✧༝---˚*❅❋❅*˚---༝✧

{A few minutes earlier.....}

At a dizzying speed, Winter rode his horse down south.

Quenton was the only person who followed him because Winter strode out of the palace in a hurry.

As time passed by, he was starting to see familiar landmarks. It was the place where the Grand Duke met the little miss. Winter's horse stopped and he unmounted, taking big steps around the area.

Quenton only realized it now, but his master had a book in his hand, a familiar one at that. It's the northern territory's map, the one the Grand Duke gave the young miss before.

The Duke's loyal aide also looked at the surrounding area when his ears caught the sound of running water.

"Your Grace! There's a river nearby. If she's not there, let's check the caves in the east!"

Winter, who was at the other side of the open area, ran across the distance in a flash. It was a speed Quenton knew he couldn't achieve even if he tried.

Winter led the way towards the river. His feet stopped as he looked down from above. A peach colored hair fluttered and covered his eyesight.

He was catching his breath. Both because he ran at full speed, and another because his heart pounded seeing the little girl's peach-colored hair.

There isn't anyone with that kind of hair in the north.

Winter remembered what Hale told him.

'.....Maybe it was a snow fairy?'

He was laughing inwardly because of the absurdness.

But at the same time, it could be the reason why the Grand Duke was bewitched by such a small little thing.

"Haaaaa... So you were actually here?"

His deep cold voice resonated with the cold breeze.

He saw her flinch as she slowly turned her head, looking back at him.

Vigilant forest green eyes locked with his obsidian ones.

"Didn't I tell you? If you run away, I'll chase you."

He could see surprise in the look in her eyes.

The small child who caught his attention.

'How much has this child changed to?'

He had parted away from her for years so he wasn't sure about things.

Yet just like how his instincts were domineering his rationality while fighting against beasts, his body acted before his brain could process the information.

He knelt down and stood several meters away from her. Kneeling, he reached out a hand towards the child and a small smile outstretched his lips.

"I came to take you home, won't you come with me?"

The child stared at him, her face was blank.

"You know, I found a name I thought would suit you. It took me two years to decide on one because there were so many to choose from."

Slowly, like a slow motion scene; Winter saw her feet move, slowly approaching with a dazed look.

The moment she stood in front of him, Winter actually smiled wider and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up and covering her small body with his coat.

Her skin was cold but he was feeling otherwise with her touch.

"Snowfern Vertefeuille."

There was a sweet after taste of her name passing from his lips.

Seeing her in flesh and calling her by the name he put ounces of effort on thinking, put him in a very pleased mood.

"It means 'A soft feather in the snow'. Do you like it?"

*Hic*Hic*

His sharp eyes widened in shock at the whimper the child emitted. He saw her eyes being filled with tears, her sobs becoming louder.

Reunited with his daughter however, he had to face troublesome things.

✧༝---˚*❅ ❋ ❅*˚---༝✧

"It seems that my daughter is quite upset seeing that she didn't even bother greeting her father and instead stayed here, washing a damp cloth in freezing water."

One of the corners of his lips tugged up as he felt her small body tense up.

Of course he didn't mean to ridicule her.

But seeing her wholly, he could really tell she wasn't in a good condition.

She was the same two years ago. She grew at least a few inches taller and her hair was long it reached behind her knees. But she looked the same as before. Unkempt, unattended, barely surviving, and isolated from the world

Winter went to war and stayed for a long time thinking that the daughter he took in was being taken care of.

But the reality speaks otherwise.

He was displeased but he was more overwhelmed with the fact that he saw that peach hair fluttering and covering his eyesight.

It was an unexplainable feeling.

The cold heart was thumping in excitement.

It has really been two years since then. He was busy enough with monsters but he really felt as if time was moving very slowly.

To think that it was only two years, he assumed he was gone for a decade.

He was starting to feel the weight of that time as he saw her condition.

'Looks like I'll still be busy for a while.'

*Tugs

His steps came to a halt, the child in his arms was tugging his coat.

"A-ah......"

Winter couldn't contain his shock when he heard a small voice coming out of her lips.

He slowly patted her back, "What is it?" his eyes were expectant because she was calling for him first.

Her small finger pointed out the cloth she was washing earlier. Winter glanced at Quenton and the latter picked it up.

It was a dress, a chemise nightgown that she wore the night they slept together.

He stared at her again, his frown was deepening.

"I was thinking you were upset but it seems that you actually cared enough that you washed the nightgown because it was dirty?"

The cautious child looked troubled and looked around before nodding.

"Quenton, tell the butler to buy twenty of those night gowns on her size."

The child jumped in his arms with a stupefied face.

"You're a Grand Duke's daughter, do you think I couldn't afford that much?"

He couldn't help but snicker at the child's troubled face.

"Yes, if this is the case, I should do my part as parent shouldn't I?"

✧༝---˚*❅❋❅*˚---༝✧

Snowfern blinked enumerable times as she shook her head.

'No, no, no, no!!! I didn't mean that when I pointed the dress!!! I meant I wasn't upset- No- I was upset but I didn't even know you were coming home today!'

It seems that the Grand Duke was dedicated to buying those huge numbers of dresses.

Snowfern stayed quiet as she was being carried towards the black horse. The grand duke held her and rode the horse towards the palace.

"The Grand Duke has arrived!!!!"

Seeing the servants panic to greet them, her body unconsciously became tense and of course, the grand duke noticed that.

"Now tell me, why on earth did my daughter end up pitifully when there are numerous servants at her feet?"

Snowfern was scared by the glare Winter was giving off. Unsure how to answer especially with her position.

'I'm not even the Grand Duke's official daughter yet.'

The moment the Grand Duke unmounted the horse with her cradled in his arms, the servants had a shocked look in their eyes.

Snowfern avoided those gazes and hid her face on the cape he used to wrap her small body with.

Seeing her shrinking body, Winter immediately glared at them.

"My daughter seems scared of you...." He trailed off and carefully patted her back.

"Your Grace! You surely jest! Who would actually dare to harm the Grand Dukes daughter?" The Head maid interjected, secretly sweating down her back.

Her voice was sharp and even if she wasn't looking, Snowfern felt a pair of eyes focused on her. She felt a chill down her spine as she slowly trembled.

She really hated that voice.

Winter's warm palm placed on her cheek, slowly caressing it. The feeling made her warm despite the cold wind.

"Did you know? Vertefeuille's successors are not ordinary people just because of the beast thorns."

"We are people who have a high affinity towards mana and aura."

Slowly placing his hand on top of the head maid's head, his eyes momentarily had a reddish glow.

"As the successor who inherited the best of Vertefeuille's talent for mana, making a truth serum out of it is this easy."

Flashes of lights presented itself on his eyes. The maid was slowly looking in a daze, as if waiting for the question to be thrown.

"Why is my daughter in this state?"

".....Because we threatened her. If she stays here, she will end up being abandoned, and that she was simply passing fancy for the Grand duke."

"What did you do to her?" he gritted his teeth.

"I woke her up....with a broom after the Grand Duke left, I also fed her moldy bread and soup, I never placed any firewood in her room, I even locked the doors everyday and made sure not to inform the maids of her existence, I fired the ones who knew about her. And I....usually hit her on a daily basis until she ran away one month after the Grand Duke left."

Winter was feeling the rage by every word she spoke.

However, the last part particularly enraged him most.

"What's the reason for doing this to her?"

"Because she is a lowly thing who does not belong to the Grand Duke's family. A slave dares to be the duaghter, she is a abomination that would sully the Duke's reputation."

No servant came to her aid and others never knew of her existence.

"...It seems that...a rat was running wildly at my palace."

Boiling rage filled Winter's heart as his hand moved to the maid's neck.

"I can't believe the residence had filth on it."

His grip tightened, choking her with a dangerous tone.

"What can an abused child do to adults? I can't believe you made such a feat in my own residence. How dare you declare what's best for the family. You, a mere maid of the residence."

His voice was stiff, the head maid was begging for forgiveness, the mana placed on her was removed already and she realized what she confessed. But the latter was too overwhelmed with rage to be stopped.

"Y-Your Grace! I- I was presumptuous-"

Even Wren and Hale didn't stop their father and remained as spectators on the side.

"Y-Your G-G-Grace..... kuhaaak!"

"Little miss?"

Quenton's attention on the maid was diverted towards the child in his arms.

It was actually the first time he held one of the grand duke's children. They usually acted mature for their age that's why no one went against them, no one pampered them.

She tugged his sleeve and pointed to the floor, asking to be put down. The latter knowing she wasn't used to adults and endured a longer time in abuse in the Grand Duke's residence felt pity for her and hesitantly placed her down.

"Ah, young miss!"

The child immediately ran towards Winter.

'The grand duke is going to kill me!'

Dread was filling Quenton's heart. He especially knew how dangerous it was for a child to approach a raged duke using his beast thorns.

However, he was proved wrong the moment a small voice passed their ears and a small child tugged at the hem of the Grand Duke's coat.

*Tugs

"D-Dawddy...."

[Daddy]

The voice was small and cute. It was completely different from the grand duke and everyone else around them.

Quenton himself found the voice entirely adorable himself and stared in shock.

*Tugging

She pulled the grand duke's clothes again. Her face was filled with fear yet she came close to him and tugged his shirt to divert his attention.

"D...Dad..."

Her small voice resonated in their ears again.

But this time, the grand duke's rage had slowly subsided. He let go of the head maid's neck, her helpless body fell onto the ground.

Winter focused his attention on the child beside him.

"......Are you scared?"

The child trembled but slowly nodded her head.

"Scwerd... Dad is mad."

[Scared]

Winter didn't reply but he slowly reached down and lifted her up in his arms.

"If you're scared, aren't you supposed to run away? Why did you get close?"

The small child shook her head.

"....Dad. Me like."

"It seems that I made you unhappy. If I stop, will you stop trembling as well?"

There was silence.

The servants eyes bulged and their mouths parted in shock. The young masters spectating had an incredulous stare.

Of course, Winter still lived up to his reputation. He glanced back at the servants and gave them a deathly glare.

"All the maids are fired. Behead the head maid and the others behind who helped her."

Yes, it can never be forgotten that he was the Notorious Grand Duke.

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[Aug 29-30, 2021. Revised at Mar 18, 2022]