The great snowfall began, and the grand duchy was closed off.

Looking out the window, endless fields of pure white snow stretched out, and when snowstorms came, the whole world turned white, making it impossible to distinguish between ground and sky.

The snow that had piled up to waist height on the first day had long since surpassed a person’s height.

Magic stones kept snow from accumulating on the main roads of the grand duchy, but this wasn’t the case everywhere.

Love, who had returned from walking Rugi the pig that grew noticeably each day, continued talking excitedly about what she had seen.

“They’ve carved tunnels through the snow between buildings to make paths. It feels like being in a huge castle made of snow. How does the snow not collapse?”

“Everyone who comes here for the first time finds it fascinating.”

Benji, who returned to the grand duchy with Kaien each winter, adjusted the fit of my dress.

“Ah, I want to go outside and see it too.”

“You’ll be at the grand duchy next winter and the winter after that, so you can see it then.”

“I wonder if Kaien will stop being so overprotective by then.”

“His Grace would call for the knights even if you weren’t pregnant and wanted to go out in winter, Miss.”

Benji seemed to agree with Love’s statement, as she just laughed softly without saying anything else.

Of course, I agreed too.

Love wasn’t saying this without reason.

Kaien would make a huge fuss if I moved even slightly, as if something terrible would happen.

When I said I felt confined just going between the greenhouse and the first floor of the mansion and wanted to go outside, he called for knights who were on break and laid reed mats on the path so I wouldn’t slip.

He even had servants follow me with cushions in case I fell, so I eventually had to give up.

How could I bear causing the entire mansion to be paralyzed just for my outing?

And if people gathered to watch that spectacle……

Though Kaien usually listened well to my other requests, he was stubborn about this one, so I gave up on winter outings.

“It’s done. You look beautiful.”

I smiled at Benji’s flattering words, but honestly, I really had become prettier.

A sparkling white version of myself reflected in the mirror.

A warm peach-colored dress, fur made from white fox covering my shoulders, and because I easily became drowsy, my hair was half-tied so it flowed down one shoulder rather than being pinned up—I looked like a princess.

Though Kaien and I occasionally bickered, he trusted me and looked at me with such loving eyes that I began to value myself more.

They say appearance changes with one’s mindset, and indeed my skin tone had evened out and my expression had softened.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror before turning away.

“Let’s go now.”

Even nobles and dignitaries who owned mansions outside the grand duchy stayed within the grand duchy during the great winter snowfall.

During the long winter, people maintained social interactions, and today I was attending a gathering of their wives and daughters.

I was the newcomer, and they were natives who had been born and raised here. Though it was a tea party I was hosting at the grand ducal residence, it was an occasion to serve them.

Even as the Grand Duchess, I was an outsider and needed to show respect.

When I entered the reception room filled with whispers, a chilly silence fell.

“You look beautiful today as well, Grand Duchess.”

But soon the momentary silence disappeared as if it had never existed, and laughter flowed. The wives of the dignitaries whom I had invited to my first gathering after arriving at the grand duchy approached me.

“Thank you for responding to my invitation.”

“Of course we should come when you call. The winter in the grand duchy is boring, so we came with pleasure.”

“You’re carrying a child, I hear. Congratulations.”

“Congratulations, Grand Duchess.”

Perhaps because of what I had previously heard from Elder Marien, factions that weren’t seen at the banquet were now clearly apparent.

They were divided into traditional nobility and dignitaries, newly risen nobility, and the wives and ladies of key figures in the grand duchy.

Among them, the wives of the nobility and dignitaries had prepared the first banquet together, and I had greeted the wives and ladies of the key figures of the grand duchy at the banquet.

At that time, I thought everything was fine since there was no sense of discomfort, but what was this now?

Everyone welcomed me warmly, but the atmosphere was cold.

They were smiling, but I felt uneasy.

I quietly asked Benji, who stood behind me.

“Did something happen before I came in?”

“I’ll find out.”

After confirming that Benji had slipped away to gather information, I approached the young ladies and greeted them.

I engaged in pleasant conversation and answered their questions, but a subtle discomfort remained.

It was different from the discomfort I felt from not being familiar with the people of the grand duchy yet.

The wives were somewhat careful with their words, but the young ladies were different.

“Oh my, Grand Duchess, you’re drinking tea with jam. Is that how they do it in the capital?”

Just as I was about to enjoy my tea sweetened with jam, someone from the group of young ladies spoke up in a surprised voice as I lifted my cup.

It was a young lady who had been coldly observing me while smiling.

Cristina Drid, daughter of Administrator Drid.

‘They say Mrs. Drid had been telling everyone her daughter would marry Kaien.’

I could understand Cristina’s wariness to some extent.

“If you hold jam in your mouth and then drink tea, you can enjoy the flavor along with the aroma.”

“You don’t need to be so frugal with jam. We have plenty.”

The young ladies laughed softly at Cristina’s concerned words.

The wives heard all this too, but they remained passive, as if waiting to see how I would handle it.

“I heard you’re from a viscount’s family, but it seems you weren’t that well-off.”

“If you eat in such an impoverished manner in the grand duchy, what would His Grace think?”

Why bring Kaien into this when I’m just enjoying delicious food in a more delicious way?

I gave them a slight smile.

“My close friend, Lady Isilla Rosiette, also enjoys rose jam this way. Is there a class distinction in how one eats? The point is to enjoy the taste.”

Dropping Isilla’s name seemed to have an effect, as Cristina’s smile stiffened slightly, but only momentarily.

She exchanged glances with the other young ladies.

“I see. If the Grand Duchess says so, we’ll follow your lead.”

“I couldn’t do that. I don’t want my tea to be too sweet……”

“My mother would scold me for being impolite if she saw me.”

I happened to catch the eye of one of the wives watching me and smiled. They looked apologetic despite their passive stance.

‘What makes these young ladies act so boldly?’

I am the Grand Duchess, second in power only to Kaien in the grand duchy, yet these young ladies behaved arrogantly, not hiding their intentions as if they had some powerful backing.

I could overlook it as childish behavior, but I worried they might face great humiliation if they acted like this elsewhere.

How arrogant of me to worry about such things.

After the tea party ended, I listened to Benji’s report in the reception room.

“They were complaining that you invited only the wives to the grand ducal residence and ignored them.”

“Goodness. How immature.”

Even Mrs. Moson, who arrived late, sighed at Benji’s report.

“Was there an invitation for the young ladies on Marien’s schedule?”

“No, inviting just the wives is sufficient. There’s no history of young ladies being invited when a new Grand Duchess arrives.”

I wondered why they would think that way.

While I was puzzled, Mrs. Moson bowed deeply.

“I’m truly sorry. It’s because of the closed nature of the grand duchy.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Mrs. Moson.”

“Being young ladies from influential families in the grand duchy, some occasionally become arrogant.”

Love snorted at this explanation.

“No matter how influential they may be here, they wouldn’t even be able to speak to noble ladies if they went to the capital. Their noses are so high in the air.”

“I understand. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“You should tell His Grace. They disrespected you in front of the wives.”

“Kaien has just returned after a long time and must be busy. I can’t add to his worries. Besides, this is nothing compared to the social circles in the capital.”

“That may be true, but for you to be disrespected like this……”

Love’s lips pouted as she grumbled, and they wouldn’t go back to normal.

Seeing her sharpened eye corners, I warned her.

“Don’t mess with them. If anything happens to those young ladies, you’ll be the first one I suspect.”

“……Yes, I’ll behave.”

I thought the matter was well resolved, but then I heard faint voices from the adjacent room.

The reception rooms were connected horizontally, and the voices were coming from two rooms over.

With all the doors open, the conversation carried to where we were.

“I heard the Grand Duchess’s father was originally a commoner.”

I raised my hand to stop Mrs. Moson, who was about to intervene, and listened quietly.

Though there was a room between us, the voices were clear.

It was Cristina Drid and the young ladies.

“What? He’s a viscount, isn’t he? That’s what I heard.”

“He went from baronet to viscount in less than a year. He was suddenly promoted. What do you think that means?”

“Really? Oh my, oh my.”

“When he was young, he rose from commoner to baronet, and then His Grace the Grand Duke asked His Majesty to promote him to viscount because the Grand Duchess’s status didn’t match his own. I heard it from my father, so it must be true.”

“How romantic! His Grace loves the Grand Duchess that much.”

When one young lady exclaimed in admiration, warnings flew at her.

“Young lady.”

“How tactless.”

“No, I just……”

Ignoring the tactless young lady, the others agreed with Cristina.

“No wonder she lacks refinement.”

“She’s fundamentally different from us.”

“Who among us isn’t of noble blood? I was sure one of us would be chosen by His Grace, but he picked someone like her. Not all ladies from the capital are of the same rank, and I don’t understand why His Grace chose someone like her.”

“What can we do? She’s already pregnant.”

I also heard vicious, low laughter.

The expressions disappeared from the faces of Mrs. Moson, Benji, and Love who stood around me.

The warm air vanished, and a cold chill crept across the floor.

“Will things be alright in the future? The grand ducal household is so vast… Administrator Drid and his wife have worked so hard. Cristina has learned by their side and could take responsibility for the grand duchy right away.”

“When the Grand Duke is away, the Grand Duchess must lead the people of the grand ducal family. Can she really do it well?”

“I’m worried about the grand ducal family.”

“Cristina, you should have been the Grand Duchess.”

They praised Cristina.

Enjoying their flattery, Cristina spoke calmly.

“That person will decide when they arrive.”

“Ah, come to think of it, it’s that time since the great snowfall has begun.”

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes.”

The young ladies left the room, laughing.

Even though we were inside the mansion with excellent guards like Benji and Love, and knights were waiting in the corridor to protect me, just seeing the knights in the corridor, they should have known I was in the reception room, yet the young ladies had their conversation with the doors open.

They wanted me to hear.

How should I handle this?

The opponent had subtly thrown down a gauntlet.

“That person?”

The gates of the grand duchy were locked due to the great snowfall, and snow had piled up to the height of the second floor of buildings.

It wasn’t an environment where someone could come.

Mrs. Moson, who had been watching my expression, let out an “Ah!” of realization.

“Come to think of it, that person would be coming.”

“Who is it?”