I’m in the Arms of the Cursed Grand Duke - Chapter 79

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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 79

10 minutes before the incident occurred.

Zephyrus, who had come to a bustling shop for the first time.

While he was earnestly taking in the surrounding scenery, the three were choosing from the menu.

“Just order everything.”

“What if there are leftovers?”

“Throw it aw-“

“Throw it away?!”

Liriart looked at Clemente’s shocked expression and immediately shook her head.

“Not throw it away. Usually we share it with people around us.”

“Ooh. I saw it in some book. Sometimes people deliberately order a lot to share with others.”

“I believe the first Emperor did that. I don’t do it on purpose though.”

“Still, it’s cool. Having that kind of wealth.”

“Ahem, hmm. Really?”

“Now, now, ladies. So are we really ordering everything?”

“Yes.”

Gwen shook his head and stood up. His plan was to place the order and also check for emergency exits.

After he disappeared.

That’s when the heavily drunk trio appeared.

They were men who seemed to reek of alcohol just by approaching.

Their steps staggered as if their whole bodies were soaked in alcohol, and their pronunciation was unclear.

“Hey! How about warming us up too instead of just that table?”

“Hey now, you should add ‘table’ to that! What if they misunderstand and try to hug you?”

“Then I’ll just hug them tight! Pretty lady, want to try hugging me? Kahahaha!”

The moment his words ended, people around gasped.

“Come on, hurry up and hug me!”

The man giggled and looked down at Clemente with lecherous eyes, spreading his arms wide.

Zephyrus’s cold energy burst out like an explosion, not by his will.

“How dare you…”

But maintaining that cold energy was his intention.

Unlike his own frail body without any muscle, the drunk man’s build was obviously massive.

It was clear he couldn’t win with strength.

He wasn’t foolish enough to be stubborn about something impossible.

Then what was his weapon?

How could he protect Clemente from getting hurt?

There was only one way.

Though he felt reluctant to use this curse on people, he could certainly freeze the area around them.

So then.

Crack, crackle-

The entire world was ice.

The floor, walls, tables, chairs. Even the flames burning in the furnace on one side of the tavern’s kitchen wall.

Everything except people was frozen.

“Wh-what?”

“Run away!”

“Get out!”

The customers were busy fleeing, afraid they might get caught in that fury.

“My, my shop…!”

He had brought them with good intentions, and also to satisfy a bit of curiosity.

“My entire fortune!”

Everything was frozen solid.

But beside them, the culprits of this incident were still giggling and bothering Clemente, unable to grasp the situation.

“Ugh, it’s cold?”

“Ah, the tavern must have collapsed~ If you hug us like a fireplace, everything will be fine. Right?”

“On such a cold day, you should be able to help us. Right?”

“Stop spouting nonsense about fire spirits or whatever.”

Then the man who had been fuming alone in the back staggered and pointed around.

“That’s right! You can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool us!”

What, those bastards?

I let it slide thinking they were from another village spouting whatever nonsense.

But they’re messing with our fire spirit?

I’ll smack them upside the head!

The tavern owner gripped his broom.

But there was someone faster than him.

Whoosh!

A water bottle that had been on the table went flying.

“Can’t you see me in front of you?”

A covered face, eyes full of anger. A low, cold voice that even conveyed pressure.

If they had been sober, they would have fled with their tails between their legs, but these fearless ones charged forward.

“What are you saying? Do you also think this monster is a fire spirit?”

“If it’s a fire spirit, it should eliminate this cold itself!”

“It only keeps the area near the duchy castle warm. What, does that mean other villages aren’t part of the duchy!”

Their pronunciation was so slurred it was hard to understand, but he roughly grasped what they were trying to convey.

“Just shut your mouth and beg the side that’s showing kindness. Ask them to come to other villages too.”

“What? Oh ho, are you showing off now because you live here?”

What’s the point of talking to drunk people?

Zephyrus briefly looked at Clemente.

Even though they were insulting him, she was looking at him with fascinated eyes.

Zephyrus unconsciously sighed and stood up from his chair.

“There’s no reasoning with you.”

“Then let’s have a physical conversation- Hueok!”

The man who had underestimated Zephyrus and thrown a punch fell backward with a thud. His two companions who tried to catch him also fell together, breaking their noses.

The entire floor was slippery with ice, and suddenly an ice pillar had risen in front of him.

“I don’t need to listen to your unreasonable demands. And…”

Zephyrus slowly, gradually began to remove the ice from the tavern.

He didn’t melt it. He literally embraced the cold air back into himself.

When he gathered all that cold air into the ice pillar in front, the man’s whole body began to tremble. All the hair on his body froze white. The feeling that he might really freeze to death at this rate sobered him up completely.

“Ahhh! Sorry, sorry! I’ll never insult you again!”

“I don’t care what you think. But the moment that thought leaves your mouth, it becomes my business.”

“Yes, yes! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please sp-spare me!”

“Please! I have a wife and daughter who depend only on me-“

“Ahhhhh! I’m dying, I’m d-dying!”

A yellowish liquid leaked from beneath the man who had been pointing fingers.

“I didn’t do that, so why are you blaming me?”

It grew colder and colder.

Zephyrus looked down at them with even more frigid eyes and concluded in a composed yet low voice.

“Get lost.”

“Yes, yes! Ahhh! Hueok!”

Watching the bastards somehow escape while slipping countless times, he turned around sharply.

“Jin.”

Gwen, who had been ready to draw his sword at any moment, answered solemnly.

“Yes!”

“Pay for the repairs and compensation.”

“Yes? Yes! Understood!”

Gwen handed a money pouch to the tavern owner.

The owner, who had grabbed the money bag instead of the broom and opened it, widened his eyes in shock. There was enough money inside to build another identical building and still have some left over.

“Th-this much money…! This is too much!”

“It’s fine. I know that money isn’t the real problem with the harsh life in the Northern Region.”

That was true. The man who ran this tavern as both his livelihood and home nodded slightly.

Just relighting the furnace fire would be a problem to start with.

‘The ice did all disappear at some point, but…’

The firewood would be wet, wouldn’t it? Wet firewood doesn’t burn well.

As he was pondering what to do, Zephyrus continued speaking.

“The Northern Region always has problems with food and cold. His Grace the Duke always keeps those problems in mind.”

“Yes. I’m sure he does.”

Any duke who didn’t would be unqualified, wouldn’t they?

It’s just a difficult problem to solve.

Still, the man nodded repeatedly.

Zephyrus knew that he had no expectations whatsoever.

“Oh, and.”

“Yes?”

“My companion is a different person from that woman they call the fire fairy.”

“…Yes?”

“Make sure you know that.”

“…Yes.”

Zephyrus led everyone out of the tavern.

People’s attention focused on them.

Their gazes were filled with concern.

“Now, now, you all saw those thugs run away, didn’t you? Suddenly ice appeared and drove them all out! Heaven truly helps good people! Should we call that ice the Northern Region’s divine punishment from now on? What do you think?”

Gwen stepped forward first and dispersed the crowd with strange words.

Only after moving to another location and finally being left with just the four of them did Gwen let out a conspicuous sigh of relief.

“We just came out for sightseeing, but I really don’t know why it’s so difficult.”

“You must have guided us wrong.”

“No! That’s unfair! The tavern wasn’t even in my plans!”

Gwen jumped up and down, but Zephyrus ignored her as if accustomed to it.

Clemente quietly approached him and asked.

“Why were you so angry?”

“Are you calling that a question?”

“Was it because of me?”

“I just didn’t like what those bastards were saying. Or the way they looked at you.”

Clemente patted Zephyrus’s back gently.

“Oh my, is that so? But still, please don’t do that next time.”

“You. If some woman came and hugged me saying I felt cool, wouldn’t you get angry?”

Clemente immediately clenched both fists.

“I’d have to punch her.”

“I merely did the same.”

Something about that calm tone made her burst into laughter.

Liriart, who had been watching the two with lifeless eyes, unwrapped the knit scarf from around her face.

“I’m tired. I should head back now.”

“There are still more places to visit, my lady. Are you really going back?”

Gwen tried to dissuade Liriart with teary eyes.

Naturally, it didn’t work.

“Today, just experiencing Pruina’s glasswork is enough.”

“Then let’s go back.”

Zephyrus agreed as well.

So they returned to the Duchy Castle and each took some rest.

Zephyrus and Clemente stood once again in front of the glass workshop door.

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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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