22 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
Engaged to the Blind Duke - Episode 22
“So, did you win?”
Marin finally puffed out her chest proudly.
She hadn’t won, but she hadn’t lost either. She had definitely hit him more.
“I didn’t lose.”
“You have to win. Those under me can’t just not lose.”
“Those maids are also under you, though.”
The Duke pretended not to hear her and called Olive with an indifferent face.
“Olive. Dress shop.”
“Yes.”
Marin felt a sense of déjà vu as she listened to their conversation.
That feeling of being excluded from her own business?
“Duke Vines. Surely, it’s not because of my dress, is it?”
“Olive. Leave.”
He cleanly ignored her words and ordered Olive.
“Yes, Duke Vines.”
Olive bowed sharply and went outside.
Marin looked at his receding back with longing eyes.
Take me with you, too.
As Olive closed the door and left, an awkward silence fell in the office.
“What to do?”
The Duke finally spoke after a long while.
“Pardon?”
“Aren’t you working?”
“Can I read a book?”
“It’s not like I’m a coward…”
He said in a nonchalant voice.
Marin momentarily stopped breathing and widened her eyes.
Surely, he didn’t hear me call him a coward, did he? No way, it can’t be. It shouldn’t be. Please, let it not be.
Marin prayed and prayed in her heart.
“I thought I told you I hate repeating myself.”
“Yes, I’ll read now!”
She was just about to open the fairy tale book when she realized that her wrist was still in his hand.
“My hand…”
The Duke naturally let go of her hand and leaned loosely against the chair.
“I’ll begin. Once upon a time, there was an emperor praised by the people of the empire.”
“That’s a lie.”
He pointed out sharply.
Marin tried her best to pretend she didn’t hear him and read the fairy tale book again.
“The people of the empire loved the emperor very much.”
“False.”
I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you.
“The emperor also loved his people and showed them kindness.”
“Also false.”
Marin took her eyes off the fairy tale book and stared at the Duke with narrowed eyes.
“Should I not read?”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn’t seem like you’re ready to listen.”
“That can’t be. I’m not a coward.”
“Wow, holding a grudge…”
Marin whispered to herself in a very small voice.
I will not forgive whoever heard and told the Duke.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Continue.”
“The emperor had a very beautiful empress. There was only one problem between them, who were so happy. The emperor and empress had no descendants. They prayed to God every night.”
Marin read up to that point and paused to catch her breath.
The Duke should be interrupting around this time.
When there was no reaction even after a pause, Marin cleared her throat and began to read the fairy tale book again.
Please fall asleep.
As she read, she herself became engrossed in the story.
She felt sad when the beautiful princess was in trouble, and she rejoiced when she met the prince from a faraway land. Her heart welled up at the scene where the princess and the prince left together.
“And so, the two of them left for a faraway place and lived happily ever after.”
Marin carefully closed the fairy tale book.
The already quiet space felt desolate. Marin lowered her eyes and looked at the Duke cautiously.
The Duke was leaning against the chair without moving.
Is he sleeping?
I hope he’s really asleep.
“Good night.”
Marin whispered in a faint voice, afraid that her voice might wake him up.
She was about to turn around, clutching the fairy tale book, when she noticed something on his desk.
A thin, long letter opener made of silver.
No way. Her heart pounded, so she quickly checked the Duke’s ears. Fortunately, there was no blood this time.
Marin looked at the Duke once more with pitiful eyes.
What if he uses that again? Should I steal it and hide it?
She pondered for a moment, then shook her head. She couldn’t be branded as a thief after being branded as a spy.
Marin looked at the letter opener with regretful eyes before moving her feet.
\ \ *
If you ride a horse for ten days west from the Oman Empire, the endless Cyran Desert appears.
The Cyran Desert, located between the Sanders Empire and the Oman Empire, was home to thousands of Monsters.
Ironically, thanks to those Monsters, they were able to make a pact not to invade each other’s empires.
100 years had passed since the pact was made. As research on the Monsters living in the desert became more active, desert trade connecting the two empires also developed.
The western Vines Dukedom was in charge of preventing Monsters from crossing the desert. It was also the role of the Vines Dukedom to fight Monsters every season for desert trade.
Duke Gerald and the Vines Knights and soldiers, who had finally finished the long battle with the desert Monsters that had lasted for fifteen days, were crossing the mountains to return to their territory.
However, the soldiers who had been sent as scouts did not return. The same was true for those who were sent to find the soldiers.
Naturally, they were stranded in a place that was not a campsite. Anxiety was growing among the tired soldiers.
Gerald, who had been silently watching the scene, called the knight behind him.
“Henders.”
“Yes. Just give the order.”
Henders, who had a stuffy nose from a cold, bowed with a nasal voice.
“No matter what situation you see, don’t try to help recklessly, just quickly figure it out and report back.”
“Yes.”
Gerald sent Henders, the most perceptive and agile of his subordinates, as a scout again.
And not long after, Henders rushed back with a serious face.
“Duke Vines, I think you should see it yourself.”
Gerald got off his horse and followed Henders.
As they went deeper into the forest, a beautiful flower garden soon unfolded before their eyes.
Colorful flowers as tall as people exuded a sweet fragrance. Gerald forcibly numbed his sense of smell due to the foreign smell mixed with the intensely sweet flower scent that stung his nose.
“I didn’t act recklessly because you told me not to, so I returned as soon as I found them acting like they were drunk.”
The soldiers were dancing in front of the flowers. If they hadn’t been staggering as if they were drunk, he too would have been impressed by the beauty of the flowers.
At that moment, a soldier approached a flower.
The flower gently stroked the soldier with its petals as if welcoming him. As the soldier got closer, the red flesh of the flower tore open.
It was a Monster in the shape of a flower.
The Demon Flower swallowed the soldier whole.
Henders, who was watching with him, gasped in surprise.
Gerald stared at Henders next to him. The cold saved him.
“Go and tell everyone. It’s a Monster that uses smell. Everyone, block your noses so you don’t smell the fragrance and stay as far away as possible.”
“Yes.”
Henders quickly blocked his nose and answered.
“And everyone waits in the rear.”
Henders looked at him with wide eyes as if surprised.
“Duke Vines, there are too many Monsters.”
“Who can fight with their nose blocked and one hand?”
Gerald, who could freely control his sense of smell, drew his sword.
The first thing knights learn when learning swordsmanship is breathing. Breathing was very important to them.
“You must not smell the fragrance even a little. If there are any who can, bring them.”
“Yes.”
Henders bowed and ran back. It was possible because of his unwavering faith in the Duke.
The Demon Flowers were distributed as if guarding the center. As Gerald slowly approached, the petals fluttered as if tempting him.
But when he showed no interest, the flowers exuded a variety of fragrances as if spewing them out.
