Beast of the Frozen Night

Just like before, Anne took refuge in books.

As she opened the door to the library, the now familiar smell of books greeted her.

She turned her back to the bookshelf full of books related to the history of the Empire and walked to a corner bookshelf that she hadn’t looked at before. In her previous life, she had hated books. Rather it was the Grand Duke who would often read books. There was even a list of his favorite books.

“Are there other genres here?”

In front of the poorly lit bookshelf, she skimmed through the titles, but there was nothing she knew. Among them, she drew out a hardcover book, picked it up, and opened it. Most of them were about cultures or stories that were popular in each era. They were more like picture books for interest, such as paintings, music, and dance, rather than books about knowledge.

“Did you read any of these things?”

Suddenly there was a thump and a vibration from the floor, right after she had picked up that book.

Taken by surprise, Anne stepped back, then she saw a door hidden behind a bookshelf that had turned to the side.

“…Was it here?”

It was the Grand Duke’s secret space that Emily had spoken of, and the place he suggested she looked for at the hot spring.

Anne caressed her belly instead of her thumping heart and carefully grabbed the doorknob.

Through the gently opened door, the interior came into view.

Contrary to Emily’s suspicion that it might be a torture room due to the secrecy, the revealed space was an ordinary small room. A room that was said to be shrouded in secrecy turns out to be just like this. She was disheartened.

“It was just a room.”

Anne let out a breath, thinking it was nothing. She inadvertently turned her head to see a large picture frame hanging in the opposite corner. The only portrait in the Grand Duke’s castle that had no portrait. Anne, who narrowed her eyes, took a few more steps closer before she paused.

A woman with a familiar face with a bright smile in the painting.

“That…”

Her small trembling voice was scattered throughout the narrow room. Anne couldn’t help but be surprised.

The picture hanging in the center was her own face.

She ran her finger over the painting, which had not lost its color over the years. As she carefully touched it, memories from her past life flooded into her head like a storm. She could easily remember the source of the painting.

It was a painting she had personally asked from a street artist who had briefly come into the North. She did so with the intention to leave evidence of an affectionate lover, but Daymond was in a hurry that day due to his obligations. So she ended up sitting on the sofa in the library and posed alone.

She herself could not even see the finished work because she had left the castle, but the portrait of that time still existed.

“Why is this still there?”

“Daymond used to come here and look at that picture, like a fool.”

Taken aback by the unexpected voice, Anne turned around. She saw Luciel, who had a stiff face unlike usual, standing against the door.

Anne quietly stared at him. He had a different air than before. There was not even a faint smile on his face, proving that the atmosphere was quite different from usual.

“You know this place too, Luciel?”

“I know. I also knew that Daymond came here every day without skipping a day to look at that painting.”

“Every day…”

Anne’s expression became strange hearing that the Grand Duke visited this place every day to see her painting.

She turned her head and took in the narrow, desolate room at a glance. An empty room with nothing but a picture. The only reason why that man came to the library so often was because of a picture of her face.

Was it to solidify his resentment, or was it because of his longing? Either way, it was futile.

“Anne, are you going to give birth to the baby?”

The random question stabbed her in the back. The meaning of his question didn’t make any sense to her, so Anne frowned.

“What if I do?”

“Daymond will die if you give birth to the child.”

Anne furrowed her brows. He had always said strange things, so she thought that today was no different.

At her calm reaction, Luciel spoke in a gloomy way she had never seen before.

“Maybe… It could work out the way you want. I will tell the truth, just for you.”

Luciel suddenly placed his fingertips on Anne’s forehead.

Anne’s vision changed for a moment, with the illusion that a hot energy was wrapped on her forehead.

“…!”

Anne held her breath. The room was nowhere to be found, instead a new view unfolded before her eyes.

She had obviously been indoors, but right now it was a winter scene outside the Grand Duke’s castle. Huge snowflakes fell silently on the vast, endless field of pure white snow.

“This is a forest. Is it magic?”

Anne looked around the snowfield in disbelief. But the snow falling from the sky and the view of the snowy mountains in the distance were real. Even in the cold weather, she didn’t feel the cold at all.

“Luciel, come out now!”

She looked around to find Luciel had disappeared, but a lightly dressed man suddenly appeared in the distance across the snowfield.

“Daymond?”