The Ice Age Came And I Just Got Married - Chapter 19

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 19
* * *
Nathan, Logan’s aide, could not find the Forest Zone no matter how hard he searched.
He was wandering aimlessly through the streets of Rosbrook. The sled dogs had bolted the moment they arrived, leaving him stranded.
“Damn it all, where in blazes am I?”
Finding the “Cannibal Mansion” was taking so long that he dreaded Logan might think him dead.
Nathan spotted a sign for the Central Market District and made for a map—most city markets kept them posted.
But before he could locate one, he ran into a group of survivors.
“Oh? There’s a person here.”
His instinct screamed at him to run, but he couldn’t move.
It felt like he’d be hunted down if he tried.
“Ah, hello there. So there are survivors about.”
The group closed in with expressions of curious wonder.
They were a mix of men and women, ranging widely in age, all bundled in thick winter gear and armed with weapons.
“You’re not from Rosbrook, are you?”
Nathan answered their question calmly.
“No, I came from Abriden.”
“I heard that place got buried in a landslide. There shouldn’t be many survivors.”
“It’s the capital, though. The city’s large enough that we did have a fair number make it through.”
Just then, a slender woman wedged her way between the burly men and poked her head forward.
“I came from the capital too. I attended the Academy there.”
She extended her hand to Nathan. Half-bewildered, he shook it, and she made him an offer.
“Would you like to come hunting with us?”
“Hunting?”
“Yes. My brothers said they were going after the Duchess, so I came along. She was my Rival back at the Academy.”
That was strange. Wasn’t Eve Lania Everhart famous for having no Rival but Logan?
“A Rival? That girl couldn’t even keep up with Everhart’s heels. They told me to say she was just enamored with Everhart.”
“No, that’s not it!”
“Look, she definitely wanted to be friends with that girl, didn’t she?”
“I said no!”
“All right, Charlotte—prove it this time. Hunt that woman yourself, and we’ll believe you.”
…….
The woman called Charlotte pressed her lips shut, looking troubled.
Her dark navy hair and sharp features suggested one thing, yet she clearly harbored genuine affection for Eve.
And the others seemed bent on goading her into attacking Eve precisely because they knew it.
‘Wait. Did they just say they were hunting the Duchess?’
Nathan’s eyes went wide, and the group burst out laughing.
“What, scared because she’s a Duchess?”
“That woman’s nothing special.”
“Right? Sickly, they say.”
“Dealing with the Duke himself might be rough, but we can overwhelm him with numbers. Charlotte will bring the Duchess back for us, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Hahahaha!
The muscular, rough-hewn men bellowed with laughter.
There was only one reason they were laying out their whole plan to Nathan like this.
To prevent him from escaping and make him complicit in their scheme.
But Nathan actually thought this worked out perfectly.
He’d been going mad trying to find the Forest Zone, and now they were offering to take him there directly.
“All right then. What should I do?”
A brief silence followed Nathan’s question.
But within seconds, raucous laughter erupted again.
“I like this guy.”
“Got backbone. Quick decision-maker too.”
Nathan watched as they threw their arms around his shoulders, then gazed up at the sky.
The sun hung directly overhead, already past its zenith.
“We should move quickly, before the sun sets.”
.
.
.
And so, now.
Nathan found himself staring at Charlotte, who was blubbering with tears and snot streaming down her face.
“How could I possibly kidnap her?”
Nathan glanced nervously around.
They were having lunch deep in the Forest Zone, nestled among the trees. The others had gathered in their own cluster, drinking before the battle ahead.
Drinking before combat—it made no sense.
Nathan shook his head at their foolishness, then turned back to Charlotte. She was still sniffling, her nose running.
“All that stuff about her being frail is lies. She just gets nosebleeds. She’s so all-around talented that there’s basically nothing she can’t do.”
At Charlotte’s words, Nathan thought of Eve. It was true—Eve seemed unable to fail at anything.
But saying she wasn’t frail? That didn’t sound right. She probably was delicate, in her way.
According to Nathan’s research, she’d suffered from nosebleeds since childhood.
“Actually, the whole Rival thing was a lie too. To be a true rival of hers, you’d need to be at the Duke’s level.”
“I suspected as much. But why did you call yourself her Rival?”
“Because I placed third. Third place with a massive gap between me and second, but third nonetheless.”
Charlotte gave a helpless shrug and continued speaking.
“If I fail to bring Eve back, my brothers will kill me. Here, if you’re useless, everyone dies. Either that, or they’ll enslave you. Or send you to the Cannibal Mansion.”
“The Cannibal Mansion?”
“Ah, you’re from out of town, so you wouldn’t know. This place has such things.”
It was then.
“Hey! Charlotte! Nathan!”
“Time to move out!”
A call came summoning them.
* * *
You cannot enter Acorn Village if you harbor any intent to harm its residents.
The novel had mentioned this rule a few times. Given that the village was literally called “Demon Village” and the villain Logan lived there, it seemed like a fitting narrative device to match the reputation.
I climbed to the roof of Eve House and surveyed the surroundings through my binoculars.
‘There they are.’
Movement flickered in the forest not far away.
Logan had said to slaughter them all without mercy, but I disagreed.
‘In the novel, there was a girl who helped Marcus escape.’
That was Charlotte. My classmate at the Academy.
I wanted to keep her alive, at least.
Logan exhaled heavily again.
“Eve, please—think about yourself for once.”
“Logan, doesn’t my track record deserve a little trust by now?”
“That’s…”
Logan worked his lips silently, as if struggling with what to say, before finally giving in and nodding.
“I trust you. I know how capable you are.”
“See?”
I laughed. Logan shook his head as if he couldn’t help himself.
I understood why he still harbored doubts. I understood why he insisted on treating me as someone who needed protection above all else.
‘I can’t dismantle that bias all at once.’
I’ll show him piece by piece. That I’m not just one person’s worth—I’m worth ten.
Besides, Charlotte would eventually become one of Logan’s finest lieutenants.
And if she was his person, then she was mine as well.
‘Though Charlotte seemed to dislike me, if I remember correctly.’
I hesitated briefly at that thought.
Peep—peep—
The sound of Peepee’s cry brought me back to the moment.
Right. That wasn’t what mattered now.
Peepee settled atop my head. It loved perching on the crown of a person’s head.
As Logan made his way out past the village entrance, I sat quietly at a greenhouse table and brewed myself some tea.
Meanwhile, Chippy busily scurried about, gathering acorns.
【Charlotte, this time you hunt the woman yourself. Then I’ll believe in you.】
【The Duke will be tough to handle, I’ll admit, but with our numbers we can crush him. You’ll bring back the Duchess as a captive, so there’s nothing to worry about, right? Anyone left alive we’ll enslave or sell to the Cannibal Mansion.】
【Why save anyone? Just kill them all.】
【Of course we kill them all eventually. I just meant let’s have some fun first.】
After that, the men’s voices blurred over the question of who held the Pink Stone Fragment. Charlotte’s voice disappeared from the audio.
But she was still clearly part of their group.
【Charlotte, you move toward the back of the village. There should be a side gate or something there.】
The last information I’d gathered confirmed exactly that.
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!”
Bang—bang!
Gunfire erupted outside.
It’ll be over in ten minutes anyway.
Thinking anyone could hold their own against Logan was sheer arrogance.
“Eve?”
I lifted my head at the sound of my name.
A woman who looked like a cold city beauty was stepping into the greenhouse.
I didn’t flinch, just smiled and answered.
“Charlotte. It’s been a while.”

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