The Ice Age Came And I Just Got Married - Chapter 57

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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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Chapter 57
Aiden was quite an excellent leader, a crown prince, and a model protagonist.
After all, he was a crown prince who had worked tirelessly to rebuild the kingdom in place of a king who had vanished without a trace, his whereabouts unknown.
“I was surprised to find so many unexpected people gathered here.”
Now that I thought about it, I was grateful that Claire hadn’t followed me here to Dotori Village.
If she had arrived just after I’d dealt with Countess Winterdin and gone straight to meet Aiden, the reaction would certainly have been difficult.
“I heard testimony that the Countess was present at the site where the tidal wave that engulfed Rosebrook vanished. There were also eyewitness accounts that when she placed her hand upon the wave, it disappeared along with her.”
At Aiden’s words, Logan and Marcus both turned their gaze toward me at once.
I swept the floor casually with the broom.
Scrape.
Scrape.
The snow pushed by the broom’s bristles piled up along the side of the path. The alleyways had turned white again, covered by the snow that had fallen through the night.
I nudged a frozen lump of snow aside with my toe and replied.
“Rumors always tend to be exaggerated.”
“Indeed.”
Aiden scooped up a large shovel-full of snow. The metal blade scraped against the snow with a grating sound.
Screee.
Despite the unfamiliarity of the motion, he continued clearing the snow with steady determination.
Considering his station as crown prince, it was a rather curious sight.
“So that’s what you came to find out.”
Aiden didn’t answer. His silence was affirmation enough.
“I’m merely the ordinary wife of a man named Logan, and this village is nothing more than that as well.”
“For merely an ordinary wife, you possess remarkable beauty.”
Aiden smiled lightly and offered the compliment in a casual tone.
He continued shoveling afterward. Where the snow had been cleared, the frozen earth lay bare, exposing its plain surface.
“I’ve also heard rumors that you freely command the Winterstone Power. Is that also untrue?”
“The line between fact and rumor is often paper-thin.”
“Is that an affirmation or a denial?”
“That depends on who’s listening. But rumors, by their nature, tend to be embellished somewhat more entertainingly than the truth ever is.”
“Hmm. You won’t deny it, then?”
At his question, I merely shrugged.
I didn’t want to affirm or deny anything. I thought it best if my relationship with Aiden remained at precisely that distance.
I couldn’t afford to make him an enemy, but taking him as an ally would only create troublesome complications.
Getting entangled with the protagonist of a survival novel meant blood would be spilled.
I decided to change the subject.
“Where have you come from, Your Highness?”
“From Norton.”
“You’ve traveled a considerable distance.”
Actually, it wasn’t all that far. It was a region situated between Rosebrook and Seonhaevin.
“Are you searching for a way to rebuild the Kingdom?”
At my question, Aiden’s expression turned bitter.
“I’m working on it.”
It seemed Aiden had come here to confirm my abilities with his own eyes and bring me into his survival base.
He probably also thought it would be beneficial to win over Logan in the bargain.
I pondered the matter.
Separate from my desire not to get entangled with the protagonist, it was also true that I hoped he would find a way to end the Ice Age as quickly as possible.
But was it right for me to know so much truth, more than anyone else, and yet turn away from helping the protagonist—to merely stand by hoping he would end the Ice Age?
How much longer could I last with the mindset that only my survival mattered?
I’d already died nine times.
After hesitating for a moment, I finally opened my mouth.
“If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know. I’ll do what I can.”
* * *
Offering to help him turned out to be effective.
Once I took the initiative, Aiden stopped probing any further.
After he walked around the village once more, he spoke calmly.
“This should be sufficient for today.”
I couldn’t grasp the meaning of his words.
He never explained what he had verified or what he meant by “sufficient.”
He only said that if anything was needed, he would return.
And so Aiden and Vincent decided to spend one more night in the village before departing.
Night had fallen, and we decided to gather in the kitchen of Eve House for dinner.
The village that Logan and I had started with just the two of us had grown considerably.
Marcus and Jack, Nathan and Charlotte, the newly arrived Brian—and with guests Aiden and Vincent seated as well, the space felt pleasantly crowded.
Logan and I were preparing stew together. Venison Stew was simmering in a large cast-iron pot.
The meat, braised for hours until tender, would tear apart cleanly at the mere touch of a spoon.
The broth, rich with potatoes, carrots, and onions, was thick and fragrant, the finely chopped herbs diffusing their subtle aroma throughout.
The kitchen filled with the smell of meat and vegetables cooking.
Beside the pot sat bread, fresh from the oven.
The golden crust was crisp, but when torn by hand, white steam rose gently from within.
I spread melted butter generously across the bread.
The butter seeped slowly into the warm bread, lending it a glossy sheen.
“Wow…”
Nathan had wandered into the kitchen and swallowed hard.
I smiled and placed the fish on a large iron griddle—Smoked Herring that Brian had brought.
Oil sizzled as the fish cooked, and a savory aroma wafted from its golden-brown skin.
When I sprinkled dried raspberry juice in place of lemon, a sweet-tart fragrance completed the dish.
Soon the food began to appear on the table, piece by piece.
Still, with a guest of such standing visiting, it was only proper that I maintain the courtesy befitting a host.
Since the Ice Age, this meal was quite lavish by our standards, though for the Crown Prince Aiden, it likely remained merely ordinary fare.
Logan and I guided our guests to the table like an elderly couple in the countryside welcoming visitors.
For some reason, I too felt a flutter of excitement.
But then—
Boom.
A sound of something collapsing reached us.
It came from beyond the village.
* * *
On the roof of Eve House.
I used the binoculars to locate the source of the sound. It seemed to be from deep within the Forest Region.
The problem was that a massive wind storm was blowing from that direction.
Logan, who had climbed up to the roof with me, furrowed his brow and spoke.
“That blizzard shouldn’t have occurred until at least half a year after the Ice Age ended. It’s never happened an exception before.”
According to Logan’s explanation, the Massive Blizzard Storm was so powerful that it swept over even the warm Demon Village as if enchanted.
“What do we do?”
“Don’t worry. We’ve already prepared for it.”
“What kind of preparation?”
“The reason we purchased Dotori Village in the first place was because of its terrain. Winds coming down from the north pass through the forest first, losing their speed.”
I understood what Logan meant by ‘terrain.’ Dotori Village sat on Basin Terrain, slightly off to the side of the wind’s path.
I nodded in understanding.
“Those cliffs and the basin terrain disperse the wind’s flow.”
Seeing that I grasped it at once, Logan smiled as if to say ‘as expected.’
“Exactly. That’s why the damage is less severe here than in other areas when the storm arrives.”
This was a scene that appeared in the novel too, but the villain’s story was summed up in a single line—’they survived’—so I’d never known these detailed circumstances.
During my studies in Northern Icy Climate Environmental Change Studies, I’d also taken a minor in climatology and geology, and thanks to what I’d learned then, I grasped it immediately.
Forests and windbreak forests reduce wind speed, and when the wind loses its force, it cannot carry snow, so snowdrifts accumulate in specific locations.
That’s why snow barriers and windbreak forests aren’t meant to block wind completely, but rather to slow it down so the snow falls where we want it to.
“We just need to hold up well from here on.”
Logan gazed toward the Coastal Region, positioned very far away, then lowered the binoculars he’d been holding.
“How long did it take for the storm to pass through the village completely in the past?”
“About four days, I think.”
“How long until that wind storm reaches the village?”
“About four hours. Before the storm hits, I’d like to reinforce a few more things around the village if we can.”
In agreement with Logan’s words, I nodded and picked up the binoculars.

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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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