115 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
“Since I have a fiancée, I have no intention of having tea time with other women.”
At The Duke’s words, the two princesses turned their gazes sharply toward Marin.
Then, they scanned Marin up and down with piercing eyes.
Marin lowered her head slightly to avoid their gazes.
“Hmm, Schwentz Young Lady. Are you very jealous?”
The Fourth Princess widened her eyes on purpose and asked in a coquettish voice.
Marin took a deep breath inwardly and raised her head.
The Duke rejected them, but why is the blame being shifted to me?
Just as Marin was about to open her mouth, she saw the Third Princess calling The Duke and reaching out to his arm.
Where is that hand going now? The Duke hates being touched by anyone other than me!
At that moment, she unknowingly lost her mind.
That’s right. I must fulfill my duty as his fiancée.
Marin placed her hand on his arm before the Third Princess could, and moved the princess’s hand back so it wouldn’t touch him.
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“Huh?”
The Fourth Princess tilted her head, feigning innocence as if asking what she meant.
“Your Highnesses, please forgive my petty heart. I can’t stand Lord Gerald being out of my sight. That’s why I even asked him to come to the Imperial Palace to pick me up like this.”
The two princesses stared at Marin with dumbfounded expressions.
This was because openly expressing jealousy was against the virtues of noble women.
“Lord Gerald, you can’t be with other women when I’m here. Understood?”
After uttering those words, she felt upset, and her hand gripping his arm naturally tightened.
With this much, I’ve perfectly played the role of someone who loves The Duke, right?
In that instant, she saw the corners of The Duke’s lips lifting as if he was satisfied.
The two princesses, who had always seen only The Duke’s stern face, were captivated by that sight.
The Third and Fourth Princesses simultaneously thought that they were better than that lacking Young Lady who couldn’t even hide such an ugly emotion as jealousy.
Soon, their eyes revealed their desire for him without any concealment.
But it was then.
“Marin, you really can’t hide your feelings well.”
It was a nuance of blaming her, but the smile on his lips was growing even deeper.
Marin’s green eyes, looking up at The Duke, trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
That’s the way The Duke teases me!
“You’re revealing your love for me too much in front of the two princesses. Do you like me that much?”
“W-Well, yes.”
I can’t say no here.
“Do you love me?”
No, is this guy for real?
Marin stared at him with a bewildered expression, pressing down on the arm she was holding.
Stop it, seriously.
As she hesitated to answer, people’s attention focused on them.
Reluctantly, Marin opened her mouth.
“…Yes.”
“Do you get so angry that you go crazy when you see me with another woman?”
“Huu, yes…”
Marin sighed deeply and forced herself to answer.
She desperately wanted to interrupt The Duke’s words.
Looking around, Olive and Dia were watching their conversation with fascinated eyes.
Meanwhile, the two princesses had faces as cold as ashes.
“Do you want to kill a woman just because I’m in the same space as her?”
“Pardon?”
Marin’s eyes widened.
Why is the story going that far!
The two princesses, who were listening to the story, stared at Marin with horrified eyes.
Marin looked at The Duke with a terrified expression. She had suddenly become someone who was blinded by jealousy and wanted to kill another woman.
“That’s not true. Not to that extent…”
As Marin shook her hands while looking at the two princesses, The Duke cut her off in the middle of her sentence.
“I know your heart. That’s how I feel.”
The Duke’s slow voice was laced with such intense possessiveness that everyone in that place looked at The Duke in surprise.
This man, his acting is truly amazing.
Everyone will think that he passionately loves her.
Marin looked up at The Duke with admiring eyes.
“Third Princess, Fourth Princess. My fiancée is too jealous, so may we take our leave?”
The Duke asked with a smile on his lips.
The princesses stared at him with dumbfounded faces.
Something was very strange about The Duke. Their interest in him faded away completely.
“…Yes.”
The slightly dazed princesses gave their permission.
Then, The Duke moved his feet, leaving Marin’s hand on his arm as it was.
As she was about to subtly pull her hand away from the stinging gaze she felt from behind, The Duke covered her hand with his large hand and didn’t let go.
Yes, it’s easier to give up.
Marin followed The Duke with a resigned expression.
\ \ \
A middle-aged woman with a common appearance that could be seen anywhere stood in front of The Duke’s office.
“Come in.”
“The Duke, it’s been a while since I’ve greeted you.”
She, wearing a plain and shabby gray dress, lifted the hem of her dress and bowed.
Olive, who met her gaze as she raised her head, smiled brightly and greeted her with her eyes.
“What’s your name this time?”
The Duke asked leisurely.
“It’s Jenny.”
“Yes, Jenny. It’s been a while.”
She was sometimes called Camellia, sometimes Aili, and sometimes Jenny.
When Jenny smiled brightly, her brown eyes were buried in the flesh of her eyelids, making her look kind.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes. How was that place?”
“The drought was severe last year, so it was difficult. I lost a lot of weight too, you know?”
Jenny joked, covering her plump cheeks with both hands. And when she met Olive’s gaze, she winked.
“What about the child?”
“They’re eating at the inn.”
“Alone?”
“No. They’re still very young. There’s someone taking care of them together.”
“I see.”
Finally, she arrived in the capital with the ‘child.’
“It’ll be over soon.”
Her voice contained undisguised regret.
“It was my first time with this kind of mission, but the time with the child was happy.”
Several years ago, the spy Jenny was ordered to take care of a child and raise them.
Accordingly, she brought a child from the orphanage, made them call her nanny, and raised them with great care. She deliberately gained weight to blend in with the commoners.
She had grown quite fond of the child, but now it was time to return the child to their original place.
“I’ll contact you again.”
“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”
Jenny, who quickly hid her regret, burst into hearty laughter and left the office.
No matter how fond she was of the child, she didn’t forget her duty.
Gerald stroked the blindfold placed on the desk.
\ \ \
The week-long Debutante was over.
And soon after, the annual noble conference began.
Most of it was a place to commemorate the Emperor’s achievements and praise the merits of the four Dukes, but all nobles with titles had to attend.
Thus, nobles gathered from all over the place and gathered in the Sun Hall.
The Sun Hall was only opened when there were important events in the Empire.
In particular, the main gate was huge because the white chariot carrying the Crown Prince passed straight through the building during the Emperor’s coronation.
From that main gate to the three-story platform, a red carpet stretched out, and the top of it was the Emperor’s seat.
Meanwhile, right below it, the ivory marble table was for the four Dukes’ seats.
The remaining nobles sat on each floor according to their rank.
Among the more than a thousand nobles all seated in their places, one empty seat was particularly noticeable.
It was the seat of the Duke of the West.
The Emperor glared at the empty seat with a dissatisfied expression, then gestured to the old Chamberlain standing below the platform.
“Where is the Duke of the West?”
“I received word that he would be arriving soon.”
The Chamberlain replied with a flustered expression.
Anyway, he didn’t like anything the Duke of the West did.
Even though he went blind, his sister died, and The Duke’s life plummeted to the worst, his prestige didn’t wane, and he never lowered his stiff head.
“It’s not like he injured his leg.”
At the Emperor’s low sneer, the Chamberlain quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped away his sweat.
Turning his head, the Emperor saw the Eastern Grand Duke sitting with a smiling face.
I should do what I have to do quickly.
“Proceed.”
“Yes.”
The Chamberlain stepped forward and looked around at the nobles.
“From now on, we will hold the annual noble conference.”
The nobles applauded.
“First, there will be an award ceremony for the Order of Noel. Grand Duke Meron de Stein, please come forward.”
Since the Grand Duke had not yet received the title of Duke, he walked out from the end of the first floor, not from the Dukes’ seats.
He stood before the high platform where the Emperor was sitting with a neat smile.
“Last year, the East suffered deeply from drought. In response, Grand Duke Meron de Stein released not the family’s assets but his personal assets to relieve many people. ‘Stein gives.’ We bestow the Order of Noel upon Grand Duke Meron de Stein, who has set an example as the Eastern Grand Duke, and commend him.”
The Emperor, who had risen from his seat, went down each step and personally pinned the medal presented by the Chamberlain on the Grand Duke’s chest.
“Thank you for the Emperor’s grace.”
The Grand Duke bowed deeply with an impressed expression.
“You’ve worked hard, Grand Duke.”
The Emperor patted the Grand Duke’s shoulder.
At that heartwarming sight, thunderous applause erupted.
Meanwhile, the Southern Duke watched the scene without even trying to hide his sneer, and the Northern Duke had an indifferent face.
The Grand Duke, still with an expression that had not calmed down, touched the medal and quietly returned to his seat.
The Emperor scanned the nobles and opened his mouth seriously.
“Next, I was going to discuss the Duke of the West, but he has not yet arrived. As you all know, since The Duke injured his eyes, the Western Wall is a concern. Therefore, I will send my capital defense forces to the West…”
At that moment, a huge carriage entered through the main gate along with the sound of a horse’s cry.
The Emperor looked at the carriage coming over the sacred red carpet with a surprised face.
The Duke of the West was sitting next to the coachman, who had deeply pressed down his black hood.
