I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 18

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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 18

“Mother, what does a personal maid do?”

Clemente came to visit the Dowager Duchess again today without fail and started a conversation.

Zephyrus had just said that and started working again, so she couldn’t ask her questions, but that was fine.

She had the Dowager Duchess.

“Did Zephyrus ask you to become his personal maid?”

“Yes. But I was wondering what the difference is between a personal maid and a regular maid.”

“If you’re a personal maid, you only need to handle matters related to Zephyrus. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

“Hmm… I wonder if His Grace really needs a personal maid right now, maybe later.”

“He must need one since he suggested it. I actually think it’s a good thing.”

“Why?”

The Dowager Duchess smiled while stroking Clemente’s abundant curly hair.

“Because you’ll take care of his health. And you’ll handle urgent matters directly too.”

“Hmm, really?”

It seemed like there would be much more to think about than just cleaning.

‘Should I do this, or shouldn’t I.’

Even between friends, you need to maintain proper distance, but wouldn’t being a personal maid be too close?

“They also pay more money.”

“They pay more money?”

“Yes. Probably three times as much?”

It really does seem like a good thing.

Too close? If we become truly close friends, that’s all that matters.

Her motivation as a personal maid was ignited.

**

Shortly after Clemente left.

Rossia entered the Dowager Duchess’s chamber.

“Phew.”

“How long are you going to keep avoiding her?”

“Avoiding? Who, me? It’s just bad timing, Aunt. Anyone listening would think it’s true.”

She recalled recent events.

After hearing the physician’s words and going out to find herbs.

No matter how much she inquired, even people who knew the name of the herb were rare.

Rossia’s face was deathly pale when she briefly came in to check on the Dowager Duchess’s condition.

“Lady Rossia! How far did you go?”

At that time, her only maid greeted her with a bright face.

“The Dowager Duchess has regained her health!”

“What?”

Clemente had brought the herbs. She had grown them with such difficulty that she nearly collapsed, yet gave them away freely. If Gwen hadn’t mentioned it, no one would have known.

After hearing that story, she quickly went upstairs.

“Aunt!”

“Rossia, why is your face so injured?”

It was true. There was no sweet smell, her complexion was good, and her voice was healthy too.

“Thank goodness, truly thank goodness.”

“Thank you. You worked so hard, Rossia.”

She couldn’t dampen the mood with tears in this joyful situation. Just as she was trying to swallow her tears, Clemente entered the room.

“Oh, Rossia. You’re back-“

“Clemente!”

Rossia stood up abruptly and glared at her fiercely.

“Why, why?”

The thought that all of this was thanks to Clemente made her emotional.

She should have stopped there.

“Uh, huh, huuuung!”

Why on earth did she burst into tears?

She still feels embarrassed and her face heats up.

“I’m absolutely not avoiding anyone. Got it?”

“You’re talking quite a lot.”

“…Anyway! Aunt. Are you feeling well today too?”

“I’m getting better and better. The physician you brought also has quite good skills.”

“I searched really hard for him.”

“Let’s go for a walk together soon.”

“Sounds good!”

The Dowager Duchess gently stroked Rossia’s cheek.

“Truly, you worked so hard.”

“This much is nothing. Since you’re up and about, Aunt.”

The two looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

“Ah, now there’s nothing to worry about!”

“Not quite. Don’t you need to talk with Clemente? Clemente was worried about you today too.”

“…”

When Rossia turned away without answering, the Dowager Duchess chuckled.

“Oh, go visit Zephyrus too. I don’t know why we didn’t think of putting glass in the door sooner.”

“Back then Zephyrus was more sensitive. If we got caught removing the door, we might have frozen.”

“Right, in the end this is all…”

“Thanks to Clemente.”

Rossia wasn’t avoiding Clemente because she wanted to. She had tried to visit, but when she saw her face, she suddenly felt hot and embarrassed, unable to move her feet.

“I’ll go visit too. Please rest.”

Rossia left the room, biting her lip and walking while pondering whether she should go find Clemente.

Then she heard the physician’s voice.

“I’ve heard rumors. Rumors that circulated among the desert nobles.”

“And?”

The other person was Clemente. Rossia quieted her footsteps and approached where the voices were coming from.

“‘The monster of prophecy has appeared.'”

“‘Strengthen the boundaries of the oasis.’ Right?”

“Correct.”

“Interesting people. What could a child not even ten years old do that they’d go that far?”

“Didn’t you possess the power to burn sand? You’re the one who caused the flames in the desert back then, aren’t you?”

The physician was talking about the South.

She couldn’t see Clemente’s face clearly from here, but her voice was clear. Unlike usual, it was trembling slightly. It seemed like an unwanted topic.

In that case.

“Clemente.”

I should protect her.

“Rossia?”

“What’s going on? Is there a problem?”

“No, nothing’s-“

“You came at a good time. This is a story Lady Rossia should know too.”

Clemente’s expression came into view.

It was the face of someone whose shameful secret they didn’t want revealed had been exposed.

She was usually so composed and honest.

‘If I’m going to hear it directly, so be it.’

But I don’t want to hear it from someone else.

Rossia interrupted the physician.

“I won’t listen. Not if it’s about Clemente.”

“Pardon?”

“Clemente. Let’s go.”

Leaving the bewildered physician behind, Rossia grabbed Clemente’s hand and pulled her along.

The hand she grasped was hot.

“…Thank you.”

“For what? I didn’t bring you along because I wasn’t curious. I want to ask you directly.”

She couldn’t avoid hearing it entirely.

Information about Clemente before coming to the Empire was uncertain. The investigation wasn’t completely finished yet either. The time period had been too short for that.

So she needed to gather even a little information when the opportunity arose.

The probability of Southern affairs affecting the Northern Region was low, but you never know. She needed enough information to solve any problems that might arise.

Most of all, she wanted to hear about Clemente directly from the person herself, not from someone else.

“Is it a difficult story to tell?”

“It’s not that…”

Clemente hesitated uncharacteristically.

“Well, you know. Like causing trouble when you were young or doing embarrassing things. That kind of thing.”

“What? I thought you were a criminal and got startled.”

“But, well, I caused quite a few big incidents? So it’s embarrassing to talk about.”

“How big could they be for you to react like this?”

Clemente glanced at Rossia’s pale face.

Soon she squeezed her eyes shut and pondered.

‘Right. As long as that physician is around, it’ll be revealed eventually anyway.’

Moreover, Zephyrus wanted to keep her by his side. They say high-ranking people investigate the past of those they want to keep close, so no matter how embarrassing, she had to tell her.

“I started some fires.”

“What?”

“I’m quite hot, you know. And the desert is hot.”

“But I understand the nights are cold.”

“Compared to the Northern Region’s cold, it’s nothing.”

She was this hot even in the Northern Region, so what meaning would desert nights have?

Of course, when she was younger, she seemed to be less hot than now.

But whether it’s water just before boiling or boiling water, both are hot enough to cause burns.

That’s how Clemente was.

Even at night it was hot. During the day it was even hotter. Sometimes desert mice called gerbils would wander over by mistake and die from the heat.

“Anyway, everyone hated me so much… When I got angry and said I hated them too, fires started.”

“Oh…”

“And the flames the physician mentioned earlier too. That happened while I was raising a lava bird. It wasn’t intentional.”

She would throw hot stones back at those who threw stones at her, and sometimes approach them to make them hotter.

Occasionally she would drop mice or insects into bowls of water.

‘Ahh…’

Even thinking about it again, it was embarrassing. She had really been immature and young.

“Wo, wow…”

“It’s really embarrassing.”

The more Clemente blushed, the higher the temperature Rossia felt became.

‘Right now it’s just warm because we’re in the Northern Region, but…’

She imagined being around fire in the hot desert.

Wouldn’t it feel like hugging ice in the Northern Region?

Ugh, that would really be awful.

Right, Clemente must have lived being shunned by people.

The pain Clemente must have experienced felt much greater than the pain of people whose faces she didn’t even know.

“What? That’s nothing much.”

“What?”

“It’s at a cute level. I didn’t need to worry about that much.”

Someone who resembled Zephyrus. But a strong person who had overcome that pain.

Rossia linked arms with Clemente. It felt like having a heater tucked under her arm.

“Ah, then what’s this about being the monster from the prophecy?”

“That? About a hundred years ago, there was a prophecy that said ‘A being who will burst the desert’s lifeline will be born borrowing the desert’s body.'”

“And then?”

“They said that was me.”

“…What?!”

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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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