I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 77

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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 77

“No.”

Zephyrus was firm.

This is how it all started.

Watching the craftsman reheat glass in the furnace to prevent it from cooling and hardening, Clemente wanted to try doing the same thing.

The problem was that Clemente wanted to use her own heat to keep the glass from melting.

Zephyrus had no choice but to urgently grab Clemente’s hand from behind as she reached for the glass.

“Aren’t you hurt by your own heat? Are you planning to get burned again?”

“But Master. Aren’t you curious? I’d be making such a brilliant piece with my own heat.”

“I’m not curious enough that you need to get hurt making it.”

Zephyrus’s eyes held sharp worry. It was more than worry—it was like despair, as if the entire world was being dyed black.

Not even a full month had passed since that day. The image of Clemente engulfed in flames was still vivid.

“It seems like it would be fun though…”

“…I’ve been thinking this for a while. You have a tendency to treat your body like some kind of test subject.”

“Oh. That’s not wrong. When I was little, I kept experimenting to see how far I could go without getting hurt.”

Clemente giggled as if it had been an amusing experience. Her shoulders shook within Zephyrus’s embrace. Consequently, the hot glass droplets hanging from the blow pipe also swayed.

Zephyrus dropped the blow pipe he was holding in his other hand and touched Clemente’s blow pipe.

Crack. The glass hardened and froze solid.

“Take care of your body.”

“Ahhh! Master! What do I do if you freeze it!”

“Just melt it again. Mine fell, so let’s use yours.”

Zephyrus, who had no intention of making crafts himself, wanted to finish quickly and leave.

With Clemente still in his arms, Zephyrus moved his arms to put Clemente’s blow pipe into the furnace.

Hot flames licked at the glass, and the firelight swept across both Clemente’s and Zephyrus’s faces.

“Quite hot. Hotter than I expected.”

The heat was intense enough to make him say that.

It was hotter than being in the middle of a desert at midday—that said it all.

Clemente glanced around, then leaned back slightly, pressing the top of her head against Zephyrus’s chin and whispered.

“Master, even your ice might not hold up here, right?”

“No, it still freezes.”

When Clemente had tried to touch the glass with her hand, he’d been startled and the ground had briefly frozen.

If he hadn’t deliberately melted it, it would have stayed that way.

“That’s a shame. I thought we might find another way.”

“Why, when you’re all I need?”

“Even if you don’t marry the young lady, you can’t stay that way forever. I need to practice.”

Clemente knew this from what she’d learned.

For nobles, maintaining bloodlines was also an important duty.

They had to marry and have children.

That meant what Clemente had been worrying about would inevitably happen at least once.

She was actually grateful to have time to practice in advance.

Since she wasn’t the only one who would find parting difficult, since Zephyrus also cherished her.

More practice was needed. For Zephyrus’s sake, distancing herself was the right thing to do.

Now that he could come outside and interact with other people, he might find a woman he liked.

Then Zephyrus might distance himself on his own.

“…”

Her heart beat strangely.

Clemente quickly returned to normal and brushed it off casually, making a decision.

“A snowman. I should make a snowman. I’ll make it pretty and give it to you, Master.”

She wanted to give Zephyrus a one-of-a-kind gift.

Zephyrus’s eyebrows moved slightly.

“Why a snowman?”

“Because it’s like you, Master.”

“…Are you teasing me?”

“Is that something to tease about?”

Clemente’s eyes widened.

When Zephyrus had dressed up as a snowman for the children.

How cute he had been.

“Then why do you say a snowman is like me?”

“Because you’re cute.”

“I think you are teasing me.”

Clemente glanced up. She could see his lips clearly showing his displeasure.

She giggled and put her mouth to the pipe.

It was the process of blowing air into the glass to create the hollow interior.

After gently blowing in one breath, Clemente looked up again.

“Master, do you want to try too?”

She lifted the pipe opening slightly upward.

Zephyrus’s hands tensed.

“Do you… not think anything of this kind of thing?”

“Oh, is this not okay?”

What Clemente needed wasn’t just knowledge of the Empire’s customs.

Clemente stared at him blankly as if she truly didn’t understand.

Zephyrus’s jaw tightened.

“You need to learn about propriety and boundaries between men and women.”

“Oh, I know that well. When you find someone to marry, I’ll draw the line right away! Don’t worry.”

“Marriage, what?”

“But still, Master.”

Clemente looked around again and whispered very quietly.

“For now, let me cross the line just a little more. I’m your most precious friend, aren’t I?”

A relationship with a predetermined end.

That’s what Clemente was saying.

And yet she seemed completely unbothered by it.

Just moments ago she’d said he needed to learn about boundaries, but now thinking that Clemente was drawing boundaries with him made him feel bad.

“You’re right. There’s no need to draw lines even with me.”

Who decided to keep those boundaries anyway.

Even with fire right in front of them, Clemente in his arms felt more cozy and warm.

He stared intently at Clemente as she enthusiastically worked on glassmaking in his familiar embrace.

Zephyrus had no intention of letting Clemente go.

For the rest of his life.

**

The glass they made would be cooled by Elisa and delivered the next day. Regret dripped from Elisa’s eyes.

Leaving that burden behind, they came out of the workshop.

Sharp wind that could freeze their bodies instantly rushed at them, ready to tear them apart.

“Where do we go now?”

Though it was pushed back by Clemente’s heat and disappeared after sweeping up some random trees.

“Next, let me show you around the village. A caravan came through not long ago, and the Marquis’ House’s support is quite substantial, so this market should be quite large.”

“Hmm. Really?”

“Yes. Of course, if you expect an Imperial market, you might be disappointed, but… the Northern Region has its own… Your Highness? What’s wrong?”

Gwen, who had been explaining the Northern Region’s market to Liriart, asked upon seeing Zephyrus’s expression.

“It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing—”

“I said no.”

“Yes.”

Gwen immediately turned her head to look at Liriart.

“Anyway, the Northern Region has its own unique charm. It’s better to experience it directly rather than just hearing about it. Now, everyone put these on.”

Gwen pulled thick knit hats from her bag. They had long sides that could also be used as scarves.

“Do we really need to wear those when it’s already warm?”

Gwen put the hat on her head and wrapped it around her neck and lower face.

“If you show your faces like that, none of the vassals will be able to act properly. Besides, the Dowager Duchess personally prepared these – are you really not going to wear them?”

Liriart’s expression changed instantly as she practically snatched the hat.

“You should have mentioned something that important sooner.”

Liriart put on the hat with precious and reverent care.

Clemente’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she tried on the hat this way and that, while Zephyrus focused more on wrapping his face than the hat itself.

“Oh, and let’s decide on how to address each other. You can call me Gin.”

“I don’t think there’ll be any need to call you anything. I won’t be addressing you.”

“Ah…”

“What’s with that reaction?”

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking you don’t know how to have fun.”

Liriart let out a hollow laugh. Were people from the Northern Region this informal, or were the Duchy’s subordinates just like this?

Regardless of Liriart’s thoughts, Gwen now looked at Zephyrus.

“I suppose I’ll call you Master.”

“Ah, Your Highness! Is there anyone else in this village I could call Master besides you?”

“As the Marquis’s daughter suggested, not addressing you at all might be another option.”

“…”

Thoroughly disappointed, Gwen looked at Clemente as her last hope.

Clemente, who seemed to be pondering something, soon pointed respectfully at Zephyrus.

“Zeze.”

Then it was Liriart’s turn.

“Lili. And I’ll be Clecle.”

“Wait, wait. What are these names without any formality!”

“Do names matter? We need to hurry and go sightseeing! If we just call each other by the first syllables, we’ll understand, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but-“

“Come on, let’s go quickly!”

Under Clemente’s urging, Gwen wiped away tears that weren’t even flowing and took the lead.

“These boring people…”

Nobody knew at that time.

What would happen at the market they went to visit with such light hearts.

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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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