The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce - The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce chapter 13

13

The nobles, following his words, began to take notice of the Grand Duke’s progeny without much thought.

If the next Sword Saint praises someone’s appearance, it cannot be taken lightly.

Rather, the title of the next Sword Saint served to verify the truth of that fact.

“Did you say he’s nearly dead? It’s true he’s frail, but he’s not about to die. Are you spreading false facts without knowing anything?”

“That’s… not what I meant… It’s just that the rumors…”

“If that’s the case, then all the rumors we hear must be true. But how many of them have turned out to be false?”

“…”

“Probably more than half… no, nine out of ten are likely false. Yet you speak as if they’re true, can you take responsibility for that?”

Lang found the other’s remarks disagreeable but did not show his emotions.

He simply drew a clear line with a few words.

After all, one called the next Sword Saint couldn’t resort to fisticuffs at a social gathering.

“Calm down. It seems this friend has misspoken. Why aren’t you apologizing quickly?”

“I’m… sorry.”

Overwhelmed by the tension, Lebaton managed to gracefully resolve the situation.

The presence of the next Sword Saint alone was enough to stir the social gathering and immerse everyone in the topic of conversation.

They couldn’t afford to lose such a distinguished guest over one fool’s blunder.

“While we’re on the subject, let me add one more thing. Don’t underestimate the Northern Grand Duke. He’s a hero among heroes, defending this country on the front lines. And yet you dare to invoke the Grand Duke’s name?”

With that final assertion, Lang completely crushed his opponent.

The Northern Grand Duke, the head of the Radiant family, had inherited the bloodline and defended the northern territories for many generations.

It was a feat no one else could achieve, and through their sacrifice, the Agnes Empire had won peace.

Yet, how could a noble, raised in comfort, dare to disgrace the Grand Ducal family?

“Lord Podios, it seems I must leave early today.”

“Leaving… already?”

“I’ll visit again next time. I’ll make sure to bring along the scion of the Grand Ducal family.”

“Oh… really? If it’s a guest you’re bringing, they’re welcome anytime.”

Lebaton inwardly rejoiced but noticed that Lang’s mood had soured.

Lang Custer had never stirred controversy in his life.

He valued morality and pride, and his heart was especially kind towards his peers.

But to openly mock such staunch convictions, he now refused to even face those associated with it.

‘…Such rumors should be clarified by the person concerned.’

Lang had explained on Alter’s behalf, but he knew it wasn’t a fundamental solution.

Rumors continued to pour from people’s mouths, eventually giving rise to new ones.

Therefore, Alter had to participate in social gatherings and voluntarily put an end to the rumors.

‘It’s the right thing to do for Brillier. I’ll have to persuade him later.’

***

Alter coughed intermittently as he lay in bed.

He hadn’t overexerted himself, nor had he been exposed to the cold.

Yet somehow, he had caught a cold and now found himself bedridden.

‘What did I do to catch a cold?’

Alter reflected on his activities since settling in the capital.

Regular meals and sleep, consumption of expensive medicines, walks near the mansion.

The only other activity was visiting the headquarters of the Setinos Knights.

Could such things have led to his current state?

‘Even if I’m frail, this is a bit much…’

Alter felt somewhat wronged but had already accepted the outcome.

In the northern territories, he always stoked the fire to keep warm.

Despite that, he often felt fatigued, and sometimes it was hard to even stand.

Compared to that, life in the capital was comfortable, and he could endure a cold reasonably well.

‘Is it because I’m cold? In this state, it’s easy to catch a cold.’

Alter vaguely speculated while glancing at the brazier.

A brazier brought solely for his use, untouched by anyone else.

While others might not even feel the cold, he was basking in the comfortable warmth emanating from it.

‘It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just my body acting on its own…’

From the hallway, along with a knock, Kadeon made his appearance.

Kadeon surveyed the room before approaching the bed.

Alter tried to rise immediately, but Kadeon gestured with his hand, stopping him.

“Stay lying down. I’m not so peculiar as to expect a greeting from someone who’s ill.”

“I apologize for the concern. I should be better by tomorrow.”

“I certainly hope so. You can’t just keep lying there.”

Only then did Kadeon sit down and quietly look down at Alter.

His face, paler than white, was now flushed red.

The occasional cough could be heard, albeit faintly, and his eyes seemed to carry a forlorn tilt.

“Speaking of which… you do have a handsome face.”

“Eh? Oh… I think I pale in comparison to the eldest son.”

Even amidst the grip of a cold, Alter praised the eldest son of the Ilenath family.

The eldest son of the Ilenath family was indeed Kadeon’s rightful heir and would eventually be called the Duke of Ilenath.

In essence, as Kadeon’s most cherished child, this was Alter’s indirect way of showing respect.

“I know a good face when I see one. Not that I’d say my son is ugly… but he’s not something to boast about either.”

“The eldest son would be sad to hear that.”

“Ha! As if he’d be sad over such a thing. There will be far sadder things to come.”

“…”

Alter inadvertently grasped the meaning of those words but did not break the silence.

Leading a house entails much effort and pain.

A moment’s inattention could weaken the house’s influence, and numerous adversaries would seek to tear it apart.

To protect and continuously prosper the house’s history and name, wise decisions must be made.

“… It seems you get along well with my daughter. Perhaps smitten by that face of yours?”

“That’s hardly the case. As her fiancé, she’s just obliging me.”

“You don’t know my daughter well. She never bends to what she deems unfair. She only accepts what she considers just. Aren’t you similar in that regard?”

“What could there be about me that’s considered just?”

“So, didn’t I mention it earlier? Being handsome is a justification in itself.”

“…?”

Alter, though puzzled, was somewhat convinced.

When people meet, they first see each other’s appearance.

That appearance imprints the first impression and significantly influences subsequent relationships.

Probably, Kadeon was aware of this and simply explained it.

“That should be sufficient. As long as my daughter has no complaints, I’m satisfied.”

“… And if she had complaints, what would you have done?”

“What else but to appease her? That’s how it is between parents and children.”

“If what you say is true, wouldn’t you consider the sun unfair?”

“The sun… Isn’t it quite hot? If the sunlight is too strong, flowers will wither. Sometimes, I think they need water.”

Alter felt a strange dissonance from those words.

Kadeon was clearly aiming for a political marriage with the prince.

If so, he should be obsessed with the sun, so why suddenly mention water?

“Take care of yourself. I hope to see you at the meal tomorrow.”

Kadeon ended the conversation and rose from his seat first.

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Alter watched Kadeon disappear and was belatedly seized by contemplation.

‘What does he mean by water? The flower is Brillié, and the sun is the prince…’

Both were metaphors he had made himself, so he remembered them clearly.

But water was a word mentioned by Kadeon, and he left no connection to it.

What could Kadeon have meant by water?

‘I have no idea. Is there something that could be the water?’

For a flower to grow, it needs both the sun and water.

So, Kadeon must have treated water as something comparable to the sun.

But from Alter’s perspective, there was no equivalent to the prince.

‘He wouldn’t give up on the prince… What exactly is he planning?’

***

Brillié headed straight to Alter’s room immediately after work.

Although he had stopped by before going to the headquarters of the knights, he was not at ease.

A simple cold would heal quickly, but given Alter’s condition, it might last a little longer.

“Has it gotten any better?”

Brillie lightly knocked on the door and entered.

The hearth was still ablaze, and there seemed to be a faint, lingering smokiness in the air.

They must have ventilated the smoke from the hearth somewhat, but it hadn’t been completely cleared out.

“How are you feeling?”

“Much better now.”

Alter was sipping tea, seated at the table.

Fortunately, the cold symptoms had subsided before dinner.

Yet, not entirely vanquished, he had been relying on the warmth of the hearth until now.

“It’s all because I suggested going out…”

“That’s not it. If a brief outing could cause a cold, I would have suffered long ago.”

There was no need to ponder the cause of the cold.

A mere visit to the knight’s headquarters wouldn’t induce it.

It was simply that his body was frail, making even a cold perilously significant.

“If it had been the northern territories, I wouldn’t have recovered so quickly. It’s probably because we’re in the capital that it’s ending here.”

“You’re not completely better yet, are you?”

“Almost there. That’s why I’m drinking tea.”

Alter responded nonchalantly and emptied his teacup.

Had he not been under the care of the ducal house, he wouldn’t have recovered so swiftly.

It made him all the more aware of his own limitations.

“…Do you now understand why I brought up breaking off the engagement?”

“…”

“Here I am, staying in a warm place, yet I caught a cold. Not enough with just a hearth, the butler and maids have been tending only to me. Only then could I barely recover.”

“…”

“The Duke of Ilenat must be quite disappointed. But what can I do? This is the state of my body.”

Seizing the opportunity, Alter expressed his intention to break off the engagement.

The Duke of Ilenat had left ambiguous words, but his original goal likely hadn’t changed.

Having witnessed himself being overpowered by a cold, Brillie might feel a sense of distance now.

“Do you still think you should marry me?”

Alter asked calmly, locking eyes with Brillie.

Brillie remained silent for a while before finally speaking up.

“Do you say that because you want to get married even more?”