The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

46

Terosa pondered for a moment before coming back to reality.

No matter how much it suited her taste, she couldn’t sacrifice her pride.

Besides, the two seemed quite harmonious, making the thought of breaking off the engagement seem like a vain hope.

‘I’ll regret this for life. To give up on such a person because of rumors…’

Terosa gazed into a lamentable future, blending into the faint emotions.

Had he been just a handsome commoner or a fallen noble, she wouldn’t have harbored any regrets.

But he was the scion of a ducal house, already famous in social circles.

Had he regained his health, perhaps many noble ladies would have flocked to him.

‘This is the worst mistake of my life. I’ll probably never forget it, even on my deathbed…’

“It’s not to that extent. As fiancés, we simply maintain the courtesy due to each other.”

“Courtesy and fondness are different, don’t you think? You seem much too familiar for mere courtesy.”

“Spending time together, one naturally becomes accustomed.”

“Being together for a long time doesn’t necessarily lead to familiarity. Does seeing a butler or maid for a long time make for a close relationship?”

“… No matter when, we must maintain respect.”

“Just as you said. Respect alone won’t bring us closer. One must harbor even a slight special feeling… to truly see the other, right?”

“…”

Alter swallowed his silence inadvertently, becoming aware of Brillié’s presence.

From that moment until now, his thoughts had not changed.

He must be reluctantly adapting to this situation, but why can’t he ignore those words?

“Is the wedding preparation going well?”

“I believe no plans have been set yet. Each has their own duties to attend to.”

“Oh, is that so? Well… it must be busy. Miss Brillié is affiliated with the knighthood, and Lord Alter must learn magic.”

“I’m focusing more on recovering my health than on magic.”

“Is it quite bad?”

“It has improved a lot compared to before. But I should recover a bit more before the wedding, shouldn’t I?”

“That’s a wise thought. It’s probably because of the succession, right?”

“Uh… I haven’t thought about that yet.”

Alter felt momentarily puzzled but then accepted it belatedly.

If one worries about their health before marriage, they usually think of spending a night with their fiancé(e) first.

But he had never pondered over it, considering it merely a rite of passage.

“Hmm… Are you planning to think about the succession later?”

“It seems better to consider it later.”

“Hmm… You haven’t discussed it with Miss Brillié?”

“The wedding date isn’t set yet.”

“It might be good to think about it a little. Spending a night together is not… an easy task, is it? Especially if it’s the first time for both of you.”

Terosa offered her advice cautiously, enveloped in a somewhat heavy atmosphere.

She herself had been studying in various ways for that night.

It shouldn’t be granted carelessly to just anyone; it must be shown first to one’s partner, so full preparation is necessary.

After all, the night is the beginning of marriage, and it will become a routine to be repeated ever after.

“It may be difficult, but I think you can’t do everything well the first time. It’s not something that ends in one go, so you should get used to it slowly, right?”

“That’s one way to look at it. As a couple, understanding each other…”

“Terosa… What are you doing here?”

Brillié quickly turned back and fixed her gaze on Terosa.

Terosa glanced at Brillié and then rose from her seat.

Even amidst the silence, Alter just alternated his gaze between the two.

“…As you can see, I was conversing with Miss Brillié’s fiancé. It’s time for me to take my leave.”

“You weren’t gossiping, were you?”

“Oh, what do you take me for? If anything, you should be thanking me.”

“There’s nothing I need to thank you for.”

“Even if you’re not grateful, showing gratitude… Have you considered what it means for a lady of nobility?”

“You should worry about that more. I’ll continue as usual.”

“It’s none of my concern, but shouldn’t you pay a little attention to your feminine side? Realizing too late after a mistake is made can be quite regrettable.”

“I’ll handle my own affairs.”

“If that’s the case… then I have nothing more to say. You reap what you sow.”

With a light nod to both, Terosa vanished suddenly.

Brillié watched Terosa with a suspicious gaze before turning away.

“What were you talking about?”

“Just trivial matters. About my health… and such pleasantries.”

Alter recited calmly, keeping the details about the heir a secret.

Brillié would likely be displeased if she knew the content of that conversation.

Perhaps it’s better kept as a secret, deeply hidden within one’s heart.

“Did they provoke you, or say anything upsetting?”

“If there had been such behavior, I wouldn’t have stood by idly. I do have my pride, after all.”

“Ah… Of course. I was just asking, just in case.”

Brillié still had her doubts but chose not to probe further.

She couldn’t show a forceful attitude towards her fiancé.

But if they were to marry, perhaps a bit of consideration was in order.

‘Am I pushing too hard? Hmm…’

***

The knights of the capital were deployed to the scene after receiving a comprehensive request from the Marquis’s house.

The head of the Marquis’s house rallied the nobles who had suffered losses, flaunting his own title.

In the end, the substantial reward offered left the knights with no choice but to accept.

‘I’m not fond of night shifts.’

Brillie, though annoyed, continued to frequent the mansions of the nobility.

Since the target was only active at night, the knights had no choice but to adjust to this rhythm.

But it felt like a waste of time, as there was no predicting when or where they would appear.

“To think we’re doing all this just to catch that one…”

All the nobles, including the count, had been robbed by the phantom thief.

Among them were those who had been hit more than twice or suffered significant losses to their family’s wealth.

In the end, they had summoned all the renowned knight orders to punish the thief.

“There’s nothing we can do at this rate.”

Brillie knew well that this action was futile.

Even the nobles with private soldiers couldn’t stop the thief’s intrusion.

Would increasing the number of troops really help in finding traces of the thief?

“Perhaps it would be better to spread false rumors and lure them to a specific spot?”

There was a certain pattern to the thief’s acts of theft.

They had always targeted the nobility, gained a certain infamy, and needed to win the support of the commoners.

In other words, if there was a target that met all these conditions, the thief would surely come looking.

“But this might scare the thief away…”

The deployment of a large force would be too conspicuous.

And since they were only patrolling the nobles’ estates, the thief would surely notice the change.

No matter how skilled at thievery, they couldn’t act nonchalant with so many troops around.

“I don’t want to do this. The outcome is already clear, isn’t it?”

Brillie shook off the faint drowsiness and looked up at the sky.

From noble mtl dot come

The moonlight scattered a lonely hue, embedded in the center.

With the stars etched so densely, it was as if painting a scene of a magnificent landscape.

“I’ll have to persuade the captain… Hm?”

Brillie paused briefly, then quickly picked up on a faint presence.

Occasionally, people would stroll the streets at night, but their presence wasn’t clear.

It rather felt like they were deliberately trying to conceal themselves, raising suspicions.

“Change the patrol route from now. Follow me.”

“Yes?”

“But…”

Brilliere chased after the presence, sprinting ahead first.

The troupe members seemed momentarily shaken, then quickly sprang into action.

Could it be that the vice-captain’s sharp intuition had perceived something?

‘Could a phantom thief have just passed by here? Is that even possible?’

Despite doubting her own judgment, Brilliere pressed on relentlessly.

The thief was bold yet cunning in his trickery.

If he was someone who didn’t even fear the troupe, he would try to deceive them as well.

‘If he’s fearless, then certainly…’

“Oh my, you’ve found it again. The lady wielding the sword seems quite terrified.”

Someone was looking down at Brilliere, perched atop a wall.

Instinctively, Brilliere gripped the hilt of her sword, while the troupe members silently glared at the opponent.

“Did you do that on purpose?”

“On purpose… Are you talking about my presence?”

“A phantom thief wouldn’t reveal his presence suddenly. Do you have some business with me?”

“No particular business, just thought I should get a good look at your face.”

Clark tilted his head, replying leisurely.

Last time, he had encountered the duke’s daughter by chance and managed to escape quietly thanks to her unexpected consideration.

But perhaps due to some lingering regret, he had sought out this encounter with the second daughter of the Elenath ducal family.

“I can’t tell if you’re oblivious to the mood or just fearless.”

“If I had to choose one, it would be fearlessness. If I were fearful, I wouldn’t be able to do such things, would I?”

“You must be confident to show yourself before me.”

“Of course, even someone as formidable as you, my lady, couldn’t possibly capture me.”

“… Truly fearless, aren’t you? Will you only come to your senses after being cut?”

With a cold gaze, Brilliere slowly assumed her stance.

To recover the stolen goods, the thief must be captured alive.

However, if he continued to flee, they would have no choice but to attack, potentially causing injury.

“Wow… You’re brimming with murderous intent. I don’t want to die just yet, so maybe I should run away first?”

With a sly smile, Clark kicked off the ground.

In an instant, he began scaling the wall.

But Brilliere, unfazed, immediately gave chase.

“Uh-oh…”

“How do you do that?”

“We’ll circumvent and track them this way!”

The senior knight swiftly issued commands, observing the movements of the phantom thief and Brillié.

Astonishingly, Brillié was scaling the wall just like the thief, soaring straight upwards.

Though slower than the thief, the fact that she employed the same technique was curious in itself.

“Good grief, you’re following again?”

“Huff… You’re prepared, right?”

Brillié drew her sword atop the roof, having quickly deciphered and replicated the thief’s technique.

Of course, it was an imperfect imitation, having only seen it briefly, but it was enough to catch up.

“It’s not just scary, it’s monstrous. Wouldn’t it be better to become a bit more docile, for your fiancé’s sake?”

“You seem to be long-winded about wanting to die.”

“Shouldn’t you show mercy, at least for the sake of the Grand Duke’s lady? After all, I had resolved not to meddle with the House of Ilenath.”

“…?”

Brillié was momentarily baffled by his words, then her expression turned icy.

He was making a cheap mockery of her fiancé.

Despite being a noble scion, how dare he address her with such familiarity?

“You’re overstepping your bounds. Shall I tear that mouth first?”

Brillié glared at Clark, releasing a murderous aura of magic.

Clark felt a sudden sense of danger and was seized by the instinct to flee.

“Oops… seems like I’ve touched a nerve…”