I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 33

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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 33

 

Zephyrus, who had been quietly gazing at her, asked.

 

“Are you happy right now?”

 

“Happy?”

 

Clemente, who had been repeating the word “happy,” put her feet on the floor and stood up.

 

She turned around to face Zephyrus.

 

“That’s right. I’m happy. I really like it.”

 

I like it. Really. This time she repeated the word “good” and declared while extending her index and middle fingers.

 

“I found the second thing I like.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“The Northern Region! No, the Northern Region? Whatever!”

 

Clemente giggled with a flushed face and spun around.

 

Whoosh, the sound of wind seemed to play music in harmony with her.

 

Just moments ago, it had been nothing but a noisy and cold sound.

 

Zephyrus’s eyes couldn’t leave Clemente. He seemed to have forgotten even to blink.

 

“Master? What’s wrong?”

 

Clemente spoke to him. Only then did Zephyrus close and open his eyes, lowering his head while pretending to look at documents.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

“Ah, because I like the Northern Region?”

 

“Yes. I can worry a little less about you running away.”

 

“Wow, this master! You still don’t trust me?”

 

“Make me trust you a little more.”

 

“Fine. Watch me. I’ll make you trust me right away.”

 

Zephyrus glanced at Clemente, who was making a resolution with both fists clenched, and unconsciously smiled.

 

Unlike last year, it was an incredibly warm period of the Snowy Mountains’ nightmare.

 

Thinking that way, guilt arose in a corner of his heart.

 

Right now, because of his existence, the vassals were suffering.

 

‘If only I could somehow get through this time…’

 

He was about to speak to Clemente but soon gave up on the idea.

 

It would obviously be too much of a burden for her, and above all.

 

‘Because it’s dangerous.’

 

He concluded his thoughts that way and went back to doing what he had to do.

 

This was after confirming the report that last night’s ghost commotion was a maid’s mistake.

 

And so the warmest nightmare period ever passed.

 

Most villages became noisy with rumors of seeing ghosts.

 

The vassals’ ghost sightings were somewhat consistent.

 

“There were only feet! There was nothing above them!”

 

“You only saw that? Suddenly fire appeared in empty air!”

 

“Gasp! Tom, you saw it too? Snow was falling but it kept getting blocked by something.”

 

Sparks appeared in dark and cold spaces, and even though no one should have been outside, snow kept melting and paths formed. White cloth fragments would appear and disappear repeatedly.

 

“Really, what is all this… No caravans coming, no firewood, and even ghosts?”

 

This must all be because the domain is about to collapse! Tom shouted in indignation.

 

When the Previous Duke was alive, they lived well without worrying about food or warmth.

 

But since the current Duke began ruling the Duchy, it had become like this within just a few years.

 

Even during normal times, excluding the Snowy Mountains’ nightmare period, it seemed to have gotten colder.

 

“Really, it’s fortunate we didn’t freeze to death… right?”

 

Tom stopped mid-sentence and looked around.

 

After the Snowy Mountains’ nightmare ended, they would prioritize checking for casualties every year at this time.

 

Because they had to hold ceremonies so the dead could rest in peace.

 

‘Not a single person has a dark expression?’

 

Usually, even in small villages, one or two people would pass away. Even in houses overflowing with firewood. The cold was so severe that those with weak bodies couldn’t endure it.

 

When that happened, those who lost family members would show it. Even though death was close by, they couldn’t be fine after losing family.

 

“Are there any friends who lost family this time?”

 

Representatives from each household looked around at each other.

 

“Our house is fine for now.”

 

“Ah, us too.”

 

“It actually seemed a bit warm?”

 

This time there were none. Not a single person.

 

There were no poor souls who had their breath taken by the cold.

 

After being speechless at this strange occurrence for a moment.

 

The woman who said she saw fire in empty air cautiously spoke up.

 

“Perhaps… a fire fairy helped us?”

 

“A fire fairy?”

 

People thought about it.

 

That makes sense!

 

Rather than an untimely ghost, it was more reasonable to say that a fire fairy had taken pity on them and revealed its presence.

 

Since it’s a fairy, it could become invisible, and naturally being fire, it could melt or block snow.

 

Since there was a legend that a fire fairy slept somewhere in the Northern Region, it wasn’t completely unrelated.

 

“That was it!”

 

“Haha! We were scared for nothing!”

 

The vassals’ complexions brightened considerably.

 

This was the conclusion that all the villagers not too far from the Duchy Castle had commonly reached.

 

“Is our domain blessed by a fire fairy?”

 

This hadn’t happened when the previous Duke was around. Could it perhaps be the current Duke’s ability?

 

Someone called out to Tom, who alone had a puzzled expression.

 

“Uncle Tom!”

 

“Julay!”

 

Julay, who had remained at the Duchy Castle for her shift, had returned to the village as soon as the Snowy Mountains’ nightmare ended.

 

“I really, really had an amazing experience!”

 

“Wait! This uncle knows too. By any chance, a ghost?”

 

“Ah, that’s right! I saw it on the first day!”

 

Tom became certain of the thought he’d just had. It’s the Duke’s grace!

 

Just the fact that it appeared at the Ducal Palace on the first day proved it.

 

Human ranks wouldn’t matter to a fire fairy, but going to the Duchy Castle first meant there was something important inside.

 

Then what else could it be but the Duke!

 

“And, and! I also made a friend. I wanted to introduce her, so I brought her along.”

 

Julay gestured behind her.

 

A striking woman could be seen in the distance.

 

She was like a gorgeous flower blooming in the snowy mountains.

 

Her crimson hair fluttering in the wind made her look even more so.

 

Tom slowly lowered his gaze.

 

The ground where she stood was melted.

 

The only changes in their unchanging daily life. The outsider pointed to as the cause of those changes.

 

“It’s Clemente. She’s really warm and kind!”

 

Clemente, who had been far away, came slightly closer and greeted them. She brought both hands forward, making a flame shape and offering it to the other person. It was a Northern Region greeting.

 

A greeting unique to Northern people, wishing that the fire fairy’s blessing be upon you.

 

At that moment, Tom’s thought became firmly established as truth in his mind.

 

“That’s her!”

 

“What, what do you mean?”

 

Julay, startled by the sudden exclamation, asked, but Tom’s gaze didn’t leave Clemente.

 

A woman wearing only a thin cloak in this Northern Region that was still cold, even though the nightmare of the Snowy Mountains had ended.

 

“She’s the incarnation of a fire spirit! The one who made our domain warm!”

 

At those words, Clemente was greatly startled and waved her hands dismissively.

 

“N-no, I’m not! Absolutely not!”

 

She stepped backward. Rossia’s words came to mind.

 

“I-I’m Clemente, who decided to become friends with Julay this time! I might come often, so please take care of me. Well, I’m busy so I’ll be going!”

 

Clemente ran without looking back.

 

“If the villagers call Clemente a fire spirit or something like that, you can run away immediately. It might be… dangerous.”

 

That was on the first day.

 

It was a conversation Clemente had with Rossia after she was caught by Julay while clumsily trying to hide her identity and go outside the manor.

 

**

 

The conversation with Rossia was on the first day the nightmare of the Snowy Mountains began.

 

It started from the moment she brought the sleeping Julay back.

 

“I’ve been noticing that Clemente was acting strange since a while ago.”

 

Startled by Rossia’s sharp gaze, Clemente unconsciously shook her head.

 

Isn’t it embarrassing to be caught when you’re trying to do something secretly?

 

“Strange? Why would I be strange?”

 

“That reaction right now is also strange.”

 

Rossia spoke logically, one point at a time.

 

“First, you came out too quickly when I called. At first, I thought you just weren’t ready for bed yet.”

 

But she kept noticing things different from the usual Clemente.

 

While talking with Julay, Clemente kept apologizing and, unlike usual, used Imperial language that wasn’t awkward.

 

“And I found evidence.”

 

As Rossia moved toward the wall, Clemente’s shoulders gradually tensed up. The tool Clemente had hidden, the transparent glass, was there.

 

It was the transparent glass that Ameti made and Zephyrus had in his room.

 

Clemente had secretly taken the transparent glass from Zephyrus to sneak outside, covering herself with it as she went, when she encountered Julay.

 

She had tried to stay against the wall until Julay passed by.

 

The white cloth she had brought to disguise herself outside had been visible to Julay.

 

‘It doesn’t seem like she touched it though…’

 

Anyway, having lost both the means and the will to deny it further, Clemente nodded her head.

 

“You said there wasn’t enough firewood. I thought if I used my heat, we could use a bit less firewood.”

 

“Don’t tell me you were trying to go outside at this time?”

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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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