I Married the Dragon I Killed

The second gift he received almost by accident, Frank Fontaine, spilled everything he knew.

After hearing his story, Perda and Isabella understood one thing.

“So when they said they would hand over the Dandollo Company, they meant they would hand over everything Tilda had prepared.”

It had seemed somewhat strange that they would promise to transfer one of the Empire’s largest trading companies.

But as Frank Fontaine continued confessing things, the full picture gradually began to reveal itself.

— They promised that if I cooperated, in a few years I would become an executive at the Dandollo Company headquarters! In exchange, I just had to hire and manage the assassins!

“What stupidity.”

He had thought that, as a merchant, he would at least carefully calculate the profits and losses before doing something like this.

Then he remembered something Stephan had said.

That Frank Fontaine had never been promoted simply because he lacked talent.

And that incompetence had also been completely exposed in this rebellion.

Even so, Perda did not blindly believe that Frank Fontaine was an absolute idiot either.

He was clumsily stupid and clumsily clever at the same time.

Although Frank Fontaine had led the plan, he had also kept documents capable of proving that someone else stood behind that entire filthy conspiracy.

In the section confirming who had provided all the funds, Henri Dandollo’s seal was stamped.

Tilda had prepared everything so she could completely shift the blame onto the Dandollo Company in the worst-case scenario.

And Perda could use that document as well.

“So Black Bandana plans to use this when they hand over the Dandollo Company.”

“Do you think it will be enough?”

“We can destroy the credibility of the Dandollo family, but transferring the entire company is still difficult.”

Either way, thanks to those documents and testimonies, Perda’s work became much easier.

Tilda Pascal on one side.

Henri Dandollo on the other.

Now it was possible to bring them down separately.

‘Is Rico Dandollo really the client?’

When it only seemed like a matter of protecting his son and the company from a trash daughter-in-law, he had been the most likely candidate.

But handing this document to Perda practically amounted to expelling his own son from the company, even if it meant saving it.

And it did not exactly seem like the kind of decision a father would make.

“Even if they end up handing the company over to someone practically unrelated like you, Regent Perda, the resistance will be quite strong.”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

Perda possessed the most attractive element of all.

Magical engineering.

Many investors already coveted it, and if it were presented to the Dandollo Company, they would probably welcome a new administrator gladly.

“Even so, I still can’t imagine how they plan to seize it legitimately.”

“As an administrator, do you think it would be better to abandon this now?”

“This will greatly benefit the finances. How could I withdraw? I will investigate the acquisition further and begin preparing everything in advance.”

“Do it.”

Isabella pushed up her glasses while smiling.

As someone who constantly complained about financial problems, that proposal alone was enough reason to celebrate.

While everyone seemed satisfied, Perda glanced sideways at Ruri and asked.

“More importantly, what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

As always, Ruri answered in a cold and professional tone.

“I mean cooperating with a human plan. You don’t seem like someone who would enjoy something like this. Are you really fine with it?”

Ruri answered.

“I have pride as a dragon spawn, but I’m not an idiot. I don’t see why I should cling to my pride over something like this.”

“Ah, yes?”

“More than anything, if anyone should be blamed, it would be my lady.”

Ruri let out a sigh and began complaining.

“Unlike other dragons, he never gathered treasures and lived like a slacker. That’s why we ended up needing to attract financial resources this way. So even an insignificant maid like me has to move around, don’t you think?”

“It seems you had quite a few things bottled up against your lady.”

“Do you have a complaint?”

“No.”

Even while insulting her own lady, she still moved for her sake.

How could he not find that admirable?

“I’m only grateful that you’re making the effort.”

Perda extended his hand toward Ruri’s head.

Upon seeing that hand, Ruri flinched slightly and lowered her head just a little.

“Regent.”

Just before the hand touched her head—

Isabella’s voice interrupted the moment.

“What is it?”

“Are you trying to pat Miss Ruri’s head?”

“That’s right.”

“And why would you do something like that?”

Isabella’s voice became more aggressive.

Faced with that unexpected emotional reaction, Perda answered first.

“I heard that it’s more effective when praising a child.”

“That is correct when praising minors, but precisely because of that, you should not do it to Miss Ruri.”

“Ah, no?”

“I….”

“You haven’t forgotten that dragon spawn possess extremely strong pride, have you?”

After hearing that, Perda nodded.

Isabella continued insisting.

“And above all, Miss Ruri is several times older than you, Regent. Although she possesses the appearance of immortal, youthful, eternal purity like a flower that never withers, you must not forget that she is still an adult.”

“Is that so?”

Although her words were loaded with clearly biased embellishments, what she said made sense.

Perda turned toward Ruri and questioned her with his eyes.

“That’s correct.”

Ruri nodded.

“I have lived hundreds of years longer than you. Did you really think I would enjoy being praised that way?”

Although she appeared to support Isabella’s logical reasoning, it was also obvious from her face that something internally bothered her.

However, Perda believed it was simply wounded pride.

“My apologies. It seems my method of praise was incorrect, so I will avoid patting your head in the futu—”

“No.”

The one who immediately interrupted was Isabella, as if she had been waiting for that moment.

“There is another way.”

“Another way?”

“As I said before, that is a method of praise an older person uses toward someone younger, correct?”

“Correct.”

Isabella adjusted her glasses and said,

“Then wouldn’t it be enough for an older dragon spawn to praise a younger one?”

“……?”

“……?”

Ruri and Perda had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

Isabella pushed up her glasses and spoke.

“What I mean is that I, as someone older, can praise Miss Ruri.”

“Hm?”

“……What?”

Perda became confused once again, while Ruri’s face completely fell apart.

Both of them looked as though they were wondering what kind of joke this was.

“What exactly did you just say?”

“To repeat it clearly, I am saying that I will praise Miss Ruri by patting her head.”

Isabella’s glasses gleamed.

She was being completely serious.

Isabella took a step forward.

Ruri stepped back and instinctively assumed a defensive posture.

“Do not come closer.”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. As someone older…”

Her fingers slowly began to twist.

“I plan to praise you very thoroughly.”

Her fingers moved with a flexibility impossible to believe from someone devoted solely to administrative work and magic.

They twisted like tentacles crawling up from the depths of the abyss.

Finally, with a completely fed-up expression, Ruri fled as though escaping for her life.

“Ah.”

Isabella blankly stared at the place where she had disappeared like the wind.

Moments later, she returned to her usual stiff and professional expression.

Perda spoke.

“It seems that wasn’t a good idea.”

“……It seems so.”

Isabella genuinely looked disappointed.

***

Black Bandana’s main base.

In truth, there was no such thing as a fixed main base.

For security reasons, the base relocated every three months, and the movement was kept so secret that even low-ranking members did not know where they would be going until the very day of the move.

The place they were currently using as a hideout was located in a mountain range in eastern Serdes.

Long ago, it had been used as a shelter by traffickers and drug manufacturers until they were exterminated, after which the place ended up becoming one of Black Bandana’s dens.

It was rare for outsiders to be allowed into such a secret location.

And it was even rarer for those outsiders to end up receiving killing intent.

In that sense, Zed Swallow was the first case in Black Bandana’s entire history.

“Zed Swallow. We always saw you in drawings, but this is the first time we’ve seen your real face, huh?”

“Ha, look how soft this bastard’s skin is.”

Men with hands as large as pot lids began groping Zed’s body.

Zed completely stiffened while forcing out an awkward laugh.

“Haha… could you stop touching my face? Even if it doesn’t look like it, I put a lot of effort into taking care of it….”

“Oh yeah? Then let’s check out your ass instead. Some people here enjoy men, and once they see that ass of yours—.”

“Bah! What’s the big deal about touching my face? Go ahead and touch it all you want! Hahaha!”

Realizing he had said something dangerous, Zed hurriedly tried to correct himself.

While laughing, he cursed his life internally.

‘Why the hell did I end up here putting up with this…?’

He hated Garnet for dragging him there.

But he hated Perda even more for selling him off.

‘What’s so important about money? What’s so important about a knight’s title?’

He thought about it carefully and arrived at only one answer.

‘They really are important, damn it.’

He had no choice but to keep smiling obediently.

“Brothers, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you all so desperate to eat this guy alive?”

“Huh? Didn’t you hear?”

Then the man grinned widely and started brutally smacking Zed on the head.

“This bastard violated our young lady. Are you telling me you don’t know that famous story?”

“Huh? I think I heard something like that before, but it was this guy?”

“Yeah, this very one.”

“Oh, daring to touch our young lady….”

Even the most innocent-looking man began burning with rage, so Zed frantically waved his hands.

“Wait a second! Saying I violated her is way too exaggerated!”

“Go ahead, explain.”

“That day we had just finished a really difficult mission, both of us were exhausted, and we were comforting each other. Then a man and a woman end up alone in a room, the mood turns nice, and I thought leaving at that point would also be disrespectful….”

“And then you acted like a man and took responsibility?”

“Well… if I had known she belonged to a family like this….”

“Did you take responsibility?”

“……I ran away.”

“Then what’s the difference between that and rape, prostitute?”

The hands gripping his face became rougher.

Now they had him completely immobilized.

“Haha… what are you doing, brothers?”

“We’re not asking for much. We’re just going to leave a mark on your face. Then you can regret it and marry our young lady.”

“Haha! Could you lower that knife!? I really don’t like these kinds of jokes!”

“What’s a joke to you is reality to us. Hold this bastard down properly.”

“What are you doing?”

A rough female voice echoed through the smell of sweat surrounding those men.

“Oh, boss, you’re here. We were just giving him a little welcome.”

“He doesn’t belong to the organization, so what kind of welcome would that be? Besides, that’s not done with a knife.”

“Come on, at least he should feel like part of the family.”

Zed shot Garnet pleading looks for help.

Garnet let out a sigh and drove everyone away.

“Stop screwing around and back off. No matter what you say, Zed is still a knight under the Regent.”

“Tch, consider yourself lucky.”

“Next time we’re definitely checking out that ass.”

At Garnet’s order, everyone withdrew.

Zed, who had been trembling like a gazelle surrounded by predators, looked at Garnet and said,

“Thanks for saving me.”

Garnet slapped him across the face.

Slap!

“Ow! Why!?”

“That’s for the stupidity you pulled at Castle Valdrova.”

“You’re right, I deserved that. So aside from that, you’re not still holding a grudge against me, right?”

“Not for now. Although I still resent you, it’s not enough to ruin the job.”

“What? No woman who’s been with me would ever say something like that….”

“……Do you want to explode?”

“Sorry. Please continue.”

Even after so many years apart, there were still many emotions left between them.

They could have gone straight to the main subject, but first they decided to talk about everything they had not been able to say before.

“What nerve you have, still using the surname Swallow.”

“You’re still using it too, Pindteeth.”

“Don’t use that nickname.”

“Why not? It brings back good memories.”

“Didn’t I break your nose for using it?”

“And I still kept using it with you.”

Zed grinned shamelessly.

Seeing that face, Garnet growled like an angry dog.

“Don’t smile like that. Easy women might like it, but it only irritates me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Zed immediately erased the smile.

Garnet took a deep breath and spoke in a cold voice.

“I need your help with this job.”

“What kind of help?”

“Infiltrate a mansion and find an object.”

Zed waved his hands dramatically.

“Infiltrate? What ability would I have for something like that? I can’t do it.”

“You’re perfect for this job.”

“Based on what?”

“It’s the conclusion I reached after considering both your recent actions and the things you did when you were a mercenary.”

“And what did I do as a mercenary? I don’t remember doing anything special.”

Since Zed kept pretending ignorance to the very end, Garnet let out a sigh.

“Do you remember the battle at Castle Palestina?”

“Of course. It was hell.”

“All of us were captured except you. Everyone thought you had escaped, but in reality you infiltrated the castle and got us out.”

“I was just lucky.”

“You had that ‘luck’ seven times. Maybe nobody else noticed, but I did. I know you moved in secret to save us.”

“You’re overestimating me too much….”

In fact, even Zed himself was not aware of it.

He did not see it as infiltration.

He simply thought it was the right thing to do for his comrades and that he needed to move stealthily in order to accomplish it.

He never believed it was anything extraordinary.

When he continued trying to dodge the issue, Garnet decided to use her final trump card.

“Do you want me to mention that you’re the last descendant of the Red Eyes Tribe too?”

Zed’s expression hardened.

“I don’t want to make this uncomfortable, but right now I—.”

“That information.”

“What?”

“Who else knows it?”

Unlike before, Zed asked with a completely murderous expression.

Garnet endured that pressure and answered.

“Only me.”

“If you’re trying to protect me, don’t. Even if we have history together, I can’t let this slide.”

Garnet frowned and exploded in anger.

“Idiot. Who do you think has been controlling your information all this time? Every piece of information about you is under my control.”

“My information?”

“You think you hide yourself that well? You think living like a prostitute helps you stay unnoticed? Idiot. If it weren’t for me, you’d already be dead. Do you understand? Everyone would have figured it out already and captured you to display you like some zoo monkey!”

While Garnet breathed furiously, Zed awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“Really? I always thought you hated me enough to want me dead.”

“And why would I want to kill you? At the end of the day, you’re still a comrade I shared life and death with.”

“Oh.”

“Though those people over there do want to kill you.”

“Ah….”

Zed smiled, although his face was completely pale and sweat poured down him in streams.

Garnet let out a small laugh at how pathetic he looked.

“So, what exactly is the job?”

“You need to infiltrate the mansion and find the medium of the Garden Contract.”

“Garden Contract… I’d prefer to avoid problems with witches from now on.”

“Your name has already appeared several times on their blacklist, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Really?”

“Are you stupid, or are you only pretending to be?”

Garnet looked at him as if he were useless before returning to the subject.

“We believe the other side made a contract with Yor Philiaz. We think you’re the most suitable for this job. What do you think?”

“It’s the best decision possible.”

For someone from the Red Eyes Tribe, known as Mage Killers, magic users were easy prey.

A true witch would be troublesome, but the enemy was only a villain imitating those powers.

“Then show me the blueprints of the place I need to infiltrate.”

Garnet placed an enormous stack of documents in front of Zed.

An image began forming in Zed’s mind.

The blueprints and the locations of the identified objects.

With that, he began pointing out the place where the object he needed to steal was most likely located while mentally constructing the operation.

When everything finally took shape, Zed looked at Garnet.

“But tell me something.”

“What?”

“This doesn’t have to be done completely in secret, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if I can do something a little flashy.”

Garnet showed an exhausted expression.

“……Are you planning to seduce Tilda Pascal?”

“No, why would I do something that annoying?”

“Because that kind of thing is exactly like you.”

“Haha. You say you know me, but you actually don’t.”

Zed grinned widely.

“These kinds of matters only get resolved once everything turns into one giant scandal.”