The next visitor was Roselun.

“Your Grace, I must apologize for the sudden visit. The concern for Your Grace in the Capital has been overwhelming, prompting me to come here as their representative. Please forgive me.”

Roselun was a gentleman of elegance, and he had a physique that could rival even Kalcion’s—with a delicate face but a rugged body. Kalcion instinctively tensed his muscles, sensing Roselun could be a formidable opponent.

Unlike Fioln, who barked indiscriminately, Roselun knew how to behave with manners.

“While I can’t exactly welcome you, if you’re here with such intentions, I can’t just turn you away either. Please, feel comfortable during your stay.”

Selina’s cold demeanor softened slightly in the face of a person who was being polite to her. It was something that Kalcion did not particularly appreciate.

“All these intentions are nonsense. You’re just following me! Am I so appealing that you had to rush here? Right?”

As Fioln barked on their behalf at that moment, Kalcion, for once, was thankful for his temper.

“What are you saying? Winning the Lady’s heart is not a matter of taking turns.”

Roselun did not dismiss the barking, no matter how trivial. As he would engage seriously in battle, Kalcion joined in.

“It’s not a matter of quantity either. How can one ‘win’ something that’s not an object?”

Roselun’s gaze finally settled on Kalcion. Though he had been an annoyance from the start, Roselun had deliberately ignored him, pretending he didn’t exist.

Kalcion smiled and cozily leaned his head next to Selina’s.

“The selection is entirely up to the Duke. It’s not something that happens with effort.”

It was a taunt, suggesting he had already been chosen.

Hearing those words, Roselun glared at Kalcion with a frosty look. He was seemingly pondering how to eliminate this thing.

“No one knows until they enter the ceremony. Before the Duke makes her selection, it’s best if the useless losers filter themselves out.”

In other words, he was saying he’d filter out losers.

Roselun’s threatening statement didn’t quite impact Kalcion.

“That’s right. What use are losers without any heart?”

“….”

Roselun gritted his teeth in response to Kalcion’s sharp retort and turned to Selina.

“Your Grace, you said strong men are your preference. If so, I would prefer to prove it through a duel, if you’d allow it.”

Kalcion was ready to accept the challenge right away.

“Having strong men who like me is my preference, but what good is a strong man who wants to use me? He’s just a violent man in the end.”

However, when Selina stopped him with a sigh, Kalcion looked at her curiously. He had expected her to utilize him aggressively, but instead, she seemed to be protecting him with her actions.

“There was once that I was blinded by your kindness, but now I see that it was nothing of the sort. I wish you wouldn’t cling to me when you have no interest in me.”

Her refusal was sharp and clear.

“At that time, I was blind too—blind to recognizing the true worth and value of the heart, I behaved foolishly. From now on, I must strive to do better.”

Yet, Roselun clung like a flytrap. He seemed determined to stick no matter what, seemingly impossible to shake off. Even Fioln, who was not easily outdone in clinginess, shuddered in disgust.

* * *

“Did you once have feelings for Roselun?”

In bed, Kalcion suddenly asked.

Selina’s drowsy eyes snapped open. By now, she had grown accustomed to sharing a bed with him and would usually fall asleep as soon as she lay down. Tonight was no different, and she was drifting off comfortably before Kalcion’s unusual tone woke her.

“Why the sudden question?”

He looked down at her, propping himself on his elbow. Selina felt taken aback by the unfamiliar angle. Usually, men were slightly taller, looking down on her, but she had never looked up at a man from a lying position.

Kalcion’s face filled her entire field of vision. The angle, perhaps overwhelming, made her out of breath.

“Yes. His words keep coming back to me.”

“…Ah, that… It wasn’t so much that I liked him… He looked like a well-bred noble youth, didn’t he? Polite manners and all. So, I wondered for a moment if he was interested in me. There was a brief talk of marriage.”

“Marriage talk?!”

Had it been just a fleeting interest, he might have let it go… but marriage talks? That couldn’t just be brushed aside.

Kalcion sat up abruptly.

“You’re saying there were marriage talks?!”

“They called it off. It was before the gold mines were discovered in the north.”

“So, they called it off because of money?!”

That was even worse.

“Well… that’s how noble marriages are.”

“Aren’t nobles people, too?”

“Noble marriages are contracts.”

Selina wasn’t particularly hurt or bitter about it, and above all, she hadn’t cared that much. Nonetheless, Kalcion was outraged, as if he had been the one kicked out of the engagement.

“How could you even smile and talk to such a man after that?”

“I didn’t smile.”

“You shouldn’t even talk.”

“What would you have me do?”

“Kill him, of course!”

Selina mulled over Kalcion’s suggestion.

Perhaps?

It seemed to make sense.

“I’ll see if I can arrange a convenient accident.”

“Hmm… Will you?”

Perhaps a clean revenge would be preferable.

Selina didn’t bother to dissuade him. There was no reason to. If Kalcion were willing to go on such a rampage, it would prevent any clingy men from bothering her. So it would be like killing two birds with one stone.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

* * *

Kalcion’s resolution to eliminate Roselun didn’t come to fruition immediately. Roselun returned to the capital after delivering an invitation from Crown Prince Larsen, taking Fioln with him, which was a relief.

“Do all the nobles in the capital feel like Roselun?”

“Yes.”

Inside the carriage heading to the capital, Kalcion began to formulate a concrete plan.

Roselun had fled before a real duel could take place.

Since he would be arriving in the capital first, there would likely be a line of people trying to take Kalcion down.

“It won’t be any big deal.”

Kalcion said, half-bluffing.

Selina watched him intently.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Isn’t this what you employed me for?”

“Even so, I don’t want to see my employee getting hurt.”

It was the kind of thing an employer ought to say. Working as a model, he’d often heard, “Don’t overdo it,” “Don’t hold back when it hurts.” It seemed to be along the same lines.

Yet, why? It felt so special.

“…If I’m going to do it, I want to finish it cleanly.”

He wanted to make sure no one could approach Selina carelessly.

…Without the word ‘carelessly,’ he wished no one else would be by her side. Even knowing it was a ludicrous desire, he still couldn’t help but feel that way. Kalcion hid his true feelings and spoke like a loyal servant.

* * *

Ultimately, Kalcion turned the social scene upside down. Upon his arrival, he captured everyone’s attention with his stunning looks, and everywhere he went, he became the topic of conversation for his blind courtship towards Selina.

“I’m thirsty.”

Just a light comment from Selina, and he immediately stood up to fetch water.

“Where can I find some water?”

People tried to push Kalcion away with all kinds of pettiness.

“There’s no water here.”

Even the host of the tea party was petty to that extent. Still, Kalcion wasn’t deterred by such pettiness.

“Then, is there a shovel?”

“A shovel? What for? To bury me? Just because there’s no water?!”

“If Selina is thirsty, and there’s no water, shouldn’t I dig up a pond right here to get her some?”

“….”

The host of the tea party quietly brought out the water.

Compared to Duke Renbird, a symbol of wealth, honor, and power, the man had nothing but his body, but he made up for the rest with his zeal. Those who initially dismissed him as a penniless commoner couldn’t help but recognize his steadfast feelings towards Selina.

Indeed, there were those who challenged him to a duel.

However, the outcome was as everyone expected — a landslide victory for Kalcion. With his existing skills, stamina, strength, and the Northern martial arts that Selina personally taught him every night, there was no one who could stand against him.

‘People aren’t just considering him a mere commoner, are they? Maybe he’s a knight?’

‘He might even surpass being just any noble at this rate.’

Despite arriving in this world empty-handed, Kalcion gradually accumulated many things. His growing reputation eventually reached Crown Prince Larsen’s ears.

“Selina has found herself a man who she couldn’t control her senses at? And he’s handsome, fit, utterly devoted, and a formidable fighter?”

Larsen didn’t believe their relationship was as straightforward as others perceived.

“It seems she’s picked up a decent puppet… she’s really making a big fuss. I wouldn’t mind if she just clung to him quietly.”

He smirked to himself.

__