IFLDMHF | Chapter 95

Episode 95

No, it wasn’t just the children.

Even Euclid was looking at me with slightly startled eyes.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

But it didn’t seem like I had said anything inappropriate.

No matter how much the weather had warmed up, making the fireplace unnecessary, outerwear was still essential.

Yet, unlike me, who was dressed in a thick material dress and had wrapped a shawl snugly around my shoulders, the children were in thin dresses, light shirts, and pants.

To my eyes, they looked cold even within the ducal castle, let alone in an underground passage.

Of course, considering that our destination via the secret passage was Dior’s room—more precisely, his wardrobe—it might seem like a waste of time to ask the maid to bring coats…

‘But isn’t it better than catching a cold?’

Honestly, I felt a bit proud of myself for being an aunt who considered and looked after even the smallest details for the children, so I was somewhat taken aback by their reaction.

At that moment, Marianne cautiously asked,

“Aunt, do you get cold easily?”

“Huh? No, not particularly.”

“Th-then, do you really think the weather these days is cold?”

Isn’t that obvious?

Thinking of the capital’s spring-like warmth, I nodded immediately, and—boom—the children’s faces turned to shock.

Then they whispered among themselves.

“Maybe it’s because Aunt lived in the capital?”

“No way! She also said she’s scared of sharp and pointy things that don’t scare us. So maybe she’s just weak.”

“That’s right, she did say that. But still, the weather is so warm these days. Dior, you’re quite smart today?”

All of a sudden, they murmured among themselves and concluded that I was both a coward and weak.

As if they had reached a decision, Marianne ran over and pointed outside the window.

“Aunt, do you see that mountain over there?”

Goodness, now they’re questioning my eyesight?

Feeling dumbfounded, I still obediently turned my head and looked outside.

Beyond the castle’s outer walls, a barren mountain was visible.

“I see it clearly, but why bring up the mountain all of a sudden?”

I asked a little indifferently, and Marianne placed her hands on her hips, speaking in a clear voice.

“That mountain is originally a snow-covered peak all year round.”

“What?”

A snow-covered mountain? But there wasn’t a single trace of snow?

“Actually, our duchy as well. It’s supposed to be much, much colder than this. When you wake up in the morning, the windows should be frosted over, and snowflakes should be visible every day. More importantly, this time of year, snowstorms should be frequent…”

As Marianne continued, my bewilderment grew.

Since arriving at Rudion’s ducal estate, I hadn’t even seen a hint of a snowstorm.

Lately, the weather had been especially sunny and clear.

“Is that true?”

I knew Marianne had no reason to lie to me, but I still found it hard to believe, so I asked Euclid for confirmation.

Understanding my confusion, Euclid smiled gently and nodded.

“Yes, normally, it should be much colder around this time. However… the weather has been unusually warm, and people have been talking about it.”

Euclid added that letters concerning the matter were flooding in from various parts of the duchy, leaving me shocked.

While I had been celebrating the fact that I had finally repaid my debt, Euclid had been diligently fulfilling his responsibilities as lord, working tirelessly for the duchy.

I had firmly resolved to carry Euclid’s burdens completely, yet realizing how far I still had to go left me feeling disheartened.

But now wasn’t the time for self-reproach.

‘Even in a fantasy world, how can such a drastic climate change occur?’

It was hard to determine immediately whether this was a positive or negative development.

‘In my previous world, sudden climate shifts were never a good sign…’

Could this be a precursor to some kind of disaster?

It was obvious that the residents of the duchy would be greatly alarmed by this sudden change in weather.

Just as I was deep in serious thought, my expression turning grim—

“Aunt!”

“Hm?”

“We’ve been used to much colder weather since we were little.”

“It’s so warm these days that we don’t even need outerwear!”

Marianne and Dior spoke in turn.

In other words, contrary to my earlier concerns, there was no need to worry about them catching a cold, and we should just proceed with entering the secret passage.

Being young, the children only found the weather change slightly strange, but they didn’t perceive it as a major issue.

‘Well, that’s true.’

Since nothing particularly problematic had happened yet, there was no need to trouble the children with unnecessary worries.

Besides, from their perspective, the weather was warm, while I was the only one feeling cold—no wonder they were baffled.

It was natural for them to see me as weak.

At first, I was flustered, but I understood their perspective, and more importantly, they had helped me realize crucial information about the duchy. I found them quite admirable.

So, I decided to be generous and grant their wish.

“Alright, let’s go in then.”

At my words, the children exclaimed, “Wow!” in excitement.

Holding the hands of the thrilled children, I descended the stairs with Euclid, thinking positively.

‘Surely, nothing major will happen in just a few days, right?’

***

Something happened.

Just a few days after exploring the secret passage with the children, an incident big enough to turn the ducal castle upside down occurred.

— What in the world…

— What is it, Your Grace?

It was a morning when I looked at the unusually warm sunlight with an uneasy gaze.

From the corridor outside the office, Delano’s urgent voice echoed as he ran, calling for Euclid.

I immediately sent Anne to find out what was happening, and she returned with news that letters and reports were flooding in from noble houses across the northern region and even from village chiefs.

Realizing that the inevitable had arrived, I shot to my feet and headed straight for Euclid’s office.

There, I found him with a grave expression, reading through the letters.

‘Has a disaster occurred after all?’

Inside the castle, the warming weather had only caused unease, but who knew what might be happening outside?

Instead of snowfall, there could be heavy rain or unexpected natural disasters like earthquakes. Countless possibilities ran through my mind as I asked Euclid what had happened.

However—

— They say new sprouts have emerged.

— …What?

The answer was one I had never expected.

Reports had come in that fresh green shoots were sprouting across the northern lands.

Given the rising temperatures, it was a natural consequence.

I felt relieved that at least there hadn’t been a disaster or loss of life and brushed off my concerns.

But—

— My goodness, flowers in the North…

— Even weeds rarely grew in the frozen ground…

For those born and raised in the North, where winter lasted over half the year and even the warm months were colder than the capital’s winter, it was an enormous shock.

Well, the more I thought about it, the more astonishing it seemed.

‘But this doesn’t seem like a bad thing, does it?’

Far from being bad, it was actually a good thing.

Perhaps the desolate land that had only brought despair would now bring the joy of life and harvest!

Although everyone was too shocked to say it aloud, I was sure they shared my hope.

‘Maybe it’s okay to feel a little relieved?’

Of course, we still didn’t know what was causing the sudden climate shift, nor what unexpected consequences might arise…

‘Strangely, I don’t feel all that uneasy.’

However, regardless of my intuition, the work that needed to be done increased exponentially.

The duchy now had to prepare for and adapt to the changing climate, which meant that Euclid, as its ruler, would be busier than ever.

‘Sigh, I finally repaid my debt and thought I could relax a little…’

I sniffled in disappointment.

The elaborate plan I had devised to advance my relationship with Euclid had completely fallen apart.