Chapter 13
Just as Ronin was about to speak, startled by the abrupt change in Kallion’s expression—
“Your Grace?”
“I’m getting down, so stop rushing me.”
Answering his adjutant in a calm tone, Kallion let out a quiet sigh. He couldn’t even bring himself to accept the cloth Ronin had offered.
‘If he did that on purpose, then he really knows how to get under my skin. He has the nerve to ask a Grand Duke to do a servant’s job, and he still wears that shameless expression.’
But arguing here would only hurt Kallion more. More than anyone, he was the one who wanted to return to his duchy as quickly as possible.
In the end, suppressing his temper, he said through clenched teeth,
“…Take my hand as you step down. You are the Grand Duchess in name, after all. We can’t have you stumbling out of the carriage for everyone to see.”
Only then did Ronin realize that Kallion had been holding out his left hand to help him descend.
This time, he couldn’t hide his surprise. His face instantly flushed scarlet as he reached out and clasped Kallion’s hand. The cloth that had caused so many misunderstandings had long since been set aside.
Mindful of Ronin’s condition, Kallion stepped down from the carriage slowly. Thanks to that, the knights and attendants waiting below had ample time to examine the infamous “Alistair.”
‘Wow… They say the Alistair family secured the Empress’s position with nothing but their looks… Now I understand why people say that.’
‘How is his skin so pale? He looks like freshly kneaded bread dough before it’s even gone into the oven!’
‘Seriously, how can someone’s waist be that tiny? Is it really possible for someone with a waist that slender to have the same organs as the rest of us?’
No one dared voice those thoughts aloud, but they were all astonished. Ronin looked nothing like the Northerners, whose bodies were broad and whose skin had been roughened by the harsh climate.
Sensing the growing commotion, Kallion silenced everyone with a single glance before releasing Ronin’s hand. Ronin had finally stepped onto the last stair and set foot on solid ground.
For the first time in nearly a day, Ronin stood on firm earth. Feeling strangely dazed, he slowly looked around.
‘So… this is the Leofric territory…’
Even the air brushing against the tip of his nose felt different. It was incomparably colder than the capital.
‘And those walls…’
The fortress walls—known as either the Black Wall or the Iron Wall—were so dark they looked as though they had been dyed black.
Rumor claimed the walls had been built that way to match the Leofric family’s symbol, the Black Wolf, though whether that was true, no one knew.
There were other differences from the capital as well.
The sharp mountain peaks in the distance.
The endless snow piled up everywhere one looked.
‘I’ve really arrived… in the North. In Leofric territory.’
Although they had reached the North in only a single day, the capital and the northern duchy were never actually close. At a normal pace, the journey took a full three days.
But everyone on this expedition had been rigorously trained knights.
They had even eaten on horseback as they rode without rest toward the North—
Toward their homeland.
Toward the people waiting for them.
Ronin’s gaze shifted toward those assembled before him.
‘…Those must be the people of House Leofric.’
Like most Northerners, they possessed imposing physiques. Wrapped in thick winter coats, they appeared even larger than they truly were.
They stared at Ronin with the Northerners’ characteristically stoic expressions.
Even Ronin, who had prepared himself for cold treatment, nearly froze beneath those gazes.
‘I knew the Alistair name wasn’t well regarded in the North… but I didn’t expect it to be this bad…’
It truly felt as though he had been dropped into the heart of enemy territory.
Only then did Ronin fully realize that he had arrived in the North.
In Leofric.
Before he could even search for Pam—the only other person from the capital—a man stepped forward from the gathered crowd.
Among everyone present, he stood out for his impeccable appearance.
The air about him differed from the stern dignity of the knights.
‘If I had to compare him to someone… he actually feels more like Madam. He even looks about the same age.’
Ronin’s body stiffened instinctively.
It was the automatic reaction drilled into him through years of training.
Kallion noticed the movement for only a brief moment before looking away.
“Your Highness, welcome. You must be exhausted after such a long journey. I am Conrad, the butler of House Leofric.”
‘Ah… that explains it. That’s why he didn’t feel like a knight but reminded me of Madam instead.’
While Ronin was making sense of it, Conrad was already organizing everything with remarkable efficiency.
The dowry they had brought.
The horses that had collapsed from exhaustion after running all day.
The filthy, road-weary knights.
At Conrad’s commands, everything moved with perfect order.
Both the man giving orders and those carrying them out looked thoroughly accustomed to the routine.
‘I’ve heard Duke Leofric spends most of his life on the battlefield.’
If that was true, then someone had to manage the estate whenever he was away.
‘Normally, the Grand Duchess or an elder omega of the family would take care of those duties… but there’s no one like that in the North.’
The position of Grand Duchess had remained vacant all this time.
The previous Grand Duchess had passed away when Duke Leofric was still a child.
Which meant…
‘That man—Conrad—must have been handling everything in her place.’
At that moment, Conrad’s eyes met Ronin’s directly.
He studied Ronin with an unreadable expression before offering a gentle smile.
It was impossible to tell what lay behind it.
Without realizing it, Ronin glanced around.
Instinctively, he was searching for Kallion.
Whatever the circumstances, Kallion was still his husband—
And his alpha.
But Kallion had disappeared without Ronin noticing.
Before Ronin could react, Conrad stepped forward.
“Your Highness, allow me to escort you to your quarters. This way, please.”
There was little choice but to follow.
Ronin forced a small smile.
Fortunately, Pam quickly slipped into place beside him.
It wasn’t because Pam wanted to protect or comfort him—he simply didn’t want to be left alone among all these intimidating Northerners.
Even so, it was a relief for Ronin.
Together, the two followed Conrad into the castle.
Even from the outside, the fortress had looked imposing.
Inside, it felt even more like a military stronghold.
After passing through corridor after corridor that all looked nearly identical, Ronin had completely lost his sense of direction.
He forced himself to stay alert.
It was unlikely to happen…
But if Conrad abandoned him here, he would almost certainly end up hopelessly lost.
Beside him, even Pam remained silent, clearly tense.
‘I have to stay focused—for Pam’s sake too.’
Just as that thought crossed his mind, they turned another corner.
A long corridor stretched before them.
Unlike any of the hallways they had passed through, this one possessed an entirely different atmosphere.
Instead of heavy, dark curtains, the windows here were draped with soft ivory-colored ones.
Perhaps it was the pale curtains…
Or perhaps it was the rows of candles lining the floor…
Either way, the corridor felt far brighter and warmer.
‘Even the floor is different.’
The moment Ronin stepped onto it, he noticed the change.
Until now, every step had been accompanied by the creaking of old wooden planks.
Here, there was no such sound.
Perhaps it was because of…
‘That?’
At the far end of the corridor, in a spot that had clearly been kept immaculate, hung a single portrait.
As though drawn by an unseen force, Ronin slowly walked toward it.
The woman in the portrait wore a quiet smile.
Though her lips barely curved, warmth shone from her gently softened eyes.
Long eyelashes.
Soft golden hair.
Cheeks faintly flushed as though kissed by sunlight.
The painting was exquisitely detailed.
Every strand of hair.
Every fold in her clothing.
And above all—
The deep affection of the artist for the woman they had painted was unmistakably preserved on the canvas.
