The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Wants to Break Off the Engagement-Chapter 104

Chapter 104
Cadeon sent his congratulations upon hearing that Alter had been selected as the next great mage.
At the same time, he presented Alter with valuable magic-related items and even hosted a modest banquet.
Alter seemed rather burdened by the attention, but he reluctantly went along with the atmosphere.
"Um... Brillie."
"Yes?"
"Isn't this enough? I think you're buying too much."
Alter hesitantly glanced at the pile of necklaces and rings off to the side as he cautiously spoke.
For the sake of maintaining dignity as the next great mage, he had found himself buying luxury items before he realized it.
However, Brillie did not stop at all, and Cadeon had gone so far as to provide a substantial amount of money, telling her to do as she liked.
"Mages often flaunt their wealth or backgrounds, don't they? That's why they use expensive staffs and robes. We can't let you fall behind in that regard."
"Even the great mage doesn't use such expensive items all the time."
"Is that so? Last time I saw, he was wearing a ring that seemed quite pricey."
"..."
Alter was left speechless, gazing blankly at Brillie.
Brillie had lived in the capital since birth and was well-versed in the lifestyle of nobles.
On top of that, when considering events and social circles hosted by the royal palace, he had no choice but to quietly agree.
"I don't know much about staffs and robes, but I do know about accessories. Even those called society heads wear at least a necklace or a ring."
"I'm not quite at that level yet..."
"What are you talking about? As the next great mage, you're at a similar rank. Besides, you don't even like dressing up, do you?"
"As long as I dress properly, isn't that enough...?"
"One suit of nice clothes isn't enough. You hardly even used the brooch I got you, did you?"
"I only wear it on important occasions, since it was a gift..."
"That's not enough. Since we're shopping anyway, we should get a new brooch."
"I'm fine—"
"Oh, wait a moment. I almost forgot this."
Brillie leaned back for a second, then examined the back of Alter's head.
His snow-white hair was neatly ironed and tied up, but since the hair tie in the center looked quite plain, she couldn't help but feel it was lacking.
"There are plenty of pretty hair ties, you know? You could use one right here."
"What? No, that's not necessary. As long as it holds my hair, it's fine..."
"If we've come all this way, we might as well get everything at once, right? Hm... and I think a hairpin would be nice, too..."
"I'm a man, so those kinds of things aren't really..."
"What does gender have to do with it? If you want to do it, you do it."
"But hair ties and hairpins..."
"Just hold still. I think it would suit you."
Brillie fussed with the hair framing Alter's forehead, adjusting the angle each time.
Alter tried to protest several times, then eventually gave up.
She seemed so absorbed in this that he couldn't bring himself to stop her.
Perhaps the best way to reduce spending on luxury goods would be to compromise a little.
"Why didn't I think of this before? I should have done this from the start..."
"Um... Brillie."
"You're not going to say you're embarrassed, are you? Everyone would think it looks nice."
"It's not that... But wouldn't it be better to buy one instead of both a necklace and a ring? You can't wear more than one at a time anyway."
"Hmmm... That's true, necklaces and rings are a bit ambiguous for you. Ah! We could just buy more brooches."
"I didn't mean we should buy more—"
"Let's go have a look over there. There are lots of pretty ones."
Brillie confidently took Alter's hand and moved forward without hesitation.
Alter simply followed her, unable to say anything.
In the first place, Brillie's grip was well-trained, so there was no way he could resist.
'... She hasn't brought up marriage. Is she deliberately keeping it to herself?'
Only then did Alter faintly grasp Brillie's feelings.
He couldn't bring himself to say anything burdensome, so she must have been trying to settle her emotions by walking around with him.
Maybe even her purchase of luxury goods was connected to it.
'I guess I can't stop her. I should just do as she asks.'
Alter gently clasped the hand intertwined with his.
Though her calluses still felt rough, he felt all the more at peace because of them.
With the hands that had trained with the sword, she had resolved to protect only him.
"I always think this, but you have beautiful hands."
"Hm... Not so beautiful, I think? They're covered with calluses and I haven't really taken care of them..."
"That's what makes them beautiful. They show the fruit of your hard work, don't they?"
"..."
Brillie stopped walking and stared at Alter.
He was not referring to the shape of her hands, but the process that came before.
Most people get caught up in appearances, but Alter had unearthed the past engraved in her hands.
That's why, as he called them beautiful, he also praised her determination.
"You even tried to warm my hands with yours. I still remember that warmth."
"Th-that was just because you said you were cold, so I only touched your hands for a moment."
A faint blush appeared on Brillie's cheeks as she lowered her gaze.
She thought she had forgotten, but was still holding it in her heart.
More than anything, who would have thought that just a few words could send her feelings swirling again?
"I know things are hard for you right now. I'm not at ease either. Would this be called bad luck?"
"No, it's all right. Sometimes life is like that."
"You can rely on me any time. There might not be much I can do, but I think I can help, at least a little."
Alter spoke calmly and took Brillie's hands with both of his.
For a moment, Brillie flinched, then soon offered a composed smile.
"Hmm... Then how about putting on a ribbon instead of a hair tie? I think that would be comforting."
"What? A ribbon? That's a bit..."
"Can't do it? Oh well, then."
Brillie pretended to look a little disappointed and turned her head slowly.
Alter hesitated, then reluctantly opened his mouth again.
"If... it's only in front of you, Brillie... I suppose it's all right."
"Are you really going to do it?"
"Yes. If that's what you wish..."
"No, it's fine. I was only joking. How could I make you do that?"
At once, Brillie wiped the smile from her face and gazed at him with gentle eyes.
The fiancé who had always been so cool and calm was now quite embarrassed, at least in this moment.
He must have had some pride as a noble, so why would he even accept these kinds of playful jokes?
'Why is he being so adorable? Seriously, what am I supposed to do?'
* * *
Berhan sat across from Ronit, deep in suspicion.
Although he asked why the Holy King had personally restricted the rite of matrimony, he had not received a satisfying answer.
With even his complexion and demeanor growing grimmer, his wariness only increased.
"Something's going wrong. I don't know why the Holy King is acting this way."
"... Normally I would say we should wait, but this time, I too find it hard to understand."
As the Holy King's direct knight, Ronit had faithfully carried out any command.
But the current behavior was so baffling that doubt had to take hold. Perhaps something had happened to the Holy King.
"Did something happen while I was dispatched?"
"There were no incidents significant enough to be called a problem. However..."
Ronit hesitated for a moment. Berhan furrowed his brow and then spoke first.
"Speak freely. If there's a problem, it needs to be solved, doesn't it?"
"It's just... Your Holiness has gone out at night on several occasions."
"Leaving the grand cathedral without telling anyone, and sneaking out?"
"Yes. We've confirmed he's gone out about three times, but there could be more instances we've missed."
"Hmph... This doesn't look good."
Berhan's face darkened as he rapped on the table.
The thought that the priest leading the Semerune Order was secretly going out only deepened his suspicions.
If he had nothing to hide, he could appear in broad daylight—why would he wait until darkness fell?
"That's why I was debating whether or not to tail him."
"If you're caught, it would be seen as an insult to the Holy King. Could you do it without attracting notice?"
"There are capable people in the Order, but issuing a command is the issue. Won't it be regarded as a suspicious act?"
"This is tricky. We can't just sit here and do nothing."
Berhan recognized the seriousness of the situation clearly.
Even just restricting the rite of matrimony would put pressure on the entire empire.
Not only commoners, but the royal family and nobles would also be discontent with these sanctions.
Above all, he had angered the Emperor, which could, in the worst case, lead to a frontal conflict with the imperial household.
"As long as your Holiness is being stubborn, there's nothing we can do."
"... Should we bring in outsiders?"
"Outsiders? You want to tell someone outside the Order about this situation?"
"We can't entrust this matter to someone from within the Order. Outsiders are more likely to follow our wishes."
"First Apostle, if things go wrong, it'll damage the Order's reputation. Are you prepared to bear that risk?"
"Come now, second Apostle, isn't it obvious that something is wrong here? There's no good reason to restrict the rite of matrimony. And if the Holy King is sneaking out at night, we can't simply overlook it."
"We've yet to find any evidence of misconduct. Would you still have him followed?"
"Very well... let me tell you my true thoughts. Please don't misunderstand; I only want to express my concerns."
Berhan spoke seriously as he looked warily around.
If nothing else, these words must not be overheard by anyone.
It was, in effect, contempt for the Holy King and an insult to the very foundation of the Semerune Order.
"... It feels as if the Holy King is tainted by demonic energy."
"Did you just say demonic energy? Are you implying the Holy King is a monster?"
"That's right. I've felt it constantly for months, but thought it was my imagination. Only recently have I become certain. I'm telling you because you're the Second Apostle, so please be frank."
"This... It can't be..."
Ronit's face twisted in astonishment.
The First Apostle had held his position for a long time and served the Holy King with unwavering loyalty and faith.
If such a man had sensed demonic power, then perhaps it should be taken seriously.
"My guess is... Restricting the rite of matrimony is part of some secret scheme."
"Are you saying your Holiness wants attention drawn to the rite of matrimony, while committing evil in secret?"
"If I'm right, then we must act fast. If we don't act now, not only the Order, but the entire empire could suffer grave consequences."
Overcome with mixed feelings, Ronit locked eyes with Berhan.
Berhan was now risking his own honor and life to speak the truth.
In that case, as a holy apostle, Ronit had to answer such a noble will.
"... Who should we entrust this task to?"
"It must be someone who belongs to neither the imperial family nor the Order, but has both skill and trustworthiness. I already have someone in mind."
"Who are you thinking of?"
"Have you heard of Alter Radiant? If it's him, we can entrust this mission with confidence. Brillie Illenat may be able to cooperate as well."