“How are you feeling, Your Grace?”
“I don’t know. What should I say about this feeling? Should I just say I’m restless?”

Melissa, who was brushing her hair, smiled a little.

“Why are you restless?”
“It’s just… Should I say that I felt something more clearly? I think I’ll feel the weight of being the grand duchess after tomorrow.”
“I suppose so.”

Time ran so fast that the ceremony was already tomorrow.
It had been a month since she had been doing things like looking at how people in the north spent their time, what kind of people were living here, and how they did things.

“I’m also worried if I’m ruining everything.”
“How is that possible? That will never happen, so don’t worry about that, Your Grace.”
“No one knows that. Maybe I’ll make a huge mistake.”
“You may make a mistake. You’re only human. But even if you make a mistake, you’ll get through it wisely. I was really impressed by how you handled the situation with Countess Ruiz’s daughter the other day.”

Melissa reassured Adeline that she was worrying for no reason.
Adeline tearing off the decoration of her dress to cover up Pamela’s mistake had become a huge topic of conversation.
Everyone admired Adeline’s kindness and praised her wisdom for protecting the child.
It wasn’t just one or two people who were moved like Melissa.

“I hope everything goes well as you say. I hope I get through this.”
“I’m sure you will. You have me, Isabel, and most of all, His Grace’s infinite support. What great power that is.”

As soon as she mentioned Kael, someone knocked on the door.
Melissa put down the comb at the knock and approached the door.

“Adeline? Are you sleeping?”
“No, Your Grace. Please come inside.”

It was Kael.
Melissa grinned, slightly gave a knowing glance at Adeline, and immediately stepped back.

“Kael! What’s wrong?”

Adeline immediately got up from the dressing table and approached Kael.

“I have come to keep the tradition.”
“Tradition?”

While Adeline was puzzled, Kael held out the bouquet he was hiding behind his back.
Adeline’s eyes widened when she saw the abundant and large bouquet. It was a bouquet of white Edelweiss.

“It is tradition for me to give you flowers before the ceremony. A flower that looks like it might suit you.”

Adeline carefully received the bouquet with a surprised face.
The white Edelweiss flowers were vibrant and beautiful. She looked at the flowers with awe.

“Thank you, Kael. The flowers are really pretty.”

Adeline sincerely thanked him. Looking at the beautiful flowers, she felt like all the worries that had disturbed her heart just a moment ago were melting away.

“I was thinking for a long time about which flowers would suit you, and I suddenly remembered the floral language of the Edelweiss.”
“Floral language?”
“Although it is a flower with many meanings, one of them is stuck in my heart.”

Light green eyes filled with curiosity stared at Kael. She quickly wanted to know what floral language Kael was talking about.

“Courage.”

The short word stirred Adeline’s heart again.

“I thought it was the word that went best with you. Because you’re always brave.”

Adeline looked at Kael with trembling eyes. The simple words made Adeline’s heart pound.

“You will do well. You’re already doing well.”

Kael’s words were filled with sincerity. There was not a single lie. He truly believed in Adeline, and that she would continue to do well.
He didn’t know how long he would be able to keep Adeline by his side, and the anxiety of not knowing when he would have to let her go sprang up, but he didn’t want to think about it now.

“It was truly a moment where I needed courage.”
“…”
“You’ve given me courage. The courage I will keep in my heart for a very long time.”

He was just going to give her the flowers, cheer her on, and leave. But Adeline dug into Kael’s heart again without giving him a chance to let his guard down.
Kael prayed that the time allowed for him would be long. Even though he knew it was an infinitely selfish and infinitely funny wish, he prayed earnestly.

***

“You’re really beautiful, Your Grace.”
“You’ve only been saying that since earlier, Melissa. You can stop now.”
“I’m not flattering you to make you feel good. You’re really so beautiful that I can’t help saying this. Isn’t that right, Isabel?”
“Melissa is right, Your Grace. My mouth keeps opening like this.”

The day of the ceremony dawned, and several maids clung to Adeline to dress her up.
It was the day when she had to shine most splendidly. They cared as much, if not more, as the wedding ceremony, and the result was phenomenally beautiful.
The dark deep-blue dress showed off Adeline’s beautiful body line, but it was also extraordinarily elegant. It was a dress made with a precious dye made by grinding lapis lazuli, which could only be found in the west mines in the north, and it suited Adeline very well.
After putting on the impressive fur cape made for the ceremony, everyone covered their mouths and admired her.

“Everyone, stop. That’s too much.”
“You’re looking in the mirror, Your Grace. How could we not react like this?”

Adeline’s face turned red as they couldn’t stop admiring her. Adeline herself looked quite pretty today, but she was so embarrassed that they kept fussing beside her.

“I’m sure all the Northerners who came out to see Her Grace will fall in love.”
“Absolutely. They will all fall for her.”

Adeline went out slowly, smiling as if she couldn’t stop them. Today, she had to go to the temple where the bestowal ceremony was held alone.
Kael was waiting for her there first, so Adeline was going to go on the carriage alone and greet the people who were gathering to see her.

“Let’s go, Your Grace. The sky is giving you really beautiful and pleasant weather, like it is blessing you.”

Adeline took a deep breath and walked slowly.
Now, it was really time to move forward.

***

“Long live the Grand Duchess!”
“Long live the blessings of the North!”
“Wave your hand here, too, Your Grace!”

The crowd that came to see Adeline was much bigger than expected.
As if all the Northerners had come, the area around the temple was crowded. Adeline waved her hand as hard as she could as she passed by inside the carriage and met people’s eyes.

“Wow…”
“Dear heavens. Isn’t she the Goddess Isis?”

As Adeline got out of the carriage, exclamations of admiration flowed from all over the place.
Melissa was not exaggerating when she said that everyone in the North would fall for her. Everyone in the crowd looked at Adeline, mesmerized.

‘Don’t make a mistake. You can do it well, Adeline.’

Standing in front of the temple’s door, Adeline took another big breath. She practiced the order of the ceremony several times, but actually standing in front of it made her nervous.
The iron door that had been firmly closed opened, and the red carpet that extended to the altar filled Adeline’s vision.
All the nobles in the temple stood up, and Kael, who was standing in front of the altar, also turned around to look at her.
Adeline stepped forward, one step at a time. It was a perfectly elegant and beautiful step so that no one could notice that she was trembling.

“…”
“…”

As she stood in front of the altar, she met Kael’s eyes. Kael was looking at Adeline with slightly surprised eyes, like on their wedding day.
He was again attracted to Adeline, who was so beautiful.

“Welcome, Your Grace.”
“Greetings, Your Excellency.”

While Adeline was shy, the high priest smiled and greeted her.
Although it was a northern ceremony, it was an imperial tradition for the high priest from the capital’s temple to place a tiara on her head. It was a symbolic element to announce that the capital and emperor were the owners of the empire.
Next to the high priest was Simeon, who had followed him to assist him. Adeline smiled softly, making eye contact with her brother. Seeing him, she felt a little more relaxed.

“It is an honor to hold this ceremony in such beautiful weather. It seems like a great blessing has come to the North.”

The high priest began the ceremony with a unique powerful voice.
Long incantations of blessings in ancient languages followed, and prayers were recited only for the North.
Adeline waited nervously for the highlight of the ceremony. A platinum tiara made for the grand duchess was waiting for her.
When all the prayers were over, the high priest lifted the tiara studded with lapis lazuli.

“In the name of the Holy Sky that protects the empire, and in the name of the fortified empire’s shield and lungs, the North, I give the title of Grand Duchess to Adeline Tien-Inver.”

Adeline immediately knelt down and bowed her head slightly.
As the cold tiara rested on Adeline’s head, a thunderous applause erupted.

“Congratulations, Your Grace. I sincerely wish that the North is filled with unlimited blessings.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

The high priest smiled mercifully and blessed Adeline, then stepped aside.
From now on, it was Kael’s turn.
Kael, dressed in the splendid blue uniform that symbolized the North, approached Adeline.
The eyes that contained the winter and the eyes that contained the greenery faced each other. Though she only met his eyes, Adeline’s heart, which had barely calmed down, started beating fast again.

“You look beautiful. Though you probably got tired of hearing that on your way here.”

Adeline smiled slightly at Kael’s whisper.
Kael smiled along with her and carefully grabbed Adeline’s hand. While the high priest’s role was to put the tiara on the grand duchess, the grand duke had to kiss her wedding ring.
It was a ceremony that signified eternal respect.
Kael slowly raised her hand and gave a blessing.

“May eternal light always accompany my wife.”

My wife. The words that excited Adeline more than any other modifier were contained in the sentence.
Kael leaned down slightly and kissed Adeline’s left ring finger. As his hot lips touched the ring and her hand, a tingling sensation passed through Adeline.

“Long live the Grand Duchess! Long live the North!”
“Hurrah! Hurrah!”

After the ceremony ended, there was loud applause and cheers once again. However, suddenly, a louder sound poured out from the crowd gathered in front of the temple.
It was definitely a cheer, but the sound suddenly grew louder.
Kael and Adeline stared at the big door with surprised eyes.

“Dear heavens. Snow is falling from the blue sky, Kael.”

Adeline smiled brightly at the white snow that embroidered the clear sky.
Kael looked at the snow, taken aback.
Very few people knew it, but there was a legend in the north.
Legend has it that if someone with the blood of the Inver family has a lover they love enough to swear eternity, Heaven will bless them and let down jewel-like snow over the blue sky.

–