Understanding dawned. It was a common reaction to feel fear in the face of Aidan’s stature and demeanor, coupled with his status as the Grand Duke.

Aidan gracefully crouched down in front of the mother and daughter.

Then, he spoke to the child, “Are you hungry?”

“……”

Perhaps feeling intimidated by Aidan as well, the child subtly turned behind the mother, peeking out only with their eyes.

Aidan reached out his hand swiftly towards the child.

Despite their fear, both the woman and the child, in their eyes, displayed curiosity.

In Aidan’s hand was a small piece of dried meat.

“Come on, take it.”

Aidan extended his hand once more.

The child hesitated, but their lips were already quivering, and it seemed like saliva was collecting in their mouth.

Clutching their mother’s arm tightly and rolling their eyes, the child suddenly reached out, snatched the jerky from Aidan’s hand, and quickly hid behind their mother again.

“Oh, dear. Hey!”
The mother was once again quite flustered by the child’s attitude. Having barely survived a prolonged famine, thoughts of perishing today at the hands of the terrifying Grand Duke overwhelmed her mind with arrogance.

However, Aidan looked at the mother and child and gave them a faint smile.

Although the smile disappeared within a second and couldn’t be properly discerned.

The woman suddenly felt her heart sink slightly.

So, she stood up and said to the child, “Shouldn’t you say ‘Thank you, your Excellency’?”

The child hesitated for a moment, but upon the mother’s encouragement, reluctantly greeted, “Thank you, your Excellency.”

Upon hearing this, a murmur spread among the onlookers.

Especially the eyes of the children watching began to sparkle with envy.

Aidan stood up and beckoned to the surrounding children.

Without uttering a word, with just a gesture, and within the unspoken agreement of the villagers, only the children timidly took a step or two forward.

Starving to death, the man looks scary and huge. He just gave something to another kid a moment ago!

With expectant eyes, they gathered in front of Aidan.

Aidan precisely divided the jerky he had among the children, giving each of them the same amount, fair to the point that even the child who initially grabbed Brody’s hair received a portion identical to the others.

It was clear he had counted the number of children and was determined to share with all of them.
Once the children received the jerky, they tightly clutched it in their hands, afraid they might accidentally drop it, and started running back to their respective spots.

If they were typical young children, there would have been uncontrollable excitement and chaos, especially in front of such a scary man. Yet, it seemed like they exercised remarkable self-restraint.

The adults looked warmly upon the children. The village head bowed deeply, expressing gratitude.

Brody understood. What Aidan had shared was likely his daily meal.

With every village they visited, there would be young children. Brody empathized with his feelings but was concerned.

So, Brody brought her share of jerky and smiled at the children.

“Hey, come over here.”

“B-Brody.”

Aidan, surprised, leaned in close to her and whispered.

However, the children had already discovered what Brody had brought. In their excited state, they rushed towards her, cleanly dividing and taking the jerky that Brody had shared.

Aidan looked disappointed, but Brody, along with a gentle smile to the villagers, showed a soft smile.

Among the people, there arose a different positive cheer than before.

Upon arriving at the village community center and sitting across from the Grand Duke and Duchess, the village head, with choked emotions, expressed overwhelming gratitude.
“Your Excellency, I take immense pride in being a Northerner. Indeed, I am a person who would gladly sacrifice my life for Your Excellency. Once again, I am deeply grateful!”

Thus, the village head’s verbose admiration continued for a while.

Aidan neither stopped him nor accepted the praise with joy, silently waiting. Eventually, Brody, who couldn’t stand it any longer, intervened.

“I understand your loyalty to Your Excellency. His Excellency is also very pleased.”

“Yes? Oh, yes. I appreciate your understanding.”

Though he didn’t seem that way, he must have been curious about the mention of His Excellency being pleased. But Brody had not lied.

Adding His Excellency’s happiness, feeling awkward – these things wouldn’t be noticeable to people.

“Now, since it seems the sun is about to set, please proceed with the essential matters.”

Brody said, organizing the situation.

The village head, with a grin, asked, “Is Her Ladyship planning to join as well? We have arranged accommodations for her to rest comfortably…”

Though Aidan wanted Brody to take a break, the situation didn’t allow for it. For the time being, the two were fated to stick together.

He nodded, answering the village head, “You’re a wise person. Her insight is needed, so we’ll listen together.”
Then, the village head looked at Brody with a grateful expression this time. Nodding continuously, he began his report. Finally.

The report continued until the sun slowly set and darkness settled in.

The village head had a somewhat verbose speaking style, making the story lengthy. However, Aidan waited patiently without any sign of annoyance, maintaining the same expression throughout. Rather than feeling frustrated, Brody, who sensed the tension, wisely intervened, not cutting off some parts to redirect the conversation back to the main points; otherwise, they might have stayed up all night.

But that wasn’t the end.

Aidan returned to the village, actively engaging in areas where his help was needed. Whether giving tips or forming teams, he tackled tasks like propping up nearly collapsed pillars to repair houses. Initially hesitant individuals started demanding various things as Aidan confidently handled the work.

Brody was concerned about him, but at the same time, he understood that Aidan needed to do this to lighten the emotional burden on his heart.
Brody silently followed him as well. Although her stamina was lacking, and she had to ride on Kais’s back to move, she was busy accumulating ideas for the village reconstruction in her mind. She promised to convey them to Chief River later.

So, when they returned to their accommodation, it was well after the moon had crossed the zenith.

Well, they didn’t exactly return. It was their first time stepping into the lodging.

After seeing off the village head and even the person with broad knowledge at the doorstep, Brody finally collapsed onto the bed in the silent room.

“A-Are you okay, Brody?”

Aidan was startled and approached her. Brody waved her hand to assure him that she hadn’t fainted.

The Icewall Grand Duke, who had been a reliable problem solver, seemed to be nowhere to be found. He sat beside Brody nervously.

“I’m sorry. Making you suffer like this.”

Leaving Brody alone in the lodging and not being able to handle Northern affairs even after becoming the Grand Duke—he felt guilt and helplessness deep in his heart. It was as if someone was twisting his heart. Unintentionally, his forehead wrinkles deepened.

Facing his palpable pain, Brody could only offer a weak smile.

“It’s okay. I’m used to this kind of thing.”

However, at her reassurance, Aidan’s eyebrows furrowed even more.
“Please, don’t say it’s okay.”

He slipped his hand beneath Brody’s shoulder as she lay down. Then, gently, he lifted her upper body as if handling a piece of delicate silk and held her in his arms.