81 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Blind Duke and I are engaged - Episode 81
“So, who is going to use it?”
Marin glanced at Olive. The quick-witted Olive gave a slight bow.
“I’ll wait outside.”
“Yes.”
As Olive went outside, leaving the two of them alone, Surenne’s violet eyes gleamed.
“Marin, please stand there for a moment.”
She brought a long measuring tape and measured Marin’s body here and there.
“The Sword I’m ordering isn’t for me.”
Marin said, lifting her arm so Surenne could measure comfortably.
“Yeah, I know.”
Surenne said she knew, but didn’t stop measuring.
Marin wondered if she should bring Garnet.
“Is it better for the person to come when making a Sword?”
“It’s best if the person comes, but then how would you give a Sword as a gift…? Sorry, sorry. I’m not good with honorifics.”
“I understand. Surenne is from the Sanders Empire, after all.”
In the Sanders Empire, the distinction between nobles and commoners wasn’t significant. To be treated well there, you had to be rich or powerful.
Nobles bowed before wealthy commoners and couldn’t treat powerful commoners carelessly. So, a commoner speaking informally to a noble wasn’t a big deal.
Surenne’s eyes sharpened momentarily.
“Huh? That’s top secret. Who told you?”
Oops. She knew too much. She couldn’t say she knew from the novel.
"I could tell from your tone of voice." I’m sorry.”
As Marin sincerely apologized, Surenne burst into a hearty laugh as if it was okay.
“No, no. It’s not your fault. It’s just how I talk.”
Marin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
“You can speak comfortably to me.”
“Oh, then shall we be friends? Then you can speak comfortably to me, and I can speak comfortably to you.”
“…Friends?”
Marin’s heart fluttered at Surenne’s unexpected suggestion.
“Ah, am I not good enough to be a friend?”
Surenne scratched the back of her lavender hair with an awkward expression.
“No! Let’s be friends! I don’t have any friends, so I really want to be friends!”
Marin shouted hastily. After saying it, she felt a little embarrassed because she had been too honest.
Surenne’s eyes widened, and then she laughed loudly.
“What? I thought you’d be a snobby noble lady because you’re the Duke’s fiancée, but you’re so honest. I like it. Let’s be friends.”
“I like it too, Surenne.”
As Marin shyly held out her hand, Surenne grabbed Marin’s hand with her large hand.
“Oh my, so soft. Marin.”
Surenne turned Marin’s hand over and stroked it. Surenne’s hand was rough but warm.
"We’re friends, so why are you calling me miss?"”
“It’s boring just to call you by your name? There are many people I call Olive oil, handsome alchemist, muscular butler, and so on.”
“Then what about Gerald?”
Marin asked with a curious voice.
“Duke.”
Surenne replied in a firm voice.
“That’s a bit boring, isn’t it?”
“I have to respect the person who gives me money.”
“You have a point.”
As Marin nodded with a serious face, Surenne patted her back without hurting her and laughed.
“You get me. Do you drink a little, Marin?”
“Maybe? I’ve never drunk much.”
“Then let’s have a drink sometime soon.”
“Okay!”
As expected, nothing brings people closer than alcohol.
“So, whose Sword is it for?”
“Ah, it’s for Gerald’s nephew, he’s about this tall, and his arm length is about this long. He can’t lift a heavy Sword yet.”
“Good, good. That’s enough information.”
“And can you put this jewel in the Sword hilt?”
Marin held out the Opal jewel with a green background, one of the two jewels she had received from the Duke.
“Wow, what is this jewel? It’s so pretty, I’ve never seen it before.”
“Opal. It’s a jewel that will soon shake the empire.”
As Marin spoke confidently, Surenne patted her back again.
"Hehehe." Look at my friend’s way of talking. Awesome.”
“Thank you.”
She felt a little embarrassed to be called awesome by a handsome beauty. And her back stung.
Even if she was controlling her strength, she should refrain from being hit multiple times.
\ \ *
Dia sat on the bed, staring blankly out the window. The day was bright and clear.
Below, she could see the luggage that she hadn’t unpacked yet. Inside the luggage were items that her mother and father had cherished, and a dress that her mother had prepared for her Debutante.
When she closed her eyes, she kept thinking about the Duke’s words comforting Peridot.
“Your mother told me in a letter that she would protect you for the rest of her life when she gave birth to you. And she kept that promise. So, don’t hate your mother, hate me. You can hate me anytime.”
She knew that her mother often sent letters to the Duke. But she had never received a reply.
Was that written in the letter?
That she would protect us for the rest of her life.
Sadness welled up from the bottom of her heart.
Why did the Duke do that? Did he really ignore her parents and them?
Dia felt suffocated and got up from her seat.
As she left the detached palace to take a walk alone, she saw a middle-aged noblewoman sitting on a nearby bench.
It was Marin’s mother.
Dia approached and greeted her politely.
“Hello, Baroness Schwentz.”
The middle-aged noblewoman, who had raised her head, smiled with a welcoming expression.
“Oh my, nice to meet you. Miss Dia Adria.”
“Do you know me?”
“I’ve heard a lot from Ruby.”
“Me too.”
A smile spread across Dia’s face. As expected, Rubiana had good social skills.
“Miss, would you keep me company for a moment?”
“Yes.”
As Dia was about to sit next to her, a red-haired maid standing next to the Baroness quickly approached and spread a blanket on the bench.
“Thank you.”
Dia spoke politely to the red-haired maid, whom she had seen often.
“You’re welcome.”
“Yuria. Could you bring us two cups of warm cocoa since it’s chilly?”
“Yes, Madam.”
As Yuria went inside the detached palace, Dia quietly gazed at the Baroness. She felt like she had sent the maid away on purpose.
“Miss, would you listen to my story?”
“Yes, Madam.”
“A few years ago, my daughter was on her way to the capital with my husband and eldest son to attend her Debutante.”
Dia couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with the Baroness and lowered her head.
She knew that she was avoiding her Debutante.
Rubiana must have told her everything.
“I was resting at home because I was weak. I was going to follow them as soon as I felt better. I woke up from a nap, and for some reason, my body felt so light that day. Ah, I can finally go to the capital with my family. So, I called a maid. I asked her to bring me a cool drink to wake me up. The maid who ran into my room handed me a cool drink with trembling hands.”
“Why?”
Dia, who had been drawn into the Baroness’s story, raised her head and asked.
“I was curious about that too, so I asked the maid why she was trembling so much while drinking the cool drink. That day, my husband and son passed away in a carriage accident. My daughter was seriously injured and couldn’t come to her senses. I still can’t forget the taste of that cool drink. It felt like I had swallowed hot fire.”
Dia was speechless and stared blankly at the Baroness’s face. She could feel deep sadness in her calm voice.
“Ah… I didn’t know.”
“My daughter still can’t ride a carriage.”
“……”
Dia was surprised and lost for words.
She thought of Marin. Always bright and kind, Marin was a noblewoman who seemed to know nothing of hardship. She couldn’t have imagined that she had such pain.
“After my husband and son passed away, our family fell apart. My daughter suffered a lot because I was incompetent.”
“Ah……”
A late realization stirred in her heart. She couldn’t believe it when Marin brought up the story of money back then.
“Miss, do you know why I’m telling you this story?”
“You heard that I don’t want to go to the Debutante, right?”
“Yes, from Ruby.”
“She’s my sister, but she’s too talkative.”
“Please don’t scold my cute friend who is worried about her sister. Please.”
At the Baroness’s kind words, Dia nodded.
“Not going to the Debutante is your choice, but as a parent, I hope you will go. It’s a burden on my heart. That my daughter couldn’t go to the Debutante.”
“……”
Dia raised her head and looked up at the sky. Two white clouds floated side by side in the blue sky.
“Would our parents want that from there too?”
The Baroness silently held her hand tightly.
Dia closed her eyes at the warm warmth.
