The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

20

***

A shadow flickered in and out of existence.

The sunlight streaming down the alleyway beckoned its presence.

Of course, sunlight was lethal to vampires, and prolonged exposure could lead to their instant demise.

However, this being was the most noble of vampires, already possessing a resistance to sunlight.

“Ah… Have I been discovered?”

The man ran for a while before belatedly leaning against a wall.

He caught his breath and soon found himself entangled in a faint thirst.

He had finally found the blood that could satisfy him, yet he couldn’t recklessly touch it.

“So they say delicious blood isn’t easy to come by…”

The vampire wandered in the darkness, blood being his staple.

He could devour any blood, but if taste was considered, beasts and monsters were to be avoided.

Only human blood offered the ultimate flavor, and the younger it was, the richer the concentration.

“Now I understand. I can’t endure without consuming that human’s blood.”

The man vividly remembered the words spoken by his vampire ancestors.

A pureblood vampire, by birthright, craves the destined blood.

Until he drinks enough to be satisfied, he cannot escape his fate, suffering from thirst until the brink of death.

“You were my destiny… Heh heh heh…”

The pureblood vampire, Aner Kinesien, chuckled sinisterly as he tilted his head.

Unable to suppress his devout desire, he had come this far, only to finally confront the blood of destiny.

Now, if only he could feast on that blood, he would be freed from this thirst.

“I’ll meet you soon. I can’t leave without consuming your blood.”

***

This time, Alter visited Brillié’s room in person.

Brillié harbored doubts about his actions but didn’t show it.

Just as she had done, Alter, as her fiancé, could take the initiative to approach.

“Has there been any trouble in your absence?”

“What’s there to call work? It’s always the same.”

“…”

Alter asked Brillie without hesitation as soon as they met.

If his suspicions were correct, a pureblood vampire would be trailing Brillie.

Eager to indulge in Brillie’s blood to satisfy the painful craving.

‘Is he deliberately hiding something from me?’

Alter felt a strange sense of alienation in Brillie’s voice.

It should have been more confident and filled with a firm will.

But the voice seemed slightly blurred, leading him to believe something was being concealed.

“… If you think you’re facing a tough situation, it would be wise to seek help from the next Sword Saint.”

“Our leader would be able to help, if, of course, a difficult situation arises.”

Brillie answered nonchalantly, then hastily added an excuse.

So far, he had only discovered that someone was tailing him.

It could be a vampire or a werewolf, but that was mere speculation.

However, considering he had been followed for days, the possibility was not low.

“Is there really nothing wrong?”

Alter asked seriously, with a steely gaze.

Of course, with Brillie’s skills, he could face a pureblood vampire alone.

But he wouldn’t be ambushed alone, and after all, he was assigned the role of the male protagonist.

Eventually, the original content would be reproduced, but since it was a stark reality, he couldn’t help but worry a bit.

“Is that so… But why do you ask all of a sudden?”

“You seem a bit tired. I was wondering if you might be having a hard time.”

Alter lied calmly while envisioning a faint future.

Brillie’s power was overwhelming, and even the next Sword Saint acknowledged his swordsmanship.

But Brillie disliked relying on others, so he wouldn’t seek help unless necessary.

“Really? I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing wrong. I’m not particularly tired either.”

Brillie replied gently, with a soft smile.

He couldn’t trouble his fiancé over such a trivial matter.

If it was that noticeable, perhaps it was time to wrap up this case quickly.

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself? Give me your hand.”

Alter hesitated for a moment, then offered his left hand.

Brillie had always tried to touch his hand whenever they met.

It was precisely to measure the temperature of his hand, and each time, similar words would follow.

“Look at this. It’s incredibly cold. Shouldn’t we bring a brazier or something?”

“When I had a cold, it felt a bit warm, but now there’s no difference. It does get better in the sunlight, though.”

“Really? Then we should go out and bask in the sun now.”

“I already went for a walk earlier…”

“It’s not like you have to do it only once a day, right?”

“Still, doing it more than twice is…”

“Then three times it is.”

“…”

“Walking together might be a bit less boring, right? Come on, I’ll keep you company, let’s go outside.”

As Brillie stood up first, Alter reluctantly followed.

Indeed, there was no reason to arbitrarily set the number of walks.

If his stamina allowed, it would be better to get more sunlight.

His condition was improving little by little, so maybe it was okay to move around a bit more diligently.

‘Do I get too much attention…? He seems to treat other male leads normally.’

Alter glanced at Brillie cautiously, wondering.

Being frail was a clear disadvantage, and since he was younger than Brillie, he couldn’t show off his masculine charm.

Even if he was exceptionally handsome, that was a trait shared with the other male protagonists.

In comparison, he seemed relatively inferior, so perhaps he should be a bit wary.

‘If it’s out of pity, I guess I could understand…’

Alter pondered for a moment, then cleared his mind.

Regardless, the crown prince had shown interest in Brillie, so an annulment was inevitable.

Until their relationship was sorted out, he would have to go along with it.

‘I’ll just think of it as a short break. I have my own life to live, right?’

***

After that day, Aner gave up following Brillie around.

It might have been a simple mistake, but if she had noticed his presence, she would trace it back to him eventually.

Then, for now, I should leave it be and strike at the decisive moment.

‘I know the places she frequents. Now, all I need to do is wait for an opening.’

Aner intuitively sensed that Brillié was strong.

Her inherent magical power was extraordinary, and from that aura, a domineering current flowed.

If he were to confront Brillié as is, he might be the one to fall first.

‘It’s dangerous to go alone. We stand a chance if we attack together.’

Of course, if a vampire were to ambush, an ordinary human would perish in an instant.

Even more so, a pureblood vampire could give even the most skilled a hard time.

But the target he had set his sights on had surpassed those standards, necessitating the call for other vampires.

‘If only the underlings could take the brunt of the attack…’

Aner was willing to abandon even his own kind.

After all, they were just half-breeds, and for his sake, their lives should also be expendable.

Vampires have always been passed down as purebloods, so it wouldn’t be strange for half-breeds to be sacrificed at any time.

‘You have to drink the blood while they’re alive. Once dead, the taste deteriorates.’

Aner unconsciously flicked his tongue, savoring the anticipation.

He had drunk plenty of blood before, but never had he been so filled with anticipation.

To inhale the scent of her flesh and gulp down her blood would surely plunge him into unparalleled bliss.

“Grr… How much longer must I wait? I want to tear into that flesh. Surely, sweet blood will flow!”

Consumed by desire, Aner gazed at the Duke’s mansion.

He could move even during the day, but the half-breed vampires were vulnerable to sunlight.

So, an ambush must be made in the dead of night, yet that woman only emerges from the mansion when the sun is up.

And if he were to enter the mansion, he would have to fight countless humans, which might endanger his own life even more.

“Hah… Ah… Stupid fools… This is why half-breeds are useless…”

Aner was in constant conflict between desire and reason.

He wanted to drink the blood right now.

But if he were to rush in recklessly, not only the half-breeds but also he himself might get hurt.

If he couldn’t suppress his desire now, the lineage of purebloods would be severed.

“Be patient… Just wait a little longer, and the opportunity will come…”

With great effort, Aner pushed back the intense craving and clenched his teeth.

Between them, his fangs trembled faintly.

I’m certain that if we don’t settle this here, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.

“I will have it. Definitely…”

***

Brillie searched for a while for any signs of being followed, but there was no trace to be found.

It was as if the tracker had vanished to avoid being pursued.

This gave her some sense of safety, yet she was not completely off guard.

‘Should I have brought a soldier with me?’

Brillie regretted it a little too late, glancing sideways.

Alter was slowly walking around, examining suits and fabrics.

They had gone out together to buy a new suit, and without an escort, Brillie couldn’t help but worry.

‘Having soldiers around can be inconvenient. But it’s our first outing together…’

“Which one do you think looks better, Miss Brillie?”

From noble mtl dot come

“Hmm… I prefer the darker shades.”

“Then let’s go with this one. The buttons look quite nice too.”

“Aren’t you choosing something too cheap? Try something a bit more expensive.”

“I wasn’t thinking about the price…”

“Isn’t this one better? Look here. The stitching and seams are different.”

“…”

Eventually, Alter couldn’t stand up to Brillie’s insistence and accepted her choice.

After all, it was Brillie who was buying the clothes, so he couldn’t be too picky.

Besides, she had taken the initiative to take him out, so it seemed right to follow her lead.

“It’s gotten dark already. We must have been out for too long.”

“We should be fine if we leave now.”

Alter left the shopping district with Brillie.

It was still unclear whether Brillie had encountered the pureblood vampire yet.

If they hadn’t met by now, an ambush in the dead of night was likely.

‘In the original work, Brillie was attacked when she was alone. There are still people around, so…’

Alter cautiously kept an eye on his surroundings as he approached the carriage.

Despite the setting sun, an attack was unlikely under the current circumstances.

Perhaps Brillie had already fought the pureblood vampire and was acting as if nothing had happened.

“If Brillié’s personality is anything to go by, there would be more than enough… What’s this?”

Alter felt a chilling presence and stopped in his tracks.

His talent for magic allowed him to precisely detect external magical forces.

Moreover, the alien and ominous energy was transmitted so clearly that he immediately grasped its identity.

“Is a pureblood vampire attempting a surprise attack right now?”