I Married the Dragon I Killed

The strike had ended.

The conflicts had also been resolved.

The incidents that had occurred in Hestia Village could, for the time being, be considered completely under control.

Of course, for the people of Hestia, the problems had been resolved.

But for Perda, much more serious matters still remained.

‘The return of the demons.’

In the end, the prediction of Bernard Wayne, the rector of Escolea, had been correct.

It had been confirmed that Curved Demon, one of the former members of the Seven Evil Stars, was still alive.

‘And he’s strong.’

The amount of magical power he displayed was not particularly large.

But its depth was different.

The ability to open a subspace with a simple movement of a finger.

The power to distort and destroy a designated location with a mere snap.

All of that exceeded Perda’s capabilities.

‘If I were to face him again, could I win?’

The cards Perda possessed.

And the data he had obtained from observing Curved Demon.

He replayed that battle hundreds of times within his mind.

‘The chances of victory barely reach the decimal places.’

And even that favorable prediction assumed the appearance of an unexpected miracle.

Moreover, the Curved Demon in his simulations was limited only to the abilities he had managed to identify.

If they fought seriously and he revealed hidden cards, Perda would have no way to respond.

In other words.

Perda’s probability of victory was practically approaching zero.

‘I need to become stronger.’

He needed to reach a higher level.

A power capable of crushing him.

‘But is that even possible right now?’

He had obtained a territory.

And he had to coordinate everything that existed under the Grand Duchy.

If the workload was already abundant, it would only increase.

And the busier he became, the more he would neglect both his magical training and his responsibilities.

‘Perhaps I should train even harder precisely now?’

But if things were that simple, life would be much more comfortable.

The Red Circle moves according to emotional fluctuations.

They say that love and hatred are separated by a single sheet of paper.

That is why the term love-hate exists.

If he fell into the wrong emotions, he would end up walking once again down the path of hatred that he knew so well.

Only through restraint and determination could he achieve proper growth.

‘But even then, how much stronger could I become?’

He had a lamp.

But it was absurdly insufficient to dispel all the fog.

Perda did not know what lay at the end of the path he was walking.

‘If I could use that power again…’

The Red Circle driven by rage.

It was a path he knew.

And he also knew how to walk it.

Perhaps with that power he could easily defeat someone like Curved Demon.

Perhaps.

Then he shook his head as if he had just awakened.

‘…I’m truly desperate.’

He never imagined he would end up considering such a foolish idea.

That power must never exist again under any circumstances.

After all, it had been the emotion that ultimately killed Valdrova.

He must never believe he could control it.

Perda had lived deceived for ten years precisely because he thought that.

As if fleeing from those thoughts, he moved on to the next topic.

‘Then I need tools…’

A staff imbued with mana.

Scrolls covered in magic circles.

Or even products created through magitech.

All of them could become his weapons.

‘What I used in the past…’

It was the staff known as the Sixth Element.

The ultimate weapon obtained after an entire week of combat inside the Tomb of the Immortal King.

‘That cannot be used.’

It was a relic of the Immortal King.

A public enemy of the continent during the era before the Dragon-Demon War.

At that time, Perda was alone.

He was practically a criminal.

Whether he used it or not did not matter.

The only thing at stake was his own reputation.

Now it would be different.

He could put Valdrova in danger.

‘But there is something comparable.’

The branch struck by the Heaven-Defying Lightning.

The reward he had received for his achievements during the monster crisis in Hallim.

Until now, he had simply stored it away without showing it to anyone.

If he made a staff from it, he could wield the immense pure power of the Heaven-Defying Lightning.

‘But making it won’t be easy either.’

The more powerful and efficient a spell is, the greater its difficulty.

Perhaps a hundred years ago it would have been possible.

But in the current era, there were no enchanters or blacksmiths capable of enduring such power.

Even the dwarves of the southwest would reject anything connected to a witch.

And if he went to the elves, they would probably feel insulted.

‘I’ll have to persuade the dwarves.’

Perhaps, if he insisted enough, they would eventually agree.

It was then that a visitor arrived.

Knock.

Knock.

Slow and hesitant knocks.

Just hearing them conveyed a lack of confidence.

The door opened carefully.

“Lord Perda? Are you busy?”

The terrifying head of a dragon appeared.

It was Valdrova.

“No. I’m free. Do you need more mana?”

“Yes. A little today as well…”

“Understood.”

They were already so accustomed to it that they no longer needed lengthy conversations.

She was wearing the Dragon Knight armor, which easily exceeded two meters in height.

The only exposed part was her right hand.

Perda placed his own hand over it and let his mana flow.

‘It’s still warm.’

The mana that entered her chest soothed all anxiety.

She had felt it countless times.

And yet she wanted to feel it again and again.

That sensation calmed her deeply.

So much so that she even forgot why she had come.

‘That’s not why I came here!’

She had gathered the courage to come because she had made a major decision.

‘I want to try leading the conversation myself today.’

After all, that was precisely why she kept doing this.

And there was something she truly wanted to know.

‘What does Lord Perda think of the Armored Knight?’

Her heart pounded violently.

Thinking about it, that question was not so different from asking what he thought of her.

‘I’m going to ask.’

Valdrova suppressed the violent beating of her heart as best she could and opened her mouth with difficulty.

“L-Lord Perda!”

“Yes?”

“Um… Ruri told me something a little while agooo…”

The words stumbled out awkwardly.

Because of the voice modulator, it sounded to Perda like a melancholy echo.

He responded calmly.

“What exactly about?”

“W-Well… t-that the Armored Knight did something amaaaazing…”

She ended up biting her tongue.

Her momentum vanished instantly.

“I… I heard about it…”

“Ah. You mean that person?”

Perda seemed surprised.

He did not understand why she was suddenly interested in such a topic.

Valdrova desperately held back the truth that was trying to escape from her mouth.

“Ruri said that… he’s someone who cares very deeply about the village.”

“That’s true.”

That was true.

And hearing it, Valdrova’s anxiety turned into excitement.

“Really?”

“Yes. At the beginning, when we had not yet received support from Hallim, his strength played an enormous role. Thanks to him, we were able to put up many buildings much more quickly.”

“I-Is that so?”

So he thinks I was helpful.

A sense of pride involuntarily arose within her.

“At first I was worried he might be some rebellious element with traitorous tendencies, but…”

“But?”

“It turned out I was mistaken.”

A voice that had found a small hope.

“Does that mean he’s a good person?”

“Yes. He’s a good person.”

Valdrova felt as though she could spread her wings and fly away at any moment.

“But he has quite a few problems in many respects.”

“…Huh?”

That happiness did not last long.

The higher you climb, the harder the fall.

“I think he’s a rather foolish person.”

“F-Foolish?”

“For heaven’s sake. He wears a knight’s armor and maintains a Vow of Silence. More than anyone else, he should rely on writing, but his handwriting is terrible and he doesn’t even know how to spell properly.”

“……”

“Someone like that, if he crosses paths with the wrong people, will end up ruining his life. Frankly, I’m a little worried about him.”

“……”

Perda discreetly glanced at her hand.

“Are you alright?”

“M-Me?”

“Your hand is completely red.”

That hand, which looked like white jade, had turned red as a carrot.

Valdrova noticed it as well and hurriedly pulled it back.

“I-It’s nothing…”

“It looks like some kind of rejection reaction. Perhaps I should examine it more closely…”

“I-Really! It’s nothing important, so you don’t need to worry!”

Valdrova jumped to her feet.

Perda was startled by the sudden reaction.

“I think I’ll leave a little early today.”

“Is it already enough? It seems to me that I’ve given you less mana than usual.”

“Yes. It’s just that I need a little energy for something else.”

Having said that, she practically fled.

Watching her leave, Perda realized that he had made a mistake.

‘Speaking badly about someone is definitely not a good idea.’

He had tried to soften his words quite a bit.

But apparently it had not been enough.

She had brought up the topic with effort in order to talk to him.

And he ended up making her uncomfortable.

‘Next time I should avoid it.’

With that thought, Perda decided to leave it for another occasion.

***

Valdrova returned directly to her lair.

She stepped out of the armor and collapsed onto the floor.

Unlike usual, she hugged her legs.

“Uuu…”

A small whimper escaped her.

Her body trembled slightly.

“My Lady, it’s Ruri. I’m coming in.”

Ruri entered the room.

The first thing she saw was Valdrova transformed into a genuine human cocoon.

“…What are you doing?”

“Ruriii…”

Valdrova lifted her head when she heard her name.

Her face was as red as her hair.

“……”

Ruri knew perfectly well what was happening.

After all, she had listened to the entire conversation.

With tears gathering in her eyes, Valdrova buried her face against the chest of her small servant.

“Tell me.”

“Lord Perda… Lord Perda says I’m foolish…”

“……”

“Couldn’t you at least deny it?”

She looked at her with teary eyes.

But Ruri did not react at all.

“Didn’t I always tell you to study a little more?”

“I did study… I did study, buuut…”

“And besides, it’s something you’ve heard countless times. Is it really worth reacting like this?”

“Of course Lorga told me too. And lots of other people as well…”

Valdrova hugged her legs even tighter as she complained in a sad voice.

“But it hurts more when Lord Perda says it.”

“He didn’t even say it directly to you.”

“That’s why it hurts even more! He’s always kind to me, but deep down he must think I’m unbelievably foolish.”

“……”

“Please contradict him. I’m really going to cry.”

Ruri’s lack of response only made Valdrova feel even more miserable.

“You have nothing to worry about. If you make an effort, My Lady, I’m sure he will recognize those qualities as well.”

“Really?”

“That’s why…”

Ruri held out two books to her.

[Easy Spelling for Children]

[How to Become an Elegant Lady for Children: Let’s Learn to Write Beautifully!]

Valdrova alternated her gaze between Ruri and the two books.

Finally, she spoke with difficulty.

“…Yes.”

It is never too late to learn.

***

That night, Perda dreamed.

Valdrova was there.

But they were not in the castle.

It was a small house.

A humble home, similar to the ones Perda had lived in after he was expelled from the castle and lost all his money.

‘It’s a dream.’

It did not seem to be a nightmare.

So he decided to simply remain seated until he woke up.

“You’re awake already?”

A gentle voice caressed his ears.

Perda had heard that voice only once.

He raised his head with suspicion.

Long red hair.

Golden eyes.

She had no horns and no slit pupils.

She wore simple clothing.

But Perda knew perfectly well who she was.

‘There’s no doubt.’

It was Valdrova.

“What’s wrong? You don’t look well.”

Her hand gently caressed Perda’s cheek.

A warm and comforting sensation enveloped him completely.

As if he had returned home.

When she saw Perda’s expression relax, Valdrova smiled sweetly.

Perhaps because she was holding his hand.

The sensation felt so real that he even found himself thinking he would not mind being trapped in that dream forever.

“Shall we do that?”

“That…?”

Perda reacted without understanding.

Valdrova looked at him with an amused smile.

Then she leaned toward him.

“What you do best.”

Her soft hand took Perda’s.

He could not resist.

He was simply dragged along.

She guided his hand to her neck.

Perda was strangling her.

“Come on. Kill me.”

Perda flinched and tried to pull his hand away.

But he could not move it.

His hand remained firmly fixed in place.

And the more he struggled, the more force it exerted.

Blood began to flow from those golden eyes.

Valdrova’s figure began to melt and distort.

— Why?

A heartrending scream came from her mouth.

— Why did you kill me?

Countless voices swam through Perda’s mind.

This was karma.

The karma of all the acts he had committed.

A karma impossible to avoid even if he returned to the past.

They say that karma always comes back to strangle you.

But Perda’s karma did the exact opposite.

It forced him to strangle.

To strangle the neck of the person he should love most.

Because karma knew perfectly well what Perda’s greatest pain was.

— Why? Why? Why?

— I didn’t do anything…

— Give me back my father!

The chaotic voices grew louder and louder.

The pressure on that delicate neck increased.

And at the end of that chaos.

Absolute silence arrived.

Had he awakened?

No.

He could still clearly feel the touch of that neck beneath his fingers.

Perda.

Then he heard a voice.

Now, listen to my voice once again.

It was an incredibly sweet voice.

Remember who you are.

Ah…

I am…

Crunch—

***

With the sound of something cracking and breaking apart, he opened his eyes.

Cold sweat ran all over his body, leaving behind an unpleasant sensation.

But there was something even more unpleasant.

‘The circuit…’

The Red Circle was spinning violently.

Again.

Although it was not related to his feelings toward Valdrova, the circuit in his chest was rotating ferociously.

Perda forced himself to sit up.

He emptied his mind.

He left it completely blank, with nothing remaining inside.

A short while later, Perda’s circle calmed down once more.

It was even easier than he had feared.

But that very ease was what disgusted him the most.

Because it meant he already knew the answer.

‘Why…?’

It led him to a feeling of déjà vu.

A feeling that should never exist within Perda.

‘Why is there still hatred left inside me?’

Because that had been exactly what turned Perda into the Nine-Circle Calamity.

***

Perda’s mind was in chaos.

This was not some absurd theory about the fate of mana.

This was real.

He could feel it.

And it was truly happening.

Deep down, Perda had already suspected it existed.

‘So that wasn’t just my imagination.’

Abel Silverwind.

That third-rate villain who threatened Ruri.

A man whose name was not even worth remembering.

At that moment, Perda had made everything within the darkness his own.

And in doing so, he penetrated Abel’s body and killed him instantly.

That was not something a 4-Circle mage could accomplish.

Not even Perda would normally have been capable of it.

Perda revisited that sensation.

He went back to the moment before that death.

As if slowly rewinding time.

— Are you just going to stand there and watch?

‘The voice.’

It was a sweet voice.

That voice stirred something inside him.

And drew out power.

The same power fueled by rage that had once belonged to him.

‘Are you telling me that even after going back in time, it’s still inside me?’

The power that killed his family.

The power that killed innocents.

And the power that even killed the person he now loved.

That power still existed within Perda.

He was confused.

This was completely different from merely worrying about the fate of mana.

Back then, it had been a vague concern.

Now he had proof.

Real proof.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A series of knocks sounded at the door of his bedroom.

Ruri entered.

“Lord Perda.”

“What is it?”

Without realizing it, his voice was filled with irritation.

“You have a visitor.”

“I’m not receiving anyone today. Send them away.”

“I thought I should ask because it’s someone you know.”

“Someone I know?”

Who would come all the way here to see him in person?

As countless names ran through his mind, Ruri spoke a completely unexpected one.

“Eremvalt Rosnova, Lord Perda’s father.”

The origin of all the hatred he carried within him.