191 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
"I got engaged to the blind peacock" Chapter 191
"Rabbit!" Hello!"
BaniBani was rolling around in the sunlight. Peridot was sitting in front of it, drawing Rabbit with pastels.
"Peridot, you were here?"
As Marin greeted him happily, Peridot glanced at the children.
"Yes, Teacher. But who are the kids who came with you?"
"Oh, now that you mention it, I don't even know their names yet."
As Marin looked down at the children whose hands she was holding, Ronnie quickly answered.
"I'm Ronnie, and this is my younger sister, Mini."
"I see. Ronnie, Mini. Nice to meet you. I'm Marin. This is Peridot."
"Yes. Lady Marin, Young Master Peridot."
Marin smiled, impressed by Ronnie's smart answer.
"Ronnie is very smart."
"Thank you."
Ronnie scratched the back of his head as if he was embarrassed.
Peridot watched the children with sparkling eyes.
Reading that look, Marin let go of the children's hands and gestured to Peridot.
"Peridot, do you want to play with the children?"
"Can I?"
Peridot asked with wide eyes.
She was already worried because there were no children of Peridot's age in Duke's Castle.
"Of course. Ronnie, Mini. Is it okay?"
"Yes."
"Woong! I like Peridot!"
Mini answered brightly.
She definitely came because she wanted to see Rabbit, but the boy she saw for the first time was too pretty.
"Mini, you have to say 'Young Master Peridot'."
Ronnie pointed out maturely.
"Peridot, Master like!"
Peridot shook his head with a flustered face.
"It's too long for you, so call me comfortably."
Peridot kindly said to Mini, who was smaller than him.
Marin watched the scene with a pleased smile.
He looked young, but it was so lovely to see Peridot acting maturely towards a child younger than himself.
"Woong. Master."
"Mini. Don't say 'Woong.' You have to say 'Yes.'"
Ronnie quickly told Mini, watching the noble young master's expression.
"It's okay. She's still young. Just do whatever you want."
"Woong!"
Peridot smiled at Mini's cuteness.
While the children were talking, BaniBani rolled towards the treehouse, watching the children's expressions.
Marin burst into laughter as she watched the scene.
It seemed that it had predicted that it would become annoying when the children flocked to it, so it was moving quietly.
"Rabbit, shall we play together?"
As Marin raised her voice, BaniBani's shoulders flinched and then dropped, increasing its rolling speed.
"Rabbit, I want to do it too!"
Mini seemed to find it fun to see Rabbit rolling, so she rolled around on the grass after Rabbit.
Ronnie was very embarrassed by this, while Peridot looked excited, thinking it was a new game.
"Shall we do it too?"
When Peridot asked, Ronnie nodded with a helpless face.
"Yes."
"Let's go!"
Soon, a scene unfolded where the children were rolling around diligently with BaniBani.
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The Empress was taking a walk in the garden, leaving the Empress Palace after a long time.
The leaves full of vitality shone green. The upcoming summer seemed to be very hot.
"Your Majesty the Empress!"
From afar, a beautiful woman came running, fluttering her light blue lake-colored hair. Her sky-blue dress, which suited her well, continued long in the wind.
Would a fairy just born from the lake look like that?
Along with admiration for the beautiful woman, a deep headache came.
The Empress rubbed her head, looking at the woman who had run up to her with a troubled look.
"7th Imperial Concubine."
Her expression hardened on its own as she saw the woman smiling brightly as if she couldn't hide her joy.
She didn't know why the 7th Imperial Concubine liked her so much whenever she saw her. If she had a tail, it would be wagging wildly behind her.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It's Eira. I'm so excited to see you after a long time. How have you been? Are you not sick anywhere?"
The 7th Imperial Concubine acted familiarly and kindly as if she had met a sister.
"Yes."
The Empress sighed and looked at the 7th Imperial Concubine.
If another imperial concubine had asked, it would sound like, 'Are you still holding on to the Empress's position with that sickly body?'
There was not a hint of such nuance on the 7th Imperial Concubine's pure face.
That's why the 7th Imperial Concubine was uncomfortable and awkward.
The fact that the age difference between her own child, the Crown Prince, and her was not that great, and that they served the same Emperor.
"Are you taking a walk? May I join you?"
The 7th Imperial Concubine asked kindly, revealing her excited heart with expectant eyes.
"I'm about to go back now."
"Ah, is that so."
It was then that Eira lowered her head with a sullen face.
"Oh my, what are you all doing here? Anyone who sees us would think it's a gathering of the Emperor's women?"
The 3rd Imperial Concubine with sharply raised eyes and red hair approached. She was also the birth mother of the 3rd Imperial Princess.
"3rd Imperial Concubine. It's been a while."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress. To think you're out here in good health. It seems the medicine you're taking these days is helping."
The 3rd Imperial Concubine covered her mouth with a fan and smiled.
The Empress smiled bitterly at her greeting.
This was the difference between the 3rd Imperial Concubine and the 7th Imperial Concubine. The skill of pretending to worry about her health while being sarcastic like this.
"Yes. This medicine suits me well. I'll be able to live well for a long time."
When the Empress answered calmly, the 3rd Imperial Concubine curled up her lips without giving in.
"Still, because your body is so weak, it would be better to stay in the Empress Palace rather than being out here..."
"Your Highness the 3rd Imperial Concubine!"
Eira, who was standing next to the Empress, suddenly interrupted the 3rd Imperial Concubine's words.
The 3rd Imperial Concubine frowned slightly and turned her gaze to Eira.
"Oh my, the 7th Imperial Concubine was here too. I didn't even know you were here because you didn't greet me."
When the 3rd Imperial Concubine sneered in a sarcastic voice, Eira blinked innocently.
"I was talking to Her Majesty the Empress until now. If your eyes are that bad, how about not coming out of Your Highness the 3rd Imperial Concubine's palace?"
The Empress unknowingly let out a laugh, so she hurriedly covered her face with a fan.
"What? Even if you are being favored by the Emperor-"
Clap!
Eira suddenly clapped her hands in the air, and the 3rd Imperial Concubine's words were interrupted again.
"Oh my, there's a mayfly here."
"Eira, you vixen! How dare you!"
The 3rd Imperial Concubine's body trembled with anger.
She was a person from a powerful marquis family. If the Emperor hadn't married the Empress early, she could have been in that position.
Even that Empress doesn't ignore her.
"Your Highness the 3rd Imperial Concubine. Your face is red. I'm worried you might collapse, so please return to your palace quickly."
Eira tilted her head to the side and said as if she was worried.
"Eeeek!"
The 3rd Imperial Concubine trembled, unable to overcome her anger.
Where did that reckless fool pop out from?
The Emperor cherishes her, but she's just the daughter of a baron!
Unable to overcome her anger, the 3rd Imperial Concubine raised the fan she was holding high.
Then Eira took another step closer to the 3rd Imperial Concubine and whispered softly.
"Is the Emperor coming to me again tonight?"
At her words, the 3rd Imperial Concubine's hands trembled. She couldn't bring herself to swing the highly raised fan at the 7th Imperial Concubine.
She's cunning.
She's no ordinary person when it comes to using her head.
The anger that had soared to the top of her head cooled down.
Swinging the fan would relieve her anger, but she couldn't dare to bear the Emperor's anger.
"Ha, let's see how long that favor lasts."
In the end, the 3rd Imperial Concubine, who struck her own hand with the fan, quickly passed by with a cold look.
The Empress watched the scene with a bitter smile.
It was because the situation of that 3rd Imperial Concubine was not much different from her own.
"Your Majesty the Empress, I'm sorry for disturbing your peace of mind. I'll step down now, so please take a comfortable walk."
Eira, who had teased the 3rd Imperial Concubine so much, looked at her with a worried face, not knowing what to do in front of her.
"No. I was thinking of leaving now too."
"Then... may I escort you to the Empress Palace?"
At the 7th Imperial Concubine's cautious request, the Empress couldn't bring herself to refuse this time and nodded slightly.
