༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (13) ༻
The Golden Lion Protecting the North, Delphine Yurdina.
She was the legitimate heir to one of the empire’s five prestigious families, the Yurdina March, a powerhouse in the North.
Since the Empire was founded, this family had a glorious history of fending off the foreign tribes from the North.
Not only did they oversee the border regions which often had conflicts with foreign tribes, they’d also shown unwavering loyalty to the Imperial Family for ages.
Taking this into consideration, the Imperial Family raised the limit of the number of private soldiers the Yurdina Household could have. Thus, they had a staggering amount of 10,000 private soldiers.
Furthermore, owing to their military lineage, many from the Yurdina Household held key positions in the Central Army.
If the Alpenhauser Household represented the empire’s economic power, then Yurdina was the undeniable symbol of military might.
The Yurdinas, who were responsible for commanding an army of thousands to tens of thousands, were notoriously strict in their family’s education.
They bore the weight of countless lives. From a young age, they had to dedicate themselves to rigorous training and be proficient in tactics and strategy.
Naturally, Senior Delphine, being the only heir to the Yurdina Household, had to undergo such harsh education since her childhood.
Thanks to that, she was not only well-versed in swordsmanship but also in various subjects that included the history of the empire and the study of war. Her confident and proud demeanor captivated many of the academy’s talents.
Thus, she earned the honorable title of ‘Golden Lion’.
The Yurdina Household, protectors of the North, had a lion as their symbol. And Senior Delphine with her radiant golden hair, stunning beauty, and innate charm combined, earned the nickname of such a fierce beast.
It also signified the world recognized her as the heir to the Yurdina Household.
She was truly an iron woman. From the family’s private soldiers to several troops in the central army, she proved she got what it takes to be a top-tier military leader, commanding tens of thousands.
And now, that very Delphine Yurdina was humbly bowing her head before me.
With an expression that conveyed genuine pleasure, no less.
My head was spinning. I couldn’t figure out where it all went wrong.
What would happen if the members of the Yurdina Household stumbled upon this?
I figured Seria might just pass out on the spot. If things just ended there, it would be a relief. But considering Marquis Yurdina’s frail health? His blood pressure might skyrocket, and that could be the end of him.
I needed to quickly fix my relationship with Senior Delphine.
Stumbling over my words, I tried to get Senior Delphine to stand up.
“No, Senior Delphine… there’s no need for this, please stand up.”
“But how could I…?”
However, no matter how much I pleaded, Senior Delphine did not lift her head. I felt I finally understood what she wanted.
A sigh escaped my lips.
I didn’t have time to waste. Every second was precious right now.
“…Delphine Yurdina, stand up.”
It was a cold command. Finally, as if satisfied, Delphine rose with a polite attitude.
“Yes, Master.”
She seemed ready to obey any command I gave. I placed a hand on my throbbing forehead, but the headache didn’t subside.
Fixing our current relationship seemed nearly impossible.
So, there was only one solution. At the very least, I had to prevent this relationship from being openly visible.
“Senior Delphine, please don’t act like this in the future. What will people think if they see?”
“It’s simple. They’ll see a master and a slave.”
Senior Delphine’s response was refreshingly bold. Yet, it only made my heart sink even more.
Are slaves choosing their masters nowadays?
Every time I saw Senior Delphine willingly acting as a slave regardless of my wishes, my mood only became gloomy. So, I decided to use a somewhat rough approach.
“Don’t do that.”
“But…”
“It’s an order.”
At the word ‘order’, Senior Delphine’s mouth snapped shut. She shot me a displeased glance, but I remained resolute.
In the end, Senior relaxed her hands, which she had held together politely, and let out a deep sigh.
“…If it’s an order, then alright.”
And then she plopped back down into the chair she was sitting in. There was an air of relaxation about her now.
It was the familiar Senior Delphine I hadn’t seen in a while.
In a lazy voice, she asked me.
“So, Master, what’s on your mind?”
I almost retorted at the title, but I held back.
I was worried that if I asked for more, she might grow more stubborn. Most high-ranking nobles had strong pride, and as a result, they could be notoriously stubborn.
However, it was quite surprising that her stubbornness led her wanting to become a slave.
I smiled bitterly and leaned my back against the lab’s wall.
She asked what was on my mind, but I didn’t have a good answer for her. After all, it wasn’t me who provoked the princess, but the future “me”.
“I was on edge for a week, thinking you were testing my loyalty by not visiting…”
“Why would I do something like that?”
“To manage people, sometimes you have to deliberately leave them hanging to test their loyalty. Though that’s fine with me, master. It won’t shake my loyalty.”
I shook my head in response to Senior Delphine’s smooth explanation. Judging by the faint smile on her face, she must be sincere.
She still remained a mystery to me.
Perhaps it was a good thing she didn’t meet the “me” from the future. I can’t even picture how he’d react seeing Senior Delphine like this.
While I was deep in thought, Senior Delphine continued speaking with her usual calm attitude.
“You really crossed a line by messing with the Imperial Family, Master. Even the Yurdina Household can’t move if the Imperial Family gets involved.”
“Have the Five Noble Families started moving already?”
“From what I heard, Alpenhauser seems to be making a move.
Her response was laid-back. Delphine looked relaxed the entire time, like she didn’t have a care in the world.
However, the implications of her words were far from ordinary, making my head spin.
Alpenhauser, the Treasurer of the Empire.
They managed the treasury and controlled the Empire’s finances. If they were getting involved, it meant they’d be picking apart everything, from revenues to expenditures, and possibly every financial detail of the Percus territory.
Coincidentally, there was a merchant association in the Percus Household managed by my younger sister.
If the Alpenhauser took action, the Percus territory would face economic collapse within a month. By then, it would be far too late.
Delphine, oblivious to my concerns, calmly proceeded.
“Of course, the Yurdina Household also got wind of it. But I couldn’t possibly attack my master’s family, could I?”
That was quite the statement.
The issue was, even if the Yurdina Household abstained, there were many families who would jump at the chance to take down the Percus Household.
Not just Alpenhauser. Among the princess’s escorts, there was a daughter from the Lupermion family, who must’ve been sharpening her claws.
The situation seemed hopeless.
Being a high-ranking noble might have made a difference, but the Percus Household was merely a countryside noble family. If the Five Noble Families got involved, we wouldn’t stand a chance.
Even if we managed to hold on, things would fall apart in no time.
There only seemed to be one solution.
I sighed and made a request to Senior Delphine.
“…For now, let the Yurdina Household step in.”
Senior Delphine looked at me with her piercing red eyes. She hummed thoughtfully, as if pondering about something.
Then she asked.
“Are you sure about this? If the Yurdina Household steps in, it means their army will be on the move. They’ll keep pushing until it’s unbearable, and once they’re done, there’ll be nothing left.”
“But we can control the pace, right?”
At my suggestion, Senior Delphine’s eyes narrowed slightly. With an amused look, she soon let out a faint chuckle.
It wasn’t such a simple matter. If it had been such a good strategy, Senior Delphine would have proposed it to me first.
After all, she was among the few who best understood the dynamics of politics and power.
“Even if we do, it’d be a minor delay at most. The Imperial Family is behind them, and I’m not yet the head of the Yurdina Household. At most…it would be a month or two?”
“That’s more than enough.”
Upon hearing my immediate response, Senior Delphine momentarily closed her mouth.
She looked closely into my eyes. No matter how hard she stared, I wasn’t going to change my decision.
After all, the future ‘me’ had already cut short the three-month grace period given by the princess to barely a month.
In other words, within a month, something would happen that would make up for all this mess.
So, I had to at least minimize the damage to my family by leaning on Senior Delphine’s influence.
At the very least, until Yurdina’s forces decide to sweep through the territory, the Percus territory would remain unharmed.
Honestly, my suggestion must’ve sounded insane to Senior Delphine.
Regardless of how far from the succession line the princess was, she was still a member of the Imperial Family. With them involved, it was impossible to turn the tide in such a short period of time.
Yet, here I was saying all I needed was a month or two.
I sounded either crazy or overly confident.
For a while, our eyes met in silence. After a moment, she unexpectedly responded
“… That’s just like you, Master.”
She seemed pleased. Her eyes sparkled with faint excitement. She apparently liked my suggestion.
Only then did I sighed in relief. I really needed the support of the Yurdina Household.
If Senior Delphine got involved, the safety of the Percus territory would pretty much be guaranteed for a while.
Given our relationship, I was optimistic that Senior Delphine would help. Still, it’s better to get a clear answer, so I cautiously asked.
“…So, will you help me?”
It was then that a playful smile surfaced on Senior Delphine’s face.
She gave me an odd look, stretched out casually, and stood up. Then, she whispered to me.
“Well? I’m not so sure.”
I gave her a frustrated glare as if asking ‘Why are you acting like this again?’, even then Senior Delphine remained unmoved. She still had a playful smile on.
“After all, what’s in it for the Yurdina Household? I see no compelling reason to grant that request as the heir to the Yurdina Household.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
When I glared at her with a stern expression, Senior Delphine laughed mischievously and soon turned her back.
She waved her hand nonchalantly, as if she was about to leave.
I finally got it. Why Senior Delphine was acting this way.
Sighing for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, I straightened up from where I leaned against the wall.
I walked over and grabbed Senior Delphine’s shoulder just as she was about to leave the lab.
Our eyes met as I yanked her back towards me.
Her crimson eyes, slightly taken aback, looked up at me. But there was an undeniable hint of anticipation in her gaze.
Her breathing grew ragged due to the strong grip on her shoulder.
“…Delphine Yurdina.”
As soon as she heard my commanding tone, her eyes grew dazed. Her panting breath smelled sweet.
Clenching her thighs, she looked visibly restless. There was a pleading look in her crimson eyes.
I spoke with a firm tone.
“It’s an order.”
Senior Delphine’s response was immediate.
She knelt before me and soon pressed her lips to my shoe. The trembling of her lower body seemed suggestive. She looked genuinely happy.
She then spoke in a humble manner, much like a loyal servant attending to their master.
“Yes, Master… Whatever you command, I will gladly obey.”
In the end, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Did it really have to come to this?
Still, I had no choice. For the support of the Yurdina Household, it was a small price to pay.
Such were the bitter thoughts in my mind when, all of a sudden,
A heated breath escaped from Senior Delphine’s mouth. The raspy sound of her panting warmed my feet.
“Ma, Master…”
My questioning gaze fell upon her. She remained in her submissive posture and pleaded with me.
“T-This female slave who, out of ignorance, dared to defy… P-Please, punish…”
Her voice as she subtly rubbed her thighs, carried an undeniable hint of joy.
I had to drag both hands down my face.
I felt so sorry for the Yurdina Household.
*
The incident where I ran into Emma being bullied occurred on that very afternoon.
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