Chapter 88

“In fact, the first time we met, we hadn’t known each other. I guess that is the reason. Except for your background, you really shine, Lady.”

“Uh…. Y-Your Majesty can’t do this.”

“What have I done? I have done nothing,” the Prince stretched out his arms with an exaggerated look of resentment. He had certainly never threatened or frightened Selena. She deserved to be wronged by someone like him.

Apart from his innocence, however, Selena felt more burdened and frightened by the Crown Prince, who might be sincere towards her.

“Your beauty entices me so much that I want to keep looking at you and approach you. Is that so wrong?”

“It’s not wrong, but Your Majesty has to control yourself. First of all, I’m dating the Duke.”

“Do you not want anything more than that? Are you so obsessed with the Duke that you can’t see eye to eye with other men? Besides, you’re not married, and you haven’t promised anything else.”

“She may promise someday in the future.”

Selena’s iron wall was not the one that the Prince’s pink arrow struck instantly.

She turned around hastily at the voice she should not have heard at this moment. Kalcion stood a few steps away. She didn’t know why he was here when she was being cornered.

Kalcion approached her and pulled her shoulders, dragging her body helplessly into his arms. His cloak fell, covering her body completely.

His heart, embracing Selena, was a sea covered with boiling lava. Though not visible on the outside, he was burning inside. It was not the Prince who ignited the fire. From the moment she stepped out of the mansion, he had his chest already burning.

‘What if the carriage doesn’t return the way it went?’

His steps toward the training ground were half unconscious, thanks to the freezing reason. After he arrived at the training ground, he couldn’t focus on wielding his sword effectively. Even when he tackled Dion to the ground while dueling, all he could pray was ‘I hope she doesn’t return wounded like Dion.’

The anxiety that had already touched Kalcion’s heart remained immovable despite the strong waves of reason trying to drive him out. ‘There is no such thing as impossible. A person was murdered in the Renbird mansion. An assassination attempt while on travel, and a wagon accident.’

With the Clang! of the sword ringing in his head, he remembered Selena’s sharp scream. That roar also smashed what little reasoning he had left. Immediately, he walked out of the training ground, regardless of the next attack of his opponent.

When Dion saw him rush to the stable and get on a horse, Dion couldn’t help but follow him with a haunted look.

“What happened, Your Excellency!”

“Something might happen to Selena.”

“Pardon?! All of a sudden?!”

“Everything happens all of a sudden.”

Dion could not keep up with the speed of Kalcion’s horse, and his mind.

“But, sir. Hadn’t she just gone to Lady Lirel’s tea party? There’s no way something could happen there!”

“No, she might be attacked on the way, or Lady Lirel might cause trouble by holding hands with someone.”

“Haven’t you posted only the finest escorts anyway! If something has happened, it’s too late to go now!”

Despite Dion’s desperate persuasion, Kalcion remained steadfast. Afraid that he might never see Selena again, Kalcion’s will to check on Selena himself was too powerful. The appearance of the Duke and his escort Knight, after they reached the county of Hice, left the people in a daze.

“A-Allow me to inform the master right now.”

No matter how unannounced the visit was, Kalcion did not let the butler welcome him warmly.

“No need. Where’s the tea party being held?” His impatience was enough to empty the mind of the housekeeper of the Lirel family. The butler, who had forgotten all the procedures, immediately led him to the next building. On his way, he ran into Lirel, who had been huffing and puffing with a messing dress.

It was not long before he came to Selena after wandering through the woods like a wild dog. When he spotted Selena safe from afar, he breathed a sigh of relief before he was astonished at the sight of her standing a few feet away from the Crown Prince. In addition, the Prince kept saying strange things to Selena.

Because the Prince was like poison, he had to defend Selena.

Without a second thought, he pulled her body into his arms.

“I’m trying to be a little more cautious about relationships. But if it’s making Selena nervous, it may give her a little more confidence.”

Luckily, even if he lost his reason, Kalcion did not show as much expression or a change of complexion.

“I was in the middle of a conversation with Lady Selena, not with you, Duke.”

“I apologize for having taken the liberty of interrupting your conversation. But I have strong possessiveness toward someone who belongs to me. Please understand.”

Selena seemed to be the only one to be surprised by his appearance, who fell from the sky. The Prince appeared more displeased with his conversation interrupted than being surprised.

On the other hand, Selena’s whole body was pounding as if she were a heart. She could feel the vibration of her heart from Kalcion’s palm wrapped around her shoulder. She would have fainted, but his words felt like ice walls rising in front of the Crown Prince and hail thrown at Selena’s heart.

Someone who belongs to him, possessiveness.

‘How can he say such a thing? Did he get acting lessons from somewhere else?’

Those strong words made her heart soft as a well-massaged dough. If he was acting, he was doing very well, but she didn’t understand why he suddenly came here, she didn’t understand why he was so good at saying things like that, she didn’t understand anything at all.

Now, from his convincing possessive behavior, her face was burning in his hands.

“Isn’t that too much, Duke? Selena does not belong to you.”

“I understand.”

“And you understand that she has the freedom to talk to me, and the freedom to move where her heart is drawn?”

“I do.”

“Then why don’t you let go of her? It must be frustrating.”

But Kalcion’s arm tightened more strongly, “I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like it.”

‘Are you crazy? Are the both of you out of your minds?’ Selena was feeling suffocated, and it wasn’t just because Kalcion held her tightly.

The Crown Prince did not speak anymore. The frighteningly quiet. Holding her breath, Selena observed them. It was the Prince’s snort that broke the silence.

“You’re not a good man, Duke.”

“I’m sorry, but thank you.”

“It’s not a compliment.”

“I beg your pardon.”

The Prince laughed again at Kalcion’s calm apology. However, he turned around, perhaps losing the will to deal with the Duke anymore.

“If you try to grab it too hard, the mountain bird may fly away. Have as many cages as you can to keep the wildcat to you.”

“Thank you for your advice.”

Kalcion was unflinching despite the Prince’s provocation that he would accept Selena if she came to him.

“I wish the bird well-being today, and I must go now. Are you not even going to let the Lady say goodbye?”

“Certainly.”

“Lady Selena. I hope you understand my difficulty in not being able to say goodbye. Well, next time we meet, let us talk about coincidence or fate again.”

“Yes….. Hm!” Even when she couldn’t turn her head, she tried to answer the Crown Prince but it ended up with a groan because of Kalcion’s arms tightening on her shoulders.

The sound of the Prince’s footsteps faded away. Even after a long time, Kalcion’s arms did not loosen. Helpless, Selena tapped his back with her fingers, “Excuse me, Duke. Until when are you going to stay like this?”

“….Oh.” Only then did he come to his senses and loosen his grips. Selena stepped back, rubbing her face that was pressed against him.

“What happened all of a sudden?”

“Nothing of a big deal.”

“Then what is a big deal?”

“I happened to be on my way.”

“A–ha–ha–ha.” Kalcion’s temples were dripping with cold sweat at her fake laugh. “It was a very good performance, but you should have made your appearance when it was required.”

“I knew that this was the time and place to appear.”

“To know his desire and dream, I needed to get involved with the Crown Prince more deeply. It was going well. And I was just on my way home anyway.”

“It was going well? And you were going to take the Prince’s side?”

Selena blankly stared at Kalcion.

“Did you become foolish all of a sudden……?”

“…..What?” He sounded absent-minded and weak.

“Why would I take the Crown Prince’s side? The Duke is the only one who knows all my secrets, and the Duke is the only one who can send me back.”

Kalcion shook for a moment. Selena, who noticed it, was also puzzled.

“How could you forget all of that?”

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