean that bald guy? What did he do to make you order something like this?"

"He's a man with no tomorrow, so hover around and watch to see if he does anything foolish, and check if there's any suspicious activity around him. This is the top priority."

"Yes."

Unlike Arwen, Zed did not answer immediately.

"I'll do it if you tell me to, but what's the reason?"

"A knight sure has a lot to say."

"That's because I'm a fake knight. The one I swore loyalty to won't even throw me a knighting banquet."

"Stop complaining and just do it. I'll make sure you're compensated."

"Tsk, understood."

At the mention of compensation, Zed's complaints vanished completely.

He likely spouted those complaints just to hear those exact words in the first place.

After sending the two away, Ferda looked around again.

As he was roughly grasping how the factions were forming, Ferda spotted Olivia.

She was mingling with clerics wearing white priestly robes adorned with gold trims.

'Are they from the Odograsado Holy State?'

It was a bizarre sight.

The Odograsado Holy State and the Arken Empire were supposed to be hostile to each other, under the pretext that two suns could not coexist.

On top of that, a woman wearing a dress that boldly exposed her cleavage was mingling with clerics.

Just then, perhaps sensing his gaze, she made eye contact with Ferda.

She smiled with her eyes and discreetly gestured for him to come over.

It was uncomfortable.

But if he had to mingle with someone, wouldn't Olivia be the safest bet?

Thinking so, Ferda walked toward Olivia.

Olivia's eyes, which were holding intense eye contact.

She was wearing her usual bright and perfect smile, no different than always.

She placed her hand on Ferda's shoulder.

"Allow me to introduce you."

There were two men there.

An old man of petite stature wearing a crown.

And a middle-aged man bearing a scar on his face, keeping his back straight like a soldier.

"This is Ferda Valdrova, the Regent and the future Consort to the Red Dragon Valdrova. You have already seen him, yes?"

"Haha, I am aware. It was impossible to miss him."

The old man chuckled heartily, stroking his pure white beard.

His forearm, protruding from his sleeve, came into view.

It was so thin that the phrase 'skin and bones' would be fitting.

Even though he wore high-heeled shoes, he was an old man of such petite stature that he was much shorter than the woman, Olivia; he truly looked fragile.

He would instill a worry that he might collapse under the weight of the very clothes he was wearing.

However, facing him directly told a different story from his outward appearance.

A golden radiance seemed to pour out from his wide-open eyes.

Even Ferda, who had burned away every last ounce of faith in his heart, felt that a god resided within those eyes.

Ferda willingly showed his respect.

"I greet the Son of Miracles, the Father of the Holy State, Holy Emperor Gregorio."

"A pleasure to meet you, Regent Ferda. I heard today was your first Grand Council."

"That is correct."

"For someone stepping in for the first time, you made quite a bold statement."

"Yes. I assume it was not to your liking."

Gregorio shook his head.

"Not at all. The thought you had is a question this old man has also pondered from time to time. Whether the Evil Dragon Valdrova, despised by all, might actually be the guardian of the east."

"Is that so?"

"I came here to represent the will of Lord Odograsado. Because of that, I have a duty to be prudent in all matters. Therefore, I cannot support your opinion right away."

He let out a regretful sound and lightly patted Ferda's forearm.

"However, if you show the resolve to clear up that misunderstanding, I will have no choice but to support you in the name of the golden scales."

The name of the golden scales.

It was the absolute vow made by the followers of Odograsado.

Throwing around such a vow in his capacity as the Holy Emperor meant he genuinely intended to do so.

At least, on the surface.

But Ferda did not believe those words at face value.

Because for the Holy Emperor of this Holy State, his own interests ultimately took precedence.

"I am simply in awe that you would think so."

"Go forth and unfold your will. If you take a step forward trusting the god in your heart, I'm sure they will answer."

As the greetings ended, Olivia, who had been watching the conversation, interjected.

"Then I shall take my leave now, Holy Emperor. Please take good care of your health."

"May the golden grace follow the Flower of the Empire."

After finishing the formal greetings, Olivia naturally looped her arm around Ferda's.

She didn't say a word, so Ferda had no chance to refuse.

"Let's go."

With subtle movements, she steered Ferda as if making him lead her.

When she felt they had gained enough distance, Olivia asked a question.

"I heard about what happened at the meeting."

Her gaze was filled with displeasure.

"Was that agenda something you came up with yourself, Ferda?"

"Yes."

"It was a truly foolish act."

In contrast to her icy sentence, Olivia was smiling radiantly.

Just by looking at her face, one couldn't gauge what kind of conversation they were having.

"It was something that had to be said."

"It wasn't something to bring up at your debut in the Grand Council. It was a subject that could only bring adverse effects. It was a moment where the unestablished image of the far east could have been negatively cemented, you know?"

Her tone harbored a sharp blade uncharacteristic of a sheltered flower.

"Are you, the Princess, scolding me after chatting with the Holy Emperor of another nation?"

"Oh my? Please don't compare me to yourself. I've always been this kind of person. A person like a butterfly."

"A butterfly?"

Ferda asked, and Olivia smiled sweetly.

Olivia subtly let go of his arm and walked away.

No, she fluttered away, her dress wafting in the air.

"I flutter gently here and there, hovering around. People chase after me as if they can catch me, yet they never can. Carrying enough weight so as not to seem frivolous, but lightly enough not to seem like an iron wall."

She truly was like a butterfly.

It was a movement akin to tightrope acrobatics.

Doing so, she alighted lightly back onto Ferda's lifted arm.

"Still, it wasn't entirely bad. That declaration to conquer the Land of Demons didn't just leave a bad impression in the end."

"Is that so?"

"Look at that old, cowardly face. Isn't it proof that he vividly remembers your face, which was nothing more than an extra in a play?"

That was something Ferda had felt as well.

"You have no allies now, but as you show your competence, they will soon bow their heads to you. So long as you show even a 1% chance of making it a reality, they absolutely will."

"What makes you so certain?"

"Her Highness Grand Duchess Valdrova possesses a different authority from the rest. Territorial expansion."

There was only one place to expand the territory. The far east. The Land of Demons.

A land no one dared to covet.

But if he had told that to anyone else, they would have laughed heartily at it like a joke.

Because in reality, the Grand Duchy's territory was shrinking rather than expanding.

"If we can purify that barren land and turn it into our land again, it will become the second capital."

"The second capital..."

"The Empire is currently at full capacity. There are many young people who abandon their orchards and fields to come up to the capital for success. They call it the Empire Dream."

"Harboring a dream isn't a bad thing."

"Right. There's nothing bad about it. But in the current Empire, they are treated no better than discarded old shoes. Do you know how many people enter the Empire and die?"

"Even if you tell me that, it's outside of my interest."

"Anyway, if you prove the value of that land, the far east will be reborn not merely as a backwater, but as a land of new opportunity. As the territory expands, the population will increase, and your voice will grow stronger as well."

The east will grow.

At those words, he asked Olivia.

"Will the Empire just sit back and watch?"

Olivia answered.

"Hardly. They'll keep you in check, acting as if they couldn't care less what happens to Valdrova."

The Arken Empire would not surrender the powerful might concentrated in its capital.

Even if someone had to die for it.

"So you must help me."

Weight settled into her tone.

As if sensing the next words were important, Ferda focused on her.

"Help you with what?"

"I am a butterfly, but at the same time, I am a jewel put up for auction. A jewel that will eventually be sold off to the central nobles."

The title of Princess that elevated her was both a stepping stone and a shackle at the same time.

It was not a surprising tale.

It was not a tragedy unique to the Princess, Olivia.

Most young ladies of prestigious families with strict education faced the same fate.

The better their education and the more meticulously they maintained their beauty, the higher their chances of marrying into a family more prestigious than their own.

Men sought to raise their status through men's methods, and women through women's methods.

The Princess was the ultimate allurement and card in the Emperor's hand.

Upon hearing that, he suddenly realized something.

Why she was establishing friendly relations with the Odograsado Holy State.

"I must become a Saintess."

Olivia smiled deeply.

"If I become a Saintess, I can be free from the price tag that comes with being a Princess."

"Because no one would want to claim a devout Saintess and incur the wrath of God and the believers."

"Exactly."

Olivia was a figure well-equipped with the seal of oaths, devoutness, and widespread popularity.

However, her critical flaw was her status as the Princess.

'If she escapes being the Princess and becomes a Saintess...'

Olivia would no longer be a mere tool of the Emperor but his child, and the power dynamic would shift.

Not simply a pretty and beautiful flower, but a savior who could rescue the weak.

She would receive support from the clerics, and by doing so, she could avoid the fate of being a jewel on an auction block.

She would form a stable support base amidst a volatile power dynamic.

It sounded like a good story, but Ferda already knew the truth.

'Olivia does not become a Saintess.'

Thus, she broke her oaths and weaponized her allure.

She lured her own flesh and blood into bed, became a seductress who toppled the nation, and ultimately took her own life.

Ferda vividly remembered that.

"Can you do it for me?"

An unspoken, hidden message could be heard from her eyes.

For my sake.

Her frail voice stimulated his protective instincts.

Ferda looked straight into her eyes and spoke.

"Of course I will do it."

However, not for your sake, but...

"Provided that you cooperate sufficiently."

... For the sake of my fiancée.

This matter was strictly just business according to their contract.

"Of course."

Looking into Ferda's eyes, Olivia was momentarily flustered.

Her voice came out with a very faint tremble.

Her face was about to flush red from the disgrace, but Ferda didn't notice it.

Ferda disentangled his arm from hers and spoke.

"I'll be taking my leave then."

"Where are you going?"

"It's just that I feel like it's about time I went looking for a lost kid."

"A lost kid?"

Ferda let go of Olivia's hand and walked away.

The men who had held hands with Olivia were always the same.

When she met their eyes, she had to face the possessiveness dwelling within them, and she always had to be the one to let go because they couldn't bring themselves to.

But Ferda was different.

He didn't look back and walked away without any lingering attachment.

She was hailed as the greatest beauty in the Empire, but Ferda paid her no mind.

Rather, Olivia was the one who couldn't tear her gaze away until he disappeared.

'An ally unbound by emotion.'

Someone who didn't focus on useless things and could eliminate variables through rational judgment.

She had told herself that this was exactly the greatest kind of ally to have.

'Even though I said that...'

Actually having him pay no attention to her was not as pleasant an experience as she had imagined.

A feeling of disappointment washed over her, but she had no time to wallow in that sentiment.

The nobles were flocking toward Olivia.

"I greet the Princess of the Arken Empire, Lady Olivia."

"I am called Ken. As a young master of the Principality of Hus..."

No sooner had Ferda disappeared than the flowers gathered toward the butterfly.

No, they were beasts holding dirty money to buy her body.

Olivia smiled at them.

Just like a precious jewel.