I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 76

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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 76

The heavy atmosphere changed in an instant.

“Why is this sparkling? Mister. Can I touch this?”

“Ahem! It’s not a painting but glass. It won’t smudge or anything if you touch it.”

“Gl, glass…”

Worry quietly settled in Liriart’s wavering eyes.

A picture made of glass. And it’s even embedded in the wall. But there’s also glass that has the same color as Clemente’s hair?

It would probably be beautiful.

She wanted to see it.

‘No, no. I can’t.’

She firmly grasped her wavering heart again.

Liriart had accomplished both training to support her husband and studies to become a successor.

So diligently that she wouldn’t be embarrassed to say so herself.

If it were her, she would surely grasp the context as soon as she examined the mural.

Along with a truth she couldn’t handle.

She was curious about what that truth might be, but not yet. There was nothing good about learning facts that even the Duke didn’t know at the same time. Especially if she didn’t want to antagonize him!

“There’s also someone who looks exactly like the master. They must be close.”

“Clemente!”

So she ended up calling out to Clemente, who kept trying to describe the picture.

“Yes, my lady!”

She had intended to scold her.

But seeing that innocent face, she couldn’t bring herself to raise her voice.

“Let’s go quietly. You heard him. It’s nothing good for me to know. The same goes for you.”

“But I’m curious.”

“For children like you, curiosity is poison. What would you do with knowing too many of your master’s secrets?”

Liriart’s tone was gentle, but it contained a sharp blade.

However, Clemente felt the warmth contained within Liriart’s blade.

What could be sadder than radiating heat while failing to feel the warmth the other person gives?

“Thank you for worrying about me!”

“It’s not worry, it’s a warning.”

“Still, if it’s a truth that master must know, I’ll know it together with him. We should worry together and be sad together.”

Clemente wanted to be with Zephyrus.

Not just because it was cool, but she simply wanted to share fun things with him and comfort him when he was sad.

“Because I’m master’s first friend!”

Clemente proudly straightened her shoulders.

Gwen and Liriart unconsciously looked at Zephyrus.

His expression seemed pleased yet strangely uncomfortable.

Liriart tapped her chin with her index finger and threw out a comment.

“But you’re His Highness’s first friend? That can’t be right. There’s no way His Highness had no friends when he was young.”

Clemente stopped short. They weren’t each other’s first friends?

“…That’s possible! It’s okay even if I’m not. We’re friends anyway.”

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed, but that didn’t change the facts.

“We’re best friends though. Right?”

Her golden eyes sparkled as she looked at Zephyrus. It seemed like she would be very disappointed if he said no to this too.

Zephyrus didn’t want to create anything that would disappoint Clemente.

“You are my closest…”

He didn’t know why the word ‘friend’ wouldn’t come out readily, but he continued while looking into Clemente’s eyes.

“…gugu.”

“Yes?”

“And! You’re the person I cherish most. You don’t need to doubt that.”

Clemente was about to ask again, seeming like she hadn’t properly heard the word ‘friend.’

The moment Zephyrus finished speaking, his neck turning bright red despite his stiff tone, a huge emotion flowed out with a whoosh!

Enough to suddenly generate heat.

“I think this is the first time I’ve heard master say something like that… It’s good.”

It was Zephyrus and the people around him who became embarrassed by her honest impression.

“Really… Please tell her to be honest in moderation, Your Highness.”

“Could you tell her that revealing all her inner thoughts isn’t good either?”

Gwen and Liriart each made a comment.

“…Noisy.”

Gwen clenched and unclenched her hands as if cringing.

“Ugh, it’s hot. Clemente! Control it a bit.”

“It’s not me. I controlled it right away.”

Clemente tilted her head.

“Oh, then-“

“Over here. Here. Stop chattering in front of the door and come in.”

Emile had opened the door at some point.

From inside came heat that seemed as hot as Clemente’s, or perhaps a little hotter.

Going inside, they found a furnace hot enough to create heat waves rising in the center of the room.

Three people were positioned around the furnace as the center.

They were rolling up molten, sticky glass on long iron rods, or using tongs to touch the glass at the end to shape it.

“Ah, the glass is cooling! Quickly close the door!”

The youngest-looking woman among them shouted sharply. Emile moved quietly but quickly to close the door.

“Elisa, we have guests after a long time. Make glass crafts for each of them to take.”

“What do you mean suddenly after ten years-“

The woman called Elisa frowned and turned her head. A beautiful boy she’d never seen before entered her field of vision.

Shimmering silver hair swaying on his shoulders, refreshing and clear silver eyes. His facial features were arranged delicately within a perfectly sculpted face.

Above all, that transparent and piercing atmosphere! If you were to personify beautifully crafted glass, would you get someone like this?

“Whatever happens, I’ll do it.”

Elisa stuck close to Zephyrus’s side and waved her hand at Emile. It meant for him not to interfere and leave.

“Well then, each of you pick one here. Your Grace the Duke must come back tonight. Along with that woman.”

Zephyrus naturally pointed to Clemente and nodded.

After Emile left like that.

Elisa asked.

“Have you seen glass crafts before?”

“Have we?”

Zephyrus passed the answer to Liriart.

“If it’s Pruina’s glass crafts, I collect many of them. They’re the most beautiful and sparkling among the glass crafts I’ve seen.”

“Do you perhaps know how to make them?”

“I never thought about making them myself.”

“Same here.”

Liriart and Zephyrus’s answers. Elisa urged Gwen and Clemente for answers too.

“I’m not particularly interested.”

Gwen answered indifferently. She thought Clemente would be no different.

However, Clemente’s eyes looked even hotter than molten glass.

Sparkling golden eyes. In a way, they were similar to the color of the fire melting glass right now.

No, what did it matter if they weren’t similar.

Those fluffy-looking crimson curls and eyes that shone as if they could melt everything. Her healthy-looking skin met with her eye color to create a sunny atmosphere.

She hadn’t noticed because attention was drawn to Zephyrus, but this child was also incredibly beautiful.

“I don’t know how, but I want to try! Just now that person pressed like this and this, and a really pretty bird was made. It’s truly amazing.”

The ‘person’ Clemente mentioned had been listening with perked ears and shrugged his shoulders.

She was the one conducting the experience herself. She felt jealous.

“For the glass to melt, the fire needs to turn yellow. Then molten, sticky glass forms inside the furnace.”

Elisa inserted her blow pipe into the furnace. As she rolled it around, round glass hung from the pipe’s end like a ball had been attached.

“Here, I blow air into it like this…”

When Elisa blew with a “whoo-“, small air bubbles formed inside the glass.

“This creates space inside. After that, we’ll shape it. People who come here usually make bowls to take home.”

Elisa continued speaking while distributing new pipes.

“They say they’re giving their families glass bowls made from Pruina crystal as gifts.”

“S-surely what’s melting in there isn’t crystal?”

The only resource in Pruina – crystal.

While famous for its transparent beauty on its own, glass made from it was so popular that even with money, you couldn’t buy it due to lack of products.

“Yes. Pretty miss, here too. Be careful since it’s hot. You need to keep rotating the pipe or the glass will fall off.”

But to make glass with that crystal. What luxury this was!

Liriart immediately focused.

And at that moment.

Zephyrus was holding the pipe together with Clemente from behind, maintaining silence while their eyes met.

It was a hot and intense gaze.

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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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