11 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
Marin looked down at the picnic basket with a proud expression. She had gotten a round cheesecake, bread, and even beef.
The Duke's order to fatten her up was, the more she thought about it, beneficial to her. Thanks to that order, she could feed her mother well too.
Loanna's illness was a mental one.
She had lost her husband and eldest son on the same day, and even lost her house and property. It was an unspeakable shock to her, who was already weak, and her mother was losing her strength day by day.
That's why she needed medicine to replenish her strength and nutritious food. That was the only way to prevent her condition from worsening, and it was why she needed to earn a lot of money.
Marin, who arrived in front of the house, found the cabin door wide open. Surprised, she rushed inside and saw the messy house.
Chairs were lying on the floor. Someone had scattered trash. Dishes were broken everywhere.
"Mom..."
Marin, whose hand lost strength and dropped the picnic basket with a thud, rushed straight to Loanna's room and opened the door. Her mother was not in the room.
"Mom, where are you?!"
"Marin..."
A faint voice was heard from her own room.
"Mom!"
Marin hurriedly threw open her own door.
"Mom..."
Marin burst into tears at the sight of Loanna, which she had never imagined.
Her mother was hugging her dressing table tightly with her frail body. Her hair was disheveled, as if someone had grabbed and torn it.
"Mom, why? Why..."
Tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks.
"It's what you cherish. This is all I could do. I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for? What?"
Marin stood there as if nailed to the spot and sobbed.
"I'm a mother, but I'm only sick while my daughter is suffering, and I can't even help."
"..."
It's not like that. She had to say that just having her mother by her side gave her the strength to endure, but her throat was choked up and no voice came out.
So she just shook her head hard enough to make a buzzing sound.
Her mother always blamed herself, but in fact, she was the one who felt guilty.
On the day of the carriage accident, her mother was not in good condition.
They could have waited a few days until her mother's body recovered and then left together. There were still many days left until the Debutante.
But it was she who urged her father to leave first because she wanted to go to the capital and see the sights quickly.
If they hadn't left that day, they could have avoided the carriage accident.
But her mother had never blamed her for that.
That's why she felt more guilty and wanted to treat her well. To ease her guilt even a little.
Marin ran straight to Loanna and hugged her.
She was so thin that she fit perfectly in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes when she thought about how this weak mother had tried to protect her memories.
"Mom..."
"It's okay. It's okay."
Marin cried out like a child at the touch of her mother's hand, gently patting her back.
After crying for a long time, Marin asked Loanna with swollen eyes what had happened.
"The landlord's wife came. She said that if I didn't pay the rent by tomorrow, I would have to leave this house immediately."
"What? The rent is due in four days."
Loanna struck her chest with a bitter face.
"Mom..."
Marin grabbed her mother's hand and stopped her.
"That woman misunderstood you as her husband's mistress. She should say something that makes sense. She came in a fit of anger, threw trash in the house, and broke everything."
"I'm sorry, Mom. I should have taken care of it..."
"What are you sorry for? I'm your mother. I'm too weak to stop that woman. I could only protect this dressing table. I keep living and causing you so much trouble."
"Mom, don't say that. Everything will be alright."
Marin forced back the tears that were about to come out again and gently stroked her mother's back.
\ \ \
"Mom, I'm going to the Duke's Castle."
After barely finishing a meal with Loanna, who had no appetite, it was already dark outside.
The cabin was located at the entrance of the mountain. Animals could come out at night, so they didn't usually go outside.
But tomorrow, they would be kicked out of the house immediately. She had to solve it somehow.
Every time the moonlight hidden between the clouds shone on the ground, she increased her walking speed.
After a long time, she saw the Duke's Castle with its high spiers brightly lit by torches on the outer walls.
Marin hurriedly knocked on the Duke's Castle gate.
Then the knights opened a small door, not the large gate, and came out.
"Who is it?"
The middle-aged knight scanned her with sharp eyes, who had come at this late hour.
"I'm Marin, working under Assistant Olive. I urgently want to see the assistant, can I go inside?"
"Working under the assistant?"
The middle-aged knight asked her back with a suspicious face.
"Yes."
Marin looked at him with earnest eyes.
"I haven't heard anything. Hey, Uvis. Do you know this person?"
The middle-aged knight called a younger-looking knight who was behind him.
"No. I don't know her."
The young knight with red hair quickly scanned her face with his eyes and shook his head.
"Does Assistant Olive know?"
"I don't know."
"What do you know?"
"Nothing."
"What? Hey! Come here."
"I don't want to."
The young knight quickly ran away inside the castle.
The middle-aged knight and Marin, who were watching the scene with bewildered eyes, awkwardly made eye contact with each other.
"He's still young, a bit of a rascal."
"Yes. I'm sorry, but if the assistant is busy, could you call Butler Sebas for me?"
When she mentioned the butler, the middle-aged knight's attitude became a little more polite.
"Do you know the butler?"
"Yes."
"I understand."
The middle-aged knight went inside and was heard conveying the message through another knight.
Marin waited outside the castle with an anxious heart.
After a while, Butler Sebas came out with a welcoming smile.
"Miss Marin."
"Butler!"
Marin called him in a loud voice, thinking that she could finally go inside.
"Why aren't you coming inside and staying here?"
The middle-aged knight, who was very nervous at the appearance of Butler Sebas, replied in a formal tone.
"I didn't let her in because her identity was not confirmed."
"It's because I was away for a few days. Miss Marin, I'm sorry."
Butler Sebas apologized in a sincere voice. The middle-aged knight standing behind him was seen flinching.
"No, it's okay. More than that, I have something I urgently want to ask the assistant, can I see him now?"
"Yes. Come in."
Marin followed Butler Sebas into the drawing room for servants, which she had visited before.
"If you wait here, the assistant will come."
"Yes. Thank you so much."
"From now on, come in whenever you want. I'll make sure to tell the knights and soldiers on guard."
His arm muscles twitched as he spoke kindly.
Was it my imagination that the word 'make sure' seemed to be emphasized?
Marin quickly bowed her head to express her gratitude.
"Thank you for your consideration."
Butler Sebas responded with a smile and went outside.
Not long after, Olive rushed in. He was dressed more comfortably than when she had seen him during the day.
"Miss Marin. What's going on at this late hour?"
Marin stood up from her seat with a determined expression.
"Olive. Please help me."
Marin bent over so far that her forehead touched the floor and pleaded with him.
"Miss Marin, raise your head."
Olive, surprised, said hastily. He had a bewildered look in his eyes at her unexpected behavior.
"I..."
"First, let's sit on the sofa and talk."
Olive, who gently cut off Marin's words, led her to the sofa.
"I know that I can't get paid yet because I've only worked for one day, but can I get an advance?"
"An advance?"
Olive widened his eyes as if he was surprised.
"Yes. The landlord told me to leave the house immediately if I don't pay the rent by tomorrow. I can live in any abandoned warehouse, but my mother is sick. So I'm asking you for a favor, even though it's rude."
