Chapter 6
Of course, not only Hilise but other male leads would end up falling in love with Brillie as well.
For that reason, even while being conscious of each other, they were inevitably bound to clash.
In the original story, they created such chaos just to win Brillie's love, but now, wasn't their behavior far too docile?
'He's just saying it as a matter of courtesy? Or did he just approach it the wrong way...'
"It's not as if the annulment has already been finalized. Then why are you already thinking about breaking off the engagement?"
"If I were the head of the house, I would have chosen an annulment too. This kind of marriage can't last long."
"Are you considering the heads of the families' positions?"
"Is there really a need to consider it? There's too much at stake to just end things like this. If you only gain one connection from this marriage of convenience, it'd be a waste."
"......"
Hilise was internally agreeing with Alter's opinion.
Of course, marriage alliances were, after all, a method to form specific ties with the other family.
But the larger the scale, the more they hoped for gains beyond mere relationships, and in the end, they were bound to look elsewhere.
"Whether it's me or my fiancé, we're both being tossed around. It's a one-off opportunity—shouldn't we use it properly?"
"So when you said you don't suit Brillie... was that also..."
"I was thinking more about the family than myself. No matter what I want, I can't go against the family. If I couldn't choose in the first place, what's the point of debating suitability or not?"
Only then did Hilise understand Alter's intention.
From the start, he hadn't asserted any will of his own in this marriage.
He'd just approached it from his family's perspective, so he could easily separate the matter of annulment.
"I don't want to waste my energy on things like this. If I just wait, things will probably resolve themselves."
"You're saying that the end will be annulment, aren't you?"
"That's right. It's not like not wanting to do it means it won't happen, right?"
Hilise had no choice but to revise his assessment of Alter, even if just slightly.
He'd thought he was just a sickly noble, but his discernment exceeded expectations.
That meant he'd given up on Brillie entirely based on his own reasoning.
'For me, Brillie...'
Hilise still had lingering feelings for Brillie, but in the end, he had to let go.
With his current status, he couldn't make Brillie his own.
Above all, Brillie likely still thought of him as just a friend.
'I know I'm lacking, and I'm even considering my family's position...'
Brillie was enterprising and upright, but sometimes would be pushed to extremes.
To harmonize with such a woman, one needed cool-headed and flexible judgment.
If it were Alter Radiant, perhaps he could erase some of Brillie's flaws.
'With someone this thoughtful... would it not be okay for her to end up with Brillie?'
* * *
Lang made an appointment in advance with Duke Illenat and visited his mansion.
The ostensible reason was to inspect the training status of the duchy's private soldiers, but in reality, it was for the purpose of delaying Brillie's marriage.
Lang still found the request troubling, but couldn't bring himself to refuse.
'It's not difficult to arrange an annulment. Engagements are always like that.'
Imperial and noble families considered marriage a crucial duty, but in reality, engagements were taken lightly.
Engagements were part of marriage, yet they only accepted the fact that the marriage was not yet reached.
It was an inherently selfish practice, but no one raised any objection.
'It's a waste of Brillie's talent to marry her off now. If we just wait a little longer, some result will come about...'
There was a reason he'd recruited Brillie as the vice-commander of the knight order.
Brillie's skills with the sword were outstanding—so much so that even most knights couldn't handle her lightly.
If she kept improving at this rate, she could make a name for herself as another candidate for Sword Saint.
'I just hope Brillie won't leave yet.'
Harboring this modest wish, Lang entered the office.
When would he ever meet another knight—let alone a noble young lady—like Brillie?
So he wanted to keep her for just a bit longer, so as not to have any regrets.
'If she really must get married, then rather...'
"Ah, has the next Sword Saint arrived?"
"It's been a while, sir."
Lang bowed his head as he faced Cadeon.
Cadeon gestured toward the table set to the side, indicating the seat of honor.
"I hope I haven't summoned someone too busy."
"It's fine. I wouldn't so easily refuse a request from Duke Illenat, would I?"
"I wouldn't say I'm that great. I suppose you came at least to see my daughter."
Cadeon felt somewhat at ease, having entrusted Brillie to Lang.
No matter how strong his daughter might be, there was always the risk of injury as soon as she went into battle.
But if the next Sword Saint watched over her, he felt her safety was more assured.
"I know this may be a needless question, but is my daughter doing well? She has talent with the sword, but her temperament isn't exactly calm."
"That isn't quite true. When wielding her sword, she's extremely composed. She does tend to be a bit aggressive normally, but she has good self-control."
"... Is that so? Then I'm relieved."
Cadeon had long been contemplating the timing of his daughter's marriage.
She couldn't be allowed to spend her life only wielding a sword.
From now on, she would have to act in a manner fitting of a noble young lady.
"I heard recently that Brillie's fiancé came—is that true?"
"It's true. Her fiancé is staying here at the mansion right now."
"Then does that mean you intend to have Brillie married off soon?"
"Hmm... that's not it. Still, shouldn't they get to know each other before marriage?"
Even while lying, Cadeon maintained a dignified attitude.
No one could know that he was planning to marry his daughter into a political marriage with the crown prince.
Of course, her fiancé had figured it out first, but there was no need to reveal that part outright.
"I apologize for saying this... but what if you gave Brillie just a little more time?"
"No need to apologize. But at least tell me your reason."
Cadeon didn't nitpick Lang's suggestion.
Although he hadn't inherited a title yet, Lang was a knight referred to as the next Sword Saint.
If he had that much talent and achievement, he surely could offer a suitable reason.
"Brillie could reach the same realm as I. Perhaps... she could even go further."
"You're not the type to flatter... do you really mean that?"
"If I were going to flatter, I wouldn't have brought it up at all. I speak as the next Sword Saint, so you can believe me."
"......"
With suspicion in his eyes, Cadeon briefly envisioned a different future.
If his daughter reached Sword Saint-class skill, she would gain fame in her own right.
Even if she gained a similar title, it would only add glory to the history of their house.
'A noble young lady with the title of Sword Saint... doesn't that sound quite wonderful?'
His original goal was to marry his daughter to the crown prince, but even that was not guaranteed.
He had to consider the possibility—however remote—that a sudden event, whether a change in succession or the crown prince's unexpected death, could upset those plans.
Such things didn't happen all the time, but the chance wasn't zero, so he kept them in mind.
'She went monster hunting just for the sake of honing her sword. There's surely no doubting her talent and effort.'
Indeed, at first Cadeon had tried to suppress Brillie working as a knight.
But Brillie had unwaveringly continued, eventually ending up on distant battlefields.
She proved her skills and established a record of merit during the monster subjugation, so even Cadeon had no choice but to relent.
'If I tried to marry her off right now, she'd almost certainly cause an uproar.'
Cadeon was still feeling concern about his daughter's path.
Even as the duke's young lady, she had refused dresses, sweating as she dedicated herself to swordsmanship.
Though her antics seemed bizarre, some nobles had nevertheless taken a liking to her.
'A young lady who wields a sword... does that have a certain charm?'
Listening to Lang's views, Cadeon found himself hesitating.
If, as Lang suggested, the marriage were postponed, Brillie would have more time to grow.
If that made it easier to win over the crown prince's heart, it would be even more perfect.
'I don't want to quarrel with my daughter... hmm...'
* * *
Alter often took walks around the mansion rather than staying indoors.
This was the capital, and there was no need to confine himself inside due to cold.
Rather, in order to improve his sickly body, he had to bask in the warm sunlight.
'My body is so cold. I wish it could be warmer...'
Stroking his left arm and neck, Alter became aware of the chilly sensation.
Blood flows through the human heart, giving rise to warmth.
But Alter's body was shockingly cold—his skin nearly appeared pallid.
'It feels like I'm under a curse. Is that why nothing helps?'
Enveloped in a languid air, Alter slowly closed his eyes.
Being quietly enveloped in sunlight made him feel drowsy for no apparent reason.
Probably, as his body warmed up thanks to the sun, his blood circulation improved.
'As I thought, the northern region was harmful to me.'
He had somewhat predicted it, but it was more accurate than expected.
In the northern region, he'd always suffer from the cold, but here in the capital, warmth filled the air even without a fire.
Warmth was the source of life and the beginning of creation—naturally, it could only have a positive result for himself.
'Maybe if I also keep taking the medicine, I'll improve a bit...'
Fighting off sleepiness, Alter belatedly noticed someone else.
It was a face he was seeing for the first time—a person who didn't live at the duke's mansion.
He seemed to be a visitor, and even from his build, he looked remarkable.
'If I had to guess, he seems like a male lead...'
Alter watched him for a while, when suddenly their eyes met.
The other man seemed to be watching Alter with interest and then began slowly walking over.
"Greetings. I am Lang Couster, the eldest son of the Count Couster family."
Lang, realizing that Alter was a noble, promptly reached out his hand.
Alter hesitated briefly, then shook it.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Alter Radiant, youngest son of the Grand Duke Radiant."
"Ah... you must be Brillie's fiancé?"
"That's right. I suppose you're my fiancé's superior?"
"That's correct."
Lang gently shook hands before letting go of Alter's hand.
Even for a second, he could feel the touch and temperature of that hand.
Especially the extraordinary coldness of the hand—he couldn't help but remember it vividly.
'... Cold. How could it be this cold?'
Only then did Lang recall that Alter Radiant was said to be frail and sickly.
Normally, if someone were ill, their body would have a fever.
But Alter Radiant was the exact opposite—even the color in his skin seemed to have faded.
'A young nobleman. His build is small, but he's quite handsome.'
Lang quickly formed his first impression of Alter.
He lacked a masculine air but emanated a noble and delicate atmosphere.
If any young noble ladies encountered Alter, they would have been unable to help giving him a second glance.
'This is why you can't trust rumors. Whatever else, that appearance is truly something.'
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Yep, thought so...
1 Brillter shipper acquired...
But for Commander Lang, let's see if he's a shipper as well...
Also, it seems 2 of Alter's plans have failed successfully?
1st is Brillie, the 2nd is Hilise...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】Chapter 6
Of course, not only Hilise but other male leads would end up falling in love with Brillie as well.
For that reason, even while being conscious of each other, they were inevitably bound to clash.
In the original story, they created such chaos just to win Brillie's love, but now, wasn't their behavior far too docile?
'He's just saying it as a matter of courtesy? Or did he just approach it the wrong way...'
"It's not as if the annulment has already been finalized. Then why are you already thinking about breaking off the engagement?"
"If I were the head of the house, I would have chosen an annulment too. This kind of marriage can't last long."
"Are you considering the heads of the families' positions?"
"Is there really a need to consider it? There's too much at stake to just end things like this. If you only gain one connection from this marriage of convenience, it'd be a waste."
"......"
Hilise was internally agreeing with Alter's opinion.
Of course, marriage alliances were, after all, a method to form specific ties with the other family.
But the larger the scale, the more they hoped for gains beyond mere relationships, and in the end, they were bound to look elsewhere.
"Whether it's me or my fiancé, we're both being tossed around. It's a one-off opportunity—shouldn't we use it properly?"
"So when you said you don't suit Brillie... was that also..."
"I was thinking more about the family than myself. No matter what I want, I can't go against the family. If I couldn't choose in the first place, what's the point of debating suitability or not?"
Only then did Hilise understand Alter's intention.
From the start, he hadn't asserted any will of his own in this marriage.
He'd just approached it from his family's perspective, so he could easily separate the matter of annulment.
"I don't want to waste my energy on things like this. If I just wait, things will probably resolve themselves."
"You're saying that the end will be annulment, aren't you?"
"That's right. It's not like not wanting to do it means it won't happen, right?"
Hilise had no choice but to revise his assessment of Alter, even if just slightly.
He'd thought he was just a sickly noble, but his discernment exceeded expectations.
That meant he'd given up on Brillie entirely based on his own reasoning.
'For me, Brillie...'
Hilise still had lingering feelings for Brillie, but in the end, he had to let go.
With his current status, he couldn't make Brillie his own.
Above all, Brillie likely still thought of him as just a friend.
'I know I'm lacking, and I'm even considering my family's position...'
Brillie was enterprising and upright, but sometimes would be pushed to extremes.
To harmonize with such a woman, one needed cool-headed and flexible judgment.
If it were Alter Radiant, perhaps he could erase some of Brillie's flaws.
'With someone this thoughtful... would it not be okay for her to end up with Brillie?'
* * *
Lang made an appointment in advance with Duke Illenat and visited his mansion.
The ostensible reason was to inspect the training status of the duchy's private soldiers, but in reality, it was for the purpose of delaying Brillie's marriage.
Lang still found the request troubling, but couldn't bring himself to refuse.
'It's not difficult to arrange an annulment. Engagements are always like that.'
Imperial and noble families considered marriage a crucial duty, but in reality, engagements were taken lightly.
Engagements were part of marriage, yet they only accepted the fact that the marriage was not yet reached.
It was an inherently selfish practice, but no one raised any objection.
'It's a waste of Brillie's talent to marry her off now. If we just wait a little longer, some result will come about...'
There was a reason he'd recruited Brillie as the vice-commander of the knight order.
Brillie's skills with the sword were outstanding—so much so that even most knights couldn't handle her lightly.
If she kept improving at this rate, she could make a name for herself as another candidate for Sword Saint.
'I just hope Brillie won't leave yet.'
Harboring this modest wish, Lang entered the office.
When would he ever meet another knight—let alone a noble young lady—like Brillie?
So he wanted to keep her for just a bit longer, so as not to have any regrets.
'If she really must get married, then rather...'
"Ah, has the next Sword Saint arrived?"
"It's been a while, sir."
Lang bowed his head as he faced Cadeon.
Cadeon gestured toward the table set to the side, indicating the seat of honor.
"I hope I haven't summoned someone too busy."
"It's fine. I wouldn't so easily refuse a request from Duke Illenat, would I?"
"I wouldn't say I'm that great. I suppose you came at least to see my daughter."
Cadeon felt somewhat at ease, having entrusted Brillie to Lang.
No matter how strong his daughter might be, there was always the risk of injury as soon as she went into battle.
But if the next Sword Saint watched over her, he felt her safety was more assured.
"I know this may be a needless question, but is my daughter doing well? She has talent with the sword, but her temperament isn't exactly calm."
"That isn't quite true. When wielding her sword, she's extremely composed. She does tend to be a bit aggressive normally, but she has good self-control."
"... Is that so? Then I'm relieved."
Cadeon had long been contemplating the timing of his daughter's marriage.
She couldn't be allowed to spend her life only wielding a sword.
From now on, she would have to act in a manner fitting of a noble young lady.
"I heard recently that Brillie's fiancé came—is that true?"
"It's true. Her fiancé is staying here at the mansion right now."
"Then does that mean you intend to have Brillie married off soon?"
"Hmm... that's not it. Still, shouldn't they get to know each other before marriage?"
Even while lying, Cadeon maintained a dignified attitude.
No one could know that he was planning to marry his daughter into a political marriage with the crown prince.
Of course, her fiancé had figured it out first, but there was no need to reveal that part outright.
"I apologize for saying this... but what if you gave Brillie just a little more time?"
"No need to apologize. But at least tell me your reason."
Cadeon didn't nitpick Lang's suggestion.
Although he hadn't inherited a title yet, Lang was a knight referred to as the next Sword Saint.
If he had that much talent and achievement, he surely could offer a suitable reason.
"Brillie could reach the same realm as I. Perhaps... she could even go further."
"You're not the type to flatter... do you really mean that?"
"If I were going to flatter, I wouldn't have brought it up at all. I speak as the next Sword Saint, so you can believe me."
"......"
With suspicion in his eyes, Cadeon briefly envisioned a different future.
If his daughter reached Sword Saint-class skill, she would gain fame in her own right.
Even if she gained a similar title, it would only add glory to the history of their house.
'A noble young lady with the title of Sword Saint... doesn't that sound quite wonderful?'
His original goal was to marry his daughter to the crown prince, but even that was not guaranteed.
He had to consider the possibility—however remote—that a sudden event, whether a change in succession or the crown prince's unexpected death, could upset those plans.
Such things didn't happen all the time, but the chance wasn't zero, so he kept them in mind.
'She went monster hunting just for the sake of honing her sword. There's surely no doubting her talent and effort.'
Indeed, at first Cadeon had tried to suppress Brillie working as a knight.
But Brillie had unwaveringly continued, eventually ending up on distant battlefields.
She proved her skills and established a record of merit during the monster subjugation, so even Cadeon had no choice but to relent.
'If I tried to marry her off right now, she'd almost certainly cause an uproar.'
Cadeon was still feeling concern about his daughter's path.
Even as the duke's young lady, she had refused dresses, sweating as she dedicated herself to swordsmanship.
Though her antics seemed bizarre, some nobles had nevertheless taken a liking to her.
'A young lady who wields a sword... does that have a certain charm?'
Listening to Lang's views, Cadeon found himself hesitating.
If, as Lang suggested, the marriage were postponed, Brillie would have more time to grow.
If that made it easier to win over the crown prince's heart, it would be even more perfect.
'I don't want to quarrel with my daughter... hmm...'
* * *
Alter often took walks around the mansion rather than staying indoors.
This was the capital, and there was no need to confine himself inside due to cold.
Rather, in order to improve his sickly body, he had to bask in the warm sunlight.
'My body is so cold. I wish it could be warmer...'
Stroking his left arm and neck, Alter became aware of the chilly sensation.
Blood flows through the human heart, giving rise to warmth.
But Alter's body was shockingly cold—his skin nearly appeared pallid.
'It feels like I'm under a curse. Is that why nothing helps?'
Enveloped in a languid air, Alter slowly closed his eyes.
Being quietly enveloped in sunlight made him feel drowsy for no apparent reason.
Probably, as his body warmed up thanks to the sun, his blood circulation improved.
'As I thought, the northern region was harmful to me.'
He had somewhat predicted it, but it was more accurate than expected.
In the northern region, he'd always suffer from the cold, but here in the capital, warmth filled the air even without a fire.
Warmth was the source of life and the beginning of creation—naturally, it could only have a positive result for himself.
'Maybe if I also keep taking the medicine, I'll improve a bit...'
Fighting off sleepiness, Alter belatedly noticed someone else.
It was a face he was seeing for the first time—a person who didn't live at the duke's mansion.
He seemed to be a visitor, and even from his build, he looked remarkable.
'If I had to guess, he seems like a male lead...'
Alter watched him for a while, when suddenly their eyes met.
The other man seemed to be watching Alter with interest and then began slowly walking over.
"Greetings. I am Lang Couster, the eldest son of the Count Couster family."
Lang, realizing that Alter was a noble, promptly reached out his hand.
Alter hesitated briefly, then shook it.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Alter Radiant, youngest son of the Grand Duke Radiant."
"Ah... you must be Brillie's fiancé?"
"That's right. I suppose you're my fiancé's superior?"
"That's correct."
Lang gently shook hands before letting go of Alter's hand.
Even for a second, he could feel the touch and temperature of that hand.
Especially the extraordinary coldness of the hand—he couldn't help but remember it vividly.
'... Cold. How could it be this cold?'
Only then did Lang recall that Alter Radiant was said to be frail and sickly.
Normally, if someone were ill, their body would have a fever.
But Alter Radiant was the exact opposite—even the color in his skin seemed to have faded.
'A young nobleman. His build is small, but he's quite handsome.'
Lang quickly formed his first impression of Alter.
He lacked a masculine air but emanated a noble and delicate atmosphere.
If any young noble ladies encountered Alter, they would have been unable to help giving him a second glance.
'This is why you can't trust rumors. Whatever else, that appearance is truly something.'
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Yep, thought so...
1 Brillter shipper acquired...
But for Commander Lang, let's see if he's a shipper as well...
Also, it seems 2 of Alter's plans have failed successfully?
1st is Brillie, the 2nd is Hilise...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】