The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

21

Seized by certainty, Alter began to think of a countermeasure.

If Brillié were to fight alone, there would be no cause for concern.

However, his presence by her side would now act as a clear constraint.

“She’ll try to fight while protecting me… That will definitely pose a problem.”

Alter could roughly predict how Brillié would act.

Her tendencies and atmosphere as described in the original work, her approach to crisis situations, the gentle demeanor she had shown him.

Taking all these characteristics as a premise, Brillié would not be able to exert her full abilities because of him.

“If we’re overpowered here, we might end up dead.”

The pureblood vampire was targeting Brillié to siphon the blood of destiny.

It would continue to consume more blood until it was satisfied, and Brillié would not be able to avoid excessive bleeding.

In other words, for Brillié to survive, she must defeat the pureblood vampire.

“If we can’t win, there’s no point in running away.”

In the original story, Brillié gains the upper hand over the pureblood vampire and nearly manages to kill it.

But the pureblood vampire escapes narrowly and manages to save its life.

From that point on, while the pureblood vampire regards Brillié as an enemy, it also harbors feelings of love for her, albeit unconsciously.

“I have to decide now. Whether to watch this unfold or to kill the creature…”

“Just stay by my side. Then you won’t get hurt.”

Brillié placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, touching Alter.

She hadn’t anticipated that the creature would launch an attack at this very moment.

She had hoped it would disappear without a trace, never to give up until now.

“Ugh… Ah…”

Multiple afterimages began to emerge from the darkness.

Following the fading evening twilight, those afterimages were faintly illuminated.

Skin pale to the point of losing its color, a cunning and vile expression, magic dyed with ferocity.

Five vampires were encircling Brillie, watching her intently.

“…Five? Weren’t there only three?”

Alter became even more tense, starting to worry intensely.

As if it wasn’t enough to protect himself, now he had more enemies to confront.

He wasn’t sure what variable had changed, but there was no denying the situation had worsened.

“Four of them are half-breeds, but the pureblood is too troublesome.”

Half-breed vampires have many weaknesses compared to purebloods.

Exposed to sunlight, they burn up instantly, and they can’t withstand attacks derived from holy methods.

Moreover, they have so little magical power in their bodies that they aren’t even permitted to perform magic.

In contrast, pureblood vampires have overcome all these disadvantages and can unleash immense magical power.

“I could fight and possibly win, but it’s too risky.”

Alter was considering the worst-case scenario.

Brillie loses, the pureblood vampire feeds on her blood, and he dies a futile death.

Especially now, with variables misaligning, he couldn’t rely solely on the original story.

“If it’s come to this… is there no other way?”

Alter made his decision without even watching the battle.

Everyone nearby had already fled, and there wasn’t enough time to dash for the carriage.

In the end, he couldn’t guarantee safety without defeating those vampires.

“I can’t adjust the details. But if it’s just for Brillie…”

Alter hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself.

He began to draw upon the magical power within him, quickly surveying his surroundings.

Brillie, sensing the anomaly in magic belatedly, had no choice but to turn her attention.

“What are you doing now?”

“Thinking of showing off a little trick.”

Alter murmured softly as he began to transform the magic within him.

His experience with magic was lacking, and his head was filled only with related theories.

But as a magician, his talent was exceptional, allowing him to easily construct its form.

“Miss Brillie, I’ll leave the aftermath to you.”

“What do you mean…”

Before she could get an answer, Alter had already activated the magic.

As the chill began to emanate from Alter’s body, it wasn’t long before faint pieces of ice were conjured.

Brillie instinctively felt a sense of dissonance, yet couldn’t bring herself to dissuade Alter.

‘If I’m hit and die… there’s nothing to be done. I don’t have that kind of leeway.’

Alter recognized the pureblood vampire in an instant, harboring a deep murderous intent.

If we were to follow the original work, I would have to adjust the power to allow that creature to escape.

However, my body is still in a state of decline, and even my proficiency in magic remains unrefined.

Therefore, I have no choice but to exert all my power to manifest the magic.

‘I can only hope my body holds up.’

With a short breath, Alter released the coldness.

A white mist flowed out, and the chilly air spread rapidly in all directions.

The vampires didn’t even have time to think about fleeing before parts of their bodies began to freeze.

“Kyaaak!”

“Huuuaah…”

Four hybrid vampires couldn’t withstand the cold and their bodies were frozen solid.

They didn’t move an inch, as if they had become ice sculptures.

Then, starting from one side, cracks formed and soon they completely shattered.

“Huuh… I… the heir of pureblood…”

Aner was wrapped in the cold, shivering uncontrollably.

His legs were already frozen, and only his arms moved sluggishly.

But for now, he couldn’t dispel the cold, and it seemed even the sensation throughout his body was fading.

‘It’s impossible. Where did such a human come from…’

Aner had only targeted Brillie, paying no attention to the human beside her.

But that human had released magic in a moment, annihilating the hybrid vampires.

Had I known of such magical power, I wouldn’t have attacked first.

‘Am I to die? Me?’

Aner vehemently denied it, even as he sensed death approaching.

As a pureblood vampire, he couldn’t possibly perish so vainly.

Surely, he would overcome this trivial coldness and survive.

“You could use magic?”

“I had learned a little… before.”

Alter struggled to breathe as he gathered his magical power.

His breathing was erratic, but the pain had not followed yet.

If this state persists, perhaps he could slowly recover later.

“I’ve never seen such magic. It seems stronger than me?”

“It shouldn’t be that… Cough!”

In an instant, Alter bent over, spewing blood.

He had anticipated some side effects from the magic, but coughing up blood was unexpected.

Moreover, he felt a sensation as if his entire body was being constricted, and a loud noise was ringing in his ears.

‘Did I… use too much sincerity?’

Alter’s vision blurred as he involuntarily leaned forward.

He had no strength left to stand, and the pain was finally crashing in.

The magical power that had been sustaining his body must have dissipated, causing immense strain.

‘At this rate, I might die first…’

Alter seemed about to collapse, then suddenly stopped.

Brillie supported Alter and immediately embraced him.

He was no longer vomiting blood, but his pupils were unfocused.

It seemed urgent to take him to a cleric for treatment.

“Can you hear me? Try to regain consciousness!”

“…”

“Hey! Come to your senses!”

“…”

“No! You can’t die! Just hold on a little longer!”

Brillie shook Alter’s body, moving frantically.

There seemed to be no problem using magic suddenly, but an accident had occurred after all.

If he had known, he should have prevented the use of magic at all costs.

‘If only you had trusted me…’

Brillie ignored the vampires and climbed straight into the carriage.

He confirmed that four out of the five had frozen and shattered.

The remaining one was alive but wouldn’t last long with half its body frozen.

It seemed best to leave the aftermath to the guards and return later.

“I’m not going to die like this, am I? Don’t do this. It shouldn’t be this way.”

Brillie was anxious but did not let go of Alter.

No matter how frail and young, this was the person who had promised to marry her.

Just as they were beginning to learn about each other, she didn’t want to part ways like this.

“Why push yourself with such a frail body…”

***

Alter felt hunger and cautiously opened his eyes.

He found himself in bed, facing a familiar ambiance.

He must have fainted and been brought back to the Duke’s mansion.

“Ugh… Hoo…”

Despite the subtle pain, Alter struggled to get up.

His head was slightly dizzy, and his hands were trembling.

Could he have known the toll of using such powerful magic would be so fatal?

“At least I didn’t die.”

Alter felt a sense of relief but was conscious of the pureblood vampire.

The attack had surely succeeded, but he hadn’t confirmed whether it was fatal.

If the vampire had survived, it would be another variable to consider.

“If things have changed from the original, I might not become the male lead.”

Alter frowned for a while before he started looking for water.

He didn’t know how long he had been lying there, but thirst and hunger were hitting him simultaneously.

It seemed he would have to ask the butler or maid for a meal as soon as they arrived.

“If I’m not going to be the male lead, maybe it’s better to just die…”

“Are you alright? Do you recognize me?”

Brillie entered the room and immediately approached Alter.

She had been engulfed in anxiety since Alter hadn’t woken up.

Fortunately, he had regained consciousness, and it seemed there was no danger to his life.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Are you really okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“My head is a bit dizzy… but I can bear it. Did we return to the mansion right away?”

“Sigh… Mr. Alter. You’ve been in bed for three days. I thought you’d never wake up.”

“…?”

Upon hearing those words, Alter’s drowsiness vanished in an instant.

It was unbelievable, and he wondered if his sense of time had been twisted.

What kind of magic had been used to make him sleep for three days?

From noble mtl dot come

“The priest says the healing is complete, but we need to keep an eye on you. If there’s a problem, you need to tell us now.”

“Other than feeling dizzy… Ah, my hands are a bit shaky.”

“Is that all?”

“Ah… Just a moment. My hands have stopped shaking. And my head… Is it getting better? I think I’m okay now.”

Alter looked around briefly before giving a firm answer.

He couldn’t say he was in perfect condition, but he wasn’t so incapacitated that he couldn’t move.

Now that Brillié was here, perhaps it was time to ask about the things he was curious about.

“What happened to those creatures?”

“Those creatures? Oh, you mean the monsters?”

“Yes. Are they all dead?”

“… Yes. All five of them died on the spot.”

“…”

Alter was engulfed in silence, becoming aware of the deeds he had committed.

Not only had he slain the half-breed vampires, but he had also eliminated the pureblood vampire who was meant to be the male lead.

It was a choice made for survival, but this was not the outcome he had hoped for.

As a result, any content related to pureblood vampires would now be excluded from the future.

‘Is this right? I can’t fix this…’