Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 32

Chapter 32.

I should find that traitor and retrieve the Bluestone.

Having made up my mind, I asked the soldiers,

"By the way—do any of you know anything about the Ice Age Research Institute?"

The soldiers exchanged glances, then nodded.

"We knew there was an Ice Age Research Institute, but not many people had information about it. The research lab inside the base was restricted to officers and above."

Another soldier added,

"But there were plenty of rumors."

"Such as?"

"For example—that the 'White Veil' was manipulating the weather to create a second ice age and effectively control the world. That sort of thing. Conspiracy theories."

I'd heard of the White Veil. A shadowy organization with no known substance. Some said it was a conspiracy fabricated by forces opposing the royal family.

"Since no one knew who founded the research institute or who gave the orders, those conspiracy theories spread even more."

"Wouldn't officers have known?"

"I'm not sure. Captain Russell, who was in charge of the lab, might have known something—if he's still alive."

"Then you wouldn't know anything about Julian Wesley Everhart?"

"We know the name—you mean the research director, don't you?"

Suddenly, the soldier's eyes widened as if something had occurred to him.

"Wait—if that's the case, then you must be..."

"I'm Director Julian's younger sister. And I'm not a 'young lady'—I'm married."

"I apologize—Your Grace, the Duchess of Cheshwind."

The other soldiers followed with apologies.

"My mistake—Your Grace, the Duchess of Cheshwind... wait, you're really the Duchess?"

They peered out through the iron door in surprise, looking at the blazing flames and the wolves I'd taken down.

"Ah—I was a top student in 'Hunting and Gathering,' you see."

I gave a flimsy excuse, glancing at my rifle.

"A proper duchess ought to be good at hunting, shouldn't she?"

It was nonsense, but no one said a word.

"Anyway—do you know anything about my brother? What he was doing here, where he went?"

"Ah—we heard that the Director had gone missing."

"We're very sorry."

"He was a good man. We never went inside the lab, but he often came to the cafeteria for meals."

"Captain Russell was always right beside him, so we never got close enough to do more than greet him."

Just then—

A man emerged from the darkness.

He wore a different type of military uniform from the Navy uniforms the soldiers had on—it was Logan.

"Eve!"

Squeak—! Squeak!

Pipi fluttered around me, chirping. Pipi must have led Logan to my location.

Logan grabbed my shoulders and asked,

"Are you alright? Are you safe? Any injuries? Side effects?"

"Ah—I'm fine. Safe. I was talking with the soldiers—they were telling me about the Ice Age Research Institute."

"What?"

"They all knew Julian."

"Wait—Eve—who were you talking to just now?"

I pointed inside the quarantine zone.

"The soldiers who were trapped here..."

"There's no one here but you."

"Huh?"

Logan pointed into the quarantine zone.

"They're all dead."

Inside, the men in military uniforms lay frozen solid, their eyes still open.

---

Marcus glanced at Logan.

After Eve vanished, Logan had remained remarkably calm, using the baby bird Pipi to track her trail.

"I'm too scared to say anything."

Charlotte muttered to Marcus. They'd been wandering the underground facility for three hours now.

Traversing the maze-like corridors, descending stair after stair—into a place with no end in sight.

Finally, Marcus spoke to Logan.

"Logan—it's dangerous to keep going down. I think I saw a map on the first basement level—let's go back up and check it again."

Logan, following the bird, stopped and turned to Marcus.

"Do what you want."

He tilted his head and answered, then resumed following Pipi.

"Wait—wait!"

Marcus hurried after him and grabbed Logan's arm.

"What do you mean, 'do what you want'? We need to move together."

"Together?"

Logan calmly removed Marcus's hand and said,

"Why should I?"

"What?"

"I only need Eve."

Marcus flinched at Logan's remarkably calm, quiet crimson eyes.

If anyone ever asked what it meant to be subtly and quietly insane, Marcus wanted to show them Logan's eyes.

Why did this man obsess over Eve to such an extent? He couldn't understand it.

Was it because of Eve's personality?

No—considering how Eve had been so determined to beat Logan, her personality couldn't be called normal either.

Why on earth had he fallen for a woman who fought so fiercely against him? Was he a pervert?

Or did he only care about looks?

That made a bit more sense.

Marcus had seen many women, but Eve's breathtaking beauty was unlike any other.

Her silver hair shimmered like crystal in the sunlight—like an angel's wings.

Her skin was so pale it was almost white, her eyes the color of a frozen lake. Her eyelashes were long and full, and her eyes drooped slightly at the corners, giving her a naturally pitiable look.

Her small, slender frame and fragile-looking shoulders made everyone who saw her think she was someone to protect.

And soon after, they realized that was a misconception.

Eve was the first to run outside, even in a blizzard.

Not only that—she gave her share to anyone who was hungry, and when everyone said to give up, she was the one who found a way to survive.

Marcus remembered Eve from the Academy Royal Tournament.

At the Grandon Royal Academy, houses were divided by dormitory:

Wisdom Hall, Conqueror Hall, Pioneer Hall, and Guardian Hall.

Coincidentally, Logan and Charlotte—who suited each other—were in Conqueror Hall, while Marcus and Eve were in Pioneer Hall.

Logan's team always won.

That year's victory was practically predetermined for Conqueror Hall. But Eve didn't give up.

Even as she bled from the nose, she participated in every event.

I remember how she drove her teammates mercilessly, saying she couldn't lose to Logan—making all the Pioneer Hall students groan.

She'd never learned swordsmanship, so she was eliminated in the preliminaries; she was disqualified from rowing for lack of experience.

But she didn't give up. In the debate competition, she miraculously beat Logan, securing her first victory and boosting the morale of Pioneer Hall.

Eve also participated in shooting, equestrian, and fencing events. Remarkably, in all those disciplines, she proved herself a worthy match for Logan.

I later heard she'd practiced relentlessly, barely sleeping, just to beat him.

And in the end, with blood dripping from her nose, she managed to take second place—losing to Logan by a razor-thin margin.

It's still strange how she never actually collapsed, though.

The nosebleeds she got like clockwork never seemed to harm her health.

In Marcus's memory, Eve was always a woman aiming her sword at Logan—so when exactly had Logan fallen in love with her?

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