Dmitry stood in front of the Grand Duke's Mansion and took a deep breath.

Pale white breath scattered in the air......

He didn't think of it either......

Less than a week after he left the Frost Language Province, his father had already turned into a dragon. It can even be said that as soon as he left the Frost Province with his front foot, Grand Duke Ivan had an accident.

He was not able to see his father for the last time as a human being, nor was he able to participate in Annan's enthronement ceremony.

Emotionally speaking, he was very eager to turn back, drive out all the visiting ministers, and drag Annan to get drunk...... But his reason tells him that it doesn't make any sense.

This will only cause more trouble.

He was the eldest son of the king of a kingdom, and now he is the brother of the new Grand Duke.

In Dmitry's capacity, any of his anomalous actions will lead to overinterpretation by others. All he can do now is to try his best to maintain stability and maintain Annan's rule in the cold of winter...... After all, this is the path they have set eight years ago.

Even Dmitry thought that maybe it wasn't that he had turned into a dragon as soon as he left Ivan...... It was because Ivan knew that he was going to be a dragon, so he deliberately took him away.

- has nothing to do with Dmitry's own wishes.

Most people do not know that Dmitry has lost his fertility.

If Dmitry and Annan were in the Frost Province at the same time as Grand Duke Ivan's dragonization, then Dmitry, who also had a claim and was older and had been in contact with government affairs for a long time, would have spontaneously formed the "Dmitryts" among the nobles, even if he himself did not have the will to seize the power of the Grand Duke.

In this way, after Annan succeeds to the throne, he will encounter some minor problems at the political level. Although, in his personal ability, this little trouble does not pose a real obstacle.

Although the core power of the Duchy of Winter is in the hands of the "Ten Fingers...... However, even this trivial trouble was ruled out by Grand Duke Ivan.

He was such a conservative and steady ruler, as solemn and calm as the endless glaciers of the northern part of the winter. It is precisely because of this that he can maintain the stability of the Duchy of Winter in the winter year.

"Hurry up, Dmitry."

A cold voice sounded behind him.

The short, white-robed girl said, "Don't stand stupidly at the door, you're in my way." ”

It was his own sister, Mary.

Just from the tone, you can hear that this is indeed pro......

"I'm just thinking about my father."

Dmitry whispered.

He subconsciously wanted to touch the cigar on his chest, but was pushed by Maria from behind him.

Then he coughed lightly and withdrew his hand into his trouser pocket without a trace.

He was still wearing the dark gray frost fur coat, and he still looked like he was not dressed well—the cuffs were not put in, but fluttered behind him, like a long cloak. The sleeves of his shirt were pulled up to his elbows, his hands were in his trouser pockets, and his forearms were exposed with rather pronounced, bulging tendons.

If Ivan had seen him dressed like this, he would have taught him a lesson. He will be asked to put on his clothes well and then roll down his sleeves.

"—What, are you trying to hit someone?" He was admonished in this way.

If you are smelled of smoke or alcohol, you will be scolded again.

"Father is not dead."

Maria said coldly, "He is a dragon, guarding us and winter from another world. ”

"Ah, I know too."

Dmitry muttered, "It's like the old saying, 'There is no funeral for the winter man'. ”

"'When a man dies, he buries the earth, and there is no sorrow.' Father said it. ”

Mary followed behind him and whispered.

This is a tradition unique to the cold winter.

Because the natural environment in the harsh winter is strained and resources are scarce. People often do not have the habit of holding extravagant and complex ceremonies.

They did not have a feast to celebrate the birth, nor did they have a feast to honor the dead.

Newborns are often not sure whether they will survive? So they can't even get their own names. Generally when they can eat on their own and be able to run around lively? will get their official name.

And the same is true of the dead...... The people of Winter don't have much nostalgia for the dead.

Isn't it because they're emotionally weak? It's because people are dying too much, too quickly...... It's too much of a hurry.

If you can't escape from your grief for a long time? Then the sorrows will come one after the other until the person is completely buried.

Generally speaking, whoever dies in the family will find a sunny day and bury the body quietly under a certain tree. If you pay a little more attention, will you erect a monument? Wait until next spring to send a bouquet of flowers and signal that everything is fine...... At least there is time and mood to send a bouquet of flowers.

They have to be strong – even in a declining town with a population of less than four figures, walking the empty streets? You must also be able to live your life calmly and securely.

- Or? Leave the Duchy of Winter.

In the Duchy of Winter? The most serious etiquette is a wedding.

Because in such a difficult environment of survival? It's always easier for two people to survive than one...... And only weddings? Only then must the pastor of the old grandmother be invited as witnesses.

On top of that, the Duchy of Winter doesn't even celebrate the New Year. Because every year the New Year is in January. In December? After a month of heavy snowfall...... Wait until January of the next year, after the month that belongs to the mother-in-law? It is also often the day when the most people die in winter.

Many elderly people will not be able to bear the cold winter and die of various diseases. For the Duchy of Winter? New Year's is not a particularly celebratory day.

Compared to the New Year? The birthday of the contemporary Grand Duke may be more commemorative.

When Dmitry and Maria entered the house, they saw that there was no one in the living room and went straight to the second floor - that was the room that originally belonged to Grand Duke Ivan? Today, it has also become Annan's room.

The moment he entered the house, Dmitry was in a trance for a moment.

Because the decoration of the room has changed slightly...... The two paintings hanging from the head of the double bed are gone. At the end of the bed hung a portrait of Ivan again.

Still don't have any jewels in the room? However, a few of the paintings painted by the paper hime are still hanging in their places. There were still papers on the desk, along with a few occult books.

In Dmitry's eyes, his former young brother, who was immature and in need of care, was wearing a somewhat strange asymmetrical costume, revealing his left shoulder with a strange spell pattern, and holding a three-colored scepter that symbolized the authority of the Duchy of Winter in his right hand, standing in front of the window, watching the people coming and going outside the Grand Duke's mansion.

At the moment when Annan heard the sound of the door opening and turned around.

The fifteen-year-old boy overlapped with his father, Ivan Rindon.

"Annan...... Your Majesty. ”

The moment Dmitry spoke, he paused for a moment—because when he blurted out, he realized that he didn't know whether to call him Annan, or to call him His Majesty, or to call him the Grand Duke of Annan, or to call His Majesty directly.

But Mary did not hesitate.

"-Annan!"

She took off her hood and called out without hesitation.

On that delicate face, there was a simple and calm smile.

Even if you don't feel positive emotions, the anxiety, worry, and burning thoughts in your heart are not false.

In the moment when these negative emotions are dissipated, the pure serenity of the mind that has returned to the balance point will still be born.

"Dmitry, there are ...... Sister. ”

Annan nodded to Dmitry, then looked at Maria: "Hmm...... Long time no see. ”

His voice hesitated for a moment.

It was only for a moment, but he believed that Mary might have heard it.

Because in fact...... This was the first time Annan had seen Mary this week.

True—that is indeed a very similar face to Annan.

But compared to Annan, whose smile is obviously warm, even the smiling Maria is much more indifferent...... Just like a queen who is still immature, there is no emotion in her ice-blue pupils.

Compared to Annan, Maria's inhuman nature is obviously deeper.

There were only faint dragon scales on Annan's body, and he already had light white hair.

And Mary's hair was as cold as ice.

Her silky, waist-length hair was now shorter than Annan's—a silvery-white with a slight bluish end. Unlike Annan's long hair, which was cut off, the area near the end is caused by natural production of different lengths, which also shows a sense of layering.

There were already silver-white dragon horns on both sides of her skull, and obvious dragon scales appeared on her slender and slender neck, wrists, ankles, etc.

She wore a warm fluffy sweater that covered half of her thighs, and her lower body was flat booties and thick black stockings that rose above her knees. A creamy loose trench coat with a hood on the outside will cover the calf all the way. You can't even see men and women from the outside...... This is also how Mary conceals her identity.

It's a fairly everyday outfit, and it gives a rather cordial and warm impression when you first meet.

It only took one glance for Annan to know why Mary was dressed like this.

"I know you don't have any memories in your heart right now......"

Maria tried her best to remain calm, as if she was worried about startling Annan, and said in as low a voice as she could: "But it doesn't matter.

"We'll get to know each other again. If there is really a very sincere feeling, it is like a name engraved on the ice...... Even if new ice covers it, traces will still be enveloped in it. ”

Annan knew, whether it was Dmitry or Maria...... None of them have that softness in their hearts.

Their hearts are made of ice. You will never feel the love, warmth, touching and joy of the world...... But even so, the love they give to others is still genuine.

- Even if you don't feel love, you can give love to others.

Feeling Maria's sincere feelings, Annan took a deep breath.

He finally showed a gentle and natural smile: "Sister......

He called it so.

“…… First meeting. ”

"First Meeting, Annan ......"

Mary stared at Annan and whispered, as if she were reading to herself.

"Alright, alright," Dmitry coughed, looking a little uncomfortable with the scene, "Your Majesty Annan...... Let's get down to business first, and then let's talk about the old days. ”

He interrupted the silence and asked, "I heard that the soufflé ran to you?" ”

“…… Wait, who's a soufflé? ”

Annan was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then added: "Also, Dmitry. You don't have to call me that...... When we get along in private, we just call me Annan as usual. ”

"I remember what I told you!"

Hearing this, Dmitry breathed a sigh of relief.

He scratched his scalp, and then Mary slapped him in the arm for this apparently impolite act.

"It's the humanoid frost beast...... I heard that at Viscount Dolgoruki in Wrangel, you picked her up? ”

"The kid's name is soufflé?"

Annan was a little surprised, but still stubborn about Russell's naming rights: "I remember she said she didn't have a name...... I've already named her Russell. ”

"Soufflé was her original nickname."

Dmitry breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that the humanoid frostbeast was indeed here.

He then explained: "You also know that according to the custom of our winter people, children are not named.

"She's a werewolf...... In the infant stage before he got his name, he was attacked in the wild and fell unconscious outside the small barrier. The name soufflé is something we learned from her mother. ”

When Dmitry said this, he snorted coldly and showed an expression of obvious disgust: "But how did such a young beast, which was only a year old, end up in the wild by himself...... She didn't say anything.

"-heh, but I know if she doesn't say it."

There is only one answer.

That's the mother of the "soufflé", who intends to abandon her.

She-werewolves with children or pregnant are often not welcomed in the village – a lesson in countless bloodsheds.

In order to allow their children to get more resources, they may go berserk and harm other people's children, just like a cuckoo squeezes other birds' eggs out of its nest, which is the racial instinct of werewolves.

But on the flip side, if this mad instinct cannot be restrained......

Then it is also possible to "counteract" this instinctive trigger.

That is, their children themselves.

Secretly give birth to their own children, and find an opportunity to abandon them into the wilderness, and then enter a strange village. This is a new type of life technique for female werewolves.

"Only these beasts who don't understand emotions will commit such a great sin of rebellion against human morality."

Dmitry snorted and said lightly: "I was reluctant to kill the children myself, so I threw them directly into the field with a snowstorm - what is the difference between this and killing them?" This senseless ...... of compassion"

"Just a little beforehand, Dmitry."

Annan saw that Dmitry was about to start thinking about the original sin of the werewolf, so he immediately interrupted him: "I know that Russell has special value. But I don't want you to pull her for breeding...... Or something else.

"I've made a promise to take care of this child."

"Hey, Annan. Who do you think of me? ”

Dmitry said without emotion: "I won't do that kind of thing without you saying it."

"I just...... To prevent her from being caught by others, used to do this kind of thing. will run around looking for her. ”