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Chapter 34: The Tea Party
Ferda was a nobleman, born into the Rosnova knightly family. His title was that of a viscount, and his family served as vassals to the Duke of Houston. As a member of an honorable knightly lineage, Ferda was raised with strict etiquette. However, after being cast out of his family due to his betrothal to the queen, he worked his way up to becoming a grand mage, earning a status comparable to that of a high-ranking noble. Despite this, Ferda had little experience with social gatherings. As an illegitimate child, he had no opportunities to attend such events, and later, as a grand mage, he avoided them by choice. Having faced multiple poisoning attempts, he refused to eat anything prepared by others, even after he became immune to poison. Instead, he thrived on manipulating relationships through animosity rather than camaraderie. Thus, the tea party he was about to attend was a first in his life.
An Hour Before the Tea Party
“This is the recreation room where you and our lord will be able to enjoy various leisure activities after marriage,” said Ruri, leading Ferda to the venue.
Ferda looked around. “The western landscape is visible from here.”
“Yes, it’s designed to allow you to focus on relaxation.”
The room radiated peace, unlike the gloomy lands of the magical territories where Ferda usually resided. It was a perfect place to enjoy a sunset.
“The tea party will be held here,” Ruri continued, pointing to a terrace set with two chairs, a table, two teacups, and a tiered tray of desserts. “I selected 20 varieties from 150 desserts made by pastry chefs of the Imperial Palace.”
“You tasted all 150?” Ferda asked skeptically.
“Of course.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, it was necessary to ensure their quality.”
Ferda raised an eyebrow. “So you ate 150 desserts?”
Ruri scowled. “I wasn’t cheating on myself, if that’s what you’re thinking. I gave each one a thorough examination.”
But Ferda’s doubts remained. Then, noticing something on her face, he said, “There’s sugar on your lips.”
Ruri hastily wiped it off and, without hesitation, licked the sugar from her fingers.
“I only did it to test for poison.”
“Understood,” Ferda replied, though his disbelief was evident.
When she warned him not to touch the desserts, he smirked. “I’m not like you.”
Awaiting the Queen
Ferda sat alone, waiting for Valdrova, the queen, for what would be their first proper meeting. Their previous encounters were brief and chaotic.
This time, he sought advice from Jed Swallow, a notorious womanizer.
“Pretend you don’t notice her anxiety,” Jed advised. “Focus on keeping things light and enjoyable.”
Ferda agreed. Highlighting her fears might ruin the atmosphere. Instead, he resolved to keep the conversation upbeat.
Soon, Ruri’s voice announced, “The queen is entering.”
Ferda stood to greet her. “Welcome, my—” He froze mid-sentence. Instead of the queen’s face, he saw a full suit of armor—an intimidating dragon knight’s armor. Ferda immediately recognized it as the one Valdrova had worn at their engagement ceremony.
Behind her, Ruri gave him a pleading look, silently begging him not to ask questions. Suppressing his confusion, Ferda offered a polite bow.
“It’s an honor to meet you, my queen.”
Valdrova, still clad in armor, nodded awkwardly and sat down. The heavy chair groaned under her weight. The silence was stifling.
Ferda tried to break the ice. “Your armor is truly fitting for a dragon knight.”
Another nod.
“How have you been?”
Valdrova formed an “O” with her fingers, signaling she had been fine.
Ferda pushed on. “Are you able to drink tea in that armor?”
She fidgeted with her helmet, seemingly realizing she hadn’t considered this. When Ferda suggested she remove it, she shook her head vigorously, refusing to reveal her face. The tension was palpable.
Ferda sighed internally. “This is going to be a long tea party,” he thought.
Ferda also began to struggle with the awkward atmosphere despite trying to act indifferent.
‘She proposed this tea party, yet she won’t eat or drink anything…’
It might have been less awkward if she at least tried to converse, but even that was being avoided.
‘She must be angry after all.’
Valdrova likely thought Ferda found her tiresome. And now, after making her anxious, here he was trying to make small talk. What a pitiful man.
So Ferda decided to apologize to her.
“I’m sorry.”
Clank!
Valdrova’s armor shook dramatically.
“I’ve made the Queen worry, and here I am making lighthearted remarks. It was foolish of me. I should have apologized first…”
There was no response.
“You’re free to criticize me. It’s my fault, so whatever you say—”
“That, that’s not it!” Ferda was startled. Her voice echoed loudly from within the helmet. Though the tone revealed a gap in her demeanor, what shocked him most was the voice itself. From the helmet came the heavy voice of a warrior.
“Well, um…” Valdrova seemed surprised at her own voice, covering the helmet’s mouthpiece with her hand.
“It’s not because I’m angry… or because Ferda did something wrong…”
The intimidating dragon knight fidgeted with her fingers as if embarrassed.
“It’s just… I… I can’t talk to you properly… That’s why I couldn’t respond…”
“Ah.” Only then did Ferda recall something Ruri had mentioned during the engagement ceremony.
“Social anxiety.”
Valdrova struggled with human interactions.
‘Of course. I knew that. So why did I assume she was angry?’
Caught up in his own concerns, he had forgotten what she was going through.
“I apologize. I wasn’t thinking clearly. Please forgive me.”
“No, I should be the one apologizing… Inviting you here and staying silent like this…”
“No, it’s me…”
The conversation became a cycle of mutual apologizes until it came to an awkward halt. In the heavy silence, Ferda dared not speak. He even considered searching for a spell to break the tension.
“Well…” It was Valdrova who struggled to restart the conversation.
“The reason I… wore this armor…” Ferda waited for her to finish her sentence.
“Ruri said my expressions are too obvious.”
Ferda tilted his head, puzzled. “What do you mean by that?”
“When I’m in my human form… people can read everything from my face. So… I wasn’t confident about what expression I’d show when I saw you…” She trailed off, her words fumbling.
“So I wore it.” Her final words came out in a nervous squeak, and Valdrova covered her mouth with both hands.
“How… ridiculous, right?” Her heavy warrior’s voice trembled faintly. Watching her actions, Ferda could sense how much she struggled to conceal the emotions.
‘How pure…’
The inability to hide emotions is a form of innocence. Even beneath heavy armor and a resonant voice, her true essence was evident.
‘Beautiful.’
That’s why she was beautiful.
Ferda answered her question. “It’s not ridiculous at all. Even now, I’m trembling.”
Valdrova raised her head to look at him. He could feel her gaze scanning him.
“That’s a lie,” she said.
“Pardon?”
“If you’re trembling, you don’t look it… I’m stuttering and nervous, but you seem completely fine.”
“I’m only pretending to be calm to look good. I’m forcing myself to act like I’m not nervous.”
“Is that so?” Her tone suggested she didn’t entirely understand.
Now that Valdrova had confessed her vulnerability, it was Ferda’s turn to open up.
“I haven’t seen you recently because I was scared as well.”
“Of what?”
“There is darkness within my mana.”
“Darkness?”
“Yes. My mana contains darkness, and I feared it might harm you. That’s why…” Ferda’s sapphire-like blue eyes locked onto hers.
“I lacked the confidence to face you.”
Valdrova didn’t reply. She fidgeted with her fingers, clenching and unclenching her fists, as if trying to suppress an overwhelming emotion.
“You mean… you were worried about me?”
“Yes. Was that presumptuous of me?”
“No… It’s just… it makes me a little happy…”
It was clear now. All her actions reflected an innocent, girlish quality.
“Does that make you happy?” The intimidating helmet nodded slightly.
“I’ve never thought anyone worried about me before… except Ruri. People assume I’m strong. And I am. But… Ferda is scared I might get hurt. That’s… oddly comforting.”
She placed a hand over her chest, gathering her emotions.
“When you extended your hand to me that day…” She remembered the moment he soothed her raging fury.
“What I felt… was something I’d never experienced before.” Her voice was heavy with sentiment as she recalled the memory.
“The warmth and comfort that flowed through me… It felt like being embraced. Something like that couldn’t possibly be bad, could it?”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes.” Her fidgeting hands and awkwardly crossing legs betrayed her bashful demeanor, which contrasted sharply with her formal speech.
“Just being here like this… makes me so happy. Sitting across from you, in this moment, I’m so happy… so much that…” Her voice abruptly cut off.
“Oh.” It was as if she had realized something she hadn’t been aware of before.
“Are you all right?”
“Uh… I’m sorry, but… may I… get up for a moment?”
“Pardon?”
“I-I mean, I feel like… I might scream if I stay here any longer, and that would be rude, so I—”
Valdrova, trembling uncontrollably, didn’t know what to do.
“S-Sorry!” With that, she bolted and leapt off the terrace.
Ferda and Ruri watched her descend. The ground was far below, but neither doubted she’d land safely.
Ruri, who had been silently observing, spoke up.
“Well, I’d say the tea party was a success.” She popped a dessert from the tray into her mouth.
Ferda looked down at where Valdrova had vanished, mulling over Ruri’s words.
‘Indeed.’
And then, he had a realization.
‘Valdrova is such a simple woman.’ A pure-hearted lady who couldn’t even properly face her fiancé. Such a woman had forced herself to act like a queen, bearing a weight that didn’t suit her.
‘But the world isn’t kind.’ Ferda knew this all too well. Demons, imperial corruption, her past—everything conspired to test and oppress her.
‘I made a vow.’ To protect what she cherished and grant her what she had longed for. To transform Valdrova’s name from a symbol of fear into one of joy.
For that, Ferda needed one thing: determination.
‘Sometimes, I must be bold.’ If necessary, even ruthless. His fear of harming Valdrova would no longer sway him. A sense of duty reignited his resolve.
The next day, Ferda summoned Jed to discuss his plan. After hearing him out, Jed asked, “Are you out of your mind?” While blunt, this was the most polite response Jed could muster. Ferda’s plan was that absurd.
“You’re planning to raid the empire’s warehouses?”
