'Cold...'
A sudden chill spread through my body, and at first I thought the wood fire in the fireplace had gone out.
But when I got up and looked, there was nothing wrong with the fireplace.
I said I was very cold, but Granada had provided plenty of firewood, so the fireplace was still burning brightly.
'Why is it so cold all of a sudden?'
I curled up and hugged my knees, as if a chill was rising from my heart.
As soon as I thought it was cold, a draft seemed to blow from all over the room that had previously felt warm.
Given the nature of the stone castle, which is optimized for defense rather than residence, it is impossible to completely block the wind, but I wondered if this cold wasn't too severe.
Come to think of it, most stone walls are decorated with rambres or tapestries to block out the wind, but here, the gray stone walls were exposed.
'Is this because it's a guest room?'
Because the Langbrina tapestry is a great luxury.
I was shivering and curled up under the blanket, not knowing what to do with the cold.
As the shaking got worse, I started to think about calling someone and asking them to do something for me.
But.
“Please cherish your workers, as they are being held captive by begging them not to quit their jobs.”
I remembered what Granada had said and lowered my hand from pulling the rope.
'Hold on. You can't call someone over and whine about the cold.'
Isn't that what I do best at being quiet and enduring?
'If you sit in front of the fireplace and warm yourself, your body will get warm.'
I sat in a chair in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket.
But no matter how close I got to the fire, the cold didn't go away.
The skin closest to the fire was burning hot, but the inside of my chest was cold.
It felt as if my torso was frozen solid.
Then I remembered how warm and soundly I had slept in leather clothes next to Callius yesterday.
My teeth chattered as I searched through all the drawers in the room, searching for the leather clothes I had taken off.
With great difficulty, I put on the heavy, thick clothes.
I couldn't tell if I was wearing it properly because someone kept putting it on me, but it was still better than being in pajamas.
I put it on and went back to bed, wrapping myself in the blanket to keep out any wind.
'It'll be okay when you sleep.'
But I couldn't fall asleep easily.
I spent a miserable time fighting the cold, going to bed, and then going to the fireplace.
Then, as the sun began to rise, the wood in the fireplace burned out, so I curled up in bed and held out as if I were dead.
It was only after morning and the sun had risen that the chill finally went away, and I was able to fall asleep.
While Chloe was tossing and turning alone in her room, Callius quietly went to find Mainz.
Mainz was, as usual, the last one to prepare for bed after all the castle employees had fallen asleep.
“What brings you to my room?”
Hw greeted Callius, embarrassed that he was in his pajamas.
Callius, who had always seen Mainz in neat suits, felt a little bitter when he saw Mainz's small shoulders in pajamas.
It was because Mainz, who had always seemed so young in his memories, had grown so old that he 8felt the passage of time passing by so quickly.
“I’m sorry it’s so late. I have a favor to ask.”
Mainz lowered his voice at Callius' serious expression.
“What’s going on?”
“I need to find a sorcerer.”
“A sorcerer? Me, you say?”
Mainz was puzzled as to why he was being asked to do the work outside the castle instead of having the knights do it for him.
Callius asked with a bitter smile, without explaining why.
“Move secretly.”
Mainz's expression darkened.
The fact that he was ordering him to do something that had to be done secretly meant that Callius didn't trust the knights.
The knights of Callius were his friends and brothers.
Except for those who were younger, like Alex, most of them were like family to Callius, having been with him since they were babies.
He can't believe he can't trust people like that.
Since when did it start?
And what are you wary of, and what is he suspicious of?
Mainz asked cautiously, thinking that Callius looked noticeably tired.
“I heard you came across Lhasa on your way back...”
"Lhasa is a good prophet. But more than her, I need a sorcerer who knows a lot about curses."
“Are you talking about a curse?”
Mainz barely made a sound, as if he was afraid to even say the word, just whispering it with his lips.
He took Callius's arm in his wrinkled hands and looked him over, trying to see if he could see any trace of the curse.
“Oh my, what on earth is going on, oh my... Are you cursed?”
Then, before Callius could explain anything, he opened his mouth with a look of realization.
“I heard the knights talking about how the master was forced into this marriage under duress, but surely the Empress of Kavala would have told the master...!”
Callius, worried that Mainz might be shocked and collapse, spoke firmly.
"That's not true. It wasn't me. I can't say for sure that it was the Empress of Kavala."
“Is that so?”
Mainz, relieved to hear that the victim of the curse was not his master, became much calmer.
“Then who the hell is telling who...?”
"I've only discovered traces of a curse. I don't know who placed it, for what purpose, how it manifests, or how dangerous it is. I need a sorcerer to figure that out."
"Yes."
“Nothing is certain yet, so don’t ask any more questions or jump to conclusions. Just find a sorcerer who can resolve this matter.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Callius asked as he left the room.
“As soon as possible.”
“Wake up, Your Highness.”
I barely managed to open my tired eyelids as someone shook me awake.
I was blankly staring at the light coming in through the gap in the window, and before I knew it, it was morning.
I didn't even feel like I slept because I hadn't slept a wink all night.
As I struggled to raise my heavy body, which weighed a thousand pounds, and yawned, a sharp voice pierced my ears.
"Oh my! Why are you wearing dirty clothes? You're sleeping in bed in clothes you haven't even washed!"
Vanessa noticed that I was wearing leather clothes and started nagging me.
The bedding was dirty. What should I do? I need to take another bath, my clothes were too dirty, etc., were repeated endlessly.
"That's why rumors are going around asking if Her Highness the Princess is out of her mind! What on earth is wrong with your sense of hygiene?"
This wasn't the first time Vanessa had said something sharp, so I gave her a vague response, almost as if I wasn't listening.
“I did that because it was too cold to sleep.”
Then Granada entered the room and glared at Vanessa.
"It seems it's acceptable for a maid to criticize her superiors in Arrental. I don't know if the culture is different, but in Ronheim, it's considered gross insubordination. So, please refrain from such behavior in the future."
“What? Who is teaching whom now?”
Vanessa glared at Granada.
“I am not your maid, but the exclusive maid of Her Highness the Princess.”
I was watching the fight between the two people, completely out of my mind and overcome with sleep, and I thought blankly.
'Why does Vanessa always start fights she can't win?'
It was obvious that Vanessa was not a match for Granada.
It seemed like a puppy was losing control of its temper in front of a tiger and was barking and whining.
I wondered why she was so proud, even though she always spoke politely to Granada, as if she felt it herself.
Granada spoke without batting an eye, with that charismatic, determined expression that had almost made me cry from the very first time we met.
“Get your head together. This isn’t the palace.”
He didn't swear or yell.
But why does that sound so scary?
Am I mistaken, and does it sound like she's threatening, "If you act any more foolishly, I'll bury you alive in the snow and make you sleep forever."
'Is it because her gaze is sharp?'
If I were facing Granada right now, I would definitely burst into tears.
Granada's gaze was that sharp.
'It's like a bird of prey.'
I remember seeing a picture of a huge, ferocious bird in a dictionary-style book with pictures.
I was a little surprised at how much Vanessa was glaring at Granada, her face flushed and blue, speechless.
'Even though it's funny every time, it's consistent in that you act like you're living on your own.'
Didn't Kavala choose Vanessa based solely on her tenacity?
Granada gave me advice, completely ignoring Vanessa.
"After you've finished getting ready in the morning, why not take a walk? Walking in the sun will warm you up quickly."
I grabbed the blanket Vanessa had taken from me and wrapped myself tightly in it, looking up at Granada with a suspicious look in my eyes.
“Wouldn’t it be colder if you went outside in cold weather?”
“If you just curl up and stay cooped up in your room, you’ll get colder.”
Granada opened the window shutters and glass doors wide without giving them a second thought.
In an instant, cold air rushed into the room.
I clutched the blanket tighter and curled up.
But soon, I raised my head as if entranced by the fresh scent of the winter breeze spreading through the room.
It was the smell of the wind coming from Callius.
“The air is so refreshing.”
I threw off the blanket as if I was possessed, got out of bed, and went to the window.
Although it was very cold, I felt better in an instant as I took a deep breath of this clear, cool air.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them with a twinkle in my eye.
“...!”
At that moment, I was so startled by the scenery unfolding below the window that I covered my mouth with my hand.
A sudden chill spread through my body, and at first I thought the wood fire in the fireplace had gone out.
But when I got up and looked, there was nothing wrong with the fireplace.
I said I was very cold, but Granada had provided plenty of firewood, so the fireplace was still burning brightly.
'Why is it so cold all of a sudden?'
I curled up and hugged my knees, as if a chill was rising from my heart.
As soon as I thought it was cold, a draft seemed to blow from all over the room that had previously felt warm.
Given the nature of the stone castle, which is optimized for defense rather than residence, it is impossible to completely block the wind, but I wondered if this cold wasn't too severe.
Come to think of it, most stone walls are decorated with rambres or tapestries to block out the wind, but here, the gray stone walls were exposed.
'Is this because it's a guest room?'
Because the Langbrina tapestry is a great luxury.
I was shivering and curled up under the blanket, not knowing what to do with the cold.
As the shaking got worse, I started to think about calling someone and asking them to do something for me.
But.
“Please cherish your workers, as they are being held captive by begging them not to quit their jobs.”
I remembered what Granada had said and lowered my hand from pulling the rope.
'Hold on. You can't call someone over and whine about the cold.'
Isn't that what I do best at being quiet and enduring?
'If you sit in front of the fireplace and warm yourself, your body will get warm.'
I sat in a chair in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket.
But no matter how close I got to the fire, the cold didn't go away.
The skin closest to the fire was burning hot, but the inside of my chest was cold.
It felt as if my torso was frozen solid.
Then I remembered how warm and soundly I had slept in leather clothes next to Callius yesterday.
My teeth chattered as I searched through all the drawers in the room, searching for the leather clothes I had taken off.
With great difficulty, I put on the heavy, thick clothes.
I couldn't tell if I was wearing it properly because someone kept putting it on me, but it was still better than being in pajamas.
I put it on and went back to bed, wrapping myself in the blanket to keep out any wind.
'It'll be okay when you sleep.'
But I couldn't fall asleep easily.
I spent a miserable time fighting the cold, going to bed, and then going to the fireplace.
Then, as the sun began to rise, the wood in the fireplace burned out, so I curled up in bed and held out as if I were dead.
It was only after morning and the sun had risen that the chill finally went away, and I was able to fall asleep.
***
While Chloe was tossing and turning alone in her room, Callius quietly went to find Mainz.
Mainz was, as usual, the last one to prepare for bed after all the castle employees had fallen asleep.
“What brings you to my room?”
Hw greeted Callius, embarrassed that he was in his pajamas.
Callius, who had always seen Mainz in neat suits, felt a little bitter when he saw Mainz's small shoulders in pajamas.
It was because Mainz, who had always seemed so young in his memories, had grown so old that he 8felt the passage of time passing by so quickly.
“I’m sorry it’s so late. I have a favor to ask.”
Mainz lowered his voice at Callius' serious expression.
“What’s going on?”
“I need to find a sorcerer.”
“A sorcerer? Me, you say?”
Mainz was puzzled as to why he was being asked to do the work outside the castle instead of having the knights do it for him.
Callius asked with a bitter smile, without explaining why.
“Move secretly.”
Mainz's expression darkened.
The fact that he was ordering him to do something that had to be done secretly meant that Callius didn't trust the knights.
The knights of Callius were his friends and brothers.
Except for those who were younger, like Alex, most of them were like family to Callius, having been with him since they were babies.
He can't believe he can't trust people like that.
Since when did it start?
And what are you wary of, and what is he suspicious of?
Mainz asked cautiously, thinking that Callius looked noticeably tired.
“I heard you came across Lhasa on your way back...”
"Lhasa is a good prophet. But more than her, I need a sorcerer who knows a lot about curses."
“Are you talking about a curse?”
Mainz barely made a sound, as if he was afraid to even say the word, just whispering it with his lips.
He took Callius's arm in his wrinkled hands and looked him over, trying to see if he could see any trace of the curse.
“Oh my, what on earth is going on, oh my... Are you cursed?”
Then, before Callius could explain anything, he opened his mouth with a look of realization.
“I heard the knights talking about how the master was forced into this marriage under duress, but surely the Empress of Kavala would have told the master...!”
Callius, worried that Mainz might be shocked and collapse, spoke firmly.
"That's not true. It wasn't me. I can't say for sure that it was the Empress of Kavala."
“Is that so?”
Mainz, relieved to hear that the victim of the curse was not his master, became much calmer.
“Then who the hell is telling who...?”
"I've only discovered traces of a curse. I don't know who placed it, for what purpose, how it manifests, or how dangerous it is. I need a sorcerer to figure that out."
"Yes."
“Nothing is certain yet, so don’t ask any more questions or jump to conclusions. Just find a sorcerer who can resolve this matter.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Callius asked as he left the room.
“As soon as possible.”
***
“Wake up, Your Highness.”
I barely managed to open my tired eyelids as someone shook me awake.
I was blankly staring at the light coming in through the gap in the window, and before I knew it, it was morning.
I didn't even feel like I slept because I hadn't slept a wink all night.
As I struggled to raise my heavy body, which weighed a thousand pounds, and yawned, a sharp voice pierced my ears.
"Oh my! Why are you wearing dirty clothes? You're sleeping in bed in clothes you haven't even washed!"
Vanessa noticed that I was wearing leather clothes and started nagging me.
The bedding was dirty. What should I do? I need to take another bath, my clothes were too dirty, etc., were repeated endlessly.
"That's why rumors are going around asking if Her Highness the Princess is out of her mind! What on earth is wrong with your sense of hygiene?"
This wasn't the first time Vanessa had said something sharp, so I gave her a vague response, almost as if I wasn't listening.
“I did that because it was too cold to sleep.”
Then Granada entered the room and glared at Vanessa.
"It seems it's acceptable for a maid to criticize her superiors in Arrental. I don't know if the culture is different, but in Ronheim, it's considered gross insubordination. So, please refrain from such behavior in the future."
“What? Who is teaching whom now?”
Vanessa glared at Granada.
“I am not your maid, but the exclusive maid of Her Highness the Princess.”
I was watching the fight between the two people, completely out of my mind and overcome with sleep, and I thought blankly.
'Why does Vanessa always start fights she can't win?'
It was obvious that Vanessa was not a match for Granada.
It seemed like a puppy was losing control of its temper in front of a tiger and was barking and whining.
I wondered why she was so proud, even though she always spoke politely to Granada, as if she felt it herself.
Granada spoke without batting an eye, with that charismatic, determined expression that had almost made me cry from the very first time we met.
“Get your head together. This isn’t the palace.”
He didn't swear or yell.
But why does that sound so scary?
Am I mistaken, and does it sound like she's threatening, "If you act any more foolishly, I'll bury you alive in the snow and make you sleep forever."
'Is it because her gaze is sharp?'
If I were facing Granada right now, I would definitely burst into tears.
Granada's gaze was that sharp.
'It's like a bird of prey.'
I remember seeing a picture of a huge, ferocious bird in a dictionary-style book with pictures.
I was a little surprised at how much Vanessa was glaring at Granada, her face flushed and blue, speechless.
'Even though it's funny every time, it's consistent in that you act like you're living on your own.'
Didn't Kavala choose Vanessa based solely on her tenacity?
Granada gave me advice, completely ignoring Vanessa.
"After you've finished getting ready in the morning, why not take a walk? Walking in the sun will warm you up quickly."
I grabbed the blanket Vanessa had taken from me and wrapped myself tightly in it, looking up at Granada with a suspicious look in my eyes.
“Wouldn’t it be colder if you went outside in cold weather?”
“If you just curl up and stay cooped up in your room, you’ll get colder.”
Granada opened the window shutters and glass doors wide without giving them a second thought.
In an instant, cold air rushed into the room.
I clutched the blanket tighter and curled up.
But soon, I raised my head as if entranced by the fresh scent of the winter breeze spreading through the room.
It was the smell of the wind coming from Callius.
“The air is so refreshing.”
I threw off the blanket as if I was possessed, got out of bed, and went to the window.
Although it was very cold, I felt better in an instant as I took a deep breath of this clear, cool air.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them with a twinkle in my eye.
“...!”
At that moment, I was so startled by the scenery unfolding below the window that I covered my mouth with my hand.
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