Chapter 54
Butterflies and Jewels
The reception following the Grand Duke Council was underway.
The atmosphere felt even more desolate than it had before the conference.
Before the meeting, everyone had relaxed and tried to gather information about one another. Now, each group was busy displaying its internal unity.
‘They’re like children.’
It was no different from people choosing sides after an argument.
The only difference was that these people held blades capable of commanding countless lives.
The empire was no exception.
As befitted such a vast empire, it alone had thirty nobles of ducal rank or higher.
Rather than mingling under the broad identity of the empire, they were associating only with the factions within it.
Alexander, who had previously shown Ferda endless interest, noticed him and approached warmly.
“Did something happen?”
“I merely discussed the proposal for a while.”
“Ah, yes. I certainly never expected you to boldly declare that you would conquer the Far East. Should you require anything, tell me at any time. I will gladly do everything in my power to assist you!”
“Thank you.”
That was the end of their conversation, and Alexander returned to acting as the leader of his group.
Zed, who was perceptive when it came to noble society, recognized the meaning behind Alexander’s attitude.
“Did you fall out with the First Prince? Things seemed fine before you entered the Grand Duke Council…”
“He’s ignoring me because he no longer thinks I’ll be useful.”
Ferda left the group without hesitation.
He had never wanted to associate with them in the first place.
Soon afterward, another man approached Ferda and bowed.
“I am Bernard Wayne, Chancellor of Escholeia. It is an honor to meet the future consort of the great Pinnacle of Power.”
“It is an honor to meet the head of humanity’s treasury of knowledge.”
He was the man who had raised the issue of the emergence of demon worshippers.
Ferda involuntarily frowned.
“Has something displeased you? Your expression…”
“No…”
The light from the chandelier reflected off Bernard’s smooth, bald head.
“Your head is simply too dazzling.”
“Kh… Let us overlook that. In any case, I wished to thank you for what you did today.”
“Thank me?”
“The imperial prince nearly derailed the discussion, did he not? Because you intervened personally, I was able to finish what I had to say.”
Ah, that.
“There is no need to concern yourself with it. I despise those who use monsters as tools for political games. I prefer capable people.”
“It is not easy to treat others according to one’s convictions. That is why I suspect I will get along well with you, Regent Valdrova.”
Chancellor Bernard gave an awkward smile.
It made him look unpleasantly like a man plotting something.
However, Bernard was fundamentally the furthest thing from a schemer.
He was simply needlessly diligent and overflowing with responsibility.
“Go ahead.”
“I had originally intended to unveil a certain technology in conjunction with what I announced today. But after seeing how matters unfolded, the circumstances no longer seemed suitable.”
“A technology?”
“Something to which I have devoted my entire life. The mechanism behind a monster-emergence prediction device.”
“A monster-emergence prediction device… I feel as though I have heard of that somewhere.”
“How could you have? It is being developed in secret at Escholeia.”
It might have been secret, but Ferda possessed knowledge of the future.
He had heard of it before.
After pondering who had mentioned it, Ferda finally remembered.
‘Thessalos Wolcher.’
He had spoken of it.
A monster-emergence prediction device had nearly been completed, only to vanish before it could be finished.
Had it existed, he said, the duration of their work could have been reduced by more than half.
At the time, Ferda had thought Thessalos’s obsession pathetic.
Looking back now, however, the pathetic one had been Ferda himself.
“Chancellor.”
“Yes?”
“When do you intend to unveil the technology?”
“Soon. Do you know Halim? I have rented a venue there and plan to gather merchants from various regions for an exhibition and presentation. Of course…”
The chancellor glanced rapidly around them before leaning in and whispering suggestively.
“We will also unwind together and enjoy certain entertainments.”
“I suppose you will need to remain alive until then.”
“Of course. How could I sleep peacefully in death after dying without enjoying everything life has to offer? Regent, should your schedule permit…”
“I will attend if you invite me.”
“Hoho. You truly are a man after all.”
The chancellor gave him a lascivious look filled with camaraderie.
“Very well. I will prepare an invitation. I must greet the others, so I will take my leave.”
“Take care.”
The conversation with Escholeia’s chancellor had yielded a great deal for Ferda.
The exhibition in Halim, where merchants would be gathered.
The revelation that the monster-emergence prediction device had originally been a real technology.
‘And the opportunity to place the chancellor in my debt.’
Ferda hated politics.
But when he needed something, he would obtain it by any means necessary.
That was why he had attended the Grand Duke Council.
“Zed. Arwon.”
“Yes?”
“Yes!”
They gave the same answer, but with entirely different punctuation.
“From this moment onward, secretly monitor the Chancellor of Escholeia.”
“That bald man? What did he do for you to order something like that?”
“He is a man who may not live to see tomorrow. Circle around him and watch whether he attempts anything foolish or whether anything suspicious appears in his vicinity. This takes top priority.”
“Yes.”
Unlike Arwon, Zed did not answer immediately.
“I’ll do it if you order me to, but what’s the reason?”
“A knight should not ask so many questions.”
“That’s because I was made a knight in name only. The man I swore loyalty to didn’t even hold an investiture banquet for me.”
“Stop complaining and do it. I will ensure you are compensated.”
“Tsk. Understood.”
At the mention of compensation, Zed’s complaints disappeared at once.
He had probably complained solely to hear those words.
After sending the two of them away, Ferda surveyed the surroundings again.
While roughly assessing how the factions had formed, he spotted Olivia.
She was mingling with priests dressed in white vestments embroidered with gold.
‘Are they from the Holy Kingdom of Odograsa?’
It was strange.
The Holy Kingdom of Odograsa and the Arken Empire were supposed to reject each other on the grounds that two suns could not coexist.
Moreover, it was an odd sight to see a woman wearing a dress that openly exposed her cleavage mingling with priests.
At that moment, perhaps sensing his gaze, Olivia met Ferda’s eyes.
She smiled with her eyes and subtly beckoned him over.
It was uncomfortable.
Still, if he had to associate with someone, Olivia was probably the safest option.
With that thought, Ferda walked toward her.
Olivia maintained intense eye contact with him.
As always, she wore a bright and flawless smile.
She placed a hand on Ferda’s shoulder.
“Allow me to introduce you.”
There were two men present.
One was a small elderly man wearing a crown.
The other was a middle-aged man with a scarred face who stood with his back as straight as a soldier’s.
“This is Regent Ferda Valdrova, the man who will become the husband of Lady Valdrova, the Red Dragon. You have already seen him, haven’t you?”
“Hoho, of course I know him. It would have been impossible not to notice him.”
The old man stroked his snow-white beard and laughed heartily.
His forearm was exposed beneath his sleeve.
It was so thin that the phrase skin and bones seemed entirely appropriate.
Despite wearing high-heeled shoes, the elderly man was still considerably shorter than Olivia.
His tiny frame appeared so frail that one might worry even the weight of his robes would cause him to collapse.
However, that impression changed the moment one looked into his face.
A golden radiance seemed to pour from his wide-open eyes.
Even Ferda, who had burned away every last trace of faith within his heart, felt that a god dwelled inside those eyes.
Ferda willingly showed his respect.
“I greet His Holiness Gregorio, the Son of Miracles and Father of the Holy Kingdom.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent Ferda. I hear this was your first Grand Duke Council.”
“That is correct.”
“For someone attending for the first time, you made quite a bold declaration.”
“Yes. I assumed it would not please you.”
Gregorio shook his head.
“Not at all. The thought you voiced is a question this old man has also asked from time to time. Could Valdrova, the evil dragon whom everyone despises, in truth be the guardian of the East?”
“Is that so?”
“I came here to represent the will of Lord Odograsa. Therefore, I have a duty to exercise caution in all things. I cannot support your position immediately.”
With a regretful sigh, he lightly patted Ferda’s forearm.
“However, should you demonstrate your determination to clear away that misunderstanding, then in the name of the Golden Scales, I will have no choice but to offer you my support.”
In the name of the Golden Scales.
It was an absolute oath sworn by those who followed Odograsa.
For someone of Gregorio’s standing as the Holy Emperor to make such an oath meant that he sincerely intended to keep his word.
On the surface, that was how it appeared.
But Ferda did not take those words at face value.
In the end, even the Holy Emperor of this kingdom would place interests above all else.
“I can only admire you for thinking so highly of me.”
“Carry out your will. If you believe in the god within your heart and take a step forward, He will surely answer you.”
Once the greetings were over, Olivia, who had been watching their exchange, joined the conversation.
“Then we shall take our leave, Your Holiness. Please take good care of yourself.”
“May the golden grace accompany the Flower of the Empire.”
After finishing the customary farewell, Olivia naturally slipped her arm through Ferda’s.
She gave him no warning, leaving him no opportunity to refuse.
“Let’s go.”
With subtle movements that made it appear as though Ferda were leading her, she guided him away.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the others, Olivia asked,
“I heard what happened during the conference.”
There was displeasure in her gaze.
“Was that proposal truly your own idea, Lord Ferda?”
“Yes.”
“It was an incredibly foolish thing to do.”
Despite the cold words, Olivia continued to smile brightly.
Judging from her face alone, no one could have guessed the nature of their conversation.
“It was something that needed to be said.”
“But it was not something to say during your debut at the Grand Duke Council. Those words could easily have backfired. You nearly allowed the still-undefined image of the Far East to be permanently shaped in a negative way.”
Her tone contained a sharp edge unbefitting a flower raised in a greenhouse.
“You are an imperial princess who was just speaking with the Holy Emperor of another nation, yet you are lecturing me?”
“My. Please do not compare yourself to me. I have always been this way. I am like a butterfly.”
“A butterfly?”
Ferda asked, and Olivia smiled.
She lightly released his arm and walked away.
No—she fluttered away, her dress billowing around her.
“I drift lightly from place to place and circle around everyone. I seem close enough to grasp, yet remain just out of reach, making others chase after me. I carry enough weight not to appear frivolous, yet remain light enough not to seem completely unapproachable.”
She truly resembled a butterfly.
Her movements were like a precarious acrobatic performance.
Then she lightly descended once more and settled upon Ferda’s outstretched arm.
“Still, it was not entirely bad. Your declaration that you would conquer the Demonic Lands did not leave only a negative impression.”
“Is that so?”
“Look at that old, frightened face. The fact that he clearly remembers you—someone who was once nothing more than a minor extra in the play—is proof enough.”
Ferda had sensed that as well.
“You have no allies now, but once you demonstrate your abilities, it will not be long before they bow their heads to you. They certainly will, as long as you show even a one-percent chance of success.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“Because Her Highness Valdrova, the Dread Queen, possesses an authority unlike anyone else.”
The authority to expand her territory.
There was only one land available for expansion.
The Far East.
The Demonic Lands.
A place no one else could covet.
But had they mentioned it to anyone, they would have laughed as though it were a joke.
In reality, the Dread Queen’s territory was shrinking rather than expanding.
“If that wasteland can be purified and reclaimed as our land, it will become a second capital.”
“A second capital…”
“The empire is currently saturated. Many young people abandon their orchards, rice paddies, and fields to move to the capital in pursuit of success. They call it the Empire Dream.”
“There is nothing wrong with having dreams.”
“That’s right. There is nothing wrong with it. But in the current empire, those people are treated no better than worn-out shoes. Do you know how many enter the empire and die there?”
“No matter what you say, it lies outside my interests.”
“In any case, once the value of that land is proven, the Far East will cease to be a mere remote frontier and become a land of new opportunities. As the territory expands, the population will grow, and its political influence will increase as well.”
The East would grow.
At those words, Ferda asked Olivia,
“Will the empire simply stand by and watch?”
Olivia answered,
“Of course not. They will keep Valdrova in check as though they do not care what happens to her.”
The Arken Empire would never relinquish the immense power concentrated in its capital.
Even if someone had to die as a result.
“That is why you must help me.”
Her tone grew heavier.
As though what she was about to say was important.
Ferda focused on her words.
“With what?”
“I am a butterfly, but at the same time, I am also a jewel placed upon an auction block. A jewel that will eventually be sold to the central nobles.”
The title of imperial princess had raised her up.
But it was also a shackle.
It was not a surprising revelation.
This was not a tragedy unique to Olivia merely because she was a princess.
Most daughters of prestigious families with strict education suffered the same fate.
The better educated they were and the more carefully they cultivated their beauty, the more likely they were to marry into families more prestigious than their own.
Men sought upward mobility in their way.
Women did so in theirs.
An imperial princess was the emperor’s ultimate piece and his most valuable card.
Only after hearing that did Ferda suddenly understand.
He realized why she had been cultivating ties with the Holy Kingdom of Odograsa.
“I must become a saintess.”
Olivia smiled deeply.
“If I become a saintess, I can free myself from the price tag attached to the title of imperial princess.”
“Because no one would want to claim a devout saintess and incur the wrath of both the god and His worshippers.”
“Exactly.”
Olivia possessed the Seal of Oath, genuine devotion, and widespread popularity.
But her fatal disadvantage was her status as an imperial princess.
‘If she could cast aside the title of princess and become a saintess…’
Olivia would cease to be merely the emperor’s tool and become his daughter in truth, forming a faction of her own.
She would no longer be merely a beautiful flower, but a savior capable of rescuing the weak.
The clergy would support her, allowing her to escape her fate as a jewel placed upon an auction block.
She would form a stable support base within an unstable balance of power.
It sounded like an excellent plan.
But Ferda already knew the outcome.
‘Olivia will never become a saintess.’
That was why she would betray her oath and make use of her beauty.
She would seduce her own blood relatives into her bed, become a temptress who brought a nation to ruin, and ultimately take her own life.
Ferda remembered it all vividly.
“Can you do it?”
An unspoken message reached him through her eyes.
For me.
Her fragile voice stirred his instinct to protect her.
Ferda looked directly into her eyes and said,
“Of course I will.”
But not for you.
“As long as you cooperate sufficiently.”
For my fiancée.
This was nothing more than work performed according to a contract.
“Of course.”
The moment Olivia looked into Ferda’s eyes, she became flustered.
Her voice emerged with the faintest tremble.
Her face nearly flushed from the unpleasant humiliation, but Ferda did not notice.
He removed her arm from his and said,
“Then I shall be going.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have a feeling it is about time I searched for a lost little child.”
“A lost child?”
Ferda released Olivia’s hand and walked away.
Every man who had ever held Olivia’s hand had been the same.
Whenever their eyes met, she had been forced to confront the possessiveness hidden within them.
They had been unable to release her hand, forcing her to pull away first.
But Ferda was different.
He walked away without hesitation and never once looked back.
Though she was praised as the greatest beauty in the empire, she held no place in Ferda’s thoughts.
Instead, Olivia found herself unable to look away until he disappeared from sight.
‘An assistant who is not ruled by emotion.’
Someone who did not focus on unnecessary things and could eliminate uncertainties through rational judgment.
That was the kind of person Olivia had once described as the greatest possible ally.
‘Even though I said that…’
Being ignored by him was not nearly as pleasant as she had expected.
A wave of disappointment washed over her, but she had no time to indulge in it.
The nobles began gathering around Olivia.
“I greet Lady Olivia, Imperial Princess of the Arken Empire.”
“My name is Ken, a prince of the Duchy of Hoos…”
The instant Ferda disappeared, flowers flocked toward the butterfly.
No.
They were beasts carrying filthy money with which to purchase her body.
Olivia smiled at them.
Like a precious jewel.