Chapter 33
The House of Bearden was so vast, it could be said to cover almost the entire North.
In the North, there was a saying that if you didn’t know the Bearden family, you must be from an enemy nation.
It was no wonder the Emperor kept a wary eye on them.
Rumors quietly circulated about their wealth—acquired from byproducts of slain monsters and from the hidden ore veins buried in the northern mountains.
Everyone wanted to get close to the Beardens.
However, as a family that rarely showed themselves in society, no one had a real opportunity to form ties with them, leaving many people pacing in frustration.
Even the Pendragon family—legendary for joining forces with the Beardens to defeat the Demon King—was no exception.
“Turns out a daughter can be useful after all!”
A delighted flush colored Elise’s face.
“I don’t know how you got him, but you picked a fine husband. He’s perfect for a descendant of the Pendragons.”
Otto, standing beside her, nodded in agreement.
“Well, we’ve got to get our money’s worth for raising you. Of course, of course.”
“As they say, blood is thicker than water.”
The notoriously thickheaded McGuire puffed himself up proudly as he spoke.
No one remembered that Maya had already been struck from the family registry.
After all, in life, it was most advantageous to immediately erase any information you didn’t need.
***
“It’s a shame we can’t go together.”
After the report that the monster had been slain, Kendrick received an urgent summons to return at once.
He tried to bluff his way into staying longer, but it was no use. The Mage Tower was in an uproar, threatening to expel him if he didn’t return immediately.
They were especially interested in the byproducts from the monster Kendrick had slain, and equally curious about the method he had used to do it.
While listening to Maya describe the battle, Kendrick had pieced together a rough excuse to give them. Now, dragging his feet toward the carriage, he sighed.
“Maya, make sure to contact me when you come to the capital.”
Kendrick’s voice carried a deep sense of regret as he clasped Maya’s hand tightly in farewell.
“You’d better be the one to send word first when you get there.”
At her worried tone, Kendrick nodded with a satisfied smile.
Then, his smile slowly faded as his eyes met Tristan’s.
Tristan still hadn’t returned to his real appearance, remaining in the form of a boy.
To Kendrick, this was “Arthur,” but he stayed quiet.
“Then, I’ll see you in the capital, Your Grace.”
Kendrick naturally addressed “Arthur” as Tristan.
Tristan blinked, then nodded.
“Indeed.”
He wasn’t surprised.
Considering Kendrick’s sharp observation, Tristan thought it was only a matter of time before the man figured out his true identity. What intrigued him was why Kendrick had waited until the last moment to say it aloud.
“When you get to the capital, let’s go to that dessert shop you like.”
“Mmm, dessert. Sounds good.”
Both Kendrick—who seemed to have realized Tristan’s identity—and Tristan—who accepted it so nonchalantly—were equally shocking to Maya.
“How did you know?”
“It’d be stranger if I didn’t.”
Even Kendrick’s answer surprised her.
So Kendrick’s more perceptive than I thought.
To Maya, he had always been the oblivious, overly kind friend.
Well, it was about time he changed.
This trip to the North must have been a good experience for him, and that made her oddly proud.
“If we go for lunch and then have dessert afterward, it’ll be perfect.”
Kendrick’s words were an open declaration of wanting to spend time together—something he knew Tristan couldn’t really object to.
But Maya frowned slightly and shook her head.
“I’ll just have it to-go. Walking around in public would draw too much attention.”
If word spread that she had become the Bearden family’s new lady, she would be swarmed by people trying to get close.
For someone like Maya, who didn’t usually mingle with others, it sounded exhausting.
“….”
Kendrick looked deflated at her unexpected refusal.
Tristan, chuckling at the sight, stepped up beside her.
“Then why not just rent out the entire dessert shop?”
There was no real reason to flaunt their wealth, but the North’s finances were more than comfortable.
“As much as you want.”
Anything Maya wanted, he could give her.
***
Not long after Kendrick’s departure, Maya and Tristan finished their own preparations to leave.
Commander Alec and the butler, Robert, would remain in the North to oversee things.
Since it was Tristan’s first time leaving the North, he needed people he could trust to manage the territory in his absence.
What should I do about the wyvern?
Leaving it here would be more convenient, but its speed was incomparable to a carriage.
And that wasn’t all.
After helping with her training and learning to work together, the wyvern had become more than just a mode of transport to Maya—it was now a companion.
Turns out it wasn’t stupid after all.
Contrary to what she’d thought, the young wyvern learned quickly.
Now, it could even understand words quite well.
“You’re too big to bring along…”
Hearing her dilemma, the wyvern tilted its head—then nodded, as if understanding the problem.
It seemed aware that the castle wall it had knocked down was still under repair.
Well, it had been a bit of a spectacle.
“…What the?”
She thought it had agreed to stay behind—but no.
The wyvern began shrinking, smaller and smaller, until it was the size of a plush toy a child might like.
It rubbed its head against her shoulder, as if to say, Now it’s fine, right?
“A wyvern can shrink like that?”
“Maintaining a large form for a long time isn’t easy. When it’s small, it uses less energy, so it’s easier to endure in case of emergencies.”
The Pendragon, who had come outside at some point, chattered on.
“Wyvern, don’t you have any pride as a wyvern?”
The defiance it had shown when they first met had completely vanished.
“Kiing?”
Following you is more important than pride, its look seemed to say, as though it found her question absurd.
Feeling oddly chastised, Maya straightened her back.
“Alright, then come with me.”
And so, the wyvern would be going to the capital with them.
“It can grow big again later, right?”
The wyvern nodded eagerly at her question.
“Maya, are you ready to leave?”
“Yes. I didn’t really bring much with me to begin with.”
She’d come empty-handed, so she’d leave the same way.
“I hope the Bearden estate in the capital will be to your liking, Lady Maya.”
Following behind Tristan, Robert looked at the two of them with a pleased expression.
“I’m looking forward to it as well.”
Maya grinned.
She’d heard the capital estate wasn’t right in the bustling district, but backed onto a forest and hunting grounds.
Perfect for training.
As the lady of the house, she’d surely get a fine room. And the capital had plenty of good dessert shops she knew—she was already excited.
It’s a shame the castle’s head chef won’t be there.
The North’s chef had perfected the art of catering to her carnivorous tastes.
Still, new experiences are worth trying.
And if they were Bearden’s people, she trusted them.
“We received a letter from the Emperor when word reached him that we’d be coming to the capital.”
The gentle, spring-breeze mood around Maya instantly froze.
Unfolding the letter, she furrowed her brow, reading intently.
She was determined not to miss a single word or nuance of that sly Emperor’s intent.
“A banquet in our honor? That’s suspicious if I’ve ever heard it.”
On the surface, it was an invitation from a benevolent ruler.
He stressed repeatedly how even when he ascended the throne, the Beardens hadn’t come—but now, finally, they would be visiting the capital. Even if it was only the lady of the house, he was overjoyed.
To welcome the new Lady of Bearden—Maya Bearden, née of the Pendragon family—the imperial family would hold a small party.
If she was in poor health, he would understand, but otherwise, he would be waiting.
Words that sounded considerate were, in truth, a threat.
“They’re going to ask a lot of questions.”
Maya knew she wasn’t good at lying.
The Emperor was sharp.
“Don’t tell me anything.”
If she didn’t know, she couldn’t slip up.
“I’ll just answer that I don’t know.”
They had spent more days apart than together.
It was only natural she wouldn’t know much.
Still, Maya couldn’t say she was happy about it.
It would be her first time facing the Emperor in this new life.
The pressure and fear she felt were of a different kind from hunting wyverns or white snakes.
This was a fear etched into her bones—indoctrinated into her very being.
Maya closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again.
Calm down.
She couldn’t afford to be shaken before she even saw him.
If it’s an imperial event, there’ll be plenty of nobles there.
After meeting the Emperor, she could mingle with the other guests.
And that’s when I can meet him.
The minister who had clung to the Emperor’s side in the past—a treacherous man.
A man who, after his daughter’s death, had turned dark, attempted to overthrow the Emperor, and failed, dying in the process.
His merchant group is massive. He could be of great help to Tristan in the future.
She also remembered that his daughter had been quite famed for her beauty.
Wait.
Now that she thought about it, this might also be the perfect chance to find Tristan’s future wife.
