Although Alter had become fairly familiar with the structure of the mansion, he didn't go out of his way to examine it in detail. For now, he was in the position of a guest living off the household, and someone was certainly watching him. Besides, the duke's mansion was quite spacious, and wandering around would only wear out his strength.
'Brillie is probably at work with the knight order... I wonder if Duke Illenart is in his office?'
Brillie was affiliated with the Setinos Knight Order, so he couldn't help but keep to a regular schedule. In the case of Duke Illenart, although he mostly took care of duties in his office, as a titled noble, he often went out. In contrast, Alter spent all his time lingering in the mansion.
'I only exchanged greetings with the other family members.'
Duke Illenart had three children and lived with one wife. There was said to have been another wife before, but she had passed away long ago. That wife was Brillie's mother, meaning Brillie was a half-sibling to the others.
'I lost my mother as well... I suppose I'm in the same situation.'
It was quite common for nobles with titles to marry multiple women. Most often it was with fellow nobles, but sometimes they took commoners as concubines. However, nobles tended to look down on commoners, so their children were often disregarded as well.
'If my mother had been a commoner, I wouldn't have received even this level of treatment.'
Alter had a keen grasp of the power structure in the Agnes Empire. The emperor tried to give commoners opportunities to demonstrate their talents, but the nobles were not pleased with this approach. Caught up in their sense of superiority and inherited status, they naturally looked down on commoners. That was why any noble who married a commoner was inevitably ostracized.
'Still, if it's at the level of a grand duke's house, they can smooth things over somewhat. The same goes for the emperor or a duke's house.'
No matter how much nobles boasted of their privileges, even that became meaningless before rank. Even if one was of common origin, if they inherited the emperor's bloodline, no one would dare to look down on them. And in the case of a grand duke's or a duke's house, their prestige did not fade. Of course, the engrained notions among the nobles didn't change, so perhaps they would secretly shun them.
'Even Brillie doesn't have an issue there... but the fact that she's a half-sibling lingers.'
Even if they share the same father, if their mothers differ, conflicts were bound to arise among siblings. That could lead to simple discrimination, deliberate pranks, or endless disputes over inheritance. Especially in Brillie's case, since she could intervene in the succession of titles, the eldest son of the Illenart family inevitably felt wary.
'Since Brillie is making a name for herself in the way of the sword, it's impossible not to pay attention.'
In the original work, the Illenart family's eldest son had exhibited a somewhat antagonistic attitude toward Brillie. Of course, Brillie was aware of this and did not treat the eldest brother kindly either. Nevertheless, she hadn't coveted the title and only focused on her own goals.
'If so, then what do they think of me...'
While looking around inside the mansion, Alter encountered someone. The other person recognized Alter and unconsciously straightened his attire. It seemed as if the two were observing each other, and before long, they approached with caution.
"You are here. Is living in the mansion not stifling for you?"
"Thanks to your consideration, I have been doing well."
"Hearing that puts my mind at ease."
Batelle Illenart, the eldest son of the Duke Illenart's house, answered kindly with a smile. While he was the fiancé of his half-sister, it was a matter related to the family's political marriage strategy. Therefore, in accordance with his father's wishes, he had to treat Alter with utmost courtesy.
"Will you be staying at the mansion today?"
"I'm lucky to have no plans today. On such days, I take time to rest, and prepare for tomorrow's schedule."
"You must have much to do. After all, won't you be inheriting Duke Illenart's position?"
Alter deliberately mentioned Batelle's position, maintaining a calm demeanor. He would have to make sure Batelle knew he was not an enemy. As long as he stayed here, he mustn't get into disputes with anyone.
"I'm trying my best. I must not tarnish my family's honor."
"I've heard you're doing very well. I'm sure you'll lead the family nicely."
"For now, my father handles everything. I only follow orders."
"That will help you adapt well in the future. As long as you fulfill what's asked of you, there's nothing to worry about."
"..."
Even as he listened to the compliments, batelle was actively trying to deduce Alter's intentions. Since Alter was a child of the grand duke's house, he was potentially quite a threat. If Brillie were to leverage the power of the grand duke's house, it could affect the succession in various ways.
"... Are you suspicious of me?"
"What do you mean? Suspicious?"
"Aren't you concerned that the succession of the title might change because of me?"
Alter lowered his voice, glancing around. The maid trailing him was far off, and Batelle had come alone. Since there wasn't likely to be another opportunity to meet privately, now was the time to make his position clear.
"This doesn't seem like the right place for such talk."
"Doesn't that mean you're confident about yourself?"
"Being confident... Do you mean you're prepared to take responsibility for your words?"
"I'm busy enough taking care of myself. Don't you think it's impossible for me to worry about anything else?"
"..."
"In this state, I can't do anything. I don't have the ability to incite a fiancé I've barely met. Yet you still want to doubt me?"
"..."
"Just let me stay quietly. Or would you like me to offer a modest piece of advice instead?"
Batelle fell silent, unconsciously perking up his ears. He had thought Alter was just a sickly noble, but he was boldly leading the conversation. Just what kind of advice was he planning to give?
"I'm curious to hear your advice."
"... If you can't give it up now, you'll regret it. You wouldn't want to ruin things because of a fleeting romance, would you?"
"T-That!"
Batelle's eyes widened, and he immediately became conscious of the maid behind him. At this distance, it was unlikely their conversation was being overheard. Still, he couldn't help but be a bit surprised that Alter knew this secret.
"If it's a duke's house, you could probably handle a wife of common birth. However... have you thought about how that could affect the succession of the title?"
"..."
"If you intend to elope for love, I won't stop you, but if the title matters, you'd best give up. Duke Illenart prefers people who are thorough."
Alter spoke calmly, his eyes sharp. Of course, he already knew what decision Batelle would ultimately make. He only wished to set his wavering heart straight, and gain a small measure of trust.
"... How did you find out?"
"Rather than how I know, shouldn't you be thinking first about what you should do? I'll say it again—I just want to stay quiet. I'd like you to understand what that means."
Batelle quickly understood what Alter meant. Since his father hadn't noticed this secret, that meant Alter had not exposed it. In other words, Alter was advising him to resolve things promptly and quietly.
"Now, do you have a better sense of whose side I'm on?"
"You're not on my side... but you don't seem greedy, either."
"Right? I'm also counting on you to treat my fiancé well."
With that, Alter ended the conversation and moved off first. Batelle stood frozen in place for a while before belatedly starting to walk himself.
'He didn't blackmail me. And he didn't run and tell Father, either.'
While Batelle was skeptical of Alter's motives, he couldn't help but accept them. If Alter had wanted to help Brillie secure the inheritance, he would have tried to undermine him somehow. However, Alter never approached him that way, giving only advice as he said.
'I underestimated him. He's actually a rather scary fellow.'
Batelle became convinced that Alter was neither an enemy nor an ally. Alter didn't take sides, only maintaining neutrality. Perhaps, because he was caught up in a political marriage, he wanted to avoid even the smallest controversy.
'There's no profit in provoking him. It's better to just leave him alone.'
* * *
Cadeon had called Brillie aside and was pouring her some tea. Their father-daughter relationship wasn't particularly close, but it hadn't reached the point of severing ties. Recently, Alter had even come by as her fiancé, so he should ask about her situation.
"... Are you getting along with your fiancé?"
"Yes. It's going better than I expected."
"No matter how much you dislike him, you can't go through life never seeing each other."
"It's less about that and more about not being able to predict what you'll do, father."
Brillie, leaving her teacup unattended, spoke openly. She'd had a few conversations with Alter, and often accompanied him when they went out. But since the possibility of breaking off the engagement had been brought up, she couldn't ignore it forever.
"What do you mean by what I'll do?"
"To be honest, please. Are you determined to push this marriage through to the end?"
"..."
Cadeon fell silent for a moment and looked at Brillie slowly. It seemed that Brillie had caught on to his plan. Of course, with all the various conditions, anyone could have guessed as much.
"What do you want to do?"
"Father. I asked first. You answer, and then I'll tell you."
"At the moment, there's nothing I can say. That's why I want to know your thoughts."
"So you're going to hide it from me? Why not just say right out that you're going to break off the engagement?"
Brillie confronted her father without hesitation. She didn't know exactly what he was after, but she had to confirm it for herself. That was why she deliberately brought up breaking the engagement to gauge his reaction.
"Nothing has been decided yet, so what exactly am I supposed to say?"
"Father. Did you think I'd be completely clueless? If you just break off the engagement, what are you going to tell my fiancé? Are you just going to say 'sorry' and be done with it?"
"... You know this is a political marriage, don't you?"
"It's something you decided, and I'm just being dragged along. How much longer does my misery have to go on before you're satisfied?"
Brillie felt a faint sense of responsibility regarding Alter. Regardless of the process, it had ended up with her being promised to marry him. Even if it was only an engagement, could she really casually break it off and look for another partner?
"I'm doing this for you. You must learn to endure a little."
"This isn't for me, it's for you! You're planning to sell me off to another family, aren't you?"
"Brillie! There's nothing you won't say to my face now!"
"Maybe I should just get married as is? No more hesitation—why not just spend tonight together and be done with it, huh?"
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Duke Cadeon is second guessing, but Brillie doesn't know it...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】