The Villain's Sickly Wife Dislikes Being Overprotected - Chapter 3.7

“This snow… it looks like it’ll last for days. We probably won’t be able to leave the hotel…”

We can’t leave the hotel?!

As Allis had predicted, the snow didn’t stop easily. The heavy snowfall showed no signs of letting up.

Considering Allis’s condition when she entered the hotel, it was obviously not a situation where we could go out.

“For now, it would be best to observe the situation a bit longer.”

The hotel owner said that it was rare for Pierce to have this much snow and that perhaps it would stop soon.

It was just words of hope.

Far from stopping, by the afternoon, the snow had piled up to my waist.

Naturally, we couldn’t go outside. As Allis had foreseen, we were trapped inside the hotel.

I thought I came here for a vacation, but now we’re trapped.

Moreover, it was a snowstorm so we couldn’t predict how long it would last.

Kyron, the hotel owner, and I started to put our heads together to find a solution to this situation.

In fact, I had inserted myself into the serious discussion between Kyron and the hotel owner.

“How many days’ worth of food is currently prepared in the hotel?”

“Fortunately, we’ve stocked up on food ingredients in advance. We have enough to feed not only the two of you but also everyone else in this building for about a week.”

“That’s a relief. What about drinking water?”

“We’ve also stored about a week’s worth of drinking water separately in the warehouse. It should be fine if you boil it before drinking.”

Knowing that we had food to eat and water to drink for the immediate future was somewhat reassuring. At least we wouldn’t die of starvation in this hotel.

“A week… Do you think this situation will be resolved in about a week? As a local resident, you must know the climate here better than we do.”

“Yes, in fact, I’ve only seen this much snow in Pierce twice in my lifetime. Even then, we were isolated, but it didn’t last more than a week. I don’t think it will last long this time either.”

Kyron nodded as he listened to his words.

“Still, we should conserve food and water as much as possible, just in case.”

“Yes, I’ll instruct the staff to save food by having minimal meals. Please don’t worry and stay comfortable.”

“When it snowed this much before, how many days were you isolated?”

This time, I asked the question.

“If I remember correctly, it was about three days then. To be honest, it was when I was young, so my memory is a bit hazy…”

“Are all means of communication with other villagers cut off now?”

The hotel owner’s expression darkened at Kyron’s question.

“Yes, that’s right. In fact, communication within Pierce is limited to sending letters by bird, but now that’s impossible due to the heavy snow… I don’t think there’s any other way.”

“It seems we have no choice but to wait quietly for the snow to stop.”

“That’s right, Duchess.”

The owner nodded and answered in a gloomy voice like mine.

Although Allis was here, there was no way to contact her family. And we couldn’t go outside either.

She would have to stay with us for the time being.

“The important thing is that no one gets sick and we all get through this situation safely. You have various basic medicines on hand, of course?”

“Of course, Your Grace. We always keep basic medicines in stock. Also, since the temperature has dropped significantly, I’ll make sure your rooms are kept warm.”

“Do we have enough firewood?”

This time, the owner’s answer wasn’t as quick as when he was asked about food and water.

I sensed that there wasn’t enough firewood.

“To be honest, we don’t have that much firewood. We might be able to send someone to get more when the snowfall lessens a bit.”

“Can anyone even go out when the snow is piled up to our waists?”

He looked troubled at my question. It seems there’s no real solution.

“In a situation like this, it’s difficult indeed. So for now, it’s best to conserve the firewood we currently have as much as possible.”

“How?”

“According to our current plan, we’ll definitely keep the fireplaces in your rooms lit, but for the other three rooms, it might be difficult.”

“Then what about the staff here and the servants we brought?”

What if they all freeze to death?

“We plan to keep the fireplace in the lobby lit continuously, so those who are sensitive to cold can warm up in the lobby.”

“Hmm… I understand for now.”

After that, we discussed how many staff members were unable to return home, what we would do to pass the time here, and so on.

“It’s a shame the trip turned out like this.”

After finishing our discussion with the hotel owner, Kyron and I headed to our respective rooms.

“Indeed. But more than that, isn’t it a bigger problem for you since you had work to do here but now can’t leave the hotel?”

Kyron shook his head at my question.

“It wasn’t that important.”

Knowing his personality, I found his answer a bit strange.

He wasn’t the type of person to prioritize tasks randomly. He always set them in order of importance and urgency based on careful calculation.

Moreover, if I remember correctly from the original story, this is quite an important time for destroying the temple.

He came to Pierce at this crucial moment to do something that’s not even important? I became suspicious of his uncharacteristic statement.

I stared at him with narrowed eyes, but Kyron didn’t seem to care.

“More importantly, if you feel like you’re going to cough up blood again, tell me immediately. I’ll order the servants to be on standby at all times.”

Was the scene of me coughing up blood that shocking to him? He’s even going to have servants on standby.

No, he might just not want the hotel staff to see my weak state. The weak appearance of a Duchess.

It was foolish to have false hope, so I quickly corrected my thoughts.

“For now, since the outside temperature is low, try to stay in your warm room as much as possible.”

“Alright, don’t worry.”

I hurriedly led the way to my room.

“I’ll be in my room, so you don’t have to worry about others seeing me in a sickly state.”

“Okay, I understand.”

I entered my room, leaving him behind.

My room was comfortably warm as the fireplace had been continuously lit. Thanks to the tightly closed windows and doors, the room was filled with cozy warmth.

‘Ah, what should I do now?’

Being confined to this hotel, there’s nothing to do.

This won’t do. I need to call someone.

Whether it’s Lia or Allis, I need someone to talk to.

Both of them were outside the room, so I’d have to go out to bring them in. This hotel doesn’t have a proper bell system or anything like that.

I carefully opened the door again.

“But why are the two of them using separate rooms?”

Just as I had opened the door slightly, less than a hand’s width, some voices caught my ear. I stopped my movement.

By ‘the two of them’, could they mean Kyron and me? We’re the only ones who would be referred to like that here.

I didn’t open the door any further. But I didn’t close it either.

Through the small opening, voices from outside flowed in.