The Ice Age Came And I Just Got Married - Chapter 94

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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 94
I had no idea what was happening.
I used the Pink Stone I’d absorbed to treat Aiden’s wounds, and Pipi emerged from my pocket to inspect the ones I’d missed.
Chirp—
Pipi circled Aiden repeatedly, tilting his head in confusion.
It was strange; normally, he would have gone straight to work, but instead he hesitated, cocking his head this way and that.
I watched Pipi circling anxiously around Aiden, then turned my attention to Bryan.
“What on earth is going on here?”
“He was injured while rescuing survivors from Norton.”
“Rescuing survivors?”
“You must have seen it on the way here. Norton is full of Guilds now.”
Bryan, who had followed Aiden to Norton, began explaining what he’d observed about the city during his time there.
“The Guild commissions vary widely. There are quests to gather food in exchange for cloth, commissions to find medicinal herbs, Snow Monster Subjugations, missing person searches—all sorts of things. The survivors band together, form teams, and take on commissions to get what they need.”
Bryan paused, glancing down at Aiden before continuing.
“Normally, trading picks up once the sun rises and the temperature starts to climb. But the popular commissions are so fiercely contested that fights break out sometimes.”
“Ah. So he got caught up in one of those fights?”
“That’s right. We happened to be there ourselves—a commission on the market caught our interest.”
Bryan sighed before going on.
“The fact that Aiden was injured cannot be allowed to spread through Norton.”
“Why not?”
“The moment word gets out, everyone who’s been following him will lose faith.”
“But he was injured saving survivors. Do we really have to stick with people who would abandon him so easily?”
Bryan smiled bitterly at my question.
“You’re right. He’s in a difficult position. There were no other options. He’s the kind of person who believes he must move forward even while supporting anxious advisors.”
I suddenly realized I hadn’t seen Vincent anywhere.
“Where is Vincent?”
“He went into Norton’s Lord’s Castle alone. He needed to assure the advisors that Aiden is well, and that his return has been delayed while he takes the pulse of the people’s sentiment. That way they’ll have peace of mind.”
Vincent must have his hands full then. And I couldn’t exactly have Bryan, who’d only just joined us, step in and speak for Aiden in his place.
“Shouldn’t we be hiding even more carefully then? This is awfully exposed for—”
“The darkest place is directly beneath the lamp. It’s been two days, and no one’s suspected anything.”
I was still talking with Bryan when—
“I’m fine.”
“Oh! You startled me!”
A voice suddenly came from behind me, and I jumped. Turning around, I saw Logan standing there.
Logan stood blocking my path, staring at the bloodstained Aiden.
Aiden slowly raised his upper body. His movements were perfectly composed—like someone just waking from sleep, he simply brushed off his collar once.
Logan was silent for a moment, observing Aiden’s condition.
“I was merely resting my eyes for a moment because I was tired. There are no significant injuries, so there’s no need for concern.”
Now I understood why Pipi had hesitated about treating him.
Looking more carefully, though Aiden was covered in blood, it didn’t seem to be his own—there were no major wounds.
I’d worried for nothing.
He looked completely fine.
I turned back to Bryan immediately.
“Then why didn’t you just say so? You made it sound so serious—’we can’t let Norton know he’s injured’—you made me think the worst!”
Bryan threw up his hands, protesting his innocence.
“He was injured—it’s just not visible.”
“Ah, I see. Nothing serious then. Just some bruising.”
Aiden waved his hand dismissively, looking between Logan and me. He then studied us carefully, resting his chin in his palm, and spoke.
“But what brings you two here? Ah—”
Something suddenly occurred to him, and he struck his palm with his fist.
Then, smiling gracefully, he spoke to me.
“Have you come to meet Graham?”
“Yes, that’s right. He said he was stopping by Norton to see you.”
“He was asking for advice on finding Silver Mere Lake. I understood the destination to be Abrideen.”
Bryan added to Aiden’s explanation.
“The commission that Everhart posted was the one we were interested in.”
“What? Why would Graham post a commission?”
Aiden continued explaining in response to my question.
“Norton is the city where the most Explorers gather in the Kingdom. If you’re searching for something desperately, it may be faster to post a commission with professional Explorers.”
Ah, now that he mentioned it, I’d read about this in the novels. There were quite a few episodes in Norton involving receiving or completing commissions.
Norton draws explorers and survivors who’ve traversed the northern reaches for years. So it’s hardly impossible that someone here knows of the legendary Silver Mere Lake.
Truth be told, Julian had said Graham would search for it, so leaving that to him and focusing on finding my parents seemed the ideal and efficient approach.
If only Logan hadn’t lost his memories because of the Subordinate Mana Stone.
“Are the two of you searching for Oswal Everhart?”
“No. Not at the moment….”
I trailed off and glanced sideways at Logan.
“The situation is a bit complicated.”
“Difficult to explain, then.”
Mercifully, he pressed no further.
Aiden, who’d been listening to our exchange, looked intrigued as his eyes darted between Logan and me. At that gaze, Logan’s brow narrowed.
“What are you staring at?”
“Something seems different about you, somehow.”
Was it because he was a prince, or because he was the protagonist? His eye for detail was far too keen.
At Aiden’s remark, Logan let out a short, derisive laugh.
What. Why was he laughing like that?
“Your Highness sees me differently, but surely my disposition doesn’t change overnight?”
“And I’m grateful our duke remains as insufferable as always.”
Logan got along poorly with most people, so his poor relations with the prince were hardly remarkable.
To begin with, the two had no real interaction outside of politics.
In any case, the memories Logan had lost concerned only me, so there was nothing that would trouble his dealings with others.
“You must find it trying, madam, standing beside such a husband. Norton’s doors are always open—should you ever wish to visit, you’d be most welcome.”
“Are you seriously trying to poach my wife right in front of me?”
I struck Logan’s back.
“Still the same. Always the same.”
Aiden shook his head as he looked at Logan.
“A misunderstanding. I meant to make her one of my people, not to covet another man’s wife.”
Speaking to Logan, Aiden then turned to face me. His expression softened.
He addressed me in measured tones.
“And anyone with such refinement and talent as yours would be worth having at one’s side.”
Logan’s eyes snapped sharp, his gaze fixing on Aiden.
As the two men continued their tiresome sparring, Bryan turned to me with a question.
“Is your coming all this way connected to the Winterstone?”
This much I could answer, couldn’t I?
“Yes.”
At my reply, Bryan pressed on as though he’d been waiting for this moment.
“Well, Everhart and I are searching for the Frost Heart. We found evidence it’s somewhere in this city. If we locate it, would that help?”
“The Frost Heart? Truly?”
Impossible. The Frost Heart was in Norton? Not at Silver Mere Lake?
Then Julian was here too?
“Want to come along?”
At Bryan’s words, I nodded vigorously.
.
.
.
Logan and I followed Bryan and Aiden through the streets.
We were headed to meet Graham.
The Ice Age demanded we bundle ourselves in heavy winter clothes, so Aiden’s face being covered nearly to the point of disguise didn’t seem particularly strange.
Logan pulled at my shoulder, drawing me away from Aiden at a distance.
As a result, Logan and I walked with some space between us and Bryan and Aiden.
I glanced up at him.
Feeling my gaze, he looked down at me.
“Is this jealousy too?”
The question came to me suddenly out of curiosity, though I immediately regretted asking something so pointless.
“Yes.”
But his answer took me by surprise.
“That’s an emotion that only comes if you like someone, isn’t it?”
He shows interest in me, feels jealous—yet his memories are gone. Could it be that while his memory is lost, his feelings remain?
“I don’t know about that, but I do want to have you.”
Cough. I hadn’t expected such a blunt declaration. I found myself catching my breath.
Fortunately, we couldn’t continue the conversation.
“We’re here!”
Bryan was calling out to us from a distance, and standing there beside him was Graham, watching Logan with what seemed like close attention.
This was bad. Graham had sharp instincts.
I couldn’t predict what his reaction would be if he learned that Logan had lost his memories of me alone.
It certainly wouldn’t be a pleasant one.
‘He can’t find out. Not under any circumstances.’

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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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