CH 55.2

As people were busy preparing for the succession ceremony, Anne drank tea leisurely in the garden. A butterfly landed gently on the flowers in full bloom.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen a butterfly in the North. Will they fly around in the spring?”

Her thoughts continued automatically in the distinctly different weather in the north. No matter what she did, the end of her thoughts always led to the north, and Daymond naturally followed behind it.

She kept getting nervous about him, who was all alone, overshadowing that he had come all the way to the capital and tried to win her heart. Why? Right before her life was cut short by an avalanche, his pale face, who had come to save her, kept lingering. What did those terribly sad eyes mean?

Then, without fail, she remembered the night at the hot spring, when the snow was falling beautifully and the whole world was quiet. The day he held her so tenderly as if he loved her more than anyone else in the world.

“I must be going crazy, too. That’s why I’m having these crazy ideas.”

Anne shook her head and said to herself. Her memories of that day must have taken root in her head. Without that, she wouldn’t be like this.

Anne sighed deeply and rebuked her swaying heart. What’s so good about such a capricious man? She doesn’t know why she kept thinking of the arrogant man who only spoke cruel words and behaved as he pleased. It was too foolish.

“The reason I decided to come here is to calm myself down.”

So Anne forcibly retrieved her memories when in the bedroom. His inexorable temper, cold as the crystals of the snow.

Her heart, which was about to heat up, calmly subsided.

* * *

Finally, the day of the succession ceremony came.

The cramped Libelois mansion was crowded with guests. Anne, of course, guessed that it was because they had leaked word that the Count’s daughter who had become the Grand Duchess had come.

Among those present was Salton. When he heard of Anne’s visit to the County, he came at once.

“I heard that your Ladyship returned.”

“My parents asked me to do it. By the way, I heard you were sick, are you okay now?”

He had the same expression as when she had seen in the north. His serious appearance was still the same, and he didn’t look ill at all.

“I guess the news that I had a fever after I returned to the capital reached your Ladyship.”

“Because news travels to the North.”

The lines of Salton’s lips went quiet for a moment. Anne waited silently, staring at the lake.

I thought it was pretty big here too, but it’s smaller than the Grand Duke’s castle.

Looking at the lake, it reminded her of the frozen lake inside the Grand Duke’s castle. It must have completely melted by now, but now was not the time to think about it.

“Miss Angroanne, do not trust the Grand Duke.”

Anne turned her head to look at him properly. His face was much more serious, as he wasn’t a man who spoke nonsense. Then his mouth opened again.

“He is more dangerous than we think.”

“We . . .?”

As if they were on the same boat? Why did he include her?

“He knew you before you were married.”

“That . . . I know.”

Anne wanted to ask if that was what he was talking about, and she averted her gaze. She doesn’t know how he knew, but it seemed that Salton noticed that the Grand Duke had done something behind the scenes for the marriage.

“You know? And yet, you’re still staying in the Grand Duke’s castle?”

He replied with an agitated expression. She expected it to be surprising, but Anne was rather taken aback by such a big reaction.

“I also found out a while ago that the Grand Duke had a hand in it. But, what should I do now? We are already married.”

At first, she even tried hard to break the marriage, but now it was all to no avail. Her promise to leave an heir was valid, so she would have to keep it.

“That’s nonsense.”

Rarely did Salton’s temper rise. The voice that deeply suppressed something that could not be tolerated even contained anger somewhere.

“You mean to keep this marriage knowing what he did to us? Anrgroanne, wake up!

Anne tilted her head as she saw Salton becoming more and more upset. She found it strange that he, not her, was so angry.

“But it is already in the past. Now how can I take back that His Grace had already deliberately dragged me into marriage?”

“What your Ladyship wanted to say . . . Was it that?”

Even the muscles in his face were twitching, and Salton dropped his lips in vain.

“You don’t know yet. Exactly what he did to us.”

“Is there anything else besides that? If so, please tell me.”

Anne swallowed a gulp. Could he mean that there is something else she doesn’t know about? Salton’s complexion became serious. After moving his lips a few times, he sprang to his feet.

“If you don’t know yet, I can’t say it out loud. Because this is a truth that is hard for you to bear.”

After saying that, Salton left. She tried to ask again, but he turned his back on Anne, saying he would take care of it himself.

Is there something else I don’t know?

Anne’s anxious eyes wavered as she looked in the direction where Salton had disappeared.