Chapter 10, “Dragon’s Breath.”
A month passed.
With just three days left until the engagement ceremony with Princess Valdrova, Ruri pointed at paper and a pen with a face full of discontent.
“Write a vow for the engagement ceremony, please.”
“Donât they already have something for that? Some kind of template?”
“They do⌠but⌔
Ruri swallowed a sigh, holding it back from escaping her throat like a dragonâs breath.
“Since this is an unofficial engagement, the princess wants to keep things simple and avoid unnecessary formalities.”
“So?”
“She wants you to write your own vow and read it during the ceremony instead.”
Ferda nodded calmly at her explanation.
“Sounds like a romantic.”
“Romantic, huh? Thatâs just a nice way of putting it. This is worse than getting married in a stable. I mean, writing your own vow? What is this, a kidâs game?”
Ruri grumbled, finally venting the frustration she had been bottling up in her small chest.
“Haaaaa⌔
That sigh was practically a breathâa dragonâs breath that could have burned a hole through the floor. An engagement with a human, an unofficial ceremony, and now weâre writing our own vows? SeriouslyâŚ
Even as a Dragon Spawn loyal to her princess, she couldnât help but feel some resentment. It was understandable that she sighed like that.
At least sheâs loyal to Valdrova herself rather than just her position as a ruler. If she had prioritized the latter, Ferda wouldnât be standing here now. If Ruri had wanted, she couldâve tried to kill him or set a trap to discredit him. But Ruri didnât stoop to such petty tactics.
Sheâs been more helpful than anything else.
Her complicated feelings were clear. She didnât want this engagement to succeed, yet she also wished for Valdrovaâs happiness. That contradiction must be why sheâs so frustrated.
It was truly pitiful. For a moment, Ferda gave her a sympathetic look.
“Whatâs with that look?”
“I just thought you seemed rather pitiful.”
Ruri scowled at his honest sympathy.
“I donât need pity from someone like you, a mere human.”
“Well, you can say that now, but in three days, Iâll be her husband. Whatâll that make our relationship then?”
“It wonât be much different from now. Just donât get any delusions about ordering me around.”
“Of course not. Thatâs not what I meant.”
“But if you ask me to hit you, Iâll do it without hesitation.”
“Iâd rather not, thanks.”
“Donât worry. Iâm strong, and I have great control over my strength.”
“âŚNot necessary.”
Ruri raised her tiny fist. That same tiny fist had shattered a bed and punched through the floor. Even as a joke, Ferda had no intention of asking for anything like that.
“Anyway, once the engagement is official, youâll need to bring in some servants for the castle. And youâll also need to appoint administrators to manage the territory.”
“Servants and administrators? I have to handle that.”
“Yes. As Princess Valdrovaâs spouse, youâll be in charge of managing the territories and the various administrative tasks under her rule.”
Ferda frowned in confusion.
“You donât seem to like people with power, yet youâre telling me to take control?”
“I donât hate people with power. I hate those blinded by it.”
The third prince of the Arken Empire had been one such person, and he hadnât escaped death.
“Power should be held by those who arenât obsessed with it. Such people donât desire more power and instead focus on the well-being of the people. Thatâs the kind of person we need right now.”
Ferda tilted his head.
“Isnât the well-being of the people fine as it is?”
“You saw the lords at the assembly. Itâs an absolute mess.”
Ferda thought back to the Lords heâd met in the assembly. Overweight, sluggish bodies. Terrified expressions, as if their heads might roll at any moment. They looked like pigs trapped in a slaughterhouse.
“The ones who should be pillars of support are busy stuffing their bellies. Since theyâre on the frontlines and might die any day, they spend their time frequenting brothels and indulging in expensive food. The dissatisfaction is being covered up with military power for now, but itâs only a matter of time before it explodes into a full-scale rebellion.”
“I didnât know it was that bad.”
Hearing the word âwell-being,â Ferda felt something odd.
“Doesnât Princess Valdrova wish for her people to be happy?”
“She does.”
“Then wouldnât saying just one word directly put an end to most of these problems?”
“It probably would.”
“Then why hasnât she done it?”
“⌔
Ruri fell silent, her face cold and her aura radiating uncontrollable Dragon Fear. She looked as if someone had touched her reverse scale.
“Iâll keep quiet on that for now. Youâll understand it all eventually.”
Hearing her words, Ferda decided to back off.
“Alright. So, I just need to write the vow?”
“Yes. Iâll take my leave now.”
Ruri gave a small bow and stepped out the door.
“Haaaa⌔
The sound of her sigh lingered and reached Ferdaâs ears.
He sat down and thought about what she had said, picking up the pen.
“A vow, huh⌔
They say starting is half the battle, but Ferda got stuck on the first line. Should I have asked for more details about how to write it? That might have made things easier.
Maybe Iâll put this off for now.
Instead of the vow, Ferda decided to write a few letters.
Once, he had told the lords: “I donât care in the slightest about what you do.”
But now, he had to care more than just âin the slightest.â That was the problem.
I told them I didnât care, and if I start meddling now, thereâll be backlash.
Ferda was well aware his first impression wasnât great. And lying hadnât helped that impression, either.
With no other choice, he wrote letters to each of the lords, hinting that he might intervene in their administration.
He ended each letter with the following line: “If you donât like it, donât bother replying. Itâs a sign of respect for your autonomy.”
And by the end of that very day, he received replies from every single lord.
The Day of the Engagement Ceremony
Ferda demonstrated his abilities and proved there was not a single lie in his words. Ruri, with nothing left to nitpick, quietly accepted the engagement ceremony.
“Your epaulet is crooked. And why did you bother ironing your pants if youâre just going to wrinkle them?”
She started the day by picking on every little thing.
“If I had eyes and hands like yours, that would be ideal.”
“Why donât you get some?”
“Why not just do it for me?”
Ruri took a step back, tucking her hands behind her.
“I donât want to touch anything. Iâm just a servant to my princess, so donât expect too much from me.”
“Hmm, really like a dog.”
“Are you trying to pick a fight? Just say the word, and Iâll gladly give it my all.”
“No, I mean it as a compliment about your loyalty.”
Ruri growled, but Ferda calmly addressed her complaints one by one.
An engagement ceremony, huhâŚ
It didnât feel real. When it comes to getting married, there are usually two emotions: joy at getting married or sadness at feeling like youâre being sold off.
Ferda felt neither.
Iâve been like this ever since I came back to this day.
A calm heart unbefitting the owner of the Red Circle.
Am I getting engaged simply because I think I have to?
Ferda couldnât help but wonder if his actions were purely mechanical, driven by duty alone. The overwhelming anger and hatred that once consumed him had faded, leaving even his other emotions dull and faint.
âCan I even face Valdrova with a heart like this?â
A vague sense of unease lingered in his chest.
âA vague unease.â
Ferda smirked slightly. Vagueness is a weakness of humans.
âNo matter what, Iâm still human after all.â
For now, that was enough. Ferda decided to hold on to that simple fact.
The engagement ceremony was held in front of Princess Valdrovaâs lair. The inside of the lair was lit by hundreds of candles. They held the ceremony just 20 steps away from the iron door at the heart of the lair.
Ruri, who had finished all the preparations, knocked on the door.
âYour Highness, weâre ready to begin the ceremony.â
The massive iron door creaked open slowly. As it did, air escaped from within, mixing with the outside air and drifting into Ferdaâs nose and mouth.
âUgh.â
His breath caught in his throat. Even though there was no killing intent like he felt during fights with demonic beasts, the mere presence beyond the door exuded fear.
If Ferda had been even slightly weaker, he mightâve fainted on the spot.
Ruri glanced at Ferdaâs condition and said,
âYouâll have to endure it.â
âI⌠knowâŚâ
âThen, letâs begin the ceremony.â
Ignoring Ferdaâs shaky state, Ruri started the formal proceedings. This had already been discussed beforehand, so Ferda focused on sitting up straight and steadying his breathing.
âMortal and immortal shall unite today, weaving a golden thread that no authority of the heavens nor ravages of time can sever.â
Ruri placed a ceremonial bowl and a wine set in front of Ferda. She carefully poured clear liquor into the bowl while reciting the lines.
âThe mortal shall overcome the unknown, washing away fear to become one.â
As instructed beforehand, Ferda took the bowl and drank. The liquor was as pure and crisp as its transparency suggested.
âStill, Iâm not good with alcohol.â
Ferda had never enjoyed drinking, not even as he grew older. In fact, this was the first time in his life heâd ever tasted alcohol.
After taking the first sip, Ferda poured the remaining half of the liquor into the bowl and brought it to the iron door.
âThe immortal shall erase the fleeting nature of endless flow and become one.â
It was Valdrovaâs turn to drink.
Screeeechâ
A massive claw, bigger than Ferdaâs entire body, emerged from the gap in the iron door. It was the same terrifying weapon that had torn apart countless demonic beasts.
The claw descended carefully toward the ceremonial bowl.
Clatter!
And promptly knocked it over.
ââŚâ
ââŚâ
A heavy silence filled the space. The claw retreated back inside the door with a faint scraping sound.
Ferda glanced at Ruri, wondering if this was supposed to happen.
âLetâs proceed with the ceremony again.â
And so, they started over. Ruri read the vow, Ferda drank first, and it was Valdrovaâs turn again.
Clatter!
Once again, the claw tipped over the ceremonial bowl.
This happened three times in total.
By then, Ferda could feel the alcohol taking its toll on him.
âDamn⌠Iâm getting drunk.â
His head throbbed, and his senses began to blur. He had a gut feeling that this next one would be the last.
Crack!
Suddenly, a loud cracking sound echoed through the lair. For a moment, Ferda wondered if the cave was collapsing, but he quickly realized that was a stupid thought. If he hadnât misheard, the sound had come from Ruriâs body.
âExcuse me for a moment.â
Ruri squeezed through the small opening in the iron door and went inside.
Ferda waited, assuming she was preparing something else.
But thenâ
âWhat the hell are you doing, Your Highness?!â
Ruriâs angry voice rang out, shaking the lair.
Ferdaâs drunkenness vanished instantly.
âYou were the one who made such a fuss about marrying a mortal! You were the one who insisted on having this engagement! And what did your ever-loyal servant Ruri do?!â
The frustration sheâd been bottling up over the past three days erupted.
âI put up with it!â
Her voice boomed louder and louder, filled with anger.
âI put up with having a private engagement ceremony, even though, as the princess, you shouldâve made it public! I put up with you hiding behind that damn door and doing this whole thing without showing yourself.â
The sheer intensity of her voice made it clear she was furious.
âAnd now, because youâre scared to meet your fiancĂŠ, youâre sabotaging the ceremony! What the hell do you think that makes your fiancĂŠ out there look like?!â
The sound of Valdrovaâs heavy breathing was audible even to Ferda, who couldnât see what was happening inside.
Finally, Ruri let out a deep sigh, her tone sharp as she spoke again.
âCome out and face your fiancĂŠ with dignity! If you knock over the ceremonial wine one more time, I wonât stand for it!â
Moments later, Ruri stepped back out of the door. Her face was calm and expressionless, but Ferda couldnât help but stare at her.
Ruri, noticing his gaze, could guess what he was thinking.
ââŚDid you hear that?â
âPretty sure even the other lords far away heard it.â
ââŚSigh. Well, what can you do?â
She let out a heavy sigh and explained,
“As you mightâve guessed, my princess has a severe fear of people,” Ruri said matter-of-factly.
“Fear of people?” Ferda repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“Sheâs terrified of interacting with humans,” Ruri explained.
“⌔
“If anyone else heard this, theyâd think it was ridiculous. The savior of the world, the great dragon princess, hiding because sheâs afraid of mortals? It sounds absurd, doesnât it?”
“Youâre telling me some very valuable information,” Ferda replied, his tone neutral but his eyes sharp.
“You were bound to find out eventually,” Ruri said with a sigh. “I canât keep this hidden forever just because you might not like it.”
Ruriâs silver eyes locked onto his as she added firmly,
“Now that youâre to become her partner, her weaknesses are your weaknesses too.”
“So, weâre talking about shared responsibility?” Ferda asked, tilting his head slightly.
“Isnât that the essence of marriage?” Ruri shot back, crossing her arms.
Ferda remained silent for a moment, quietly nodding.
“Shared responsibility, huh?” he muttered.
For some reason, the thought didnât sit well with him. Heâd never liked the idea of shared responsibilityânot once in his life.
Before he could dwell on the thought further, the massive iron door creaked open once again.
Ferda instinctively prepared himself, expecting another massive claw to emerge. Instead, what he saw left him speechless.
A figure stepped forward, slowly emerging from the shadows of the lair.
Ferdaâs gaze locked onto the one who was to be his partner.
“âŚHuh?”
He couldnât stop himself from voicing his surprise.
Standing before him was a towering figure clad in full plate armor.
The helmet was shaped like a dragonâs head, so intricately crafted that for a split second, it almost looked like a real dragon. The design was so detailed and lifelike that Ferda thought, If a dragon were to walk on two legs, this is probably what it would look like.
The sheer size of the figure was just as overwhelming as the armorâs design. Ferda, who stood at an impressive 180 cm, found himself craning his neck just to look up at her.
The figure had to be at least 240 cm tall, and without the armor, perhaps around 220 cm.
âI thought dragon polymorphs were supposed to be breathtakingly beautiful⌠If thatâs the case, I guess a 220 cm beauty exists somewhere.â
He frowned slightly as a thought crossed his mind. What if⌠the person inside isnât actually a woman?
Before Ferda could speak, the figureâs voiceâlow, resonant, and unmistakably feminineâechoed through the room.
“Letâs proceed with the final part of the engagement ceremony.”
Hearing her voice, Ferda relaxed slightly, though his thoughts were still swirling.
“Sheâs⌠huge,” he muttered under his breath, too quietly for anyone to hear.
As the ceremony resumed, Ferda couldnât help but glance at the armored figure, his thoughts bouncing between curiosity and disbelief.
