5 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Blind Peacock and Engaged Episode 5
"M, Monster."”
“…….”
The Duke was silent, as if telling her to say more.
“I know that Tunnel Monsters like minerals that shine like jewels. The frequent appearance of Tunnel Monsters made me think that there might be other jewels besides silver. That’s why I thought it was a waste.”
Tunnel Monsters looked like rats, but were the size of large dogs. They loved shiny things and sometimes raided private homes to steal them.
Marin finished speaking and lowered her head powerlessly. She had squeezed her brain as much as possible to speak, but she wasn't sure if it would please the Duke.
“When did this report come up?”
The Duke turned his head towards Olive.
“Three months ago.”
“Didn’t you say it was an urgent report?”
“There were more urgent matters than that, so it was postponed.”
Olive lowered her head like a guilty person.
“Postpone the abandoned mine and send the knights down to investigate further.”
“Yes. I understand.”
After speaking, the Duke took a step towards her.
Marin, who was very frightened, tried to step back as the Duke approached, but her feet got tangled and she staggered.
Ugh, I’m going to fall.
Just before she fell backward, the Duke grabbed her wrist and straightened her up.
“……Twig?”
Marin blinked in surprise at the situation where the back of her head was about to be smashed, and tried to pretend she didn't hear his muttering.
Surely he wasn't talking to a person.
But wasn't this Duke supposed to be blind? How on earth is he acting so fast?
Marin calmed her surprised heart and bowed to the Duke.
“Thank you.”
“What’s your name?”
“M, Marin.”
“Is she a commoner?”
“Yes……”
Marin whispered in a trembling voice, mumbling. As she tried to lie, her calmed heart started pounding again.
The Duke tilted his ear towards her as if he were listening to something.
Marin was restless, wondering if she should say something more.
But when is he going to let go of my wrist?
“A commoner who can read and has the ability to analyze reports?”
Marin's eyes widened as much as possible. Her heart dropped to the floor with a thud.
Why does a random excuse become the ability to analyze reports? Why?
“Are you a spy?”
“Huh?”
Her heart, which had fallen to the floor, reattached to her body and thumped like a fish out of water.
“Are you admitting it now?”
“Ah, no. No. Absolutely not. You don’t have to hire me. I was short-sighted. Then, I’ll be on my way.”
Marin turned around to go outside, but her body didn't budge. She had forgotten that her wrist was still caught in his hand.
“Olive.”
“Yes.”
“Write an employment contract.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Olive smiled brightly and answered quickly.
“Make it temporary.”
“Temporary……. Yes, I understand.”
Olive's face, which had quickly turned gloomy, was clearly revealed.
“Thank you.”
On the other hand, Marin bowed to the Duke with a moved face.
Temporary or whatever, anything was fine as long as she could make money.
“Feed her.”
“Yes?”
“Yes?”
Olive and she simultaneously questioned the Duke's sudden order.
“She looks like a twig.”
The Duke lifted her wrist once and then let it go, driving a wedge.
Ah, I didn't mishear it earlier. It's not that bad.
Marin pouted her lips and wrapped her hands around her wrist.
She was very grateful that he helped her from falling, but that grateful feeling was disappearing like smoke in an instant.
“Yes. I will follow your orders.”
For some reason, Olive was smiling again.
The Duke turned his back as if he didn't want to deal with her anymore and headed to his desk in the office.
“Let’s go out.”
“Yes.”
“Your Grace, the Duke. I will be on my way.”
“Um……. Thank you again.”
Marin hesitated slightly, then hurriedly bowed and left the office.
As they left, the office became quiet again.
The sound of two people's footsteps could be heard in the hallway.
Olive's footsteps, with her left foot slightly heavier.
The woman's footsteps, as light as a feather.
When he held the woman's wrist, he could understand why her footsteps were so light and weightless.
He said she was like a twig, but she might be even thinner than that.
A mysterious woman.
The report that the woman read was like the sound of nature and didn't grate on his ears at all. It was the first time since he went blind that the contents of the report came to him so easily.
He didn't know how long it had been since he had listened to a report and started thinking.
He understood why Olive was so desperate to have him meet that woman.
Since he went blind, his senses other than sight had become extremely sensitive.
Especially his hearing. All sounds were heard as noise, and his headache never left.
The Vains Ducal Family, which protects the western region, had a secret of bloodline that was passed down only to the eldest son of the direct line.
They were much larger than ordinary people, and their five senses were developed.
Sight could distinguish the eye color of a flying bird.
Hearing could distinguish all sounds within 50 meters.
Taste could distinguish everything once tasted. Especially poison.
Smell could distinguish any smell.
Touch was extremely sensitive to even the slightest contact.
And Gerald von Vains. He was among the most outstanding in terms of senses among the direct descendants who had been passed down for generations.
It was okay when all five senses were evenly developed.
He controlled himself, sometimes suppressing his senses, sometimes expressing them more strongly. He used those excellent senses to win every battle against the Monster and protect the western region.
The Ducal Family Vains protects.
That unbreakable formula was praised even more in his generation.
But nothing lasts forever.
Everything was twisted since he lost his sight in a Monster attack a year ago.
As if to make up for his lost sight, his four senses were expressed even more strongly.
It was the beginning of pain.
Due to the extremely sensitive other senses, he suffered from severe headaches from time to time.
Especially his hearing, even the sound of a bug crawling hit his head like thunder.
As all his senses ran wild, his mind became exhausted.
The pain caused by the other senses drove him crazier than the pain of not being able to see.
But today, for the first time, a voice created by another person did not bother his ears.
Even if she was a real spy, he had to keep her by his side.
He could feel how afraid she was of him just by the sound of her heartbeat. And that she was lying.
“Kay.”
As Gerald whispered, a black shadow landed softly in front of him.
“…….”
Shadow Kay, completely covered in black clothes, silently waited for his lord's command.
“Investigate.”
“…….”
The shadow disappeared silently as it had appeared.
Gerald leaned deeply into his chair and concentrated again to suppress his four senses.
\ \ \
Marin returned to the drawing room with Olive with a dazed face.
She got a job at the Ducal Family. Her lie was successful.
Marin sat on the sofa with a dumbfounded face, unable to believe it.
Olive handed her a heavy book.
“What is this?”
It was the book she had put down on the floor before entering the Duke's office. She had forgotten about it because she was out of her mind, but it seemed that Olive had taken care of it.
“It seems that Marin likes this book.”
“But this is not my book.”
“Monster-related books should not be left in this castle. It's a book that will be thrown away anyway……”
“Ah, then please throw it away to me.”
Marin quickly took the book.
Yes! How much is this worth?
“Okay. Then I have something to prepare. Please wait a moment.”
“Yes.”
As Olive left the drawing room, the tension in her body was released. She leaned back on the sofa and relaxed her back.
Only then did the title of the book on her lap catch her eye.
[Where Did Monsters Come From?]**
It was quite an interesting book for her, who knew the setting of this world. She picked up the book and looked around, but the author was unknown.
Why was this book in the drawing room for servants only?
Such thick hardcover books could be sold for a very high price on the market. Maybe a servant was trying to throw away the book but hid it because they felt it was a waste.
A book that someone had hidden became a lucky book for her.
A story that everyone in the western region knew, but didn't dare to talk about.
She brought up the Duke's accident.
If she hadn't read this book, she might have been dragged out by the knights.
Her shoulders trembled at the dizzying thought.
“Are you cold? Should I bring you a blanket?”
Olive, who had returned before she knew it, asked kindly.
“No.”
Marin waved her hands and straightened her back again.
Olive, who was sitting across from her, smiled with her eyes.
“Read this once. It's a temporary employment contract. There is a standard contract for the Ducal Family, but I only changed the period to temporary. And Marin is in a special position, so I raised the salary a bit.”
Olive handed over the contract.
Marin quickly scanned the salary part with her eyes.
1 gold per week.
Oh my god.
1 gold was the amount that a family of four could live on for a month.
