31 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
Engaged to a Blind Duke - Episode 31
Marin unknowingly scanned his body with her eyes.
The black shirt couldn't hide his firm muscles at all.
Does he work out separately in his office? His muscles don't seem to have diminished.
"Well, it's not exactly because of muscles, but more like everyday exercise."
The more Marin spoke, the more she felt like she was digging her own grave, so she shut her mouth and lowered her head.
"Unexpected. I thought you'd ask me to spare your life for the sake of a possible future or something."
Marin's head shot up.
Life? That's right! Why didn't I think of that sooner?
A life guarantee. Namely, a Life-Saving Right!
I should have asked him to spare my life in case my lie was exposed.
Barely suppressing the urge to stomp her feet at the missed opportunity, Marin whispered with a sliver of hope.
"Is there a chance to change it?"
"Do you think there would be?"
"...No."
I didn't think so. There's no way such luck would come to me.
Tears welled up in Marin's eyes, and she drooped her shoulders powerlessly and greeted the Duke again.
"Then, I'll be on my way."
"Where are you going?"
"To my room."
"I'll grant your wish now."
"Pardon?"
"Let's take a walk."
"Pardon?"
Marin blinked and tilted her head.
"Imsi. You're not having the absurd thought that I can go for a walk alone when I can't see, are you?"
The Duke explained in a cool voice, as if he thought she couldn't understand him at all.
"Ah..."
Marin parted her lips slightly and then closed them again.
...I did. An absurd thought.
The Duke sometimes made her wonder if he was really blind, so she thought he could naturally take a walk alone.
"Come here."
"Yes."
As she slowly approached the Duke, he rose from his seat.
Seeing the Duke standing after a long time, she was intimidated by his tall height and large frame.
He was imposing even when sitting, but standing, he was like a huge mountain.
"Closer."
"Yes."
Marin approached him with a very nervous face.
What should I do now?
Then, she suddenly remembered the image of a blind person and their companion walking together that she had seen as a child.
"Your Grace."
"Why?"
"Would you like to put your hand on my shoulder?"
The muscles in his jaw tightened.
Ah, he said he dislikes contact with others.
"Then I'll get a cane..."
"Where's your shoulder?"
"Here. Ah, excuse me for a moment."
Marin carefully grabbed his sleeve and placed his hand on her shoulder.
His heavy and large hand, which seemed to cover one whole shoulder, was surprisingly warm.
"Shall we go then?"
Marin whispered extra cheerfully.
"Alright."
\ \ *
Marin moved quickly, one step ahead of the Duke, who was much taller than her.
After descending the stairs on the first floor, she opened the back door and went outside to avoid encountering people.
Then, a large and bright full moon greeted them brightly.
"Let's stop for a moment."
Marin stopped walking for a moment.
"Why are you stopping?"
"I'm thinking about where to go."
"Go to a place Imsi likes."
"Yes."
Marin took the lead and walked to a place with as few people as possible.
After leaving the forest, they reached a wide garden covered with green grass.
It was the garden where she had found the Mandelesong.
Under the large full moon, the lush green grass, covered in night dew, sparkled like starlight.
"Wow."
Without realizing it, an exclamation came out on its own. The garden was beautiful at night too.
"Why?"
"I'm see..."
She was about to say, "Can't you see?" but trailed off.
She forgot again because of his behavior of following her well without a word.
"Why do you start talking and then stop?"
"Nothing."
The Duke, who had taken his hand off her shoulder, slowly walked forward.
He walked along the sparkling grass under the white, shining full moon and stopped in the middle. It was like a painting.
The Duke tilted his ear as if he was listening to something, and then took a deep breath.
Then, he untied the string that covered his eyes as if he was frustrated.
Marin was surprised by his sudden action and stared at him with wide eyes.
Suddenly, the Duke turned his body and stood facing her as if he could see her.
Marin stopped breathing and looked at his closed eyes.
His eyelids fluttered and then slowly lifted.
His silver eyes, close to white, were as pure as the eyes of a fairy born from white snowflakes.
Startled by the beauty, she gasped.
He walked straight towards her as if he could see.
"Are you scared?"
"Ah..."
Marin stepped back without realizing it due to the Duke's large and overwhelming presence as he strode closer.
"Am I disgusting?"
"..."
Marin, pressed by his energy, couldn't say anything because her mouth was stuck, and she shook her head.
"Am I like a monster?"
Unlike the Duke's indifferent expression, his deeply sunken voice seemed to express pain.
Only then did her lips open as if she had been released from a spell.
"No. No, you're not."
"Then why did you step back?"
"...Because you're too beautiful."
It wasn't something to say to a man, but his beauty was so dazzling that it was overwhelming.
"What?"
He had a blank look on his face as if he had been hit on the back of the head, and then soon frowned.
"I was surprised because you're too beautiful."
"Imsi."
His eyes, which had come closer, were as mesmerizing as a silver cluster of stars.
In the novel, he was described as having black hair and black eyes.
But why does he have this eye color? Is it because he's blind?
Marin unknowingly stared intently at his eyes as if she was possessed. There was no focus in his beautiful eyes, so he must be blind.
"Yes."
The Duke lowered his head close to her face and whispered softly.
"Are you seducing me?"
"H-Huh?"
Marin's mind snapped back as if she had been hit by a cold shower.
"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"
"W-What do you mean?"
Marin, flustered, blushed and asked back in a daze.
"That's too bad."
The Duke whispered in a bitter voice.
"What on earth..."
Gerald chose silence instead of answering.
She was also standing quietly, as if she had noticed his intention.
Anyway, she's a woman who's quick to notice things.
After going blind, he felt genuinely sorry for the first time in a long time.
He wanted to see her face.
He was curious if she really saw him as a monster.
After being attacked by a Monster and going blind, his eye color changed from black to silver.
There was no one in the world with silver eyes.
That's because silver was the eye color of Monsters.
He worried that he had become a Monster himself and hid his eye color.
But to think that she would call that eye color beautiful. She probably had never seen a Monster before.
Gerald chuckled inwardly and looked at the pure white world.
People think that he's blind and everything is dark, but it was the opposite.
The whole world was chillingly bright.
So he always covered his eyes with a black string and stayed in dark places. To hide the bright view even a little.
After applying Mandelesong, the glare disappeared for several hours, so it must be working.
That's why he was able to readily agree when she asked him to go for a walk today.
The outside air, which he smelled after a long time, was refreshing and sweet.
He could have come out alone even if she didn't lend him her shoulder, but he deliberately brought her with him.
He was curious about where she would lead him.
He could smell the scent of Mandelesong nearby. It seemed like she was finding Mandelesong here.
Strangely, the time he spent with her was funny and comfortable.
It was then.
"Your Grace!!!"
Olive's desperate voice calling him was heard not far away.
"That's Olive, isn't it?"
"I know."
"Shall I let her know we're here?"
"There's no need."
Olive was already running quickly towards them.
Gerald hid his dissatisfaction and covered his eyes with the string again.
"Your Grace!!! A letter!!"
Unlike Olive's usual self, her voice was rough and trembling.
"Why is she making such a fuss?"
"The Count and Countess have passed away."
Olive knelt on the floor and sobbed bitterly.
My sister died?
