Beast of the Frozen Night

But no matter what, someday, there will be such a woman.
At that time, all she wanted was for those women to raise her child with affection.

When she went out the front door, the large carriage, loaded with all her belongings, was waiting for her.
On the surface of the huge carriage, the pattern of Grand Duchy Cromund was imprinted.
She was still unfamiliar with the reality that she had been riding in someone else’s family carriage when she first came, and when she returned, she had become the owner of it.

“If we go back to the capital in this carriage, chaos will arise.”

It was clear how surprised people would be when she entered the capital with the Grand Duchy’s coat of arms.
When she came here, she rode the Grand Duchy’s carriage outside the castle, and the other guests rode in standard vehicles without patterns.
So, it would be the first time that the Grand Duchy’s carriage entered the capital.

After taking a look at the faces of the servants who had come out to see her off, Anne raised her head to the west building.

“His Grace went hunting early in the morning.”

Ashton spoke with a lofty attitude like a scholar who gave an excuse.

He went out .
.
.
Proven by the inevitable permission, it seemed that the Grand Duke did not want to see her leave.

Our contract is still valid.
Until the end of the contract, this is my home, so I will come back as soon as possible.

Reminding herself of what the Grand Duke had asked her to do for the last time, Anne fixed her hat in the strong sunlight.

“I won’t be late, so tell him not to worry.”

The time frame given by the Grand Duke was about a week.
The schedule to and from the capital could be tight, but thanks to this carriage, it was enough to shorten the journey.

Just like the day she first came to the North, Anne set out in the morning and passed through the gates of the capital by the evening when the sun was setting.

And, as she expected, there was a small commotion in the process of verifying her identity.
It was not just because the high-ranking superiors who were on the spot were called in right away, but the capital security was contacted.

Even though the Grand Duke was absent, they said that they would escort the Grand Duchess’ journey to the Imperial family.
Anne refused and had to use her power to issue such an order.
Looking at their reactions, she realized how far the title of Grand Duchess went in the empire.

“Are you feeling emotional? Since it’s been a while since you came to the capital?”

Through the carriage window, Anne, who had been gazing at the city for the first time in a long time, looked back at Marie, who was busy looking around with an excited expression.

“It is neither good nor bad.
This place is desolate.”

Because it was the place where she was born and raised, she felt a little separated, but on the other hand, there was no nostalgia to be found.
Maybe it was because she came from the quiet Grand Duchy, but the streets full of bustling crowds felt so unfamiliar.

Even so, the reason she felt desolate was because, in fact, she didn’t feel any warmth amongst the busy people.
In the capital, where the selfishness of the nobility stood out, time always passed quickly and it was difficult to relax.

“You will like the mansion, though.
It’s not as good as the castle, but there are many beautiful flower gardens.”

Marie, who had visited the capital’s mansion once, smiled brightly.
The carriage arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence and came to a gentle stop.

Holding Marie’s hand, Anne stepped out of the carriage and looked at the mansion.
Unlike the Grand Duchy, which felt like an old castle, the Grand Duke’s residence was a white stone building like any other Capital residence.

Though not as imposing as the northern castle, it was a mansion that stood on great land.
It was much larger than the Duke Mullite’s residence, a residence where half of the capital’s aristocrats could fit into their ballroom.

Come to think of it, I first met Daymond at their masquerade.

Anne laughed bitterly.
Everything started from that day.
She remembered the past, when she was very angry to learn that she had met the Grand Duke before.

Afterward, Anne followed Marie to the mansion, but she quickly felt tired of the large land and went out to the garden.

Spring had arrived in the capital for a while.
Beautiful flowers were in full bloom in the well-arranged garden, and the floral scent filled the air with each breath.
Marie, who took a long breath at the sweet and pleasant scent, had a smile like one of those flowers.

“It’s like the greenhouse that Madam loves.”

Flowers had not yet bloomed in the Grand Duke’s castle, but the greenhouse was in full bloom like here.

“Madam, His Grace said to make sure to stay here .
.
.
Even if it’s unfortunate, please bear with it.”

“No, this place is better.”

When asked if she wanted to sleep at her parents’ house, she smiled bitterly.
After that, she had a quick dinner and went to bed early to recover from her travels.