Chapter 43: I’m Angry

Ruri’s action of breaking into the imperial palace might have seemed impulsive.

However, in reality, it was a fairly rational action based on logic.

Destroying the magic barrier and gathering all the mages and knights was meant to make them understand the seriousness of the situation and become aware.

It was a small warning to show what could happen if a dragon’s consort were injured.

That was why Ruri revealed everything she normally kept hidden.

Her tail, her horns, and even her four-pupiled eyes.

If the enemy was someone who could be reasoned with, their commander would ask about her affiliation.

Ruri would answer that she was a servant of the Grand Duchess of Valdrova, and then they could talk.

‘Perda will be fine anyway.’

Even if he had been injured inside the palace, there were resident priests there.

All of them possessed divine power at the level of bishops, so healing Perda would not be any problem.

‘And yet…’

That thought kept circling in her mind.

She could not calm down.

Just as immortals and mortals are different, so too are dragon spawn and humans.

What if the injury was so severe that, even after being healed, he would not wake up?

What if some demon in the sealed warehouse had cast a curse on him?

What if he could not resist the temptation and made some absurd contract?

Those worries, which could lead to Valdrova’s sorrow, filled her mind.

The concern of the master is also that of the servant.

Ruri did not let herself be dragged by that anxiety and remained calm until the end.

She knew well that being carried away by emotions would not help in this situation.

Thus, she made her way forward, cutting down everything that blocked her path in the palace garden.

After even destroying the wall of rose vines, she saw the knights rushing to receive her.

Among them, she also found someone familiar.

‘Perda.’

Gray hair, blue eyes.

Tall, but with a slender build.

And with a serious expression that did not match his age.

Perda Valdrova.

Everything about him was exactly as she remembered.

Unlike what the report said about him being injured, he seemed fine.

‘He’s safe.’

At that moment, she felt the worry she had been carrying disappear.

She should have felt relief.

But it was not like the calm she had felt before.

It was not the satisfaction of removing a burden.

Nor the relief of escaping unbearable anxiety.

What filled Ruri’s heart was none of those things.

‘…I’m angry.’

She was furious.

The emptiness left by worry and anxiety was filled with anger.

‘A regent… Valdrova’s fiancé… going into unnecessary places, causing trouble and getting injured?’

At that moment, the thread of reason she had kept taut snapped, and she released Dragon Fear.

Directed toward Perda.

The poor knights, not understanding anything, were being crushed by the pressure.

“C-commander! Give orders quickly…!”

If this continued, they would collapse before even starting to fight.

The order of knights had to decide whether to fight or retreat.

“A-a…!”

Just as the commander was about to give the order to attack, someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait a moment.”

Unlike the trembling commander, that man’s voice was calm.

“I’ll handle it.”

“Eh? Excuse me, but who are you…?”

“I am Regent Perda. I was invited today.”

Perda pointed at Ruri with his chin.

“And that girl dressed as a servant is a servant of the Grand Duchess of Valdrova, Valdrova.”

“Ah… really?”

The commander’s tension eased a little.

After all, the regent of Valdrova was there, which meant they could talk.

“So, can you give us a moment?”

He had no choice but to allow it.

Although he wanted to know why she had broken the barrier and released Dragon Fear, resolving the situation came first.

The knights maintained formation and stepped back, while Perda moved forward.

With each step he took, the Dragon Fear intensified.

His expressionless face tightened, and the veins in his neck stood out.

‘It really feels like walking into a dragon’s mouth.’

He stopped five steps away from her.

When Ruri drew a circle on the ground with her index finger, a white wind began to swirl around them.

That wind rose, forming a dome that covered both of them.

Ruri, who had kept her mouth shut, let out a deep breath through her nose.

As if releasing the pressure she had built up.

“We are isolated from the outside here. What we say will not go out.”

“I see.”

“So I will speak plainly.”

Ruri let her emotions out without filter.

“Are you insane?”

Direct and unsoftened.

“A fiancé of the Grand Duchess of Valdrova, without even understanding what his position entails, going around doing foolish things?”

“It was necessary.”

“That is not an answer. Even if it was necessary, if this news had reached my lady, everything would have been a disaster. Are you aware of that?”

“I know. And I also knew that you would not tell her.”

“Why?”

“Because you care about your lady. You would not want her to move.”

He also knew that if someone came from Valdrova Castle, Ruri would be the first to arrive.

“Yes. I have the duty to serve my lady. But it seems you do not love her as much as you think.”

“I care about her as well.”

“And even so you let the news reach that you were injured in the sealed warehouse? Well, let’s suppose I can overlook that a hundred times.”

Ruri grew more furious as Perda approached, but there was another reason behind her anger.

Even she was overlooking something.

Ruri grabbed Perda’s wrist and brought her nose closer.

“Then why do you smell like a woman’s perfume?”

“…….”

Shaking his wrist, she asked.

“Which woman is it?”

“…Olivia Arken.”

“The so-called flower of the empire, that woman with the vulgar body?”

Ruri’s expression became even more venomous.

At the same time, she tightened her grip on his wrist.

It seemed like she might break it.

“…Yes, that is her nickname.”

Perda pretended not to have heard the previous remark.

Not only had he been injured, but his fiancé had also held hands with the most beautiful woman in the empire.

Ruri’s body trembled.

She could not even hold his gaze and ended up lowering her eyes.

“Are you the kind of man who takes any woman’s hand without thinking? Did you also approach my lady just to try to take her hand?”

“Do not jump to conclusions. She was the one who took my hand. To speak with her, there was no other option but to play along. It is not that I liked doing it.”

“…I do not believe you.”

Ruri’s left hand clenched into a fist.

Perda, seeing her anger, asked with a resigned expression.

“Do you want to hit me?”

“…….”

“You can do it. If that is what you want.”

Then Ruri’s eyes, which had been lowered to the ground, lifted slightly toward him.

She saw Perda’s defined jaw and cheek.

That face that always spoke with indifference and that she had once wanted to strike.

Her emotions did not calm down, they kept growing.

In the end, Ruri extended her hand.

Perda slowly closed his eyes, like a condemned man.

Several seconds passed, but he did not feel any blow on his cheek.

Instead, he felt his clothes being adjusted.

“So you got what you were looking for?”

Perda nodded.

“Yes, I obtained something.”

“I see.”

Ruri withdrew her hand after fixing it.

The place she had touched was perfectly arranged.

“Please do not disappoint my lady.”

“Understood.”

Ruri looked at Perda’s face as he said that.

Only when she saw that the dulled emotions within him seemed to return could she calm down.

“Then.”

Ruri made a gesture with her hand, and the dome disappeared, everything returning to normal.

She glanced at the knights, and then, beating her wings, left the palace.

The knights and mages, who had been holding their breath, could only stare at the place where she disappeared.

“…Situation resolved.”

“Huaaah!”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Although they had let an intruder who broke in without permission go, no one dared to say anything.

Except one who did not understand the situation.

“But… is it really okay to let her go? She was an intruder, right?”

***

The level 1 alert was lifted, and the commander approached Perda and respectfully bowed his head.

“Thank you for resolving the situation.”

“No, on the contrary, I must apologize. Everything happened due to my carelessness, and it ended in a great commotion.”

“Don’t say that. Just by avoiding bloodshed after provoking a dragon’s wrath, that is more than enough. How do you wish to proceed with this matter, regent?”

If an investigation were opened, it could lead to a complicated dispute.

But that was not what Perda wanted.

Now that he had Olivia Arken as an ally, it was not convenient for him to create unnecessary enemies within the imperial family.

“As you say, let’s let it pass. Without seeking blame. At least now we know that a dragon spawn can break the magic barrier and infiltrate.”

“That’s true. I was just thinking that those in the magic department only look after their own interests now I have an excuse.”

The commander nodded, satisfied.

He did not know how the internal politics of the palace worked, but it was clear that it was a complicated battlefield.

“It seems everything is resolved, may I take my leave?”

“If you have finished your matters… of course, but how about staying one night in the palace? You were injured today, so it would be better to rest one or two days and observe your condition…”

It was still daytime, but night would soon fall.

As the commander said, it would be best to rest.

“I’m sorry. I have matters to attend to.”

“Ah, I see. You have commitments. I understand.”

In reality, he had none.

He simply wanted to leave that uncomfortable place as soon as possible.

“Ah, by the way.”

Perda spoke as if he had just remembered something.

“Yes.”

“I would like to take one of the knights from here with me. Would that be possible?”

“A knight…?”

It was a sudden and unexpected request.

The palace knights were all elite; even the weakest would stand out in other kingdoms.

But he was dealing with the fiancé of the Grand Duchess of Valdrova.

He could not refuse immediately.

“Which one has caught your attention, regent?”

“I saw him a moment ago but I don’t remember his name.”

Perda looked around.

It did not take long to find him.

He was lying on the ground, being scolded by his superiors.

“Malcolm, you bastard! Did you leave when we were forming the formation?”

“Hey, idiot! While we were working ourselves to death, what were you doing? Sleeping?”

“I-I’m sorry! At that moment I was trying to stop the regent…”

“Stop the regent? And did you stop him, you idiot?!”

“I swear I saw him walking through the garden!”

“I couldn’t stop him! I couldn’t lay hands on a noble…!”

“Don’t you know that in a level 1 alert we have priority after the imperial family?!”

“I-I didn’t know!”

“And not knowing saves you?! Do you want me to tear you apart?!”

Perda pointed at the man who was drenched in sweat while being punished.

“That one.”

“…That useless guy?”

The commander made an expression of disbelief.

“Is he famous?”

“In a bad way, yes. I don’t know how the hell he ended up in the palace guard, but he is completely useless. He doesn’t know how to use a sword, he only knows how to ride that ridiculous donkey… If it weren’t for that, no one would even know how he got here.”

“I see.”

“In fact, I was thinking of kicking him out… even so, do you still want him?”

The commander asked with concern.

It was not because of losing talent, but because it felt like he was handing over a bomb.

But Perda nodded firmly.

“Perfect. Pack him up.”

“Understood.”

Every palace knight was valuable.

Except Malcolm.

***

When the sun began to set behind the western mountains and the sky turned red, the official carriage of Valdrova Castle left the capital.

At the same time, a man who had been hiding beneath the carriage appeared.

“Fuuuh! It’s finally really over.”

It was Zed.

After leaving the sealed warehouse, he somehow managed to escape and climb onto the carriage.

“Good work. And the object?”

“I have it well secured here. And I didn’t open it.”

Zed pulled out a package wrapped in golden cloth from his clothes.

A black cover chained with silver, wrapped in golden silk.

There was no way Perda could break that chain and open it by normal means.

And he had no intention of doing so now.

So he wrapped it again and set it aside.

“But tell me honestly won’t we have problems? After all, we took a book from the sealed warehouse I don’t think this will calm down easily…”

“There’s no problem. We gained an ally, so it will be easier.”

“Who?”

“Olivia Arken.”

Zed’s eyes widened.

“Oh. You spoke with the flower of the empire? They say she is incredibly beautiful and pure. What is she like?”

“She is twisted inside.”

“Well, she’s a noble… there are many like that.”

Zed had dealt with many nobles, but even so he could not hide his envy.

She seemed like a woman with irresistible charm.

“Hihiinng!”

Just as they were leaving calmly, the neigh of an animal was heard near the knights.

“Hey, hey! Hey, old man! Keep the line straight! I’ve told you a thousand times that if the animals get too close, it becomes a mess!”

“S-sorry! Rosy, stop getting closer!”

Zed, upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, stuck his head out the window.

There he saw a man hurriedly loading his luggage onto a mount.

“I haven’t seen him before… who is that?”

He was dressed like a wandering knight, but it was clear he was clumsy.

Both from his appearance and his attitude.

“And why the hell is he riding a donkey…?”

He was not riding a horse, but a donkey.

“His name is Malcolm. He is a palace knight, but also an apprentice. I plan to use him as an example.”

“An example?”

Zed tilted his head, confused by Perda’s words.

“Yes, an example.”

That was all he answered.