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Chapter 17
Chills passed down through her spine.
The composure was also erased from the face of Selena’s.
This was the second time she got a death threat. Selena had a hunch that neither of them was using the words in a light tone of intimidation.
“Aiming for the seat next to the Duke of Renbird is a real risk. Do you still want to join the battle when you don’t even have the power to protect your own body?”
Selena replied and regained her composure.
“Neither identity nor wealth is important in such encounters. Don’t worry, my mind never stops working.”
This was one of the lines she picked up from one of her dramas, but it was not the line that would fit perfectly in this kind of situation. While reading the script, she had also seemed to have cursed, saying, “Is this even possible?”
And it was the same with Rosalyn, whose face rotted.
“It seems like you’re only coveting the Duke’s wealth, yet you’re going for the Duke’s heart? You don’t have to aim for that. I’ll offer you any amount of money you want. So take them and return to your home.”
‘But it wouldn’t be my achievement, would it?’
Rosalyn stared at her with her cold eyes as Selena released a heavy sigh.
“Aren’t you repeating the exact same words again?”
“Wasn’t that what you’re aiming for?”
Rosalyn sneered.
“Of course not.”
“…….”
“I want to acquire the position of a Duchess.”
“You know, you might even have more power than that if you accept my offer.”
‘Ugh, just what the hell is wrong with you?’
Selena’s mind became dizzy.
It was evident that Fionel just wanted to be with Kalcion.
Rosalyn was different. Selena couldn’t exactly see what her intentions were even though she was sticking around Kalcion.
The riches of the Renbird territory or the status of the Duchess? However, she did not seem to be aiming for Kalcion.
‘So, why are you trying to send me out of the way?’
“I’m warning you now. It’s not worth dying for nothing.”
Rosalyn turned away, leaving words that might be a curse or a warning. Still, it seemed as if her motives were invisible.
***
Soon, the dinner was served as scheduled.
Until now, she had all her meals alone. A wide variety of dishes was kept on the long dining table, enough to fill up one with just one bite.
‘…..This is too early.’
Selena solemnly collected her thoughts as she looked at the endless dishes in front of her.
It just so happened that so far, she had taken care of all her meals by herself. It was her first time to have a meal with someone else. So, of course, she had no experience of putting her table manners to the test.
“A lady has to change her dress four times a day.” was what the maid told her. There were these petty and complex rules, and obviously, table manners couldn’t be that simple.
“……”
There were dozens of dishes, and each dish had a different manner of eating.
When she ate alone, she used to pick up a lot of things that seemed delicious to her. But now, she couldn’t even figure out which tableware she should use for which dish. It’s the worst thing to be intimidated in front of everyone.
Kalcion only continued to munch on his food silently, while Fionel and Rosalyn only ate as much as a grain of rice and chattered like birds. Among them, no one could save Selena, who was pouting.
‘I’ve never faced anything more disrespectful like this in my life.’
It was unfair. But what could she do? How could she do something she didn’t know?
But it would be too obvious if she gave an excuse that she was on a diet. She was completely lost.
‘Ugh, I don’t know.’
She ventured to grab any dish that seemed good, but she did not copy the others. It was more embarrassing to imitate in a clumsy manner. She dipped the fruit that she recalled from her last meal and put it in her mouth.
“Hmm, breakfast or dinner, this is tasty.”
She whispered to herself.
“Oh, this one’s nice.”
She whispered again.
As a result, there was no need to make a forced fuss. All she had to do was to enjoy the dishes as she used to do.
At the same time, the two women sitting across the table, who were wearing thick dresses with their apparent amity, gradually shifted their eyes towards Selena.
“……Ew, Fionel just lost her appetite.”
Fionel squeaked out. She laid down the tableware that was halfway to her mouth, frowning heavily at Selena.
“Fionel feels bad because she misses having her dinner with Moomoo.”
“Ah, is Moomoo Miss Fionel’s dog?”
“She’s a cat.”
“Ah, I see. But what can I do? This is the North. Isn’t it a great opportunity to feel Mother Nature and her wild beasts?”
Rosalyn fired a backup. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my ally’, this was what they were following at this moment.
“Of course, it is a unique opportunity to experience a hyena’s behavior.”
Fionel agreed.
Selena thought of arousing chaos like a beast, but she decided not to as they were in front of food.
Rosalyn’s words lengthened, disturbed by Selena’s silence.
“But wouldn’t it be better to teach table manners to a beast? We can’t really say when it will come to bite off our hand, can we?”
“If she was a beast, it’d have bitten off Miss Rosalyn’s head before her hands. It looks lighter and tastier, doesn’t it?”
“As expected, their eyes are similar.”
“Ah, so that’s why the Duke had picked her up. Please go ahead, Miss Rosalyn.”
“Hahaha.”
“Hohoho, very funny.’
Selena and Rosalyn smiled at each other.
‘Growl…..’
‘Grrrrr…..’
If they were beasts, they would have bitten off each other by now.
Fionel, fierce but not highly combative, quietly curled up and rolled her eyes. It wasn’t a place for herbivores like her to stay.
Although she was a strong herbivore who could even stab a wild beast with her horns, there was no need for her to intervene in the fight between the wild beasts.
“I know His Excellency’s taste is wild, but it’s hard for me to match. It’s not easy for me to give up my status.”
“Toilan is of a noble class.”
A big wave shook off the calm atmosphere at the word of Kalcion.
“I don’t mean to demean you, Your Excellency, but can’t you shift to being a Toilan?”
“Previously, when a Renbird dared to be a Toilan, it aroused a lot of problems.”
Rosalyn, who was embarrassed, smiled.
“What can I say, my father’s greed was an act of disrespect.”
Kalcion said while staring at Rosalyn with unshakable eyes before slowly resuming his meal.
“Well, now that I think about it, I think I’m more like a beast. For that reason, sleeping on the ground would be the most convenient for me.”
“How could you say that, Your Excellency?”
“Isn’t that how should it be? You are uncomfortable with my class.”
Kalcion was also not an inch behind.
He even brought back things that no one else knew and attacked them first. Rosalyn couldn’t speak up.
It was clear that it was a weakness of hers. Selena’s eyes moved between the two as she thought.
‘He has a great battle strategy, so why does he need me?’
The fact that Kalcion couldn’t find the culprit was because he got hit with a sword. Of course, he had to turn to Selena.
If she could kick his leg under the table, she might have been able to stop this battle.
‘But I can’t help it.’
Selena broke in with a grin on her face and pretended to be tackless.
“Oh! I guess the Duke and I are in the same class. He always feels comfortable around me.”
“…….”
“…….”
Of course, no one laughed.
Except for Kalcion, who chuckled at her joke. It helped to cool down the mood. Thanks to her, the cold stares of the two ladies shifted to Selena again.
“As you can see, my class is different. And I’m not going to try and match it to the Toilan. So, what do you think?”
Rosalyn sighed. Her momentum was also dampened as she judged there was nothing else she could do to win.
“How am I supposed to discuss your class, Your Excellency? I’m not here to argue with you.”
“So, you had no business here after all, did you?”
“Of course, the first reason I wanted to see you was because I wanted to find more reasons to visit you in person.”
Rosalyn winked at her servant who was waiting.
There were several private servants of Fionel and Rosalyn, as well as the servants of Kalcion, who were serving the meal. They quickly ran to fix the dress and makeup of the ladies whenever it collapsed a little.
The servant, whom Rosalyn winked at, returned to the room holding a box in her hands.
“These are the letters from the people in the capital who still miss His Excellency’s presence. I couldn’t turn my back on this.”
A heavy sound rang through the dining hall as its base touched the table.
Selena’s eyes didn’t miss noticing the displeasure on Kalcion’s face. Rosalyn’s white flag of defeat was, of course, a disguise.
***
After the meal, it was time to return to bed.
But before that, taking off her dress, removing her makeup, loosening her hair, taking a bath, washing and drying her hair, putting on lotion, perfume on her body, and a number of cosmetics on her face were necessary……
“…….Why this garment again?!”
The servants under Kalcion were tough to fend off. During the rest of the day, it was Fionel and Rosalyn, and now, the servants.
Only
Selena screamed as a maid held up the same thin piece of garment in front of her.
“Oh, such a waste, Miss. You have a gorgeous body.”
A deep blush covered her cheeks at the maid’s words.
‘Why are these people so enthusiastic? Am I a leech? Is it normal for the owner to kick the servants out when they’re so irritating?’
“Do you think I’ll be able to seduce him like this?”
“Why?”
All of the maids shifted their eyes to her and asked her curiously.
“Why…….isn’t that obvious? I’m aiming for the seat next to the Duke.”
The maids glanced at each other’s faces before bursting into a fit of laughter.