I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 5

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

Chapter 5

At the unexpected words, Zephyrus’s gaze shot up.

“I think I misheard.”

“What did you hear?”

“That you want to work here.”

“You heard correctly.”

“That’s your request?”

“Yes. Yesterday and today I was worrying about how to earn money. This worked out perfectly!”

Zephyrus’s mouth fell open at her bright reaction.

‘What should I… say?’

His mind froze since this was his first time in such a situation.

“Not starting today though. I’ll begin work tomorrow. What was it, oh right. Going to work! I’ll tell the knights myself. Let me know where to go. Tomorrow.”

Clemente, who seemed to think he had already given permission, even hummed as she stood up, then approached Zephyrus with an “Ah.”

Seeing him flinch, she slowly extended her hand.

Tap.

One finger touched Zephyrus’s shoulder.

“If you ever need something hot, just tell me. Since the Northern Region is cold, my um…”

What word should she use for ‘constitution’? Her brief contemplation was interrupted.

“My hot body will be helpful.”

Just being close for a moment would be warm, but if she focused, she could make the area around her warm too.

She’d have to be really careful not to make it too hot though.

She thought she could be quite helpful in enduring the Northern Region’s cold.

“Of course, I’d be grateful for compensation too.”

Zephyrus couldn’t smile along with the grinning Clemente.

That single finger that had barely, truly barely touched him made his breath catch.

His frozen mind seemed to spin as his heart pounded.

“Well then, see you tomorrow, master.”

Clank!

Zephyrus stood up roughly.

“Get out.”

“Huh?”

“I said get out. Right now.”

His low voice rang out threateningly.

“I was going to do that anyway. Bye!”

The woman remained cheerful to the end. She lightly winked, turning his insides upside down.

“Hah…”

He collapsed as soon as the door closed.

His eyes saw the completely dry floor.

No ice, no water from melted ice.

Nothing at all.

‘…But now it’s forming again.’

He muttered and closed his eyes.

An afterimage flashed as if he had been facing fire.

Since he couldn’t openly ask about the curse, he had no choice but to keep her nearby and observe.

It really was unavoidable.

“My body is hot, master.”

Smack!

Zephyrus slapped both his cheeks hard for reconstructing the scene on his own, then nodded.

‘Now I’m coming to my senses. I should set conditions telling that woman to refrain from crossing lines.’

Even as Zephyrus thought this, he rubbed the shoulder where Clemente’s finger had touched.

That warmth still seemed to linger vividly.

‘Perfect.’

Clemente smiled slightly.

At first, she had come because of the knights’ unreasonable request, but she thought it was good that she came.

The Northern Region itself helped suppress her heat, but facing the territory’s master was truly a new world.

Even in that brief moment of contact with him. The heat that had tormented her all her life had lessened, even if just a little.

What Clemente struggled with most was the hot flames that irregularly surged up from within!

Those flames that flickered their tongues as if waiting for a chance to burn her body had hung their heads powerlessly.

What had seemed ready to explode at any moment had become docile. It was like she had become an ordinary person.

It was a sense of stability she had never felt before. Enough to make her want to stay by his side if he would allow it.

That’s why she requested a job.

She didn’t think the master had anything to apologize for, but when he sincerely apologized, how could she refuse that apology?

‘Money aside… it would be great to work as close to him as possible.’

Ideally, she hoped to become friends while working together.

It was still just her wishful thinking, but she planned to watch for opportunities as much as possible.

“Miss. I’m glad you came out safely.”

“Ah, what a terrible knight.”

The knight who had called her a fire fairy and pushed her into the Grand Duke’s room without warning. The small scar next to his light brown eyes made him even easier to remember.

“Call me Gwen. Even if you say I’m terrible, it can’t be helped. Sob.”

Gwen pretended to cry while clutching his chest. He looked extremely sorry.

“You’re bad at acting.”

“Acting? That’s too harsh.”

“It’s fine. Thanks to you, I got a job. This place is incredibly rich, right?”

“You got work… here?”

Gwen stared intently at Clemente with the same smiling face, then shrugged.

“It’s not a bad place. But this is the Duchy Castle. You can’t reveal what you experience inside to outsiders. Can you keep that promise?”

“If I said I couldn’t, you’d probably cut me down.”

“What do you take me for! I’m not such a ruffian that I’d draw my sword on a delicate lady!”

Of course, Clemente didn’t look delicate. Even if she didn’t seem to handle swords, her body was sufficiently trained.

Gwen kept glancing at Clemente, hiding sharp eyes behind his smiling face.

“I don’t want to talk with Gwen anymore. But still guide me on the way out.”

“You said you won’t talk with me.”

“The knights in books were incredibly polite and took responsibility for their duties to the end.”

“So you’re saying I should take responsibility since I brought you here.”

Gwen chuckled and licked his lips.

Before long, another knight came. Gwen entrusted Zephyrus’s escort to him and extended his hand to Clemente.

“Fire fairy, shall we go?”

“I’m not a fire fairy.”

Smack, Clemente struck down that palm and walked ahead first.

“Ha.”

Even in that brief moment, warmth lingered on Gwen’s palm. Was this the specialness that made His Highness’s curse ineffective?

“Miss, that’s not the way! Let’s go together!”

Clemente walked quickly while observing the Duchy Castle.

The wallpaper and decorations were antique but had a worn feeling.

It was messier than expected too.

Most of all, there weren’t many maids.

Some books said maids worked all day long. But there weren’t just working people – there were no people at all.

‘…Is it because of master’s constitution?’

She thought people were prevented from coming near because of the power Zephyrus couldn’t control.

It wasn’t an incorrect guess.

However, what she hadn’t expected was that the Northern Duchy would be a far more barren place than she had imagined.

“Miss, what are you looking at so intently?”

“The place where I’ll be working. And it’s Clemente. I don’t really like being called miss.”

“Haha! Alright, Clemente. But before we go to the village, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

“Who?”

“Someone you absolutely must see if you’re going to work here, Clemente.”

Clemente, who had been walking briskly, stopped for a moment. Her clear eyes stared directly at Gwen as if trying to gauge her true intentions.

“Good! It would be nice to get everything done today.”

Gwen changed direction. She was heading to where Rossia was, who worked as the face of the Duchy House in place of the direct lineage who couldn’t engage in outside activities at the moment.

Her plan was to have Clemente meet Rossia, even sign a confidentiality agreement, before letting her go to the village.

However, there was something Gwen hadn’t anticipated.

“Gwen!”

Rossia was coming toward them,

“What have you done!”

And she was absolutely furious.

“Ugh!”

Rossia kicked Gwen in the shin.

“You were lucky it worked out, but if something had gone wrong, an innocent person could have frozen!”

“Ah, but she didn’t freeze.”

Rossia glared at Gwen, who was rubbing her leg with exaggerated gestures, with eyes narrowed in anger.

“Just because the result was good doesn’t mean the entire process is acceptable. You should know better!”

“Sometimes shortening the process is a good method, isn’t it?”

“Shortening? Shortening? Ha, really!”

Rossia fanned herself with her hand. She was so heated up that she was actually sweating.

The North was a place where you wouldn’t even sweat if you kept the fireplace burning all day.

“It was too dangerous a gamble. If something had gone wrong, even His Highness wouldn’t have been able to handle it! No, do you see how hot I am right now from being this angry? Do you?”

“Ah, that’s-“

“I think it’s because of me.”

Peek- Clemente poked her face out from behind Gwen’s back.

“Huh? Uh… huh?”

Clemente had been hidden behind Gwen. Rossia’s pupils trembled finely, having shown all her emotions in front of someone she was meeting for the first time.

“Well, that is to say… Ahem!”

The embarrassment was brief. Rossia regained her composure with a short clearing of her throat.

“I shall permit you to greet me.”

“Hello. I’m Clemente. But I’m curious about something. Do you need permission to greet people here?”

“Pardon…?”

“Pfft!”

Rossia’s face went blank. Gwen covered her mouth with her palm to stifle her bursting laughter.

Clemente’s expression as she asked, even mixing in hand gestures, showed nothing but genuine curiosity.

“Wh-where did you come from?”

“Ah, the south. The desert!

“Are you a citizen of the Hayat Kingdom?”

“No. The desert is my home.”

Clemente seemed to truly think so.

‘I heard there are wandering nomads in the desert. Is she from that group?’

Rossia decided not to dig deeper. If she were to satisfy this curiosity, it would be after they became a bit closer. Though she wasn’t sure if there would be an opportunity to become closer.

“I’m Rossia. I work for the Duchy House.”

“Rossia is the person you need to meet, Clemente.”

Clemente’s mind worked quickly.

The lord of the territory was that pretty person she had just seen. But if there was someone she had to meet to work here, there was only one possibility.

Clemente smiled brightly as if she had figured it out.

“Ah. I know. The real power! Right?”

Rossia’s face turned pale blue.

“Pu, puhaha!”

Gwen finally clutched her stomach and burst into loud laughter.

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