163 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
“I’m grateful too. That Transformation potion was a great help.”
Jeromian puffed out his chest and raised his chin at Gerald’s blunt words of gratitude.
“Of course. Who do you think made it?”
Marin escaped from the two men before their childish bickering could begin and looked at her nieces and nephews standing in the back.
Dia, who met her eyes, nodded with a relieved expression, clasping her hands tightly. Garnet fiddled with the Sword at his waist, unable to take his eyes off her.
Rubiana’s eyes welled up with tears, and she quickly ran over and hugged her when their eyes met.
“Teacher! I missed you. Why are you so late?”
“I’m sorry, Ruby.”
While patting Rubiana’s head, Marin turned her gaze to Peridot.
She could see Peridot avoiding her gaze, head bowed low.
“Peridot?”
Marin gestured to Dia, asking why Peridot was like that, and Dia gently stroked Peridot’s hair.
“Your sister promised, didn’t she? That Teacher and Uncle would be back soon.”
“……”
Peridot nodded silently.
“Peridot, you were so worried. So go to Teacher quickly.”
“But……”
Peridot hesitated with a dark expression.
Dia gently pushed the child’s small shoulders.
Rubiana, who was hugging Marin, approached Peridot and pulled the child’s hand, bringing her in front of Marin.
Marin knelt on one knee to meet Peridot’s eye level.
“Peridot, were you worried?”
Clear dew instantly welled up in the child’s dark eyes.
As the child nodded vigorously, transparent tears streamed down her face in droplets.
“Teacher’s mom came, but Teacher didn’t. Uncle suddenly disappeared, and I had to play here. My sister didn’t explain properly and kept saying you’d be back soon. My mom said she’d be back soon too, but she didn’t come…… I was afraid that Teacher and Uncle would never come back……”
Peridot sobbed and poured out her feelings.
Marin hugged Peridot tightly with a pitiful expression.
“I’m sorry, Peridot. I’ll make sure to explain next time. I’m really sorry.”
“Peridot. I am sorry.”
Gerald also knelt on one knee and apologized, looking at Peridot.
Peridot, who had been crying while rubbing her eyes, looked up at Gerald’s voice with a surprised expression.
Gerald and Peridot’s eyes met in the air.
“Can you see me?”
“Yes.”
“Wow! Sisters! Uncle can see!”
Peridot was excited as if she had never cried.
Dia, Garnet, and Rubiana also stared at Gerald with wide eyes in surprise.
They had been so focused on the two returning that they hadn’t even realized he had opened his eyes.
“My lady! I’ve brought the Viscountess.”
Just then, the office door opened, and Yuria’s voice, trembling with joy, was heard.
No wonder Yuria wasn’t around. She must have gone to her mother as soon as she heard the news.
“Marin……”
Leaving Peridot to Gerald, Marin stood up and met Loanna’s gaze.
“Mom. Are you alright?”
Loanna, her deep green eyes filled with tears, slowly approached. Her thin hand, reaching out to Marin, trembled slightly.
Marin gently took her hand, and Loanna affectionately stroked it.
“Welcome back.”
Even though she must have had many questions, her mother said the words she wanted to hear most.
“Yes, I’m back.”
Marin smiled brightly.
\ \ \
The quiet Duke's Castle was bustling with life for the first time in a long while.
“Did you see? Did you see?”
“You mean The Duke's eyes?”
“Yes. I’m so glad he can see now.”
“That’s right, I saw it too. He was always right next to Marin.”
“They look so good together.”
Whenever the servants gathered in small groups, they would talk about The Duke and Marin.
The Duke had been confined to his office for a long time. Since he had injured his eyes, The Duke often secluded himself, so it wasn’t anything special.
However, at the same time, Marin also didn’t come out of her room.
Rumors spread among the servants that the two had a falling out.
The change in the master’s mood had a significant impact on the servants.
The servants lived on edge, watching their every move as if sitting on pins and needles.
But suddenly, The Duke broke his seclusion and came outside. And he was in a state where he could see.
And Marin was always with him.
The previous rumors quickly died down, and only the rumors that the two were incredibly close spread more and more.
\ \ \
Behind the Duke's Castle, in a secluded, sunny spot, was the graveyard for the knights who had died for the Baines family.
Marin walked quietly, holding an armful of white flowers. Elmis also followed silently behind.
Arriving at a familiar tombstone, Marin removed the flowers she had placed yesterday and laid down new ones.
Marin closed her eyes and stood in silent prayer for a while before raising her head.
“My lady, you don’t have to come here anymore.”
Elmis, who was standing behind her, carefully opened her mouth.
Marin turned to Elmis with a puzzled expression.
“M’s death is not your fault.”
At that, Marin smiled sadly and shook her head slowly.
“No, it’s because of me.”
“I was the one who told M to protect you, my lady. Before that, there was The Duke's order. If I die protecting you in the future, that will not be your fault either.”
Elmis spoke quickly, unlike her usual self, as if she was frustrated.
Marin’s green eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“My lady, are you going to be so afraid of my death, which is to protect you, that you won’t even take a step outside and stay only in the Duke's Castle?”
“That’s……”
As Marin hesitated and trailed off, Elmis continued in a gentle voice.
“Danger is everywhere. M was ordered, and he carried out that order admirably.”
“……”
“I think it’s inevitable that you’re sad, my lady. But the reason I keep saying this is because your guilt seems too great. I’ve said too much. I’m sorry, my lady.”
Elmis bowed her head and apologized.
Even though she knew she had crossed the line, she didn’t want to see her kind master continue to be in pain.
“……Okay. I know what you mean. I don’t regret my actions to protect Mom. Because it was the best I could do at the time. But, Elmis.”
Elmis raised her head and met her eyes.
“I make mistakes often and I’m clumsy, but now I’m in a position to take responsibility for many people. Of course, I’m not perfect, so I might make mistakes again, but I want to remember this guilt for a long time so that I can try to make better choices next time.”
“……”
Elmis could once again feel that she was serving a truly good master.
Marin linked arms with Elmis to shake off the heavy atmosphere.
“The weather is nice, so shall we take a walk in the garden before going in?”
“Yes.”
The graveyard where the two had disappeared was quiet.
Gerald slowly emerged from behind the tree where he had been hiding.
“Kay.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think of their conversation?”
“El is right. Dying for one’s lord is the most honorable death of all.”
Kay stated his beliefs calmly.
Shadows are darkness. Who would care about their Shadows? Who would mourn if their Shadows disappeared?
The Shadow Unit exists solely for its lord.
Even if they face death, no one will miss the Shadows.
From darkness to earth. That was the fate of the Shadows.
So Shadows were originally buried without tombstones.
Tombstones that left traces were a luxury.
Kay’s calm gaze shifted to Emros’s tombstone.
Marin, who had returned to the Duke's Castle, had first asked him about M’s grave.
He couldn’t bring himself to tell Marin, who felt guilty about M’s death, that there was no tombstone, so he hurriedly made one for M.
M was the first Shadow to have a tombstone erected.
“But Marin is also right.”
“My lord. No one cares about Shadows. And we would have all died on the streets if the Duke family hadn’t taken us in. Don’t you know that?”
Abandoned orphans. Lives stained with starvation and abuse on streets too cruel to even beg.
The Shadow Unit was a place where such people gathered.
As their past was miserable, their loyalty to the Duke family, who had pulled them out of that hell, was blind.
Gerald smiled bitterly at Kay’s words.
“Yes. And I also know that Shadows are also a part of me.”
Marin’s words reminded him once again of the responsibility of a leader.
Kay closed his mouth at that answer.
The Duke was already an excellent lord. He was a person who didn’t recklessly drive Shadows or even ordinary soldiers to their deaths.
But the words that Shadows were also a part of him became a hot echo and were deeply engraved in Kay’s heart.
Kay managed his surging emotions by bowing his head.
