My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 278. The Young Lady’s Hobby

Luri narrowed her eyes and glared at Ferda.

’Why is he bidding on that?’

She thought about it several times, but she could not figure out his intentions.

’Could it be that Lord Ferda has already seen this novel?’

There was no way.

Luri had gone to Mori several times to ask him whether Ferda had ever asked about the book she had confiscated.

Whenever she did, she had instructed him to answer like this:

—It is simply a novel.

And that was actually true, so she was not making him lie.

Mori said that Ferda seemed to understand and backed off after hearing that.

After all, he had been told that the Yin-Yang Chamber was, according to common understanding, an obscene place, and that the things used there were meant as foreplay to set the mood.

’And yet, if he’s buying it...’

That meant he already knew what kind of book it was.

But another cognitive dissonance arose.

Judging by Ferda’s personality, he did not look like someone who would simply sit around reading novels.

Ferda was a man without any hobbies.

Whenever he opened his eyes, he worked. Whenever he had a spare moment, he went to the dark training room he had created himself and simply meditated.

He had so few hobbies that he was almost like Luri in the old days.

’Lord Ferda has a hobby of reading erotic novels...?’

She called it an erotic novel, but 49 Ways to Tame an Arrogant Maid, the book she was reading, was not simply an erotic novel.

It was a masterpiece written with delicate and graceful prose, a profound examination of relationships, and the very essence of meticulously crafted literature.

However, every work of literature was bound to have differences in perspective.

It could be literature to Luri, but to Ferda, it might look like nothing more than a filthy erotic novel.

That was why Luri had thought that way.

’Or perhaps...’

She considered another possibility.

The possibility immediately brought to mind the lewd scene involving Lulu and Pellan.

Luri’s face grew hot.

She almost dropped her Handle Mask.

’I absolutely cannot let him take it.’

Luri bit her lips tightly and steeled herself.

’How much money do I have?’

Luri was Valdrova’s servant.

Naturally, her personal property amounted to little more than a pittance.

Luri did not particularly care.

Money was something she only used occasionally to buy snacks. Whenever she needed a large amount of money, she either stayed out of it or resorted to force.

Thus, after painstakingly saving every bit she could, she had a total of 212 goldens.

’There is still a chance.’

She felt it was worth trying.

Luri raised her hand and joined Ferda’s bid.

"80 goldens! We have 80 goldens! And before the hammer has even fallen, 90 goldens! 90 goldens!"

The host’s frantic manner of speaking was clearly intended to heat up the atmosphere.

Whenever Luri bid, Ferda bid again. Then Luri followed, and the cycle continued.

The most important thing in an auction was momentum.

But since momentum was directly proportional to the amount of money one could spend, Luri’s momentum was like a reed that would dry up and snap in the autumn wind.

"300 goldens! Bidder Number One has successfully bid 300 goldens!"

In the end, Ferda succeeded in bidding 300 goldens.

’Damn it...!!!’

Luri could not hide her frustration.

She could not cause a scene right there, so she had no choice but to sit quietly for the remainder of the auction with her cheeks puffed out.

She had failed to win the bid fairly.

There was nothing she could do now.

’Or...’

There was one more way.

She did not know whether it would work on someone as indifferent as Ferda, but she was in no position to be picky.

***

When the auction ended, it was followed by a party.

Luri pretended to stand still while quickly surveying the people around her.

Ferda was the host of the auction, so he would have to show his face, even if only briefly, and give a toast.

Just as Luri expected, Ferda appeared.

He came cautiously without drawing everyone’s attention, doing little more than greeting the people he encountered.

"Excuse me."

A small figure subtly blocked Ferda’s path.

Even while wearing her Handle Mask, the young lady approached Ferda politely.

"A-Are you Regent Ferda?"

"......"

His eyes quietly gazed at her.

His deep, lake-like eyes made it difficult to read his emotions.

"Could you wait for a moment?"

"Yes?"

"Let me give the toast first. We can talk afterward."

Ferda said it politely, and Luri quietly nodded.

Ferda passed her and climbed onto the platform.

The host had appeared, and everyone’s attention was drawn to him.

"Thank you all for taking an interest in this occasion."

Ferda briefly spoke about the well-being of the Far East and the peace of the Cerdes Continent.

Luri quietly looked up at Ferda.

Something about him felt different from usual.

’He’s big.’

A well-tailored suit perfectly suited to his tall frame.

Even knowing that his body inside it was actually rather frail, he felt like a pillar that would never fall, even if a great mountain collapsed upon it.

Luri knew that well because she had once leaned against that pillar.

The emotions she had felt back then rose within her again.

At the same time, she felt a strange sense of discomfort.

The feeling pressing firmly against her heart was undoubtedly excitement.

’What on earth am I thinking?’

She realized that although she was a Dragon Spawn, she had also been born a weak human.

Had her heart become that of a young lady simply because her outward behavior had become that of one?

Perhaps because she was dressed and behaving like a young lady rather than a maid, a strange sense of excitement settled in her chest.

It was not difficult to understand why some of those vixen-like women admired Ferda.

"I wish everyone good health and prosperity."

Ferda’s toast ended, and he concluded by raising his glass.

Music began playing again, and people naturally approached Ferda.

Like water poured into a container, the crowd naturally gathered around him, filling the space at his center first.

"We are honored to meet Regent Ferda, husband of Her Grace the Grand Duchess and the light of the Far East."

"That was a wonderful speech, Regent Ferda!"

Ambitious nobles and social climbers seeking connections quickly surrounded him, showering him with flattery.

While she stood there absentmindedly, Luri was in danger of being pushed completely into the background.

’I could just force my way through...’

But now that she had come as a young lady, she could not cause a disturbance at the party.

She did not want Ferda to think of her as an insolent maid who merely interfered with his work.

’An insolent maid...’

Of course, this kind of insolence was completely different from that.

Luri violently shook her head, trying to drive the thought from her mind.

So what else could she do?

Nothing.

That helplessness troubled her.

Since he might be busy, she decided it would be best to step back.

"I’m sorry, but I already have a prior appointment."

"Oh, I-I see."

"Please, if you would allow me to pass..."

The crowd parted, clearing Luri’s view.

Ferda emerged through the crowd and met her eyes.

Among all those nobles, he was looking directly at the small figure that was her.

Her heart jolted.

They were undoubtedly the same eyes she had always seen, yet they felt completely different now.

His blue eyes seemed strangely to grow larger and larger.

What did they call that again?

"There’s not enough room here. Let’s move."

Right.

A lake.

Those eyes felt as though the pressure of the water were forcing Luri beneath its surface.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why her breathing had become so uneven and why she felt as though she were floundering inside her own mind.

Before she knew it, Ferda had extended his hand.

Luri quietly took it, and Ferda politely escorted her.

He effortlessly parted the crowd that she could never have made her way through alone.

Luri began to understand a little why young ladies covered their faces with fans or wore masks.

It must have been for exactly the same reason she could not bring herself to let go of her Handle Mask now.

They left the crowded area and arrived somewhere quiet enough for the two of them to speak privately.

Ferda released her hand and asked,

"What did you want to say?"

Luri carefully composed herself through her hazy thoughts and spoke politely.

"My name is Lulu Feldragon. I have participated in this auction on behalf of my parents."

"Is that so?"

His tone was remarkably indifferent.

It almost sounded as though he were saying that it had nothing to do with him.

And in truth, it had nothing to do with Ferda, so even if she disliked his attitude, she could not dare argue with him.

Luri had no choice but to appeal to his emotions.

"Please forgive me for speaking despite knowing that I may be overstepping my bounds. There is a certain book that I wished to acquire, but I was unable to win the bid."

"Number 32."

"Yes."

"I believe you raised the bid to 200 goldens, and I took it for 300. Is that why you failed to win it?"

"Yes. I only had 200 goldens on hand..."

"You participated in an auction like this with only that much?"

Two hundred goldens was an extremely small amount by the standards of this auction house.

Before her face could turn bright red, she hurriedly offered an explanation.

"Although I was able to participate thanks to my family’s reputation, I did not bring any of my family’s money. This auction is merely a taste of the social life that awaits me in the future, and the money I brought was nothing more than the allowance I had saved up."

"What you brought was your allowance?"

"Yes. With the allowance I receive, I cannot possibly bid on anything extraordinary. Still, I thought I would be able to bid on at least one item..."

"That is true."

Ferda nodded.

Unless it was a Magic Grimoire, written works generally sold for around 100 goldens.

The only exception was the book Luri had wanted, which had exceeded 300 goldens.

If Ferda had not entered the bidding, she would have been able to buy it easily.

"I was told that the book was nothing special. Is it important enough for you to come all the way here personally and ask me for it?"

That’s what I’d like to know.

Luri desperately wanted to say that.

What should she say?

How could she lie convincingly enough to make Ferda give up on the book?

She opened her mouth, intending to lie as naturally as possible.

"Well..."

But the words would not come out easily.

Lying was simply too difficult.

Especially in front of those eyes.

Before those blue eyes, any shallow trick would seem exactly that—a shallow trick—and it was obvious that it would only backfire.

"It is simply one of the few hobbies I have..."

So instead, she decided to tell the truth.

It was not as though it would cause any trouble.

Was she not Luri, but Lulu, a young lady right now?

Therefore, she thought she could simply behave like a young lady.

That was why Luri did not expect anything strange.

Ferda was an exceptionally cold and rational man when it came to other people.

"I understand."

"Does that mean... you will give it to me?"

"Yes."

It was an answer completely contrary to her expectations.

Luri raised her head.

Ferda subtly signaled toward a nearby employee.

The employee immediately understood and handed Ferda the original copy of Number 32.

Ferda said nothing, not even as he handed it over.

She had expected him to say something like instead or but...

Perhaps he would add a condition afterward.

But Ferda did not.

He simply looked down quietly at the young lady holding the book.

All sorts of thoughts began racing through Luri’s mind.

Why was he showing her such kindness?

And was she even allowed to accept it?

First, she calmed herself by stroking her pounding chest.

Then she politely expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you for your great generosity, Regent. However, I cannot simply accept it. Would it not be better for me to receive the difference in price?"

Ferda shook his head.

"It’s fine. How could I simply take away the allowance you worked so hard to save?"

"But if you give me a gift like this, it could easily lead to misunderstandings."

"What sort of misunderstanding?"

"If word spreads that a married man gave a young lady a gift without asking for anything in return, it could damage your reputation."

She had never realized how embarrassing it would be to say such a thing herself.

"Does such a rumor matter even when we only met for the first time today?"

"That is precisely why proper conduct is even more important, is it not? And you have a wife, Regent—a Dragon at that. You have not even held your wedding ceremony yet. If such a rumor were to reach her and cause her distress, would that not bring trouble not only upon you, but also upon my parents?"

"Hmm..."

Ferda let out a breath as though contemplating the matter.

"So please, accept the 200 goldens, and I hope we can settle this in a way that is beneficial to both of us."

Hearing that, Ferda fell silent for a moment.

He seemed to think about something before opening his mouth.

"I can do that much for you."

"Please reconsider."

"It’s fine, Luri."

"I cannot accept that, so—huh?"

Luri was so startled that her voice broke into a high pitch.

She replayed what Ferda had just said in her mind.

Did he just call her Luri?

No.

She must have heard him incorrectly.

So she had to pretend otherwise.

"I-I believe you have mistaken my name. My name is Lulu."

"I said it’s fine, Luri Silverwind."

Crack!

The handle of the Handle Mask broke under the force of her grip.

There was no going back now.