49 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
I apologize for the disturbance, Duke. Idre Smil greets you.”
Idre, who was the first to come to her senses, greeted the Duke politely.
The Duke acknowledged her greeting with a slight nod.
The Countess and Amanda also hurriedly grabbed their dresses and bowed.
“Ssollan Aterk greets you.”
“Amanda Aterk greets you.”
As the Duke stood silently, the Countess glanced up. Amanda, who was standing next to her, blushed as she stole glances at the Duke's face.
A question arose as to why the Duke had visited this place, but her lewd greed interfered with her thoughts. The Countess, like a sycophant who had seized an opportunity, spoke to the Duke with shining eyes.
“Duke. I was just about to report to you. This Lady Jajak is impersonating your fiancée! She has to say something that makes sense. She must be severely punished for insulting the nobility.”
The Countess finished speaking as if giving a speech and smiled contentedly. If she caught the Duke's eye this time, her husband would no longer scold her for her extravagance.
If the Duke happened to fall for her daughter's beauty, her daughter might become the real fiancée.
The Countess subtly poked Amanda in the side.
Amanda also wore a confident smile and took a step to approach the Duke, but the Duke's tightly closed lips finally opened.
“Marin.”
“Yes.”
Marin wanted to find a rat hole and hide. That's why she wanted to send those two women out before the Duke came.
“Why is it that wherever you go, it's always so noisy?”
The Countess did not understand the situation in front of her for a moment.
Why is the Duke talking so intimately with that insignificant lower noble?
When she looked at her daughter standing next to her, Amanda was staring with wide eyes.
Only then did the Countess grasp the situation and stifle a scream.
Could it be that they really knew each other?
Marin's light green eyes were filled with injustice. She knew the Duke would say that.
“This time, it wasn't my doing.”
“You always say that.”
“It's true this time. Those two insisted they wanted my dress and were being unreasonable.”
The Duke turned to face them. The mother and daughter, pressed down by his unapproachable aura, couldn't even lift their heads.
“That can't be. To my fiancée.”
The Duke spoke in a low voice that wasn't particularly threatening.
However, the Countess and Amanda trembled like aspen leaves in his unique, cold atmosphere.
The Countess, overwhelmed by the Duke's energy, groaned and touched her forehead. As she staggered, Amanda, who was standing next to her, hurriedly supported the Countess.
“Oh, Mother.”
“You've already settled the matter of the engagement dress, right?”
“We couldn't even start because of these people.”
As Marin grumbled, the Duke clicked his tongue.
Amanda, who had turned pale, lowered her gaze to the floor with a face that looked like she was about to faint.
The quick-witted Idre hurriedly picked up the money pouch and approached them.
“Will you take the dress money and leave now?”
“Ah, no. You don't have to take the dress money. Please give the dress back.”
Amanda quickly turned her head.
She saw a golden dress while passing by the store and it was so pretty that she bought it as if snatching it from her friend, and then deliberately ruined the dress. However, things went wrong because of an unexpected person.
Idre, who designed the Duke's fiancée's dress, will become very famous in society in the future.
It was clear that this designer would never sell her a dress again because of what happened today, but it was impossible for her, the flower of society, to not have a single dress from a famous designer.
She had to have at least one of Idre's dresses for the future.
However.
“No. I'll only return the dress money.”
Idre refused with a cold face.
Amanda bit her lip at the situation not going as she expected, but the Countess, who snatched the money pouch instead of her, pulled her arm.
“Amanda, let's go quickly.”
“Mother, buying dresses here in the future would be….”
“Let's go quickly!”
The Countess, who rarely raised her voice at Amanda, shouted and dragged her daughter out.
As they disappeared, the store became quiet.
“I apologize for the inconvenience. I will guide you both to the reception room. I will quickly prepare refreshments.”
Idre guided the two to the reception room inside the shop and quickly retreated with her assistant.
Marin glanced at the sofa and whispered to the Duke.
“Just go straight.”
“Is this going to continue in the future?”
“What?”
“Lovers falling in love.”
“Ah…….”
“Let's start.”
As soon as the Duke said that, he raised his arm, and Marin awkwardly linked her arm with his.
“That way, I won't have to tell you the direction.”
“Yes, that's right.”
Marin walked slowly, guiding the Duke, and observed his handsome profile.
Wasn't he sensitive to being touched by others?
Strangely, the Duke didn't seem uncomfortable.
“The sofa is right in front of you.”
As the Duke sat on the sofa, Marin also sat down, keeping a reasonable distance.
“Marin. You have a talent for making me say the same thing again.”
“Yes, yes.”
Marin answered as if she was complaining without realizing it, and then realized her mistake.
She felt like she had crossed the line.
As she sat a little closer to the Duke and looked at him, she saw the corners of his lips slightly raised.
“Since when have you been watching me?”
“I always have.”
“That can't be.”
The Duke said in a surprised tone.
Marin felt very wronged.
“It's true.”
“Well, let's just say that.”
“It's true!”
He chuckled and turned his head towards her.
Marin's eyes widened. His eyes were closed, but she had the illusion that they were meeting.
“I don't think you're watching me even now.”
She admitted this part.
Marin had nothing to say, so she pressed her lips tightly.
It was then.
“Sorry for the wait.”
Idre came in carrying a pile of catalogs. Following behind her, Jury looked at the Duke and trembled as she placed the refreshments on the table.
“So, when did you set the date for the engagement ceremony? Next fall? Hoho. Is that too early?”
“We're not having a separate engagement ceremony, just a party to celebrate the engagement.”
Marin consciously avoided Idre's eyes as she lightly gripped her teacup.
“Oh my! Is that so? Then when?”
“…….”
Marin couldn't bring herself to speak, so she held up her teacup and covered her lips.
As her silence grew longer, Idre's blue eyes trembled anxiously.
“One month later.”
The Duke spoke briefly instead of Marin and picked up his teacup.
Idre covered her lips in surprise and screamed inwardly.
She gestured to Marin with her eyes, urging her to confirm if this was true.
Marin, who met her eyes, nodded slightly with an apologetic face.
“Then you have to choose a dress no matter what, even if you stay up all night here today. Otherwise, I can't work.”
“I'll just leave it to the designer.”
Marin was already tired and wanted to entrust everything to Idre.
“What are you talking about! The main character of the party is Miss Marin! It has to be a design that Miss Marin is satisfied with!”
Idre opened her eyes wide and flared up.
“That's what she says.”
The Duke leaned back leisurely on the sofa as if watching a fire across the river.
“Duke, are you planning to be with Miss Marin as well?”
Idre turned around and looked at the Duke with polite eyes.
Choosing a dress was a very boring task. However, men in love often patiently stayed with their partners for their sake.
“I will.”
Idre exclaimed inwardly. The Duke had fallen in love.
