I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 7

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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 7

At first, Rossia didn’t realize what Clemente was trying to show her.

While Rossia crossed her arms and waited for whatever Clemente was going to demonstrate.

“…?”

Her nose bridge felt itchy, so she scratched it. Moisture came off on her hand.

What is this? Why is water coming from my face?

She couldn’t immediately recognize that it was sweat. It was the first time in her life that sweat had formed on her face!

“What, what is this?”

She recognized it was sweat right now, when she understood the phrase about dying from the heat.

Clemente grinned as she looked at Rossia’s face, which had turned bright red beyond shock.

“This should be enough to keep from freezing to death, don’t you think?”

Rossia, who had been staring blankly at that confident smile, suddenly had her mind racing at full speed.

After running through various simulations, her palm slammed down on the table with a bang!

“Contract! Let’s write it right now!”

**

Since their mutual interests aligned perfectly, writing the employment contract went smoothly as well.

Unlike the confidentiality agreement that had only one item, this had various things written in it, so it took a long time to read, but there didn’t seem to be anything problematic.

It was written clearly and easy to understand, even with Clemente’s limited knowledge.

Except for just one thing.

“I must have a conversation with Party A at least once a day? Face to face?”

Party A here was Zephyrus.

“It’s not much, but I’ll give you additional compensation too.”

Her main job was cleaning the 3rd floor where Zephyrus’s room was located.

In the process, she was supposed to have conversations with Zephyrus.

Rossia thought it was a clause that benefited Clemente as well, since she had said she wanted to meet Zephyrus directly.

“Hmm. I don’t want to do that.”

“What? Why not?”

“I can’t accept money for talking with a friend.”

Clemente wanted to become friends with Zephyrus.

She thought they could have fun together while helping each other, just like the friends she had seen in books as a child.

The fortune teller grandmother who had practically raised Clemente said that all the human relationships in books were full of lies, but that didn’t matter.

She believed that if she acted like one of the friends in the books, someday she could gain a friend with a similar relationship to those in the books.

‘Usually friendships start when one person helps another person….’

Zephyrus and Clemente were a perfect match for that. They were even in a relationship where they could help each other!

It seemed like they could become closer friends than what she had seen in books.

‘He’s pretty too, so I want to keep looking at him.’

But accepting money for it?

She would rather decline having it become work instead of making friends.

“You want to become friends with His Highness?”

Clemente, who had been imagining laughing and going on picnics and eating delicious food with Zephyrus, finally showed an “oops” expression and awkwardly scratched her cheek.

“Friends, wouldn’t that be okay?”

Just as she was thinking she’d have to be friends secretly if told no, Rossia spoke firmly as if asking what she was talking about.

“Of course it’s okay!”

Rossia believed that people need someone they can open their hearts to.

Since this was the first person Zephyrus’s curse didn’t work on, she had hoped Clemente would become that kind of person for Zephyrus.

When she was voluntarily saying she wanted to become friends, there was no reason to stop her.

They weren’t in a position to be perfectly picky about everything right now either.

“Then please take care of me starting tomorrow.”

**

The day after the two parted ways, both satisfied.

Clemente encountered the few servants. She raised her hand to greet them cheerfully, but they scattered and disappeared in an instant.

Disappointed, she smacked her lips and went up to the 3rd floor. Looking around every corner carefully, there was a lot of dust. The floor surface seemed crumbly too.

For her, who enjoyed sleeping on the desert sand, this kind of thing didn’t matter.

However, the only person who had cared for her, the fortune teller, was sensitive to the environment.

‘How can there be no sand dust in a tent on the desert.’

Anyway, she had experience cleaning until it met the standards of that sensitive grandmother.

The cleaning itself wouldn’t be difficult. What she needed to worry about was rather the person inside there.

She knocked on the door brightly and lightly.

“Master, did you sleep well?”

Crash! The sound of something falling was heard. Puzzled, she knocked on the door again.

“Are you okay? Should I open the door?”

“Don’t come in!”

“Okay. I’m working here starting today. That’s good, right?”

“What’s good about- Sigh. Report in writing what work you did before you leave.”

“Eh, I’ll just tell you verbally. I’m not good at writing.”

“Work.”

At the firm voice that wouldn’t accept any objections, she obediently turned around.

She had to work for now.

She waited for the right moment to have justification to burst through that door.

And the opportunity came quickly.

“Oh! Is that the master’s food?”

“Master…? It is His Highness’s meal. Well then, excuse me.”

The knights left the trolley with food and departed. Clemente’s eyes sparkled.

‘They say it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.’

She decided to barge in first!

This must be how a fox feels waiting for prey.

The moment her prey came out to get food.

That would be the timing.

“Ahem! Hey, are you nearby?”

Zephyrus asked as if trying to check the outside situation, but Clemente didn’t answer.

Then click, the doorknob turned. The door opened just a crack, enough for the thin trolley to fit through.

Right now!

“Heave-ho!”

“What, what?”

“Let’s eat together.”

“Wait. Don’t open it!”

Zephyrus pulled the door back with all his strength. Of course, it was useless.

It was a fight the pale Grand Duke, who had been confined to his room, couldn’t win from the start.

“Here. They say people originally become close while eating together.”

Clemente opened the door wide and entered while pushing the trolley.

Zephyrus couldn’t stop her.

Soon a warm shadow fell in front of him.

**

Clemente looked at Zephyrus with a bright smile.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“Haah….”

Zephyrus, who had been sighing repeatedly, picked up his spoon, then glared at Clemente again.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“Food tastes better when eaten together. Don’t you know?”

It felt like the words weren’t going into his ears but bouncing right back out.

“But do you like cold things?”

“What?”

“The food got cold.”

“Food is food. Whether it’s warm or cold, it’s all the same once it goes inside anyway.”

“Still, it would be better to eat it hot, right?”

When Clemente reached for the plate, Zephyrus flinched and stepped back, then snorted.

“It’s useless. It’ll just get cold again on the way over… Wait. What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to warm it up.”

As Clemente lifted the plate and held it still, steam rose from the food. From Clemente’s body too.

“Here. It should be warm now.”

The plate was placed in front of him. He stared at it quietly before asking.

“You’re fortunate.”

“What do you mean?”

“You possess a useful ability.”

“You have a similar ability too, Master. Making ice.”

“…Can this even be called an ability.”

He clenched his hand tightly. His hand wrapped in layers of cloth formed an awkward fist shape, but at a glance, it looked like he was grasping pitch-black despair.

“For now, Master. Let’s eat first. The reason you’re feeling bad right now is all because your stomach is completely empty.”

“What?”

Clemente moved slightly closer to Zephyrus and slipped a spoon into his hand.

“Eat quickly. Ah, but slowly.”

Even as Clemente spoke, she tilted her head. She wasn’t sure exactly, but it felt like she had said something strange.

“…”

Zephyrus sighed again at that foolish expression.

What could this woman possibly know to say such weak words? She would probably think it was just the complaints of someone who was well-fed anyway.

Suddenly finding time precious, Zephyrus absentmindedly put the soup in his mouth.

His eyes widened.

It was different from the soup that usually stuck clammily to his mouth. It warmly embraced his mouth and warmed his body as it went down his throat. Another spoonful was the same.

It was definitely the same potato soup. But it tasted much better.

He couldn’t believe that just a change in temperature could make such a difference in taste.

Looking at Clemente, she was warming up the other dishes one by one.

Warmth filled the air that had only been cold.

‘Come to think of it…’

She had come asking to eat together, but she hadn’t taken a single bite.

No, since she had only brought his portion to begin with, it was natural that there were no utensils for her either.

“You use this.”

He handed her the fork he hadn’t touched yet. Clemente looked back and forth between the fork and herself with a blank expression, then soon smiled brightly.

“Thank you.”

Nom.

She must have been hungry, as she ate well.

Clemente focused on eating, unaware that Zephyrus’s eating pace was gradually slowing down.

‘Food someone made for me… It’s delicious! I like it!’

As her cheeks grew increasingly puffy, Zephyrus couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up.

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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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