Chapter 113

I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 113: The Witch’s Garden

Sudden murder.
The silence was brief, and soon panic took over everyone.
— Ah, heok!
— Re, Regent-nim, you committed a murder……!!
He killed a person without hesitation in front of everyone present.
In the midst of that crucible of chaos, only Ferda remained unperturbed.
He simply looked at the woman he had killed.
— What a waste of time.
The woman was not moving.
Naturally.
Her forehead had been pierced, how could she move?
While everyone hesitated before Ferda’s sudden action,
Only Ferda remained calm and decisive.
— Drop the useless act, Witch. Playing dead like that must also be exhausting.
At that moment, the body that no one doubted was dead began to tremble.
— Heok!
— T, the corpse is moving!
Like a puppet with poorly connected strings, it stood up with unnatural jerks.
She opened her mouth with a hole in her forehead.
— ……How did you know?
An awkward smile spread across the frightened woman’s face.
Jjeojeok—.
Shortly after, the shape began to split.
As if shedding skin, the flesh peeled away and the inner body was extracted.
Hair made of white scales, vertically slit pupils, a staff in the shape of two entwined serpents.
A serpent’s tongue peeking out between her lips.
Her identity was recognizable at first glance.
— Snake Witch, Yor!
— A Witch entered our castle!
The people who had been kneeling stepped back in terror.
In an instant, a circular space formed around the Witch and Ferda.
“Yor Philias.”
Ferda also knew that name.
Her notoriety was among the highest even among the Witches.
As a capable Witch, her demonic energy was dense.
And the denser the demonic energy, the more it crushed the surroundings without hesitation.
The Witch lifted the hem of her skirt and greeted him playfully.
— Pleased to meet you, Regent Valdrova.
Not a raspy voice, but a clear and sharp tone.
A deep malice could be felt in it.
— You are the first to pierce my forehead the moment we met. Aren’t you supposed to treat the King Duke’s consort with more dignity?
— Don’t complain. If I had wanted to kill you, I would have used a different method.
— Oh, how brave. My hobby is tearing out the hearts of brave humans like that…….
She licked her nails, sharp as knives.
— Does it look like you’re trying to indulge that hobby?
Scarcely had she finished speaking when Yor’s figure disappeared.
No, something flew toward her at a speed the eye could not follow.
It was Ruri.
She stepped on Yor’s neck and pinned her down.
— Before that, your heart will be torn out, Witch.
Ruri growled.
But the Witch did not flinch.
Rather, she just looked up as if finding her cute.
— Cute sticky girl. Try to live a little more softly after killing that personality. That’s how you become an adult, you know?
Then she looked at her skirt and smiled pleasantly.
— Quite cute.
— Crazy bitch—!
— Stop.
Just as Ruri’s fist was about to crush her mouth, Ferda stopped her.
— There is no time to play with you, Yor Philias.
Ferda snapped his fingers.
— Stop seeking information with useless provocations, just deliver the Eldest Sister’s message and get lost.
Yor narrowed her eyes at those words.
The one who had been making exaggerated gestures seemed genuinely surprised.
— Well, knowing that I was seeking information is one thing, but how did you know that too?
— Because it ended too cleanly even though Echidna was harmed.
Witch and Demon.
People who get entangled with those two usually come out terribly harmed.
— Your job is to eternally pursue and curse the human who killed a Witch.
— Mmm…… you say something silly. You know Echidna was an excommunicated child, right?
— If Witches have an excuse, what can’t they do?
— Hehe, that’s the correct answer.
At that moment, Yor’s form, which Ruri had pinned down, dispersed into dozens of snakes.
Yor came out blending into the crowd as if nothing had happened.
— Our Regent knows too much about Witches for no reason.
She frowned as if bored.
— Anyway, I will deliver the Eldest Sister’s message.
One of the snakes on Yor’s staff squirmed and spat out something long.
It was a sealed scroll.
Yor cleared her throat and recited the content.
— Ferda Valdrova, you are the pillar of the root of Philias, and the Mother of Witches, Eldest Sister Lucy Philias, has invited you. I hereby declare that you have the obligation to accept this invitation.
She playfully imitated a royal messenger, then tilted the invitation she held toward Ferda.
— If you open this invitation, you will arrive at the Witch’s Garden immediately.
Then she added a word with an ‘oops’ smile.
— No tricks.
Ferda only looked at the invitation.
— You must not accept it.
Ruri grabbed him by the side.
— Sticky girl, I’m sorry, but this is an adult conversation. Would you mind stepping back?
— Shut up, Witch.
Ruri’s expression became even fiercer.
An anger and disgust of a different dimension than before showed.
— Know that the only reason your mouth isn’t smashed is because I’m enduring it.
— Oh, how scary. But this unnie’s mouth is already torn, you know? Want to see?
The skin of her mouth split with a jjeok and revealed an interior large enough to swallow a human head.
— Hiiik!
People gasped and stepped back before the Witch’s bizarre appearance, and Yor laughed kkalkkal with satisfaction.
Ferda did not join that atmosphere, he only looked at the invitation.
— Why should I go?
Ferda asked her.
Yor smiled with her eyes and replied.
— Because Echidna died upon touching the Rune you created.
A simple answer that he already knew.
— Enough.
— Are you serious?
Ruri turned her head at Ferda’s answer.
She was so surprised that her burning murderous intent faded away.
— The opponent is a Witch. Their leader, on top of that. They hate men and use them as playthings, and you believe those words?
— Oh, how disappointing. Hey, do we have feelings too?
Yor made an exaggerated gesture at Ruri’s words, then looked at Ferda.
Those eyes shone with curiosity.
— But I’m also curious. What makes you believe that?
Ferda accepted the invitation with his mouth closed.
Yor shrugged her shoulders.
— Whatever. Come alone. Well, you can only come alone anyway, but I say it so you don’t waste effort. So…….
Her eyes turned to someone.
It was Jed.
She looked at him and smiled radiantly.
— Handsome Bachelor Swallow. Are you doing well?
— Ah, I’m doing well. How are you, Noona?
— Hoho, when did we meet for you to call me Noona? Having such a handsome guy say that makes me feel good.
Unlike the smile in her eyes, what was felt was murderous intent.
— You know? There are plenty of women who have a thing for you.
— Haha, I know, but I don’t really want to care.
— Right, right. Don’t care. That way I can kill you very painfully when you lower your guard. Live like that forever.
She winked at Jed and snapped her fingers.
— Then, bye~.
Her figure sank into the ground and completely vanished.
People looked at each other, sighing in relief at the silence the Witch left behind.
Everyone returned to their business, but two did not move from that spot.
Ferda stood there, simply looking at the invitation.
— You must not go.
Ruri stopped Ferda again.
— Do you know where you’re going right now?
— To the Witch’s Garden, probably.
Witch’s Garden.
The space for all Witches where they are born and receive the name Philias.
Since Lucy Philias had summoned him, he would definitely head there.
— Do you know where that Witch’s Garden is and still say that?
Limbo.
The space between dimensions.
The time that flows through that microscopic gap is an instant, so ordinary humans cannot perceive it.
The First Witch, Lucy Philias, built the nest of Witches in that place.
— If Ferda-nim enters, you might not return.
— That will not happen.
— What makes you so sure?
— Because she formally invited me to her own territory.
Ferda knew Witches well.
They have their own rules, and the Witch’s Garden is a sacred ground.
That sacred ground cannot be used as a trap of hatred and loathing.
Even if it is a man they hate.
— And I have to retrieve Echidna.
— That Witch is not that important.
Ruri could not understand.
He, who spoke as if he would live for Valdrova, seemed to be risking his life for a single Witch.
— If Ferda-nim falls into a trap and dies, Valdrova-nim will be alone.
Ferda hesitated a little at those words.
Because the image of her alone came to his mind.
— Please do not forget your position.
But as her words continued, Ferda realized.
My position.
‘My position is…….’
That I am still insufficient to stand by your side.
Ferda opened the invitation.
A feeling of being sucked in.
The body disintegrating.
From body to clumps.
From clumps to molecules.
From molecules to atoms.
A feeling that even those atoms were dividing.
Not just ordinary humans, even mages found it difficult to maintain sanity.
Ferda was no exception.
Instinct constantly screamed that it was fatal even for a 4-star Mage, considered a proper mage.
Yet, contrary to the alarm, Ferda’s body was transmitted safely.
‘Incredible.’
Limbo is a microscopic space between dimensions.
Nonexistent, imperceptible, and infinite because it does not exist.
Pinpointing that location and transmitting someone intact was absolutely impossible for Ferda.
Proof that she lived in Limbo for a long time, understood it, and utilized it.
At the same time, proof that the existence of Witches cannot be eradicated from the Serdes Continent, even if they are described as harmful.
Ferda opened his eyes.
A colorful, undulating, and dizzying sky.
Beneath, damp, dark grass and a narrow pathway.
At the end of the pathway, a wall of thorny bushes and black roses.
Ferda moved along the winding path.
Before him, an unusual wooden gate welcomed him.
It was oriental architecture that existed only in records.
— Hooh?
A voice echoing throughout the garden.
Ferda knew that voice.
It was Lucy Philias’s.
— Not even an hour has passed since the invitation arrived, no, not even 10 minutes, and you already opened it? What a hasty fellow. Or are you just that confident in your abilities?
She let out a laugh.
Kiiiiik—
The gate leading to the garden opened.
— Either way, I want to see your face once, darling. Come in quickly.
An unusually styled building, hidden by the gate, came into view.
That place was called the Rose Pavilion.
— Oh, my, he really came.
— The Dragon’s consort entered the Witch’s domain.
Frivolous voices echoed throughout the Witch’s Garden.
Soon, a low voice guided Ferda again.
— Come closer, darling.
Ferda took a step.
With the courtesy of a guest and maintaining authority as the consort of the Red Dragon, he moved forward.
When he ascended the pavilion and stepped through the entrance, what greeted him were women sitting comfortably around a pavilion.
All in different clothes, but all wearing black veils covering their faces.
That was the etiquette of the Witches belonging to the Witch’s Garden.
Among them, only one person, the woman seated in the center at the highest seat, was the same.
Only her silhouette could suggest that her build was similar to Ruri’s or Mori’s.
Sitting on a long wooden bench with a pipe in her mouth, she showed the bearing of someone of advanced age.
Mistress of the Rose Pavilion.
Mother of all Witches.
Eldest Sister.
She was Lucy Philias.
Covering her face with black cloth, yet her gaze scanning Ferda’s entire body could be felt.
— It does not match your brave actions, you are frail.
A completely different weight than seeing Ruri, of similar build.
— Welcome to the girls’ garden, darling.
Ferda replied.
— Thank you for the invitation, Eldest Sister.
— Oh, my, you don’t use honorifics before our Eldest Sister?!
— It seems you want to be cursed.
— Should I give you one this time, boy?
The tone of the Witches had thorns.
— Shut up.
At Lucy’s brief command, the Witches even held their breath.
— This girl will apologize on their behalf. Our girls have many grudges tied to men.
— I don’t mind. Rather, if this side was rude, I will apologize. Should I use honorifics?
— No need.
Pure white cigarette smoke drifted out from beneath the veil.
— Hearing honorifics from a monster like you is also unpleasant for this side.
— Monster?
— Did that bother you? Well, saying that to a boy who isn’t even 19 must be terribly disappointing.
She laughs kkeulkkeul and exhales smoke.
— But these two eyes, from living so long, see more than you think.
He could understand why that look felt unpleasant.
Those eyes literally saw through Ferda.
— It is the wisdom of living a long time. Among other things, I can see how many people this girl has killed.
Lucy’s head tilted to the left.
— So many people died inside your eyes.
…….
Is she talking only about the regressed time?
Even so, I killed many, but the word monster that she uses does not fit now.
‘Monster…….’
True, I was a monster.
I hated people to unleash hatred.
I was hated by so many, and I killed even more.
Unless they were going to be a major future problem, I left no one, not even those who did not need to be sacrificed.
The Ferda of that time was a monster.
‘Is that karma something that not even time can reverse?’
Because that heart does not change even when rewinding time, is that why that voice remains in Ferda’s body?
Amidst such questions arising, something he wanted to ask suddenly came to mind.
— Do you know whom I killed as well?
That among those countless victims, Lucy Philias, she is also included.