Chapter 8

As the dragon flapped its wings, the wind swirled, and the open window slammed against the wall with a loud bang. My hair was being whipped around violently, surely turning into a disastrous mess. Still, I was so delighted that the Duke had come that I threw all pretenses of being a lady aside and shouted out loud.

"Duke! Please land the dragons at the pasture to the north of the mansion!"

"Will the livestock there be safe?!"

"In winter, we move them to a different pasture!"

"Understood!"

"I'll be right there!"

I raised my hand and signaled, and the Duke and the dragon returned to the flock in the sky. It was incredibly impressive. The dragon's color was a deep black iron, which made the Duke's crimson coat stand out beautifully. I had seen dragon riders a few times, but the Duke was more dignified and impressive than any of them.

Still, this was the first time I had seen a Griselle Dragon in person. I had wanted to see the Flame Eagle that Father had mentioned, but it might not have been able to come because it is weak in cold weather.

(Oh, what are those dragons carrying?)

Two of the dragons moving toward the northern pasture were carrying something heavy. It was wrapped in what looked like cloth, so I couldn't tell what it was. Could this be the "souvenir" they mentioned?

"Well, I must hurry!"

"Me, Me, Miss Merfiera, where are you going?!"

I turned to leave the room to welcome the Duke, but Lady Sylia, who was still in shock, stopped me. The maids were also looking worriedly outside.

"I must go and welcome the Duke. Lady Sylia, please come quickly."

I extended my hand to invite Lady Sylia. As the lady of the house, she needed to stand beside Father.

"No, I don't want to! I'm not feeling well. Please tell my husband that. Miss Merfiera, I'm going to rest now!"

"But the Duke has come to propose to me—"

"If my husband approves, it will be settled!"

Lady Sylia shouted in a high, angry voice. She was right; Father was the head of the household. However, as the Marchalraid Countess, her behavior was not commendable.

"Coming in on dragons like this, the Galbreath Dukes are indeed extremely uncouth, barbaric, and terrifying! I understand why they are called the 'Mad Blood Duke' by society."

Lady Sylia's words made me feel a deep anger rising from the bottom of my stomach. While it was true that the letter didn't mention coming on dragons, it was unfair to call the Duke barbaric or terrifying without even meeting him. Arguing with her would only waste time, so I held back my words and said only one thing.

"Marchalraid Countess, I am happy to accept the Duke's proposal."

Since the Duke had come to ask for my hand, I wanted to respond with sincerity. The Duke is kind and would not look down on me. If I explain my situation, he will surely understand.

◇

"Father, the Duke has arrived!"

"So those dragons were from the Duke's family."

"Yes. I've already met the Duke from above. He will land the dragons at the northern pasture. I will go to welcome him, so please lend me your warhorse."

I caught Father, who was running around the mansion making preparations, and reported the Duke's arrival. The Marchalraid family's chief knight was also there and looked relieved to know the dragons were not enemies.

"Warhorse, huh. With dragons, though. Alright, I'll go as soon as I'm ready. What about Sylia?"

"Father, Lady Sylia says she's not feeling well..."

When I said this, Father seemed to understand. He sighed, as if it was inevitable.

"I see... I'll explain to the Duke that she's resting. I'll head over in a carriage. I'll leave it to you until then."

"Yes, Father!"

I went to the stables and ordered the stable boy to saddle Father's warhorse. Only a well-trained warhorse could handle being near a dragon; an ordinary horse would be frightened. The warhorse was quite large for me, but it was well-trained, so it should be fine. After petting the warhorse's neck in greeting, I mounted the saddle and galloped toward the northern pasture.

Descending the hill and passing through a small mixed forest, I found the Griselle Dragons in the pasture. There were ten in total. Each dragon was magnificent, raising its long neck to look at me. They were observing me, not out of caution, but with the confidence of apex predators.

"Duke!"

"Good job, Merfiera. You came on a warhorse."

"I apologize for the lack of preparation. I was the most lightly dressed."

I tied the warhorse a little distance away and walked briskly toward the Duke. I was glad I hadn't changed out of my travel clothes. A fancy dress would have made riding impossible. The Duke ran over, and I stopped five steps away and curtsied.

"That outfit... You just returned, didn't you?!"

"Yes, but it's fine."

I smiled at the Duke, who looked regretful. Leaving the Duke and his party waiting would have been much worse. Chaos was also there. When our eyes met, he smiled and bowed respectfully.

"Marchalraid Countess, I apologize for my rudeness the other day."

"Chaos. Are you feeling better?"

"I'm feeling great. The dried meat was delicious."

"You ate it! I'm so glad!"

I was genuinely happy. The subordinate mentioned in the letter must have been Chaos.

"I apologize for the sudden visit. The Duke, being impatient, took a rash action."

"Hey."

"The letter was properly confirmed by your father, and I read it as well."

"Normally, one would wait for a response from the Count. But our tyrant—"

"Hey."

"Tyrant? The Duke was concerned about the seasonal conditions here and wrote a heartwarming postscript."

"Is that what the postscript said? I was worried about what he wrote since he didn't let me check it."

"Hey, Chaos!"

The Duke called Chaos's name as if to warn him. His face was red, and it was hard to tell if he was angry or embarrassed.

"Sorry, Merfiera. I thought you would return earlier."

"I was delayed by a mad beast on the way."

"Mad beast?! Are you alright?"

"The hunters from Colts Village caught it."

"That's a relief."

The Duke looked relieved and reached out to touch my hair.

"It's so soft."

"What is?"

"I, I mean, your hair is soft."

My hair is curly, so it tends to frizz if not combed carefully. I was a bit embarrassed, but it seemed the Duke liked it, so I decided to let it go. Even if his touch felt like he was petting a small pet. I shouldn't mind, I mustn't mind.

"Duke, Father will be here soon. However, the Marchalraid family doesn't have anyone who can handle dragons..."

I honestly told the Duke about my concern. It was a big problem. In the Marchalraid territory, where winters are long, dragons are not used as a means of transportation. Therefore, there was no one here who could take care of them. Generally, dragons are weak against cold, and they are rarely seen in the Marchalraid territory. However, the Griselle Dragon is a special breed that can handle some cold, but...

"Don't worry. Half of the people here will return. Only I, Chaos, and three knights who can take care of the dragons will stay."

"Really? You came such a long way, and you're already leaving? At least stay for a day. I'll get Father's permission for a hunt, and you can rest the dragons on the slopes of Mount Baltosh."

"Is that alright?"

"Of course."

If I were the lady of the house, I wouldn't have needed Father's permission. The Griselle Dragons, obediently waiting for their masters, must be hungry.

"Oh, right. Where should we take the gifts?"

The Duke pointed to the large, cloth-wrapped objects. So, those were the gifts. But how big were they?

"Could it be a monster...?"

The Duke looked proud at my question.

The Underbrick from the party? Or a Griselle Dragon imitation? Whatever it was, it must be a monster from the Elsanie Great Forest. I couldn't contain my excitement and approached the Duke.

"Duke, thank you! Can I take a look?"

"Sure, it's yours. Go ahead."

"Is it already processed, or will it move?"

"That... you'll have to check."

Following the Duke, I walked between the Griselle Dragons. The knights in the same uniform bowed to me. They were dressed in light armor suitable for riding dragons, with black iron breastplates matching the Griselle Dragons' scales, engraved with the Duke's family crest. Their black coats were also very impressive, different from the Duke's crimson one.

"Here, Merfiera."

"Ah, yes, right now."

While looking around, the Duke had already started to uncover the cloth. I hurried over and checked the contents. What kind of monster was it? The Galbreath territory was still in the height of autumn, so the monsters must be full of nutrients... What are these horns, this fur, this color—

"Royaumeudler..."

"Excellent, Merfiera. And this one is golden-haired. It's been feasting on autumn delicacies and is quite fatty."

"Duke, can I really have this Royaumeudler?"

The Royaumeudler is a white magical beast with two curled horns and a sharp horn on its forehead. It is larger than a cow and has a lot of fur. It is a territorial and aggressive magical beast, but its beautiful fur is highly valued, especially the golden fur called "golden-haired," which fetches a high price. Usually, only the fur is taken, and the meat is discarded, but as a herbivorous magical beast that eats only mushrooms and nuts, its meat is expected to be delicious.

"Yes, I actually went to hunt an Underbrick, but this one appeared unexpectedly. It was quite a struggle to capture it alive."

Hearing "alive," I lifted the cloth a bit more and placed my hand on the Royaumeudler's neck. It was warm, and I could feel a steady pulse.

"Really, it's alive! You must have put it to sleep with magic... Duke, thank you! I'm so, so happy. Oh, a Royaumeudler. If I remove the blood and magic, it will surely be delicious!"