The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

9

“…?”

Alter watched in a daze, overwhelmed with confusion.

He had only intended to show how frail his body was.

But contrary to what he expected, Brillie had gripped his hand tightly.

“It’s really cold. I’ve never seen a hand this cold before…”

Brillie felt the sensation fully, her eyes reflecting a poignant sadness.

Her own warmth was not enough to counteract the coldness.

Instead, she could only sense her own hands beginning to be permeated by the chill.

‘So that’s why he said that.’

Brillie slowly pondered over the words Alter had told her.

You shouldn’t have dreams, it’s overwhelming just to stay alive, I don’t want to deny what’s wrong.

Having wandered on the brink of death several times, it must have been his instinct to protect himself.

‘How has he lived all this time?’

For Brillie, it was impossible to even guess at the life Alter had led.

If it had been a curable illness, action would have been taken long ago.

But with nothing to be done, he must have consistently suffered through a desolate pain.

“It must have been very hard for you.”

Alter remained silent, unable to utter a word.

Precisely, he couldn’t decide how to respond.

It was all too sudden, and she still hadn’t let go of his hand.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Ah… No, I’m not. The weather is quite pleasant compared to the northern regions.”

“Are you eating properly?”

“I always make sure to eat well.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. Do you leave food uneaten?”

“Uh… I do leave some often.”

“So, you’re not eating well?”

From noble mtl dot come

“I do eat, but…”

“If you’re leaving food, then you’re not eating well, right?”

“If you see it that way, then yes, I’m not eating well.”

“Are you sleeping well?”

“I believe I sleep fairly well.”

“You don’t have insomnia or wake up frequently, do you?”

“Uh… Sometimes I do wake up.”

Without realizing it, Alter found himself responding to each question.

He should have lied, but contrary to his thoughts, only the truth came out.

Perhaps he was swept away by Brillié’s forceful approach.

“Are you really okay? You could collapse like this.”

“I’ve improved a lot compared to before. My appetite has increased a bit… and I wake up less often.”

“Is that why you said you couldn’t marry me?”

“That would be a marriage of convenience…”

“Don’t talk about marriages of convenience. There’s no noble who doesn’t engage in them. Right now, I’m asking about your thoughts.”

“My thoughts are no different. If we marry as things stand, both sides will only be unhappy.”

Alter glanced down at his right hand, following the faint warmth.

Two hands, toughened by swordsmanship, were clasped over his.

From the faint calluses, he could sense Brillié’s efforts and passion.

“I’m not sure if we’ll end up breaking off the engagement, but until then, I wish you’d show a bit more spirit. You are my fiancé, aren’t you?”

“…”

“And don’t you dare speak weakly in front of me. I might really get angry.”

“Even if you say so, my stance remains unchanged.”

“Ah, right. One last thing I want to say.”

Brillie carefully bent her body and then approached Alter’s ear.

Alter tensed for a moment but had no choice but to quietly accept her action.

“Trying to act like an adult when you’re younger than me? Do you want to be scolded by your elder sister?”

“…?”

Alter turned his gaze carefully amidst the silence.

Beyond the neatly combed black hair, amber eyes were shining.

And with the scent of perfume wafting through the air, he couldn’t help but keep his mouth shut.

“You think too much. I won’t ask you to do anything, so just stay as you are. That’s all you need to do.”

Brillie recited cheerfully and then slowly pulled her face away.

It was the most important thing she wanted to say to Alter, and it was also the resolve she had carved out for herself.

She didn’t want to put such a pitiful prince through any hardship.

“How about taking a walk with me today? It’s been a while since we’ve had a stroll.”

“Uh… Okay.”

It was only then that Brillie let go of Alter’s hand and spoke to him with honorifics.

She had many grievances about the upcoming marriage, but she wanted to treat Alter as a separate issue.

Alter, too, had followed the will of his family just like her and was even pessimistic about his own situation.

‘I’ll think about the marriage later… I need to figure out what to do with this one first.’

***

Alter returned to his room after walking outside with Brillie, having not engaged in any serious conversation, just exchanging trivial words.

But he couldn’t help feeling that this situation was far too different from what he had planned.

‘Why are they doing this? If I lower myself a bit, shouldn’t they be squeezing in?’

Alter was puzzled and yet couldn’t find the reason.

No one would accept his existence, so he must be excluded somehow.

But why did all three of them not shy away from him?

“I’m frail and can’t do much. Why are you treating someone who came for an arranged marriage so well?”

There was no reason to be ignored based on status alone.

If anything, one shouldn’t act rudely but rather accommodate appropriately.

Yet, the three of them only showed composed reactions despite these conditions.

“Annulments aren’t rare… Shouldn’t one be greedy for romance?”

Alter sighed deeply, shaking his head.

The knight commander and the butler were among the more virtuous male leads.

Even Brillié, driven by clear goals, wasn’t particularly obsessive or malicious.

Perhaps, in some way, his intentions were misconstrued by the three.

“Still, when the female lead is involved, everyone seems to rush in…”

He was certain of at least that much.

In the genre of romance fantasy, the female lead inevitably captures all the male leads’ attention.

Thus, the male leads are bound to clash, and the female lead gets swept up in the midst of it all.

“Would it have been better to stay quiet?”

Alter pondered deeply, then dismissed the thought.

Without initiating change, one cannot achieve the desired outcome.

Had he not spoken up, he wouldn’t have softened their competitive spirit.

“Better to garner sympathy, at least.”

Being Brillié’s fiancé alone would incite intense reactions from the male leads.

From their perspective, no matter how desperately they struggle, they can’t overcome someone who’s already engaged.

Therefore, if he gives them hope for an annulment, naturally, their hostility towards him would disappear.

“Should I call the prince now?”

Meeting the prince now wouldn’t be easy.

The prince is always busy, and during that, he must naturally encounter Brillié.

In other words, he must hasten that process, entangling many complex elements.

“No, I mustn’t act hastily. A misstep could ruin everything.”

Alter was already drawing variables into existence by his mere presence.

Things were messy enough; excessive meddling could lead to an unmanageable situation.

Once done, it can’t be undone, so perhaps it’s better to watch quietly for now.

“Even if I annul the engagement now, that would pose its own problems.”

Currently, I only have eyes for the annulment, but I have no plans for what comes after.

If I were to guess, my father would undoubtedly arrange another engagement with a noble lady.

Perhaps he might even skip the engagement and go straight to the wedding.

‘This is a no-win situation.’

As long as I carry the bloodline of a noble family, I cannot escape a marriage of convenience.

Of course, there’s the option to flee from the family, but that would bring considerable burden upon Alter.

With my frail body, I wouldn’t last long on my own.

‘Maybe it would be better to just go through with the marriage.’

In the end, the fact that I’ll marry a noble lady remains unchanged.

At least with Brillié, I know a lot about her, so there might be fewer clashes.

But as long as Duke Ilenath stands firm, an annulment is inevitable.

‘Still, with the male leads being such a nuisance… an annulment would be the right choice, wouldn’t it?’

***

Lang was holed up in his office, poring over a file.

When you’re in charge of a group, you can’t escape paperwork.

Requests for cooperation from the police or the guard, summons from nobles or merchants, escort missions for certain events, emergency dispatches.

With both major and minor incidents rampant within the capital, the knights had to respond on multiple fronts.

‘There’s always the option to throw it all away and head to the frontier…’

Lang pondered briefly before flipping through the file.

In the end, nothing really changes even if you fight on the battlefield.

The dangerous beasts have been annihilated, and only the riffraff linger near the border.

If one truly wishes to challenge their limits, they must compete with the strong within the empire.

‘I need to stay here to cross swords with the Sword Saint…’

With a short knock, the office door opened.

Brillié entered naturally and took a seat.

Lang glanced at Brillié and then spoke first.

“You’re back quickly.”

“Ah… There was no need to go. There was a thief inside the merchant guild.”

“Was it an inside job?”

Lang put the file on the desk and stood up.

I granted a vacation on purpose, with the intention of taking care of my fiancé.

Having just finished an urgent task, perhaps now I can ask about it.

“Have you gotten closer to your fiancé?”

“Um… Well, it’s a bit difficult.”

“You didn’t spend the vacation doing something else, did you?”

“What are you talking about? I did try my best.”

Brillie showed a strange expression while making excuses.

I tried talking to Alter or moving together occasionally.

But the distance didn’t close, and instead, an awkward atmosphere lingered.

“The capital must be unfamiliar to you, having lived elsewhere for so long.”

“It’s more that he belittles himself too much. He knows he’s being used for a political marriage.”

“It must be related to his poor health. When I shook his hand briefly, it was cold.”

“Yes, I know. A person’s body should naturally be warm…”

Brillie couldn’t continue, showing a bitter look in his eyes.

He had been frail since birth and had never achieved even a small goal.

Perhaps that’s why he became cynical, giving up hope in life.

‘It’s pitiful… but why did Duke Ilenath pursue such a political marriage?’

Lang couldn’t help but feel sorry for Alter’s plight, yet he couldn’t shake off his doubts.

No matter how much the family’s power and prestige mattered, the choice of marriage partner seemed poor.

Duke Ilenath couldn’t be that foolish; there must be another purpose.

‘Could it be that he’s discarding the Grand Duke’s family? If he’s aiming higher… only the royal family remains.’