130 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Engaged to the Blind Duke Episode 130
Raya asked with a face that seemed to be forcing a smile to shake off her sadness.
"By the way, you said you had something to tell me?"
"It's about medicinal herbs—there's something I wanted to ask you."
"Yes. Please go ahead."
"Do you happen to know about Mandelesong?"
"So the Schwentz Young Lady really is close with Modriana after all."
Raya answered with a voice tinged with laughter.
Marin couldn't bring herself to deny it and awkwardly averted her gaze.
"Modriana liked that flower."
"Ah, I didn't know that."
So that's how the female lead was able to easily develop the medicine to cure the Duke's illness.
"Mandelesong is a medicinal herb commonly used among the common people."
"But I heard it's a poisonous herb?"
Raya lowered the corners of her eyes and gave a gentle smile.
"They say if you eat too much, it causes severe stomachaches. It's fine if you only take a small amount."
Marin unconsciously nodded.
Had she eaten too much herself to see the effects?
"Then, is there perhaps a way to eat Mandelesong without getting a stomachache?"
"Well... I don't know about methods of combining Mandelesong with other herbs either. Instead, there is medicine that quickly calms stomachaches—shall I give you some?"
"No. It's fine. I was just curious if there was something that would let me get only the effects of Mandelesong without the stomachache."
"Hmm, Modriana liked that flower so much that she might have known if she were here."
Raya said with a regretful expression.
"I see."
"If you need stomachache medicine, please let me know anytime."
"Yes. Thank you."
Marin nodded and rose from her seat.
After opening the office door and stepping out, she looked in the direction of the Duke's office.
The black curtain boundaries were no longer in the hallway. Sunlight poured in directly from the windows, making the entire hallway bright.
If only the Duke's suffering could soon be liberated and his life become this bright too.
Looking at the Duke's office visible in the distance, Marin made a vow.
I will definitely cure the Duke's eyes.
\ \ \
From that day on, Marin diligently studied by looking through medicinal herb books.
She particularly focused on examining poisonous herbs, herbs that stop stomachaches, and herbs that cure stomachaches.
"Lady Marin, hello."
"Lady Raya."
While walking out of the library, she ran into Raya.
Five days had passed since she arrived.
While studying medicinal herb books, whenever there was something she didn't understand, she would seek Raya's advice, and they had started calling each other by their first names familiarly.
Raya cautiously checked their surroundings before approaching.
"Is something the matter?"
"Well... His Lordship is refusing the examination. Since you're his fiancée, could I ask you to persuade him instead?"
Marin's eyes widened as she looked at Raya.
"He's not getting examined?"
"Yes."
Raya nodded with a troubled expression.
"Ah, Lord Gerald originally dislikes others touching him... I'm sorry."
"It's not something you should apologize for, Lady Marin. And he doesn't even need to be touched—he just needs to open his eyes, but he absolutely refuses to show them. We can't just keep wasting time like this. I have to leave soon, you see."
Although Raya wasn't the female lead, she had studied under the same teacher.
She must also have excellent knowledge of medicinal herbs, yet he won't even get examined.
"I'll try to persuade him."
"Yes, thank you."
Raya bowed with a relieved expression.
Seizing the opportunity, Marin headed straight to the Duke's office.
"Come in."
Marin quickly approached his desk, crossed her arms over her chest, and asked as if probing.
"Lord Gerald. Why aren't you getting examined? You just need to open your eyes and show them. Don't tell me you're scared aga—"
Gerald leaned back in his chair and cut her off with a leisurely tone.
"Not a chance. I'm no coward."
Realizing her mistake, Marin quickly adopted a respectful posture and spoke to him again.
"But why won't you get examined? Please just open your eyes."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Why are you forcing me? Weren't you taught not to force people to do things they dislike?"
Marin secretly glanced at the Duke and pouted.
Tch. Stubborn Duke.
"But you need to get examined to find a cure. Lady Raya might be able to heal you."
"I hear you've been studying medicinal herbs in the library lately?"
The Duke deflected with a question.
"How do you know about that?"
"Do you think there's anything in the Duke's Castle that I don't know?"
"No."
Probably not. Since he's the male lead who knows everything.
Marin grumbled inwardly and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to studying."
"I told you it's unnecessary."
"Yeah, yeah."
Marin answered dismissively and left the office.
Since she failed to persuade the Duke, she would study medicinal herbs more diligently to make him take Mandelesong without the poison.
"I can do it!"
Marin shouted into the air.
"What exactly can you do?"
Gerald answered her words to himself and turned his gaze to the window.
She, who was originally busy, had become even busier lately.
She postponed reading reports to Olive and hardly showed her face except when coming to put him to sleep.
I miss her.
He tried to deliberately stay awake when she read to him, but he kept falling into deep sleep.
"Kay, why are women so difficult?"
"...I don't know either."
A troubled answer came from beyond the curtain.
Well, Kay was always too busy protecting him to have time to meet women separately.
"Kay. Should I give you a vacation?"
"No. It's fine."
Kay was an even worse workaholic than him.
\ \ \
Returning to her room, Marin read the poisonous herb book she had borrowed from the library.
She had started reading it thinking that she might need another poisonous herb to neutralize the poison.
As she turned the page, a flower with white buds appeared.
The flower with large petals and long stamens in the center resembled a lily. Its name here was Lilys.
It said that if Lilys is consumed incorrectly, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. If the symptoms persist, it could even lead to death.
"Such a pretty flower is a poisonous herb."
Indeed, the world of poisonous herbs was boundless.
"Miss."
While Marin was absorbed in the book, Yuria, who had entered unnoticed, was standing beside her.
"Hmm? What is it, Yuria?"
"A letter has arrived from the Viscountess."
"Ah, thank you."
Marin put down the book and received the letter.
Since she was sending letters while returning to the Duke's Castle, it seemed the journey back wasn't too difficult. That was truly fortunate.
Leaning against the headboard of the bed, Marin opened the letter envelope. Something hard was inside, and upon checking, she found a small red gem.
Why did Mother send a gem?
Setting the gem aside, she took out the letter first. There were two sheets.
As expected, it said she was coming along well, escorted by the knights the Duke had assigned. Surprisingly, the Duke, who had meticulous aspects, was even protecting her mother.
Pleased by the good news, Marin opened the other letter and immediately froze like stone.
[We have the Viscountess. If you want to meet the Viscountess, come to the entrance of the Sairan Desert 12 days from now. Say you're going to meet your mother so the Duke doesn't notice, and you must come alone, bringing only one maid. Use the Diamond Carriage you always ride, and the coachman must be a man wearing a black scarf around his neck. If the Duke happens to notice, your mother will not remain alive. There are many of my eyes in the Duke's Castle. I've enclosed a Video Stone.]
After finishing the threatening letter, Marin stopped breathing altogether.
The kidnapper was threatening her very politely. That made it even more chilling. Her fingertips trembled tinglingly, and tears welled up.
Lowering her gaze, she saw the red gem.
So this is the Video Stone.
I mustn't cry. I mustn't be noticed by anyone.
Marin consoled herself and tried to hold onto her fading consciousness.
The target of this blackmailer wasn't her mother—it was her.
Probably because of the Duke. Although the contract ended, the annulment hasn't been formalized yet.
She wanted to run to the Duke right away and ask for help, but her mother's life was at stake.
Above all, she had to handle this cautiously.
