16 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
Engaged to the Blind Duke, Episode 16
Marin blinked rapidly.
When the letters didn't disappear, she rubbed her eyes diligently. She also tried reading the contract from a distance.
But the content didn't change.
"You're including this?"
"Yes."
Goodness. Money is pouring from the sky.
Marin put down the contract and shook her head vigorously.
"No. I can't accept this. The deal ended with the 1 gold I received as an advance yesterday. I'm already so grateful for being allowed to stay in a nice place, I'd be shameless to accept this as well."
If a person is too greedy, they will suffer misfortune.
But Olive gave a bitter smile and pushed the contract back towards her.
"There's something you don't know, Marin."
"......"
Marin quietly waited for him to speak.
"His Grace the Duke hasn't been able to sleep for a fortnight now. Or rather, that's just what I've been able to ascertain; he may have been unable to sleep for even longer."
It was the darkest expression Marin had seen on Olive's face in the past few days.
"Yes?"
Marin stared at Olive with wide eyes.
Olive met her gaze and slowly nodded, as if to confirm that what he had just said was true.
At that sight, the conversation she had with Olive flashed through her mind.
Only then did she realize why he was more worried about the Duke not being able to sleep than about him bleeding.
"In fact, if His Grace the Duke could sleep even a little, I could give you not 1 gold, but 100 gold. Shall we change it to 100 gold?"
"No! 1 gold is more than enough. But the story is already over with the deal with His Grace..."
Greed brings misfortune.
Marin repeated to herself once again.
In fact, she didn't know the Duke couldn't sleep to this extent.
It wasn't a setting that appeared in the novel.
She understood why the Duke had become so sensitive after losing his sight.
Goodness. Sleep is so important.
"It is His Grace the Duke's order."
"...I understand. Then I'll take the 1 gold."
Olive, reading the worry in Marin's expression, said kindly.
"Don't feel pressured, as I won't be expecting too much."
"Wow. That's even more pressure. Um, may I go to the library during my break?"
Marin deliberately replied playfully, but there was no strength in her voice.
"Why the library?"
"To choose a book to read to His Grace the Duke."
"I see."
"Is there perhaps a type of book that His Grace the Duke finds particularly boring? I really wish there was!"
Marin looked at Olive with pleading eyes.
"His Grace reads everything well."
Olive smiled brightly, shattering her hopes.
"Yes..."
Marin replied weakly again and swallowed a sigh.
The more boring the book, the faster you fall asleep.
\ \ \
Marin followed the map Olive had drawn for her and went to the library.
Only after walking around the Duke's Castle for a long time did she find the old-looking library door with a sun-shaped pattern embossed on it.
As she opened the door and entered, the scent of books filling the library greeted her.
The Duke's office was already large, but the library seemed to be 20 times that size. The books were densely packed up to the third-floor height.
Marin took a deep breath of the scent of books, which she hadn't smelled in a long time, and exhaled.
"I'm happy..."
"Why?"
"......!"
A child, who had approached unnoticed, was holding a book as big as himself and staring up at her.
White skin and hair shining like silver threads. Blue, deep eyes resembling a lake. A delicate nose and red lips.
The child looked very cute, as if an ice fairy had just popped out.
"Who are you?"
Marin bent down slightly to look at the boy, who came up to about her waist, and asked.
"Who are you?"
"Me? You mean me?"
"Yes. You."
The child smiled cutely, dimpling his cheeks.
"Ah, I'm Marin."
"Oh, you're Marin. I'm Zero."
Zero introduced himself and held out his hand.
Marin was surprised and widened her eyes, screaming with joy inside.
Kya! This person is the alchemist Zero.
He must have drunk the potion he made that turns you into a child for a few hours.
Marin pondered how she should treat him, then decided to treat him like an adult, even though his appearance was that of a child.
More than that, does he know me?
"Zero, do you know me?"
"I heard about you from Olive. But, you have a talent for making people wait."
Zero stared at his outstretched hand, so Marin quickly placed her hand on top of it.
"I'm sorry. Nice to meet you."
She thought he was going to shake hands, but Zero gently kissed the back of her hand and met her eyes.
"You're a unique person."
"Me?"
Marin tilted her head, and Zero smiled cutely again.
"Yes."
"What is?"
"You're using honorifics even though I'm a child."
"Ah, it's because I'm a commoner."
"You're not good at lying."
Marin turned her head to the side to hide her burning face.
"I'm not lying."
"Well, let's say so. But, you still haven't answered the question I asked?"
"What question?"
"You said you were happy as soon as you got here. Why?"
Only then did Marin remember the question he had asked at first.
"Ah, I really like books. I'm so happy to be in a place with so many books."
Marin answered excitedly, her eyes sparkling. It was the first question she could answer honestly since coming to the Duke's Castle.
Zero widened his eyes slightly as if surprised, then smiled and continued the question.
"I heard you're good at reading reports. Is that true? How did you discover such a talent?"
"I've just liked books since I was young. Do I need to get permission from you, Zero, to look at the books here?"
Marin asked cautiously, changing the subject.
"No. Coming here means you had Gerald's permission. Feel free to look around. Ask me if you have any questions."
Zero said kindly in a childlike, innocent voice.
"Yes, thank you."
Marin greeted him with a bewildered expression.
In the novel, Zero was basically the type who distrusted humans. He liked to test people, so he approached them pretending to be a child to figure them out.
And he doesn't like anyone entering his space, but he's saying it's okay to be in the library together.
For some reason, it seemed like she had gained Zero's favor.
\ \ \
Butler Sebas visited the Duke's office after a long time.
His shoulders, which had always been full of confidence, showing off the vigor of an old man with white hair, were now hunched over miserably.
"Begin."
At the Duke's command, Butler Sebas bowed slightly and whispered into Olive's ear, who was standing next to him. He knew his voice was loud, so he was conveying the words through Olive.
"He asks, 'Shall I tell you the entire process?'"
"Butler. Just tell me directly."
Gerald frowned as if he was tired.
"It will be noisy if I tell you directly."
Butler Sebas said, whispering as much as possible.
"Butler."
At the Duke's cold warning, Butler Sebas quickly opened his mouth.
"I will begin, Your Grace the Duke."
Butler Sebas explained the scene he had seen in the morning in the smallest voice he could muster.
"Where are those commoners now?"
"They have been locked up."
"It won't be just them. Those who have taken private gains."
A cold chill settled in Gerald's languid voice.
Olive and Butler Sebas looked at the Duke with tense faces.
"Olive."
"Yes, Your Grace the Duke."
"Confiscate the assets of those caught, 5 years of forced labor. And conduct a full investigation and deal with them all the same way."
"Yes."
"And that woman who hit Imsi's mother..."
"......"
Olive quietly waited for the next words.
"She didn't know the other party was a noble, so let's finish it by making it so she can't use her hands in the future."
"Yes, Your Grace the Duke."
Olive quickly answered his command.
At Gerald's gesture, the two bowed silently and left the office.
In the office, which had become quiet, Gerald slightly released the suppressed senses. Then, as if the suppressed time had been dissatisfied, the senses exploded uncontrollably.
Pain rushed in all at once, as if his head would burst.
A faint groan leaked from his tightly closed lips. And that groan became an arrow shot at him, piercing his ears as if to tear them apart.
He gritted his teeth to endure the groan that was about to leak out again, and the inside of his mouth tore. The taste of blood spreading from his torn mouth made him gag.
Gerald endured all that pain with a blank face.
He thought of something else to escape the pain even a little.
A strange and mysterious woman. A woman who confidently said she could put him to sleep.
One side of his mouth lifted slightly as he thought of Marin.
