ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 210: Iceberg

The northern harbor was filled with sharp, freezing salt air.

The sea before them was no ordinary sea its surface was crowded with drifting chunks of ice, moving slowly and colliding with one another with heavy echoes that carried across the wooden docks.

The large ship that was supposed to sail toward the northern island was still tied to the pier.

Sailors paced back and forth across the deck, while several harbor workers pointed toward the sea, where massive fragments of ice floated across the shipping route.

At the far end of the pier, Demian stood with his long black coat fluttering in the sea wind.

He should have been aboard that ship by now.

But the shout of a harbor officer earlier had stopped everything.

"Departure is postponed!"

The words still lingered in the air.

Demian stared at the sea with a sharp gaze.

In the distance, a massive iceberg could be seen breaking apart into several pieces. Its fragments spread across the northern sailing route.

Beside him, Vedseel let out a long sigh.

"We have to wait."

Demian didn’t answer.

Vedseel continued calmly,

"If we force the ship to sail now, we’ll only end up sinking in the frozen sea."

Demian kept staring at the water.

As if the words hadn’t truly reached his ears.

Finally, he turned and walked straight toward a ship officer who was writing something near the dock ladder.

His steps were quick.

Tense.

The officer immediately straightened when he saw Demian approaching.

Demian stopped right in front of him.

His expression showed irritation, though he was still restraining himself.

In a low voice he asked,

"How long will the voyage be delayed?"

The officer looked slightly nervous.

He glanced toward the sea before answering.

"Possibly... about one week, sir."

Demian stared at him without blinking.

The officer hurried to explain.

"That shattered iceberg needs to fully sink into deeper waters before the route is safe."

He pointed toward the floating ice chunks in the sea.

"If a ship hits something like that, the hull could split open."

Demian fell silent.

The sea wind blew harder, making his black coat whip behind him.

The officer swallowed and spoke again,

"It can’t be forced."

He tried to sound as calm as possible.

"We also need to perform maintenance on the ship just in case. If another iceberg breaks apart while the ship is sailing, the vessel must be prepared."

Silence fell for several seconds.

Demian remained standing there.

His gaze slowly shifted back to the ice-covered sea.

One week.

To him, that sounded far too long.

Behind him, Vedseel walked closer.

He stood beside Demian and spoke quietly.

"This time, you truly don’t have a choice."

Demian didn’t respond.

But his hand slowly clenched into a fist.

Inside his chest, that strange feeling returned again as if something in the north was waiting for him.

Vedseel glanced at him.

"I know you don’t like waiting."

He shrugged slightly.

"But even a duke can’t fight the frozen sea."

Demian finally spoke in a low voice.

"Then we won’t wait in silence."

Vedseel raised an eyebrow.

Demian stared at the ice-filled sea.

His gaze was cold.

"Show me another route."

Vedseel fell silent for a moment.

He knew exactly what Demian meant.

Not the normal sea route.

But a far more dangerous path.

Longer.

Yet possibly faster.

And if there was one person in the world stubborn enough to attempt it that person was Demian.

Vedseel finally gave a thin smile.

"If you want to reach the northern island without waiting for the ship..."

He gestured faintly toward the frozen sea. "...then we’ll have to cross the ice route."

The sea wind whispered coldly across the harbor.

The northern sea wind blew sharply along the pier. Chunks of ice still drifted slowly across the surface of the water, colliding with one another with heavy echoes that rang between the moored ships.

Several sailors were still busy inspecting ropes, anchors, and the hulls of the vessels. None of them looked ready to sail anytime soon.

At the edge of the pier, Vedseel stood staring out at the frozen sea.

He let out a long breath before speaking.

"There’s still one week."

Beside him, Demian stood with his usual cold expression.

Vedseel continued,

"If we have to wait that long, we should make preparations."

He glanced slightly toward Demian.

"That island lies very close to the freezing point. Ordinary winter clothing won’t be enough to keep us alive there."

The cold wind brushed against their faces.

Demian looked at him for a few seconds.

His gaze was sharp but calm.

"Do whatever you want."

His voice was low.

"We leave in one week."

There was no hesitation in the sentence as if the decision had already been final in his mind.

After saying that, Demian immediately turned and left the pier.

His coat fluttered as he walked.

The soldiers and guards following him quickly moved after him without asking any questions.

Within moments, the group was already walking away toward the harbor town.

Vedseel remained standing where he was for a moment.

He watched Demian’s back grow more distant.

Then he finally sighed softly.

Beside him, Noel was still standing there.

The two of them looked at each other briefly. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Vedseel gave a faint smile.

"Come with me."

Noel raised an eyebrow.

Vedseel continued as he began walking toward the busy harbor market.

"My magic supplies are starting to run low."

He shrugged lightly.

"And if we’re truly going to that ice island, I’ll need to get a few things to prepare."

Noel nodded without hesitation.

"Alright."

They began walking along the stone road, which was slick with a thin layer of ice.

The harbor market soon came into view in the distance filled with merchants selling northern furs, whale oil, ship ropes, and various goods needed to survive in frozen lands.

Vedseel slowed his steps slightly.

His eyes swept across every shop with careful calculation.

In his mind, he had already begun forming a list.

Warming potions.

Powder to ward off ice storms.

And several other items that might become very useful if things turned... bad.

Noel walked beside him.

"Will this journey be dangerous?"

Vedseel chuckled softly.

"This is the north."

He glanced at Noel.

"Every journey here is dangerous."

Then he added in a lower tone,

"Especially when we’re chasing someone who doesn’t want to be found."