Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 58

Chapter 58.

I scanned the village from the rooftop, deep in thought.

Though the damage would be less than in other areas, it wouldn't be nonexistent.

"We still have some time. Let's reinforce our defenses—we might be able to reduce the damage even further."

Logan smiled at my answer. Seeing that smile, I realized he'd intentionally left something for me to do.

"Did you leave my share on purpose?"

"Not on purpose—I ran out of time. There were more urgent things."

He shrugged.

He'd expected the blizzard to come six months after the ice age began, so he'd probably thought preparing for it wasn't an immediate priority.

It's okay—we have enough time.

I went down with Logan.

Everyone was waiting below.

We quickly finished our meal in twenty minutes and went over the details.

---

Three and a half hours before the blizzard.

Logan, the village's de facto leader and the one with the most information, took charge.

First, we repaired the wall.

If the wall were built too solidly like a fortress, the strong wind would hit it and create turbulence, causing snow to pile up awkwardly inside.

"Marcus, Nathan, and Sir Vincent should handle the wall."

In fact, Logan had already reinforced the wall when he bought the village.

The wall wasn't a tightly packed log barrier—it was a double-layered windbreak with intentional gaps.

The first layer slowed the wind, and the second lower fence caused the blowing snow to drop outside the wall rather than inside.

"Just some repairs should be enough."

After inspecting the wall, Marcus gave a brief summary and turned to Nathan and Vincent.

"We'll need some muscle—good composition. Smart move, you bastard junior."

Three hours before the blizzard.

We began reinforcing the greenhouse in earnest. The remaining people worked together.

The greenhouse was the most vulnerable during a blizzard—not just because of the wind itself, but because the ice pellets, branches, and hardened snow carried by the wind could shatter the glass.

So our first step was to install wooden shutters over the glass.

Then we added horizontal braces to the roof and harvested any crops that were ready.

Chirp— chirp-chirp—

Watching us move busily outside, Chippy paced anxiously through the garden. He seemed uneasy.

I patted his head—and he bit my finger.

"..."

I snatched the acorn from his paw and bit it myself. Revenge.

"Eve—what are you doing?"

At Charlotte's call, I turned my head with the acorn still in my mouth.

"Nothing."

But—oh no—Aiden was behind Charlotte.

He was peering at me with his hands behind his back, clearly curious. Our eyes met.

Aiden's expression grew subtle.

He quickly looked away, as if he'd seen something he shouldn't.

No—being that polite just makes me look weirder.

The acorn fell from my mouth onto Chippy's head. Intentional.

This squirrel had to learn the ways of the world.

The offended Chippy bit my other finger.

Huff.

Logan, having appeared at some point, grabbed the squirrel by the scruff—his teeth barely leaving a mark—and pulled him off.

Chippy struggled in his grasp, baring his teeth.

Logan lightly buried the insolent squirrel in the garden soil, leaving only his head sticking out.

Chippy immediately calmed down—and even began dozing peacefully, as if he'd never been angry.

Logan turned to me.

"I'll move the flowerpots—stay here."

He carried the pots and small crop crates into Eve House.

Meanwhile, I took advantage of the moment when no one was looking to extract the Goldstone's power and use it to reinforce the greenhouse's durability and glass.

I'd retrieve it after the storm passed.

Then I placed Redstones inside the greenhouse to keep the temperature from dropping too sharply.

"Wow—I'm curious just how many Redstones you have to use them so freely."

Aiden watched with interest as I arranged the Redstones. Fortunately, he hadn't seen me use the Goldstone.

If he'd seen me absorbing Winterstones, he'd have been stunned.

"How many Winterstones have you secured, Your Highness?"

"Since I'm in your debt, I'll tell you—we have a fair variety ourselves."

"Are you perhaps eyeing our Winterstones?"

"I'm no raider—so don't worry, Your Grace."

I got the answer I wanted. I lifted Chippy out of the soil and stood up.

Then I asked Aiden,

"Your Highness—would you mind lending a hand?"

Two hours before the blizzard.

Next, we prepared for heating.

During the storm, we couldn't go outside.

So we distributed firewood to various locations—the barn, the greenhouse, and the rest into Eve House.

We'd all stay together in Eve House until the storm passed.

One hour before the blizzard.

We prepared as much water as possible.

Snow was everywhere, but during the storm, we couldn't go out to scoop it. And melting snow consumed fuel.

So we filled bathtubs, pots, buckets, and jars with water.

Melted snow was boiled and stored separately as drinking water, while cooking and washing water were prepared separately.

After finishing all preparations, I entered Eve House and saw everyone gathered on the living room sofa. My eyes met Aiden's—and I realized I'd forgotten something.

I'd planned to make Acorn Village look like a harmless, inconspicuous place to Aiden...

I facepalmed.

Since things had turned out this way, it was better to appear capable rather than harmless.

We'd aim for cooperation, not enmity.

"Damn it—Eve! Eve!"

Suddenly, Marcus came running from the wall, waving both arms.

He was so urgent he called me by name instead of "junior."

"Mr. Holt and Sir Rayburn are in danger right now!"

Thirty minutes before the blizzard.

Logan's aide Nathan and Aiden's knight Vincent were in danger.

---

Thirty minutes before the incident.

Nathan, who had been repairing the wall with Marcus and Vincent, saw the baby bird Pipi flying around.

The bird flitted along the wall and landed on Nathan's shoulder.

Squeak—

The baby bird perched on his shoulder and chirped softly.

Marcus was far away, so only Vincent saw this.

Squeak—

Pipi tapped Nathan's earmuff with its beak—the pair Eve had knitted.

"He recognizes his owner's handiwork, I see."

"Ah—so that bird belongs to the Duchess."

Vincent spoke up—quite different from his previous silence toward Nathan.

Nathan eyed him suspiciously. He didn't like Vincent.

Politeness aside, there was something subtly rude about him.

"Mr. Holt seems quite fortunate."

"Pardon?"

Startled by Vincent's sudden remark, Nathan straightened up, wooden stake in hand.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

Vincent cut off the conversation lightly. Nathan sighed.

"Why don't you hurry up and finish? We don't have time to chat."

"...The role of an aide must be comfortable."

"What are you trying to say?"

Vincent was the type with the conservative, high-handed mindset typical of royal knights.

He had manners and knightly spirit—but he was rigid and stifling.

"In this hellish disaster, you're hiding behind the Empire's greatest warrior—Lieutenant General Cheshwind—and his delicate Duchess, sipping warm soup to preserve your life."

Vincent's tone was polite, but his words were clear criticism.

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