The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

5

***

Alter was guided to his assigned room and took a quick look around.

The ambiance of the room was comfortable, and it seemed quite spacious for living alone.

His belongings were neatly placed on one side, and there was nothing particularly amiss.

“I will help you with your luggage.”

The maids moved to action even before Alter could ask.

Perhaps the butler had given the orders, so they were prepared quickly.

Alter hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“Shall we start with the clothes?”

“Understood.”

Alter pointed to each suitcase, directing where things should be moved.

Simultaneously, the maids moved swiftly, lifting items out of the bags.

They weren’t too heavy, so there was no need to call for a servant.

‘Is this the thoroughness of a Ducal family?’

Alter carefully observed the maids at work, cautiously making way for them.

Duke Ilenath must be well aware of his own physical condition.

It was clear he intended to avoid any strain or injury that could befall his body.

‘I hinted at cooperation with the annulment… He should handle it well.’

Alter had deliberately mentioned the annulment to Duke Ilenath.

Though expressed indirectly, the Duke was sharp enough to grasp the implication.

Above all, Alter wanted a tranquil stay in the mansion, hence the early resolution.

‘Now, my task is to extract the prince and pair him with the heroine.’

Alter had not forgotten this goal up to this point.

Without Duke Ilenath taking the lead, an annulment with the female lead was impossible.

Even if the prince didn’t immediately wish to marry the heroine, he should at least harbor some romantic interest.

‘The problem is how to extract the prince.’

According to the original story, the heroine encounters the prince early on.

But their meeting was merely formal, as royalty and nobility, with little emotional exchange.

To consider marriage, the story would have to progress well into the middle.

‘And… extracting the prince too early could introduce variables.’

This was Alter’s greatest concern, an area beyond prediction.

Without the original story unfolding as expected, the outcomes were unpredictable.

Of course, his very survival was a variable, but did that mean he should accept death?

‘In the end, if they’re just playing hard to get, does it really matter?’

Alter didn’t take the existence of variables too seriously.

Had the original genre been pure fantasy, perhaps he would have been more earnest.

But based on romance fantasy, life-threatening battles were almost non-existent.

The real danger might come from fistfights between male leads or battles of pride stemming from authority.

‘Are the captain of the knights and the butler around the heroine now?’

Since the original story was just beginning, antagonists were inevitable.

As the plot progressed, other male leads would appear.

Among them, two were particularly noteworthy.

‘Those two are a bit dangerous. Even as male leads, they’re too willful.’

A phantom thief, a vampire.

To put it fancily, he’s a phantom thief, but in reality, he’s nothing but a burglar.

No matter how stunning a vampire’s beauty may be, in the end, it’s just a monster.

Getting involved with these two could bring considerable harm to the female protagonist.

“I think I need to bring in another male lead to keep them in check…”

Alter had never considered stepping in himself.

He could barely take care of his own body, let alone face off against a male lead.

It would be better to exploit the competition among the male leads.

“A knight commander and a butler should be manageable.”

At least these male leads harbored pure feelings for the female protagonist.

They would be willing to help at any time and had the right amount of force.

Of course, if things escalated to extremes, he was prepared to throw himself into the fray.

“The crown prince is… um… somewhat ambiguous.”

Alter didn’t have much expectation for the crown prince.

He only approached him as a precondition for breaking off the engagement with the female protagonist.

The crown prince hardly showed his emotions, making it difficult to discern his true state.

“I should meet with the female lead first and share my thoughts.”

Staying at the Duke of Ilenat’s mansion meant an inevitable encounter with the fiancé.

There might be discomfort between them, but the relationship had to be maintained until the engagement was broken.

Therefore, it was necessary to sort out each other’s positions in advance to avoid disputes.

“If I explain it properly, she should understand.”

***

Brillie entered the drawing room, dressed in a suit.

Despite her father’s instructions to wear a dress, she didn’t want to comply.

As a prosecutor and deputy commander of the knights, she had to present herself accordingly.

“I can’t marry like this. There’s still so much I haven’t achieved.”

Brillie quietly took her seat and waited for her fiancé to arrive.

She didn’t want to waste her life on something as trivial as marriage.

As a prosecutor, she could reach higher realms, so how could she give up that opportunity?

“I can regain the title on my own.”

After all, Brillie had no intention of inheriting the dukedom.

After all, my father already had an eldest son who could lead the family well.

Besides, I detested bothersome tasks, and my role was already decided.

‘What I need now is…’

Brillie inadvertently reacted to the sound of the door opening.

A strange man was entering the drawing room with a maid.

I had heard about my fiancé in a general sense, but he seemed a bit different from what I had expected.

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

“Uh… I am Brillie Elenate, the second daughter of the Elenate Duchy.”

Brillie hesitated for a moment before belatedly introducing herself.

Given his frailty, I had assumed he would be more feeble.

However, he didn’t look that emaciated; he was just slightly smaller in stature.

‘Why is his skin so pale? Are all people from the northern territories like this?’

Brillie couldn’t take her eyes off Alter, feeling a sense of dissonance.

His neatly tied white hair, his clear yet bright sky-blue eyes, his somber yet serene demeanor.

He was nothing short of a prince, and if anything, he exuded an even more refined aura.

‘Is this a man? Why does he look so delicate?’

Brillie couldn’t accept the appearance of her fiancé and kept questioning it.

It contrasted too much with her own pursuit of the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Especially since most knights were men, it felt all the more peculiar.

‘Strange. Too strange. Did he come to the wrong place…’

“What’s the matter? Is there a problem?”

“Huh? No, it’s not that… “

Brillie quickly mumbled, averting her gaze.

It seemed she had stared too much during their first meeting.

And she couldn’t think of a plausible excuse.

“Is it because I look young? Certainly, I don’t give off the same vibe as others.”

“Uh… It’s just that you’re a bit different from what I had imagined.”

Brillie cautiously shifted her gaze after coming up with an excuse.

Alter took her words calmly and slowly nodded.

“I can understand. Being young and frail, it must not be easy to accept.”

Alter could somewhat discern Brillie’s thoughts.

Despite the myriad of tasks that already demanded his attention, the last thing he wanted was to marry a noble who had traveled from afar.

From noble mtl dot come

Moreover, with his body in such a frail state, he couldn’t help but feel reluctant to face her as a man.

“It’s a marriage arranged by our families, after all. Both my fiancée and I are merely following along, aren’t we?”

“That is true.”

“I don’t wish to cause any trouble during my stay here. Since it would be uncomfortable for both of us, why don’t we take some time to sort out our thoughts?”

While maintaining his composure, Alter was acutely aware of Brillie’s presence.

Of course, Brillie, as a noble, would try to maintain her dignity, but once crossed, she wouldn’t hesitate to lash out.

That’s why he had to preemptively withdraw and calm her emotions.

“Are you saying… you don’t want to get married?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but rather that I think I shouldn’t. You’re already aware of my physical condition, aren’t you?”

“What? Oh, I’ve heard a bit about it.”

“With this body, I’m incapable of doing anything. Let alone producing an heir… even handling simple tasks is challenging.”

“…”

Brillie swallowed her silence, merely glancing around inadvertently.

Her fiancé was earnestly explaining the conditions given to him.

With such a direct approach from the start, it was impossible to nitpick the details.

“I’m not sure what you think, but I’m also considering the possibility of breaking off the engagement. Surely there are other nobles with better prospects than me.”

“Um… well… it’s not unheard of.”

“Just as you said, it’s not unheard of. So, perhaps it would be best for my fiancée to wait and see? We’re not getting married right away, and I don’t wish to be greedy.”

Having perfectly concluded, Alter finally closed his mouth.

He deliberately downplayed himself while suggesting another possibility.

With such manners, Brillie couldn’t possibly treat him rashly.

‘I won’t clash with the heroine now…’

“Excuse me. I’ve been listening all this while, but why do you speak like that?”

“… Pardon?”

“Even if it’s a marriage you don’t want, shouldn’t you present a confident front in front of your fiancée?”

“…?”

In that moment, Alter was caught in a sudden silence, locking eyes with Brillie.

Her amber eyes seemed to pierce through his heart, sparkling intensely.

She must have explained it kindly enough, so why such a reaction all of a sudden?

“You may not be perfect, but you could say, ‘I can do well, I’ll prove it with results,’ couldn’t you?”

“That’s not incorrect, but…”

“Why do you keep trying to avoid it? You should stand up boldly and claim what’s yours. Aren’t you the scion of the Northern Duke? You say you’ve been enduring the cold, guarding the frontier, haven’t you?”

“…”

“I’m not getting married because I want to either. But hearing you talk, I can’t just let it slide. If you lack such spirit, women won’t like you!”

“Even if I don’t marry…”

“Are you going to live alone forever? Haven’t you ever thought about trying something? Even if you’re not well, can’t you still have dreams?”

Brillie found herself nagging Alter without realizing it.

At first, she let it be, but now she couldn’t just listen quietly.

After all, if he was her fiancé, shouldn’t he at least show some firm resolve?

‘I can’t stand to see him so pitiful. It just weakens my resolve.’