The Saintess Became the Northern Grand Duke’s Daughter

Liriette smiled brightly with tears on her face.

“Yes, I will do as the Duke says.”

Hearing the answer he wanted easier than expected, the corner of the Duke’s lips went up.

***

Liriette didn’t stop her prayers.

‘Apart from the divine power or religious belief, praying in the morning makes me feel at ease.’

Instead, as the Duke said, the time was moved to after breakfast instead of early dawn.

Nonetheless, because she went to bed so early in the evening, she woke up early.

At 6 in the morning.

After checking the time, Liriette jumped up and instead of praying, wrapped herself in a blanket and rolled around.

‘I’m not sleepy, but I want to lie still. Maybe it’s because the blanket is too soft?’

Some days she fell asleep again, but there was no problem.

Because no one told Liriette to get up!

After procrastinating for as long as she wanted, Liriette got out of bed only after she felt like breaking up with the blanket

“You’re awake. Did you have a good dream?”

She was greeted by Simon, washed her face, and ate breakfast prepared by Marie.

Then she prayed to the goddess.

When the prayers were over, she went to visit the maids.

“Welcome, Miss Liriette.”

“I am the winner of today’s arm wrestling. Today, you’ll plant seeds in the greenhouse with me. I also brought a cute shovel for children for Miss Liriette.”

“Ugh, I envy you! I will definitely win tomorrow!”

Seeing the bickering maids, Liriette laughed.

‘I love this place.’

Liriette chose the Duke of Windsor-Ice in the first place because he was the one who would allow her to escape the clutches of the High Priest.

Yet as time passed, she came to truly love this big, warm place.

‘I want to stay in this castle forever.’

After she thought she wanted to leave the temple, it was her second wish.

However, in order to do that, there was something that needed to be tied up.

“Tomorrow, the High Priest will arrive at the castle.”

“…!”

Like a flower frozen by a sudden cold, Liriette’s lively face suddenly darkened.

The Duke stared down at Liriette and said.

“You don’t have to meet the High Priest if you don’t want to.”

Liriette was still a child, only 10 years old. She could go into hiding, entrusting everything to the Duke.

‘To be honest, I want to.’

Even just thinking about the High Priest’s face made her breathing quicken and her stomach churning.

But even for a moment, Liriette clenched her fists tightly.

“It’s my problem.”

“…”

“I want to face him properly and cut off ties.”

The Duke thought as he looked at Liriette, who strained her eyes.

‘She usually looks weak like a wad of cotton rolling around…’

Never avoids an important moment. Stands up against whoever her opponent is.

‘She’s a strong kid.’

The corner of the Duke’s lips went up slightly.

***

The High Priest arrived in the swirling snowstorm.

The High Priest, who came all the way to the north without a break for a month, was in a mess.

His skin was crispy and his eyes were dark. And he even smelled musty, as of the cold weather, he couldn’t even take a bath properly.

He looked like a beggar with a bad personality, not the lofty High Priest who was respected by many in the capital.

‘Liriette brat. How dare you make me suffer like this. If I take her back to the temple, I’ll give her a hard time.’

The High Priest grumbled and entered the castle. After a while, he opened his mouth wide.

The castle with a sky-high ceiling was magnificent and beautiful. Even the stones on the floor and the ornaments hanging by the window, he could feel that each one was of the highest quality.

‘I heard that the Duke of Windsor-Ice isn’t just a man of force, but that’s true.’

He could tell at a glance.

That the Duke possessed great wealth.

However, the High Priest trembled and shrank.

‘Shit! What’s the point of looking good. It’s cold inside the castle, no different than outside. In any way, even if he spends money hard, he can’t help it in the northern corner.’

The High Priest didn’t know.

The fact that in Windsor-Ice Castle, there are magic stones that are hundreds of times more expensive than gold, and they emit warmth at any time.

But today, the magic stone didn’t work.

It wasn’t broken. It was an obvious intention.

‘Windsor-Ice Castle provides a harsh cold when unwelcome guests come. I hope you catch a bad cold and go away, damn pig.’

Simon bent his eyes, hiding his true feelings.

“Welcome, High Priest. I’m the butler, Simon. I will guide you right away to His Grace the Duke of Windsor-Ice.”

“As you should.”

The High Priest followed Simon, exhaling pure white breath.

Entering the large drawing room, the High Priest let out a small scream the moment she sat down on the sofa.

He thought that the sofa made of the finest leather would freeze his ass for it was as cold as a block of ice.

‘I came here suffering from the cold all month, yet nothing has changed since I arrived at the castle.’

His anger welled up at the excruciating pain.

Simon held out a teacup towards such High Priest.

“This is Panini tea prepared as the High Priest is coming. It’s one of the most valuable tea leaves in the north.”

After taking a sip of tea, the High Priest opened his eyes wide.

It had a unique taste that was sweet and cool at the end.

Best of all, it was warm.

‘Haa. I think I’m going to live a bit now.’

The High Priest began to drink tea with a slightly relaxed face.

Seeing this, Simon smiled contentedly.

As the High Priest was told, Panini is extremely rare in the north and is traded at a very high price because of its good taste and aroma.

But there was one thing he didn’t say. It was the effect of Panini.

‘Drinking Panini lowers body heat.’

So, in the north, when someone caught a severe cold and has high fever, they used to drink it to lower their body temperature.

Simon didn’t bother to say it.

He just smiled and poured plenty of tea into the High Priest’s teacup.

‘I hope you drink as much as you can and get rid of a bad cold.’

The High Priest sipped the tea for a long time without knowing Simon’s feelings.

Like that, a cup. Two cups. Three cups.

The High Priest who was drinking tea furrowed his eyebrows.

“When will His Grace the Duke come back!”

“Please wait a little longer. It seems that preparations are getting longer as we’re trying to greet the High Priest, who has taken a precious step to a distant place.”

It was a bullshit.

At that time, the Duke went to Liriette’s room and was chatting.

Liriette widened her eyes.

“What’s this?”

“A doll.”

A doll at a critical moment when she has to greet the High Priest.

‘Besides, a doll given by the Duke, not by anyone else…’

Liriet accepted the doll offered by the Duke with half wonder and half surprise.

“Thank you.”

A sheep-shaped doll with fluffy white fur. There were two pale blue jewels hanging from the eyes of the round face.

Liriette’s face turned slightly red.

‘Somehow, it seems to resemble me.’

Liriette was ashamed to have thought that way, but she was right.

Because the duke ordered the maids to do so.

[Make it as cute as possible…. Like Liriette.]

Liriette, who had no way of knowing that fact, smiled bashfully.

‘This is the first time I’ve ever received a doll as a gift from someone.’

She felt much better than if she had been given expensive gold or jewels.

Liriette’s eyes widened as she held the doll tightly in her arms.

‘This…!’

Warm warmth flowed from the soft doll. Just like hugging a stone heated by the sun.

The Duke looked down at Liriette and said.

“There is a magic stone inside the doll that gives warmth. If you go out with that doll in your arms, it will be bearable for you outside the room.”

“…?”

Liriette didn’t quite understand what the Duke was saying.

It was only after she left the room that she realized the meaning of the Duke’s words.

The castle, which was always warm, was cold as if it were trapped in ice.

The Duke said, closing Liriette’s cloak.

“Even if it’s cold, be patient. It’s the custom at Windsor-Ice Castle not to give a drop of warmth when facing an enemy.”

Enemy.

Liriette immediately realized who the Duke was talking about.

‘And the reason why the Duke gave me a doll.’

Until just now, she was extremely nervous at the thought of facing the High Priest. But at this moment, the tension in her small body was relieved for an instant.

Just like spring came in a cold winter.

Liriette held the doll tightly in her arms, and looked up at the Duke.

“Duke, I promise. If I finish talking with him and stay in the castle, I will definitely repay the many blessings I received from the Duke.”

For her to say blessing, it’s unreasonable.

The Duke was only paying the price for being healed by Liriette.

Yet instead of saying that, he stroked Liriette’s round head.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Beneath his large hand, Liriette smiled lightly.

After a while, the two people facing each other opened the door.