109 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
“I have a fiancé!”
“Yeah. Break it off.”
“……”
Marin was momentarily speechless at his brazen demand.
We just met today, is it okay for him to act like this?
“If it’s hard for you to tell your fiancé, should I tell him for you?”
Marin struggled to regain control of the conversation, which kept veering off course to the point of dizziness.
“Excuse me. I have no interest in the Third Crown Prince.”
“What? Why? How come?”
Tan’s dark pupils shook incessantly.
“I said I have no interest because I don’t, but if you ask like that……”
“Lady, look closely. How can you not be interested after seeing this face? Are your eyes bad?”
Tan made a flower shape with his hands and brought his face closer.
His dark eyes shone like obsidian. His tanned skin, contrasting with his unusual lemon-colored hair, was sexy.
Marin had an epiphany as she looked at the handsome man in front of her.
“I guess so……”
“Right? Your eyes are bad, aren’t they?”
“I think I’ve just become too accustomed.”
Marin thought to herself and came to her own conclusion.
There were too many handsome men around her these days. Wouldn’t that make ordinary men look like squids? No way. I have to protect my eyes!
“What do you mean by accustomed?”
“There are too many handsome people around me, so it’s a big……”
Marin, who had been absentmindedly blurting out her thoughts, snapped her mouth shut.
“Oh, that’s a bit of a problem. Hmm. If you’re not swayed by my looks, how about my body?”
He confidently flexed his arm, making his firm muscles stand out.
Gerald’s arms seem thicker, though.
Tsk! What are you thinking?
Marin hurriedly shook her head and focused on the man in front of her.
“Why are you doing this anyway?”
“I fell in love at first sight.”
Tan smiled, crinkling his eyes seductively again.
I’ll admit, that eye smile is something.
Hearing his lighthearted confession, Marin burst into laughter.
Unlike the Oman Empire, the Sanders Empire had many sons of the Emperor. They were fiercely fighting beneath the surface.
So, she thought that the Third Crown Prince’s frivolous words and actions might be a facade.
“I’m really popular, you know? You’ll regret it if you miss out on me.”
Or not. Is he just naturally like this?
Marin stared at the Third Crown Prince with a confused look.
\ \ *
Gerald gritted his teeth in dissatisfaction amidst the Dukes surrounding him and spouting nonsense.
He was close by, but he couldn’t hear a word they were saying.
All his attention was focused on Marin, who was far away.
He had been stealing glances at her the entire way in the carriage. Dia was having her Debutante, but why could he only see her?
The light peach-colored dress suited her skin tone so well.
A deep possessiveness welled up inside him, wanting to hide her away and keep her all to himself.
The moment he had that thought, Gerald swallowed a bitter smile.
Should I have never opened my eyes?
Once he had seen Marin, it became increasingly difficult to suppress the desire to keep looking at her.
He still hadn’t found the real culprit who killed his sister.
So, he couldn’t reveal that his eyes had recovered yet.
In order to completely put his enemies off guard, he couldn’t reveal to anyone that he could see.
However, when the day came that he could tell the truth, he wanted to tell her first.
“Southern Duke, are you listening to me?”
The Southern Duke asked crookedly.
“I am not listening.”
“What?”
Currently, Gerald was hearing a familiar voice.
That playboy bastard.
Anger bubbled up inside him.
He wanted to tell the Dukes near him to get lost right away, but there were too many eyes watching. So, he decided to get lost himself.
“I will excuse myself first.”
Gerald raised his head and spat out the words as if chewing them.
“We are still in the middle of a conversation.”
The Southern Duke asked back with a dumbfounded expression, but Gerald had already turned around and was heading towards Marin.
However, there were many obstacles in the way to Marin.
“Your Grace, it’s been a whil-”
“Get lost.”
“Yes.”
“The Duke, do you remember m-”
“Get lost.”
“Yes.”
After ignoring numerous nobles, he finally approached Marin, and Tan’s smooth voice was heard.
“I’m really popular, you know? You’ll regret it if you miss out on me.”
Why do women like guys like that?
Wait, how old is that guy?
“Third Crown Prince. How old are you?”
Gerald cut in between them at once.
Tan waved his hand as if he was glad to see him.
“Oh, Southern Duke! Long time no see. But why are you suddenly asking about my age?”
“I asked first.”
“One year younger than the Duke.”
Gerald’s jaw tightened.
He’s more dangerous than the Crown Prince. A two- or three-year age difference, which she likes.
“Please step aside.”
“What?”
“I said, step aside from my woman.”
Tan was dumbfounded at Gerald’s cold and resolute words, then suddenly burst into laughter and looked at Marin.
“Your fiancé was the Southern Duke?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, the Southern Duke……”
For a moment, a sharp glint passed through Tan’s dark eyes, but no one noticed.
“Southern Duke. I was going to be friends with the Duke’s fiancée. You can understand, right?”
Gerald frowned and lowered his head towards Marin as if asking if that was true.
“When did we decide to be friends?”
Marin retorted with a flustered face.
“Since you were talking informally to me earlier?”
Tan smiled brightly as he answered.
“Informally?”
Gerald’s brow furrowed at once.
Marin spoke informally to the Third Crown Prince?
Why do men swarm around her whenever he’s away for even a moment?
“No. It was a soliloquy.”
“Who speaks soliloquies that loudly?”
Tan asked teasingly.
“There i-”
“There is.”
Gerald was displeased that she was even exchanging words with the Third Crown Prince.
“What?”
“There is. And I’ve been saying it since earlier. Please step aside.”
“Wow, the Duke is a bit cold today?”
Tan shuddered as if he was exaggerating.
“Third Crown Prince.”
When the Duke called him in a low voice as if warning him, Tan raised both hands and grumbled.
“Ah, I understand. Why does the Duke always take what I covet? He even snatched the blacksmith I had my eye on.”
Unable to contain her curiosity, Marin cautiously interjected.
“Are you perhaps talking about Surenne?”
“Sweetie knows Surenne too?”
“Sweetie?”
The Duke’s voice became terribly low.
“I am Marin.”
Marin said clearly, carefully watching the Duke’s expression.
“Sweetie Marin also knows Surenne?”
Whether he was oblivious or just didn’t care, Tan asked back in a light tone.
“Sweetie Marin?”
The Duke’s voice became even lower, as if it had risen from hell.
Marin felt a chill and quickly said.
“I am just Marin. If the Third Crown Prince won’t leave, I will.”
“Alright, alright. Then let’s meet again next time.”
Tan tried to grab her hand to kiss the back of it, but the Duke grabbed both of her hands tightly with his large hands.
“I can’t help it. See you next time, Sweetie Marin.”
Tan waved his hand and disappeared with a face that said he was having the time of his life.
Marin’s crown kept prickling, so she couldn’t bring herself to look up.
Everyone who had been gathered near the champagne table had disappeared because of the Duke’s sharp atmosphere.
How can he seem to be glaring even though he can’t see?
Marin looked down at her hands, which were held in the Duke’s one hand. The Duke’s hands were so big that they easily covered both of hers.
“Um, Gerald?”
Marin called out, carefully watching the Duke’s expression.
Why does that expressionless face feel like he’s sulking?
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yes. You didn’t do anything wrong. It must be that men are going crazy while you’re just standing still.”
