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Chapter 8
“It’s only natural that the Grand Duchess gets to choose who stays by her side. I know I’m not perfect. So I’ll make sure to surround myself with people who can make up for what I lack. Even if someone’s from this land, if they treat me with disrespect and disgrace my title, they’ll pay the price. And even if someone is a foreigner—if they’re a capable person who can help me, why shouldn’t I keep them close?”
Diana spoke up, barely holding herself together. Her voice shook, and it made her feel pathetic—even to herself. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Then may I take that to mean what I think it means?” asked the old man.
“If there are capable people in the Nidhoog family, please send them.”
Diana shot back with more strength than expected, and Ragna sneered inwardly.
“If that’s what Your Grace wishes, I’ll send some useful people soon.”
He had already done the math in his head.
A Grand Duchess can’t be surrounded by uneducated nobodies. It doesn’t seem like she brought any maids from her own home either.
That meant the people closest to the Grand Duchess would either be Veronica—or people he sent. And those people would report everything back to him.
The thought of it made Ragna smile long and sly—like a snake.
Just then, a murmur spread through the crowd as everyone turned to look at the entrance.
“Sir Akila?”
Pushing through the people was Akila, still dressed in his traveling clothes, just as he had been during the monster hunt.
His dusty, sweaty appearance only made him look more proud—like a true knight who had just returned from battle.
Without thinking, Diana stood up. If Akila was back, that meant Erno must have returned too.
But Akila didn’t approach her. He gave her a quick bow and headed straight for Veronica.
“…Please take care of it.”
“I understand. Leave it to me.”
As she watched Akila ignore her and whisper something to Veronica, Diana realized it.
She was an outsider. A stranger who came from beyond Norbert. No matter what happened right in front of her, she didn’t belong here—not enough to speak or act.
No one here saw her as the Grand Duchess. Not even Akila. He hadn’t explained anything to her—he went straight to Veronica.
If I brought up my authority now, would Akila even look at me? Would the people start treating me differently?
The answer was clear: no.
Feeling empty, Diana slowly sat back down.
What was I even expecting?
A new start in a new place? A happy marriage? A friend who’d be like a real sister? She had thought that once she became the Grand Duchess, people would accept her.
But anyone with common sense could see—it was just a pretty title.
She laughed bitterly at her own foolishness.
“There’s no need for all this drama.”
A calm voice spoke above her. Diana looked up in disbelief.
Erno was standing there, in the same clothes as when he’d left the castle, looking completely calm.
“E-Erno…!”
This time, Diana ran toward him—but stopped in place when she smelled blood.
His black sleeve was soaked, and dark red drops were falling from it like melted snow.
“You’re hurt!”
Eyes wide, she rushed to pull a handkerchief from her pocket and reached out to him.
“Don’t touch me.”
Her hand froze mid-air.
Erno looked at her with such coldness—as if she were the one who caused his wound.
“Erno…?”
“Bi. Just stay where you are.”
His voice was quiet but sharp—like a wild beast warning her.
“But you’re bleeding a lot. You need to be treated!”
“It’s just a scratch. Don’t overreact.”
“A scratch?! There’s so much blood—!”
She wanted to say, If you get scratched again, you’ll lose your whole arm!
But when she tried again to help, Erno stepped back, frowning deeply.
“I told you not to say things you don’t mean. Stop doing pointless things, Bi.”
His voice was low, but the disgust in it made her flinch. She couldn’t say a word under his hateful glare. Without even looking at her again, Erno left the banquet hall to get treatment.
Diana stood there, frozen, staring at the floor.
What did I do wrong?
Her vision blurred, and she almost lost her balance—but Akila caught her just in time, saving her from collapsing in front of everyone.
“Are you alright?”
“A-Akila… Is Erno going to be okay?”
It was strange. After everything, the only thing she could think to say was concern for the man who just humiliated her.
But she had nothing else to say.
“Please calm down. I can explain everything.”
Helping her sit, Akila explained gently.
“His Grace is fine. That blood isn’t his—it’s the monster’s. Their blood is toxic. If someone without resistance—like you or anyone who’s not trained—came into contact with it, it could’ve been dangerous.”
“Oh…”
“That’s why he acted so coldly. He just wanted to protect you. I don’t believe he meant to hurt you.”
The explanation was perfect—leaving Diana speechless. The feelings she had just moments ago now felt childish and silly.
“If you’re not feeling well, would you like to leave for now? No one would blame you, Your Grace.”
Diana closed her eyes, then shook her head. With Erno gone due to injury, she couldn’t leave too.
“I’m okay. I was just surprised. I’d like to get some fresh air… Could you take me to the garden?”
“…You’re incredibly responsible, Your Grace.”
Akila looked at her with admiration. But Diana avoided his eyes and whispered to herself,
“That’s all I have.”
Even if no one else saw it that way.
With a bitter smile, she swallowed the rest of her words. Her tongue tasted dry and bitter—like tree bark.
Unlike the gardens of the South, where people often used them for sneaky secret meetings, the garden of Fenril Castle was quiet and still.
Diana found a large frozen lake there. Surrounded by snow and ice, the dark blue scenery felt lonely—but to her, it was peaceful.
All the judgmental stares, whispered insults, awkward silences—gone, blown away by the cold wind.
Even the freezing breeze felt like a gentle hand wiping away her hot tears.
I can’t believe a lake this big is completely frozen…
Amazed by the northern cold, Diana gently tapped the ice with her toe.
Feeling it was solid, she carefully stepped onto the frozen lake.
This was something she could never imagine in the South. A small smile finally returned to her face.
As she moved forward carefully, her body slid smoothly across the ice like it was glass.
Encouraged, she moved more freely. Gliding across the wide frozen surface felt like flying.
When she reached the center of the lake, she looked around. With nothing around but snow and sky, she felt like a dessert on a silver platter—alone but not lonely.
In fact, the solitude gave her a strange feeling of belonging—something she never felt among people.
She liked that feeling. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her chest finally felt clear.
“You must not have understood a word I said, Bi.”
A voice rudely broke her peaceful moment.
Startled, she looked around. Far away, at the edge of the lake, she saw a man standing.
How did he get there without her noticing?
