101 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
Blind Peacock and Engaged Chapter 101
"Baines, I see the Crown Prince."”
The Duke nodded slightly with a bothered expression.
Wow, it's a talent to be able to greet someone so casually. Marin was newly impressed by the Duke's audacity.
“Duke! I heard you were injured and I was so worried I couldn't bear it. I sent letters but received no reply, so I came to see you myself.”
The Crown Prince looked at the Duke ardently, his golden eyes sparkling.
Marin looked back and forth between the Crown Prince and the Duke with a dumbfounded expression.
Is the Crown Prince a fan of the Duke?
“Your Highness, there is such a thing as procedure.”
“I apologize for coming without permission.”
The Crown Prince looked at the Duke, crestfallen.
“Haa, let us move to another place.”
“The weather is nice, so I think we can talk here….”
“Let. Us. Move.”
The Duke said each word slowly in a chilly voice.
Then the Crown Prince gave an awkward smile and quickly got up from his seat.
Marin and Dia also stood up.
The Crown Prince spoke politely to them.
“I apologize once again for disturbing the ladies' tea time. I will send a gift of apology soon.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Before they could speak, the Duke refused first.
Marin glanced at the Duke with a 'is this okay?' expression, then looked at the Crown Prince.
What if he gets upset being publicly humiliated like that?
But fortunately, the Crown Prince seemed to have expected such words, and only wore a faint smile, seemingly unaffected.
“Then I hope you have a good time.”
As the Crown Prince politely greeted them first, Marin and Dia also hurriedly bowed.
The Duke was already walking far away. The Crown Prince busily chased after him.
“Duke, let us go together.”
At the Crown Prince's words, the Duke's pace didn't slow down, but rather quickened. Yet, the Crown Prince smiled and followed, as if he liked it.
Silence fell in the place where the two had swept through.
“…Did he hear?”
Marin was blankly staring when she snapped to her senses at Dia's words.
“He couldn’t have heard….”
Please. Let's just go with the young couple who fell in love at first sight!
As Marin's voice trembled slightly, Dia smiled with a 'don't worry' face.
“It’s okay, Marin. If the Crown Prince distances himself from me after hearing those words, then that's just something that can't be helped.”
Marin looked at her with an impressed expression at Dia's mature attitude.
\ \ \
Marin stood in front of the Duke's office.
Olive was in charge of reading reports, so this was her first time visiting this place.
Just as she was about to knock, she heard the Duke's voice.
“Come in.”
When she opened the door and entered, the office was bright.
“What is it?”
“I was thinking of going sightseeing in the capital with Dia.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the Duke stood up.
Marin's green eyes widened.
“Why are you getting up?”
“You said you were going?”
“When did I say that?”
“You said you were going sightseeing in the capital.”
“Yes, me and Dia. Of course, I’ll take Elmis for protection. We’re going to a busy street right in front of the Imperial Palace, so there won’t be anything dangerous.”
“Did I tell you? Five steps.”
The Duke approached her and stood tall within arm's reach.
“This seems like one step.”
Marin measured the distance with her eyes and said firmly.
“That’s based on my standards. By your standards, it’s five steps.”
The corners of his lips loosened.
“Are you making fun of me for having short legs right now?”
“It’s not just your legs that are short, everything about you is short, why are you acting like it’s new.”
As Marin looked at him with a sulky expression, a smile formed on the Duke's relaxed lips.
That’s right. Why am I getting angry like it’s new.
“It’s just that Gerald-nim’s are longer than necessary, I’m normal-”
“I’m saying that this much is good.”
The Duke, who had come a little closer, lowered his head and slowly whispered in her ear.
The Duke's hot breath tickled her ear.
Marin hurriedly grabbed her burning ears. Her heart was pounding so fast it hurt.
Why is it beating like this. He likes the distance, not me, the distance.
The distance that had narrowed as the Duke approached came into view. Her heart, which had been beating vigorously, slowly found its rhythm.
That’s right. I need to keep my distance from him. I had a feeling that if I kept being dragged around by him like this, my heart would have a very hard time.
Marin, who had made up her mind, quickly turned away from him and scurried backwards.
“What is it?”
One of the Duke's eyebrows shot up.
“Don’t follow me. If you follow me….”
“If I follow you?”
The Duke chuckled as if to say, try threatening me.
“I’m only going to talk about women’s secret stories. Pregnancy, childbirth, first love….”
“First love?”
Suddenly, the corners of the Duke's lips turned stiff.
“Don’t tell me you’re curious about your niece’s first love?”
“Of course not. Do you… have a first love?”
His voice lowered cautiously.
“If I tell you, you won’t follow me?”
“Yes. But no lying. I can tell everything.”
He tilted his head to the side as if listening to her words.
“I….”
As she slowly opened her lips, she saw the Duke stop breathing.
Why is this so important that this person is so focused?
His furrowed brow, his tense, slightly trembling, full eyelashes, and the smooth jawline that twitched as he clenched his teeth.
Marin couldn't continue speaking as she stared at his face as if possessed.
“You are?”
As the Duke's tone became prickly as he repeated her words, Marin came to her senses.
“Actually, I don’t.”
She told him honestly because there was no reason to lie.
“Good. I won’t go.”
Only then did a satisfied smile appear on the Duke's lips.
“Instead, only go to the busy streets, and stay close to Elmis.”
Since when did he become such a nag? Marin laughed out loud.
“Yes!”
A smile formed on Gerald's lips at the sound of her cheerful footsteps heard from beyond the door.
\ \ \
Marin and Dia were seated in a small dessert shop.
They had visited a place recommended by Dia after sightseeing in the capital's busy streets.
It was a very small shop with only three tables in the hall. Most of the customers seemed to be taking their orders to go, as they were the only ones inside.
Soon, the clerk brought out a sliced cake. Slices of cake of various colors were placed on a round pink plate.
“We have included only the most popular cakes in our store. Enjoy.”
Marin, who nodded slightly, looked at the cake with thinly sliced strawberries layered on top of a snow-white sheet. It looked appetizing at a glance.
When she picked up only the strawberries with a fork and tasted them, a refreshing and sweet flavor spread throughout her mouth. It was a strawberry flavor she had never tasted in the West.
“The strawberries are delicious.”
Dia smiled softly and agreed.
“This dessert shop uses southern strawberries. Southern strawberries are delicious.”
“The South is warm, so I think all the fruits are delicious.”
“That’s right.”
Dia smiled brightly as she recalled her hometown.
“How did you find out about this place?”
“It’s a place my mother liked.”
Dia continued, looking around the store slowly, as if recalling memories with a loved one.
“I really like that this place is the same as it used to be. I like it even more because I came with Marin.”
“Me too!”
Marin deliberately answered more brightly.
At that moment, the door to the store burst open and a man entered.
The man quickly looked around the dessert shop and headed straight for them.
Elmis stood with a stern face as if blocking the way.
“What business do you have?”
“Ah, I just wanted to ask something.”
The tall man said, craning his neck to the side to see them.
The man with lemon-yellow hair and dark skin was wearing a sleeveless shirt and thin pants that revealed his forearms, even though it was winter.
Marin ignored the man and looked down at the cake, with an ominous feeling that getting involved with him would be troublesome.
“Hey, ladies. There are people here.”
The handsome man with exotic looks waved his hands wildly to make his presence known.
“What is it?”
Marin raised her head because she thought he would make a lot of noise if she continued to ignore him.
“The carriage in front of the store. It was really made of diamonds. Right?”
The man's black eyes sparkled like a child who had found an interesting toy.
“Yes.”
Marin answered nonchalantly. Being noticed when riding in the Diamond Carriage was an everyday occurrence.
“I like that carriage, will you sell it to me?”
Marin frowned and looked at the man with a dumbfounded expression. He was speaking informally from the first meeting. And he was suddenly asking her to sell the carriage.
“No.”
“Why? I can give you a lot of money.”
The man drooped his broad shoulders and made a dejected puppy-like expression.
“It’s not about the money, I can’t sell it because it was a gift.”
“Really? To think of giving something like that as a gift. Why haven’t I ever thought of that?”
The man, who had been continuing the conversation without any sense of discomfort despite Elmis being between them, suddenly began to blame himself.
“Well, that can happen. That’s why you have to travel a lot and see a lot. But lady, you’re cute. Will you go out with me?”
The man, who had been depressed on his own, suddenly folded his eyes and smiled prettily, his spirits lifted on his own.
