A few days after leaving the grand duchy, Cecilia and her party had to battle against a harsh cold.

The continent’s climate was generally mild.

Though there were four seasons, the temperature differences between them were not extreme.

And even in midwinter, there was usually just a cool breeze.

Those who had been accustomed to the warm early autumn weather just two days ago now found themselves facing freezing temperatures, which made the cold feel even more biting.

The sudden drop in temperature signified that they had entered Lagos.

The area surrounding Lagos Castle was known as the ‘cursed land’.

People referred to the entire region simply as ‘Lagos’.

Hundreds of years ago, there had been the first and last unified empire in the continent’s history.

That empire was Lagos.

The last emperor of Lagos was greedy.

In his pursuit of fulfilling his desires, he ruthlessly drained the blood of his people with oppressive rule.

The emperor even sought immortality and ultimately turned to forbidden magic.

As a result, an explosion engulfed the imperial capital and its surrounding areas, leading to the empire’s downfall and bringing eternal winter to Lagos.

As night fell, the carriages stopped at a suitable spot.

The knights looked around the desolate plain and sighed.

‘This really is a cursed land. Another night in the open.’

Most of this harsh land was uninhabited.

To find a place where people lived, they would have to take a much longer route.

It would take twice as long.

The escorting knights were planning to leave a few behind and return to the grand duchy after safely delivering Cecilia.

For them, it was better to finish this task as quickly as possible.

None of the knights complained about camping out.

While preparing for the camp, some of the knights glanced at the carriage Cecilia was in.

‘She’s holding up better than expected. It’s surprising.’

The knights had assumed Cecilia would ask to change the route after a day or two at most.

Yet, they had been camping out for ten days already.

A servant reported to Benjamine.

“If we use things generously, it will last fifteen days. If we ration, it will last a month.”

“Hmm… They said we’d arrive in five days at this pace… It’s cold, so make sure everyone eats well.”

When Benjamine gave her orders, it was as if she were generously sharing her own food.

“Yes, I will.”

The servant replied with a smile and a bow.

When supplies ran low, the first thing to be cut was usually the workers’ rations.

But thanks to taking the faster route, they had plenty of food and supplies in reserve.

While everyone was busy preparing for the night, Cecilia remained inside the carriage.

She wasn’t alone.

Two young maids sat close on either side of her.

The cold was so intense that sharing body heat made a significant difference.

In that position, wrapped in furs, they wouldn’t wake up chilled from a nap.

‘It’s cold.’

Each time Cecilia exhaled, white breath fogged the air.

‘No… Is it less cold than I remember?’

For Cecilia, in her forties, the journey to Lagos Castle had remained a dreadful memory.

Back then, they had taken a much longer route, never camping out even once.

Although the conditions were worse this time, she found it bearable.

“Aren’t you two cold?”

The maids, who had been sitting blankly, were startled.

“N-No, Miss.”

“We’re not cold, Miss.”

“There’s no way you’re not cold. It’s your first time in Lagos too.”

“The grand duchy is warmer, but…”

“It’s still cold in winter, so we’re used to it.”

“What are you talking about? Winter in the grand duchy is much warmer than here.”

After hesitating, the maids answered cautiously as Cecilia kept pressing them.

“In winter, it’s actually warmer outside than inside the house.”

“That’s right. It feels chilly inside the house.”

“My mother always said her bones ached in the winter.”

“Oh, my grandmother said that too. She said when she woke up in the morning, it felt like her whole body had stiffened.”

Maybe because they were still young, once the maids started talking, they quickly became lively and chatty.

‘Ah… I understand what they mean.’

Cecilia smiled bitterly.

Before she was dragged to the execution ground, she had been imprisoned in a tower for some time.

By late autumn, the cold was already unbearable.

The chill penetrated her bones, making her teeth chatter uncontrollably.

She hadn’t realized how cold winter could be before then.

But for commoners, winter must always have been like that.

For them, heating was a luxury.

 

 

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t/n: the author’s writing style is originally short and succinct like this… i’ll continue staying as faithful to her writing style as possible, but i’ll edit just a bit here and there to suit English more if needed.