I Will Seduce The Northern Duke
chapter-150

Selina smiled leisurely and used the generosity of a ‘goddess.’

“It would be faster if one person took the left and right.”

The maids clung to Selina’s arms faster than anything else.

“But how did it happen? Suddenly the goddess awakens! Did you become like this?”

“Umm…”

She wondered how far she would sell her medicine. Finding the right amount of fiction was always difficult.

“When I came to my senses, I was crossing over the mountain range. A field in full bloom stretched out in front of me, and beasts crouched down in front of me and bowed. At that moment, I realized. Ah, the blood of the ancient race flows in my blood. I was born to come to this land of beasts in order to lead the beasts.”

When she was acting, there were times when she was immersed without realizing it.

The setting made in an instant was so plausible that the maids’ eyes lit up and chanted as if she was a real goddess. In this kind of story, it didn’t matter if it was true or not. The key was how cool it was and whether it touched the heart.

“But then, Lord Kalcion stopped me. I needed you to protect this Renbird. Please lend me your strength.”

“Oh…”

“And this man named Kalcion can’t live without you either.”

“Kyaaaak!”

The maids clenched their fists, stamped their feet, and screamed like viewers watching the drama’s climax. Even just listening to the story made them so happy, as if it was them.

It was enjoyable.

Satisfying the maids’ needs, Selina leaned back in the bathtub, proud of her own improvisation.

* * *

Having completed her bath, Selina donned lightweight attire and made her way towards the conference room. Her body ached with weariness, and she could feel sleep tugging at her. She could easily doze off anywhere.

As she approached the conference room, a soldier stationed there caught sight of her and swiftly raised his hand in salute. It was a gesture of respect that the ‘commoner Selina’ had never received before.

Undoubtedly, she felt a tremendous shift in her quality of life once again.

Reflecting on why she had required such a drastic transformation of her identity, she found herself realizing the necessity of it, especially in moments like this.

In that regard, Kalcion’s foresight had proven accurate.

“The Goddess enters.”

Until she was called, she never thought she would be called a goddess.

Selina put on a businesslike smile as she steps into the conference room. In the meanwhile, Kalcion put down the papers in his hand and jumped up. At the same time, when he got up, all in the audience had no choice but to stand up.

She then approached him with cordial courtesy.

“You’re here?”

Kalcion pressed a gentle kiss to her hand, his damp hair indicating he had recently washed it. He was dressed in simple and pristine attire, a return to his usual appearance.

In that moment, Selina felt like she had once again returned to her rightful place by his side.

Her seat had already been reserved for her, right next to his. This was yet another tangible reflection of the changed treatment she now received.

She couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the chair before her.

In the past, she had struggled immensely to be close to Kalcion. She had disregarded any concern for appearances, sitting on his lap, embracing him, ranting about anything and everything.

Though now, the seat next to him was hers.

As she took her place, she noticed the curious gazes of the subjects piercing her face. These were the same people who had once contemplated raising her status.

In other words, they were the ones who had participated in an operation where Kalcion could permanently abandon Renbird. Although it had been an action initiated by Kalcion himself, resentment tends to be directed towards the vulnerable. They could have easily directed their curses at her, deeming her the main culprit.

Nonetheless, Selina refused to yield.

She had no reason or desire to be servile. From now on, she had declared herself a goddess, and she intended to live up to that title.

“Please continue.”

With her chin raised proudly, Selina naturally assumed a leading position.

“Uhum, hmm, yes… By the way, may I ask you something?”

“You may.”

Selina’s commanding speech sent a shiver down the spines of the subjects.

The atmosphere in the conference room grew tense as if it had been clenched into a tight fist. Even though she was well aware of the incoming resentment she might face, she had no intention of shouldering the blame for something that was not her fault.

“Did you really awaken as a goddess?”

“….?!”

She almost choked in surprise.

She thought it was a joke, but the subjects looked serious.

“….”

She found it surprising that even these people, who had been part of the planning process, would exhibit such behavior.

Weren’t they the ones who devised the operation together?

Although their actions may be part of their strategy, did they genuinely have faith in the existence of the goddess or something? Still, the fact that she even questioned it indicated that they already held some level of belief.

It was so easy to cheat in this world.

While she felt the urge to mock them, she also recognized the need to seize this unexpected opportunity that had presented itself.

“To answer that question, I think we need to start with a definition of what a ‘goddess’ is.”

As she asked seriously, the servants also answered seriously.

The answers were all there.

“It’s an unknown world for us too, so we don’t know much about it… maybe like the ancestor Songtullek, being able to handle magic, spreading knowledge that we know nothing about, or making prophecies…”

“Yes, I guess I’m a goddess at this rate. In fact, I had no memory of the past, but as soon as I stepped on the beast’s land, the forgotten memories came back and I learned how to deal with the beast.”

“Hoho…!”

With the evidence they saw with their own eyes, her credibility increased even more. The subjects had already been taken over.

Having already practiced the story in front of the maids, it flowed more naturally this time. Perhaps due to the repetition, more soul was added to complete the story to become more lively.

While some details may have been twisted and fictionalized, the main points were grounded in truth, rendering the story more believable. Even Kalcion, who was privy to all the facts, expressed admiration, stating, “It sounds even more plausible hearing it again.’

As Selina concluded her speech, the subjects were left wide-eyed.

“Goddess…!”

Selina nodded her head in satisfaction as she saw the eyes flash with wonder at her.

“Because it is a human body, there may be limitations, but as long as I live on this land, I will be Renbird’s ally.”

“Ohh, then you are at the forefront of the war against the crown prince?”

“What are you talking about? This is this, that is that.”

Selina just cut it.

No matter how much she created an image, there was no end when she accepted all the absurd demands. It was more important to properly draw a line from the beginning and create a character than to have her break it down later.

“Ah, aah, yes.”

“Because I’m a Goddess, it’s difficult if you keep leaning on me like this, asking me to do everything for you.”

“I apologize.”

She gave a snort at the bewildered servants, and this time she took out a carrot and held it up again.

“But let’s take a look at the context. I heard earlier that there was an urgent report.”

“Ah, yes. The report has been completed, but I will inform it again for the Goddess.”

“In short.”

“Yes, I will make it as brief as possible. The imperial forces have completed their deployment on the perimeter of Renbird below Silenza, and a warning message has arrived.”

The duration of their journey to the Beast Mountain was considerable.

Nonetheless, it would still be insufficient for the entire army to make the move in a timely manner. Even if they were to travel at the fastest possible speed using horses and carriages, it would take at least a week to travel from west to east and reach Silenza.

Even with a simple calculation, the time was not correct.

“How can they be so fast?”

“Since the standing army is small, it is possible to move at full speed. It seems that the soldiers from each of the remaining territories have not yet arrived.”

Selina quickly understood.

It was the form seen in Western period films. It took money to maintain a standing army.

So, the standing army was maintained only as much as money was needed, and when a war broke out, soldiers were recruited from among the commoners living their own lives and summoning soldiers of each territory.

“There must be many territories along the way, but they say they are behind the crown prince’s army that departed from Mion?”

“Since the war is so sudden, they will need time.… but, that would be an excuse.”

The subject laughed softly.

“It’s probably because they’re afraid of Renbird.”

Indeed. It was the most reasonable and convincing reason.

“However, His Excellency’s absence will soon become known, so if the Crown Prince wins, their share will not be small, so they’ll start moving slowly. Even though it will not happen.”

Renbird itself was a land with economic levels and resources comparable to that of a country. Who wouldn’t desire it?

Those whose greed precedes fear would definitely come forward.

“However, since Your Excellency has returned, there is no problem. Even the Goddess came riding a beast.”

The servant spoke brightly in a relaxed voice.

“Still, there is a strategy, right?”

“Yes, of course. His Excellency can participate.”

“….”

It was terribly simple and straightforward though it was also true that there was no further answer. It was true that if they just brought Kalcion anywhere, they would win… but were they using him as a strategy?

“Then, why are you having this meeting?”

“To take care of more justifications.”

At that time, Kalcion answered instead of the subjects.

‘He would at least give her a sane answer.’

Selina listened with anticipation.

“A commoner who wounded the crown prince, the Duke who wielded a sword and hid the commoner inside the palace. Even if we win, it will be an excuse to fight endlessly.”

“Can’t we just kill the Crown Prince?”

People in modern society are known for their directness, especially Koreans. Selina confidently exclaimed her straightforward response.

It was also a way of thinking that suited the North.