Kael and Adeline quickly returned to the north.
They needed the public’s attention while on their way to the east, but not on their way to the north. Kael and Adeline went through the portal instead of taking a carriage.
It was getting colder in the north, and Kael had been away for much longer than expected, so he had to cut back on time even a little.

“It’s been a while. This air.”

Adeline whispered as she came out of the portal.
It was a lie to say that she didn’t feel sorry for leaving the east behind. In fact, she was even tempted to stay a little longer.
She immediately felt a bond with her first nephew, and maybe that was why it was hard to part ways with Eden, and the eastern sea and its scent, which she had encountered after a long time, kept tempting Adeline.

But as she had told Kael, Adeline’s house was now in the north.
She didn’t want to be tied to the east any more, nor did she want to send Kael back alone first.

“Your Grace. Lady. I was waiting for you. Thank you for your hard work.”

Isabel greeted them with great glee. All the servants in the castle, including her, came out and welcomed Kael and Adeline.

“The Grand Duchess suffered a lot because of the long schedule, so look after her carefully.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I will definitely do that.”

Kael asked Isabel while making slight eye contact with Adeline before heading straight to the office. Seeing him move fast with Zion, who had been waiting for him, it was clear how busy his schedule would be from that moment on.

“Please go inside, Your Grace. It’s colder than usual today.”

Isabel smiled brightly and led Adeline inside.
Adeline took a big breath and strode into the castle.

***

“You don’t know how surprised I was when I heard that there was a lady who attacked you, Your Grace.”

As soon as they finished organizing the luggage properly, teatime began in the room.
Isabel, who had been staying in the north, sighed at the thought of the news she had been hearing. Even now, when she thought about that time, she closed her eyes tightly as if she was dizzy.
The news that Kael was stabbed in the process of preventing Vanessa from attacking Adeline and trying to kill her turned the north upside down.

“I thought she was a crazy lady. And it turned out that she really was.”

Melissa, who was quietly filling the empty teacups, immediately cursed Vanessa. There was anger in her voice.
As Adeline listened to their conversation, she recalled the scene where Vanessa had rushed towards her.

[You definitely said you would let me have it all. You said it was all mine. Everything you now enjoy was originally something I should have enjoyed.]

She still clearly remembered Vanessa muttering before taking the dagger and coming at her.

‘She said I would give it to her. That it was hers. It was obvious that someone had lured Vanessa out. For what reason did someone approach Vanessa and bring her into this? Why Vanessa?’

Vanessa was one of the horses put on the chessboard by the unknown culprit. The unanswerable questions of who attracted Vanessa, and why it was Vanessa, followed one after the other.

“I’m not the only one who was surprised. The whole north was very angry, not to mention the people of the castle.”
“That’s understandable. His Grace got hurt in the end… It’s my fault. If I had listened carefully to His Grace, it wouldn’t have been that dangerous…”

Adeline sighed. She remembered how Kael had told her not to approach Vanessa and that he had been stabbed instead to protect Adeline.

“Your Grace.”

As she was trapped in a surge of regret, she heard Isabel’s voice. The expression on Isabel’s face was quite determined.

“Of course, it is also right to be deeply indignant because His Grace was injured. Though all of us were angry because that lady dared to hurt Your Grace.”

Adeline looked at Isabel in surprise.

“Why, because of me… I haven’t done anything for the North…”
“What do you mean, nothing? Being in the North as the grand duchess like this gives us a lot of strength. It’s a position that has been empty for a very long time.”

Adeline’s emotions mixed when she heard that her presence alone was a strength for them. She felt a great appreciation for their warm feelings, but on the other hand, she felt the burden of being the grand duchess.

“Besides, you were the one who brought Isis’ blessing. How could the people of the North not love the Grand Duchess? His Grace also loves you very much.”

A woman loved by a man so loved by the north. In fact, the affection of the north that was being poured out on Adeline was an extension of their feelings towards Kael.

‘It’s affection in return for virtue. Don’t take it for granted.’

When she was brainwashed, she didn’t take the weight of being the grand duchess seriously, saying it was something she had to leave empty for Vanessa.
It wasn’t Adeline’s place, after all.

But it was different now. Adeline realized that both her life and the position of the grand duchess were completely hers.
Now that this had happened, Adeline was going to do the best she could to fulfill the role of the Grand Duchess of the North.

“Speaking of which, Isabel.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I’m listening.”
“Will you make me a document that summarizes all the noble families of the North? I think I should look at the social trends in the North and be clear about them in many ways.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“And data that summarizes the economy of the castle. Everything from the budget to the ledgers. Now that I’m done adjusting, I need to get to work.”

Isabel replied that she would be very happy to bring them in meticulously.

“You’ll be busy for a while. And you too, Melissa.”
“I’ve been waiting to hear that, Your Grace. I’m a person who enjoys using my head.”

Adeline smiled brightly and nodded.
She felt good from the start.

***

“Be prepared to sleep only an hour or two for at least a week, Your Grace.”
“Yes. I’m already prepared.”

Kael swallowed a sigh as he saw the stacks of work in the office.
He had expected it from the time he changed his destination to the east instead of the north, but it was true that his head hurt somewhat after facing it in person.

“We’re preparing well for the title ceremony you care about the most. We’re not sparing anything, just as you ordered.”
“Good. Keep doing that.”
“Speaking of which, what are you going to do about the gift? If you have anything in mind, you should tell me as soon as possible. You’re going to ask me to get something very precious again.”

Zion’s words were mixed with complaining.

“… Your Grace?”

Unlike what he expected right now, with a list of hundreds of items on it, Kael just stared at Zion silently and somewhat incomprehensibly.

“A gift?”
“Yes. A gift.”
“If you mean the gift for the title ceremony, I was going to prepare it separately. How did you know what I was planning? Did I perhaps tell you about it?”
“… The gift for the title ceremony?”

This time, it was Zion who looked at Kael with an unfamiliar expression.
They were clearly facing each other and speaking the same language, but none of them seemed to make any sense.

“Wait. Wait a moment, Your Grace.”
“What is it?”
“Do you not know that the day after the ceremony is Her Grace’s birthday?”
“… What?”
“Dear heavens. Oh my god.”

Zion looked at Kael in astonishment.

“How could you not know that? It’s something even I know. I thought it was because of Her Grace’s birthday that you scheduled the ceremony for that date! But I can’t believe it wasn’t!”

Zion was making all kinds of fuss, but in fact, it was Kael who was genuinely perplexed.
Since he didn’t care about his own birthday or anything like that, he didn’t even think about looking into Adeline’s birthday.
He felt a chill on his back at the thought that he could have made a mistake and let it pass by.

“Then, do you have anything in mind?”
“…”
“Do you really have nothing? No?”
“…”
“Gosh. Yes, of course. You just found out about her birthday date. I’m not surprised.”

The usual Kael would have said something at Zion’s sarcasm, but that wasn’t the case right now.
Kael was stiffened in surprise with his mouth open, which was unlike him.
Emergency. It was an emergency.

–