MTDIK 04

Chapter 4

“The Qualifications to Become the King’s Partner.”

Ruri led Ferda out of the dragon’s lair and guided him to another location. This time, it was inside a castle nestled on the mountainside—visible even from afar. The path leading to the lair had a direct route to this castle, and following that path led them straight to the main hall.

“Neat,” Ferda remarked.

He could feel how serious Valdrova was about marriage. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered to build such an impressive castle on top of her lair, nor gone through the trouble of aligning everything to human standards.

“It was built for the Third Prince’s engagement, right?”

If the Third Prince had married Valdrova, he would’ve gained immense power. Essentially, he would have become the king of the Eastern Region, so it made sense to prepare a residence fitting for that title. But, well, that whole plan had been blown to pieces.

And with the Third Prince dead, this place had basically become useless. Ferda had expected the castle to be abandoned and neglected, but surprisingly, it was well maintained. The attention to detail suggested it had been cared for consistently.

“Who’s in charge of maintaining this castle?” Ferda asked.

“That would be me.”

“Just you?”

“I am the only one who serves the master.”

“So all of this…?”

“Yes, I handle it all. That should answer your question.”

Ruri’s tone remained blunt and curt, as if the fact that the engagement had been accepted was deeply irritating to her.

“She’s like a dog,” Ferda thought, not as an insult, but in the most literal sense. A dog growls because it feels threatened when the affection it receives shifts toward someone else. That’s why Ferda let it slide.

“As long as she doesn’t bite me, it’s fine.”

A guard dog just needs to guard the house properly.

Ruri led Ferda to an incredibly spacious bedroom.

“This is about five times the size of the room I used to have.”

Even his father, Erembalt, or the Emperor’s chambers wouldn’t compare to this.

“This is the guest bedroom,” Ruri said.

“A guest bedroom, huh? This is quite something for a guest.”

“Well, the guest is none other than someone invited by the ruler—a dragon.”

Dragons were beings that matched, if not exceeded, the authority of an emperor.

In any case, being shown to this room gave Ferda a clear understanding of his current position.

“So, I’m just a ‘guest’ for now?”

“Yes. Since you’re not yet her fiancé, you’re nothing more than a guest.”

“And do you always treat guests with such hostility?”

It was an innocent question, purely out of curiosity.

“No. I just don’t like humans in general.”

“Fair enough.”

“And out of all humans, I dislike you the most.”

“You’re unnecessarily honest.”

“There’s no reason to hide it.”

Ruri shrugged with her usual blank expression. She was so annoying that it was almost as if she was asking to be slapped.

“Well, I suppose it’s better that you don’t hide it.”

Ferda actually found this refreshing. It was far better than nobles who smiled warmly while planning to stab you in the back. Every time Ferda took her bluntness in stride, Ruri would shoot him a glare, clearly irritated by his calm demeanor.

“I have a question,” she suddenly said.

“What is it?”

“Aren’t you scared of me?”

Ferda tilted his head at the odd question.

“Why would I be?”

“I tried to break your neck. If the master hadn’t intervened, I would’ve done it right then and there.”

Crack.

Ruri clenched her delicate hand into a fist, and a chilling sound echoed.

“Yeah, I probably would’ve died,” Ferda thought to himself.

He was already aware of the killing intent Ruri had shown earlier. Even so, Ferda had made no effort to avoid her hand.

“If the engagement didn’t go through, I’d have no reason to live anyway.”

Back then, the thought of dying didn’t seem so bad.

Hiding his true feelings, he shifted the subject.

“Let’s save the pointless posturing for later. When’s the engagement ceremony?”

“It will be held in one month.”

“Is it going to be official?”

“If by ‘official’ you mean inviting people you don’t even like and making a big fuss, then no. It will be a simple ceremony, held in the lair. Just the three of us.”

“The three of us?”

“The master, me, and you,” she said, gesturing toward Ferda with her chin.

“Got it. One month, then.”

“While we’re on the subject, there’s one more thing I should tell you.”

“Go on.”

“The engagement ceremony is scheduled for a month from now, but it’s also a deadline.”

“A deadline for what?”

“To prove you’re worthy of being her fiancé.”

Ferda sighed internally.

“Man, getting married is such a pain.”

“Was this Valdrova’s idea?”

“No. This is my decision.”

“Pretty bold of you. Is a servant even allowed to make decisions like that?”

“If necessary, yes. To be honest, my master is far too soft for someone with her reputation.”

Wow. She really didn’t hold back.

“I’m sure you’ve already noticed that yourself. That’s probably why you didn’t bow your head to her, even in front of the so-called tyrant, Valdrova. There’s no one else in history who would act like that in front of a dragon.”

“Fair enough.”

“While my master let it slide since she’s the one who wants to marry a human, I’m not as soft as she is.”

Ruri’s eyes glinted sharply, as if a finely honed blade were pressing against his neck.

“If you’re going to be the mate of someone as great as her, you need to have the appropriate ‘caliber.’”

A dragon and a human. The gap between them was far greater than that between an emperor and a beggar. In short, she was laying down an outrageous condition.

“So, what? Are you telling me to somehow gain power equivalent to a dragon in just one month?”

“Of course not. I don’t have such high expectations.”

Ruri smiled dismissively.

“All you need to do is show that you’re capable of something.”

Clenching her small fist, she emphasized her point.

“Willpower doesn’t matter. Not everything can be solved with willpower. What matters is proving that, even as weak as you are, you have even a sliver of potential within you. And you have to show it within a month.”

She spoke with a firm and confident tone.

“That’s the first step to becoming the fiancé who will inherit Valdrova’s legacy.”

Having taken all of this in, Ferda had a single thought.

“My fiancé really has a great servant by her side.”

Despite her harsh words and her extreme dislike of him, Ferda liked Ruri. She hated humans, but as a servant, she didn’t hesitate to demand what was necessary of him as her master’s fiancé. That level of loyalty meant her devotion to Valdrova far exceeded her personal feelings of hatred.

“If she’s this loyal… why didn’t I see her back then?”

When Ferda had attacked Valdrova’s lair in the past, Ruri hadn’t been there. It was odd, but it didn’t seem important enough to dwell on, so he set the thought aside.

“Alright. Let’s say I show you I’m capable. How far do I need to go? Do I need to become the Emperor of the Empire or something?”

Ruri shook her head.

“Just enough so that you’re not looked down upon by the other ‘Sovereigns.’”

In other words, he needed to surpass even the Emperor’s level of power.

“Got it.”

“?”

Ruri tilted her head, confused by his calm response.

“Aren’t you being a bit too arrogant? Are you stupid? Or do you think dragons are a joke? Either way, I don’t like it.”

“Neither.”

“Don’t think it’s going to be easy. Especially not for someone as weak as you.”

“Funny, I don’t think it’s going to be easy either.”

“Then why are you acting like this?”

“Don’t worry about my attitude. All you need to do is wait and see. I’ll show you enough in a month to convince you, won’t I?”