I saw the "soufflé" I had been looking for for a long time...... Or "Russell" actually ran to Annan's side by himself.

Dmitry didn't feel the loss, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He just felt relieved.

When escorting the frost beast before, the guilt and nervousness of losing the "soufflé" finally disappeared completely from the bottom of my heart.

Dmitry knows it very well...... As the first humanoid frostbeast in history with advanced intelligence, the frostbeast cub renamed "Russell" by Annan has a great deal to do.

If she falls into any domestic or foreign forces that are hostile to the Winter family, or even the entire Duchy of Winter, she will immediately become a powerful medicine that will shake the entire Duchy of Winter. Just declaring her existence can create thoughts in people's hearts that they shouldn't have.

…… Although rationally speaking, the immediate and secret execution of Russell was the safest and most prudent move, and it was also the most in line with Dmitry's character.

But Dmitry is still a little ruthless towards her.

"Since you have other arrangements for her, I will remove all the people from my side."

Seeing that Annan seemed to be quite interested in her, Dmitry simply handed over Russell to Annan.

"I thought you would have a long-to-kill attitude towards werewolves."

Annan laughed.

Dmitry pouted: "There is a debtor who is wronged. I really look down on werewolves, and I even get annoyed when I see them, but I don't want to spread fire on children who are less than a year old......"

Thanks to the moral education from Grand Duke Ivan, the three brothers were able to become upright people without positive feelings.

If the Duchy of Winter really needs it, Dmitry can indeed be ruthless. After all, he has a heart frozen in ice, and there is no sympathy to speak of.

It's better to say that he has always been that frowning and depressed look, because he has done too many things he doesn't want to do and accumulated too many negative emotions.

Dmitry does not want to hurt anyone if he could.

But he is also a pragmatic and rational man, inheriting the conservative style of his father Ivan, while also having his own reserve as an older brother. So he knew very well that there were some things that had to be done......

But Ivan left too few heirs, and there were some things that neither Mary nor Annan were suitable for. Someone has to carry the stigma and reach out to the darkness.

In the end, only he can do it.

His own talents were far inferior to those of Mary and Annan...... After all, his mother was just a real ordinary person without any special talents, not a genius like Maria and Annan's mother.

But because of Ivan's poor health, both Maria and Annan were brought up by Dmitry. For the two siblings, Dmitry had a "reserved heart of an elder", as if they were not his own younger siblings, but the younger generations than himself.

So, he had no way to complain.

No one could listen to his anguish – the only two people he could fully trust, but who were unwilling to turn to him because of ridiculous questions of dignity.

This endless anguish accumulated in a long period of self-contradiction...... and the malice, suspicion, and sin that he had endured in silence, had been stored up in his heart.

The flower of evil that grew out of this soil of sin was between his deeply furrowed brows.

He was only in his early thirties, but he already had deep wrinkles between his eyebrows. In order to relieve his boredom, he smoked and drank every day...... If it weren't for the fact that the blood of winter would have done too much damage to mortals' bodies, he might still be wandering in Fireworks Willow Alley.

This is all Dmitry's self-relief in order to release the pressure from outsiders and not to harm innocent people.

Of all the many forms of self-amusement, the only one is gambling - Dmitry vows never to touch it again.

The moment Dmitry's words fell, because Annan did not respond, there was a strange silence in the air.

Like in a noisy classroom, everyone closed their mouths without warning and in unison, and in an instant returned to extreme silence...... It can even make people feel embarrassed like the illusion of "is the head teacher coming".

"Dmitry."

At that moment, the silence was broken by Maria's voice.

She took off her long trench coat and threw it to Dmitry: "Help us get a drink." Annam's sparkling fruit tea, and my limoncello – you know what I'm going to add. When you're ready, grab some more nuts and bring them with you. ”

"Need me to ......"

Dmitry subconsciously asked Maria: Does he need to do this kind of work himself?

But before he could ask, he suddenly realized......

It seems that Mary wanted to tear him apart.

Is there something you want to talk to Annan alone?

Although Dmitry was also a little curious, his sense of stability as an elder brother only made him nod: "I understand." Then I'll hang up your clothes by the way......"

With that, he took Mary's coat in one hand, got up and tightened the coat he draped over his shoulders.

"Don't let my clothes smell of smoke."

Maria added, "If you want to smoke, go and hang up my clothes first." ”

“…… Got it, got it. ”

Dmitry coughed, and the hand that reached for the cigar on his chest was raised stiffly, and the neckline was stiffly straightened.

Then he walked out on his own.

As soon as Dmitry left the room, Maria suddenly approached.

She hugged Annan directly and buried her face in Annan's neck.

Like sucking a, Maria took a deep breath. The long hair swept on Annan's face could make Annan "smell" the cold feeling...... It's a unique smell that reminds you of "cold" just by smelling it. The long hair itself is as cold as if it has been in the snow for a long time.

"Hmmm......"

After taking another deep breath, Maria narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

She stretched out her slender white fingers and carefully groped Annan's cheeks, sideburns, behind her ears, and neck, confirming the touch with her fingertips. Then he took a very careful look at the spell marks on his bare left shoulder.

"Hands."

Maria said.

“……”

Annan was silent, didn't dare to say a word, just obediently listened to Maria's voice and handed it out, like a pet cat with its paws in the palm of its owner.

She grabbed Annan's hand again, observing his curse bearer. Touch it with your fingertips to confirm the texture and see if it fits and if there are any marks on your fingers.

Because the girl developed earlier, she was four or five years older than Annan. Mary was a little taller than Annam.

But it's only a little higher, less than half a head. When she is far away, Maria still gives people a sense of petiteness, and when she gets closer, the sense of maturity of an elder comes out.

Mary, who seemed to be sixteen years old, formed an unusually strong contrast between her immature body and her solemn and mature temperament like a queen.

Smelling the cold smell of Maria's scattered hair, Annan somehow felt a sense of tranquility.

It's like returning home after working outside for a long time...... The mother's anxious check is the same as when she has lost weight. There is an unusually calm feeling of warmth that wants to show a faint smile.

…… It was only then that Annan became very clearly aware.

He did go home.