72 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Blinded Duke and Engaged 72
* * *
Peridot didn't wake up even as the morning sunlight streamed through the window.
Instead, Garnet stretched like a cat, nearly rolling off the sofa, and was startled.
"Why am I here?"
"Did you sleep well?"
"Don't tell me I fell asleep on the sofa?"
"Yeah. You slept soundly without waking up once, though?"
"I can't usually sleep unless it's in a bed..."
Garnet stared at the sofa as if amazed.
That shouldn't be the problem.
Dia chuckled inwardly.
"Ah, I feel hungry after sleeping so well for the first time in a while."
Hearing Garnet's words, Dia also felt hungry for the first time in a long time. It seemed to be the effect of getting a good night's sleep.
Just then, Rubiana, who had gently opened the door, peeked her head in.
"Sisters, are you awake?"
"Ruby. Come in."
"How's Peridot?"
Rubiana, who came into the room, asked about Peridot's well-being first.
"Peridot is still sleeping."
Dia delivered the news in a quiet voice.
"What? Oops. Peridot is still sleeping?"
Garnet, who had raised her voice in surprise, whispered quietly. She approached the bed on tiptoe and looked down at Peridot as if she were proud.
"Yeah. She keeps sleeping as if she's catching up on all the sleep she's missed."
Dia looked at the still-sleeping Peridot with pity.
"Sisters, it's magic!"
Rubiana glanced at the sleeping Peridot and spoke to Dia and Garnet with sparkling eyes.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Ruby."
Garnet asked with a dumbfounded expression, tidying her disheveled blonde hair from sleeping.
"I saw everything."
Rubiana puffed out her chest and said confidently.
"Saw what?"
"You and Peridot falling asleep."
"You know how tired your sisters were from putting Peridot to sleep."
Garnet replied nonchalantly.
"No! Marin put everyone to sleep. Like magic!"
Garnet laughed quietly as if to say, don't talk nonsense.
"Ruby. It's good to read books, but can you please distinguish between the world in books and the world you live in? Sister, shouldn't we tell Ruby to stop reading books now? The kid can't even tell the difference..."
Garnet, who turned her head, stopped speaking at the sight of Dia's expression, who was listening carefully to Rubiana's words.
Why does she have such a serious face?
"Ruby, what did you see?"
Dia's eyes trembled slightly.
"Yesterday, when I came into this room, you and Peridot were all asleep. Marin was putting blankets on you."
At Rubiana's words, Garnet looked down at the blanket lying at her feet with a blank face.
"Didn't you put this on me, sister?"
Dia slowly shook her head.
"Then is that true? That woman put us all to sleep? How on earth?"
"Garnet, be quiet."
Garnet, who was startled and raised her voice, hurriedly covered her mouth.
Rubiana, who was listening from the side, said with a proud face.
"I told you, it's magic."
At that moment, there was a knock. Rubiana, who was near the door, opened it.
"Oh, Marin."
"Hello, Ruby."
Marin greeted Rubiana.
"Did everyone sleep well?"
Then, as she greeted everyone brightly, Dia and Garnet stared at her blankly with bewildered eyes.
Dia, who soon came to her senses, greeted her back.
"Yes. Did you sleep well?"
"Hmph."
Garnet snorted and stepped aside. She was like a cat with strong wariness.
Marin smiled secretly at Garnet and glanced into the room.
"It looks like Peridot is still sleeping?"
"Yes."
"Isn't everyone hungry?"
"Yes! I'm hungry."
Rubiana raised her hand enthusiastically and said.
At that cute sight, Marin patted Rubiana's head lightly.
"We need to eat quickly. Right?"
Marin raised her head and looked at Dia.
"You get hungry after sleeping well. So, I prepared the meal a little early. Yuria."
"Yes."
Yuria, who was standing behind her, pulled a trolley full of food into the room.
Marin also followed her.
Looking at the bed, Peridot was lying quietly and sleeping very well.
Yuria, who went to the empty table, took out a variety of foods that were unusual for breakfast.
Freshly baked bread, sweet onion soup, sandwiches with thick slices of savory eggs and chicken, tomato, basil, and cheese salad, thin pancakes topped with honey-glazed bananas, fresh fruits and yogurt, orange juice, and milk.
Rubiana, who quickly sat down, called her sisters.
"Sisters, let's eat quickly."
"Hmph, I'm not going to e-"
Growl.
Before Garnet could finish speaking, a loud sound came from her stomach. Garnet's face turned red.
Marin pretended not to hear and greeted the sisters with a smile.
"Enjoy your meal."
As Marin was about to turn around, Dia's voice was heard from behind.
"Um, thank you for yesterday... and for preparing the meal early today."
"You're welcome."
"And..."
Marin waited silently for Dia to continue.
"Please take good care of Ruby and Peridot in the future, Marin."
Dia bowed politely.
"Yes!"
Marin responded with a bright smile and left the room with Yuria.
"Ah, I'm hungry."
As soon as Marin left, Garnet grabbed a sandwich and began to gobble it down without even sitting down.
"Garnet, sister!"
Rubiana called her as if she couldn't stop her.
"This is delicious. Western food is not bad. Dia, sister, eat quickly too. There are more bananas? The chef here is perceptive. Right?"
The food didn't suit her taste, but the chef put bananas on it, so she ate only that for a while.
Seeing Garnet eating deliciously for the first time in a while, Dia also burst into laughter.
"Ah, why are you laughing?"
Garnet mumbled with her mouth full of food.
"You have something on your lips."
"Oh my, where are your manners pointing that out to a lady?"
Garnet picked up a napkin and dabbed her lips.
"Where's the lady here? There's only a hungry kid."
"What?"
Rubiana smiled as she watched her sisters playfully talking to each other for the first time in a while.
I told you, it's real magic.
* * *
As Dia walked behind Olive, the aide, she felt the good mood she had until the morning gradually fading away.
The Duke is looking for me?
The words 'now of all times' rose to the tip of her throat, but she swallowed them bitterly.
Saying such words would make it seem like she wanted him to look for them.
Olive stood in front of a large door.
Is this the Duke's office?
"Come in."
The Duke's low voice was heard from beyond the office door.
Dia glanced at Olive, who was standing next to her. Olive smiled and gestured towards the door.
"Please go in."
"Just me?"
"His Grace the Duke has asked for only you to enter, miss."
Dia looked at him with a bewildered expression.
Did the short phrase 'come in' include such a meaning?
Olive smiled brightly and handed Dia a candlestick with a lit candle.
"Why this?"
"It will be very dark inside."
Olive opened the office door himself and stepped back.
Dia slowly took a step inside.
As Olive had said, the office was dark without a single light.
As she walked slowly with the candlestick, she saw a huge desk and the Duke beyond it.
The Duke looked dangerously like a predator resting lazily in the dark.
Dia silently placed the candlestick on the floor.
Even as she stared at the flickering candlelight for a long time, there was no word from the Duke.
Dia slowly raised her head and turned her gaze to the Duke, who was sitting silently.
"I heard you were looking for me."
He, who had volunteered to be our patron and held a lavish party on the first day of our arrival to ignore us, was finally calling for us.
"...For the Debutante, ask Olive for anything you need."
"Ha."
A sneer burst out of her mouth without her even realizing it.
The Duke didn't care about her rude attitude at all.
Well, caring about someone requires affection as a foundation. So, even if she acted as recklessly as Garnet, he wouldn't say anything.
"I don't want to. Or is that an order? But I am not His Grace the Duke's person, so there is no reason for me to receive that order."
