The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Wants to Break Off the Engagement

Although clearly troubled, Alter nevertheless calmly reviewed the contents of the original story.

First of all, the pureblood vampire was not given much prominence in the original, and often ended up in combat against Brillie. In other words, even if he was the male lead, to Brillie he was still a distinctly threatening presence. Wouldn't it be better for Brillie's safety if he simply died here and now?

'Would there be any problem if the vampire simply didn't exist?'

As Alter pondered deeply, a sense of doubt arose within him. The pureblood vampire definitely had points of contact with Brillie, and even some emotional exchanges were depicted. However, the fact that he sought Brillie's blood never changed, and even those exchanges stemmed from pity and alienation. Overall, he only served to trouble Brillie. Was it really okay to just leave him be as the male lead?

'Now that I think about it, it seems Brillie is the only one losing out...'

"Um... since when have you been able to use magic?"

Brillie, after a brief hesitation, asked cautiously. Even Alter's own father did not know that he could use magic. In other words, nothing about it had been relayed from the Northern Grand Duke. Of course, it was possible that Alter had hidden it from the Northern Grand Duke as well, so she couldn't jump to conclusions.

"I was originally planning to keep it a secret. As you can see, my body can't withstand it. I didn't want to give others false hope."

"Ah..."

Only then did Brillie understand Alter's psychology. If word got out that a son of the grand ducal house had a talent for magic, the social circles would be abuzz with interest. If those around him kept urging Alter on, he would constantly find himself in troublesome situations. And if, forced to use magic, he collapsed, he'd have to endure all sorts of rumors.

"You're probably curious why I even used magic in the first place?"

"Was it because you didn't trust me? It's not like you don't know my abilities..."

"It wasn't that I doubted your skills. But... I was there beside you. In that situation, you could've gotten hurt trying to protect me."

"..."

Brillie started to say something, then gave up. She hadn't even swung her sword at the monsters, yet still put worry and anxiety before confidence. If he had even a bit more faith in her, maybe he wouldn't have collapsed, coughing up blood. Why couldn't he have waited until she stepped forward?

"If I use magic, I can attack from a distance. But if you wield a sword, you have to get close to the enemy. You were at more risk than me, Brillie. Do you still think I was wrong?"

"You think I didn't consider all that? If you'd just waited a little, I would've handled it."

"And if you got hurt? Or worse, if you died, what am I supposed to do? Just blame myself?"

"That's..."

Brillie couldn't quite accept those words, but she also couldn't deny them outright. From Alter's perspective, the idea that it was dangerous must've instinctively come to mind. Feeling he couldn't just rely on her, he must've reluctantly intervened.

"I won't insist that I did the right thing. But you weren't hurt, and all I did was spend three days bedridden. Isn't that enough?"

"So it's fine as long as I'm not hurt? Someone else can collapse, coughing up blood? Why did you decide that by yourself?"

"The situation was urgent..."

"Shouldn't you be even more careful if you know the state of your own body? What if you die next time? You think I'll feel better seeing something like that?"

"..."

Only now did Alter fall silent and lower his gaze. From Brillie's perspective, she couldn't easily accept that decision. She probably hadn't realized that not only was the pureblood vampire after her blood, but also the number of enemies she had to face had increased beyond the original story. On top of that, because her skill was so overwhelming, she never even considered the possibility of defeat.

"Don't do that again next time. I thought you were really going to die."

Brillie gazed at him with gloomy eyes and spoke slowly. Even if she got hurt a little, she could quickly recover. But Alter—her own fiancé—could have even a small wound threaten his life. He should cherish his body all the more, yet forced himself to act so recklessly.

"Yes. I'll be more careful next time."

"You should stay in bed today. It'd be terrible if your condition worsened."

"But I can move just fin—"

"Stay in bed. Understood?"

"..."
Alter faltered for a second but then nodded. Brillie was glaring at him coldly. If he didn't listen, she might drag him back to bed by force.

'This is a bit of a problem... What should I say to Duke Illenat?'

* * *

Cadeon felt somewhat relieved when he heard that Alter had awakened. If he hadn't woken up, a conflict with the Northern Grand Duke would've been inevitable. If things worsened, the emperor himself would have had to step in to mediate between him and the Northern Grand Duke.

'Nothing I could really say about it. He got like that trying to protect my daughter...'

Lost in thought, Cadeon stopped in front of Alter's room. He'd never heard of the youngest son of the grand ducal house being able to use magic. What's more, it had happened while out with his own daughter who was ambushed; it would be hard even to lay blame.

'Still, I heard the level of his magic is high, right? He must be talented.'

Cadeon knocked slowly, then entered the room. He had already collected a full account of the incident and its outcome through his connections. A mage who examined the incident site had given their opinion, so there was a fair amount of credibility.

"Oh... you're here?"

Brillie, sitting by the bed, recognized Cadeon first. Alter tried belatedly to raise himself but Cadeon quickly waved him back down.

"Stay as you are. I just came by for a moment."

"Ah, yes..."

"Brillie. I'd appreciate it if you could give us a moment alone."

"... I'll wait outside."

Brillie wanted to protest and ask what he wanted to say behind her back, but this time she chose to comply quietly. She felt responsible for Alter's injury. There was no need to provoke conflict or even get into a quarrel with her father.

"How's your condition?"

"Much better. Honestly, I could move around, but was told to stay in bed a bit longer, so that's what I'm doing."

"It's best to listen to that advice. If anything's aggravated, neither of us will like the outcome."

"... That's true."

Alter was well aware of Cadeon's concern. If something happened to him, a confrontation with the Northern Grand Duke would be inevitable. He was doing his best to avoid any controversy.

"I'm not going to say anything more about this incident. You and Brillie couldn't have helped it."

"Thank you for understanding."

"In return, I want you to be honest with me. How much have you learned about magic?"

"Should I say I learned? I just read books, but I've barely ever used it in practice."

"So, you discovered you could use it, and did it on the spot?"

"Yes. I believed my fiancé wouldn't be caught in the effect of my magic."

"..."

Cadeon kept silent, but couldn't completely accept it. As he said, Brillie hadn't been affected by Alter's magic in any way. Yet, he had cast a wide-area spell, which meant he must have exercised tremendous precision.

"Should you not be using magic?"

"My condition is better than before; I thought I could last a bit. But...the outcome wasn't good."

"There are levels to magic. Didn't you push yourself too hard?"

"I think that's why I couldn't wake up for three days. I used it because I just wanted to survive."

"Mmm..."

Cadeon compared everything Alter had said and finally understood. Alter was highly gifted in magic, but his weak body imposed just as many constraints. That's why he'd avoided using magic but, when confronted by the monsters, was forced to give it everything he had. The burden was so immense he remained unconscious for three days.

"So, you had no choice? If my daughter fought to protect you, it would've been tough."

"I thought collapsing briefly was better than letting my fiancé be hurt."

"Hmm... So that's how it happened."

Cadeon quietly looked at Alter for a while before sighing. Though the event had caused him quite a bit of trouble, there was no clear right or wrong. He figured he'd have to explain things well to the Northern Grand Duke.

"Duke Illenat, what would you think of just letting this matter drop?"

"... You mean keeping it from the Grand Duke Radiant?"

"This isn't anyone's fault. My fiancé and I were just unlucky. I don't want to trouble you, either, Duke Illenat."

"It can't be hidden forever. Anyone who needs to know probably already does... Sooner or later, the Grand Duke Radiant will find out."

Cadeon didn't want to unnecessarily inflame matters. If you want to keep something hidden, you should ensure you're never found out. If that isn't possible, it's best to announce it as soon as possible to prevent any misunderstandings.

"I'll take care of it. You just focus on your recovery."

"... Understood. Ah, and please don't blame my fiancé. I acted on my own, and she hasn't done anything wrong."

"How could I scold her? My daughter is suffering even more over this."

"..."

Alter accepted the meaning behind those words with humility. Brillie had probably already told Cadeon about what happened that day. Having admitted it was her own fault, Cadeon might have just quietly listened.

"Well, I'll be off then."

Cadeon got up without further questioning. Since it was an issue caused by Brillie and her fiancé, it was something he had to bear. It was a marriage for the benefit of the family and contingent on negotiations with the Northern Grand Duke.

"... One last thing I must ask. Do you have feelings for my daughter?"

Cadeon, reaching for the doorknob, turned back to face him. Alter was flustered for a moment, but answered calmly.

"I do not harbor romantic feelings. I just... regard her as my fiancé."

"I see."

Only then did Cadeon open the door and leave into the corridor. Brillie glanced at Cadeon and immediately went back inside.

'... Did he take responsibility out of duty then? But I doubt that's all.'

Cadeon stepped forward, doubts lingering in his mind. Even a sense of responsibility can arise from love. If you love or want to be loved, you'll do anything.

'Love... it springs up before you realize, and even after you realize, it doesn't go away.'

Cadeon too had loved as a man once. But it was a fleeting emotion, in the end yielding to reality and inheriting the title of duke. He regretted that choice and blamed himself, but now even that was nothing more than a faded memory.

'I should reconsider the engagement. Who knows? Maybe things will change a little because of that love.'

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Damn, Duke Cadeon is a shipper now???
Also, there's something interesting with Duke Cadeon's backstory...
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