The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

34

***

Yulia was walking through the grand hall with the modesty required by the imperial etiquette.

Before meeting the Emperor, one must refrain from loud speech.

One’s conduct must also be devoutly refined, and if a threatening action is displayed, it could be restrained by the imperial knights.

The emperor himself was to meet with the officials, so the imperial knights were on even stricter guard.

‘I must ask Father directly.’

Yulia, unable to overcome her own desires, finally requested an audience with the emperor.

Being a princess didn’t mean she had everything, but with effort, she could change the outcome.

Even if the other party was from a ducal house, they wouldn’t dare defy the emperor’s decree.

‘It’s all about persuasion, isn’t it? After all, I can’t become the emperor…’

Yulia knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she didn’t want to give up just yet.

Having failed to obtain what she most desired, she could only reach out for the next best thing.

It was merely the marriage of a princess, yet could it be so complicated?

‘Surely, he would grant me this much. Even if the annulment looks a bit difficult…’

Yulia slowly came to a halt as she looked up at the throne.

Then, she slowly knelt down and bowed her head.

After maintaining that posture for a moment, she stood up straight again.

“The Third Princess dares to request an audience with His Imperial Majesty.”

“Since you’ve asked to see me in the Great Hall… it must not be a personal matter.”

The emperor looked down at Yulia leisurely from his throne.

Matters concerning the emperor or the imperial family were to be conducted in the Great Hall, while individual issues were to be addressed in the office or the bedchamber.

Therefore, the emperor had no choice but to face his daughter with a somewhat solemn atmosphere.

“I have found a partner I wish to marry and have come to request an audience with His Imperial Majesty.”

“If it’s about marriage… Hmm… It is related to the imperial family.”

Agnes Empire’s 8th Emperor, Athelore Root Celestion, reluctantly acknowledged the reason.

Among his children, only the Second Prince had married a partner chosen by the imperial family.

Unlike him, the Crown Prince and the Third Princess had declared they would bring their own partners, so they had been left to their own devices for a while.

“If His Imperial Majesty would bestow his grace, I believe the marriage could proceed more smoothly.”

“If you need my grace, then the match must not be an ordinary one.”

From noble mtl dot come

“How can we speak of ordinariness regarding a noble without a title?”

“Depending on the noble, the status differs. Can you see the child of a duke and the child of a baron as the same?”

“… If I may speak boldly, to me, they all appear as nobles just the same.”

“From your words, it seems the rank is either too high or too low.”

“It is on the higher side.”

“Could it be that you’ve chosen a scion from the Duke’s family?”

With a faint furrow of his brow, Athelore asked solemnly.

Even if one could barely sever ties with a Marquis’s family, choosing from a Duke’s family would inevitably lead to a concentration of power.

Such a choice could mock the royal family or even attempt to usurp the throne, shaking the very foundation of the empire.

“…We have reached higher grounds.”

“Are you implying the Grand Duke’s family?”

“Indeed.”

“Hmm… Do you truly wish to marry into the Grand Duke’s family?”

“Even if not immediately married, I believe it is right to at least be engaged.”

“…”

Athelore continued the silence, then slowly brushed his face with his hand.

Among the many nobles, who would have thought the Grand Duke’s family would be chosen?

Moreover, there were past entanglements with the Northern Grand Duke, which had called for caution until now.

“…Third Princess.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“The Northern Grand Duke has four offspring. Two scions and two young ladies. Which of the scions have you chosen?”

Of course, Athelore had no intention of permitting an engagement with the Grand Duke’s family.

However, it was imperative to know which one the Third Princess had selected.

If she intended to marry the eldest son of the Grand Duke’s family, it could be somewhat understandable.

“I have chosen the youngest son.”

“What!”

Athelore let out an involuntary exclamation, overwhelmed by memories of the past.

He remained friends with the Northern Grand Duke, but that particular incident was something he could not shake off.

Furthermore, the youngest son of the Grand Duke’s family was indirectly connected to that past, naturally evoking a sense of rejection.

“If it’s the youngest son of the Grand Duke’s family, he would have been engaged to a Duke’s family… Did you know this when you made your plea?”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I was aware.”

“Are you suggesting that I urge Duke Ilenath to break off the engagement?”

“…I dare not presume upon Your Imperial Majesty’s grace.”

Yulia answered cautiously, not avoiding Athelore’s gaze.

As expected, it seemed unlikely that permission would be granted easily.

But once you step back, even the chance to ask for permission will disappear.

That’s why it was crucial to settle things decisively at this moment.

“Are you saying to oppress both the Grand Duke’s family and the Duke’s family because of your marriage? That’s too greedy!”

“The Emperor can certainly persuade. Who would dare think of it as oppression?”

“Third Princess. The moment you brought it up, it became oppression. It’s an act that tramples on the nobility’s pride with the Emperor’s authority!”

Athelore raised his voice as he rebuked Yulia.

Even setting aside the history with the Grand Duke of the North, it was not right to pressure the titled nobility without any reason.

Their titles were connected to the history of the Agnes Empire, a testament to their contributions to its founding and a firm source of pride.

But to force a breakup over trivial reasons would naturally provoke resistance from both family heads.

“Breaking off an engagement is easier than divorce, and many nobles are doing it. How can that be trampling on the nobility’s pride?”

“Breaking off an engagement is not my choice. But if I interfere, it shakes the future of the family. And you still don’t think it’s oppression?”

“How can persuasion be oppression?”

“Because one must either accept or reject. Accepting breaks one’s pride, and rejecting means opposing the Emperor. Does the Third Princess think so little of the nobility? Do you think so lightly of their existence?”

“…”

Yulia finally closed her mouth and had to listen to Athelore’s words.

If she persisted any further, Athelore, as the Emperor, would become enraged.

She might have thought of the strategic marriage with the Grand Duke’s family as simple, but Athelore saw it in a much more complex light.

It seemed unlikely that she would achieve her goal by ordinary means.

“Even if you marry the heir of the Grand Duke’s family, it will be difficult for you to handle. Especially if you were the Imperial Princess, it would have been even more troublesome.”

Athelore slowly lowered his voice and declared that future.

Yulia’s marriage alone could shake the foundation of the empire.

It was possible for Yulia to plot a rebellion with the power of the Grand Duke’s family, or conversely, for the Grand Duke of the North to use Yulia as a pretext.

In other words, the consolidation of power through the bloodline of the direct royal family and the Grand Duke’s family could lay the groundwork for a new imperial line.

“Do not take your lineage lightly. The blood of the direct royal family could bind you. I have always warned you to be careful, and yet you were going to commit such folly!”

“…”

“I will not allow marriage with the Grand Duke’s family, not even an engagement. If such an incident occurs again, I will force a marriage if necessary. Do you understand?”

“… I will heed the imperial command.”

Yulia slowly bowed and then withdrew from the grand hall.

If he was so adamantly resistant, there was nothing she could do.

For now, she had to tactfully retreat and wait for the next opportunity.

“The Grand Duke’s house is off-limits. The youngest son… even more so, I cannot permit it.”

Emperor Aslor had already appointed the First Prince as the Crown Prince.

With the succession to the throne decided, there could be no room left for discord.

Especially not for the Grand Duke’s youngest son, who must never intersect with the royal lineage.

“Isn’t he her child?”

Aslor recalled forgotten emotions as he delved into memories of the past.

Abandoned affection, vile jealousy, vague regrets, and hollow hatred.

Because he loved passionately, he suffered miserably, and had tried everything to forget her.

“Zaire Radiant. Even from afar, you torment me. How can a friend be so cruel?”

***

Altered, lost in thought, took a leisurely step forward.

To break the curse, one must clearly understand Alter Radiant.

That meant examining Alter Radiant’s birth, upbringing, and environment.

“Firstly, I am… the legitimate wife’s child. Born quite late compared to my siblings.”

The current Northern Grand Duke had originally kept only one wife by his side, striving by all means to bear fruit.

But they struggled to have a child, and whispers began to suggest he take a concubine.

Eventually, the Northern Grand Duke reluctantly married two noble ladies and had three children.

“Right after I was born, my mother passed away, and I’ve been cared for ever since.”

The Northern Grand Duke cherished his legitimate wife so dearly that he never cast her aside.

Thanks to that, they finally conceived a child, but in the end, she died, leaving only her offspring behind.

Therefore, I never faced persecution and, as the legitimate wife’s child, received abundant love.

“My father is the Emperor’s friend and comrade. That’s why the Emperor does not suspect the Northern Grand Duke.”

In his youth, the Emperor had roamed the battlefields with the Northern Grand Duke, bringing home victories.

Especially during that time, the northern territories were in turmoil, necessitating the deployment of numerous troops.

After being appointed Crown Prince, the Emperor returned to the capital, while the Northern Grand Duke remained on the front lines, continuing his duties to this day.

“I got along well with my brothers. And I was too young when the baby was cursed.”

The age difference between me and my siblings is not significant.

Meaning, if I was young, so were they, too young to even comprehend the concept of a curse.

Perhaps the mothers of my siblings, the wives of the Northern Grand Duke, could secretly cast a curse?

“But for that, the curse is too potent. Could the wives alone be capable of that?”

If someone had been bribed, it would have been discovered long ago.

The moment that someone was brought within the castle walls, suspicion would have arisen.

It’s not as if the ladies could secretly master a highly threatening curse among themselves.

“If you strip everything away, only one thing remains…”

If it were a matter of revenge against the Grand Duke’s family, there would be no reason to curse oneself.

One could simply make contact with the Northern Grand Duke, either of his wives, or the other children.

If the caster has limited the curse to oneself, what could be the originating reason?

“Could this curse be related to my mother? Does she harbor a grudge, or… was there something wrong with her body?”