Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 113

Chapter 113.

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Logan and I sat on the pews of the chapel, waiting for the teacher.

The chapel was now used as a school. It was late, so only torches lit the interior—and being here kept reminding me of the crucifix incident, making me uneasy.

Finally, the teacher arrived.

"I'm sorry to request a meeting at such a late hour."

Whatever it was, it must have been serious.

She held a thick student record book and looked hesitant to begin.

"The thing is... Luca keeps breaking school rules, so we needed a parent-teacher meeting. I was told his guardians are the Cheshwind couple—if that's not correct, I apologize."

She gave an awkward smile.

Even after losing his memory, Logan had lived with Luca, so he was fully aware of the situation.

Logan and I exchanged a glance, then shook our heads.

"No—we are his guardians."

The teacher sighed in relief and slowly opened the record book.

"What rules did Luca break?"

Instead of answering right away, she hesitated. After a long pause, she spoke carefully.

"It's less about school rules—more like village rules..."

I straightened in my seat. Logan also looked serious.

"After school, instead of going home, he seems to take other students outside the village."

The chapel fell silent.

I exchanged a glance with Logan. Leaving the village was one of the most dangerous things you could do in Acorn Village.

Luca wouldn't do that.

"Aren't there guards at the main and back gates?"

"Yes—but no one saw the children pass through. Yet they clearly went outside."

"How do you know?"

"After school, they'd disappear for hours—repeatedly. People grew suspicious."

Her expression grew more serious.

"Eventually, one child confessed: Luca was taking them to meet a 'mage.'"

A mage?

"The boy's mother argued that Luca was a bad influence and shouldn't attend school—that he was endangering the other children..."

The teacher trailed off awkwardly.

I understood the mother's reaction—any parent would worry.

Now I understood a little of what it meant to be a parent.

Though technically, Logan and I were Luca's guardians, not his parents.

But it was thanks to Luca that the school was built—and it was unthinkable to ban him from attending.

I said to the teacher,

"We'll look into the situation and talk to him."

"Thank you, ma'am."

After hearing her out, we left the chapel.

Before exiting, I glanced back at the crucifix hanging in the center.

Thump-thump.

My heart still raced—for reasons I didn't understand.

"Mages and clergy are opposites."

Julian's words came to mind again.

"...We have so many problems to solve—and now a child's issue on top of it all."

Logan nodded half-heartedly.

"Logan, don't you care at all?"

"You care too much—he's not even our child."

With or without his memory, Logan's indifference to everyone but me remained unchanged.

"Before worrying about Luca's education, I'm curious about this 'mage' he mentioned."

Logan said. I shrugged and agreed.

"He's not the type to lie or fool around."

We decided to ask Luca directly and returned to Eve House.

"Everything okay?"

Marcus was waiting in the living room.

"We heard Luca's been taking kids outside the village without adults knowing."

"Thought so."

"You already knew?"

"I heard today too."

Marcus explained that the parents were in an uproar—but because Luca's guardians were us, no one dared to speak too harshly. Still, they seemed to resent Luca.

"Is Luca upstairs?"

At my question, Marcus nodded.

Logan and I went to Luca's room.

Knock, knock.

"Luca—are you asleep?"

After a moment of silence, the door opened. Luca's eyes were swollen from crying.

"You came because of the mage thing, right?"

"Oh, Luca—come here."

I pulled him into a hug. He clung to my coat, then stepped back.

"I'm okay now."

He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and said firmly,

"The other kids followed me—I didn't drag them along."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

And what I heard was truly unexpected.

"...Teleportation?"

"There's a shed in the backyard of Eve House—it's in there."

I knew the shed well—but I never imagined it held a teleportation portal.

Logan and I had both looked inside—just farming tools.

"When you open the door, the portal appears."

At Luca's answer, Logan and I exchanged a puzzled look. We'd used that shed often, but never seen a portal.

"Through that portal, I met a mage trapped in a basement. He said he'd seen my sister, Annie—so I went to meet him."

A mage trapped in a basement? He'd seen Annie? Wasn't Annie dead?

Everything was unclear.

Luca continued, looking dejected.

"Everyone thinks I'm lying—so I showed the teacher today, but adults can't seem to use the portal."

"We should check it ourselves."

Logan's suggestion made me nod.

It was late, so we left Luca inside and went out with Marcus.

Looking back, I saw Luca watching from a second-floor window. He nodded—this was the right shed.

"I'll open it."

Logan grabbed the doorknob. We watched tensely.

Click.

The door opened, revealing the same small shed full of tools. I used the Yellowstone to light the interior.

No portal in sight.

We stared at the shed in confusion.

"Luca didn't seem like he was lying."

"I agree."

Logan nodded.

Marcus sighed and rubbed his face.

"I believe Luca too—but maybe he should study at home for a while. The parents are complaining loudly."

I reached out to pat his shoulder—but Logan caught my hand.

Startled, I turned—he tilted his head with a smug look. I let out a dry laugh.

One thing was certain: memory-loss Logan was more physically affectionate—and far more jealous, without hiding it.

Marcus saw it too and shook his head.

I felt embarrassed and awkwardly tried to comfort him.

"Senior—running the village must be hard. Thank you."

"Then don't leave the village for so long."

I laughed at his casual reply.

But no one was better suited for managing the village than Marcus.

When we returned and told Luca, he looked deeply disappointed that we hadn't found the portal.

The portal must be connected to this village's secrets.

I didn't think Luca was lying—I already suspected this village was created by mages from three thousand years ago.

We needed to look deeper.

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The next day, we all gathered in the greenhouse, staring at one spot—time to hear the truth about White Veil.

Captain Russell and Officer Kaelan sat there, bound and battered, guarded by Clare and Leon.

"Wow—Lieutenant Wayne, weren't you part of the Rosebrook Fleet? You could still call them former comrades—no mercy, huh."

Marcus said, looking at Russell's disheveled state.

Clare stood rigidly, hands behind her back, and replied without emotion.

"Captain Russell is no longer in my chain of command."

She gave him a cold look, then turned to me.

"My commanding officer is now the Duchess of Cheshwind."

All eyes turned to me.

Why the pressure?

"Your Grace—Your Grace!"

Just then—

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived in Acorn Village."

Nathan Holt, who had gone to fetch Aiden, had returned with him.

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