Chapter 20

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Engaged to the Blind Duke
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Marin was just about to enter the annex when she heard voices coming from behind the building.

“Yuria, what do you think of that commoner? Acting all high and mighty?”

“She’ll do it. A commoner who’s managed to snag a spot in the annex.”

“Right? She’s definitely a courtesan.”

“No. Lady Marin is helping His Grace the Duke.”

Yuria hurriedly defended Marin as if it were her own affair.

“Calling her ‘Lady’ when you’re both commoners?”

“That woman’s having you call her ‘Lady’? Hilarious.”

Marin resumed her halted steps. Gossip from underlings wasn’t worth much to her.

She’d be leaving this place soon anyway. There was no need to cater to their whims or win them over.

“Then her mother must be a courtesan too? That haughty look—she really thought she was nobility.”

Marin tightened her grip on the picture book in her hand.

They could badmouth and misunderstand her all they wanted. But dragging her mother into it was off-limits.

“No! Don’t talk about Lady Roanna like that.”

Yuria shouted in an angry voice.

“You orphan bitch, raising your voice at us? Want to go through proper discipline training again?”

As Marin rounded the corner of the building, she saw a maid raising her hand toward Yuria.

Without a second thought, Marin hurled the hardcover picture book at the maid’s back.

The hard corner of the picture book struck the maid’s spine precisely.

“Aaack!”

“Where do you think you’re putting your hand?”

“Lady Marin?”

“Yuria, come over here.”

The moment Yuria took a step toward Marin, the maid with narrow, slanted eyes grabbed Yuria’s red hair.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Let go of her.”

Marin suppressed her anger and glared fiercely at the maid.

“Funny. Why should I listen to you?”

“It’s not an order. Consider it a request.”

“A request? That’s not how you make a request. Get on your knees or something?”

Marin’s last thread of patience snapped.

“You’re too rude and ignorant to deal with.”

“Ha, a courtesan acting like she’s nobility. Think you’re something special just because you have His Grace the Duke’s favor?”

The maid gripping Yuria’s hair spoke with a smug expression.

From the looks of it, she was the ringleader of this group.

Marin rolled up her sleeves and quickly closed in on the maid.

As she approached, the flustered maid released Yuria’s hair.

Marin didn’t miss the moment, swiftly pulling Yuria behind her.

The maid, who’d lost Yuria in an instant, raised her voice in exasperation.

“Girls, it’s lesson time.”

At her words, the plump maid and the one who’d been hit by the picture book came huffing over, surrounding Yuria and Marin.

“L-Lady Marin.”

***

“Stand behind me, Yuria. I’ll protect you.”

Marin clenched her fists, standing firmly in front of Yuria.

***

Gerald had been wracked with anguish for days, swept up in an emotion he’d never felt before in his life.

“Why aren’t you sleeping and keep getting up?”

“It’s irritating.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s been too long, so it’s irritating. Feels like if I fall asleep once, I won’t wake up.”

The irritation he’d confessed to Temporary was actually rooted in fear.

He was the man who could fell a monster three times his size in one stroke.

Who could have imagined that he, who knew no fear, would develop such an emotion?

He hadn’t even realized it himself, so he’d unconsciously let it slip to her.

But he shouldn’t have told Temporary.

“Coward. Hmph.”

She was outright mocking him.

“Brave, aren’t you?”

Gerald smirked unwittingly, genuinely impressed.

What gave Temporary the confidence to be so bold?

To deceive and mock the Western Duke, no less.

“Got multiple lives, do you?”

Just then, the faint sounds of a commotion outside drifted into his ears.

A fight between women...

Gerald had a strange premonition.

“Kay.”

“......”

Kay appeared swiftly and bowed before him.

“Tell Olive to bring Temporary here.”

“......”

Kay vanished without a word, his footsteps quickening as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

With Kay gone, the study fell silent once more.

***

Yuria bit her lip at the sight of the smaller, slimmer Marin trying to protect her.

She didn’t want to cause trouble for Butler Sebas, who had introduced her to the job. That’s why she’d endured the harassment called “discipline training.”

But now she was about to cause trouble for Marin, whom the butler had earnestly asked her to serve well.

“Thank you, Lady Marin. I’ll handle things here, so please run.”

“Run? Why run? They need some discipline too.”

The ringleader maid glared at Marin and yelled.

“Discipline? Don’t tarnish that sacred word with this nonsense.”

Marin snorted and shot back at the ringleader maid.

“You’ll need to taste real spice to come to your senses! Girls, get her!”

The maids surrounding Marin and Yuria swung their arms wildly. Marin fought back just as fiercely, shoving and striking whatever she could grab.

In an instant, five women were tangled up, screams and punches flying everywhere.

***

Marin deliberately screamed louder than necessary, loud enough for anyone to hear.

“Kyaa! Let go of my hair?!”

Her hair was a mess, grabbed by the ringleader maid.

“If you’re gonna let go, why grab it in the first place!”

The ringleader yanked Marin’s hair even harder.

“Help! Kyaa! Kyaa!”

Despite her deliberate shrieks, no one showed up.

“What’s all this racket!”

She’d finally come!

A stern-looking middle-aged woman burst in, followed by Butler Sebas, who looked shocked as he stared at Marin.

“Miss Marin!”

Marin, buried under the maids, barely lifted her head at the butler’s booming voice.

“Hello...”

She’d screamed loudly on purpose for someone to hear, but seeing a familiar face made her cheeks burn.

“Goodness, get up.”

Sebas Chen lifted the maids off her effortlessly and tossed them aside.

“Eek.”

“Kyaa!”

“Aaack!”

The maids crashed brutally to the ground, screaming.

Sebas hurriedly helped Marin and Yuria to their feet.

“Yuria, what is the meaning of this?”

“I’m sorry.”

Yuria mumbled, her face full of shame, on the verge of tears.

“No apologies. How did this happen?”

Under the butler’s stern gaze, Yuria stammeringly explained.

“The maids called Lady Marin and Lady Roanna courtesans...”

Sebas Chen’s and Page Head Maid’s faces hardened instantly.

This was a major incident.

“Butler, since the maids caused the disturbance, may I handle it?”

Page Head Maid stepped forward quickly and addressed the butler.

“Normally, yes, but Miss Marin is neither a maid nor a courtesan. This won’t be brushed off easily.”

“Yes. I know. I’m sorry, Miss Marin.”

Page Head Maid approached Marin and bowed deeply.

A head maid who rarely bowed to anyone but the duke.

The maids trembled in fear at the sight.

“I can’t say it’s okay.”

At Marin’s firm response, Page Head Maid lifted her head and met her eyes calmly.

“What would you like me to do?”

“Those maids insulted not just me, but my mother too. I can’t forgive that.”

Page Head Maid gave a cold glance at the huddled maids in the corner before speaking.

“Name your desire. Anything.”

“May I decide their punishment instead of you, Head Maid?”