The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

7

Of course, not only Hillise but other male protagonists will also come to adore Brillié.

Thus, they are inevitably conscious of each other and bound to clash.

In the original story, they caused such a ruckus to win Brillié’s love, but now it seemed too tame.

‘Is it just a courtesy? Or is the approach wrong…’

“The annulment has not been decided yet. Why are you already thinking of it?”

“Even if I were the head of the family, I would have chosen annulment. Such a marriage cannot last long.”

“Have you considered the position of the family heads?”

“Is there anything to consider? It’s too regrettable to end it like this. It would be a pity to gain only a connection through a political marriage.”

“…”

Hillise secretly agreed with Alter’s opinion.

Of course, a political marriage is merely a method to form a specific relationship with another family.

But as the scale grows, one inevitably seeks benefits beyond the relationship, and eventually, one must look elsewhere.

“Both my fiancé and I are being manipulated. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, shouldn’t we make the most of it?”

“So, when you said you were not suited for Brillié…”

“I thought of the family rather than myself. Whatever I do, I cannot go against the family. How can I judge suitability when I never had a choice to begin with?”

Hillise finally realized Alter’s intentions.

From the start, she never claimed to have a will of her own in this marriage.

She had simply distinguished the matter of breaking off the engagement from the perspective of her family.

“I don’t want to waste my energy on such matters. It will end eventually if I just wait.”

“So, you think it will end with a broken engagement?”

“Exactly. It’s not like it won’t happen just because I don’t want to do it.”

Hillise had to slightly alter her assessment of Alter.

She had thought him to be just a frail noble, but he turned out to have more discernment than expected.

In other words, he had completely given up on Brilly after making his own judgment.

‘As for me, Brilly…’

Hillise still had lingering feelings for Brilly, but in the end, she had to let go.

Her status wouldn’t allow her to bring Brilly to her side.

Above all, Brilly probably still considered her a friend.

‘She knows she’s lacking and even considers the position of our family.’

Brilly is ambitious and upright, but sometimes she is driven by bias.

To harmonize with such a woman, one must possess a cool and flexible judgment.

Perhaps Alter Radiant could erase some of Brilly’s flaws.

‘If he is such a thoughtful person… maybe it’s alright for him to be with Brilly?’

***

Lang visited the Duke of Elenat’s mansion after making an appointment in advance.

The official reason was to inspect the training status of the Duke’s private soldiers, but the real purpose was to postpone Brilly’s marriage.

Lang still found the request troubling, but couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

“Breaking off an engagement isn’t hard. Engagements are always like that.”

Royalty and nobility consider marriage a significant task, but engagements are taken lightly.

Even though an engagement is part of marriage, they only accept the fact that it hasn’t reached marriage yet.

It was truly a selfish behavior, but no one raised any objections.

‘It’s a waste of Brilly’s talent to marry now. If we wait a little longer, she might achieve something…’

He didn’t recruit Brilly as the captain of the knights for no reason.

Brilly’s swordsmanship was exceptional, and not many knights could face her.

If she grows further from this point, she might well raise her name as the next Sword Saint.

“I wish Brillie hasn’t left yet.”

Lang entered the office harboring a simple wish.

When would he meet a prosecutor like Brillie, a lady of such caliber, again?

That’s why he wanted to hold onto her a bit longer, to leave no regrets.

“If you’re really going to get married, then maybe…”

“Ah, has the next Sword Saint arrived?”

“It’s been a while.”

Lang immediately bowed his head upon facing Cadeon.

Cadeon pointed to a table set aside and headed towards the seat of honor.

“I hope I haven’t called someone too busy.”

“It’s alright. I couldn’t possibly refuse a request from Duke Ilenath.”

“What’s so great about me? You must have come to see my daughter’s face.”

Cadeon felt somewhat relieved having entrusted Brillie to Lang.

No matter how strong his daughter was, the risk of injury followed the moment she went into battle.

But if the next Sword Saint was by her side, her safety was assured.

“I’m asking out of concern, but is my daughter treating you well? She has talent in swordsmanship, but her temperament isn’t exactly calm.”

“That’s not entirely true. She’s quite composed when wielding a sword. She may be a bit impulsive otherwise, but she controls herself well.”

“…Is that so? Then I’m relieved.”

Cadeon had been contemplating his daughter’s marriage for some time.

She couldn’t be left to wield a sword forever.

Soon, she would have to show the conduct befitting a noble lady.

“I’ve heard recently that Brillie’s fiancé has arrived… Is that true?”

“Indeed. My daughter’s fiancé is currently staying at our estate.”

“Does that mean you plan to marry off Brillie soon?”

“Um… That’s not the case. They should get familiar with each other before marrying, shouldn’t they?”

Cadeon lied but maintained his composure.

No one must know that he was planning a political marriage between his daughter and the crown prince.

Of course, the fiancé had already figured it out, but there was no need to disclose that.

“I’m sorry to say this, but… perhaps you could give Brillie a little more time?”

“There’s no need to apologize. But I would like to hear the reason.”

Cadeon did not bother to argue with Lang’s question.

Though he had not yet succeeded to the title, he was a knight called the next Sword Saint.

A person with such qualities and achievements would surely give a valid reason.

“Brillie could reach the same level as me. Perhaps… even surpass it.”

“You’re not one to flatter… Are these your true feelings?”

“If I intended to flatter, I wouldn’t have brought it up. As the next Sword Saint, you can trust my words.”

“…”

Cadeon harbored doubts for a moment as he envisioned another future.

If his daughter were to possess skills comparable to the Sword Saint, she could build her own renown.

Even if she were to receive a similar title, it would only add to the family’s illustrious history.

‘A noble lady with the title of Sword Saint… That would be quite impressive.’

The original goal was to marry his daughter to the crown prince, but even that was uncertain.

For instance, he had to consider the possibility of a sudden change in the line of succession or the crown prince’s untimely death.

Such events were rare, but the slightest possibility meant they had to be taken into account.

‘After all, she went monster hunting just because of a sword; there’s no doubt about her talent and effort.’

Initially, Cadeon had suppressed Brillie’s activities as a swordswoman.

But Brillie persisted, swinging her sword, and eventually, she stepped onto the distant battlefield.

Having proven her skills and earned accolades in the monster subjugation, Cadeon had no choice but to step back.

‘If I try to arrange her marriage now, she’ll create an uproar.’

Cadeon still expressed concern over his daughter’s path.

Despite being a duke’s daughter, she rejected dresses and dedicated herself to honing her swordsmanship, sweating through her practice.

Although she engaged in such bizarre activities, some nobles still showed affection for her.

‘Is there an appeal to a lady who wields a sword?’

After hearing Lang’s opinion, Cadeon began to hesitate.

If he postponed the marriage as Lang suggested, Brillie could grow even more.

And if that captivated the crown prince’s heart, wouldn’t it be all the more perfect?

‘I don’t want to fight with my daughter… Hmm…’

***

Alter preferred walking around the mansion to staying indoors.

This was the capital, and there was no need to be confined inside due to the cold.

In order to improve his frail body, he had to bask in the warm sunlight.

“My body is too cold. It needs to be a bit warmer…”

Alter stroked his left arm and neck, becoming aware of the chilly sensation.

In humans, blood flows through the heart, generating warmth.

But Alter’s body was remarkably cold, and his skin was pale enough to seem ghostly.

“It feels like I’m cursed. Is that why I can’t be healed?”

Caught in a languid mood, Alter slowly closed his eyes.

As he lay quietly buried in the sunlight, sleep seemed to pour over him.

Perhaps the sun had warmed his body, activating the circulation of his blood.

“Maybe the northern lands are harmful to me after all.”

He had suspected as much, but it fit too well.

In the northern lands, he always suffered from the cold, but in the capital, warmth rose even without lighting a fire.

Warmth, the source of life and the beginning of creation, was bound to bring positive results for him as well.

“Maybe I’ll get better if I take my medicine with it…”

Chasing away the overwhelming drowsiness, Alter belatedly noticed someone.

It was a face he hadn’t seen before, not a resident of the duke’s mansion.

It seemed to be a guest, and his presence was notably different.

“I think he might be the male lead…”

Alter watched the stranger for a while, then suddenly their gazes met.

The man observed Alter intently before slowly approaching.

“Good day. I am Lang Kuster, the eldest son of the Count Kuster family.”

Sensing that Alter was of noble birth, Lang immediately extended his hand.

Alter hesitated for a moment, then took his hand.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Alter Radiant, the youngest son of the Grand Duke Radiant family.”

“Ah… You’re the fiancé of Brillié?”

“That’s correct. You must be related to my fiancée?”

“Yes, I am.”

Lang exchanged a light handshake and then released Alter’s hand.

Though brief, he could feel the touch and temperature of the hand.

Especially the warmth of the hand was so distinct that it was etched in his mind.

“…It’s cold. Can it be this cold?”

Lang belatedly remembered that Alter Radiant was known to be frail.

Normally, if one is ill, they naturally develop a high fever.

But Alter Radiant had the opposite effect, and even his complexion seemed to have faded.

“A prince, indeed. Small in stature, but handsome in appearance.”

Lang immediately confirmed his first impression of Alter.

He lacked a masculine aura, but he carried an air of nobility and delicate grace.

Surely, if noble ladies had encountered Alter, they would have given him an inadvertent glance.

“This is why rumors can’t be trusted. I don’t know about the rest, but his appearance is certainly remarkable.”