‘What a good weather for a wedding.’

The sun was bright.

It had been a while since I opened my eyes, but the late morning sun wasn’t so bad.

“Young lady! You must not shed tears at the wedding venue!”

Betty put all her effort into my preparations with tired eyes.

Thanks to her, I was also in a daze. How did time pass like this? When I came to my senses, I was in the bride’s waiting room.

“Anette. Listen well to your father. Generally, men at night rather than during the day…”

And in front of me were my father and mother.

“What are you saying to the child!”

“But isn’t it time she knew?”

“She’s past that age. If you were interested in education, you should have done it earlier.”

Father pouted his lips at mother’s scolding.

“Make sure to dress warmly so your illness doesn’t worsen.”

Mother kept worrying about my health.

“I’ve already made plenty of winter clothes with Bonisa.”

“Tell them to keep the stove burning so you don’t get cold.”

“I will.”

Being in mother’s embrace made all that had happened to me feel distant.

“Ah, I want to sleep with mom.”

It felt like if I slept and woke up like that, I would return to how things were before.

“Leaving this father out?”

“Of course, the three of us together.”

Being in father’s strong embrace made my heart a little stronger too. For my family, I could endure even in a foreign land.

Outside the bride’s waiting room, which even my parents had left, guests were gathering in small groups.

Most were unfamiliar nobles.

And the lavish wedding decorations around caught my eye.

“It was a cost-effective company.”

They had prepared a wedding of this scale with just a budget of 20 million gold, with impressive completeness.

It was a venue lacking nothing.

In the distance, I could see the Blandiche family’s carriage.

‘After the wedding, we’ll go to the North…’

The cold North I had never been to before.

I tried to act tough, but faced with the reality that had finally come, I felt infinitely small.

And that’s when it happened.

“Young lady.”

A little guest entered the bride’s waiting room.

“Lucky?”

Bow.

This 10-year-old child bowing with his small body was Lucky, the young artist my mother had been sponsoring for 3 years.

“Lucky, it’s been so long. Have you been well?”

“Young lady Anette. Hello.”

Chubby cheeks and a cute overall outfit with a matching bread hat.

Lucky, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, looked much better than before.

“To be able to see you today. This is the lucky day of my life.”

“Are you making that childish pun with my name again?”

“Hehe. Lucky. I’m so happy you came here.”

I liked this adorable Lucky.

Lucky, born to a poor father, with an innate talent for painting.

“Yes. Thanks to the lady always taking care of me, I’ve been eating three meals a day well. And I’ve painted a lot.”

“So that’s why I couldn’t see you because I was busy.”

I got up, dragging my heavy dress, and bent down to match Lucky’s eye level.

“The lady invited me because you’re getting married. She also said to eat plenty of the delicious food.”

“That’s right. While you’re here, take some delicious food home to eat with your siblings.”

Lucky nodded slightly. His chubby cheeks were flushed with a peach-like blush. Then he handed over the large frame he had brought in.

“It’s a wedding gift.”

“Really?”

The painting was wrapped in stiff paper, so it wasn’t visible.

“You must have put a lot of time and effort into it. Is it really okay to give it to me?”

“I painted it with gratitude for you, young lady. I can quickly paint another piece anyway.”

Lucky said, straightening his narrow shoulders. Knowing how sincere and dedicated he was to painting, I was moved by this first painting gift I had ever received.

“Lucky. Thank you. I’ll display it in my room.”

“That’s good.”

“I’d like to talk more, but I have to go now.”

It was time to leave. I gently kissed Lucky’s cheek before getting up. Then, Lucky softly grabbed the hem of my dress.

“Young lady Anette.”

“Yes?”

Lucky wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was fixed on the end of the dress.

“Be careful.”

“Of what? Oh, the dress? Thank you. I’ll have to hold it carefully.”

He must have been worried I might trip on the hem of the dress touching the floor.

“Not the dress, the Grand Duke.”

The Grand Duke?

“Why should I be careful of Grand Duke Blandiche? If you’re saying this because you heard rumors about the Grand Duke, don’t worry. He’s actually a good person.”

He must have been scared because the Grand Duke is called a war maniac.

I looked at such a cute Lucky and said.

“I hope you’ll see the Grand Duke in a good light.”

“They say he’s similar to you but completely different. Be careful.”

Lucky left with those meaningful words.

Did he see some strange gossip somewhere?

Or did he meet Hertian in person?

From a child’s perspective, Hertian might have seemed huge and scary.

“Young lady, live happily.”

“Oh, Lucky.”

I called out to Lucky who was about to leave after saying goodbye.

“Can you grant my last request?”

[This is the timeline separator]

Jackson barely held back from bursting into tears in front of his subordinates.

“It’s a perfect wedding.”

Recently, Jackson had undergone a big change. Thanks to the method Anette gave him, the small wound on his hand disappeared. He experienced the miracle of smooth nails and beautiful skin. So out of gratitude, he put his life on the line for wedding preparations.

The wedding exuded an extremely splendid yet classic atmosphere. It was a moment when he felt the reward for preparing through several sleepless nights.

With tears welling up, Jackson scanned the wedding venue from afar.

“It seems His Majesty put effort into the preparations.”

“The food is good too.”

Then he rubbed his nose at the occasional praise he heard.

He praised himself and searched for sounds of praise. After walking around with his mouth stretched to his ears, he saw a familiar man.

“The Prince?”

As soon as he recognized him, his brows furrowed deeply.

It was an inevitable reaction since Jackson was also Hertian’s man.

“Who’s that little one?”

Serdis was in conversation with a small child.

In contrast to him, the child was wearing plain clothes.

The child handed him an envelope, and Serdis smiled and ruffled the child’s hair.

“That envelope looks familiar from somewhere…”

The yellow envelope gave a feeling of familiarity that was just on the tip of his tongue.

“The desserts here are not good.”

But the memory flew away at one guest’s complaint.

“What’s wrong with the desserts?”

“The cookies are hard.”

“Then shouldn’t cookies be hard, not soft?”

[This is the timeline separator]

The wedding ended in the blink of an eye.

It certainly wasn’t hastily done. It might be a doubtful marriage to some, but to anyone watching, it was a blessed ceremony of loving partners.

For some reason, there was also no interference from Serdis.

I boarded the carriage heading to Blandiche territory after brief goodbyes with my family.

A grand procession followed behind us in line.

The capital grows distant through the small window attached to the carriage.

“Am I returning to my place?”

Nothing was originally mine anyway.

I blinked once and opened my eyes. Like that day, the world didn’t change and take me to a new dimension.

“I wonder if the letter was delivered properly?”

I was concerned about hurriedly sending a reply to Cassian after receiving a letter at the wedding venue. Cassian asked when and where would be good when I asked to meet. It was quite a positive reply, so I was worried about sending a hasty response.

At that moment, the carriage stopped and Hertian entered.

He poured a cup of tea in a small cup.

“It’s tea I prepared in advance.”

It was chamomile tea. He gave me this when we first met too.

The tea had cooled, but the fragrant aroma remained strong.

“Thank you.”

“Drink it and take a nap. It takes a long time to get to the North.”

He spoke in his usual gentle voice.

“Let’s visit the capital often.”

“Really?”

“I’ll do so for your sake, my lady.”

Still, he remained.

“I don’t know what I would have done without Hertian.”

Although it was a marriage of mutual necessity, he was a good partner.

[This is the timeline separator]

My body shivered as the icy wind brushed against my skin.

“They said the North is cold all year round, and it’s true.”

Even though I wore layers of clothes, the cold wind sharply penetrated through the fabric.

“But isn’t it too cold even indoors?”

White breath burst out even inside the room.

It seemed there were holes all over the Grand Duke’s castle made of massive stones.

“This is the dress Grand Duke gifted to you, young lady. Please change into this dress now and come out.”

Even from the nose of the stern-looking head maid, faint breath came out. If I walked around in those thin clothes, I would surely catch a cold.

“But why a dress?”

The head maid opened the dress box she brought and took out the clothes inside. It was a chiffon dress embroidered with yellow marigold patterns.

“You want me to wear this and go outside now?”

The corners of the head maid’s mouth twitched.

“The Grand Duchess seems to like it too. The Grand Duke carefully considered it, and I checked several times, so of course you’ll like…”

“I can’t wear it.”

I firmly refused.

“Pardon?”

Her upright posture became crooked.

“I’ll just wear this and go out. Please guide me where to go.”

The design was clearly to my taste. It was similar to what I usually wore, with a unique marigold pattern that was excellent, but if I went out wearing that, I would obviously come back sniffling, unable to withstand the cold here.

So I had to tightly wrap myself in a rabbit fur cloak.

[This is the timeline separator]

I had expected it since there wasn’t anyone I could call a relative at the wedding, but the mansion was more desolate than I had anticipated.

It was a castle several times larger compared to the Leanberia Count’s residence.

‘The former Grand Duke would have at least been family.’

Traces of the former Grand Duke remained intact throughout the castle. Hertian went to war as soon as he received his title, so he wouldn’t have had time to reorganize it.

I walked around the Grand Duke’s castle following the butler’s long guidance. The interior of the castle, without any other heating, was filled with even chillier air.

“This concludes the tour. Please look around the castle comfortably today, and if you need anything, find me.”

I nodded with a smile, but as soon as the butler turned around, I wiped the runny nose that was dripping.

“I guess people here aren’t cold.”

Even the departing butler was wearing a thin shirt with a light vest. It was an outfit that couldn’t withstand even a few minutes in this cold.

I turned around and headed straight for the room where warmth was flowing out.

“Whose room was this again?”

The butler seemed to have explained, but I couldn’t remember because I was rubbing my arms from the cold. But that was only for a moment. As the chills came again, I knocked first. There was no response. I hesitated briefly before turning the doorknob.

“I’ll just warm up and leave.”

Inside was like a sauna compared to the hallway.

Feeling my frozen skin thawing, I was drawn to the fireplace.

“I feel alive now…”

Seeing the red embers embracing the firewood, I finally felt like I could breathe.

I don’t know about anything else, but if it’s not cold, it should be bearable.

A deep regret remained.

At that moment, I felt a stinging sensation on my back.