I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 16

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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 16

The physician looked at Clemente with curious eyes as he explained.

“The reason the Dowager Duchess has survived until now is because her room was warm. When I entered, it was even hotter than the desert during the day.”

“It needs to be that hot for her to slee—”

“Ahem.”

“Ah, I meant for her to rest.”

Brushing off Sié’s light cough, she asked the physician.

“Anyway, so what happened?”

“But suddenly the castle became cold, and her body couldn’t endure it. If we had been even a little later, I don’t know what would have happened.”

“What about now? Is she okay now?”

“We’ve only gotten past the critical situation for now. The important thing is the medicinal herb. From what I can see, you seem to be from the desert. Don’t you know about it?”

The physician asked Clemente as if testing her. Clemente nodded casually.

“Would it take you a long time to obtain it too, physician?”

“Any physician would take a long time to obtain Lavaba.”

Clemente shrugged as if she had expected this. Just as Sié was about to get emotional at that light reaction.

“Hmm… Alright. I understand. I’d like to take the physician and one knight, and, well, one more person. Where is Rossia?”

“Wait, Lady Rossia isn’t in the castle. Where are you planning to go? I’d prefer if you stayed by the Dowager Duchess’s side.”

Sié hesitated but held onto Clemente.

Clemente understood Sié’s concern. She probably thought Clemente was the only one who could save the Dowager Duchess if she became critically ill again.

However, she couldn’t stay trapped here forever.

She had gone through all that trouble in preparation for times like this!

“It’s okay. This is for the Dowager Duchess. I’ll be back soon.”

Clemente climbed the mountain with knight Gwen and the physician.

Despite the blizzard still raging, they didn’t get hit by a single snowflake.

Rather, walking up the rough path made them sweat.

It was truly a wondrous sight. Wherever they—no, wherever Clemente—passed, the accumulated snow disappeared without a trace, and it was mystical no matter how many times they saw it.

“Fire spirit… aren’t you really one?”

“No, I’m not.”

“It really doesn’t seem like you’re not.”

“Listen—”

Clemente, who was about to say there was someone similar in the castle, closed her mouth when she saw the physician panting as he walked.

“We just need to go a little further. Physician, can you keep up if we go faster?”

“Faster, huff, faster you say?”

“What’s so difficult about a mountain without snow! I’ll carry him as training. Run, Clemente!”

“Yes!”

After crossing one mountain peak, heat suddenly rushed in.

It had been warm until now, but this was even more intense heat.

“Put, put me down!”

The physician who spotted the medicinal herb quickly got down and ran over.

“Th, this is…!”

Red stems with black leaves shaped like burning flames.

The medicinal herb that could cure ‘Cactus Flower’, it looked exactly like Lavaba!

A medicinal herb that could never grow in the Northern Region.

Only this area had a hot environment.

A person who melts snow.

Then!

“Did you cultivate the Lavaba?”

“How is it? If we wait just one more day, it should be fully grown. Is this not enough?”

“It’s sufficient!”

“Then that’s settled. I’ll harvest it tomorrow.”

“No, more than that, how on earth did you grow it!”

Gwen blocked the physician who was trying to grab Clemente.

His obsession was so strong that the physician’s fingers dug into Gwen’s arm.

Clemente tapped his fingers and said.

“I’ll tell you on the way down.”

It was simple work. There was no special secret method, so there was nothing to hide.

Lavaba was a plant that grew quickly if the temperature was raised to match the lava region.

However, perhaps she had taken the Northern Region’s weather too lightly, as it required much more effort than expected.

If it were just raising the temperature, it might have been different, but she had to carefully use her power for a long time to avoid interference from the blizzard, and she even fainted.

When she woke up, all the snow on the mountain had melted, which gave her quite a shock.

“You collapsed?”

Gwen asked in surprise.

Clemente noticed what Gwen was thinking.

“Ah, it wasn’t anything serious. My body temperature suddenly became too high—”

“So you collapsed while cultivating medicinal herbs for the Dowager Duchess?”

“Lavaba is a medicinal herb that grows quickly with sufficient heat, so it wasn’t very difficult!”

“Yes, but creating that much heat in the Northern Region must have been difficult. That’s why you collapsed, isn’t it?”

That ridiculous thought that she had sacrificed herself for them to cultivate the medicinal herbs.

Gwen’s eyes held emotion, gratitude, and slight guilt.

“No, no, no! That’s not it! It wasn’t very difficult since I’ve grown them before!”

“That’s not true. You’re not being honest about this kind of thing. Don’t worry. I’ll relay this matter without leaving out a single detail.”

No matter how much she denied it, it didn’t seem to reach Gwen’s ears.

Watching Gwen make a tearful expression while imagining who knows what, Clemente pressed her forehead.

**

After Clemente harvested the medicinal herbs and brought them to the physician, the Dowager Duchess’s illness began to improve noticeably.

Her appetite increased, she stayed awake longer, and she began to gain weight.

“Clemente.”

“Yes, Dowager Duchess.”

“No, that’s not right. Call me mother.”

“Pardon?”

Clemente blinked at the Dowager Duchess’s sudden words.

The Dowager Duchess wrapped her warm hands and smiled kindly.

“You’re our Zephyrus’s friend. And you’re the benefactor who saved my life, so I don’t like such formal titles.”

“Um… I was worried I might be too casual…”

“Yes, that’s it. Please treat me without formality, like a real mother!”

Whatever Gwen had told them, the Dowager Duchess and Sié treated Clemente like a treasure.

But what exactly should she do when asked to treat her like a mother?

“Then, could you hug me just once?”

Since she didn’t know, she carefully asked for what she had most wanted to do if she had a mother.

Clemente made the request cautiously.

“Of course. Of course! Naturally!”

The Dowager Duchess hugged Clemente and stroked her back.

“…Aren’t I too hot?”

“You’re warm and nice.”

“That’s a relief.”

Compared to life with the Desert People who disliked even having her come near them, let alone hug her, the Northern Region was heaven.

“Oh right, when you can move around a bit, may I give you as a gift to my master?”

“Me?”

“Yes. I think he’ll be incredibly happy. Both you and my master.”

“Sure, how so?”

“It’s still too much to open the door, but we should be able to see each other’s faces without opening it, right?”

Clemente’s eyes sparkled. The Dowager Duchess chuckled softly and leaned their heads together.

“How shall we do it?”

Outside, the blizzard was still raging, but inside the castle it was warm.

The tense atmosphere had changed to something stable.

It was all the result of one person’s doing.

But there was just one place.

One place that still maintained its cool air.

That was Zephyrus’ room.

**

“I can’t even count how many times.”

“Pardon?”

“The number of times you’ve skipped meal time with me.”

Clemente laughed awkwardly.

“I couldn’t help it. I was busy, you know?”

“Is there something here more important than me, your friend?”

He knew that Clemente had obtained medicinal herbs for his mother.

But Clemente’s job should have ended there. Refining the lava flower into medicine was the physician’s work.

He also knew that his mother frequently sought out Clemente. But Clemente was his maid. She should be eating with him, not his mother!

“I worked harder for my friend’s sake.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Clemente approached Zephyrus, who was scolding her while stealing glances at her, and extended her hand with a smile.

It meant she wanted to do bare-hand training.

“I also made an effort.”

Zephyrus removed his gloves himself and placed his bare hand over Clemente’s.

1 second, 2 seconds. He endured exactly one minute before pulling away.

Clemente pretended not to notice the cold sweat beading on Zephyrus’ forehead and clapped her hands.

“That’s right. You even took off one of the layers you were wearing. Well done, well done. I should give you a present.”

“A present?”

“Yes. I prepared it diligently.”

Zephyrus, who had been staring at Clemente intently, extended his hand.

“Give it to me.”

“It’s not that small. I’ll give you the dessert first.”

A small candy dropped onto his palm.

“What’s this?”

“The physician carries it around to give when medicine tastes bitter. It was delicious.”

It was a dessert that had been rumored about in the duchy lately. Many people were saying they’d need to buy candy when the merchant group arrived.

“They say it’s good to eat when you’re tired too.”

“I see. I’ll eat it later.”

“Yes. Now let’s eat, let’s eat!”

“Food…”

He slowly surveyed the meal.

Soup with potatoes and corn, roasted rabbit meat, bread.

It might be a humble meal for a duke, but at this time, this was the best they could do.

“Which village are you staying in now?”

“The same village as Ruby.”

“Right. That’s the only place if you want to commute.”

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if the villagers have any problems with food.”

“Hmm…”

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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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