74 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
“Hello, Lady.”
Loanna smiled gently as she looked at the adorable girl.
The girl, who was clutching a book in both hands, put the book down on the floor and quickly gave a noble-style greeting.
“Hello, Madam Schwentz. I’m Rubiana Adria.”
“Nice to meet you, Lady Adria. How did you know I was Madam Schwentz?”
“You look like Marin-sensei.”
“You say such nice things, Lady.”
Loanna praised her with a kind look.
“What are you doing here in the cold?”
Rubiana, seemingly pleased with the compliment, blushed slightly and asked.
“I felt stuffy being inside all the time. I don’t have the energy to take a walk, so I’m resting in front of here.”
“Ah, I disturbed your rest. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. More than that, do you like books?”
At her question, Rubiana hid the book behind her back with a pale face.
“No.”
“Ah, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m sorry.”
Rubiana shook her head listlessly, looking dejected like a wet puppy.
“No, it’s okay. You can laugh at me.”
“Why would I laugh at you, Lady?”
“For showing that I like books as a noble lady…”
“Lady, my daughter, when she was your age, would read books all night and oversleep every time. And she said she liked books more than making friends, so she refused invitations to tea parties from other ladies every time.”
“Marin-sensei?”
Rubiana’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes.”
“And you were okay with that?”
Rubiana asked earnestly, as if hoping it was okay.
“I was very worried at first, too. About my daughter liking books more than her peers. But do you know how well my daughter reads books?”
“Yes, I know!”
Rubiana nodded her head vigorously with clear eyes.
“When I listen to the stories my daughter reads, my worries disappear. And I want her to read more.”
Loanna lowered her voice and whispered as if it were a secret.
Rubiana’s excited eyes sparkled.
“That’s right. I like it when sensei reads to me too. I want to be a person who reads books well like sensei.”
“You can do it because you love books too, Lady. How about it? Would you like to read to me once?”
“Can I really read a book to you, Madam?”
Rubiana asked in a voice full of anticipation, as if she had encountered unexpected good fortune.
“Of course. I think I’d be very happy.”
“Yes!”
Rubiana took a seat next to Loanna and opened the fairy tale book.
Rubiana recalled how Marin had read to her and began to read the fairy tale in a soft voice.
Loanna listened attentively to the story of her newly made cute girl.
\ \ \
Marin gently knocked on Peridot’s door.
“Yes, come in.”
Hearing Garnet’s voice, she went inside, and Peridot ran up to her with a delighted expression and hugged her.
‘Sensei!’
“Peridot, did you eat well today?”
‘Yes. I ate two sandwiches today. I also ate a muffin.’
“Really? That’s amazing.”
At the sound of a snort from somewhere, she raised her head and saw Garnet staring at her with a dissatisfied look.
“Hello, Lady.”
“Hmph.”
Garnet, who had turned her head away, snorted again.
It was admirable how she stubbornly stayed with Peridot, unable to leave her alone, even though she disliked her.
How hard it must be to endure something you hate.
“Peridot, did you do the homework I gave you yesterday?”
‘Yes!’
Peridot quickly went to the desk and showed her the paper. Peridot, who used to only be able to write simple words, was now learning sentence structures.
“I live in Duke's Castle. Wow, you did so well.”
‘I want to go back home. How do you write that? I miss Mom and Dad so much. How do you write that?’
Peridot, who had been frustrated because she couldn’t speak, poured out her words without stopping when she realized that she could understand her.
“It would be good to learn that today.”
Marin smiled brightly and hid her pitiful gaze.
As she sat next to Peridot and wrote down the sentences Peridot said, the child read the sentences with her eyes and wrote them underneath.
Garnet approached stealthily with a haughty expression. She seemed curious about what Peridot was writing.
Garnet, who had read the letters Peridot had written carefully, frowned.
Why was she teaching these letters when the child was already missing her parents?
Garnet stared at Marin with a sharp gaze.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
“Okay. Peridot, keep copying. I’ll go talk to your sister.”
‘I don’t want to.’
“She says, ‘I don’t want to.’”
Marin conveyed Peridot’s words to Garnet as they were.
Peridot was glaring at Garnet with sharp eyes.
Garnet looked down at Peridot with an aggrieved expression.
“Why?”
‘Don’t bully Marin-sensei. I can only talk to sensei. What if you bully sensei and sensei doesn’t come anymore?’
Garnet stared at Peridot with a frustrated expression before letting out a deep sigh.
“What is she saying?”
“She says not to bully me. She’s worried that if you bully me, I won’t come here anymore.”
Marin conveyed Peridot’s worries as they were.
“No, Peridot. Even if your sister bullies sensei, she’ll come to see Peridot, so don’t worry.”
Marin stroked Peridot’s black hair and comforted her gently.
Garnet’s eyes widened at Marin’s words.
Why was the premise that she was bullying that teacher already set?
‘Really?’
Peridot looked up at Marin with anxious eyes.
“Of course, really. Shall we go? Lady.”
Garnet looked back and forth between Peridot and Marin with a bewildered expression before turning her head away.
“Hmph, never mind. Just continue what you were doing.”
“Really? Peridot, your sister says it’s okay. Shall we continue studying?”
‘Yes!’
Peridot smiled brightly.
\ \ \
Marin finished the letter study time and read a fairy tale book to Peridot. The child was engrossed in the story in the book with an interesting look.
Suddenly, her eyes went to the child’s white skin.
She was now sleeping and eating well, so her cheeks were plump, but she still didn’t look like a completely healthy child. It seemed that she sometimes went out for walks with her sisters, but the child should be playing outside.
“Peridot, shall we go outside?”
‘Why?’
“There’s a flower I like, and I want to show it to Peridot.”
She couldn’t say, ‘Because you need vitamin D.’
Peridot looked at Garnet, who was standing behind her, with a troubled expression.
Garnet nodded silently.
She, too, seemed concerned that Peridot was mostly staying inside.
‘Okay.’
“Okay. It’s getting cold outside now, so let’s dress warmly and go out.”
Marin stood up from her seat and wrapped a warm scarf around Peridot. Only her cute face popped out from the long scarf.
“Let’s go.”
Marin took Peridot’s hand and left the room, and Garnet followed behind.
They left the detached palace and walked outside for a long time until they arrived at the garden where the Mandelesong was blooming.
The Mandelesong didn’t seem to be affected by the weather, as it grew well even in barren land and even in winter.
‘Is it here?’
“Yes. It’s the flower that sensei likes the most these days.”
Marin pointed to the Mandelesong, a flower with small, yellow petals layered on top of each other.
