Beast of the Frozen Night - Chapter 107.1

The Flower Spreading Its Branches (1)

Anne gracefully lifted her teacup, casting her gaze through the window. A pure white world entered her eyes. Despite the poor visibility, she could faintly see thick snowflakes blown about by the strong wind.

The fluttering snowflakes crashed against the glass walls of the greenhouse and dissipated into nothingness. The winter landscape of the North always offered her a fresh perspective. It made the complex emotions fade away and calmed her mind.

With the passing of several seasons, witnessing flowers and trees bloom and wither, Anne was now in her 13th winter in the Grand Duke’s castle. Over time, she had grown into Grand Duchess Cromund, no longer shrinking in the face of biting cold winds.

Pulling her attention away from the winter scene, Anne straightened up. Sitting opposite her were her now significantly grown son with a commendable height, Eroel, and a considerably younger girl, sitting side by side.

At 12 years old, Eroel, with his lustrous short black hair and sparkling ruby-red eyes, and the little girl, constantly pushing back her curly blonde hair that reached just below her ears with her tiny fingers. Anne looked fondly at Eroel, who had reached his double-digit years, and Isabella, who had started to chatter incessantly.

Interestingly, it had been during a honeymoon trip to Yantilia five years ago that they had conceived their second child. When she announced her pregnancy with Isabella, Daymond who usually did not have many changes to his expression, had his eyes widened in disbelief. The memory was still vivid in her mind.

Daymond, who had secretly hoped for a daughter resembling Anne, was overjoyed upon Isabella’s birth. In fact, upon holding Isabella for the first time, he was so moved that he literally shed tears.

“Brother, I want.”

Eroel was focused on the little finger that stretched towards a chocolate cookie. He quickly grabbed a cookie and placed it firmly into Isabella’s hand, who was sitting closely by his side.

Anne was enjoying tea time with the children in the gazebo connected to the glass greenhouse next to the east wing, as usual. The original greenhouse by the lake had been handed over to researchers, and this new greenhouse was built for easier access even in winter, was Daymond’s thoughtful gesture.

“Yummy, yummy.”

Isabella chattered away and eagerly stuffed the cookie in her mouth. Watching Isabella enjoy the snack he gave so heartily, Eroel smiled contentedly.

“Eat slowly. Have some tea too.”

Eroel watched Isabella in adoration as she munched on a cookie with her tiny hands then carefully offered her tea cooled with gentle blows.

Having said he wanted a sibling, Eroel became a dependable brother upon Isabella’s birth, and diligently taking care of his younger sister. He even brushed off the crumbs from her mouth, fulfilling his role as a proper older brother.

“Brother, what about Dad?”

“He will be here any minute now.”

After gulping down her tea, Isabella looked at her empty palms and blinked. Smiling, Eroel picked a piece of dried fruit instead of another cookie and handed it to her. She stared at it for a moment before taking it.

“What about Luciel?”

Like Eroel, Isabella was particularly fond of Luciel.

One day, when Anne asked Isabella why she liked Luciel so much, she said he smelled just like her Dad, Daymond. Anne found it hard to grasp what she meant by that, but she assumed it was their family bond.

“Luciel will come if we call him. Shall we try calling him together?”

“I did call. But he didn’t come.”

Isabella had been dangling her legs from the edge of the gazebo, looking a bit sullen as she muttered.

Luciel had a special ability to appear from anywhere when called, but lately, he seemed to be far away, as he hadn’t been showing up.

Isabella, fidgeting with her intertwined fingers, grabbed Eroel’s hand and spoke again.

“Brother, I’m bored. I want to go outside.”

“I’m afraid we can’t today. Look outside.”

Anne shook her head in disbelief as she looked at the blizzard outside. The snow was falling so heavily that they couldn’t see.

“See? Mother said so. It’s snowing a lot outside. Going out now would be too dangerous.”

Eroel pointed beyond the glass with his finger matching Isabella’s eye level and said in agreement with Anne’s words.

“Uung. I wanna go outside.”

Isabella was particularly insistent on going outside today and whined. To pacify her, who had been throwing a fit since morning, they had come to the greenhouse, but it seemed she was getting bored of it too.

Despite her persistent tugging and shaking his hand, Eroel looked at his sister affectionately and patted her head.

“Bella is bored, huh? Should Brother carry you up there? How about that?”

Eroel looked at Isabella and pointed towards the central marble fountain. She quickly turned her head away, clearly rejecting the idea. He tapped his sister’s cheek playfully, trying to entice her with various suggestions, but Isabella shook her head in refusal each time.

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