194 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke Chapter 194
Ronnie and Mini, who came to play at Duke's Castle, exclaimed at the sandcastle that Peridot showed them.
A spire soaring high like Duke's Castle and thick ramparts surrounding it.
The sandcastle was very large and magnificent.
"Wow! It's Duke's Castle."
"Yeah, that's right."
Peridot puffed out his chest with a proud face.
"Wow! Castle! Five fingers."
Mini raised one hand and said excitedly.
"Why fingers?"
Peridot tilted his head and asked, and Ronnie answered instead of Mini.
"Mini can't count all the numbers yet, so when she sees something big, she says five fingers."
"Oh, really? Mini. Five fingers plus five fingers is ten!"
Peridot spread out both hands to show her.
Mini sparkled her eyes and followed suit, spreading both hands wide.
"Wow! Ten? Ten!"
"Yeah."
Ronnie bitterly watched her brave younger sister evolve.
No matter how much she taught her, she wouldn't follow, but she followed the young master's teaching at once.
Is it because of his face after all?
Since meeting Young Master Peridot, Mini has said that the young master is pretty every day.
An unfair world.
"Let's make the ramparts together with the wet sand over there. That side has collapsed a bit."
Peridot pointed to the place where the ramparts had flowed down.
"Yes!"
"Ung!"
The three children worked hard to repair the ramparts with their tiny hands.
After a while, Marin came with a picnic basket at her side.
"Kids."
"Hello, Miss."
Ronnie, who shook off the sand on her hands, greeted her first. Mini followed and bowed her head.
"Hello, Teacher."
"Yes. Hello, everyone."
Marin, who greeted the children, presented the picnic basket she had brought with a flourish. It was time for them to be hungry after playing for a while.
"I brought snacks, so eat this and make it."
"Thank you."
Ronnie glanced at the picnic basket and looked down at her dirty hands.
It didn't seem right to eat with dirty hands at Duke's Castle.
Marin, who read Ronnie's worries, took out a water bottle and a towel from the picnic basket.
"Kids, come here. Let's wash our hands first."
The children gathered together and washed their hands.
Soon after, Ronnie and Mini's eyes sparkled at the sandwiches that came out of the picnic basket.
Coming to Duke's Castle once a week to play with the young master was also good, but eating special snacks was the best thing in the world.
Marin smiled softly as she watched Ronnie and Mini holding sandwiches in both hands and eating deliciously.
She knew how precious and delicious these foods would be to the village children. So, she deliberately packed a lot of food on the days the children came.
"Eat slowly. And take some cookies when you go home."
"Thank you."
"Thank you!"
Mini followed Ronnie's greeting with an impressed face.
Eating is the best!
Ronnie looked at the kind Marin with sparkling eyes, and soon grumbled to herself.
"Tch, Lord Rumus doesn't know anything."
"Huh? Why that person?"
The village manager, Rumus, was someone Marin had seen once or twice before. He was also close to Jorno, the landlord.
"Lord Rumus said bad things about Marin, saying she's a scary and strange person. But she's such a good person."
"Was that so?"
Marin smiled as if nothing was wrong.
She could have thought so because she saw her with BaniBani, but the adult said all sorts of things in front of the children.
"But I'm glad I don't hear that story these days."
"Why?"
Marin asked with a puzzled face.
People wouldn't change so quickly.
"My mom said he seems to have moved."
"He left the village?"
A long black Shadows fell behind the children.
The surprised children turned around and saw Gerald standing there with a blunt face.
"Lord Gerald."
Marin was also surprised and quickly approached Gerald.
His atmosphere was unusual. If she could feel it, the children must have been very scared.
"You came to see me, right? Let's go quickly."
"When did that Rumus fellow leave?"
"Hiccup."
The surprised Mini hugged her sandwich tightly and hiccupped.
Marin pulled Gerald's arm and pulled him back, whispering.
"The children are surprised."
Only then did Gerald realize his mistake, covered his face with his hands, and stepped back.
"Keep eating what you were eating."
Gerald followed Marin, and Ronnie's voice, who had mustered up courage, was heard from behind.
"It's been about a week!"
Marin poked Gerald in the side and said 'praise' with her mouth.
"Brave."
Gerald, who turned around, gave Ronnie a compliment.
Then Ronnie's face brightened as if she had the whole world.
Like her brave younger sister, she has become brave too!
Because the strongest Duke in the Empire acknowledged her.
\ \ \
7th Imperial Concubine Palace.
Alecpet stared straight at the door of the drawing room.
"Say it again."
The Chamberlain approached the door of the drawing room and raised his voice.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
But the door of the drawing room had not been opened for 30 minutes.
It was then.
"Oh my, isn't that His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Alecpet looked at Eira, who was standing behind him, with a bewildered look. Knight Dimon was standing next to Eira.
Wasn't she with the Emperor inside?
"Greetings, Your Highness 7th Imperial Concubine."
"Yes. Hello, Your Highness the Crown Prince. What brings you here?"
"I came to see His Majesty the Emperor. I went to His Majesty's office and was told he had gone here."
"It seems His Majesty came while I was out getting herb seeds. But why aren't you going inside?"
"……His Majesty did not allow it."
How many times has the Emperor ignored him and not allowed him to visit?
But this was the Imperial Concubine's Palace. To think that he would be ignored so much even here.
Eira looked at the Crown Prince with a pitiful look, then quickly lowered her eyes and composed her emotions. And she slammed open the door of her drawing room.
"Who told you to open it recklessly!"
The Emperor's angry voice fell straight away.
"Do I need anyone's permission to enter my palace?"
Eira said petulantly, and the Emperor's voice softened.
"Eira. Where are you coming from? I've been waiting for a long time."
"I needed herb seeds. Rather, it seems His Highness the Crown Prince has something to say, so I'll leave the seat."
Eira gestured to the Crown Prince standing behind her to come in.
Alecpet gave her a look of gratitude and stepped inside.
"Then please talk comfortably."
Eira quickly left the drawing room before the Emperor could grab her.
The Emperor looked in the direction where Eira had disappeared with a regretful look, then turned his head.
"Crown Prince. What's going on when I didn't call you?"
"I heard you're getting married."
Alecpet met the Emperor's displeased gaze without avoiding it.
"So?"
"It's my marriage. But how can you not consult me even once……."
"Crown Prince."
The Emperor cut off his words coldly and leaned back in his chair.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Yes. I am the Emperor of this Empire. But dare you question what I have decided?"
The Emperor slammed the armrest of the chair with a thud.
"I'm not questioning it. I just want some time to discuss it with my fiancée……."
"Chamberlain. Do I have to waste my time like this unnecessarily?"
The Emperor coldly cut off his words again and looked at the Chamberlain standing next to the door.
"Your Majesty……."
Alecpet called the Emperor again, who had been ignoring him all along.
"I'm busy. Leave."
"……This is not the position I wanted."
Alecpet finally pulled out the words he had buried deep in his heart.
He had never once thought about becoming the Crown Prince.
He was just born and he was the Crown Prince.
If a brother had been born as the Emperor wished, he would have given up and stepped down immediately.
He had no attachment to the position of Crown Prince.
He always felt a cold wall from the Emperor, so much so that he couldn't even utter the word father.
He had been working hard, hoping that if he lived diligently, rightly, and more exemplary than anyone else, he might hear the Emperor's praise at least once.
However, the more diligent he was, the more severe the Emperor's coldness became.
So, he gave up on the Emperor's recognition.
But he didn't know that the Emperor would decide even his marriage on his own.
Until when? Until when does he have to be swayed by him?
A cold sneer formed on the Emperor's lips.
"So, are you going to step down from that position?"
"Can I step down?"
"Not yet. Endure it. Until your brother is born."
The Emperor spat out cruelly with a sneer full of his face.
"……."
Alecpet moved his lips and then closed them tightly.
He knew. After all, he was just a substitute for a brother who might not even be born.
Alecpet lowered his head powerlessly.
"I will leave."
The Emperor ignored his greeting and got up and headed to Eira's bedroom.
