154 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Marin watched the Third Prince from behind Duke Gerald, biting her lip.
The Third Prince was dying from poison, but he was someone who wanted to live more than anyone else.
She had merely pushed him in the back, telling him to live.
“Your Highness.”
Marin, who had been watching the standoff between the two, came out from behind Gerald.
“Marin.”
The Duke blocked her again, as if to stop her.
Marin looked up at the Duke and shook her head slightly.
He hesitated, then stepped aside.
The Third Prince’s eyes gleamed.
“Sweetie, come over here-”
Marin slowly shook her head.
“No, Your Highness. You’re mistaken.”
“…What?”
“I’m not the one who saved you.”
The Third Prince’s eyes widened.
“It wasn’t me who saved Your Highness, it was Your Highness himself.”
“……”
“You wanted to live, didn’t you? You didn’t want to die from some poison. You just wanted someone to tell you to live. That was all my role was. Your Highness chose to live on your own.”
“Marin……”
The Third Prince called her name for the first time.
Marin smiled slightly and nodded.
“Yes. I’m not Your Highness’s Sweetie, I’m Marin. The person I love is the Duke of the West. Now that you’ve chosen to live, don’t waste time here, move forward. I’ll sincerely support you.”
Gerald, who was listening to her words from the side, slightly raised the corners of his lips. The woman he loved was so articulate.
Tan, who had shaken off the knights’ hands, lowered his head.
The thick line drawn by the escort looked painfully like it was piercing his eyes.
The line felt like it was showing the distance between her and himself, making his heart ache.
A line that could never be crossed.
Tan smiled hollowly, roughly swept back his hair, and raised his head.
“Ha……. I’ve been had. Marin, if you say it like that, I can’t hold on. If you had just said you didn’t want to be involved with someone like me anymore, I would have never let go, even if I died.”
Tan captured her in his eyes with a sad look.
She was a woman who saw through even the depths he didn’t know himself.
He wanted to grab her wrist and pull her towards him right away, but she was right.
As she said, he had chosen to survive. And by killing the Second Prince, he had also chosen the path of the Crown Prince.
That path would be a difficult, thorny one.
In that situation, it would be foolish to bring a woman he couldn’t protect back to the palace.
The darkness that had clouded his eyes due to his obsession with her was forcibly lifted, and everything became clear. All thanks to this desirable woman.
Tan smiled prettily and said kindly.
“Okay. You’re right. But what I said before is still valid.”
“Yes?”
Marin looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“I’ll accept you anytime you break off your engagement. Ah, even if you get divorced.”
“Yes?”
As Marin stared at him with wide eyes, Tan turned his gaze to the escort who was glaring at him fiercely and deliberately laughed even brighter.
This was also a warning to that ignorant, fighting-obsessed Duke of the West.
Why hadn’t he noticed it sooner? That he was the Duke of the West.
No matter how crazy he was about women, who would have dared to imagine that he would directly infiltrate the Sanders Empire’s imperial palace, which was no different from an enemy country?
Except for that crazy bastard who actually did it.
Lowering his gaze, he saw the line drawn by the Duke of the West again.
As long as this line existed, he would never be able to cross this place.
“Marin, be happy.”
“Yes, Your Highness, you too.”
She gave him a dazzling smile for the first time.
\ \ *
Marin swept her sticky hair back and made eye contact with the Duke.
“Marin.”
“Yes?”
“There’s a waterfall nearby. Shall we wash there and rest for a bit before leaving?”
“Are you sure it’s okay in this forest?”
She wanted to accept his offer right away, but Marin cautiously watched his expression.
During the desert crossing, rough sand had gotten between her clothes, making her whole body itchy, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask for a rest.
Because she knew what this place was to him.
“You knew?”
The Duke asked with a surprised expression.
“Yes. This is the forest where the Demon Flower was, right?”
“That’s right. But I’ve taken care of all the Demon Flowers, so you can rest assured.”
“Still, I was worried Lord Gerald would have a hard time……”
“I’ve forgotten everything since I met you. I even drank the Flower Tea.”
When Marin nodded with difficulty, the Duke gently took her hand and led her.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yes.”
Although there were no more Demon Flowers, they decided to take turns washing nearby in case other Monsters appeared.
“Absolutely, you mustn’t look back.”
“I absolutely won’t look.”
He repeated her words in a playful voice.
Marin went into the cool waterfall with her clothes on.
Even though the Duke was behind the bushes with his back turned, she didn’t have the courage to take off all her clothes and wash with him nearby.
Although she was still wearing her clothes, the strong stream of water washed away the sand, making her feel refreshed.
Marin washed happily and came out of the waterfall.
She squeezed the water out of her yellow shirt and approached the Duke.
The Duke was sitting behind the bushes with his back turned, as promised.
“Lord Gerald. It’s Lord Gerald’s turn.”
“Okay.”
The Duke answered and turned around, then froze.
“Lord Gerald?”
“……You, haa.”
Gerald closed his eyes and unbuttoned his black shirt one by one.
Marin’s green eyes shook as if they had been hit by an earthquake.
No, what is he doing now?
Marin didn’t know where to look and looked around in all directions.
“Wear it.”
He took off his black shirt and held it out to her.
“Yes?”
Marin looked at the shirt held out in front of her.
She just washed, and he wants her to wear sandy clothes?
“I just wash-”
“Marin, please.”
He covered his eyes with one hand and said in a pleading voice.
Marin had no choice but to take the black shirt he was holding out and was surprised when she looked at her own clothes.
Her yellow shirt was wet and see-through.
“Kyaa!”
Marin quickly covered herself with his shirt and glared at the Duke for no reason.
The Duke, who had opened his eyes wide at her scream, looked at her with an unfair expression.
“I took off my shirt?”
The Duke emphasized that he had done his best to help her.
“I don’t know.”
Marin turned away and went to the bushes where he had been sitting and took her place.
“Go wash up.”
Gerald chuckled at Marin’s curt tone, who was speaking without looking back at him.
Her ears were red, she must be very embarrassed.
He thought his heart was falling out, though.
Gerald opened his lips, looking at her back with darkened eyes.
“Shout if anything happens.”
“Okay.”
The Duke went into the waterfall with his pants on.
Meanwhile, Marin looked at the Duke through the bushes.
As expected, he was also washing with his clothes on.
But was there a fish or something down there? He had been looking down for a long time.
Marin, realizing the Duke’s condition, quickly took off his shirt, then took off her own shirt and wrung it out.
Then, she shook the water out and put on her clothes, spreading her arms wide and going to the side where the sunlight was close.
Dry quickly.
“Marin? What are you doing?”
“Have, have you already finished washing?”
Marin quickly shrank back with a look of realization.
Her shirt wasn’t dry yet, and his shirt happened to be where it had fallen.
“Here.”
He read her mind, brought his shirt, and held it out.
Marin quickly put her arms into his shirt and quickly buttoned it up.
Then, she stood up with her head down. She was still embarrassed, so she stood awkwardly with her eyes on his feet.
“Marin, aren’t you going to look at me?”
“I have to look.”
She said that, but she was still embarrassed. Marin fidgeted with her fingers and rubbed her shoes on the ground.
“Aren’t you hungry? I was thinking of catching a bird or something.”
As soon as his words were finished, her stomach growled. She had only eaten tough jerky while coming here, so she was very hungry.
“Ah, I have fire!”
Marin showed the bracelet she was wearing on her wrist and raised her head, then gasped in surprise.
The Duke had become Gerald.
It sounds strange, but his transformation was finally over.
