Miss Ivan's wedding procession, after numerous twists and turns, finally arrived safely at a farmhouse on the outskirts of a northern city. The entire party paused there to rest, first to recover from the fatigue of the long journey, and then to await the arrival of the groom's family to welcome the delicate southern bride.
The Ivan family, prominent in the prosperous south, was a renowned clan with generations of merchants and family members holding official positions in the royal court. With such a distinguished and wealthy lineage, why would they be willing to marry their beloved, exceptionally beautiful eldest daughter to a far-off northern family?
In truth, as the Ivan family's business continued to expand, they had long planned to extend part of their operations to the emerging northern territories. However, Mr. Ivan knew little about the northern landscape and lacked connections there. Fearing significant losses that could affect their southern foundation, he hesitated to act. At this critical moment, a northern family named Moore sent representatives bearing precious gifts to propose a marriage with Mr. Ivan's eldest daughter. For Mr. Ivan, who had already set his sights on the north, this was nothing short of a godsend—a joyous opportunity.
The Moore family, a dominant force in the north for three to four hundred years, held unparalleled influence, power, and wealth in the region. Even the royal court regarded them with deference. Without the Moore family's unconditional support during the dynasty's transition, the court's unification of the country would have been nearly impossible. The Moore family was the north's most powerful entity, capable of standing alone. If the Moores took action, other northern forces would inevitably follow. Thus, the primary reason the court prevented the north from splitting was the support of the Moore family.
What excited Mr. Ivan most was the Moore family's vast influence and formidable reach across the expansive northern territories. No one in the north dared defy their commands. A marriage alliance with the Moores would ensure immense profits for Mr. Ivan's northern ventures. Moreover, he had heard that the Moore family sought to expand southward, aiming to establish their business in southern cities. This prospect thrilled Mr. Ivan even more. With the Moore family as a powerful ally, the Ivans and Moores would stand as equals in the world of commerce.
Seizing this opportunity, Mr. Ivan decided to marry his most beautiful daughter, Anna—reputed to be the fairest woman in the land—to Arthur, the eldest son of the Moore family. When the Moores requested to select twenty servants from the Ivan household to accompany the bride as part of the dowry, Mr. Ivan agreed without hesitation. To gain such an exceptional son-in-law, parting with a few servants was a trifling matter.
The Ivan family, a prominent southern dynasty, would not so easily marry off their daughter. Moreover, the Moore family was also a renowned and prestigious clan. Thus, although several carriages of dowry had been sent in advance, when the day of the formal wedding arrived, they still prepared additional carriages filled to the brim.
After nearly a day of rest, the servants began bustling about again. Tomorrow was the official wedding of their young lady, who would marry into the Moore family. The Moores had already sent a servant to inform them that their eldest son, Arthur, would come early the next morning to receive the bride. As a result, the servants had to work through the night to tally the dowry inventory, ensuring they wouldn't be caught unprepared or forget anything tomorrow.
While the servants were busy, what was the young lady doing? Not only was she reflecting on the poignant tale she had heard upon arriving in the northern wilderness—a story of a snow fox avenging its beloved and perishing alongside its enemy—but she was also filled with the shy anticipation and mixed emotions of a bride-to-be. She played the zither and sang softly. This was understandable, as she was soon to become a bride.
Hearing the faint strains of zither music and singing drifting from their mistress's chambers, Dick grumbled, "Being a young lady is something else. All she has to do is sit there while we servants wait on her. She gets all sentimental over some ancient legend, moved to the point of skipping meals and just singing."
Hearing his complaints, the other servants paused their work and teased him. "Dick, why don't you try getting adopted by a good family next time? Then you can act refined too!"
"Yeah, exactly! If you were born into a family like Mr. Ivan's, with dashing sons and beautiful daughters, marrying into other noble households, you'd live a life of endless wealth and splendor!"
"Pfft!" Dick stuck out his tongue at his mockers, ignoring them and refusing to engage further.
Finding amusement amidst their toil was a common way for these weary servants to cope with their monotonous lives. Otherwise, just loading the meticulously inventoried dowry onto several large carriages would leave them exhausted and collapsing on the ground. A bit of banter like this kept boredom at bay and alleviated some of their fatigue. So, Dick let their teasing slide, especially since he had more pressing concerns.
Turning to Mia, who was working with intense focus, Dick asked with concern, "Mia, are you okay? Why don't you take a break?"
Drenched in sweat from her efforts, Mia glanced at Dick, her vision blurred by sweat. Wiping her face with her sleeve, she replied, "What could be wrong with me?"
"What could be wrong?" Dick's eyes widened as he stared at her. "You were the one who fainted in the snow two days ago! And why are you working so hard? Everyone else slacks off or takes breaks, but look at you! My God, in this freezing weather, you're sweating buckets!"