Translator and Editor: Lea and Aki

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Chapter 19

“What is?””This is from the Crown Prince.””And why is it important?””He cannot be ignored.”

Of course, the Prince was of a higher rank than a Duke.

However, Kalcion’s gaze towards the letter did not seem much convincing.

“Prince Rassen. An ambitious person who is seeking to climb up to the throne. Renbird is the most annoying and coveted place in his eyes.””Then he must be the one who wants to have a grip on the Duke.””That’s right.””Can’t you just ignore it and stay in your homeland?””There are numerous rules in this kingdom. One of them is that you must accept invitations from a higher family than yourself. If you’re incapable of doing so, you must have a better reason to comprehend your absence.”

It’s almost like when you submit your leave of absence to your boss in an office. No? Well, a little more dreadful than that.

“Is this an invitation?””Yes. To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Foundation of the Kingdom of Arkline, he’s holding a grand banquet in the spring. All of the founding families have been invited.”

‘Hmm, sounds like it’ll be a grand party. You can hardly make a justification to refuse.’

“You’re going there, right?””Well, I can use this as an excuse to visit the capital.”

A good chance to allow Selena to join the central society and find the criminal.

But how would Kalcion act his part when he seemed flustered just after having a simple glance towards Selena, who was wearing a light garment? To be able to spray fairy dust into the eyes of the people in the capital and to be able to look like a real lover, he needed to do more.

‘Hmm, let’s see. How far can this man go?’

She did not have to check it that instant, but she was very curious.

She slowly approached him on her tiptoes.

It was not difficult for Kalcion to notice her even though his eyes were directed at the letter. No matter how low her movement was, there was a certain thing called foresight.

However, Selena’s act of sitting on his lap was neither predictable nor preventable.

“!”

Within just a single second, he felt his heart pound like an athlete. He was never this surprised whenever he faced ten beasts in the mountains.

Selena, who was sitting on his lap, didn’t just stop with that. She embraced his neck in her arms and pulled him closer to meet his blue eyes.

“Please take me with you, Duke. I want to see the capital as well. I want to visit the capital of this huge empire.””Why all of a sudden—””Huh? What do you mean? Oh, Duke, please take me with you. I want to visit it, too.””…..Stop it.””Hmm, I won’t stop until Duke allows me. So? Can I join you?””…..Of course you have to. Now, knock it off.”

Kalcion felt shivers running down his spine that were so unfamiliar to him.

‘No matter how much he lived in the periphery of the Kingdom, a Duke is a Duke. In addition, Kalcion is a beautiful specimen.’

Most of the people feared him for his coldness. However, he had never been this embarrassed when he faced the other ladies who tried to hug him or even kiss him. Rather, he always felt hatred towards them.

But now, he was more embarrassed than annoyed…….. He felt like he was going crazy due to the fruity scent of her skin. He could not stand it even though he knew she was acting.

Was acting cute so fatal? For the first time in her life, she realized why people fell for someone’s aegyo.

“Hng. Not like that, Duke. Say, ‘I want to go with Selena’. Please tell me that. Or else I wouldn’t stop.””……There’s no one in this room. So why are you…..”

His heart was pounding crazily, but he could not bear to push her away. He could not run away. He felt like he did not want to run away.

Was this how it felt like when the sky and the ground were fused? Kalcion desperately tried to stop those crazy thoughts of his, but it didn’t work out.

Selena brought her lips close to his ear and whispered, tightly holding onto his neck. Every time she uttered a word, her breath tickled his ear, just like the petals of a dandelion blown away by the wind.

“Well, the Duke can’t act…….Don’t you think it should me who’s got to step ahead and not the Duke?””……Ha.”

Kalcion breathed heavily and leaned his head against the sofa. As soon as he had his eyelids closed, Selena’s glowing skin and red lips, which lightly grazed his ear not long ago, floated in front of him.

“So, am I allowed? Huh? Huh?””……Yeah, I got it.”

He barely spoke. Only then did Selena jump away from him.

“Well, I, uh, I’m getting sleepy, so I’ll go to bed first! Good luck with the rest!”

She hurriedly hopped on the bed and buried herself under a soft quilt. Perhaps because Kalcion was not beside her, she fell asleep right away unlike last time.

Not long after, Kalcion could hear her soft snore.

He turned back to the pile of letters. Now, it was time for him to devise a plan.

“…..Sigh.”

However, his time of thinking did not last long.

Soon, he lied down on the sofa and covered his eyes with his arm. It felt like his eyes were burning. Perhaps because of the blazing fire in the fireplace.

‘Crackle, Crackle, Crackle’

His whole body was hot.

***

When she opened her eyes, the room was empty. Feeling no warmth beside her, she thought that Kalcion must have woken up early.

She remembered what happened when she slept with him the day before. But last night, she slept so soundly that she felt as though she was floating in a different world.

‘Too relaxing that it makes one nervous.’

To sleep while drooling, rolling over the sheets, and clinging onto Kalcion. All of these were due to the soft mattress.

The bed felt comfortable that she never felt nervous in the middle of the night. She slept until late morning, so all kinds of her fatigue were eliminated.

Her eyes shifted to the clock on the wall.

‘This guy always wakes up at dawn.’

Unlike her, he wasn’t lazy.

‘Should I take another nap?!’

There was nothing for her to do anyway except for preparing herself to face Fionel and Rosalyn’s piercing eyes. Clearly, it was better for her to dream rather than face those annoying girls.

‘Let’s get on it!’

The world’s happiest idleness was having a nap. She fell asleep again, covering herself with the soft sheet.

She was so engrossed in her nap that she didn’t notice Kalcion’s footsteps.

***

Returning from a harsh training than usual, Kalcion was stunned to find Selena stretched out in the middle of the bed.

He had hardly slept as he was busy pulling off the tangle all night. The heat did not escape him, and he eventually ran out at dawn and devastated his training ground. Thanks to this untimely rough training, the knights’ support was abundant.

He thought he had managed to cool himself off, but it was a waste. The heat returned to him.

‘…..This woman.’

So far, for Kalcion, women were just another kind of creature opposite to men. He never thought of himself to be deeply interested in a woman.

However, he felt a sudden emptiness in him when he called her a ‘woman’. He felt it every time he laid his eyes on her.

He never thought he would be shaken and confused by the fact that she was just a woman.

His heart fluttered. As he felt himself starting to pant, he hurriedly turned around and opened the door. The servants, who were waiting outside the door, bowed before him in unison.

“Wake her up. I’ll take a bath in the other room.””We will do as you say, Your Excellency.”

The servants and the maids divided themselves in perfect order. One group of maids entered the room to call Selena, one group stood in front of the room, and another group followed Kalcion to help him.

As he moved away from the room, his heart recovered its original speed.

***

It was easier to open her eyelids because she fell asleep for the second time.

“Mmmm.”

She sat up, stretching herself up.

“…….?”

The room was as silent as a graveyard. She turned her head and saw the maids staring blankly at her.

“What’s wrong with you?””N-Nothing!”

They awkwardly stuttered out before hurrying to their duties.

Selena shrugged and yawned loudly. Since there was no one to notice her, her behavior was more relaxed.

“Your bath is ready, Miss.”

A couple of maids prepared fruits, juice, and cookies for her, while the others prepared her bath. It was her second day, so she was already used to it.

She dragged her slippers towards the bathroom. She immersed herself in the refreshing water and dozed off briefly as she felt relaxed as someone’s hands washed her dark hair.

When she woke up again, the bath was over. They’ve washed her hair, her nails, and even her eye boogers. All she had to do was to get up, sit on the massage bed to allow the maids to put lotion and perfume on her body, and lastly, help her dress up.

“Is it that again today?”

She meant the cultural dress she wore for the past two days.

Fionel and Rosalyn changed their dresses almost every hour. No matter how expensive that dress was, she couldn’t just wear the same dress as if it’s a uniform.

“Uh…….His Excellency has not yet ordered for us to get a separate dress…..””Hmm……”

Selena, who was wearing a simple gown, sat cross-legged on the massage bed and looked at the dress.

The maids exchanged their glances among themselves. Choosing a dress was always a nuisance for a girl. However, in Selena’s case, there was no room for that. She just had to wait for this moment to last calmly.

After staring at the dress for a long time, she hopped down from the bed in her gown.

“I won’t wear it.””Pardon?!”

The maids were startled.

“I don’t want to wear that same dress. Return it to the Duke and ask him to buy me new dresses.”

The maids mumbled as she sat back on the bed. There was a deep argument between them as to who would face Kalcion.

Selena agonized as she looked over herself in a thin gown in the mirror.

‘Rosalyn would laugh if she sees me in that same dress again.’

Then came the maid who had gone running to Kalcion.

“Uh, Lady. His Highness has given his orders.””What did he say?””He has called in a tailor in order to prepare a dress for you, Lady.””When?””His Highness has sent a word, so he expects you to be prepared by the afternoon.”

She collected her thoughts. She didn’t expect him to act so soon.

‘Maybe I should just take a rest for this……’

At the same time, she received an uninvited guest.

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