Chapter 121: Scandal
X0qFOCRuri looked at Valdrova, who was clearly excited, and said,Yv2
FKx“Since Sir Perda will be hosting the banquet, the role of the hostess is also important.”onr4X
iKDqtPQ— Hostess…? You mean me?6WtH
ycBouB6“Yes.”bAoc
VnDEm— Hmm….vZAL
NQJOcXValdrova lowered her head.JajTd
JA52QWvNo matter how much she had always admired banquets and wished to attend one, when it came to herself, fear appeared before anything else.6H1vV
jzFcZOf course, Ruri understood that side of her perfectly.bqmp
H8dkn“Sir Perda is planning to present a dance during the event.”YXL
3Hrrk— A dance?7VcUU
uKnD“It’s called the waltz. It’s a dance performed by a man and a woman together in harmony. It’s a basic skill among nobles.”LEF
2NDS— A man and a woman together…?1rG
XRtThe man would be Perda.4fKYy
vbSThe woman would be her.9dJF5
gg9Just imagining herself paired with him made her heart pound.FQW7v
ii5gBBecause of her enormous size, the beats echoed clearly.LGU5dyX
tHJpwi— And what if I say I can’t go…?53xJ
HAv2IAj“Then Sir Perda will dance with another partner.”l6Ec
kLqZrt— Ummm….g1pOQwZ
h2bPlYValdrova fell into deep thought.mCAqu
W5MJImagining Perda dancing with another woman caused an even greater pain in her chest.LrAJ4
6bs8No matter what happened, she had to attend.wOWOm
6QJ0OH9— Then… what if I go wearing my armor…?M3YO8jF
It9“Impossible.”NaMq
NatHDcXFearing that Valdrova might even consider reducing the size of the armor, Ruri answered more firmly than usual.BzTqHV
DDHwU“First of all, don’t you think that would put Sir Perda in a difficult position? He would have to guide someone over two meters tall. Besides.”8hMGr0u
dLSQaU— Besides?XZsaL
sMEV2M“If you accidentally step on his foot, you’ll shatter his bones. If your intention is to cripple him, then I agree, but I assume that isn’t the case.”1kYF
gqwN— Of course not.LFj
huJpxIn dragon form, the armor alone easily weighed several hundred kilograms.40q
e7kmsbNaturally, the fragile Perda would not be able to withstand it.ZQxt
e13aValdrova realized she was right and nodded.RMvU9
REVWatching her struggle to make a decision, Ruri added,DWuCWL
wdqF4“Not attending is also an option.”9vf
WM2Hwok— You mean that?G8YclS7
Mzvxcyq“Yes.”ShD68
G8wGqRuri answered calmly.mN64
pzlvRG“My Lady is the Embodiment of Fire and Strength. An immortal existence who should not reveal herself easily to humans. Maintaining an air of mystery also has value.”WLdcu
S3GC— …I suppose so.UhTPiQ
UwP48yjAs if she had found a convenient excuse, Valdrova nodded several times.vHe
fycYTIRuri knew perfectly well that if things continued this way, she would only hide herself even more.VSO
KM2RAfter all, she had served Valdrova longer than anyone.yDXUx
tVBQs“Ah, I almost forgot to mention.”ZOVvOW
AxR6KOkBut if there was one thing Valdrova did not know, it was that this was not a retreat, but one step back to move three steps forward.DLO8
cIN“Did you know that Olivia Arken came today?”rQWF
MhndUValdrova’s body went rigid.WMnVL0L
xVCWBShe knew that the Golden Rose of the Empire was extremely popular among men.OSWw
SzfAnd Perda was also a man.r8JWs
zX0je— I heard about it in passing.wy3hL
YvK“Then did you also see when she arrived?”Pemr5B
nmMi0T— I was working, so no.XxWYM
3xC“That woman came and personally taught Sir Perda.”oz4ZS
aNzW— Are you saying she danced with my fiancé?UxdLxBT
GSrmD“Yes. They held hands and practiced the waltz without music.”kvKfJ
qrKDcRuri paused briefly.1hmY
JRXz“For almost four hours.”5ieDBk
i962— Four hours….Sdt6O2
1HL3JFdShe had already felt quite bad when she heard that Perda had taken Olivia’s hand.Vuo46Rr
8lb9fWBut dancing?giiYt
hSqKpuAnd for four hours?sDmc
IDph7sA man and a woman.P30Hx
7x4XFjFor four hours.6gB5
oQd4LHVValdrova’s inner world turned gray and gloomy.Pyx4XxF
f8Q2yt“Do you know what that means?”xxnp4
z5lBpL— What?7le
eHyl“It means that Sir Perda wants to dance with you.”I63
MzzAValdrova’s gloomy mood vanished instantly.Byppoa
ObxGOJShe flapped her wings uselessly and let out snorts through her nose.neEM
45LbHThen her body began to shrink.gZVzTo4
AzFkBYHer scales sank beneath soft skin, and her figure transformed into a beautiful woman.2LugF
5RmrxA woman with gentle eyes, completely unfitting for the Embodiment of Fire and Strength.s0xDK
U9NavhWith a determined expression, she declared,KVnWTm
1kr7HHn“I-I want to try that valgadac!”KoD
K8ExyT“It’s a waltz.”kzDczr
Pa3fThough considering the things she normally did, “valgadac” was not that far off.ka101
Q2zOW6HEverything was unfolding exactly as Ruri had planned.mafjAE
vu9SdAnd that satisfied her greatly.kU9G3
za5NK“I’ll teach you how to dance.”SC5W
oKz— Huh? You know how to dance?fFoBt
nSK“Not before. But I ended up learning.”BiYiefA
ie1obYZShe had watched a full four hours of practice.kj7
riZSQyDuring that time, she memorized every step and every detail.67M
yZHcWhile Perda, the one receiving the lessons, could barely manage to move his feet, Ruri had learned everything.KclwNuS
PuVa32The only certain thing was that Olivia Arken was an excellent teacher.gizo8ik
Id1And that Perda was hopeless when it came to coordinating his body.ZY3ykF
YlEU“Imagine that I’m Sir Perda and take my hand.”MkDk
vR63kHS“But Perda isn’t that small….”rHG
v7RsNw“That’s why I’m telling you to imagine it, My Lady.”XSrtP15
tsByQk— O-oh, yes. I’m sorry….e59fBT
zJuQWithout meaning to, she had hurt Ruri’s feelings.6sp5U
jlwFValdrova gently took Ruri’s hand and stared at it.rgCvmaw
g1LBHg‘This is Perda’s hand….’kHoN
82MzThinking of it that way, it really began to feel like his.MJrPP
nD1UpqYThe hand that always wrapped her in warmth.N3wsg
eQfThe hand that made her feel excited and nervous just by looking at it.U0fcfs
rUP07UGPerda’s hand.oP54Flw
I09Q2Crack!4wZWBB
aL1NsOr at least, it was.mFAfKSa
DgRzr“Kyyaaaah!”zS5nki
Yfl12r“……”YBY
G9kQ6Scandal59kBhG
a7BnxLZ“P-Perda! No, R-R-Ruri! Are you okay? What do I do? What do I do?”N8t
HeWAKOThe one who had broken something was panicking while the victim remained motionless.PuZG3Nz
1JvWORuri simply looked at her hand.60F
dCXeMEHer fingers had become completely limp and deformed.vqlTpr
rABGeUpon seeing them, she realized something.zcXbl
zSM0Practicing the waltz was not the main problem right now.D9KGf
ZxYShe sighed and said,DfCtj
otrS4l“First, we’ll have to practice strength control.”vsLk
jl0s4Before anything else, they needed to prevent Valdrova from committing accidental homicide.FWBJFvL
yiKIKq***HtS
01qThe planner Olivia had promised to send from the Empire arrived.qe7V
xkTThey brought several luxurious carriages and began preparations for the banquet and festivities.lMjNX3m
OGjDVUmThey concerned themselves not only with the events inside the castle but also with those that would be held outside it in Hestia Village, doing their utmost to ensure everything concluded successfully.YcEc8E
Ls6HGg3Since Perda’s only concern was how much money would be spent on the Spring Beginning Festival, everything proceeded smoothly.d4R
M0CnjK5“These are the courtesy letters that have arrived from all across the continent of Serdes.”mtys
e1d4t5She dumped a box full of letters onto the desk.quMZrT7
vWEBvRThere were enough to drown in correspondence.1tJQ
kKbLQM“There are so many.”S3CZ5zl
JUJsP3“After filtering and filtering again, these were the ones left. Considering regional influence and growth potential, I reduced them to around four hundred.”KJvIYN
qINNf8“You did it alone?”0Qf9e
gqdv7cD“If that had been the case, they wouldn’t even have been finished in time. I did it ‘together’ with Miss Mori.”9iHUlGq
Usz9EFvNo wonder her skin looked strangely smooth.QtG7ZH
mgcnSOnly two hundred and fifty people could attend the Spring Beginning Festival.rB57b
swCtPerda would have to reject the remaining one hundred and fifty.JcbIjW
IrjD3Perda began reading the letters.MWf
073— We sincerely support the construction of Hestia Village by Regent Perda Valdrova. I…P4mF
Gv7rThey all followed the same pattern.RexFhAU
V8eThey praised Hestia Village, which they had never actually cared about.4eoRZj
k1VThen they described how important the noble writing the letter was.uim
nezirPnAnd finally, they included some phrase wishing success for the Spring Beginning Festival to hint that they wanted to attend.4m7sKrm
bnuThere was not a single exception.RmxA
CD9O“There is one more letter, although this one is closer to being a special case.”6jHLKut
A91mpThe word “special” seemed strange to him, but when he saw the sender, Perda understood.FYVXk2
hJOSWF“It was sent by the Yurei Ducal Family.”fpFikS
csSA“What do you think?”0Ed
BgZliAfter losing the war, the duchy had accumulated enormous debt.h1w2U
cvNIc2SThe peasants exploited by those debts had fled to Hestia Village in search of freedom and survival.MzgQ8
F3wFrom Duke Yurei’s perspective, Perda was practically a kidnapper.qtu5ueO
wzftIC“I think it would be best to allow them to attend…”8HI
tV8Y93The person who had suffered the most was Duke Yurei himself.3XqFI
zBsPIf they refused to send him an invitation because of discomfort over the situation, they would only give him grounds to present himself as a victim.GEQEt
FFNQ“In any case, the one who comes will be Duke Yurei’s heir.”GhW1VcY
K5m“That is true.”CHE
Uh8RThe Spring Beginning Festival was a celebration of the arrival of spring.EMPmRBi
iXxBy tradition, only unmarried young people participated.iX4R
qwmV6wIt was a social event for the youth.0CHaOS
wNTpOxjAnd precisely because of that, Olivia Arken was extraordinary bait.YGT
f2rG3VPeople within the Empire could see her several times at parties and ceremonies.Knkwce0
ByWnBut for those who lived outside the Empire, seeing her in person was almost impossible.Fma5r3K
2Aw‘I’m glad the plan is progressing smoothly.’ZApHj0
YZb0QkHopefully everything would continue like this, without anyone interfering.ndU
0Vur4ZtHowever, as always, the world did not move according to his wishes.GJrH2
ZwMkPBang!HRapU
wawaThe door burst open.Snm
4e1In contrast to such an imposing noise, the person who entered was a short young woman.eZD
dUPzUQSWithout the usual composure of a maid, she strode forward and asked Perda,wqX9
QQP“Have you been saying inappropriate things around here?”1bEuns
r55w7dNPerda had no idea what was wrong with her.f0ggK4a
1fm“You’re being rather aggressive.”wYw57yU
VRzUnh6“I’ve received information that makes me feel both apologetic and not apologetic.”3A0
PaCIoaShe handed him a telegram.JdpB
SGRDdDPerda immediately understood why she was so furious.nA73W4
KyBUpon reading it, he himself felt a mixture of disbelief and anger.N5ce18V
hAuLU“The rumor has spread throughout the Empire that Regent Valdrova and Imperial Princess Arken are in a romantic relationship. What do you intend to do about it?”7m19
EssGxJ***TyxTRz
BfB64wWhen Perda learned that Olivia would be visiting Castle Valdrova, he had considered numerous unfavorable scenarios.yBilhPO
th7VvPLThere were many.7ek
QLnzEY0But one worried him more than any other.TTs
ByeNP‘A scandal.’Cylski9
Tbqg0Sometimes a young noblewoman was forced to spend the night in a man’s house.Haw
4HBboHowever, the retainers and knights took so many precautions that it normally was not considered a serious matter.6JARI
ZsWNgBut the more beautiful a jewel is, the more visible its flaws seem.KS6N2Ap
sM0QR8And the higher a person’s status, the more damage even the most insignificant rumors can cause.V3C27
Isixx‘And in Olivia’s case, it’s even worse.’2ACry
qPeSKkFAs an Imperial Princess, it was her duty to preserve her chastity and behave impeccably to avoid any suspicion.kil
TpenzTo those who admired her, Perda Valdrova was an enemy.50Vh
LYyT4If this matter became complicated, the consequences for him would be devastating.JcgPk
ncr5But more than all those political considerations, one face occupied his mind first.9gJY2w7
QwG7“Does she… already know about this?”vG6cmSd
MB1buEeFaced with his anger-filled voice, Ruri replied calmly.Wlgx5
3dY“Not yet. But sooner or later she will find out.”I6t
cg2“……”5s8
KccWhat would happen when Valdrova learned about it?MAzGKZW
Y9hcHHe felt that someone would end up dead.Q2Msys3
dMq8The anxiety made his heart pound so hard that he wanted to tear it out of his chest.6fSP3dU
v5pdHqQ“Fuu…”YWTl
SSjtwWPerda took a deep breath.BRFt
Dam6hGetting angry would solve nothing.7WkDN
vnPmQ1uHe had to act.PnBl
XJNF9“I’ll have to talk to her.”FyCi
3F4kSHe had no choice but to contact Olivia through the Imperial Palace.xX7
HsKXAfter all, she was at the very center of the Empire and would surely know how to handle a situation like this.zJCeOi
9kLk— It’s nothing more than an insignificant piece of gossip.iIxmRG
FMUJUnlike Perda, Olivia was completely calm.XF7
Sm6KKnowing how much importance she placed on appearances, it did not seem like she was speaking nonsense.ZyVITOZ
O6owxPerda asked why.N65
Nh3Aq“An insignificant piece of gossip?”wcsumQ
7BeddIo— Think about it. Did we do anything that could be misunderstood?5GFm36N
vGBnX“No.”Jv8k
gMaBg— I didn’t spend the night there. We were only in the reception room. The commander of the knights stepped out for a moment, but there was a maid inside, wasn’t there?lmN
qYkdMrf“That’s right.”S5fEjpW
JPfM— And Miss Ruri Silverwind swore loyalty to Duchess Valdrova. Of course, if that loyalty included covering up a love affair, that would be a different story, but.SOXFTH
geo“If I had done something that stupid, I would have already torn someone’s head off.”heah
pBFkRuri interrupted in a terrifying voice.CgI8A
EiXShe did not specify whose head it would be, but from her gaze, Perda had few doubts.R3m3
ogopEven so, Olivia replied without the slightest disturbance.ZWt
0oV— Just as expected from someone so loyal. Besides, there are witnesses. It’s more than enough.L1U
fGy9xOfHearing that explanation, Perda’s anxiety eased somewhat.Bc9vVq
qdEf9y— Even so, the fact that the rumor has spread is still problematic. It may fuel hostility toward you, Regent.yfv
2MkU8“That is precisely why I contacted you.”SVPBo
uQDA— Oh, do you need my advice?yIJpUT
iJAyg“In matters like this, you know far more than I do. I have no choice but to listen.”h1gnO76
zrSw7YZ— Mmm~ So you need me.uRFRCs
c0UN1OXOlivia let out a satisfied giggle.AB9KWMm
fq2K67Then she said,pL0
IayPyO— Then how about this? Invite me to dance during the banquet.dQIC8c
0cjCKE1No matter how much he thought about it, that did not sound like a solution.9SDMaIT
IQR0Kj“And then what would happen?”KDg5
3nBAyE3— I will politely refuse.St1qPL
6fD1VsZ“Wouldn’t that make it look like I was rejected?”6IZ3b
F7IThat would make it seem as though he had some romantic interest in Olivia.P05ew
DsbIecAnd Perda had no intention of letting only her benefit from the situation.d0leu
HM6j8P— My. The fact that you think that means you consider me similar to a witch.NnH3K2I
xDIqfx“That isn’t the case.”LklXMBB
LC4a9rAfter meeting actual witches, Olivia seemed practically angelic.CiH
9Gk— Don’t worry. As the host of the banquet, you are obligated to dance with young ladies who do not have partners.F4uL
7PS5“And does that obligation also apply to the Flower of the Empire?”3hq
v1RNv— You don’t understand. I don’t dance with any man.deDW
MPpPerda immediately understood.7oFSL0P
mPs8V6HOlivia continued.havXBY
VMYh— You will dance with other young ladies as befits your role as host and then approach me. It must look like a social obligation, not romantic interest. Then I will decline the invitation.bgx9Ip1
s6Fyx“Will that really be enough?”vNvfK
vJjTo Perda, it seemed impossible to solve the problem at its root in such a simple way.bxJmcf2
RjN— Yes. You don’t even need to make any statements. Talking too much will only attract more problems. With time, people will understand on their own that it was all nonsense.MbChH
rip“And what makes you so certain?”k6Xh
zqzCe— Because all it takes is looking into your eyes.nUhi6p
YLeGM“My eyes?”vWMW
R1P6— You always try to look serious, but you’re terrible at acting. Just keep being yourself.n4Mm
0wq3rdtOlivia had unexpectedly insulted him.sBJg
xEHdTye— In any case, this is nothing more than insignificant gossip, so don’t overthink it. I’ll end the conversation before it creates another rumor.r1lxQ
mTDy“Understood. Thank you for the advice.”512Ln5
89BSPerda ended the communication and stared at the ceiling for several moments.x8PP
gnp5O“Ruri.”kJ1Td4Y
lBMuC“Yes.”vMm
fuanJCu“Do you know what she meant when she said all it takes is looking into my eyes?”R5LHH13
RHwBlB3Ruri held his gaze.E8YB3
K5u823The expression she made seemed to say, “Does that even need an explanation?”E39s
hgjm“I do.”iHM60mm
751kI8J“And what does it mean?”24YB2f
dlwb“It’s a secret. But, just as the Imperial Princess said, it will be enough.”PyyYx
L3Gjw“Hmm…”6PJ3s
XC8q4fiI see.rI1
siTFeeling calmer, Perda leaned back into his chair.eAj
Xbl5Hze“Then, are you over being angry now?”RMXf7p
EmUoxSp“…No.”V4sJ3W
SKir0ROne thing was one thing.JP4v
WWyAnd another thing was another thing.eiqjD
e3ZBNnPerda could not accept this situation.NbObIVJ
lYZ7Who was the bastard trying to test him?sjMMLe
U9CVJ0s‘The source was probably the commander of the knights.’pL7q
6BsHe was not one of Olivia’s people.ZHl
yGiHe belonged to the Emperor.fhJ
rVutBut he was unlikely to be the true culprit either.59b
CBfDAFMost likely, he had informed the Emperor, and from there the rumor had spread among various people.BdV5i3m
rUHFxL‘I have to find him.’tOI
6cq8NyHe needed to discover what his objective was.YcfFw
3GGpveFNo.HfR
p6TIn reality, the objective did not matter.AJyM
GvHAbNBDestroying him would be enough.Rape2W
Q1lLJThat was why Perda pulled something out of a drawer.tzif
Qw30zSNIt was a black hood.YBJG
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationEmperor huh they always are pain in the ass.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationRuri is still angry.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationScary.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationGood one 👍
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationThe most important thing.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationShe’s so strong.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationSarcasm.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationRuri have sharp memory.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationJealousy.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationOho