Chapter 3: 3

Chapter 3 part 1

 

Since then, Rubiana has been a little depressed by the thought that she has blown off one eye of the man that might become her brother-in-law. 

 

It’s alright if she doesn’t have a husband, but it irks her that he might be her younger sister’s husband. It didn’t feel good that she had blown off his other eye. 

 

Unable to know her older sister’s heart that was in turmoil, Callena immediately advanced to the capital, driven with the momentum she gained from the south, east and west. 

 

The north didn’t care that much, because the dragon that was patrolling the northern mountain has long been free, even from the Royal Family. It was an abandoned land rumored to be a city made by escaped criminals. 

 

The capital that suffered from the tyranny of a tyrant, could not handle the revolt of the Count Luxen. Callena broke through the seven gates without much difficulty, and the people of the capital welcomed her and her troops with flowers. 

 

It was then that the King and his servants firmly locked the palace and prepared for the final battle. When the King saw Callena from afar, he fell in love with her radiant appearance so he immediately sent an envoy to negotiate. His plan was to make Callena his Queen then make the child born from her the next king. There was no need for Callena to answer as Rubiana beheaded the envoy at once. The Margrave Feltharg sent the head of the envoy parted from its body back to the King, beautifully tied to a white horse. 

 

That night, the last battle took place – one night was enough. When Callena finally cut the horrified tyrant’s throat, the dawn rose from the distant sky, that’s why people call this last battle as ‘The Battle at Dawn’. 

 

When the new day dawned with dew, the owner of the kingdom changed – Callena. 

 

Rubiana’s only younger sister became the king of the kingdom – even before all these had to sink into her mind, it was over. 

 

“Sister, help me.”

 

Callena reached out her hand. Rubiana was also washing her blood-soaked hands from killing all those people who were loyal to the tyrant – every head of each one of them. She was just going to talk to her after washing up, but she came to her like this. 

 

‘Don’t tell me, she was going to say the crown is heavy so I should wear it instead. Just ask me to go up north and defeat the dragon.’

 

Rubiana thought lightly and asked back in a grim voice, “What now?”

 

“I want to make my kingdom an empire. Will you help me?”

 

Callena wanted to be an emperor, not a king.

 

“Ahh, let’s go catch the dragon after that.”

 

And not just an emperor, but an emperor who was adorned with dragon skin while sitting on the throne. 

 

“Do I really have to”?

 

“Yup.”

 

“Aren’t you tired?”

 

“It’s not that tiring.”

 

“Do you really have to do that?””

 

“Hmm.”

 

She seemed to have already made up her mind seeing that she answered without hesitation. 

 

“Okay. What should I do?””

 

She swore allegiance to Callena, so she will follow her and help her achieve what she wants. Rubiana didn’t have a choice or anything. Rubiana then went on an expedition with Callena. Rudante and Margrave Feltharg also joined them. 

 

The four occupied all of the nearby kingdoms. Most of them were destroyed and merged, while other several kingdoms on the edge of the continent were left out as they swore to be loyal to the Empire. 

 

They hunted the dragon their way back from the expedition. With the troops on standby, only the four of them went to the northern mountain ranges – Callena, Rubiana, Rudante, and Margrave Feltharg. Callena usually watched on the sidelines while Rudante was running rampant. Rubiana and Margrave Feltharg assisted at an appropriate level.  

 

“We have to preserve the skin when you kill it so it doesn’t go bad.” 

 

Callena was worried that the swords of the three people would damage the dragon’s skin. 

 

“Didn’t you see that I almost died from being stepped on?””

 

“Yeah, be careful sis.”

 

“…….”

 

Rubiana made an expression that she was very moved by her burning sisterly love and focused on the dragon again. 

 

When Callena yawned, saying she was bored, Rudante stabbed the dragon in the eyes and split his heart. The dragon died, leaving behind a heart split into two and a clean leather. 

 

Callena sat on a throne covered with dragon skin, wearing a crown with studded dragon hearts, and became the first emperor of the empire. The three knights that devoted themselves to her who always stood by her, became Dukes. 

 

Duke Ashillean, Rubiana.

 

The Duke of Dominent, Rudante.

 

The Duke of Feltharg, Cadric.

 

They were always tied with flowers on their names, so people call them according to the flower drawn on their crest.

 

Ashillean of the silver lily. 

 

Feltharg of the Iron Cross Rose. 

 

Dominent of the Black Tulip.

 

Emperor Callena entrusted the three dukes with the north, south, and west, respectively.

 

The West to the Duke Dominent, who was originally in charge of the East; Duke Feltharg who was also taking care of the West, the South; and Duke Ashillean was to the North. 

 

The eastern part of the vast plain was made a direct decree of the emperor. 

 

Rubiana has just become the Lord of the North where the dragon died, the desolate land with steep mountain ranges and hidden criminals. Not only were there criminals living in the north, but there were also those kinds of evil born from the dragon’s blood. Rubiana had to fight those beasts to protect the empire. 

 

“I left the North to you because I trust you sister. Protect my empire, I ask you, sister.” Her younger sister who became the emperor said this at a party between the two of them, “if you don’t have any more to say.” 

 

Rubiana shook her head excitedly, went to the north, built a barrier, and pushed the beasts towards the barrier. At the same time, she received a blood pledge to catch the criminals hiding in the north, turn them into good people, and collect taxes. Men with healthy bodies were made soldiers. It was more difficult to make criminals good people than to fight beasts. 

 

Although the beasts were not completely wiped out, Rubiana was about to turn 30 by the time the North was stabilized to some extent. 

 

One day when she was 29, a year before turning 30. 

 

A letter stamped with the emperor’s seal arrived. It was an order to return to the capital.

 

Rubiana returned to the capital, sweeping the cold wind of the north.

 

The empire was stabilized by the outstanding governance of the first emperor, and the capital flourished like the capital of the empire. It was also unbelievable how the capital’s social community became incredibly colorful, as if it didn’t suffer from the bloody tyranny of a tyrant until just a few years ago. 

 

There, Rubiana, the cold Duke of the North, became the epitome of fear. A brutal killer who bursts the beasts’ heads with one hand. A wild and fierce warrior who summarily executes soldiers who disobeyed orders. A cruel and savage who wears a cape made from beasts skin and eats raw flesh of the beasts. 

 

The nobles in the capital looked at Rubiana with mixed admiration and fear. 

Chapter 3 part 2

 

The nobles in the capital looked at Rubiana with mixed admiration and fear. 

 

“I heard that she has three eyes and is more than two meters tall, but it looks like she wasn’t.”

 

“What I heard was that she was a terrifying person that has a pair of pitch black eyes and black hair.”

 

“Just lightly bumping into her and she will twist your neck.”

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“Oh my, oh my. How can a savage and terrifying person be blood-related to Her Majesty?”

 

The nobles chatted like this to their sons and daughters about the nobles who participated in the Battle of Dawn. Rubiana suspected that an epidemic accompanied by amnesia may have spread in the capital for several years.

 

Callena burst into a laughter after Rubiana told her what she heard as if she was just telling a funny joke. 

 

“Are you laughing?”

 

Since it was a place where the other two dukes and several officials were together, Rubiana spoke formally.

 

“Isn’t it funny? Did you just stop and listen to those kinds of talk? You should have twisted their necks at once.”

 

To Callena, who asked her why he didn’t twist the necks of the nobles who swore loyalty, Rubiana made an uncomfortable expression from the words ‘loyalty’. 

 

“Don’t tell me, it was Your Majesty who spread those rumors?”

 

“Don’t set me up in a trap. Why would I do that?”

 

“…… So it was Your Majesty, indeed.”

 

Haa. A sigh came out automatically.

 

“Why did you do that?”

 

“It’s fun.”

 

“…….”

 

“My tongue slipped when I told them the tough situation my sister was facing in the North you had sent me in a letter.”

 

“Oh, yes.”

 

“I told them not to forget my older sister’s suffering in the north and to be grateful to you. They were the ones that exaggerated those words at their own will.” 

 

“…….”

 

“If you don’t like it, twist their necks. Got it?”

 

“I said I won’t.”

 

“Really? That’s too bad. I was looking forward to it.”

 

Callena giggled and laughed.

 

Duke Dominent of the Black Tulip and Duke Feltharg, the two most handsome and popular unmarried men of the empire, looked at Callena with burning gazes. 

 

Rubiana looked at the two flower-like beauties sitting on both sides of Callena with cold eyes.

 

I’m thinking about giving you a piece of advice not to be too close to Her Majesty.

 

“Stay in the capital for a while. Then the ridiculous rumors will subside quickly.”

 

Callena talked to her again.

 

“But I haven’t completely wiped out the beasts in the north.”

 

“You won’t be able to do it even for the rest of your life. You should come to the capital while the attacks aren’t severe. 

 

“Do I really have to?” 

 

Rubiana was wondering. What’s the point of going back and forth from the north and the capital every year? She wasn’t even in the position to be suspected of her loyalty. 

 

In this place, it was alright to just laugh and cry. The distance between the north and the capital was quite long so she had to change horses several times on the way. As she had been in the barren land of the north for several years, even that was a waste. 

 

When Rubiana looked dissatisfied, Callena smiled and spoke lightly as if she knew what she was thinking.

 

“Don’t do that, stay next to me and help me out. There’s still a lot to do because it is still not yet systematized.”

 

It was a light tone, but it didn’t sound as light.

 

Come to think of it, Callena’s face seemed a little emaciated.

 

Of course, it was from the perspective of Rubiana. Had Cadric and Rudante known Rubiana’s thoughts, they would have said this with a face as if they had eaten feces.

 

‘You’ve only seen half of her face.’

 

‘Is that what you seriously think of her? Your eyes must’ve been tainted with the devil’s blood.’

 

However, the two men did not have the ability to read other people’s minds. Rubiana also didn’t say what was in her mind. 

 

“Alright.”

 

She just accepted it like an order from the Emperor. In her mind, Cadric and Rudante’s ‘younger sister’s husband’s candidate score’ fell sharply. 

 

‘Come to think of it.’

 

Speaking of husband, she remembered something – the oath she made to God before following Callena. Soon, she’ll turn 30. 

 

‘Even if I don’t want to, I have to give birth to two or more children. Should I start it by getting married?’

 

One child would be dedicated to God and the other would be her successor as the Duke, remaining loyal to the Emperor. In order to do that, she had to find a suitable husband. He should be a man with a strong lower back that can make two children. 

 

‘Should I try searching for a husband while I am here?’

 

She will help her younger sister who was having hard time working, look for husband candidates for her incompetent younger sister who can just stand beside her, and also look a husband for herself. Then wouldn’t her travel to the capital and changing several horses be worthwhile? Rubiana felt a little better. 

 

Encounter

 

Callena gave her a mansion near the Imperial Palace and Rubiana accepted it without refusing. The news spread out all over the capital’s social circle at once. 

 

Rubiana stayed at the Imperial Palace for one day and went to the mansion she was given the next day. The invitations that arrived before her were piled up like a mountain. It has only been a few years since a new dynasty was established, and only a few years since the empire was established.

 

‘How did the central social circle flourish so much in just a few years?’

 

Rubiana was impressed. Attending banquets and tea times, she was even more impressed by the elegant attitude of the central nobles. They send out invitations to fight, but when she actually attends the meeting, they look at her with a ‘You’re really here?’ Within a week, Rubiana had lost interest in the capital’s social society. 

 

But regardless of how she felt, she had to attend a moderate amount of social gatherings each week. That appropriate amount was set by Callena and the handmaid she sent to her mansion. 

 

Callena showed her friendly relationship with the three Dukes, and had to press down on the sophisticated bastards of the capital. Therefore she had to attend the social gatherings attended by Callena. 

 

The handmaiden was more faithful to Rubiana’s purpose. From a mountain of invitations, to the wonderful selection of gatherings for young and promising young people for her to attend. She didn’t know if it was Callena’s intention or a coincidence, but the handmaid sent to her looked exactly like the sister of her maternal grandmother. 

 

For this reason, Rubiana, who had a good relationship with her maternal grandmother, did not dare to be harsh with the handmaid. Naturally, the power of the mansion fell on the handmaid. Rubiana had to helplessly accept the thick invitations from the mansion’s rules. 

 

“D**n, d**n it.”

 

“A beautiful lady doesn’t say that.”

 

Whenever she tried to tear the invitation to shreds, the maternal grandmother, no, the handmaid comforted Rubiana with a sweet and elegant voice. It was fortunate that she didn’t ask her to attend the gatherings wearing a dress. 

 

At first, she put out some pretty dresses to see where they came from. Then she smiled as she tore the dress apart. At that time, she didn’t feel guilty at what she was doing, something impossible to do to her maternal grandmother. 

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