I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1

Whoosh-

“Ah.”

A flame sprouted like a bud beside Clemente, a woman with blazing scarlet hair.

Clemente crushed the flame with her palm while keeping her eyes on the book she was reading.

Every time her concentration deepened, flames would ignite around her, and Clemente would extinguish them as if accustomed to it.

Finally, the last page of the book was turned, and Clemente stretched and loosened her stiff shoulders.

‘Nice weather…’

The sky was clear and the weather was warm. Though it wasn’t as hot and dry as a desert, even the people of the Teranova Empire would furrow their brows whenever she passed by.

The warmth would have turned into heat, so it was understandable.

‘I thought the Empire’s mages would know the reason.’

This was one of the reasons she, who had never left the desert, decided to come to the Empire.

She wanted to ask a mage about her constitution.

Why her body temperature was so hot, and why it affected her surroundings, making them hot too.

‘I spent all my fortune, but nothing was resolved satisfactorily.’

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

Instead, hadn’t she read plenty of books that couldn’t be found in the desert? Thanks to that, her reading comprehension improved. There were even books she obtained by giving some blood.

Clemente stood up, putting the book in her bag. It was time to go again.

Clemente’s destination was the Northern Region.

The most decisive reason she decided to come to the Empire.

That was precisely the existence of the Northern Region.

The Northern Region was a place where you could hardly see clear skies a few times throughout the year, and it was extremely cold.

“Hmm, I’m going the right way.”

A mountain path so narrow it made her wonder if she could proceed, and completely unmaintained.

They said if you followed such a path, you’d reach the Northern Region. You wouldn’t be able to miss it because it would get cold as you went.

However, even though she had been walking such a path for several hours already, the day was still warm.

How much further should she go? Should she rest a bit? To rest or not to rest? It was ambiguous.

As Clemente walked looking down, she noticed wet ground at some point.

When she raised her head to look at the sky, something pure white was falling.

Joy filled her round golden eyes.

“Is this… snow?”

Clemente raised both arms high and jumped around trying to catch the fluttering snow, then burst into laughter.

Though it was frustrating that the snow melted before her hands could even touch it, an even greater joy welled up.

“This much is okay?”

No fire broke out. She didn’t need to keep her nerves on edge.

If she usually had to be careful at level 10, now it was about level 5!

Forgetting her fatigue, Clemente ran forward. With each step she took, the snow that had lightly covered the path instantly melted away.

“I finally made it!”

In a cold place, perhaps her hot body temperature, this strange constitution, could be accepted.

She had endured the long journey of over a year with only that hope.

But even if she wasn’t accepted by the village, even if she lived alone outside the village, it seemed like it would be okay.

Just this lightness she was feeling now made coming to the Northern Region worthwhile enough.

“You accept me too-“

Rumble- CRASH!

“Eek!”

Suddenly a large rock fell from above, and Clemente threw herself aside.

Dust and snow spread like fog, obscuring her vision, but when heat surged from startled Clemente’s body, it quickly cleared.

Just as the snow melted, the dust also burned away and disappeared.

After calming her pounding heart, she could only laugh bitterly at this situation.

“I’m probably the only person who gets a welcome greeting from a rock.”

Muttering this, Clemente assessed the rock that had completely blocked the path.

‘I can’t climb over it.’

It was a rock that was too large, smooth, and even round for that.

After pondering briefly, her gaze turned toward the mountain slope where the rock had rolled down.

“It would be simple if I climbed the mountain.”

Wouldn’t it be enough to just get to where the path extended somehow?

Clemente, who had strolled between sand dunes in the desert, thought mountains wouldn’t be any different.

It was a grave mistake.

**

The young Grand Duke of the Duchy of Pruina, Zephyrus Pruina.

He was wrapped in several layers of cloth, checking documents.

The already cold Northern Region was approaching a time when it became unbearably colder and snow fell terribly heavily, the so-called Nightmare of the Snowy Mountains, so there was much to prepare.

‘I think we need to stack more firewood.’

He had received a report that they had gathered less firewood than last year because monsters roaming the mountain range had been more rampant this year.

Naturally, hunting had also become difficult, so the amount of stored food was also less.

Though it was only a little over a week, the Northern Region’s nightmare was an incredibly brutal climate.

The cold and blizzards raged so fiercely that outdoor activities became completely impossible, so many territorial residents would die if preparations were even slightly inadequate.

It was no exaggeration to say they spent the entire year stockpiling resources for that period.

‘…What should I do?’

Nineteen years old, having just completed his coming-of-age ceremony.

Though half a year had already passed since he inherited the ducal title from his mother who had been managing the territory as regent, it was still difficult.

The most difficult thing among them was.

“Your Grace! I’ve brought today’s reports too! Please work at a leisurely pace!”

He couldn’t properly communicate with the administrators working on the front lines.

Zephyrus let out a short sigh.

There were few who could stand before his door.

Only knights with magical power could pass by his door. Because of this, even handling one small matter required going through several processes. Tasks that should end quickly took several days.

Of course, if they didn’t come into direct contact with him, being nearby didn’t necessarily mean they would freeze solid.

But who knew what might happen?

Crack.

Even if his heart wavered slightly at such thoughts, cold air would burst out like this, creating ice around him.

The very idea of people coming near him was frightening.

Except for Gwen, the Northern Region’s one and only knight commander.

“Your Grace! Did you hear me? You must have heard! It’s me, Gwen! I might cry from feeling hurt!”

Of course, that knight commander kept adding unnecessary words while bringing reports.

He felt a bit comfortable because he remembered her briefly withstanding his curse.

“I’ll handle it myself. You should also work at a leisurely pace.”

“As expected, Your Grace is the only one who thinks of me! I receive your command!”

Zephyrus perked up his ears.

He heard the sound of footsteps trudging away. Only then did he bring in the report.

There was a structure below the door that was usually blocked but could be opened like a window when desired, so he could bring in documents without directly opening the door.

A Grand Duke lying on the floor pulling in documents. If someone knew, it would become the laughingstock of society.

No, wait. They would also learn about the curse, so it might not be a laughingstock but a target for elimination.

“Sigh.”

If only he had really turned into ice.

He firmly suppressed the thought that occasionally arose. When he had negative thoughts, the curse would rage more. Then the entire castle might freeze, so he had to be careful.

‘Let me pull myself together.’

While he was working like that for a while, he felt something strange.

A feeling as if the cold had lessened considerably.

What is this?

He doesn’t feel the cold easily. Even when his surroundings freeze, it doesn’t bother him. He’s lived perfectly fine for 10 years without lighting the fireplace.

He hasn’t been outside since being cursed, so he doesn’t know if he could withstand the cold outdoors, but that’s his current situation.

‘That’s what makes it even stranger.’

He doesn’t feel cold, yet he has the sensation that the cold has lifted.

Zephyrus, who had been pondering, called out toward the outside.

“Is anyone there?”

“Your Highness, it’s Jin. Please command me.”

“How does the temperature feel to you right now?”

“Pardon?”

Though Jin’s voice carried bewilderment, like the steadfast knight of the Northern Region he was, he immediately continued with an answer.

“It’s just as cold!”

“The same as yesterday?”

“The weather is colder than yesterday!”

“I see.”

It must be my imagination. Or perhaps the curse is affecting even my senses.

Zephyrus came to a simple conclusion. A curse of unknown origin. It wouldn’t be strange if there were more things about it that he didn’t know.

Still, just in case, he planned to instruct the knights to carefully check if anything was different from usual during their patrols.

“Your Highness, I’ll leave the report as well. This is today’s final report!”

Has it already become that time?

After Jin’s footsteps had completely disappeared, he repeated the same process before reading the report.

[The Dowager Duchess skipped her meals again today. She seems to be finding it increasingly difficult to eat.]

[We still haven’t found what the cause might be.]

The Dowager Duchess had originally been healthy. She never caught even a minor cold. At least until before she went to the Capital, saying she wanted to rest.

She had stayed in the Capital for several months and returned a month ago. The Dowager Duchess began falling ill from that time.

What seemed like a mild cold rapidly worsened, and neither the Northern Region’s physicians nor the famous doctors from the Capital knew the reason.

[How about informing the Imperial Court of the situation now and requesting Imperial Physicians?]

Zephyrus gritted his teeth.

Don’t inform the Imperial Court of mother’s condition. That was his mother’s wish.

She had said to delay reporting the fact as much as possible, even if she were to pass away.

He didn’t know what she had seen in the Capital, but he could only assume it was related to the Imperial Court cutting off support to the Northern Region.

‘But if she passes away like this….’

Though she had used the excuse of wanting to rest, there was no way he didn’t know that his mother had gone to the Capital to secretly investigate his curse.

‘It’s all because of me.’

Following his father, now his mother too would die an untimely death because of his curse.

Then what on earth should he do!

It would have been better if it were a curse that killed and harmed me instead!

Crack!

The crumpled paper in his hand froze and crumbled.

At that sound, Zephyrus came to his senses and looked down at his hands.

“…It’s somewhat different.”

The ice powder that had scattered and should have frozen again melted and disappeared.

Though it seemed like an insignificant change, this had never happened before.

Could it be related to feeling earlier that the cold had disappeared?

‘The curse could weaken? …No. That can’t be possible.’

Hope is double-edged.

Despair comes several times the size of hope being chipped away.

He didn’t want to experience that overwhelming feeling again.

Several days passed since he had pulled himself together in that familiar way.

It seemed like it would be the same day as always….

“May I come in?”

Suddenly, warm crimson light flooded into the dark and cold room.

It was his first encounter with the hope he would embrace for life and never let go.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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