198 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
I got engaged to the blind duke, Chapter 198
"What I want to ask is, is Nanny doing well?”
“Yes.”
The Duke nodded again.
Nejat then took out a letter envelope from his pants pocket.
“Could you please deliver this to Nanny?”
“Is this your request?”
The Duke asked, receiving the letter, as if surprised.
Nejat nodded his head vigorously.
In truth, he wanted to ask to see Nanny, to bring Nanny back.
But he couldn’t say that.
“Nanny! Nanny! Don’t go!”
Back then, Nejat clung to Nanny's skirt hem, sobbing.
A grandmother he had never seen before tried to stop him, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to be surrounded by strangers like he was in the orphanage again.
“Nejat. You promised Nanny, didn’t you?”
“I don’t want to make that promise! I thought I was going to live with Nanny!”
“Nejat, Nanny has to go help someone else. I’m sorry I can’t stay with you.”
Nanny stroked his head with a sad smile.
The small hand holding Nanny's skirt hem trembled.
Just like how she saved him from the orphanage, Nanny had to go save someone else again.
If I hold onto Nanny, that person will be crying somewhere like me, right?
Nejat eventually let go of Nanny's skirt hem.
He forced back his tears and looked up.
“Then, if I keep my promise later, will you come see me?”
“Yes. When Nejat becomes very strong, I’ll come see you then.”
“Promise?”
“Promise!”
After making that promise once more with a pinky swear, he sent Nanny away.
Nejat stared intently at the Duke in front of him.
The Duke of the West was the strongest in the Empire, he learned when studying about noble families.
I have to become strong like him. So I can meet Nanny.
“Yes. When I become strong, I’m going to go meet Nanny. I promised.”
The Duke nodded slightly as if he understood.
“I will deliver this letter well.”
“Thank you.”
As Gerald stood up straight, Edena looked at her grandson affectionately.
“Nejat. Could you step out for a moment? Grandmother has something to discuss with the Duke of the West.”
“Yes. I will.”
Olive bowed towards Nejat and smiled kindly.
“Young Duke. Do you have a favorite snack?”
“Cake.”
“Our Duke's patissier makes cake very well. Shall we go and taste it together?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Olive politely escorted the still young Young Duke Nejat out.
As the two left, Gerald pointed to the sofa on one side of the study.
“Please sit over here.”
Edena nodded and took a seat on the sofa.
Soon, a knock sounded, and a maid brought in refreshments.
Even after the maid poured the tea and quietly withdrew, the two remained silent.
Edena took a sip of the warm tea and quietly gazed at the Duke of the West.
“Thank you once again. And also for granting my grandson’s request.”
“It was nothing.”
At the Duke’s blunt reply, a faint smile appeared on Edena’s lips.
He was truly an enigmatic person. For such a rigid person, as if not even a needle could penetrate him, to kneel on one knee for a child.
“Actually, I came under the pretext of my grandson because I had something to say.”
“Please, speak.”
“‘That person’s’ greed is becoming increasingly excessive. The people are starving, and the nobles protest every day, but that person is blocking their eyes and ears.”
A sneer formed on Edena’s lips as she referred to the Emperor as ‘that person.’
The Duke listened silently with an expressionless face before opening his mouth.
“I have a question.”
“Yes. Ask away.”
“Are you trying to enthrone the Crown Prince?”
“That is correct.”
“The noble faction is trying to use His Highness.”
At Gerald’s cold voice, Edena shook her head.
“His Highness will endure.”
The Crown Prince would become a great monarch.
Of course, he would be swayed by the power of the nobles in the beginning after rising through a coup, but she believed he would ultimately overcome it.
“I ask that the Duke of the West also join us.”
If only the Duke of the West would side with them, the coup would surely succeed.
“Baines will only protect.”
Gerald declared bluntly.
“Whom will you protect?”
At her question, Gerald remained silent.
As expected, the noble faction was trying to enthrone the Crown Prince. There was no other way to overthrow the Emperor.
That was the first thought that came to his mind as well.
However, there was a problem with that.
The Duchess of the East said that the Crown Prince, who ascended the throne due to the noble faction, would withstand the pressure from the nobles, but well…
Did the noble faction even ask the Crown Prince’s opinion in this coup plan?
If the Crown Prince were to overthrow the Emperor and inherit the throne, it was right that he should choose to do so himself, not be forced by the noble faction.
The Crown Prince was soon to be Dia’s husband. Depending on the Crown Prince’s choice, the target that Baines would protect would be determined.
So, he couldn’t bring them into the noble faction after all? If so, he had to persuade them, even if he had to use the people as an excuse.
“I am well aware of your concerns. So, this time, please protect the people.”
“Do you truly believe that is protecting the people?”
The Duke’s gray eyes shone vividly. It was a question of whether siding with the noble faction was truly for the sake of the people.
Edena pursed her lips tightly.
She could assure that the East had no other intentions, but she couldn’t be sure that the other nobles felt the same way.
She couldn’t bring herself to lie, and she hesitated to answer when that happened.
The Duke placed a teaspoon on the gold-rimmed teacup, then placed square sugar cubes on both sides.
Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the teaspoon. The teaspoon was precariously balanced on the teacup.
Were those square sugar cubes the people and the nobles? The Emperor faction and the noble faction?
Either way, the precarious balance would collapse if one side was chosen.
The Duke was saying that with that small teaspoon.
It was a clever move to be able to refuse so clearly without saying a word.
Edena chuckled and looked up at the Duke.
“You have good dexterity.”
“That’s why I wield a Sword well.”
Edena laughed at the Duke’s blunt joke. It wasn’t something she had greatly expected anyway.
“I understand the Duke’s intentions well.”
Edena rose from her seat with a relieved feeling.
“The one the Duke protects most of all would be his fiancée, wouldn’t it?”
In an instant, the Duke’s atmosphere changed sharply.
“Of course.”
“Now that you’ve come up to the capital, you must have guessed ‘that person’s’ intentions, and the South is also suspicious. Please be careful.”
Edena said quietly and turned away.
\ \ *
The Adria siblings, sitting side by side on the wide drawing-room sofa, kept glancing at the door.
Today was the day they were to meet the Crown Prince for the first time, so the siblings were very nervous.
“Dia, do I really have to wear this? I want to look cool, but this is too childish.”
Peridot pointed to the ivory Cravat around his neck. The large ribbon style made his cute appearance shine even more.
Just as Dia was about to open her mouth, Rubiana, sitting next to Peridot, said firmly.
“Peridot, be quiet. His Highness the Crown Prince will be here soon.”
Rubiana, who was always kind, had a strong sense of determination today.
“Tch, he’s not here yet.”
“Even so, we have to be quiet because we don’t know when he’ll come. We have to make sure His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t find fault with anything so we can say what we need to say!”
Peridot was making a sulky face at Rubiana, who was stricter than usual, when that happened.
The Butler’s voice was heard from beyond the drawing-room door.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is entering.”
The siblings jumped up.
The drawing-room door slowly opened, and the gazes of the extremely nervous siblings were focused on the door.
Wavy golden hair, golden eyes filled with a gentle light, and the Crown Prince, who appeared with a smile on his lips, scanned the people in the drawing-room once.
Finally, his gaze turned to his longed-for lover, Dia.
Elecpet, who approached her, warmly looked into Dia’s eyes.
“It’s been a while.”
“Your Highness, have you been well?”
“I’m sorry……”
That short word contained all his anguish, sorrow, and regret.
Dia looked at the Crown Prince’s sincere expression with pity.
It wasn’t his fault, but he was apologizing.
“Please don’t say that.”
Dia smiled brightly as if to comfort him.
“It’s all because I’m lacking.”
A deep sense of futility was reflected in Alecpet’s eyes.
“No, Your Highness is more wonderful than anyone else.”
Dia hid her pitiful feelings and spoke more firmly.
“Cough.”
At that moment, a soft cough was heard, breaking the world of just the two of them.
