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Chapter 1
The farthest northern edge of the Empire.
This land was ruled by snowstorms, bitter cold, and the great northern house—the Vladizev family.
They were so fearsome that if someone said, “Crying children will be taken away by Vladizev!” the children wouldn’t stop crying—they’d faint from fear instead.
This terrifying reputation had reached its peak under the current Grand Duchess.
She had slaughtered all collateral relatives, cut ties with her only son, and even took away his castle. She was a cold beast who showed no mercy, even to her own blood.
And now, this predator—this woman with no blood or tears—was prowling through the snowy fields, as if hunting for a post-meal snack.
The tracks were tiny, like those of a snow rabbit.
That was her prey for today.
Soon, she spotted what she was looking for—
a cute little girl with jet-black hair and bright golden eyes that shone like starlight.
The girl was dragging a knight’s cape behind her like a cloak. She looked like a baby crow that had fallen out of its nest.
“…Spirit?”
The girl was speaking to someone.
But before the Duchess could see who, she suddenly rushed forward, disappearing and reappearing right in front of her.
“Then… will you be Tiya’s friend?”
The girl’s innocent voice was answered—
but before the response could finish, the Duchess grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck like a kitten and slashed the air with her other hand.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning fell from a clear sky, striking a massive brown bear standing in front of the child.
Its fur was scorched black. The bear swayed, then—
Thud!
It collapsed into the snow, kicking up a small cloud.
Tiya blinked in shock, then wriggled out of the Duchess’s grasp and clung to the bear.
“Sp-Spirit!”
But the bear didn’t move.
With her cheeks puffed up in frustration, Tiya glared at the Duchess.
One of the Duchess’s eyebrows arched sharply.
Combined with the lightning-shaped scar across her eyelid, the gesture carried an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
Most children would have burst into tears.
But this little girl—clearly a true Vladizev—argued back fiercely instead.
“Grandma, you killed the Spirit! It said it would be my friend!”
“It’s not a spirit. It’s a bear. Can’t you see it has a body?”
“B-bear…?”
Tiya finally noticed something was off. She touched the bear, then sniffed her hand.
Her face crumpled like a sour pickle.
“Smelly!”
She quickly buried her hands in the snow to clean them.
Clearly, she had no idea that her disappearance had caused an uproar back at Frost Fortress.
“Why did you come out here alone?”
The Duchess’s stern voice sounded like an interrogation, but Tiya replied bravely,
“I heard there were lots of Spirit eggs in the North, so I came to find one.”
She must have overheard the castle staff talking.
Spirit eggs were said to be rare treasures, filled with condensed natural energy. If someone with spirit affinity nurtured one, a spirit would hatch, and the person would become a Spirit Master.
But the Duchess had never bothered to search for one.
The Vladizev family had been blessed by the Great Spirit for generations. Every direct descendant was destined to become a Spirit Master upon their coming-of-age ritual. There had never been a need for such things.
But for the little girl before her, it was desperately important.
Hands red from digging in the snow, Tiya finally blurted out,
“Grandma… Tiya isn’t a Spirit Master. That’s why… Daddy sent me to the North, right?”
The only one in the family not chosen by a spirit—
a shameful title for someone born in Vladizev.
The Duchess had first met Tiya at her mother’s funeral, and that was when she learned her son had already fallen apart.
“What are you going to do with a defective child even the spirits rejected?”
He had said such words.
She couldn’t leave her granddaughter in such hands—so she took her away.
But the child still believed her father had simply abandoned her.
“Even if Daddy abandoned me… I still want to be his daughter. So I have to become a Spirit Master.”
The Duchess finally realized—this four-year-old had never cried, not because she was strong, but because she was forcing herself not to.
“Arstiya.”
The Duchess lifted her granddaughter again, meeting her eyes.
“You’ve been mistaken all this time. You weren’t abandoned…”
“…?”
“You were kidnapped. By me.”
“…!”
Tiya’s face wrinkled like a dried plum. Then, fat tears rolled from her golden eyes.
“Grandma, I hate you!”
She began to sob loudly.
“I want to go home! Send me back to Mommy and Daddy! I want to see my brothers!”
Her little heart was finally spilling over.
Even terrible parents are the whole world to a four-year-old child. Missing them was only natural.
The Duchess swallowed the painful truth and hugged her.
“My little cream puff, from now on, you’ll learn how to become strong—body and mind—strong enough to knock down bears. Then… I’ll send you home. Can you do that?”
Through hiccups and sobs, a tiny but determined voice answered,
“I’m… not cream puff… hic… I’m Tiya.”
With her small fists clenched tightly, she declared,
“Tiya… hic… can do it… hic… will do it!”
And from that day on, Tiya’s dream was to become as strong as her grandmother—a true Northerner of Vladizev.
“Being strong isn’t about beating your opponent. It’s about proving you never give up. Don’t settle where you are.”
Tiya had learned to stand up again no matter how many times she fell.
Thanks to that, she had grown strong enough to knock a hungry bear on the head without fear.
One day, when Tiya turned eight years old…
[In celebration of the Holy Day, Astiya Vladijev is invited to the Blessing Ceremony.]
An invitation had arrived from the Grand Temple in the capital.
The Holy Day was when priests prayed for the safety of eight-year-old children and gave them blessings.
But only high-ranking nobles could be invited to the Grand Temple.
Even so, the Grand Duchess had no intention of sending her granddaughter there.
At that moment, a commotion rose outside.
“Look at this, everyone!”
When they peeked outside, they saw a dog sled carrying the corpse of a bear.
And on top of the bear’s head stood Tiya, looking proud.
Her sharp little fangs sparkled in the sunlight whenever she laughed.
“Grandma!”
From the second-floor window, Tiya spotted the Grand Duchess and waved her crossbow in the air.
“Look! I caught a bear!”
“You’re becoming quite the northern cub, aren’t you?”
Yes. That’s my granddaughter.
The Grand Duchess smiled in secret pride.
“Now I want to go see my dad and brothers!”
The invitation in her hand crumpled instantly.
“…You’re not ready yet.”
Not yet.
If she went to the capital now, the girl would be crushed by its harshness.
But when the Grand Duchess looked again, Tiya had disappeared.
Where had that little bean rolled off to now?
The answer came from behind.
She had run up the stairs already, panting hard.
“Northern people never go back on their word! I can catch bears now!”
“With a tiny bear like that? Hmph.”
“It’s not tiny! Then try putting it in Grandma’s nose!”
“Oh, I’ll do it. Don’t think I won’t!”
But when the Grand Duchess saw how big the bear actually was, she realized the truth.
It wasn’t Tiya who wasn’t ready to leave—
…it was herself who wasn’t ready to let her go.
Worse, a disease was spreading from the south of the territory.
For safety, it might be better to send the child to the capital for now.
And most of all, her granddaughter wanted to go so badly.
Holding her back would only be an old woman’s selfishness.
So the Grand Duchess finally gave permission.
On the day Tiya left for the capital, every servant and knight gathered to see her off.
Some sniffled and even cried.
Only the Grand Duchess’ face remained calm and quiet.
“I’ll be back soooon,” Tiya mumbled, watching her grandmother’s reaction as she stepped onto the carriage.
“Astiya.”
The girl turned. The Grand Duchess spoke sternly.
“You may attack my heart.”
“Ugh, why didn’t you say that earlier?!”
Tiya immediately leapt forward and hugged her grandmother tightly.
Rubbing her forehead against her chest, she made even the icy Grand Duchess melt inside.
She gently patted the child’s back.
Four years together.
The girl still murmured for her mom and dad in her sleep.
The Grand Duchess had thought she could never fill that hole in the child’s heart.
But when Tiya lifted her head with a little smile, she said softly:
“Grandma, you miss Dad too, don’t you?”
The Grand Duchess froze.
“I know you sneak into his room sometimes. I can tell.”
Just as she watched over her granddaughter, Tiya had been watching her too.
Before Tiya came, this castle used to echo with her son’s laughter.
“Look, everyone! My wife gave birth to an angel!”
He had paraded his firstborn son all around the castle, bursting with pride.
Even when leaving for the capital for his second child’s health, their home had been full of joy.
“I’ll tell Dad to make up with you when I see him! Trust me, Grandma!”
“He’s hopeless.”
“Hey, no bad words!”
Tiya playfully tapped her grandmother’s hand, mimicking her tone.
“But Grandma, if you miss me sooo much, you have to come kidnap me, okay?”
And with that, the carriage slowly rolled away.
Just like the day her son and his family left.
When would these children return?
The Grand Duchess turned back toward the castle.
Perhaps tonight, instead of her son’s room, she would visit her granddaughter’s.
