I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 4

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

Chapter 4

Clemente quietly stared at the sight. Ice that didn’t easily melt even when it came near her. How fascinating.

However.

“That’s enough.”

Clemente struck down at the ice with her palm as if catching a bug. The ice instantly melted and flowed away as water.

“It is cool though. Did you think this up, I mean… was this intentional?”

“Who would freeze things for fun?”

“That’s true…”

Clemente nodded her head. She seemed to understand his feelings. This was definitely strange.

To think that a single nod would make him feel this… indescribable way.

Zephyrus tilted his head and glared at Clemente.

Her scarlet hair, a color rarely seen in the Northern Region except around campfires, swayed following Clemente’s head movements.

It looks like it would be soft to touch.

Zephyrus, who had unconsciously thought this, slammed the desk with a bang! Ice crackled as it froze and shot up, then instantly melted and disappeared.

“Stop wasting time and speak quickly. Why did you climb the mountain?”

“My goodness. Is this an interrogation?”

Clemente giggled and laughed, then cleared her throat and seriously placed both hands together on the desk.

“What happened was…”

The day after Clemente arrived at the village.

Originally, she had planned to visit the village chief.

“The village chief said he had a prior appointment today. So I was going to introduce you to the village first, but…”

Ruby trailed off.

“You two…”

Lora and Lu were clinging to both sides of Clemente with drowsy faces.

“Lora should stay home.”

“I was going to take her along. Lu, will you be okay?”

“Mmm…”

Lu looked like he was about to melt like rice cake on a grill.

He was sleepy. When he was this drowsy, it was natural that he couldn’t go outside.

Ruby picked up Lu in her arms.

“Lora. Come here. We’re not going out today.”

“Why! I need to show off the fireplace!”

“Shh!”

“Hmph…”

Ruby, who had suppressed Lora’s whining with a look, made an embarrassed face.

“I’m sorry. I can’t leave the children alone.”

“I understand.”

It was something that could happen because she was a parent.

Rest days were important for Ruby, who worked at the Lordly Castle.

That was the only time she had to play with the children.

Clemente chuckled at the sight of Lora tearfully waving from Ruby’s arms and wandered around the village alone.

Perhaps feeling sorry, the map Ruby had drawn contained just about all the necessary information.

‘This is the Leather Shop… but I probably don’t need to know about that.’

Even when the harsh cold arrived, Clemente would never have occasion to wear thick clothes.

Even now, while everyone else was bundled up in thick clothing, she was walking around in just light indoor clothes.

“Huh?”

At that moment, a rough and worn leather jacket flew at her face and hit her.

The culprit was the owner of the Leather Shop.

“Hey! Who are you trying to make clean up a corpse! Get lost right now!”

The shop owner’s eyes were fiercely raised as he pointed at Clemente with a bamboo broom used for clearing snow.

It was a familiar gaze. Either annoyed or avoiding. Most of the people Clemente had encountered were like that.

“Oh, I’ll give this back to you.”

“Good grief! This is the first time someone’s brought back thrown-away trash! Just take it and disappear!”

Clemente looked down at the jacket with puzzled eyes. Though worn, it still looked quite usable.

“Ah.”

She stared intently at the shop owner’s eyes again. Between wariness and suspicion, she glimpsed faint sympathy.

‘Kind and good people.’

Even though he could see the snow melting around her, his thoughtfulness in offering clothes in case she might be cold made Clemente unable to help but smile.

“Thank you!”

Clemente bowed in greeting and took a big step forward. Whoosh, warm energy spread out around her.

“Wh-what… are you trying to ruin my business!”

“Ruin…?”

Clemente made eating motions going “nom nom?” and nearly got hit with the broom.

“Ahaha! See you again next time!”

“Don’t come back!”

Clemente left behind the warm farewell and moved her steps.

Her destination was the mountain.

It was scenery similar to the mountain she had wandered through until the day before yesterday.

When she first entered the mountain, unlike the desert, it was easy to get her bearings, so she thought she’d arrive quickly.

But there were many obstacles, making it difficult to go straight in one direction, which was different from the desert.

After wandering and wandering, her food supplies gradually ran out and determining direction became increasingly confusing.

Finally, after starving for three days, she discovered a path and excitedly ran toward it, only to faint immediately and be found by Ruby.

Despite all that hardship, there was one reason she entered the mountain again.

The Northern Region’s mountain was a coniferous forest where not a ray of sunlight entered. When she wandered there, it was much cooler than being in the village.

‘Of course, with no people around, there’s less to worry about too.’

Clemente laughed heartily as she roamed the mountain.

Perhaps because she walked freely, wherever she went, the snow melted and became muddy.

‘This is a bit unpleasant.’

Mud clumps sticking to her bare feet. Though hidden under the snow, fallen leaves on the ground also sharply poked her soles.

“Ugh.”

She shook off one foot vigorously. The water instantly became white steam and flew away. The leaves dried with a rustling sound and crumbled when stepped on.

“This way is better.”

The walk lasted quite a long time.

Had she ever walked this comfortably and freely before? She looked back at the path she’d taken with a smile across her face. It had been quite enjoyable.

The white snow field between the trees was carved in a long line, as if a path had been paved just for her.

Grroooar!

During her quiet rest, a fierce roar pierced her ears.

She could see trees falling in the distance. The ground shook faintly too.

‘Hmm. Should I go back?’

Clemente, who was about to avoid going sideways, hesitated.

The sound of the monster rampaging was approaching at a rapid pace.

If she chose the wrong direction, there was a high chance of being crushed by randomly falling trees.

As she pondered, human voices reached her ears. There was also the sound of light armor clanking.

‘In that case…’

Her decision was quick.

Instead of running away, she followed the monster’s path and blocked its way.

Thump thump thump thump!

The moment the monster she’d been waiting for came into view.

She leaned forward and turned to the side.

She reached out and brushed the monster’s flank.

That alone was enough.

The monster, its body overheating, collapsed on the spot.

Kuuung….

“What the.”

This was unexpected for Clemente.

Desert monsters don’t fall from just this much.

This level of heat would only make them hesitate momentarily.

She thought that would be enough for the others following behind to catch it.

‘Life really doesn’t go according to plan.’

Clemente naturally dodged the green blood spraying from a furry monster whose neck had been severed by a knight’s sword, then waved her hand with an awkward smile.

“Hello there?”

One of the knights who had been peering behind her gaped in shock.

The long, tail-like dried path. It was a sight that didn’t match the snow piled on the coniferous trees.

Only a being from Northern legends could do something like this. The knight who thought this, Gwen, carefully opened her mouth.

“…By any chance, are you a fire spirit?”

**

From Clemente’s perspective, they seemed to want to believe she was a fire spirit.

After all, the path she had walked was melted of snow, and even the snow falling from trees as the monster collapsed had disappeared without a trace.

It was understandable to think she wasn’t human, but she still wasn’t a fire spirit.

Unlike what was described in books as beings born from fire and living as fire, she was human.

“I said no, several times, but they wouldn’t listen.”

Whether she was actually a fire spirit or not probably didn’t matter.

Zephyrus pondered Clemente’s words. Her vocabulary was limited so it wasn’t a perfect description of the situation, but he understood roughly. He planned to cross-verify with the knights’ reports anyway.

“But wait. I just thought of something. This feels kind of strange.”

Clemente’s expression was peculiar.

“Even knowing that you freeze everything around you, they still let me in….”

It meant that if things hadn’t gone as they hoped, she would have frozen solid just moments ago.

“If I had been unlucky, I could have frozen to death?”

That’s right. Zephyrus fidgeted with his fingers.

“I’m sorry. The knights’ loyalty put you in danger.”

Zephyrus’s voice, now even lower, was melancholy.

If that had happened, he himself wouldn’t have lasted much longer either. He understood the knights’ loyalty, but such a thing must never happen again.

“Then grant me a favor.”

“If it’s something I can grant.”

“Let me work here.”

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