Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 17

Chapter 17.

"No, it's just that I never saw the two of you exchange a single word back at the academy. Junior, were you dating this guy after you took your leave of absence?"

"..."

"..."

"No, that can't be. The Duke of Wrath went off to war right after you took your leave—he wouldn't have had time to date."

"Senior, you know that my family went missing, the debts piled up, and the House of Everhart was completely ruined, right?"

"I'm sorry to hear that. If I'd known where you were, I could have offered financial help."

He answered, then glanced at me.

Silence fell.

Marcus couldn't meet my eyes and looked away.

"This might sound like an excuse... but the news of Everhart's fall only came out recently."

It had been widely reported when I married Logan. Marcus must have learned of it then.

"So that's why you took a leave of absence."

"Senior."

"I should have looked into it more deeply, but I was busy establishing the company back then..."

"Senior."

Finally, Marcus looked at me.

"It's alright. A lot of time has passed."

The House of Everhart was a family with a long history.

That was why it was still hard to believe that everyone except me had gone missing.

The collateral relatives all turned their backs on me, and I had nowhere to turn.

To keep my mind from collapsing, I had forcibly erased my family from my thoughts—but recalling my parents' disappearance suddenly made my heart sink.

Around the time my eldest brother, who had gone abroad to study, lost contact, my second brother had gone missing during a northern expedition. My parents then disappeared while searching for him.

The last place my parents were seen was the capital, Avrid—and rumors said they had bought train tickets to Rosebrook.

Just then, Marcus spoke.

"But still, your noble status hasn't disappeared—and now you're a duchess."

"What does that matter? The world has ended—titles are useless now."

"That's true. A world I never wanted has come. At this rate, I don't even know why I worked my bones to the bone to make money."

Marcus lamented.

To be honest, I was just as disappointed that the world had ended.

When I didn't know my family's fate, my house was ruined, and I was buried in debt, I had wished for the world to end.

But then Logan appeared like a savior—he paid off my debts and offered marriage. I thought I could finally rebuild my shattered life and see the light.

But the world hadn't granted even that small respite.

What can I do? It's already past.

Anyway, it seemed we really didn't look like an ordinary newlywed couple—hence the question.

I didn't need to hide the fact that it was a contract marriage. But it wasn't exactly something to broadcast, either.

Still, if we were going to be living with Marcus for a while, wouldn't it be better to tell the truth?

I silently looked at Logan, asking if it was okay.

Logan caught my gaze and simply shrugged.

I took that as a sign that he wouldn't stop me.

I turned back to Marcus.

"Logan paid off my debts. In return, we agreed to marry."

After all, marrying Logan was a hundred, a thousand times better than being sold off to some old man.

"But why marriage specifically? Was there a reason?"

Marcus looked at Logan this time.

Logan sipped his tea leisurely and answered.

"Because I like Eve. Enough to want to spend my whole life with her."

Pfft—

The one who spat out his tea was Jack Harper, who had been quietly watching.

To be honest, I understood intellectually that Logan liked me. But accepting that feeling as love still felt strange somehow.

Still, one thing was certain.

In this disaster, even if the whole world turned its back on me, Logan would never harm me.

That conviction was unshakably solid.

Having lost my family, sat on a mountain of debt, and watched the world collapse overnight—

Everything around me was unstable—except Logan.

Perhaps that was why.

Sometimes, even his casual words made my heart skip a beat.

Whether it was love or simply a sense of relief, I still didn't know.

But at this moment, Logan was the most trustworthy person to me.

Just then, Marcus showed an unexpected reaction.

"I know."

Huh? He knew?

"He blocked every man at the academy who tried to approach you."

"...I'm hearing that for the first time."

I turned to Logan. He just shrugged and stayed silent.

To be honest, I'd guessed as much—but that was only because I could recall the novel Ice Age Survival. Back in my academy days, I really hadn't known.

"Logan, if you were that serious about me, why did you pretend to hear my name for the first time?"

"It's a high-level strategy. Maybe we should change his nickname from 'Duke of Wrath' to 'Duke of Fox.'"

Marcus sipped his tea with elegant composure, yet his mouth never stopped. In a way, it was impressive—businessmen weren't just anyone.

"Whatever the case, the conclusion is one."

Logan spoke calmly.

"Eve is my wife."

Even I couldn't quite understand my own feelings.

I thought of our relationship as a survival alliance—yet words like that made my heart flutter.

He said he liked me but never demanded an answer. He stayed by my side but never forced his feelings on me.

Perhaps that patience was exactly why I trusted Logan the most.

Maybe that was why—

I was slowly growing comfortable with him.

---

The next few days passed peacefully.

Half of the recovered Goldstones were absorbed into Logan's and Marcus's weapons to enhance durability, and Logan kept the Pinkstone.

I had already absorbed the Goldstones from the weapons shop, so I didn't need to be greedy.

And so, we spent our days leisurely walking around Acorn Village, trying to turn the desolate place into something livelier.

Of course, I only identified the spots that needed fixing—the actual labor was done by Marcus and Jack.

After that, we placed coal stoves and braziers in the central square and along major paths.

So that when night fell, red flames would glow from the heaters scattered around Acorn Village.

Inside the village, temperatures dropped to at least minus ten degrees—which was still quite cold.

So we periodically cleared snow from the alleys and added tarps where the wind blew strongly.

We built a communal firewood shed in the square, chopping wood whenever we could to keep a steady supply.

Fortunately, at this early stage of the ice age, there was still plenty of usable firewood.

We also put up signposts along the main paths to mark the way through the snow.

"Our junior is full of romance. Planting flowers in pots even in a situation like this."

Marcus grumbled, but he obediently followed my requests.

In front of every sun-facing window, we placed a pot of white snowdrops.

Snowdrops bloom in early spring when snow still remains. Their flower language is hope.

We also placed pots of Christmas roses—also called winter roses—here and there.

Their flower language: hope, memories, and please soothe my anxiety.

To be honest, we planted more herbs like rosemary and mint than flowers.

Tidying and tending the village was surprisingly fun—time flew by.

But now, it was time to prepare for guests.

It was about time the ruffian gang made their move.

【Baker appears to be dead already.】

【There are survivors here!】

I had left a small fragment of a Pinkstone at the weapons shop.

Thanks to that, I could eavesdrop on the ruffians who came looking for their comrades.

【Damn it—who did this?】

【Marcus Winston Rutland, no doubt?】

【That scumbag couldn't have done it alone.】

【Then...】

【They said the Duke and Duchess of Cheshwind are in that 'Devil's Village.' It makes sense if the Duke of Wrath helped Rutland.】

【How did they get inside the 'Devil's Village'? I heard no one who enters ever comes out alive.】

【You're old enough to know better—are you really believing that urban legend?】

【I apologize. Shall we form an attack squad?】

【First, we'll kidnap the Duchess of Cheshwind.】

【Is the Duchess actually there?】

【It's certain. They said they saw a woman sitting on the mansion rooftop through binoculars. Who else could it be on land the Duke purchased?】

【I apologize.】

【Forget it. Anyway, that woman has no strength and a frail constitution—she'll die soon anyway. Let's use her before she dies.】

Then they found the Pinkstone fragment and took it. How grateful I was.

Wait—'no strength and a frail constitution, so she'll die soon anyway'—that's harsh.

I knew that reputation well, but hearing it so bluntly felt different.

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