80 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
Engaged to the Blind Duke 80
Olive, who had been standing behind her, placed a black box on the desk.
Marin looked up from the report and stared at the black box with curious eyes.
The Duke raised his head towards her.
"Open it."
"Me?"
"You saved a mine that was about to be abandoned. So, open it."
"Yes."
Marin carefully opened the black box.
Inside the box were two gemstones, each about the size of a thumb, and cut into round shapes.
One had an opaque black base mixed with iridescent colors, and the other had a green base mixed with iridescent colors.
When she held the black gemstone up to the window and shone light through it, it was as beautiful as starlight of various colors twinkling in the night sky each time the angle changed.
"Wow, pretty."
Peridot, who saw the gemstone from behind, exclaimed.
"Indeed. It's pretty."
"I've never seen such a beautiful gemstone. A gemstone with so many colors mixed in. The nobles will go wild."
Olive admired quietly.
"Marin. Name the gemstone."
"I can name it?"
Her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected suggestion.
"It's a gemstone that has never been seen in the world before. You were the first to show interest in this mineral, so you name it."
"Opal. I'll call it Opal."
Marin grinned.
The female lead discovered this gemstone first in the novel and named it something else, but she knew its real name.
"Opal. I like it. Olive."
"Yes."
"Start mining. From now on, treat the boundaries of that place as the same level as the diamond mine."
"Yes."
When Marin put the Opal back in the box and placed it on the desk, the Duke raised his eyebrows.
"Why are you putting it here?"
"Because it's yours, Gerald."
"You discovered it, and you named the gemstone, so why is it mine?"
"Are you saying I can have this?"
Marin smiled with a face that said she had struck it rich, and picked up the box again.
"You're wasting time on something obvious."
"Yes, yes."
"Answer only once."
"Yes."
Olive, who had been watching the conversation between the two from behind, turned her head to suppress her laughter and made eye contact with Peridot.
Peridot was pouting with a dissatisfied expression.
"Marin is Uncle's fiancée. Ruby told me that engagements are for people who like each other. Why does Uncle talk to someone he likes like that?"
Good job, Peridot.
Marin quickly started fishing.
"How does Uncle talk?"
The child rested his chin on his tiny fingers and pondered before speaking slowly.
"Um, um... He talks meanly."
"Pfft."
Marin tried to hold back her laughter but burst out.
Peridot jumped off the long sofa and ran to the Duke's side.
"You have to talk nicely to people you like. Ah, pretty. Ah, kind. Like this. Uncle, you try it too."
"...Do I have to?"
"Ah, pretty. Ah, kind. Like this."
The child was brave and straightforward.
"...Ah. P.ret.ty."
The Duke awkwardly followed along when Peridot didn't seem like he would back down.
Everyone, there's a robot in this era.
Marin bit her lower lip and held back her laughter.
"Oh, no, with a pretty voice."
The true assistant of this era pointed out the Duke's tone with a cute voice.
"Peridot, do you like Cloud Candy?"
The Duke suddenly lifted a basket hidden under the desk onto the desk.
Marin stared at the Duke with a dumbfounded expression.
Wow, that's cheap. To tempt an excellent assistant with candy.
"Cloud Candy! I like it!"
Peridot shouted, raising both hands.
The Duke gave a faint smile as if he expected it.
When he opened the lid of the basket and took out a white Cloud Candy and held it out, Peridot received it with sparkling eyes.
"Wow! Uncle can pick clouds too. I thought only my mom could do that. Dad and my sisters said they couldn't do it either."
The adults' faces hardened at the child's innocent words.
"I miss Mom. Hehe."
Peridot tore off a piece of cloud and put it in his mouth, forcing a smile. Tears were mixed in with the child's laughter.
"Marin."
The Duke suddenly called her.
"Yes."
Marin was busy worrying about Peridot, so she answered casually.
"You're pretty. You're kind."
"Huh?"
Marin's eyes widened at his sudden praise.
"Peridot, how about this time?"
The Duke asked the child who was lost in sadness. The child held the Cloud Candy preciously and slowly shook his head.
"No. You have to do it with a prettier voice."
"Marin pretty. Marin kind. Is it okay this time?"
The Duke said the same words a little faster.
"Oh, no. A little slower."
The sad light gradually disappeared from the child's face as he focused on training the Duke.
It was a relief. The child was distracted by the Duke's sacrifice.
Marin willingly accepted the two people's praise attack that lasted for a long time with a satisfied face.
\ \ *
The Duke and Peridot seemed to be getting closer and closer.
Marin entrusted Peridot to the Duke - no, entrusted the Duke to the assistant Peridot, and headed to the smithy with Olive.
As she had seen in the novel, Garnet was enthusiastic about learning swordsmanship. Originally, she would learn from the butler much later, but it seemed like a good thing that she had deliberately moved it up a bit.
Now that she had started, she wanted to give Garnet a sword that was perfect for her.
After walking for a long time through the Duke's Castle forest, she saw a small house made of wood. Next to it was a large smithy.
"Surenne, are you inside?"
"Uh-huh, come in."
Finally, she would meet another supporting character in the novel.
She didn't have much contact with the female lead, but she liked the character of the female blacksmith, so she liked her.
When she opened the smithy door and entered, a wave of heat rushed in. Even though it was a cold winter, it was as hot as midsummer here.
Swords and axes were displayed on one side, and various instruments were piled up on the table, but she had no idea what they were used for.
Towards the back door of the smithy, a huge object was covered with a white cloth.
Do they make such big things in the smithy?
"Olive Oil. Did you have a good trip to the South?"
Surenne, wearing a sleeveless shirt that revealed her firm arm muscles, greeted her happily.
"It's Olive Lyon."
Olive corrected her with her usual gentle smile.
"Yeah, yeah, Olive Oil. You look like you had a good trip."
Ah, she's the type who doesn't listen to others well.
Marin nodded inwardly and looked at Surenne.
Marin's eyes met Surenne's curious gaze, and she was startled and quickly bowed her head.
"Hello."
"Hey. Hello. I'm Surenne."
Surenne raised one hand and greeted her cheerfully.
"Surenne. Please greet her politely. This is Marin Schwentz, the Duke's fiancée."
Olive, who was standing in the middle, introduced Marin.
"Oh! I finally meet you, Miss Marin."
"Nice to meet you."
"But what brings a lady to such a shabby place?"
"I'd like to request a sword that's good for women to use."
"Oh. A lot of people are ordering that these days."
"Who else did?"
When Olive asked with a curious face, she winked slightly and smiled.
"Secret."
Marin, who was standing behind her, witnessed Olive's earlobe turning slightly red.
Oh my. Oh my. Why? Why is it turning red?
Marin quickly turned her gaze and observed Surenne.
Surenne, who was scratching her ear as if it suddenly itched, looked at Olive with sharp eyes.
"Is someone talking about me? Olive Oil. You were talking about me in your head because I didn't tell you, right?"
"I wasn't."
Olive spat out the words like a sigh.
Marin, who watched the situation, shook her head with a pitiful face.
Tsk, tsk. It must be tough.
