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Chapter 13
“You may not know, but one is already dead. And you’re as clueless as her.”
Fionel added in a subdued voice. It was clearly a threat that was fundamentally different from the dog fights so far.
Selena swallowed a dry lump in her throat. She had to say something, but she couldn’t.
It wasn’t just a rousing yell for someone who said, “I’m going to kill you!”, but a word like ‘prediction’ that she could die.
And that could have been now.
In the middle of this garden.
Of course, Selena was capable of winning with her bare hands, but what if Fionel was hiding a knife? No matter how weak Fionel was, things might change if she showed her true colors.
Or, there could be an assassin hiding somewhere, with whom she was associated. Suddenly, Selena recalled the spy from when she was in the bathroom. This was a place where anyone could be anywhere.
‘….Isn’t it?’
She knew she was risking her life, but what she didn’t know was that she’d have to lose her neck so soon. She never thought she’d have to stay away from Fionel because she was the most rationally intimate person to Kalcion.
‘I’m so stupid…..’
‘Let’s just blow it for now.’
If she had run away, Fionel wouldn’t be able to follow her. As soon as she turned to her resolution, she heard footsteps coming her way.
It was a person.
“Kyaa!”
Selena screamed and turned towards the sound. It wasn’t just one person, but Kalcion, along with his knights.
‘Thank God!’
The opportunity in a period of crisis.
“Duke! Hnnng!”
Selena ran into Kalcion’s arms in a flash. Kalcion neither actively embraced her nor did he push her away.
“What’s going on?”
“I-I! I was almost killed!”
“…….?”
Kalcion raised one of his eyebrows.
“M-Miss Fionel said she’d kill me if I was next to you!”
“What?!”
Fionel shouted in a shrill voice.
“W-When did I?! Your Excellency, she’s lying….!”
Fionel was quick-witted as well. In an instant, she began shedding her tears. It was hard to tell who was threatened and who wasn’t.
‘You!’
The two women came up with words at the same time.
“I just want to be with the Duke. But…do I…have to…die for that?”
“Fionel was worried…so she wanted to let her know…because something bad happened….”
A war of nerves ensued. Meanwhile, Kalcion only watched the situation with cold eyes.
Selena gestured to Kalcion in between her sobs.
‘We have to talk.’
Without answering her, Kalcion started walking towards his room.
The servants’ eyes widened when the woman they had been secretly ignoring quickly grabbed his arm.
‘Fast, close that door.’
Selena squinted her eyes and glared at the servants. The servants hurriedly shut the door, shifting their eyes to the floor. As soon as the door was shut, Selena jumped away from Kalcion.
“I got a death threat.”
At her words, his eyes widened.
“What was it?”
“She said one is already dead and that I’m as clueless as she was.”
“Hmm.”
Kalcion replied in a low voice.
“So, did you think she’d kill you right away?”
“Wasn’t it like it? I thought me bothering you would be enough of a reason for her to kill me right away.”
“Is the difference in status between the two of you that big?”
“Of course. I followed you from the mountains. How could you think my status would be the same as the daughter of a Count?”
Kalcion realized belatedly.
“Ah, that’s true. But still, both of you have a similar physique.”
‘When did you start to think about women that way….?’
“I’m taller than she is.”
“Well, since both of you are smaller than me, you look similar.”
“I could have broken a dog’s head with my own hands.”
“Is that so?”
Of course, it was an exaggeration.
Selena shook her head.
‘Let’s not talk about it.’
“I mean, if Fionel was the culprit, it would’ve been hard for her to kill me with her own hands. But what if she had ordered someone to do it?”
“She sure had a good chance.”
“But it was really scary. I was scared to death.”
“I see.”
Kalcion gave a light tribute.
‘Sigh, what kind of comfort would I expect from him?’
Selena rose up, smiling bitterly.
“Yes, I’ve done everything that needed to be done.”
Selena sat down again, shaking her head.
“But wait, wouldn’t it be weird if I went back to my room now?”
“…..Ah.”
Kalcion belatedly realized again.
She had come to the Duke’s bedroom, whining that she was afraid of Fionel killing her. But if she slept in her own room, wouldn’t it arouse suspicions?
“…..”
“…..”
Their eyes met awkwardly.
“Uh, then, I’ll be sleeping in the massage bed in the bathroom.”
Kalcion hesitated. How could he let a woman sleep in a place which was cold?
“No.”
“Then, I can sleep on the sofa.”
“……Just sleep on the bed.”
“The same….bed?”
Selena asked back, surprised.
“Wouldn’t it look strange if the servants came in the morning to find us sleeping at different places?”
“That’s true, but…..will you be okay?”
“Do you think I am?”
Kalcion gave up a false laugh, dumbfounded.
“I was worried that you might not be able to sleep if someone was next to you. I know you’re tired because of me, and I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to rest well.”
“……”
It was even more surprising that her only concern was that.
This was the Duke’s bedroom, there was only one bed, and the Duke was a man. Kalcion was surprised that she wasn’t afraid that a man was present with her.
“If I ever snore, just wake me up. I don’t have to do anything tomorrow, so you can sleep tightly.”
“Yeah, well, let’s not worry about it.”
“So, then….”
An awkward silence ensued. Her mind was broken.
“G-Getting ready for bed?”
“Ah, right.”
Kalcion kept the leash of his sword on his desk and called the maids.
“Prepare her for bed.”
The servants’ eyes turned towards Selena, where Kalcion had pointed.
“Y-Yes, Your Excellency.”
Kalcion did not exactly know about a lady’s preparations for bed. The only lady he had ever been with since his birth was his mother, the Duchess of Renbird.
However, there was no opportunity for him to see how her mother was prepared for bed. Therefore, there was no way he knew how long it took or how much effort it took.
And even Selena was clueless.
“Oh my! Miss, your skin is so smooth. I bet it’ll melt under his touch.”
‘What?’
“Yes! I felt it as I was dressing you up earlier. You must be very hot, miss!”
‘What do you mean?’
Her spirit was on the verge of escaping from her body when she heard the maids saying that something might happen in bed.
“I’m just going to sleep.”
“Oh, of course. You’ll sleep comfortably—in the arms of His Excellency.”
“Yes, so just apply some cream on my hands, nowhere else.”
Selena held out her hands towards the maid, who carefully applied cream and perfume all over her skin. The maids giggled.
Only
‘Think whatever you want, it doesn’t matter to me.’
Selena gave up on solving the misunderstanding.
Physical relationship, without love, between a nobleman and a commoner had no meaning. But, falling in love with one’s soul was extremely rare. Therefore, she was indifferent to making a fuss because she knew she wouldn’t raise her status overnight.
She couldn’t be taken as a love affair of his, but perhaps a toy for one night.
Either way, it was like a game of tug-of-war. If she slept separately, the danger of her neck getting pricked by Fionel is highly likely. If she slept with him, she might become a toy of his overnight.
‘My neck should be saved first.’
It took twice as much time for the maids to prepare her tonight in comparison to her first day here. Her hair was brushed, perfume was applied all over her body, and her fingernails and toenails were carefully trimmed.
That was all she had accepted for them to do. However, she couldn’t believe her eyes when the maids brought in the last thing.