203 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
I Got Engaged to a Blind Peacock Chapter 203
7th Imperial Concubine’s reception room.
Camellia carefully examined each of the blue leaves in the space that felt like being in a forest.
Mixed in were herbs and medicinal herbs she knew well. Each one was beneficial, but if they were mixed together…
Camellia gazed at the woman with her back turned with pitiful eyes.
Why did she hide these instead of reporting them?
Her mind was in turmoil for a moment. As Camellia took a step to approach the woman, a rustling sound came from her pocket.
She tucked the precious letter from the child she had received a few days ago deeper into her pocket.
And she called out to another child she had taken care of, Eira, who was now a mature woman.
“Your Highness.”
“Nanny. This is a herb that helps you sleep well. This is a herb that is good for headaches. The leaves are so pretty, aren’t they? Oh, this is a herb that improves memory.”
Eira, who had turned around, pointed to each herb and said as if boasting.
“Since it’s being brought into the Imperial Palace, there’s nothing dangerous.”
“That’s right.”
Eira smiled, her eyes curving prettily.
“I’m so happy that Nanny came to visit like this.”
“I am also happy to see Your Highness. It has been difficult to contact you because of the Imperial Palace.”
“I know. I wonder how many years it’s been since I met an old friend…”
“I want to go to the Imperial Palace.”
“Eira… The Imperial Palace is a place where your life is in danger if you take even one wrong step. I’m against it. And that’s where your-”
“I know, Nanny. That… person is there, right? That’s why I have to go.”
Eira cut her off and revealed her firm determination.
As the two looked at each other and reminisced about old memories, the door to the reception room opened.
“Oh my, His Majesty is here!”
As the Emperor entered, Eira greeted him with a bright smile, unlike usual.
“What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is there something good happening?”
The Emperor sat down and asked Eira.
“Yes. There’s someone I want to introduce.”
A question flickered in the Emperor’s eyes.
“Nanny.”
At Eira’s call, the middle-aged woman who had been standing quietly behind her bowed politely.
“Camellia of the Shadow barony, I greet His Imperial Majesty.”
The Emperor stared down at the middle-aged woman who was bowing.
“She’s the nanny who took care of me when I was young. I want to bring her in as my lady-in-waiting.”
Eira said with a very excited face.
“You want to bring her in as your lady-in-waiting?”
The Emperor asked with a pleased expression.
Since she was his most beloved Imperial Concubine, daughters of powerful families had volunteered to be her ladies-in-waiting. But they couldn’t last more than two days.
She kept maids who did chores in the palace, but she refused all the ladies-in-waiting who assisted her.
The Emperor couldn’t help but feel more anxious about her, who acted as if she could leave at any time.
But now she was saying that she would have her own lady-in-waiting. Had the Imperial Palace become as comfortable as her own home now?
“Raise your head.”
“Yes.”
The middle-aged woman named Camellia raised her head. She had common brown eyes and an ordinary appearance, making her look unremarkable.
“You must take good care of the 7th Imperial Concubine.”
“Yes.”
The Emperor gestured to the Chamberlain with a nonchalant smile.
Not just anyone could be brought into the Imperial Palace. It was a signal to thoroughly investigate the Shadow family.
The Chamberlain nodded silently in response.
\ \ \
Rumus, with his wrists tied behind his back and his eyes covered, crouched on the floor.
He didn’t know how many days he had been trapped here. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be planning to starve him to death, as he was given two meals of bread a day.
How did this happen? He had only received money from an information merchant and talked about the Duke’s fiancée.
He shouldn’t have blabbered. What was so great about money?
Creak.
At that moment, he heard the sound of an old wooden door opening.
Rumus trembled with fear and pressed himself against the wall.
“Are you Rumus?”
At the sound of the young man’s voice, he hurriedly bowed his head and replied.
“Y-yes, I am.”
“Tell me in detail what you saw.”
Rumus spoke about the Duke of the West’s fiancée, who was the cause of him being here. He had said it dozens of times, so it came out smoothly.
“So, in your opinion, it’s true that the woman communicates with Monsters?”
“Yes. The Monster’s teeth were reduced according to her words. The villagers also saw it.”
“Can you testify to that to His Majesty as well?”
“H-His Majesty?”
The Emperor? He was being asked to say this directly to the Emperor?
Rumus swallowed hard at the thought of the enormous figure.
“Yes.”
“O-of course, I can. But, if I testify, will you let me go?”
“I will.”
“Then, I’ll go and tell him right away!”
“Wait, it’s not time yet.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
Rumus happily replied, thinking that he could finally live.
Smi, who came out of the wooden door, turned to his aide.
“It seems to be true.”
“Yes. I also contacted the villagers, and they all told the same story.”
“Okay. What about the task I told you to handle?”
Smi asked his aide as he headed to the carriage.
“We haven’t found it yet.”
“You’re too slow. Don’t you know that that’s the top priority?”
Smi’s sharp eyes narrowed. The aide hurriedly lowered his head.
“I will do my best.”
“I’m sick of the capital, so finish it quickly.”
“Yes.”
\ \ *
The Emperor’s office.
Gerald entered with an indifferent expression.
“Duke of the West, welcome!”
The Emperor greeted him with a bright smile.
“Baines, I greet His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of the Empire.”
“Yes, was the journey to the capital peaceful?”
“Yes.”
“Of course. Now that the shield of the West has opened its eyes again, who would block the way? Isn’t that right? Hahaha.”
The Emperor laughed heartily as if he was in a good mood.
“Congratulations on opening your eyes again. But your eyes used to be black, but now the color has changed.”
The Emperor’s golden eyes persistently stared at the Duke’s gray eyes.
“It’s a side effect of the medicine.”
“Is that so? Tsk. That’s a pity.”
“It’s okay.”
The Emperor’s smile did not disappear despite Gerald’s blunt answer.
“But I thought I had called your fiancée with you?”
“My fiancée is not feeling well, so I had no choice but to come alone. I apologize.”
Gerald lied shamelessly with a face that showed no apology at all.
“Is that so?”
The Emperor’s smiling face stiffened awkwardly.
Just the day before, he had received a report that the Duke’s fiancée had attended a tea party at the Marquis’s family.
She accepts the invitation of the Marquis’s daughter, but dares to reject the Emperor’s invitation.
Was it the Duke’s doing? Or was it the fiancée’s choice?
“I hope she recovers quickly.”
“Thank you.”
Gerald replied bluntly.
“Then, how about visiting again with your fiancée in two days? I will specially invite you to dinner.”
“She has a high fever, so I don’t think she will be able to get up even in two days.”
The Emperor leaned back in his chair with a cold expression.
“Duke of the West, who am I?”
“You are the Emperor of the Empire.”
“Yes. I am the Emperor of this Empire. But are you rejecting my invitation?”
Gerald stared at the Emperor with calm eyes.
“My fiancée is just an ordinary Baron’s daughter. She is not someone that His Majesty would be interested in.”
“Ha, what? Are you daring to order me now!”
The Emperor slammed his chair hard.
Gerald’s eyes flashed at the sight.
The Emperor had changed. He was not someone who would get angry so hastily, even if he was plotting behind the scenes.
He could see the Emperor closing his eyes tightly as if he had a headache.
Seeing this, the Chamberlain hurriedly stepped forward.
“It seems that His Majesty is very tired, so it would be better to step down for today.”
The Emperor opened his eyes the moment Gerald’s questioning gaze reached the Chamberlain.
He wore a benevolent smile on his face.
“Duke of the West, it’s been a while. How nice it is to see you again like this?”
The Chamberlain closed his eyes tightly.
Gerald stared at the Emperor with a blank face. What kind of trick was this again?
“But I told you to come with your fiancée, so why did you come alone?”
“……”
Gerald’s gaze briefly touched the Chamberlain before he lowered his head.
“My fiancée caught a cold from the long carriage ride, so I came alone.”
“Hmm, then how about setting another day to visit together?”
“……If she gets better, I will do so.”
Gerald hesitated and answered differently than before to test the Emperor.
Of course, no one knew when the falsely ill Marin would get better.