76 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
“Pe-, Peridot is gone. Peridot has disappeared.”
Dia’s pale blue lips spat out the words quickly.
“What…”
It hadn’t even been a few hours since she had seen Peridot’s face as he fell asleep listening to the fairy tale she had read him.
“What if someone kidnapped Peridot? What if someone does that again…”
Dia couldn’t finish her sentence and staggered weakly.
Marin quickly grabbed Dia’s shoulders and looked intensely into her empty eyes.
“Young Lady. That won’t happen. This is the Duke's Castle. First, go to Gerald and tell him the situation. I’ll go look for Peridot.”
Tears streamed down Dia’s large eyes.
“I’m sorry. Thank…”
“Just a moment.”
Marin interrupted Dia and hurried into the room. She grabbed a thick gown and draped it over Dia’s shoulders.
“It’s cold. Wear this. I’ll look for him quickly too.”
“Yes.”
After watching Dia hurry downstairs, Marin went back into the room.
She took off her pajamas and quickly put on the easiest dress to wear, and then put on a thick coat.
She went down to the second floor to check the atmosphere, and the hallway was quiet. It seemed Dia had deliberately not woken the other siblings.
Marin quickly opened the door to the annex and went outside.
A completely white world unfolded before her eyes. The white snow that had fallen overnight was reflected in the moonlight, sparkling dazzlingly.
Squeak, squeak.
Marin stepped on the snow and ran straight towards the garden where the Mandelesong was. She was worried because of the place she had gone with Peridot a few days ago.
In the pitch-black night, white breaths spread out like paint.
“Peridot, are you here? Peridot!”
She arrived at the garden and looked around, but the moon was hidden by the clouds, and it was dark all around.
Why now of all times.
Marin reached out and groped ahead.
“Peridot. Peridot.”
As she was doing that, the clouds that had been covering the moon cleared away, and a milky moonlight shone down.
When she lowered her head, she saw small footprints in the white snow.
Found him.
Fortunately, there were no adult footprints next to the child’s. The heart that had been tightened with tension loosened. It seemed the child had gone out alone.
Only then did her mind start working, and she remembered a presence she had forgotten.
“El. Are you here?”
When Marin spoke to the air, El suddenly appeared behind her.
“Yes.”
“Do the children also have someone like El?”
“The protection of the Shadows is only for the direct line.”
“I’m not a direct line.”
“The person who will become the Duke's wife is an exception.”
Doesn’t El know about the contract? But that’s not the important issue right now.
“Still, you always check on the children’s safety, right?”
“Yes. The young master is safe.”
“Haa, that’s a relief. Does Gerald know?”
“Yes. Kay will have reported it. Lady Dia will be coming this way with him.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
El bowed slightly and disappeared again.
Marin quickly followed the child’s footprints in the snow.
She walked while only looking at the small footprints, and soon she saw that the footprints had stopped. It was because there were many large trees around, and the snow hadn’t accumulated.
When she raised her head, she saw the spire that Peridot had pointed out a few days ago.
A wooden barrier surrounded the spire, as if telling everyone not to enter.
Marin looked around, hoping there might be a small dog hole.
Here it is.
The bottom of the wooden wall was rotting and cracked open. She saw pressed-down snow around that area. It seemed Peridot had gone in this way.
Marin curled up her body and went inside. It was fortunate to be small and thin at times like this.
After passing through the hole, she straightened her body and quickly looked around.
She saw that the door to the first floor of the spire was half open.
Marin passed through the old-looking spire door and went inside.
The inside of the spire was dark without any light. Her vision, which had become accustomed to the moonlight, couldn’t see anything, and she felt a sudden fear.
How did Peridot climb up here?
Marin touched the rough stone wall with her hands and climbed up. Fortunately, she gradually became accustomed to the darkness.
She carefully stepped on the stairs, feeling her way with her toes, and continued to go up.
Finally, when she reached the top, she saw another door that was tightly closed.
When Marin put strength into the door and opened it, the old hinges creaked.
Rustle.
She heard the sound of a small child hiding inside.
She went inside, and fortunately, moonlight streamed in through the window.
“Peridot?”
Marin called out softly so as not to frighten the child, and quickly looked around.
There was a bed, a closet, and a desk, as if someone had lived there. But the bed was small.
Could it be that a young child lived in a place like this? That couldn’t be.
Just imagining it made her heart ache, so Marin tried hard to deny it.
“Peridot, it’s Teacher Marin.”
The closet door was slightly open. It seemed Peridot was hiding in the closet.
Marin hesitated whether to open the closet door or not.
“Peridot, is it okay if Teacher opens this door?”
She couldn’t see Peridot’s face, so she couldn’t read the child’s lips.
“Open it.”
Marin gently opened the closet door so as not to frighten the child.
Peridot had his face buried in his knees and was curled up in a ball.
Marin lowered her body and looked at Peridot’s face.
“Peri… dot.”
Peridot hid his face and waved his hands wildly. The child, who used to love talking to her, was refusing to talk.
Why did he come here? How did he know there was a place like this?
At that moment, she heard hurried footsteps coming up the stairs.
The door burst open, and Dia, holding a candle, came in first. Behind her, Duke Vines was visible.
“Peridot! What are you doing here? Why are you here?”
Dia looked at Peridot with a distressed face, on the verge of tears. She was still wearing only the gown that Marin had given her. She must have been only thinking about finding her brother, even though she must be cold.
Peridot buried his face deeper in his knees.
“Peridot, come out. Come out and let’s go. Okay?”
Dia reached out her hand coaxingly, but Peridot didn’t move from inside the closet.
“Are you going to keep upsetting your sister? Peridot.”
Peridot didn’t budge, even though Dia spoke in a sad voice.
Then she looked at Marin with pleading eyes.
But Marin also didn’t know how to help, so she shook her head slightly.
At that moment.
“Peridot.”
Duke Vines’ lips opened for the first time.
Peridot’s head shot up at the Duke's voice. The child’s small face was stained with tears.
The child suddenly jumped out of the closet and ran to Duke Vines.
Marin and Dia were surprised and watched Peridot’s actions.
Peridot went up to Duke Vines and started hitting his legs wildly.
“Uuuuu.”
“Peridot!”
Dia, who had turned pale, tried to stop Peridot, but the child roughly pushed her away. And he continued to hit Duke Vines’ legs with his small fists.
“Uuuuuwaaaa- Why! Why did you come!”
“Peridot!”
Dia froze with her hand outstretched when Peridot suddenly spoke.
Marin was also surprised and widened her eyes. Peridot had finally made a sound.
However, Duke Vines stood there with a blank face.
Marin looked back and forth between Peridot and Duke Vines with anxious eyes.
Duke Vines, who was standing with his eyes closed, was taking the child’s punches like a statue.
“Why did you come here? My mom is supposed to come! Why did Duke Vines come! Why! Mom said she would come if I waited! I promised that Mom would come if I stayed here quietly without saying anything. Duke Vines came, so Mom won’t come! Why did you come? Why!”
Dia covered her mouth and cried at Peridot’s words.
Marin also covered her mouth.
The reason the child hadn’t been speaking was because he was afraid that his mom wouldn’t come if he spoke.
“Now that I spoke, Mom won’t come, right? I’ll never see Mom again…”
