"You think... I'm afraid of you? The youngest can make jokes too, I see."

Märchen was quite flustered, but did not show it at all.

One must never reveal any vulnerability, no matter the time or place.

Enemies lurked from all sides and would try to undermine her at the slightest opening.

If she wanted to become the Grand Duke of the North, she would have to be thoroughly cold-blooded.

"This is a matter for Father to decide. There's nothing we can do but wait quietly."

"So you're saying you won't refuse if it's given to you?"

"Should I just let it go, then? For the sake of our elder brother and eldest sister? Have you always underestimated me that much?"

Alter glared at Märchen, firing back openly.

He did not crave to inherit the Grand Dukeship of the North, but he had no intention of giving up on it, either.

Naturally, the odds were greater that the eldest son or second daughter would be chosen, but at this stage, it was all just speculation.

"It's not so much that I underestimated you, but I do think you're not qualified. You've never made any sacrifices for the family. You've only ever received; if you take even that, isn't it a bit shameless?"

Märchen coldly selected only the facts and muttered them.

She and Rozandion had cemented their standings through countless battles across the northern territories.

Alter, on the other hand, had stayed inside the castle due to his weak constitution.

From there, a considerable gap emerged—how could he even dare to covet the throne of the Grand Duke?

"If you knew that much, you should have just left me alone. I didn't do anything, but you were the first to meddle, weren't you? When did I ever make a fuss about becoming Grand Duke of the North?"

"......"

"And you talk about dedication to the house—do you think that's enough? You've been treated well just because you're of Grand Ducal blood, so, of course, you'd be assigned plenty of troops when heading to the front. And you dare lecture me on devotion after all that?"

Alter was well aware that both the eldest son and second daughter had received all sorts of privileges.

Within the castle, butlers and maids doted on them; even when deployed, Elite knights always followed.

Therefore, it was rare for them to be injured, and they would lead their side to victory in any battle.

If, by now, either of them failed to realize this, they must be rather naive indeed.

"You talk big for someone who's never even fought monsters."

"It's better than questioning my qualifications when you know nothing about my illness, isn't it?"

"Sitting around taking it easy inside the castle, and now you're going to lecture me?"

"If I'm given a force, I could subdue a pack of weak monsters as well. Even if I just sat back, it would be taken care of for me."

"You... are you really challenging me right now?"

"Did I say anything untrue? Haven't you looked down on me from the start? You never regarded me as a competitor, but now that I'm back, I must have become a little bothersome."

Although Alter was well aware of the atmosphere, he had forced himself to ignore it.

As someone frail, he could only keep a low profile in the family.

However, now that he had broken the curse and awakened his magical talent, he would endure no longer.

"How arrogant you've become. Just because you became the apprentice of the great mage, you think you're different? You're not my match. You think anyone can become Grand Duke of the North?"

"I'm sure you're confident. You've probably been winning over commanders and strategists all this time. I imagine you've fought a lot with our brother because of that, too?"

Märchen flinched but did not retract her momentum.

Alter had already seen through the dynamic between herself and Rozandion.

If no one obeyed you, you could never rule as Grand Duke of the North.

That's why she had kept Rozandion in check and amassed her own support base until now.

"You were probably thinking you could persuade me to bring the Duke of Illenat into your fold. But... that isn't something only big sister can do."

"Are you saying you'll side with our brother?"

"That remains to be seen. My views and the Duke of Illenat's may differ, after all."

Alter nonchalantly brought up the Duke of Illenat, betraying confidence.

Both the eldest son and second daughter would want to leverage the power of House Illenat.

Thus, while needing his presence, they also inevitably tried to exclude him.

"I'll leave quietly when the time comes. So wouldn't it be best for you to act as you always have?"

"......"

"Are we finished here? Then, I'll be going first."

Leaving Märchen behind, Alter walked away from the spot.

Having made his intentions this clear, he figured she would probably get the message.

Most importantly, as the next family head was chosen by the current Grand Duke of the North, no one could arbitrarily interfere.

'The Duke of Illenat can't be uninterested. Who becomes the Grand Duke of the North will certainly affect him.'

From here, the interests of political marriage began to emerge.

From the Duke of Illenat's perspective, he had to ensure benefit with whoever became Grand Duke of the North.

That direction would be linked to the next family head and decide the future of both houses.

'The Duke of Illenat is probably hoping I'll become Grand Duke of the North.'

After all, having his son-in-law in power was more advantageous than a simple relative of his daughter.

Only with his son-in-law as Grand Duke of the North could he secure direct cooperation.

If, then, the Grand Duke house became involved, it was likely he'd offer his support.

'As for a power-house from the capital, even if I face my siblings, I might not lose... Maybe it's not entirely hopeless.'

* * *

Brillie was strolling along the inner castle corridor from early morning.

Being in a strange, unfamiliar place, she hadn't been able to sleep very deeply.

She figured she'd have to wait, gazing out the window, until breakfast began.

"... Are you up already?"

Alter encountered Brillie and couldn't hide his curiosity.

It would have been warmer by the hearth, but she was bravely enduring the cold.

Perhaps, she had already acclimated to the northern climate in just a few days.

"Yes, I just wanted to walk a bit."

"It must be quite cold for you."

"No, it's bearable. And... it feels a little strange to just stay inside the room."

Brillie awkwardly smiled and walked up to Alter.

As always, Alter wore her silvery hair tied back elegantly, revealing her fine features.

Even though she'd been seeing this face regularly, in this moment, she looked somehow strange and unfamiliar.

"Can I check something for a moment?"

"Pardon?"

Brillie moved slowly, then suddenly took Alter's hand.

Gently feeling his skin, she relaxed a little.

"You're warm. You really must have recovered."

"That's probably why I can walk around like this now. In the past, I wouldn't have been able to leave my room."

Brillie caressed Alter's hand, then let it go.

She thought they would return to the capital after spending a few more days at Goranmoche Castle.

After that, as planned, they would hold their wedding and promise their future to one another.

"... How have you lived in a place like this all this time?"

"That's hard even for me to answer. I've been here since I was born."

"Look, over there. Those people come out at dawn every day and do that. It must be freezing, but they keep at it, right?"

Brillie pointed out the window and muttered incomprehensibly.

Soldiers and laborers were clearing snow around the castle.

Alter watched them briefly, then slowly opened his mouth.

"If the snow isn't cleared, it's hard to move in and out of the castle. If you leave it because it's cold, it will keep piling up."

"I don't say that because I don't know. It's just that, since people have to live here, there's no choice but to do it, right? It's not a temporary thing—they've been doing it since the founding of the Empire, haven't they?"

"Probably... so."

"And that's not all. If something freezes over, they have to go and break it. Always chopping firewood, and it's much harder to get hot food here than in the capital. Imagine how much harder it must be if you're not from the ducal house."

"...."

Even Alter couldn't refute that.

He inherited the Grand Ducal bloodline, so he could live in comfort.

But those who didn't even make it as knights, let alone a scion of the Grand Duke, were at the mercy of cold and labor.

Still, it was marginally better than starving to death, so they endured life in the north.

"I think I understand why the Grand Duke sent you to the capital. Living here... it must inevitably be hard. If you're weak, it must feel even harsher."

"I suppose you've become rather disappointed in me."

"No! That's not it. I just feel for you, Alter. I also realized what kind of responsibilities the Grand Duke's family has borne. Compared to you, my family must have lived in all kinds of comfort."

Brillie sincerely felt compassion for Alter.

Even though he was a child of the Grand Duke's family, he had led a harsher life than herself.

How could she turn away from such a delicate and pitiable fiancé?

"Compared to the soldiers or common residents, I can't say I have it that hard. If anything, it's because I'm of the Grand Duke's family that I managed to endure this long."

At times, he must have resented the restrictions imposed on him.

He had suffered unintentionally from the curse, experienced the chill of the north after losing his mother.

But after recognizing his mother's sacrifice and overcoming even the curse, perhaps it was time to look toward a new milestone.

"... Can I ask you one thing?"

"Yes, as much as you like."

"Since you said you'd marry me, I won't ask about that anymore. But, could you live here with me?"

"Here? Is there a particular reason it must be so?"

Brillie asked back, full of genuine curiosity.

In the northern lands, even the smallest happiness would be hard to come by.

Alter surely understood that—why was he making such a suggestion?

"Because I might become Grand Duke of the North."

Alter calmly answered, seeing even the remote possibility.

He couldn't be certain in this situation, but it wasn't entirely impossible.

That's why he wanted to confirm this with the woman who would become his partner.

"What would you do if I said I couldn't live here?"

"In that case, I wouldn't become Grand Duke of the North."

"You wouldn't break off the engagement instead?"

"No. I don't want to reverse a decision I've once made."

Brillie felt relief upon hearing that.

If he had hesitated with his answer, anxiety might have flooded in.

But her fiancé, Alter Radiant, was showing his resolve with a dignified gaze.

"I'll respect your wishes, Brillie. I have no lingering attachment to the position of Grand Duke."

"Wouldn't you regret giving it up because of me?"

"That's not something I'd regret. More important to me is the person who chooses to stay by my side."

Brillie seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon made up her mind.

Though she had already decided to become the Duke of Illenat, she couldn't bear to ruin her fiancé's future.

If she truly wanted to marry him, wasn't it right to support her partner?

"Even if you become Grand Duke of the North, I'll go with you. If we're married, we should always be together, shouldn't we?"

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=Damn it, so cheesy...【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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