38 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
The Blind Duke and His Engagement Chapter 38
Gerald sat at the head of the table without a word, and Killon sat next to him, leaving a corner of the table between them.
“Kids, say hello.”
“Pleased to meet you, Duke. I am Dia Adria, the eldest.”
Dia held the hem of her dress and greeted him calmly.
“Hello. I’m Rubiana Adria, the third.”
Rubiana, awkwardly holding the hem of her skirt, bowed her head with a trembling voice.
“Hmph.”
Garnet crossed her arms, snorted, and ignored the Duke.
Killon’s eyebrows twitched at her rebellious attitude. However, he couldn’t step in because the Duke, who was receiving the greetings, remained still.
The Duke responded to the sisters’ greetings with a silent nod.
The sisters were confused as to whether they could sit down again after his gesture.
“The Duke has acknowledged your greetings. Ladies, please be seated comfortably. Ah, I am Olive Lyon, the Duke’s aide. Pleased to meet you all.”
Olive, standing next to the Duke, smiled kindly and bowed formally.
Dia, as the representative, held the hem of her dress and greeted him.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Dia Adria.”
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
As he gestured towards the chairs with a warm look, Dia signaled to her sisters.
As they sat down, the servants brought out mushroom soup and retreated.
“Haha. Since the Duke is joining us today, I told the chef to pay special attention. Even if you can’t enjoy it with your eyes, please enjoy it with your taste.”
Killon subtly mocked the blind Duke, but the Duke ignored it indifferently. It was a clear disregard.
Killon distorted his face and swallowed his anger.
And then, silence fell.
As the Duke did not start eating first, everyone watched him carefully.
Killon was very hungry, having been searching for his youngest nephew, Peridot, all day.
He glanced at the Duke with a dissatisfied look and cautiously broached the subject. He didn’t bother to hide his gaze since the Duke couldn’t see.
“Duke, please begin the meal.”
“The Duke has no appetite today. You may start your meal first.”
Olive, standing next to him, ignored Killon and spoke to Dia.
Dia glanced at Killon.
Killon was glaring at Olive with a menacing look.
However, he couldn’t openly curse and bit his lip, coldly ordering his nieces.
“Let’s eat.”
Rubiana, who was hungry, picked up a piece of bread first and dipped it in the soup. Garnet also slowly spooned up the soup.
Only Dia didn’t touch anything.
“Sister, why aren’t you eating?”
Rubiana asked worriedly, munching on her bread.
“I’m not very hungry.”
“You haven’t eaten all day. Eat.”
Rubiana tore off a piece of bread and held it out. Dia couldn’t ignore her younger sister’s offer and accepted the bread.
“Thank you, Ruby.”
Killon, who had regained his composure as the meal began, leaned back comfortably in his chair. He picked up a wine glass with one hand and turned his gaze towards the Duke.
“Duke. Since you have no appetite, how about some wine? It’s from the best producer in the south. The taste is amazing. Haha.”
“Olive, have the children eaten a bit?”
The Duke, ignoring Killon again, opened his mouth in a low voice.
As the Duke spoke for the first time, everyone in the dining room turned their attention to him.
“Yes. It seems they have eaten to some extent.”
Olive, having carefully examined the sisters, reported calmly.
“Then, send them away.”
“Have the rest of their meal prepared in the ladies’ rooms.”
Olive pointed to a maid standing like a decoration against the wall and gave the order.
“Yes.”
The maid quickly nodded and left the dining room.
“Ladies, please excuse yourselves for a moment.”
The sisters looked at each other with bewildered expressions.
Dia’s heart pounded.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the atmosphere in the dining room had changed since the Duke had spoken.
Dia first gestured to Garnet and Rubiana and rose from her seat.
Killon, realizing that the situation was turning strange, slammed his wine glass on the table.
“What is the meaning of this? Why are you suddenly kicking out my nieces?”
At his words, Olive, letting out a sigh, walked in front of the bewildered ladies, blocking their view.
Then, Gerald, picking up a knife from the table, casually flicked his wrist.
Ping.
The knife quickly grazed Killon’s cheek and lodged in the wall, leaving only the handle visible.
Killon didn’t realize what had happened because it had happened so quickly.
As his right cheek burned, he touched it with a trembling hand.
“W-What is this…”
His hand was stained with blood, redder than wine.
Soon, blood dripped from the gap in his torn skin.
“Kyaa!”
One of the maids screamed at the sight of the blood on Killon’s hand, belatedly covering her mouth.
Meanwhile, the sisters didn’t immediately realize what had happened because Olive had blocked their view.
“I missed.”
The Duke said with a nonchalant expression.
Killon’s blue eyes trembled with anxiety.
The Duke, known as the best swordsman, missed?
Was it a genuine mistake? If it wasn’t a mistake, where would it have aimed if not his cheek?
Killon swallowed hard, his eyes filled with fear.
“Ladies, shall we go now?”
Olive, still blocking the sisters’ view, steered them towards the door.
Dia stopped abruptly, watching Rubiana and Garnet hold hands tightly as they left the door.
“Garnet, take care of Ruby.”
“Sister, come with us.”
Rubiana looked at Dia with terrified eyes.
“Garnet.”
“Okay. But you have to tell me everything.”
Garnet grabbed Rubiana’s hand tightly and received confirmation from Dia.
“Okay.”
After watching Garnet and Rubiana disappear into the distance, Dia deliberately closed the dining room door.
“It wouldn’t be a pleasant sight for the Lady to see.”
Olive said with a worried look.
Dia suppressed her pounding heart and shook her head slightly.
She wanted to see what would happen next. She had the right to.
“I’ll be an adult in a few months. Please let me stay.”
“Haa. The Duke will scold me.”
“I’ll take responsibility.”
Dia said firmly, as if making a vow.
At that moment, Killon’s scream-like voice was heard.
“Duke! What is the meaning of this? There is clearly an imperial law. You can’t harm a fellow noble without any reason!”
Killon, covering his cheek, stood up from his seat and distanced himself from the Duke with a frightened face.
“……”
“No matter how great you are, Duke, I am still a noble. The moment you harm a noble like me, His Majesty the Emperor will not stand idly by!”
“Olive.”
The corner of the Duke’s lips coldly curled up as he listened to Killon’s words.
“Yes.”
Olive approached Killon with a worried expression and handed him a white handkerchief.
“You’re bleeding a lot. It’s dangerous, so at least use this to stop the bleeding.”
He was already dizzy from losing so much blood.
Killon quickly took the white handkerchief that Olive offered and pressed it firmly against his cheek.
His head was spinning, and he couldn’t think straight.
He had been able to provoke the Duke because he was a blind cripple.
But he didn’t expect him to ignore the imperial law and act so arbitrarily.
“You have received the handkerchief.”
“A duel.”
The Duke leaned back in his chair and said languidly.
Hic. Killon, startled, dropped the white handkerchief on the floor.
Only then did he realize the meaning of the white handkerchief.
The moment you throw a white handkerchief at someone and say “duel,” His Majesty the Emperor can no longer intervene in the nobles’ fight.
“T-This is a scam. It’s invalid. There are so many witnesses.”
Dia was caught in Killon’s gaze as he glared like a cornered rat.
“Dia, you saw it too, right? I’ve never heard of a duel like this!”
“I saw you receive the white handkerchief. And I heard the Duke say ‘duel.’ It’s a legitimate procedure.”
