Chapter 8
"......?"
Alter could only stare in bewilderment, confusion filling his mind.
He had only wanted to show her just how fragile and sickly his body was.
But contrary to his expectations, Brillie had simply clasped his hand in hers.
"It's really cold. Hands this cold... I've never seen before."
Brillie showed a forlorn look in her eyes, as she felt that sensation keenly.
She could not offset the coldness even with her own warmth.
Rather, she only sensed how serious it was since the chill even permeated her own hand.
'So that's why he said those things.'
Brillie slowly mulled over the words Alter had told her.
That he shouldn't dream, that even preserving his life was difficult, and that he did not wish to deny what was true.
Having hovered so often at death's door, perhaps it was only natural that his will to protect himself took precedence.
'How has he managed to live until now?'
Brillie could not even begin to imagine the life that Alter had led.
If it was a disease that could have been cured, it would have been treated long ago.
But since nothing could be done, hadn't he only endured consistent, relentless suffering?
"... It must have been very hard."
"......"
Alter still could not bring himself to say anything.
More accurately, he couldn't decide how to react.
It had all happened so suddenly, and she still hadn't let go of his hand.
"Aren't you cold?"
"Ah... I'm not cold. The weather is actually quite nice compared to the northern region."
"Are you eating well?"
"I always make sure to eat properly."
"That's not what I'm asking. Are you perhaps unable to finish your meals?"
"Uh... There are many times I leave food uneaten."
"So, you can't eat well?"
"I do manage to eat, but..."
"If you're leaving food, then you're not eating well, right?"
"If you think of it that way, then, yes, I suppose I'm not eating well."
"Are you sleeping well?"
"I think I sleep decently."
"No insomnia, or do you wake up easily?"
"Uh... Sometimes I do wake up."
Alter found himself answering each question without realizing it.
He should have lied, but contrary to his expectations, he could only reveal the truth.
Perhaps it was because Brillie came at him so forthrightly that he couldn't help but get swept away.
"Are you really alright? If you go on like this, you might collapse."
"Still, I have improved a lot compared to before. I eat a little more now... and my sleep is less disturbed."
"Is that why you said you couldn't marry me?"
"That's because it's a political marriage..."
"Don't bring up political marriages. Among nobles, is there anyone who doesn't marry for politics? I'm asking about your thoughts right now, Alter."
"My thoughts are no different. If we get married like this, both sides would only end up unhappy."
Following the faint warmth, Alter looked down at his right hand.
Her hands, hardened by sword training, were covering his own.
Even the slight calluses he felt seemed to convey Brillie's effort and determination.
"I don't know if we'll break off the engagement, but until then, I'd like you to show a bit more spirit. After all, you're my fiancé, aren't you?"
"...."
"And please, don't say weak things in front of me. I really might get angry."
"Even if you say so, my stance remains the same."
"Ah, right. Let me say one last thing."
Brillie carefully leaned in and brought her face close to Alter's ear.
Alter tensed up for a moment, but could only accept her action in silence.
"Trying to act like an adult even though you're younger than me? Do you want to get scolded by your older sister?"
"...?"
Alter cautiously turned his gaze in the tense silence.
Past her neatly pressed black hair, her pale orange eyes glimmered.
Moreover, the subtle scent of perfume drifted past the tip of his nose, and he could only close his lips tight.
"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 spoke lightly and slowly drew her face away.
It was the message she most wanted to give Alter, and it reflected her own newfound resolve.
She did not ever wish to make such a pitiable nobleman go through further hardship.
"How about walking with me today? It's been a while since I've taken a walk."
"Uh... Alright."
Only then did Brillie release Alter's hand and address him more formally.
She may have had many complaints about this marriage, but Brillie wanted to treat Alter differently, as a separate issue.
Alter, as well, had merely followed his family's will and even scorned his own situation.
'I'll think about the marriage later... It feels like I should take care of him first.'
* * *
Alter returned to his room after strolling outside with Brillie.
They hadn't said anything serious, just exchanged trivial words.
Still, he couldn't help but feel that this outcome was far from what he had planned.
'Why are they acting like this? If I lower myself, shouldn't they squeeze in and try to take my place?'
Alter wondered, unable to find an answer.
None of them would be able to accept his existence, so they should try everything to get rid of him.
So why was it that none of the three avoided him?
'My body is weak, I can't do much. Why are they treating someone who only came for a political marriage so well?'
Of course, considering his status alone, there was no reason to be ignored.
In fact, they shouldn't be rude, and they should find a way to accommodate him appropriately.
Yet the three of them faced those conditions head-on and only responded calmly.
'Broken engagements aren't even rare... Wouldn't the male leads want more for themselves?'
Alter shook his head in a sigh.
Of course, the knight-commander and the butler belonged to the more benevolent type among male leads.
Even Brillie, though her ambitions were clear, did not seem attached or hostile.
In some ways, perhaps his intentions had only been misinterpreted by these three.
'Still, when it comes to Brillie, they all seem to jump in...'
At least that much was plain.
In the genre of romance fantasy, the female lead inevitably monopolized the attention of every male lead.
Thus, the male leads inevitably clashed, while the female lead was swept around at the center.
'Would it have been better to stay quiet?'
After some thought, Alter dismissed that idea.
If he didn't attempt to change things, he would never get the outcome he wanted.
If he hadn't said anything at all, he wouldn't have even managed to reduce the sense of rivalry directed at him.
'Even getting their sympathy is better than nothing.'
Just by being Brillie's fiancé, the male leads would be sharply provoked.
From their perspective, no matter how desperately they tried, they couldn't win against someone already engaged to marry her.
Therefore, if he offered them a sliver of hope for breaking off the engagement, their hostility toward him would naturally fade.
'Should I bring in the crown prince now?'
Of course, meeting the crown prince in his current situation was no easy matter.
The crown prince would always be busy, and Brillie would have to encounter him naturally in the process.
In other words, since the process would have to be forced, it would make everything quite complicated.
'No. I can't rush things. I could ruin everything with a wrong step.'
Alter had already become a variable through his very existence.
Things were entangled enough as it was; if he intervened too much, he risked things spiraling out of control.
Once it happened, there'd be no turning back, so for now, it seemed best to watch quietly.
'Even breaking off the engagement now would cause its own problems.'
He was aiming only for a broken engagement right now, but after that, he had no plan at all.
If he guessed, his father would no doubt arrange another engagement with a noble lady.
Perhaps he'd even skip the engagement and have Alter marry right away.
'Honestly, there's no winning.'
As long as he was the scion of a noble house, he could not escape a marriage of convenience.
Of course, he could run away from his family, but that would bring significant trouble.
With such a frail body, he could never last on his own for long.
'Maybe just marrying Brillie as is would be for the best.'
In the end, it wouldn't change the fact that he'd marry some noble lady.
At least he knew a fair amount about Brillie, so they might avoid clashing as much.
But as long as the Duke of Illenat stood in the way, it would inevitably end in a broken engagement.
'Still, since the male leads are so troublesome... breaking off the engagement is probably for the best, right?'
* * *
Lang was holed up in his office, looking through paperwork.
Once you take charge of a group, you cannot avoid administrative work.
Cooperation requests from the guards or patrol, summons from nobles or merchant guilds, security duty at special events, emergencies, and so on.
With so many incidents happening both big and small in the capital, the knights had no choice but to deal with a wide array of matters.
'There's always the option of quitting everything and heading to the frontier...'
Lang paused for a moment, then turned the page of his file.
Even if he fought on the battlefield, nothing much would change.
The really dangerous monsters had already been wiped out; only the rabble lingered at the borders.
If he really wanted to challenge his limits, he would have to test his skills against the strongest within the empire.
'Only by staying here can I cross swords with the Sword Saint...'
There was a short knock at the door, and the office door opened.
Brillie entered naturally and sat herself down in a chair.
Lang glanced at Brillie and then spoke first.
"That was quick."
"Ugh... I didn't even need to go. There was a thief among the merchant caravan."
"So it was something they brought on themselves."
Lang put the file down on the desk and stood up.
He had deliberately given her time off, meaning for her to look after her fiancé.
Now that urgent business was wrapped up, maybe it was time to ask about that.
"Did you get closer with your fiancé?"
"Hmm... I'm not sure. It's a bit difficult."
"Surely you didn't do other work while on leave...?"
"What are you saying? I really tried to get along."
Brillie protested, though with a strange expression.
She had tried speaking to Alter and sometimes moved around with him.
But the distance remained, and awkward tension lingered instead.
"The capital must seem unfamiliar. He's probably thinking of his home far from here."
"It's more that he belittles himself too much. He even knows this is a marriage of convenience."
"That's probably related to his poor health. I shook hands with him briefly, and his hand was cold."
"Yes. I noticed too. People's bodies are supposed to be warm..."
Brillie couldn't continue speaking, a bitter look in her eyes.
Since birth, Alter had only grown up sickly; he'd probably never even achieved a small goal.
Maybe because of that, he had become pessimistic and even given up hope for life.
'He is pitiable, but... why did Duke Illenat arrange such a marriage of convenience?'
Lang felt sorry for Alter's situation but couldn't dispel his doubts.
No matter how much a family might care for power and prestige, this did not seem to be a wise choice of spouse.
Duke Illenat was not that foolish, so there must be some other reason.
'Could it be that the grand ducal house is being abandoned? If he's aiming higher than that... all that's left is the imperial family.'
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
As Brillie mentioned, Alter is belittling himself too much...
He doesn't realize that his existence is unique, and that the reason the male leads he was referring to were only interested in the female lead because he was not around.
Maybe it would be different for the other male leads, but that's what I get from the knight commander and the butler. They just want the best for Brillie, and at the moment, it's Alter.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】