The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

33

Brillié immediately drew the dagger and began examining it from every angle.

The hilt fit perfectly in her hand, and the blade was impeccably straight.

The finishing was so well done that it must have been crafted by a skilled blacksmith.

“I’m glad you like it. Since you’re a knight, I thought a practical weapon would be better.”

“… You had this custom-made, didn’t you?”

Brillié instinctively realized the truth.

No matter how expensive a weapon might be, it couldn’t fit her hand so precisely unless it was custom-made.

Considering it was a birthday gift, it must have been obtained in a special way.

“Yes? Oh, right.”

“You got my measurements from my servant?”

“More like… I asked for something similar. You usually have things custom-made, don’t you?”

“The color of the blade came out well. Didn’t you spend too much on this?”

“Daggers require less material than longswords. And when giving a gift, how could I possibly skimp on the cost?”

“Even so, you must have many other expenses…”

Brillié expressed her concern, then inadvertently sensed a faint sensation.

She could feel a slight flow of magical power emanating from the dagger.

Could it be that the dagger had been engraved with an attribute?

‘This is…’

Brillié released a bit of her magic into the dagger.

The dagger seemed to absorb the magic, and soon a chill began to emanate from it.

Even so, the blade didn’t freeze over; it was simply covered in a pristine white hue.

“Did you imbue this with magic?”

“Yes. I thought my magic would suffice…”

“Why would you do such a thing? What if you got hurt?”

Brillie quickly sheathed the dagger and approached Alter.

She then took Alter’s hands in hers, briefly checking their temperature.

Alter simply stared blankly at Brillie, motionless.

“Isn’t it tough for you?”

“It’s fine. I didn’t use any magic.”

“Why do you do things nobody asked for? Sigh…”

Brillie, with a worried look, placed her hand on Alter’s forehead.

Her hands were as cold as always, and almost no warmth could be felt from his forehead.

Last time, it ended with vomiting blood, but with bad luck, it could have been a serious injury.

“I’m really okay. It wasn’t hard at all.”

“You should take care of yourself first. What’s so important about this dagger?”

“I didn’t want to give you something unusable. If it’s a birthday gift, shouldn’t I put more effort into it?”

“…”

Brillie was about to retort but hesitated.

Her azure eyes looked so forlorn that hesitation crept in.

Was it right to press further in such a gloomy atmosphere?

“I understand what you mean. But this is troubling. I don’t want to see Mr. Alter collapse again.”

“Thank you for worrying every time, but you can ease your mind a bit. Staying at the mansion has made me much better… And I will continue to receive treatment. Using a little magic won’t strain me.”

“Alright. But since it’s a gift made with care, I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Brillie reluctantly agreed and carefully stepped back.

Alter might not have had his coming-of-age ceremony yet, but he often acted mature for his age.

Perhaps as a fiancé, one should understand his feelings to some extent.

“… Are you eating properly? You don’t look more emaciated than before, do you?”

“My food intake has been increasing. So, I shouldn’t be wasting away.”

“Your hands are still cold. Is it because you’re overexerting yourself?”

“My hands have always been cold.”

“You seem a bit unsteady when you walk. You’re not dizzy, are you?”

“I’m… I’m okay.”

“You’re not bleeding anywhere, are you?”

“If I were, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“The curse hasn’t gotten worse, has it? Don’t you need to be diagnosed by another consecrated one?”

“It’s unlikely that the result would change…”

“You met with the Archmage, right? Did you ask about how to lift the curse?”

“…”

Alter faced Brillié with a somewhat flustered look.

His amber eyes were intensely clear, fixated only on her.

It was nice to be cared for, but did she need to probe so deeply?

‘If a problem arises before the disengagement, it would be troublesome.’

The controversy had been enough when he used magic to deal with a pureblood vampire.

Now that the curse had been revealed, it inevitably attracted attention.

Perhaps even Duke Ilenath was aware and paying close attention.

‘I do need to meet with the Archmage… but who knows what will happen.’

Alter had already sent a letter to the Archmage.

A reply came not long after, stating that once preparations were complete, they would re-evaluate.

Even the Archmage might not be able to easily erase the curse etched into the heart.

‘But if I find the one who cast the curse…’

If they invoked the curse, they would naturally know how to undo it.

Of course, enough time had passed that tracing back to the caster might be difficult.

So all he could do was inform his father and hope for a good outcome.

‘There’s nothing I can do about it myself, so I just have to hope luck is on my side.’

***

Brillié returned to her room quietly after finishing dinner and tea time.

The gentle flow of conversation, the dignified posture, the birthday toasts, the gifts that didn’t suit her.

It was the everyday life she had always known, but today, there was a faint flutter of excitement.

‘For the first time, someone gifted me a weapon.’

Brillié was immediately captivated by the intense sensation of the elegantly shaped dagger.

Even without looking at the blade, she could sense its perfection.

It was undoubtedly a weapon made for actual combat, and its lack of flamboyance only heightened the anticipation.

‘Everyone else gave perfumes, dresses, or jewelry…’

Brillie opened the lid again to peer inside the box.

A dagger, stained in shades of grey, lay there in solitude.

It seemed most fitting as a secondary weapon, just as Alter had mentioned.

‘To give such a thing as a birthday present… Do you know me too well?’

Brillie reached out unconsciously and grasped the dagger.

The rough yet solid texture transmitted from the tip of her fingers.

Moreover, the hilt was tailored to her body measurements, allowing her to wield it properly.

‘You may be delicate in stature, but your thoughts run deep. You didn’t even ask about my birthday, did you?’

Even if someone were to inquire about her birthday present, Brillie couldn’t bring herself to express her desire for combat gear.

Even as a knight, she remained a noble lady, and the biased gazes around her never changed.

Above all, combat was directly linked to injury or death, so gifting related items was often considered ominous.

‘If you understand my heart so well… Perhaps there will be no quarrels after marriage?’

Brillie drew the dagger and casually gazed upon its hue.

The silver color reflected from the blade shimmered enchantingly.

If she were to infuse it with magic and thrust it forth, it could sever life in an instant.

‘It would have been fine just as it is…’

As soon as Brillie infused the dagger with magic, a pure white chill emanated from it.

Alter’s magic had merged with the dagger, bestowing upon it the attribute of ice.

While most mages struggled to imbue attributes, Alter had done it effortlessly.

Perhaps his talent for magic was reaching an untouchable level, as she had somewhat anticipated.

‘You think too much, sometimes getting ahead of yourself. That’s why you got hurt that time.’

Brillie still disapproved of that incident.

It wasn’t that she blamed Alter, but from her perspective, it was nothing but frustrating.

If only he had trusted her a little more, she might have protected him and returned safely to the mansion.

‘If we can just rectify that, there will be no problems. I must try harder.’

Brillie looked at the blade of the dagger for a while before sheathing it back into its scabbard.

Even if it led to a broken engagement, other noble families would seek her hand in marriage.

In the end, she would be bound to a stranger without a shred of emotion, trapped in a marriage of convenience.

If that’s the case, perhaps it’s better to be tied to someone you can trust, even if just a little.

‘I’m sure you know as well as I do. Calling off the engagement is meaningless.’

Alter must have a rough understanding of the political marriage structure.

If not, he couldn’t have mentioned breaking off the engagement from the first meeting.

Besides, having explained the situation he was given, he must have grasped the overall relationship of interests.

‘Could it be that he… dislikes me?’

Brillie asked herself over and over, but she couldn’t come to a definite conclusion.

If he had wanted to keep his distance, he wouldn’t have attempted conversation.

Moreover, he had risked danger to intrude in battle and had easily given her the gift she desired.

Despite that, could he still be reluctant about her existence?

‘It’s not that he dislikes me, but rather he must dislike the situation.’

Alter had indeed responded as if he was reluctantly following the political marriage.

It was a matter related to the family, and there was no such thing as a choice.

Therefore, the marriage partner would inevitably feel uncomfortable, and worry about the future after marriage.

In the midst of this, his physical condition was deteriorating, so perhaps he sought to reassure himself through breaking off the engagement.

‘I said I trust you, but I can’t trust everyone.’

No matter how sincere she is, Alter cannot erase his doubts.

Being vulnerable, it’s easy to be taken advantage of, and if pressured, he wouldn’t even be able to resist.

It was a fear ingrained from birth, the pressure from the family, and also distrust towards himself.

‘I had no choice but to become an old soul. It’s too unsettling.’

The grand ducal family cannot protect Alter forever.

The current Grand Duke of the North will eventually face death, and the title will be passed on to the successor.

Since Alter is not the successor, he will be phased out in some form or another.

So, he must have tried to create value through a political marriage, but perhaps Alter had accepted even that with resignation.

‘I must give trust. Only then… can the marriage be accepted.’