Chapter 68: The Tragedy of That Day (3)

Richard had declared at the assembly that Grace would be his successor, but he couldn’t announce it immediately.

Even he was aware of how reckless his statement had been.

And he knew that it would bring about significant repercussions.

From the moment the successor was announced until the early days of her reign as Grand Duke, Grace’s rule would be anything but smooth.

That was why he couldn’t hastily hand over power just because he was unwell.
Instead, he had to prepare thoroughly and calmly to ensure minimal disruption.

“I’ve sent a letter to the royal capital. Along with it, I included recommendations from our administrators and the Northern Knights.”

“Cough, cough! You’ve done well, Commander.”

The North was still part of the kingdom’s territory.
Until now, whenever a new Grand Duke of the North was appointed, they would notify the royal capital and receive formal approval, at least as a formality.
Once the royal capital acknowledged it, the individual would officially become the Grand Duke.

However, this time, the process was altered.
Instead of simply informing them of the succession after it happened, they were requesting approval for the designated successor in advance.

If the royal capital granted approval, anyone opposing it would essentially be defying a royal decree.
No matter how autonomous the North was, if the royal authority recognized Grace as the next Grand Duke, any noble or official who opposed it would have to prepare for a bloody reckoning.

In fact, this was the proper procedure.
It had only been conducted informally in the past out of respect for the North’s autonomy.
Once approved, Grace would be the most legitimately appointed Grand Duke in history.

Richard had personally crafted the official petition with great care, and it included endorsements from senior Northern leaders, giving their claim even greater strength.

Most importantly—

“The head of the Dipsnow family, one of the Five Great Houses, also signed Lady Grace’s recommendation. Along with the nobles who follow him.”

“Cough, Reinell?”

Perhaps he had overexerted himself at the assembly.
Richard, looking even more exhausted than the day before, revealed his surprise with sunken eyes.

During the meeting yesterday, Reinell had remained silent, simply listening.
Seeing that, Richard had assumed he was siding with Berta and the others.
Yet now, he had come forward alone to support Grace’s succession.

Richard couldn’t fathom his reasoning.

“I don’t know what he’s thinking, but the fact that he’s supporting Grace means he intends to align with us.”

“Not all nobles have ulterior motives. Just because we value strength doesn’t mean we’re wild beasts.”

“You’re right. Come to think of it, the head of Dipsnow rarely reveals his true intentions, but he’s never done anything to disrupt or harm the North. He probably cherishes the North just as we do.”

Richard had been deeply concerned after realizing that more nobles than expected supported Berta at the last assembly.
But now, learning that one of the Five Great Houses stood with them brought him great relief.

‘I had them list three alternative candidates for Grace on purpose to provoke them.’

Berta and Atik had clearly turned against them.
But Dipsnow, as it turned out, was on their side.

Ironfall, as usual, seemed inclined to side with whoever was strongest.
If Grace was officially recognized as the successor through royal decree, they would likely follow suit.

That would mean three out of the Five Great Houses would be supporting Grace.
If the remaining nobles, who had been hesitating, decided to align with them, the tide would turn decisively in their favor.

With that, Grace and Arthur would finally be able to purge their opposition.

‘The military is also falling in line.’

Right now, Richard’s worsening condition had left him frail.
But once, he had been the formidable “Winter Lion.”
Naturally, military commanders were closer to him than to the nobles.

Thanks to that, Arthur, the commander of the Knights, as well as Gunter from the Eisenberg family and other traditional military nobles, along with common-born officers, all supported Richard’s cause.

“It feels like a great weight has been lifted.”

Richard let out a sigh—not from exhaustion, but from relief.

“Oh, and Grace mentioned something. I heard you’ve been personally training her guard recently. Was her name Elaine?”

“I took notice of her during the knight’s examination. She’s quite skilled. In terms of talent, she’s second only to Lady Grace. I understand now why she caught her attention.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“She’s quite unusual. Instead of wielding the powerful, weighty swordsmanship of the North, she prefers a fast and precise style. For someone so young to develop her own swordsmanship—it’s impressive. She’s also highly talented in handling mana.”

Hearing Arthur’s assessment, Richard let out a hum of admiration.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard you speak so highly of someone other than Grace. She must be exceptional. Hah, if only I were in better health, I’d love to test my sword against hers.”

Even in his weakened state, Richard’s heart and soul remained those of a warrior.
Regret lingered in his voice.

“In any case, see things through to the end. Now that Reinell has chosen to align with us, coordinate with him if necessary.”

“Understood.”

Knock, knock.

A knock on the door was followed by the entrance of the maids.
Judging by the tray they carried, it was time for his medicine.

“Already time for my medicine again?”

Even the mighty Grand Duke of the North grimaced at the thought of taking it.

With graceful precision, the maid poured the medicine into a cup and offered it to Richard.
As he winced at the bitterness, she handed him a sweet confection to cleanse his palate.

“Hm, it seems the illness has dulled my senses. The sweetness is almost overwhelming.”

“I’ll instruct them to use less jam starting tomorrow.”

“Yes, do that.”

“Wait a moment.”

Just then, Arthur picked up one of the pastries from the tray, took a bite, then grabbed another.

“……Your Excellency’s tongue has certainly worsened.”

“Heh, were you worried it might be poisoned? Don’t worry. She’s a child who has served me for a long time.”

“Some nobles have expressed concerns that they might resort to extreme measures. Please be cautious.”

Feeling an inexplicable sense of unease, Arthur personally checked, but the cookie in Richard’s mouth was perfectly fine.

Both pieces had an appropriate sweetness.

After taking his medicine, Richard, feeling drowsy, ordered everyone to leave. Arthur also exited the room with the maids.

Once everyone had left, Richard quietly fell asleep.

Pa-ba-bak! Pak! Pa-bak!

At the training grounds of House Northrein, Grace and Elaine were busy clashing wooden swords.

As Grace raised her wooden sword high, Elaine lowered her stance and quickly closed the distance, attempting a horizontal slash.

Thwack!

With a heavy sound, Grace forced Elaine to her knees along with her stance.

“I lost.”

Elaine acknowledged her defeat and withdrew her wooden sword, but Grace, rather surprised, asked,

“Your swordsmanship has become faster and sharper than before. Your training with Commander Arthur has clearly paid off.”

“Thank you. But since I’m creating my own style, there’s still a lot to improve.”

“Your own swordsmanship? That sounds cool. Have you decided on a name?”

“No, not yet.”

“Want me to come up with one?”

Grace pondered for a moment, recalling their sparring session.

“Since you’re slashing and thrusting at high speed, how about Lightspeed Sword?”

“That sounds too grand.”

“Then, since your blue hair flutters as you move, Azure Light Sword?”

“Hmm…….”

“Not intuitive enough? How about Icicle Sword since it’s sharp like ice?”

“I think I’ll come up with one myself.”

“……You know you’re pretty picky, right?”

Clicking her tongue, Grace seemed determined and thought deeply for a moment.

“I’ve decided.”

“Rapid Sword, Ice Shard Sword, Blizzard Sword, Cold Wave Sword…… What?”

“I want to silence my opponent swiftly, like a raging blizzard. Blizzard Sword. That’s my choice.”

Grace felt like that name had been in her list too.

She shrugged.

Elaine was certainly picky, but once she found something she liked, she became completely absorbed in it.

Looking up at the sky, Grace realized that it was already quite late.

The day she had hoped wouldn’t come had finally arrived.

When her father, Richard, had summoned her and declared that she would be the heir to the Northern Duke, Grace wasn’t particularly surprised.

She had expected this day ever since she had no older brother and no younger siblings were born.

She had prepared herself for it.

She had no complaints.

Some might argue that the life of a Northern Duke would be too harsh for a woman.

But truthfully, she preferred donning rugged armor and wielding a sword on the battlefield over wearing extravagant dresses and becoming the mistress of a grand estate.

She liked swordsmanship more than embroidery.
Weapons more than jewelry.
She would rather run across snowy plains than stroll through a garden.
Instead of managing servants in a mansion, she wanted to lead her people across vast territories.

Sometimes, she imagined standing in her father’s place, receiving the cheers of the people.

And she quite liked it.

Perhaps it was because, more than being a woman, she was a Northrein.

She couldn’t deny the blood of the Northern Duke ran strong in her veins.

That’s why she had no objections to succeeding him. In fact, she found it exciting.

But if there was one thing that weighed on her mind—

‘A ruler cannot marry just anyone.’

She had heard that her parents met at a ball when her father was still a nobleman and fell in love at first sight, promising marriage.

What was interesting was that her mother had not been a noble lady from a prestigious family but a mere maid serving at the ball.

‘Because of that, my grandfather was furious when the arranged marriage with an influential family fell through.’

Perhaps because she was born out of love rather than political alliance, her parents had always emphasized the importance of love to her.

And Grace had taken their words to heart.

However, if she became the Northern Duke, she couldn’t just marry someone she liked on a whim.

As the ruler of House Northrein and the North, she needed to produce a worthy heir.

She would have to consider their power, wealth, bloodline, appearance, personality, talent, past, and more.

There would be countless factors to weigh.

So, from the moment she became the Northern Duke, she would have to cut away any soft emotions.

She had never been in love before, so she couldn’t quite grasp what that meant.

But for some reason, it felt a little lonely.

‘Ugh, why am I even worrying about this?’

She glanced at her newly knighted friend beside her, who was even pickier than she was.

And for some reason, that gave her a small sense of relief.

At least, when her mind was clouded with doubts, she had a dear friend who could fight alongside her with everything they had.

To Grace, Elaine was not just a friend and a reliable knight—

She was like a younger sister.

Ah, she could still vividly remember that day.

The Winter Palace, usually serene, had turned into a scene of chaos.
Startled servants and soldiers.

Knights with grave expressions.

Officials, their faces clouded with anxiety.

In the midst of it all, she barely managed to hold onto her senses as the sudden turn of events unfolded before her.

“Bring something to wipe the blood! A clean cloth, quickly!”

“What happened to His Grace? Speak!”

“I’m sorry. By the order of the Knight Commander, no one is allowed inside.”

“Seize everyone—from the maids to the kitchen staff! Not a single person is to be let go!”

Duke Richard Northrein had collapsed on his sickbed, coughing up blood.
Before long, he took his last breath.

The cause of death was poisoning.
The poison had been laced into the sweets he ate with his medicine.

It wasn’t an immediately fatal toxin, but when accumulated, it became dangerous—especially for Richard, whose body was already frail from illness.

Even more insidiously, the culprit had accounted for Richard’s habits, placing a single poisoned sweet precisely where his hand would reach first.

She had known the time to part with him would come soon—ever since he spoke to her about succession.
She had prepared herself for it, to some extent.

But she had never imagined it would happen like this.

She had expected at least a quiet, bittersweet farewell between father and daughter.
She had thought she would be able to tell him he had done well, to comfort him, and that he would leave this world with a smile, assured that his capable daughter remained behind.

Her teeth ground together.

Grace seized the maid the knight commander, Arthur, had presented as the culprit.
Her grip was rough, and an ominous cracking sound came from the maid’s jaw.
But Grace didn’t care.

“Who ordered you?”

The maid averted her eyes.

“If you dare look away, I’ll gouge them out. As long as your tongue and ears remain intact, that’s all that matters. I’ll ask again. Who sent you?”

Terror flickered in the maid’s eyes.

The bright, lively lady she had always known was gone.
In her place stood a winter lion, growling with fury.

At that moment, the maid realized the gravity of her mistake.
They had miscalculated—terribly so.

They had assumed that once Richard was gone, the unconfirmed heir, still waiting for the royal decree, would be easily removed.

Fools.

Richard’s death had not left the North defenseless.
If anything, it had awakened something even stronger—far more dangerous.
There stood the true Duke of the North.

After extracting a confession, Grace turned to Arthur.

“Sir Arthur.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“Mobilize all available forces. Surround every noble involved in this. Make sure not a single one escapes.”

“Are you declaring civil war?”

The noble houses had their own private armies, and many had allies within the military.
If they moved recklessly, full-scale conflict would break out.

“No. My predecessor did everything to avoid civil war. I won’t be the one to betray that effort. The encirclement must be done discreetly. We’ll prevent them from moving, but nothing more.”

“Then…?”

“I’ll handle this alone.”

“You cannot. They will have prepared their own forces. At the very least, let the knights accompany you.”

“If we move the knights, they’ll notice—and that means war. The best course is to take them down one by one.”

“Then at least allow me to accompany you. His Grace fell because he fought in anger. I cannot let history repeat itself.”

“Arthur, you need to oversee the troops.”

Grace’s voice was steady, unwavering.

“I’m furious, yes. But I won’t fall so easily.”

She reached for a sword placed within the room.

The treasured blade of House Northrein—
The sword of the Northern Duke.

Suwang.

As she drew it from its sheath, the blade hummed, as if recognizing its rightful wielder.

A chill ran down Arthur’s spine.

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

He bowed his head, acknowledging the command of his new liege.

As Grace stepped out, her eyes burning with deadly resolve, a silent figure moved behind her.

A knight, shadowing her every step, spoke just one sentence.

“I will stand by your side.”

To which Grace replied with a single command.

“Protect me from my enemies.”

And so, the Northern Duke and her sworn knight rode out—
To annihilate her foes.