IDGM 49

Chapter 49

‘So cold…’

The sudden chill that swept through my whole body made me think at first that the firewood in the fireplace had gone out.

But when I got up with a start and checked, the fireplace was still blazing away without issue.

Because I had mentioned that I was sensitive to the cold, Granada had made sure to pile in plenty of logs, so the fire still burned strong.

‘Why does it suddenly feel so cold?’

It was as if the cold was rising up straight from my heart, so I curled up, hugging my knees tightly.

Once I thought of it as cold, the whole room—which had always felt warm and cozy—now seemed to leak draughts from everywhere.

Considering the nature of a stone castle, built more for defense than comfort, it was impossible to block all the drafts. But still, wasn’t this cold just too much?

Now that I thought about it, most castles covered their walls with hangings or tapestries to block the wind, but here the gray stone walls were bare.

‘Is it because this is just a guest room?’

After all, tapestries were quite a luxury.

Shivering uncontrollably, I burrowed deeper under the blanket.

As the trembling grew worse, I almost pulled the bell cord to call someone for help.

But then…

“Since we have to beg the servants not to quit and barely manage to keep them, please treat them with care.”

Remembering Granada’s words, I lowered the hand that was reaching for the cord.

‘Endure it. I can’t whine and call someone just because I’m cold.’

If there was one thing I was good at, it was enduring quietly.

‘If I sit by the fireplace, I’ll warm up.’

Wrapping myself in the blanket, I sat down on the chair in front of the fire.

But no matter how close I got, the chill would not go away.

The side of my skin closest to the fire stung with heat, yet the inside of my chest was freezing cold.

It was as if the core of my body had frozen solid.

Then I remembered how warm and comfortable I’d been last night when I had fallen asleep beside Kallias in his leather coat.

My teeth clattered as I rummaged through all the drawers in the room until I finally found the leather garment I had taken off.

With difficulty, I put on the heavy, thick clothing.

I couldn’t tell if I wore it properly—since someone else always dressed me—but it was still better than my thin nightclothes.

Wearing it, I returned to bed and wrapped myself tightly so that not a single breeze could slip in.

‘If I fall asleep, it’ll be fine.’

But sleep would not come.

I spent the miserable night going back and forth between bed and the fireplace, fighting the cold.

By dawn, when the firewood in the hearth had all burned out, I curled up in bed like the dead, enduring it.

It was only after the sun rose and the morning came that the chill finally eased, and I was able to fall asleep.

At the same time, while Chloe was tossing and turning alone in her room, Kallias quietly went to find Mainz.

As usual, Mainz was the last to retire for the night, only preparing for bed once all the servants in the castle were asleep.

“What brings you to my room, my lord?”

He looked embarrassed at being in his nightclothes as he greeted Kallias.

Kallias, who had only ever seen him neatly dressed in formal wear, felt a pang at the sight of Mainz’s frail shoulders.

In his memory, Mainz had always seemed young. Now, seeing how old he had become, Kallias felt the weight of time bitterly.

“Sorry to bother you so late. I need a favor.”

At the serious expression on Kallias’s face, Mainz lowered his voice.

“What is it, my lord?”

“I need you to find me a sorcerer.”

“A… sorcerer? Me?”

Mainz was bewildered as to why he, and not the knights, was being asked to deal with something beyond the castle.

Kallias only gave a weary smile, without explaining further.

“Do it discreetly.”

Mainz’s expression darkened.

If Kallias was asking him to move secretly, it meant he no longer trusted his knights.

But Kallias’s knights were his friends and brothers. Aside from the younger ones like Alex, most of them had been with him since childhood, practically family.

For him not to trust them…

When had that started?

And what was he fearing, what suspicions was he harboring?

Mainz thought Kallias looked especially weary these days and cautiously asked,

“I heard that on your way back, you met Lassa…”

“Lassa is a good prophetess. But what I need now isn’t prophecy—I need a sorcerer who knows curses.”

“Curses?”

Mainz barely mouthed the word, too afraid to even voice it aloud.

Grabbing Kallias’s arm with his wrinkled hand, he looked it over anxiously for any signs of a curse.

“Oh dear heavens, what has happened? Have you been cursed?”

Before Kallias could explain, Mainz’s expression shifted to one of sudden realization.

“I overheard the knights gossiping—that you were being blackmailed into this marriage. Could it be that Empress Kabbalah cursed you, my lord…!”

Worried he might collapse from the shock, Kallias quickly cut him off.

“No. That’s not it. I haven’t been cursed. And I can’t say with certainty it was Empress Kabbalah either.”

“I see…”

Relieved that his master was not the victim, Mainz regained some composure.

“Then who is it? Who cursed whom?”

“All I’ve found is traces of a curse. I don’t know who cast it, for what purpose, how it manifests, or how dangerous it is. That’s why I need a sorcerer to uncover it.”

“I understand.”

“Nothing is certain yet, so don’t speculate or ask further. Just find someone capable of resolving this matter.”

“Yes, my lord.”

As Kallias left the room, he added firmly,

“As quickly as possible.”

“Wake up, Your Highness.”

Someone shook me awake, and I barely managed to lift my heavy eyelids.

Light was slipping through the cracks in the shutters. At some point, I must have dozed off despite myself.

But it hardly felt like sleep; I hadn’t closed my eyes once all night.

Dragging my unbearably heavy body upright, I gave a long yawn—when a sharp voice pierced my ears.

“Oh my! Why are you wearing dirty clothes? To think you slept in that unwashed thing on top of the bed!”

Vanessa, discovering I was in the leather garment, gasped in horror and scolded endlessly.

She repeated over and over how I’d soiled the bedding, how I’d have to bathe again, how filthy the clothes were.

“No wonder people whisper about whether or not Your Highness is in her right mind! What happened to your sense of hygiene?”

Since it wasn’t the first time Vanessa’s words had been sharp, I only half-listened, mumbling an excuse.

“It was too cold to sleep otherwise.”

Just then, Granada entered the room and shot Vanessa a fierce glare.

“Does Arental allow maids to insult their betters so freely? Perhaps the culture is different there, but in Ronheim this is considered outright insubordination. Do not behave like that again.”

“What did you just say? Who do you think you are to lecture me?”

Vanessa glared back, her eyes wide.

“I am not your maid. I am the princess’s personal maid.”

Sleepy and dazed, I watched them argue and wondered blankly,

‘Why does Vanessa always pick fights she can’t win?’

It was obvious she wasn’t on Granada’s level.

Like a puppy yapping before a tiger, unable to control its temper.

She even kept addressing Granada politely, which made her prideful defiance even stranger.

Granada, unflinching, said with the same charisma and firmness she had shown the first time we met—when she nearly made me cry—

“Get a hold of yourself. This is not the imperial palace.”

She didn’t curse, she didn’t raise her voice.

Yet why did her words sound so terrifying?

It felt almost like a threat: ‘Act foolishly again, and I’ll bury you alive in the snow, where you’ll sleep forever.’

‘Maybe it’s her eyes… so sharp and fierce.’

If I had been the one facing Granada’s gaze, I would surely have burst into tears.

Her eyes were that fierce.

‘Like a bird of prey.’

I remembered illustrations in books—huge, vicious birds.

Vanessa’s face was flushed red as she glared back, but at this point I almost found her impressive.

‘Even if she makes a fool of herself every time, at least she’s consistent in her stubbornness.’

Perhaps Kabbalah had chosen Vanessa solely for her tenacity.

Granada ignored her entirely and turned to advise me.

“Once you’re ready for the morning, Your Highness, you should take a walk. The sunlight will warm you quickly.”

Still clutching the blanket Vanessa had snatched from me, I looked up at Granada with doubt.

“Won’t I get colder outside?”

“Staying cooped up in here only makes it worse.”

Granada swung open the shutters and the glass windows wide.

At once, a rush of cold air filled the room.

I huddled tighter into the blanket—

—but then a crisp winter breeze filled the air, carrying a familiar scent.

It was the same scent of wind that clung to Kallias.

“The air is so refreshing.”

Almost entranced, I threw off the blanket, climbed out of bed, and approached the window.

It was cold, but the clear, sharp air filled my lungs and instantly lifted my mood.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, then opened them with a sparkle.

“……!”

At that moment, I looked down and gasped, clapping my hand over my mouth in shock at the sight unfolding below the window.