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

Chapter 32

Brillie immediately drew the dagger and began to inspect it thoroughly.

The hilt fit perfectly in her hand, and the blade was perfectly aligned, not the slightest bit out of shape.

The finishing work was also excellent, indicating that it had been crafted by a skilled blacksmith.

"I'm glad you like it. Since you're a knight, I thought it would be better to give you something you could actually use."

"... You got this custom-made, didn't you?"

Brillie instinctively saw through that fact.

No matter how expensive a weapon might be, there was no way it would fit her hand so exquisitely unless it was crafted specially for her.

And considering it was a birthday present, it was clear it had been obtained in a special way.

"Huh? Ah, yes, that's right."

"You got my measurements from one of the servants, didn't you?"

"Well, rather than figuring them out... I just asked them to make something similar. Since it's Brillie, I figured you normally have custom weapons."

"The color of the blade came out really well. Didn't you spend too much money on this?"

"Since it was just a dagger, it didn't require as many materials as a longsword. And it's a gift—I can't really put a price on that, can I?"

"Still, surely you have many other expenses..."

Brillie voiced her concern, then unconsciously became aware of a faint sensation.

A subtle current of magic power was emanating from the dagger.

Could it be that an elemental attribute had even been imbued into the dagger?

'This is...'

Brillie released a slight amount of her magic power into the dagger.

It seemed to absorb the magic power, and soon enough, a chill began to emanate from it.

Even so, the blade didn't freeze over at all, and simply became covered in a pristine white hue.

"Did you imbue the dagger with magic power?"

"Yes. I thought my magic power might suffice..."

"Why would you do something like that? What if you got hurt?"

Brillie sheathed the dagger and quickly approached Alter.

She grasped both of Alter's hands and for a brief moment checked his temperature.

Alter simply looked at Brillie vacantly, not moving the slightest bit.

"You don't feel exhausted or anything?"

"I'm fine. It's not like I used magic."

"Why do you act on your own accord? Haa..."

Brillie placed a worried hand on Alter's forehead.

As always, both his hands were cold, and she could hardly feel any warmth from his forehead.

Last time, Alter had only ended up coughing blood, but if luck was bad, he might have been seriously injured.

"Really, I'm fine. I didn't strain myself at all."

"You need to look after yourself first. Why are you making such a fuss over a mere dagger?"

"I didn't want to give you something you wouldn't even use. For a birthday present, extra care is required, isn't it?"

"..."

Brillie started to argue but suddenly stopped short.

His indigo eyes had sunk somberly, making her hesitate for a moment.

The mood was already gloomy—should she really press him any further?

"I understand what you mean. But you're making things difficult. I don't ever want to see you collapse again, Alter."

"I'm grateful that you always worry about me, but I think you can rest a little easier. Just staying at the residence has made me much better... and I'll continue to receive treatment. Using a little magic power doesn't cause any trouble."

"Alright. Still, since it's a thoughtful present, I'll accept it gratefully."

Brillie reluctantly nodded and carefully stepped back.

Although Alter had not yet celebrated his coming-of-age ceremony, he often acted more mature than his age.

As his fiancé, perhaps she should try to understand his feelings to some extent.

"... Are you eating properly? Haven't you lost even more weight?"

"I've been eating more little by little. So, I don't think I've lost any weight."

"Your hands are still cold, though. Did you overexert yourself again?"

"My hands have always been cold."

"You seemed to be staggering a little while walking. You're not dizzy, are you?"

"I—I'm fine."

"You're not bleeding or anything?"

"If I were, I wouldn't have made it here."

"The curse hasn't gotten worse, right? Shouldn't you be seeing another priest to get checked?"

"I doubt it would make a difference..."

"They say you met with the Great Mage, right? Did you ask about how to break the curse?"

"..."

Alter looked rather flustered as he met Brillie's gaze.

Her light orange eyes looked at him with intense clarity.

He appreciated her concern, but why did she have to dig so deeply into every detail?

'If something goes wrong even before the engagement is broken, that would be another problem.'

When he had used magic to confront the pureblood vampire previously, that alone had caused a great deal of controversy.

Now, with it revealed that he was cursed, he couldn't help but draw attention in multiple ways.

Perhaps even Duke Illenat was aware of this and staying vigilant.

'I do need to meet with the Great Mage... but I have no idea how it'll turn out.'

Alter had already sent a letter to the Great Mage.

He had soon received a reply promising that once preparations were complete, he would reexamine things.

Even the Great Mage probably couldn't easily erase a curse engraved on a heart.

'Still, if I can find the one who cast the curse...'

If someone had cast the curse, they would surely know how to break it.

Of course, some time had passed, so tracking the caster afterwards might be difficult.

Thus, all he could do was inform his father and wait for good news.

'There's nothing more I can do now; I just have to hope for luck.'

* * *

After finishing dinner and tea time, Brillie quietly returned to her room.

Leisurely conversations, graceful manners, toasts for her birthday, gifts that didn't suit her.

It was the same routine as always, but today, an unusual flutter of excitement was overtaking her.

'He gave me a weapon for the first time.'

The moment she faced the elegantly designed dagger, Brillie was seized by a powerful sensation.

Even without looking directly at the blade, its craftsmanship was clear.

It had undoubtedly been made for real combat, and since it wasn't flashy at all, her anticipation only grew.

'Everyone else only gave perfume, dresses, or jewelry...'

Brillie opened the lid again and peered inside the box.

A dagger, colored gray, was neatly lying there.

As Alter had said, it was probably best suited for use as a secondary weapon.

'To give me something like this as a birthday present... Does he know me that well?'

Involuntarily, Brillie reached out and grasped the dagger.

The solid, rough texture pressed firmly against her fingertips.

And since the hilt was matched to her size, she could wield it comfortably.

'He may look fragile, but he's deep-thinking. He didn't even ask me about my birthday, did he?'

Even when someone brought up presents for her birthday, Brillie couldn't bring herself to say she wanted combat equipment.

She was active as a knight, but she was still a noble lady, and the people around her were rather prejudiced.

Above all, because combat was so closely tied to injury or death, people often considered such gifts inauspicious.

'If he understands how I feel this well... maybe, even after we get married, there won't be any fights.'

Brillie drew the dagger and stared absently at its color.

The silver gleam reflected from the blade shimmered elegantly.

If she imbued it with magic power and struck, she could easily take a life in an instant.

'He could've just given it as it was...'

The moment she imbued the dagger with magic power, a cold white chill immediately flowed from it.

Thanks to Alter's magic power, a freezing attribute had been added to the dagger.

Even many mages couldn't easily imbue elemental attributes, yet Alter had done so effortlessly.

She had expected as much, but in terms of magical talent, he seemed to have reached an unparalleled level.

'He's so thoughtful that sometimes he rushes ahead too much. That's why he got hurt that time too.'

Brillie still couldn't be satisfied about that incident.

She didn't really blame Alter, but from her position, she just felt frustrated.

If only he'd trusted her a little more, maybe she could have protected him and brought him safely back to the mansion.

'If only he corrects things like that, there won't be any problems. I'll just have to work harder.'

Brillie appeared to gaze at the dagger's blade for a while before slipping it back into its sheath.

Even if their engagement were to break, she would be engaged to another noble anyway.

In the end, she would simply be bound by a political marriage to a stranger for whom she had no feelings.

In that case, wouldn't it be better to form a bond with someone she could trust, even a little bit?

'He must know as much as I do. Breaking off the engagement is meaningless.'

Alter surely understood the basic structure of a political marriage.

If he hadn't, he couldn't have spoken of breaking off the engagement at their first meeting.

Moreover, since she'd explained her own situation, he likely had a grasp of the broader interests at stake.

'Could it be... that he dislikes me?'

Brillie asked herself again and again, but couldn't bring herself to answer.

If he'd wanted to keep his distance, he wouldn't have even attempted conversation.

He'd jumped into danger to help her, and had easily given her exactly the birthday present she'd wished for.

Yet, could he still find himself averse to her presence?

'Rather than disliking me, I think he just finds this situation itself distasteful.'

Alter had indeed responded as if he were reluctantly going along with a political marriage.

It was a matter bound up with his family, and he had no real choice in the matter.

That would naturally make him uncomfortable with his marriage partner, and worried for his future.

To make matters worse, his health had deteriorated, so he may have tried to reassure himself by suggesting a break-up of the engagement.

'He said he trusted me, but he can't trust everyone.'

No matter how earnest she was, Alter couldn't rid himself of doubts.

Because he was weak, he was easy to use, and if anyone came at him forcefully, he wouldn't be able to resist.

That fear was ingrained in him from birth, the pressure of his family, and also his distrust of himself.

'He couldn't help but become prematurely mature. It must be terrifying.'

The grand duke's house couldn't protect Alter for his whole life.

The current northern grand duke would eventually pass away, and the title would go to the successor.

Since Alter was not the successor, he would eventually be pushed aside in some way.

So he sought to create value through a political marriage, but perhaps even that felt empty to him.

'I need to give him trust. Only then... can he accept marriage.'