IMTDIK 47

Episode 47. Dragon’s Face

The dragon knight’s armor shone under the moonlight. It was massive—two meters tall—with a powerful design meant to intimidate any enemy. But to Ferda, that armor was simply a part of Valdrova. He had seen the steel more often than her real face; because of that, he had grown to love it as part of her being. He had often wished to see her appear in that armor, but now that it was happening, he felt more confused than happy.

‘Am I going crazy with desire? Am I seeing things?’

Before he could process the thought, she was standing right in front of him.

“……”

“……”

They stared at each other in silence. As time stretched on, Valdrova finally spoke first.

“Um, well… I just….” She struggled to find the right words, like someone searching for a single pearl in the sand. “I just wanted to take a walk.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

Ferda knew she was lying, but he didn’t care. She nervously fidgeted, making the metal of her gauntlets clink together. She looked anxious. Was she uncomfortable meeting him so suddenly? After a moment of hesitation, she finally told the truth.

“Actually, that’s not it!”

“What?”

“I knew you would be here… so I came to see you!”

“Oh… is that so?”

“Yes.” She sighed and placed a hand on her chest, looking as if she had just confessed a great sin.

Ferda didn’t mind. She had come because she wanted to see him—that was all that mattered. ‘She wanted to see me.’ Realizing this, Ferda suddenly felt a wave of self-consciousness. ‘Did I brush my teeth properly? Do my clothes smell? Maybe the candle smoke from earlier stuck to me….’

These worries didn’t last long. Ferda remembered his manners and lowered his head politely.

“It is an honor to see you, Princess Valdrova.”

“Ah, yes, welcome… um… Ferda… Ferda….” She tried to say his name but trailed off. Her voice, muffled by the helmet, sounded like a sad echo.

“Were you trying to say ‘Regent’?”

“Ah, yes! That! Regent!” She clapped her hands in excitement. “Yes! Ferda, the Regent! I wanted to say that title at least once. The fiancé of the King is called the Regent, right?”

“Well, actually… no, but… yes, that’s right.” He had almost corrected her, but he stopped. Her innocent happiness was too precious to ruin.

“Then, can I call you Regent now?”

“There’s no need. It’s only used in formal situations. When we’re alone, just call me Ferda.”

“Ah, okay. Then… Ferda… Sir.” She whispered his name softly inside her helmet, practicing the sound. It felt as if she were whispering directly into his ear. His skin tingled.

“I wanted to see you again, but… for some reason, I couldn’t find the courage.”

“I understand.” Ferda nodded. So, she had been thinking deeply about this as well?

“Actually, I came here because of Ruri.”

…So it wasn’t just about him. “Ruri?”

Valdrova nodded. “She seems very troubled lately.”

Ferda remembered rejecting Ruri’s request. The last time he had seen her, she was fuming.

“I don’t understand emotions very well, but I know what she looks like when she is sad. She is definitely sad right now.” She turned her helmet toward Ferda. “I thought… maybe you would know why.”

Ferda hesitated. It was a difficult question to answer because the reason was him. Would Valdrova hate him if she knew? Still, he had to be honest.

“It’s probably my fault.”

“Your fault?”

“Ruri asked me if she could attend the Grand Council, but I said no. That’s the only reason I know.”

“Why did she want to go?”

“She said she wanted to speak with Silverwind.”

Valdrova flinched. After a moment of thought, she nodded. “But if it’s just talking… why not let her go?”

“Because it’s false hope.”

“False hope?”

“If she goes, she will only reopen old wounds. Wounds that haven’t healed yet. She will scratch them until they start bleeding again.”

“Ah… that would hurt a lot.”

“Yes, it would.”

She nodded in agreement, then hugged her own arm. “But… what if that hope isn’t false?” She sounded unsure of herself.

“Silverwind still holds a grudge,” Ferda said firmly.

“I know. But… maybe not against Ruri?”

“Do you think talking will fix things?”

“At least she would have a place to return to.”

“Return?” Ferda frowned.

She seemed to realize she had said something sensitive and hurried to explain. “Ah… Ferda, you might not know. Ruri isn’t my Spawn. She’s a Silver Dragon’s Spawn.”

“Oh…”

“She has always been loyal to me, so I understand the confusion.”

“Yes…” Ferda already knew that, but the word ‘return’ had caught him off guard.

“Dragon Spawns are like family. For Ruri, her family is the Silverwind Spawns.”

“So, you think she should go back to her family?”

“Isn’t family the most precious thing?”

Ferda didn’t know. His own family had tormented and abandoned him. But what about Ruri? Maybe this was her chance to leave Valdrova. After all, she hadn’t been there when Ferda killed Valdrova in the original future. Maybe she had already left by then.

“Maybe Ruri wants that… but do you?”

Valdrova didn’t answer right away. She looked up at the sky, her hand clenching slightly. “I was the one who kept her here. If she has a way back, I have to let her go.”

“……”

“And also….” She looked at him. “I have a proper fiancé now, don’t I?”

Ferda felt a strange tightness in his chest. Should he really take Ruri to the Grand Council? Finally, he made his decision.

“Understood.”

“You’ll take her?”

“Yes. Since you asked, I cannot refuse.”

“Oh… thank you.” She nodded with a dazed look. A heavy silence settled between them again. Then, she spoke. “The Grand Council….” She seemed hesitant. “I’ve heard about it, but I don’t know what really happens there.”

“Are you curious?”

“Very! It’s where all the races meet to discuss peace, right? I want to know what they talk about!” She turned to him, her voice full of excitement. “When you come back, will you tell me about it?” Her eyes sparkled with pure curiosity, like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

“The stories won’t be pleasant.”

“Huh? Why not?” She looked shocked.

Ferda sighed. There was no point in hiding the truth. “They don’t care about peace. They only care about their own interests.”

“Oh….” Valdrova looked at him silently. What expression was she making under that helmet? Was she disappointed, or was she holding back tears?

“Ferda…” Her voice was calm and steady. “Do you know what happened when Godwin rose to destroy the world?”

Ferda didn’t know. It was an event from 150 years ago, far before his time.

“When Godwin plunged the world into chaos, the first ones to be abandoned were us,” Valdrova said.

“The dragons?”

She nodded. To Ferda, it was just a myth, but if a scholar had heard this, it would have rewritten history. Valdrova seemed to realize she had said too much; she covered her mouth, glancing around before whispering, “This is all a secret, okay?”

“I’ll take it to the grave.”

“Anyway… back then, the ideal solution was to compromise with chaos. Even the long-lived races like dwarves and elves accepted it.”

But if that compromise had worked, the Far East wouldn’t have become a land of monsters.

“Only one race refused to compromise,” Valdrova continued.

Ferda knew this part. “The humans rose up first.”

She clasped her hands over her chest. “Because they refused to compromise, because their swords refused to forgive, the continent realized there was still hope. That’s why peace returned.”

Ferda understood what she was feeling. It was respect. Dragons might respect humans, but it was rare for a dragon to admire them. Yet, Valdrova was different.

“Even if they’re blinded by greed now, they’ll fight for the world when it matters most. So…” Valdrova’s helmet tilted toward Ferda. Under the moonlight, her red armor shone nobly. “I will love them.”

At that moment, something clicked in Ferda’s mind. The dragon-shaped helmet seemed to fade, revealing the delicate woman beneath. Her eyes were filled with hope, and that hope was smiling.

“Ah.” Ferda let out a foolish gasp, feeling as if he had been soaring through the sky only to crash back down to earth.

“Ferda?”

“……”

“Are you okay? You’re so quiet…” Valdrova fidgeted, studying his expression.

Ferda, who had been staring at her, finally spoke. “Just once.”

“Huh?”

“Can I… see your face again?”

She gasped, holding her helmet tightly. “N-No! Not yet!”

Ferda stepped closer. She stepped back. “P-Please don’t come any closer!”

For every step Ferda took forward, Valdrova took one back. The chase seemed endless until Valdrova finally broke it.

“I’m sorry!!”

Suddenly, she turned and ran. She disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only the warmth of where she had stood. Ferda, his face flushed as if with fever, stared blankly at the empty space. The wind blew through the open window, but it wasn’t enough to cool his burning heart. He looked up at the moon again. His heart was too full of Valdrova to think of anything else.

For the first time, he wasn’t worried. The emotions swirling in his chest were spinning brightly, like a red flame.