164 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Blinded Duke and I are Engaged - Episode 164
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"Peridot. You have to hide really well."
Marin shielded her eyes with her hand in front of a tree and shouted loudly.
"Yes!"
Peridot's innocent laughter echoed long as he ran away, giggling.
It felt like she could find where the child was hiding just by following the sound of his laughter.
"I'm going to count now."
Marin counted slowly so Peridot could hide.
"...5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"
She opened her eyes wide, turned around, and took a step, bumping her nose into a solid body.
"Ouch."
"Are you okay?"
Clutching her nose, she looked up to see a large man looking at her with concern.
"Lord Gerald, why are you standing right behind me?"
She grumbled at him with a nasal voice, and he stared intently at her nose, which was covered by her hand.
"How's your nose? Why aren't you always careful?"
"Lord Gerald, you were standing too close behind me, so I bumped into you."
Marin lowered her hand with an absurd expression and poked his chest, which was right up against her.
"Exactly. Why didn't you know I was standing behind you? I even made footsteps on purpose."
"I guess I was counting too hard."
Gerald carefully examined the tip of her slightly reddened nose, then crossed his arms over his chest.
"You're too busy these days."
"Are you sulking because I'm only playing with Peridot right now?"
She looked at him with a questioning gaze, and he raised one eyebrow.
"Me?"
"Yes."
Marin pursed her lips and held back a laugh.
"Do I look like someone who has that much free time?"
"No. But you just complained that I'm busy. Lord Gerald, you're much busier than I am."
"Sulking followed by complaining?"
He stared at her blankly, as if he didn't even know such words existed.
"Isn't it?"
When she asked with a voice full of laughter, he unfolded his arms and gently avoided her gaze. His earlobes were visibly red.
"...I guess so."
Marin burst into clear laughter as she looked at him admitting it honestly.
He turned his gaze back to her at the sound of her laughter and slowly raised the corners of his lips, following her lead.
"Good. Now, hand."
She said what Gerald always said first this time.
Soon, a large hand grasped hers tightly.
"Let's find our Peridot first. He's probably hiding and waiting for us to find him."
"Let's."
Marin led Gerald, who was much taller than her, and searched through the bushes.
Gerald listened to the pounding of the child's heart. As they got closer, he could hear giggling mixed in.
"Where is our Peridot?"
Marin deliberately raised her voice and set the mood, and the child's heart beat even more frantically.
Gerald leisurely followed, gently pulling her to change direction when she looked in the wrong place.
Peridot's black hair was sticking out from between the bushes.
"Here he is!"
"Kyaa!"
Peridot burst into laughter and buried his face in Marin's skirt.
"Teacher! Was it hard to find me?"
"Yes. It was so hard."
"So, you went looking for me with Uncle?"
"Yes, that's right."
Marin nodded, making a face that showed she really had a hard time, and Peridot puffed out his chest with a proud face.
"I hide really well."
"Our Peridot hides really well."
Marin praised him even more to boost the child's spirits.
"Then this time, Teacher and Uncle hide. I'll find you."
"Me too?"
Awkwardness was evident in Gerald's voice.
"Yes! Hide quickly, quickly."
Peridot immediately ran to a large tree and closed his eyes tightly.
"Let's hide quickly."
Marin pulled his hand and headed towards the forest with dense trees.
"Should we hide here?"
The base of a tree that was hundreds of years old was hollowed out in a circle like a cave.
"Marin, how do you find things like this so well? Like that dog hole last time."
Gerald looked at her as if he was amazed.
"Hehe. When I played hide-and-seek as a child, no one could keep up with me."
Marin put her hands on her waist and playfully swaggered.
The way she looked was exactly like Peridot from a moment ago, and Gerald's eyes naturally curved.
"It seems like you still have that skill."
"I told you. Let's go in quickly."
"It feels like it will be cramped if I go in too?"
"Just try going in."
At Marin's urging, Gerald bent over as much as possible and went inside. He had to sit on the floor because the height was low.
Outside, Marin quickly ran around like a squirrel gathering acorns and collected bushes.
Gerald watched the scene with interest.
She seemed to have gathered as much as she wanted and approached with a satisfied face, but her eyes turned troubled when she looked inside the cave.
"It's narrower than I thought?"
Gerald opened his mouth with an expression as if he was saying, "Didn't I tell you?"
"But this place is okay."
He casually tapped his thigh.
"I-Is it okay?"
Marin blushed as she subtly avoided his gaze.
Gerald, who immediately realized the meaning of her words, cleared his throat.
"I'll be careful."
Marin's pupils trembled as she looked down at him.
Is that something that can be done by being careful?
Marin suppressed the words that were about to pop out of her mouth and hesitated.
"Teacher! Uncle!"
At that moment, Peridot's voice was heard from afar.
Marin made up her mind, gently sat on his lap, and covered the front with bushes.
"Perfect."
She smiled confidently and sparkled her eyes.
"Right?"
Gerald pulled her waist close and raised the corners of his lips.
"More than perfect."
Her fresh, sprout-like green eyes trembled again.
"You're talking about hide-and-seek, right?"
"Who knows? What do you think?"
As he lowered his eyelashes and narrowed the distance little by little with an alluring gaze, Marin's face gradually reddened.
"Teacher. Where are you? Hmph."
"Peridot, what are you doing?"
Rubiana, who was passing by with a book in her arms, noticed Peridot was alone and approached him.
"I'm playing hide-and-seek, but I can't find Teacher."
"How long have you been looking?"
"A long time!"
Peridot spread his hands wide.
Rubiana looked around the garden and then looked towards the lush forest. If Peridot couldn't find them, they must be there.
"Ruby, noona. Ruby, noona, find Teacher with me."
Rubiana looked down at her younger brother with a troubled face.
She was too curious about the rest of the book she was reading to find Teacher with Peridot.
"Peridot, aren't you hungry? Dia unni said she'll give us delicious snacks. Let's go eat that."
"Snacks? I have to find Teacher..."
Peridot said that, but he hesitated, probably because he was hungry from playing for a while.
"If you don't come to find her, Teacher will come on her own."
"Okay!"
Peridot nodded his head greatly, took Rubiana's hand, and left to eat snacks.
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Even though the wind was blowing gently through the large window of the Emperor's office, the Minister of Finance was sweating profusely.
He wiped the sweat with his sleeve, and his eyes met the Emperor's sharp, knife-like eyes.
"Minister, are you hot?"
Unlike his piercing gaze, the Emperor's voice was warm, as if he was worried.
"N-No, Your Majesty."
The Minister sweated even more with a more nervous look.
"But why are you sweating so much like a flowing river?"
"I apologize, Your Majesty."
"Is your body weak or something?"
"No, it is not."
"Then, if your body isn't weak, why is the progress of my Diamond Palace so slow!"
The Minister of Finance's back bent at the Emperor's frosty questioning.
After seeing the Duke of the West's Diamond Carriage, the Emperor ordered the construction of a Diamond Palace for his beloved 7th Imperial Concubine.
However, the Emperor's diamond mines were only enough to lay the foundation.
As the supply of diamonds was not smooth and the construction was sluggish, the Emperor became increasingly hysterical.
