ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 216: Something vibrates in my heart

Valerie fell silent. Ethan gave a small nod.

"Especially his eyes."

He looked at the baby’s red eyes, which were now blinking slowly.

"And his black hair."

Lena even gave a small smile.

"If Demian had ever been a baby..."

"I think he would look like this."

Valerie looked down at the baby in her arms again.

The baby squirmed slightly.

His tiny hand moved as if trying to grasp the air.

Suddenly her heart felt strange.

Because the longer she looked at him the harder it became to deny the truth.

That small face.

His black hair.

And those distinctive red eyes.

Everything really did look like a smaller version of Demian.

Valerie let out a quiet breath.

"He is his child..."

she murmured almost inaudibly.

But for some reason the feeling in her chest grew heavier.

Because somewhere very far from this snow-covered island Demian was sailing toward them.

The journey to the north was far from comfortable.

The sea they crossed slowly changed color from deep blue to a pale, cold gray. The wind blowing from the polar direction carried an air that cut through the bones, forcing the sailors to wear thick layers of clothing.

In the distance, something began to appear on the surface of the sea.

Massive white shapes.

Icebergs.

At first there were only one or two, but the farther the ship sailed, the more numerous they became. Some were as large as houses, while others looked like entire hills floating on the ocean.

The sailors on the deck began moving more busily than usual.

"Reduce speed!"

"Watch the starboard side!"

"Iceberg ahead!"

Their voices rang loudly against the roaring wind.

Fortunately, the ship they were traveling on was no ordinary vessel. The front of its hull was fitted with thick steel plating designed to break through ice.

Whenever smaller chunks of ice drifted into their path,

KRRRAK...

The front of the ship smashed into them, breaking them apart into fragments that scattered to both sides.

Cold seawater splashed into the air.

Even so, no one truly felt at ease.

Because if they collided with an iceberg that was too large even this ship could be damaged.

At the front deck, Demian stood in his dark heavy coat. The northern wind swept through his black hair, making it move slightly.

Beside him stood Vedseel, who had been watching the sea with sharp eyes.

Several guards stood behind them as well.

Vedseel let out a quiet sigh while watching a chunk of ice drift past the ship.

"This journey is truly delightful."

His tone was clearly full of sarcasm.

Demian did not respond.

His eyes remained fixed on the white horizon ahead.

Vedseel continued,

"Icebergs, storms, frozen seas..."

He gestured toward a large mass of ice passing beside the ship.

"And if we’re lucky, we might even meet a predator."

One of the guards turned toward him.

"A predator?"

Vedseel nodded casually.

"Polar bears."

He said it as if he were discussing the weather.

"Northern wolves, and sometimes other creatures that aren’t particularly friendly."

Several of the guards visibly swallowed.

The northern territories were indeed known to be harsh.

Not only because of the cold but also because of the creatures that lived there.

Demian finally spoke.

"We won’t stop until we reach that island."

His voice was calm but firm.

Vedseel glanced at him.

"You’re truly impatient."

Demian did not turn his head.

But his answer came without hesitation.

"I’ve been searching for her for far too long."

The sea wind blew hard once more.

Ahead of them, another chunk of ice shattered as the ship struck it.

White fragments scattered across the surface of the sea.

And far in the north on the snow-covered island where Valerie lived an inevitable meeting was slowly drawing closer.

The northern wind grew even fiercer as their ship pushed deeper into the icy regions. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The air was no longer merely cold it bit like thousands of tiny needles piercing the skin.

Every breath the sailors took turned into white mist when they spoke. Seawater that splashed onto the deck froze within moments.

In this region, the temperature had already dropped below the freezing point.

Without proper preparation, a person would not even survive for a few hours.

Fortunately, Demian’s group had not come unprepared.

They wore layers of winter clothing thick fur coats, leather gloves, special boots lined with fur on the inside, and heavy head coverings that concealed most of their faces.

The layers made their bodies feel heavy.

Movement became slower.

But without them, the human body would quickly lose heat and freeze in a place like this.

On the deck, some of the guards occasionally stomped their feet just to keep their blood flowing.

Vedseel stood near the ship’s railing, pulling his coat tighter around himself.

Thin snow had begun to fall from the gray sky.

He exhaled a long breath that immediately turned into white mist.

"Now I understand," Vedseel muttered.

"Someone unfamiliar with a place like this would die before even asking for directions."

He turned to look at Demian, who stood not far from him.

The duke still stood upright facing the sea.

His black fur coat fluttered in the wind, yet he did not seem bothered by the temperature that nearly froze everyone else.

Vedseel narrowed his eyes.

"This place really suits the Morvex race."

he said casually.

"Ordinary humans wouldn’t survive here."

Demian did not turn his head.

His gaze remained fixed on the sea filled with drifting ice.

"She’s there." he said quietly.

Vedseel heard him.

But he did not respond.

He only stared at the endless white horizon.

Far to the north.

On the island that was almost always below freezing the place where Valerie now lived their journey was slowly drawing closer.

Meanwhile, on that snow-covered island, life moved in a much simpler way.

Inside a wooden house warmed by a fireplace, Valerie sat while holding her son.

The small baby no longer looked like the wolf cub he had been at birth.

His body now resembled that of a human baby.

Yet soft black fur still covered parts of his skin.

And when he opened his eyes those red eyes glowed softly beneath the firelight.

Valerie smiled faintly as she touched the small black hair on his head.

"Deon..." she whispered gently to him.