The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce - The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce chapter 23

23

***

Finally, Alter left the bed and began to stroll around the mansion.

His body was still cold, but he felt no significant fatigue.

It seemed he had recovered to his state before collapsing, thanks to the substantial support from the Ducal family.

‘…It must have cost a pretty penny.’

The summoning of clergy from the church, the medicinal herbs to improve his condition, the dedicated care from the butlers and maids.

Of course, the herbs were purchased regularly, and the butlers and maids were employed by the Ducal family.

However, the cost of bringing in clergy was quite expensive, and even more so for high-ranking clergy.

From noble mtl dot nete

‘Still, the earnings are substantial, so it’s not as if there’s been a loss.’

The Duke of Elenath continued to generate profits using the assets of the Ducal family.

Affiliated with the family, the trading company, lands and mines purchased at fair prices, connections among high-ranking officials and royalty, etc.

Having formed a business system in various fields, it was the interlocking of each sector that maximized profits.

“It was a bit tough, but surviving is all that matters. Brillié wasn’t hurt either.”

Had there been no particular problem, I wouldn’t have intervened.

Brillié was strong enough, and she was predicting the future through the original work.

However, I had no choice but to intervene reluctantly because the pureblood vampire acted unpredictably.

“Is there a reason? It’s my first time encountering a pureblood vampire.”

Alter tried to reason why, but nothing came to mind.

From leaving the northern territories to staying in the capital, I never once encountered a magical beast.

I hadn’t done anything noteworthy, nor had there been any special incidents.

So why did the pureblood vampire cause an event contrary to the original work?

“I don’t think my survival would change things to this extent…”

My survival certainly diverged from the original work, but it was too insignificant to be a variable.

I was only engaged to Brillié, not yet married.

I hadn’t provoked the male protagonists, so naturally, my presence had to fade.

“I don’t know. Where did it all start to go wrong…”

“Are you not struggling?”

“I’m fine. I seem to have fully recovered.”

Alter stepped forward, embracing the warmth of the sunlight fully.

Brillié walked alongside, watching his figure with unease.

Though he acted calmly on the surface, it was impossible to be completely reassured.

If he had always been healthy, perhaps, but Alter’s body was far too frail.

“If it’s too much, just say so. You can bask in the sunlight inside, too.”

“I can’t just stay still because I’m unwell. I need to move around a bit, don’t I?”

“…”

Brillié knew he was right but couldn’t agree.

Being so frail from the start, even going outside was a struggle.

Amidst this, his condition worsened due to magic, so perhaps he needed to rest a bit more.

“I don’t think you did anything wrong, Brillié. I wanted to step in, and I just overdid it a bit.”

“But you came out because I asked, didn’t you? I can’t say it’s not my responsibility.”

“I accepted that proposal. I don’t want to blame anyone now.”

“If only I had gone out alone…”

“Should Brillie get hurt in my place? That shouldn’t be the case.”

Alter continued to speak calmly, even as he mentioned impossible outcomes.

If Brillie fought alone, she could show her true strength.

Of course, the number of hybrid vampires had increased, but it seemed Brillie could handle even that.

“I did what I had to do. It’s something Brillie could have done, but there’s no reason I couldn’t.”

“Our situations are different, aren’t they? Shouldn’t you think of your body first?”

“That doesn’t make my fiancé any less important. Naturally, I should care for my fiancé as I do my own body.”

“I can protect my own body, but you, Alter…”

Brillie hesitated for a moment before falling silent.

Alter’s actions were based on a valid reason.

However, he had neglected his own body and, as a result, got injured.

There must have been a way to show trust in her, but why did he have to step forward first?

“It might be best to leave it at this. We just have different views, not necessarily wrong ones.”

“Hmm… That might be best. I don’t want to fight over this.”

Reluctantly accepting his opinion, Brillie started walking again.

As Alter had said, it was just a difference in perspective.

She had been too complacent, while Alter had been boldly assertive.

‘… Huh?’

Alter felt a faint sensation and slowly came to a halt.

Something was trickling down his nose.

He wasn’t sick with a cold, so it couldn’t be a runny nose.

“You’re bleeding. Are you okay?”

Brillie quickly pulled out a handkerchief and approached Alter.

A red streak was forming along Alter’s nose.

They had only been strolling slowly, so why the sudden bleeding?

“I’m fine.”

“How can you be fine? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Brillie wiped away the blood, her concern evident.

Perhaps it was a side effect of using magic.

Alter claimed to be fully recovered, but his body seemed to disagree.

“We can’t go on like this. Let’s return to your room.”

“I’m really fine. It’s just a bit of blood.”

“How can you say you’re fine? What if you collapse?”

“… Isn’t Miss Brillié right here with me?”

“…?”

Brillié was momentarily flustered, staring blankly at Alter.

After confirming the bleeding had stopped, Alter continued.

“I used magic because I trusted you, Miss Brillié. You wouldn’t abandon me.”

Alter knew exactly what kind of person Brillié was.

Certainly, Brillié had a bold character, but she never acted against her morals.

Her unyielding pride was laced with dignity, and she had worked tirelessly to achieve her goals.

Before being the female lead, she had risen as a steadfast knight, which garnered blind trust.

“Why don’t you trust me this time? I’m truly alright.”

“… You’re not hurt anywhere?”

“Yes. I can still walk further.”

“Then promise me, if it gets even a little tough, we’ll head back to your room. Understood?”

“Yes. I will follow your words then.”

“…”

Unable to persist in her stubbornness, Brillié finally stepped back.

The fragile prince seemed on the verge of collapse, leaning on her.

He was too delicate to touch carelessly, and even being harsh felt uncomfortable.

Perhaps that’s why Brillié couldn’t turn away from Alter, burdened with worry.

‘Why does he speak like that? It leaves me powerless.’

Brillié couldn’t accept the fact that she had been persuaded by Alter.

Normally, she would have carried him back to the mansion right away.

But his distant voice had unwittingly ensnared her.

‘Maybe I’m being too lenient because he’s a noble’s son? Maybe I should just drag him back…’

Brillié glanced over Alter and soon fell into a sigh.

I could not treat my heartbroken fiancé harshly.

Perhaps I should engage in small talk and guide her back to the room.

‘I want to hate you, but I can’t. Oh, how did it come to this?’

***

Alter took a break, yet he behaved as usual.

He tried to learn about magic through books and gradually increased his walking time.

Only after regaining his complete routine did he escape the concerns of those around him.

‘If such an event occurs, there’s nothing I can do.’

Alter decided to wait leisurely until that time came.

Although a male lead had died, it didn’t seem too serious.

Of course, the annulment might be postponed, but a conclusion would be reached soon enough.

‘I should check on that first.’

Alter had previously asked Hillis to purchase goods.

He had invested all his funds, and he was informed that the items were stored in the family’s vault.

If the expected results came in, he could make a substantial profit.

‘For the time being, no new mines will be found…’

Following the knock, the door opened, and Hillis appeared.

Hillis approached quickly and spoke in a hushed voice.

“Master Alter, the price of gold is skyrocketing.”

“…Hmm? Why so suddenly?”

“The gold mined in the eastern mines has been depleted. There are still a few mines left, but their output is gradually decreasing.”

Alter nodded nonchalantly, as if he had anticipated this.

The gold of the Agnes Empire could only be obtained from certain regional mines.

Gold had been primarily mined from the eastern and southeastern mines, but one of them was slowly drying up.

This meant that from now on, gold would only be extracted from the southeastern mines, increasing its scarcity and, consequently, its price.

“Is the gold bar well preserved?”

“Yes. I have reported to the steward and am secretly keeping it.”

“Then, besides you and the steward, does anyone else know about the gold bar?”

“Duke Elenat must be aware. It’s not a small amount of money, so I had to tell him.”

“Hmm… Then he must also know about the price increase?”

“Yes, you probably realized it faster than I did.”

“Check every morning how much the price has risen.”

“Understood.”

Even if I sell the gold bars now, after deducting the commission, there would still be a decent profit left.

But since the price of gold will continue to rise, I thought it might be worth waiting a bit longer.

After all, I didn’t need money right away, and the gold bars alone could sufficiently substitute for currency.

‘I guess I could pass them on to Duke Elenath. It shouldn’t be difficult to dispose of them if he’s running a trading company.’

Gold bars were in high demand for various reasons.

Raw material for gold coins, jewelry making, unchanging value, unique luster, limited quantity.

All these factors combined made them the exclusive possession of the royalty and nobility.

Despite their hefty price, they were excessively purchased to avoid being ignored by the social circles.

‘With the money I get from selling the gold bars… I’ll have to heal my body.’

It wasn’t greed for money that led me to invest.

It was simply because I determined that a large sum was necessary to manage my frail body.

Therefore, I had to secure funds continuously for the future.

‘I’ll try as much as I can. If I stir things up here and there, something might come up, right?’