Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Kalcion did threaten Selena once, but he was not one who regularly threatened someone. Moreover, he did not prefer the means of intimidation himself. Threats were quite a distant word for him.

They were embarrassing whether they were being threatened or not. It was not Kalcion’s way to get hold of somebody’s weakness. That’s why he had a bad relationship with Prince Larsen.

Prince Larsen was one who would gather anything to shake off his opponent. ‘I am a royal, and you are just a Duke.’ He even hurt Kalcion’s pride by trying to supervise his rank in a lame manner.

Apparently, when the Crown Prince did that, Kalcion felt disappointed enough to decide to become independent, but he didn’t feel bad at Selena’s words. Perhaps because the hand he was holding now belonged to someone simple.

‘She’s good at everything she does with her body.’

His favorability for her had risen slightly.

The quality of one’s martial arts was one of the major factors that determined the likelihood of Kalcion as he was the type of human being who had spent most of his time with swords all his life and interacted with his knights.

With a sense of satisfaction, he had been obedient to her orders.

On the other hand, people around the two of them began having breathing difficulties. He accepted, releasing a deep sigh that he himself had stopped breathing momentarily when he was surprised by her act.

None would have imagined that the Kalcion of Renbird would have a numbness in the world.

After watching her for a long time, he concluded that Selena would not be safe if she, alone, was put in front of certain people.

Dunfel was quite competent and ambitious. He had set his place as high as possible from where he could look into details.

He was a child of a fallen aristocrat who immigrated from another region, but he managed to become a knight among the Knights of Renbird. How long had it taken since then for him to retire and receive a land to manage?

The Duke of Renbird was not a man of flattery, but he had nothing to lose. Dunfel was caught in the eyes of Kalcion’s predecessor because he had never sailed in his will.

There was nothing different this time. If Kalcion chose a woman by himself, no matter what anybody said, she was all his.

After cleaning up, Dunfel began to ponder.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve heard the Lady’s name yet……..”

“Oh, right. It’s Selena.”

The manager cleverly avoided digging into the family. Selena was sitting on the Duke’s lap, which seemed none less than a throne.

His purpose today was neither to get more budget nor to ask the central aristocrat to build a bridge.

What was more appropriate for a casual conversation was a love affair, a common topic and the climax of life that neither men or women and commoners, nobles, nor royalty could escape.

Since he received an unexpected guest like this, a stage might be set up to make silly comments.

“Wow, you have a beautiful name.”

“Oh, my goodness, that’s so sweet of you to say that.”

Selena basically squinted at him, who was not as slick as a northern man.

It was obvious why he was like this. To let Kalcion know that he would welcome ‘anyone the Duke would bring’. He might also want to spend time with a beautiful lady like her.

When Selena did not contort, the manager spurred his servants. In essence, the more overlapping a joke was, the more effective it would be, and the more powerful it was, the more reliable it would be.

“Where did you meet such a beautiful lady who seems to exist out of this world?”

Selena hurried to speak, but Kalcion intervened…..

“Let’s say, destiny?”

“In the mountains.”

She was stunned. She almost led him to make the same mistake again.

“Ahaha……. As expected, it seems that way. His Excellency isn’t the kind of person you’d normally meet at a party, but in the mountains…… How was the hunt?”

“By chance.”

“In the middle of the hunt.”

She gritted her teeth as Kalcion spoke again.

‘Why is he answering all those questions so seriously?’

“I fell into a dangerous situation, but he saved me.”

Selena hurriedly spoke, smiling calmly at the manager. At the same time, Kalcion awkwardly raised the corners of his mouth.

“Wait, you met her on the course of the hunt? That could have been a disaster. It’s in the Saindart Mountains, correct? How did you get there?”

“It just happened to…….”

“Monthly inspection.”

‘Can’t you see the situation here?!’

Unable to stand him, she eventually slapped him on the arm.

“Oh, really, it wasn’t! Why do you keep teasing me?”

“…….”

His bones felt numb at the sharp blow. He kept his mouth shut.

The manager kept alternating his gaze between the two. To him, they were a perfect match for each other, but everything that came out of his mouth was offbeat.

‘So, do they fit well, or not…….?’

However, Dunfel boldly ignored his insistence. The important thing was not to be exact, but to continue a pleasant and light conversation with the Duke.

“……Oh, hahaha. His Excellency is good at making jokes so I’m sure your meeting is a precious memory for you two, yet I’ve been asking about it senselessly. Oh, by the way, did the food suit your taste?”

Manager Dunfel lightened the situation.

“Yes, it was so great to eat like this.”

“I’m glad that My Lady likes it. I’m also very glad to get a chance to serve you. Please stop by on your way back.”

On the way back.

The day she’d return through this path would be when she achieved the terms of her contract with Kalcion and prepared to return to her world.

‘Can I go back alive?’

The woods she’d set out for to go back to her world was such a deathly place that it could be her own grave.

She suddenly felt down. But now, she was going to go to the capital for a while. When she’d come back, she hoped to smile as radiantly as she was going to be the Duchess.

“Yes, I will.”

“I’d look forward to it, then. I can’t give you a definite answer because there might be some security issues and due dates.”

Kalcion finished.

“…….”

Selena weakly gazed up at Kalcion. Obviously, the joy she felt almost threatened her tears to roll out. This man truly, in many ways, drove people crazy.

***

Selena watched the carriage door close before she spoke up.

“Selena has a wish.”

“Suddenly?”

“My wish is that my Cion’s performance will be as great as an Ant’s pooch!”

“What nonsense is that?”

Kalcion felt truly wronged. Selena was even more lively.

“Excuse me, Duke. If you don’t think this is the remark you expected from me, then you can forget opening your mouth. Let me do it on my own. By the way, why do you always have to intervene to make the question go around?”

“I just answered him.”

“That was correct. But you answered them all truthfully.”

“Okay, but what’s the problem?”

“The Duke always forgets that he should be acting.”

“…….Ah.”

Only then did he realize what problem he caused. However, he did not readily agree this time.

“But, I even embraced you and fed you food. Wasn’t that enough?”

Selena was speechless and suffocated at the same time.

“……. Right, that’s right. Yes, yes, I’m stupid. I forgot about that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Duke was doing his best.”

“……”

That last blow did tear the drum of his pride.