Translator and Editor: Lea and Aki

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Chapter 50

Unlike Selena and Dion, who stood still and froze, Kalcion rubbed his forehead and smiled.

“I let my guard down.”

He spoke casually. Dion’s eyes widened one more time. He was told they were in a contractual relationship for each other’s benefit, but now it appeared to have become something more.

“Ah, you’re letting your guard down now, Duke? Even practice should feel real, don’t you know?”

Selena laughed it off as a joke.

“Right. You’ve learned it.””I know. You need to get your act together, Duke. What if an assassin who looks like me comes at you?””Hmm……. That seems like a very unlikely assumption.”

Kalcion’s tone was serious. But Selena had a broad grin on her face.

“Let’s go again.”

This time, Kalcion moved fast. He was close to ten times slower than his original speed, but he was still fast.

“Hah!”

Selena avoided his attack by ducking her neck towards her shoulder. At the same time, she stretched out her wooden sword straight to his head.

Thud!

The sound of wood bumping against each other could be heard. Series of attacks were made that had to be prevented with a sword. Thud! Thud! Thudd! Thud! Selena narrowly blocked them.

It was possible to prevent it with instinct alone without learning anything. She was clever enough to successfully block it. Kalcion’s attacks unwittingly became more and more fierce.

On the other hand, Selena, a complete rookie, was at a point where she found difficulty in handling it with her physical strength and motor skills alone.

“Kya!”

Eventually, with her legs twisted, she pushed a blow before losing her balance. Kalcion, who was about to make his next attack, reached out his arm in an instant and grabbed her body as she was about to fall on the ground.

Covered in sweat, they panted heavily. It felt like he was holding a newborn. A very unfamiliar warmth spread across from Kalcion’s heart.

Selena held his arm and stood in her center of gravity. Thereafter, her face, which was buried on his chest, rose to see him. Both her cheeks were red, and her eyes glistened exceptionally on his face.

“That was too fast! It’s unfair!””But you were good.””But it was still too hard.””It is necessary if you want to improve fast.”

Kalcion was entering a complete soldier-trainer mode.

“Ehh!”

She pushed his chest, separating herself away from him and regaining her position. Following his words, she experimentally swung her sword towards him a few more times to speculate how to block a rough blow and how to attack.

She felt her skills improve with each attack.

Her arms and legs became as heavy as a spike in the gym for an hour, but it was fun. She felt herself getting a hang of its taste.

This time, Selena attacked first. Kalcion chuckled at her light blow, but he immediately erased his expression and tilted his head slightly to avoid the attack.

Selena’s next attack was quite a copy of what Kalcion did. He couldn’t help but swing his sword in various angles without stopping.

Thud! The sword flew out of her hand.

“Ah!”

Her tired hand lost its grip on the sword, which caused it to fall on the ground. Her body, which was off-balance once again, faltered with the blow.

This time again, Kalcion reached out and grabbed Selena. The most common mistake made by someone unfamiliar with a sword. She expected this.

However, Kalcion belittled her desire to win. She quickly centered herself in his arms, and lowered her body to take him by the leg.

“?!”

She could lift it up and trip him. However, she could be injured by misusing her strength while holding him. Kalcion meekly moved in the direction of the force.

Sometimes there are people who want to push their power beyond their limits. These often lead to injuries.

“Kyah!”

Taking Selena with him, Kalcion turned and landed on his back. The impact with the ground made his body cry out. The dust of the floor rose as they fell.

Tangled with Kalcion, she couldn’t lift her face, ashamed of her failed technique.

“Are you done?””……Sorry……”

Excessive greed was a definite mistake. She mumbled softly with her face buried in his chest.

As she predicted, her hair had become a mess. However, the breeze fluttering the loosened strands looked natural.

“Be careful.””Yes…..””You seem to have learned a few moves from just warming up. You must have learned physical education, right?””I have!”

Her sullen self instantly vanished, and she looked up to greet him.

Dion’s mind was getting fuzzy in many ways as he watched the two talking while still lying on the ground. How was this a contractual relationship…….

Then, at a distance, he could see a servant approaching the scene. There was confusion in him as he thought about whether it was right for the subordinate to see this or not.

Dion stood at the entrance, covering the two with his body. The servant, daunted by his huge figure, dropped his head to the floor.

“I-I have to see His Excellency……””His Excellency is busy having fun out here.””Pardon?”

The words flew out of his mouth without him realizing it. Dion fixed his face.

“No, he’s been enjoying the practice for a long time. I’ll let him know when it’s over. What is it that you want to say?””Ah, yes……”

The servant tilted his head in confusion, but he said…

“A-A messenger has arrived from the palace. He wants to see His Excellency…….””Escort him here.””U-Understood!”

As the servant was retreating, Selena’s growling laughter rang once again.

Dion met the servant’s eyes. He once again jostled against the servant, who nodded his head as he was preparing to leave, before he looked up at the sky.

After a couple of minutes, he saw the servant accompanying the messenger with him. Just in time, Kalcion came up and stood behind him.

“What is it?””Someone’s been sent from the palace.”

Kalcion’s face seemed to have achieved a very pleasant expression without any training. The messenger, who came running, spotted Kalcion and bowed down from afar.

“It’s great to see you, Your Excellency, the Duke of Renbird.””Hmm.””The Queen has sent a letter.”

Kalcion sighed audibly and accepted the parchment insolently.

The letter, with a colorful seal, was adorned with a golden design and realistic flowers.

The words written in fancy handwriting were simple.

《 I was told you’re back in the capital. I and the princess have been worried. I’m thinking of visiting your mansion tomorrow to get rid of my worry.》

Selena peeped over Kalcion’s shoulder and looked back at him. She didn’t think anyone would come here, but his face quickly darkened.

“Let her know that I’ve refused. I’m sick.””Pardon?!”

The messenger flinched.

The beast of the North, Duke of Renbird, was ill. The person who couldn’t even receive a scratch. That was impossible. Was he giving an excuse?

However, Kalcion was not kindly willing to add an explanation. He wrapped his arm around Selena’s waist and walked past the messenger. The messenger turned his bewildered gaze to Dion.

“W-What should I do…..””Has Her Highness said she’d kill you if he refused?”

Dion calmly grasped the context. Many noblemen went angry on messengers when a refusal was sent in response.

“Her Highness hasn’t, but it doesn’t make sense. She might think I’ve lost her letter on the way and lied to her.””She might….. think that way.”

It was a common excuse for nobles to refuse a visit, but it was somewhat problematic for Kalcion to use it.

He used to be consistently busy, but this time he was sick. It was proof that he really didn’t want to meet.

“You’ve seen His Excellency covered in dirt. You can take it that he’s gotten hurt during his training.””Is that possible?””Of course. It’s not a sin to deliver what you’ve seen, is it?””Ah….! Yes, thank you!”

The messenger’s face brightened up.

Still staring at the back of the distant figure of the messenger, Dion scratched the back of his head.

Even in his eyes, Kalcion seemed to have changed in some way or the other.

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