As time passed, Anne's pace became faster and faster, and by the time she climbed the stairs to the second floor, she was practically running.
She was worried about the Grand Duchess, but it was so cold before that.
Anne didn't know it would be this cold in the North Annex.
Every time she exhaled, her breath froze white.
'Did the Grand Duke abandon Her Highness the frail Grand Duchess in such a cold place?'
Anne, feeling resentful of Kishian once again, moved her already busy legs even faster.
The bedroom she finally arrived at after such a rush.
In front of it, Anne took a quiet breath and opened the locked door with the key she had brought with her.
She felt guilty about trying to open the locked door, but she had no choice.
Because it was impossible to disobey Kishian's order to 'definitely' check on the Grand Duchess's condition and return.
The moment Anne opened the door with her key and entered the bedroom, she stopped in her tracks.
Cold...
For some reason, the Grand Duchess's bedroom was even colder than the hallway.
It seemed like ice had been sprinkled all over the room.
She checked the fireplace and sure enough, there was only ash left.
Anne frowned as she looked at the fireplace, which was cold and without even a spark.
'It's so cold in the bedroom, why hasn't anyone lit a fire?'
As far as Anne knew, the northern wing was currently managed by the head maid, Madame Croy.
It was hard to believe that Madame Croy, who was more meticulous and delicate than anyone else as the head maid, had left the Grand Ducehss's bedroom in such a state.
'Something feels strange.'
An ominous feeling grew stronger and weighed on her shoulders.
She felt like she was about to experience something so big that it would turn the Grand Duke's palace upside down.
Anne moved towards the bed with difficulty, her steps not falling easily.
Afterward, the translucent curtain covering the bed was slowly removed.
The moment when she finally confirmed the figure of the Grand Duchess who had been sleeping beyond that.
"Your Highness!!"
Anne shouted so loudly, forgetting even the order of Kishian to spy secretly.
***
While Anne was checking on the Grand Duchess's condition.
Kishian also couldn't sleep and was just pacing around his bedroom. Actually, there was no need to wait with his eyes wide open like this.
It was now dawn, so he could close his eyes for now, and then call Anne in the late afternoon to hear about the Grand Duchess's condition.
However, the reason why he couldn't sleep peacefully was because he kept thinking about what he had done during the day.
'Did I use too harsh language?'
Even though she had been treated badly by the maids and had even been injured, her attitude of drawing a line was so annoying that he couldn't control his anger at that moment.
So he ended up being aggressive, but as time passed and night came, he began to regret it more and more.
His pride would have been hurt anyway.
It would have been difficult anyway.
So he thought to myself, 'Just hold on a little longer...'
In conclusion, it was a good thing that he stayed up and waited.
Anne came running in a hurry and soon burst into his bedroom.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! This is serious! The, the Grand Duchess... The Grand Duchess is in a state of...!"
Anne was sobbing and raising her voice even though he had told her to report as quietly as possible.
So Kishian could tell right away that something bad had happened to the Grand Duchess.
"..."
He had been frozen in place, but as soon as he came to his senses, he started walking straight away.
Something happened to the Grand Duchess.
He had to go to the north wing right away.
So instead of asking Anne any more questions, Kishian moved on.
As if sensing the commotion, the servants began to wake up one by one, but they had no energy to pay attention to such things.
Right now, Kishian was only thinking about checking on the Grand Duchess's safety, so he hurried as soon as he reached the bedroom in the annex. Kishian roughly opened the door.
However, it was not the Grand Duchess who greeted him first.
The cold, chilling air that filled the room pierced through him and made his skin tingle...
'Why is the air in the bedroom so stuffy...?'
Even the winter nights in the northern region where he had headed to subdue the demons were not colder than this.
Naturally, his gaze turned towards the fireplace.
When it's this cold, the maids or servant girls should have come and lit a fire.
But the fireplace seemed to have not been properly maintained, with only a pile of ash dust.
Have you been living in a place like this, a place so cold and abandoned?
As far as he knew, the head maid was in charge of this place. Madame Croy was quite capable.
But she didn't even put any firewood in the fireplace?
Madame Croy must have also heard that the Grand Duchess had fallen into the pond during the day.
Even though she must have heard It, It seemed like leaving the room so cold was intentional.
Should I have called Madame Croy aside and scolded her harshly?
It seemed like the Grand Duchess didn't want things to get out of hand, so he just let it slide, but who would have thought it would be like this?
For a moment, anger welled up in him, but what was important right now was not Madam Croy.
"Wife! Are you okay? Wife!"
He quickly pulled back the bed curtain and examined the Grand Duchess.
The mouth that had been urgently calling the Grand Duchess froze and stopped at that moment.
"..."
The Grand Duchess's face was as white and pale as a snowy field in midwinter.
Her once beautifully flushed cheeks were now just white.
Like a corpse frozen in the cold...
"..."
Kishian put his fingertip under the Grand duchess' nose.
Fortunately, he could feel breathing, even if it was faint.
Not dead yet.
As soon as he confirmed that fact, he embraced the Grand Duchess.
It wasn't difficult to lift her because she was still thin and light.
At that time, he was going to take her to the main building and thaw her frozen body.
"Your... Your Highness! What brings you here...!"
Sensing the commotion, Madame Croy came running out of breath and blocked Kissian's path.
With her eyes trembling slightly and her face pale, it seemed as if she had sensed that something was wrong.
However, there seemed to be a major misunderstanding as to what was wrong.
"That woman... no, did Her Highness the Grand Duchess do something wrong? Is that why you came to punish her?"
Madame Croy was convinced that Kishian hated the Grand Duchess.
It was clear that that stupid Grand Duchess had finally broken Kishian's patience.
She was even more convinced because she had heard that Kishian's expression was not good when he came out after bringing the Grand Duchess to the annex bedroom during the day.
There must have been some friction at that time, and he must have suppressed it inside, but eventually, he couldn't control his anger and came here in the middle of the night to punish the Grand Duchess.
Madam Croy never thought Kishian- come here so suddenly at this hour of the morning. In any case, he certainly didn't come here because he was worried about the Grand Duchess. If he had even a little bit of affection for the Grand Duchess, he would have left her a word of warning earlier this afternoon to take better care of her.
That's why Madam Croy could take the bold step of not putting any wood in the fireplace.
Because she could be sure that the Grand Duke would not spare his consort.
The lady bowed her head again, somewhat pleased that the Grand Duchess was being punished, although she was still flustered because it was so early in the morning.
"Please calm down for now. If there is a big commotion at this hour, everyone will be surprised."
"..."
"If you wish, I can bring the whip to your bedroom so you can punish her quietly there."
The maid must find out what her master needs and bring it to him before he finds it.
Looking at the cold look in Kishian's eyes, it was clear that he was going to punish the Grand Duchess very severely.
Madam Croy then thought about the whips she would bring to Kishian.
A thin leather whip, the kind used to punish disobedient maids, seemed like a good idea.
Because if you use it, it will leave an ugly scar on your skin.
"..."
Even though she had chosen a whip, for some reason she didn't hear an answer from Kishian.
Madam Croy lifted her head, which had been bowed for a moment, and examined Kishian.
His golden eyes were turned towards Madame Croy with a cold, almost sharp light.
"Lock her in the dungeon."
The words that Keyssian uttered fell on Madam Croy's head.
Did you order that woman to be moved to the dungeon?
The lady thought so and looked at Kishian in bewilderment, but the order was not given to Madame Croy.
The guards of the Grand Duke's residence, who had been watching the situation, came over after hearing the order.
Not to the Grand Duchess, but to Madame Croy.
Madam Croy cried out in panic as she was grabbed by the guards' strong hands.
"Your High Priest? Your Highness! Why are the soldiers suddenly attacking me, Your Highness?!"
Even as she was being dragged away, Madam Croy could not accept the situation.
The man she had supported for so many years, the man she had cared for like her own son. Kishian, was ordering her to be locked up in prison?
She shouted at Kishian as if she was about to spit out blood because it was impossible.
"Your Highness! There seems to be some mistake! Your Highness! Punish these rude bastards Immediately!!"
Without responding to the desperate call, Kishian passed by.
Holding only the Grand Duchess in his arms.
Despite the endless pleaded screams, Kishian's gaze never turned to Madame Croy.
***
Should I say that I fell asleep or that I passed out?
Anyway, I was unconscious the whole time before I lost consciousness.
I had heard stories of homeless people sleeping on the streets during the winter, sometimes not waking up and finding rest.
Dying is something that everyone fears.
If even an honorable death is fearful, how could a ridiculous death not be fearful?
If a woman as worthy as a Grand Duchess were to freeze to death in her own bedroom, she would surely be the laughingstock of everyone.
I really wanted to give up on that, so I desperately raised my eyelids as soon as I came to my senses.
It was right after I opened my eyes that I felt something strange.
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