IF Side Story. Northern Duke Selina (2)

“Wahh! What are you doing, this punk?! That’s audacious!”

Selina screamed and covered her eyes with both hands at the sudden exposure of Kalcion’s bare skin.

“Didn’t you ask me to show you?”

“No! I meant to show your physical ability, not your physic!”

“…Ah.”

It was a habit for a model like him to casually strip down, so he naturally did that. Usually, people appreciate it…

Feeling a bit deflated, Kalcion started to pick up his discarded clothes.

“…Wait.”

“?”

“…I think I need to see your muscles to properly assess you, so stay as you are.”

Selina was still covering her face with her hands. However, her eyes peeked through her fingers.

“…Yes, all right.”

Suppressing a laugh, Kalcion dropped the clothes he was about to put on and struck a pose as if he were in a photoshoot.

Making sure the muscle texture was visible. At the same time, he adopted a posture that highlighted the beauty of the human body. Despite the harsh wind whipping around, such discomfort was trivial to him. For a photoshoot, he had even entered a hole in a frozen pond and made a hot face.

“…Hmm.”

Having calmed her surprise, Selina carefully examined Kalcion’s physique with her gaze.

“I saw you fighting earlier. Seems like you know how to handle yourself in a fight?”

“I’m not fond of fighting, but I don’t get beaten up either.”

He had learned various martial arts for fitness and photoshoots. Often, he was even called a prodigy.

In this world, where the Northern Duke and monsters actually existed, he wasn’t sure if his fighting skills would be effective, though he had never been called weak anywhere.

“Your muscles are impressive. Both size and quality are quite substantial.”

This was the moment when all the chicken breasts he had consumed seemed to validate their existence. It was a compliment he heard everywhere and from everyone, but somehow, hearing it from this enigmatic being of another world felt even more gratifying and prideful.

Kalcion consciously puffed up his chest.

“It’s an honor.”

“Were you part of something like a knighthood?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then, why have you developed your body like this?”

He pondered for a moment how to explain the profession of ‘model’ in this world. Did this world even have the concept of modeling?

“My job involves wearing designer clothes in a way that makes them look their best.”

“…There’s a job like that?”

“In my world, there is.”

“Hmm, interesting. So, a job that involves standing in front of people.”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

Selina’s eyes gleamed. Apparently, something about this appealed to her.

Kalcion awaited her verdict.

“If you can withstand an attack from a beast, you should be able to handle most people. Could you also intimidate or threaten others to prevent fights?”

He pondered for a moment.

“Are you hiring me as a thug?”

“Not a thug, more like an escort.”

Being a Duke, it wasn’t strange for her to have a guard. Given the dire situation of needing to survive, it wasn’t something he could afford to refuse.

“What would be my compensation?”

“Compensation?

Selina smirked and pointed at the dead monster.

Kalcion silently closed his mouth.

Even with his robust physique, taking down monsters bare-handed and alone, not to mention escaping this mountain, seemed an insurmountable task.

…To be honest, it seemed impossible.

Just moments ago, if it weren’t for the help of this Northern Duke, he might have been the one lying there instead of the monster.

“How many will I have to fight? What’s the compensation in case of permanent injury or death?”

Still, dying fighting monsters or people was all the same in the end. Even in a disadvantageous contract, one must negotiate the terms.

“Hmm, not bad. You know how to negotiate. I like that even more.”

“Thank you.”

“First, tell me if you’re confident you can win fights.”

“If it’s against a professional fighter, it’s fifty-fifty, but against an average person, I’m confident.”

Kalcion spoke frankly about his capabilities without exaggeration.

“That should be enough.”

“Am I hired then?”

“Yes, you seem suitable.”

Selina tossed her cloak to Kalcion.

“From now on, you’ll have to fight off and repel suitors coming after me. Until I find my missing fiancé, Aite.”

“Suitors…? Fiancé…?”

Unconsciously, Kalcion felt a sinking feeling at the word ‘fiancé.’

It was strange. Why should he care about the fiancé of a woman he just met?

“Um. My fiancé has gone missing, caught up in the social circle’s schemes. It looks like he ran away, but anyway! Whether the fiancé of me, the Northern Duke, ran away out of fear or was kidnapped and went missing, it’s a matter of pride for me.”

“…Ah, I see.”

“It’s a matter of Renbird pride. I can’t let this slide. Finding that guy is one thing, and dealing with the fellows flirting with me afterward is another.”

The spouse of the Northern Duke should at least be a charismatic and strong man. Kalcion understood what Selina meant.

“So, am I to act as your new suitor and, for the time being, your official lover?”

Suitor, official lover.

Selina hadn’t realized she was ordering something so significant. Only after Kalcion said those words did it dawn on her. Nevertheless, that was indeed what she wanted.

“Well, it’s like that…”

Seeing her respond hesitantly, he nodded decisively.

“Understood. I will fulfill the role.”

“…Uh, th, that… Put on the cloak first. The clothes you’re wearing are too obviously from another world.”

“Is that not acceptable?”

“The existence of someone from another world is a secret of the North only. And, being from another world just seems strange, not threatening. You need to be a perfect partner that is imposing on anyone and everyone. Understand?”

When Selina scolded with wide eyes, Kalcion just gave a slight smile.

Being the perfect man who is second to none was no problem for him; after all, he had lived his life ‘appearing’ that way.

“Understood. I look forward to working with you.”

“…Yes.”

Kalcion extended his hand first towards Selina.

The gesture of shaking hands seemed to signify peace and the sealing of a deal here, too.

She gazed at his hand for a moment before decisively accepting it. Then, he firmly grasped her hand and pressed his lips to the back of her hand.

“What are you doing?”

Selina quickly withdrew her hand.

Kalcion, still bowing, just raised his eyes.

“…Isn’t this typical for official lovers?”

“….”

Right, they were official lovers now.

Regardless, her head, bright red to the top, almost to the point of bursting, couldn’t quite cope with that. Hand-kissing was common at parties, but there was definitely something about this man’s lips.

“Do it in front of others. Acting up like this when we’re alone… I might just bury you right here in the Beast Mountains.”

Selina threatened with a growl, putting up her defenses. Kalcion just shrugged.

…She was the one who suggested it, after all.

“Are you sure you can accept it in front of others?”

“I, I, I can!”

Stuttering a yes didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

“Alright. Let’s assume I’m the one courting more vigorously.”

“…Is that even possible?”

“Anyway, allowing me to stay by your side is permission enough.”

“That’s true.”

“So. As long as you don’t vehemently reject my courting.”

“…That’s true, but—”

Somehow, Selina felt uneasy.

Something was unsettling. It was like picking up what she thought was a puppy, only to realize it might grow into a bear.

‘Should I just let him go now?’

Kalcion smiled kindly, pretending not to see Selina’s inner turmoil.

“So, how should we make our entrance?”

“Oh?”

“Should we say it was love at first sight while fighting monsters?”

“….”

Strange.

This guy was too skilled.

Selina started to feel overwhelmed.

* * *

“Oh, OOHH!”

Dion was startled upon spotting someone approaching from a distance. He had been waiting for Selina, who had gone monster hunting alone for a change of pace. Only Selina should be returning from the Beast Mountains.

“What’s that? A man, isn’t it?”

“A humanoid monster?”

“No, he’s carrying something on his arm?”

“Duke?!”

The entire knight was abuzz.

Selina was returning in the arms of a man.

“What’s going on?! Who is this person!”

Dion approached, pale as a ghost. Anticipating the flood of questions from Dion, Selina raised her hand to stop him.

“…There was an incident.”

“Incident? Duke, you’re returning in the arms of a strange man! Why are you speaking in the past tense.”

“If I say there was, then there was!”

Selina, attempting to quietly smooth things over, eventually snapped. Even though Dion quieted down for a moment, this wasn’t something he could just overlook, so he spoke up again.

“Are you injured? And who is this man? Is he a monster? If it’s a riding beast, I’d understand.”

Selina hesitated for a moment.

Should she just say he was a riding beast?

__