Chapter 23

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Engaged to the Blind Duke
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Fortunately, once these things took root, they couldn't move. They merely tempted him with their petals but stayed rooted in place without budging an inch.

Gerald swiftly slashed at the flower stem. It repelled his sword without a single scratch, as if it were forged from steel.

When he channeled aura into his blade and struck again, a faint nick appeared on the stem.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

He hacked at the flower stem repeatedly with his sword, as if chopping wood with an axe. At last, with a sharp crack, the stem snapped.

The monster flower let out a gaping cry as if in pain, spewing an even thicker fragrance, before wilting limply.

These monster flowers were practically tethered to the ground, making them easy opponents. However, their tough hides that withstood even aura took a long time to deal with.

Gerald decided to target the center first, where it seemed they were guarding something. As he charged toward it, the monster flower heads all turned toward him in unison, as if trying to grab hold of him.

Gerald struck down the nearby petals with his sword while ignoring the distant monster flowers, pressing onward to the center.

Soon, he arrived at the center and spotted a monster flower slightly smaller than the others. Its petals shimmered in a rainbow of different colors.

It was the most dazzling one.

Gerald wrapped his sword in aura and cleaved the central monster flower in one stroke. Unlike the others, it collapsed immediately.

Was the central one their leader? The other monster flowers guarding it began to wither and die one by one.

As all the monster flowers fully withered and drooped their heads, only the central one, already fallen to the ground, retained its fresh colors.

What if it wasn't dead yet?

Gerald trampled over the shriveled monster flowers as he approached the central one.

At that moment, the central monster flower opened its maw toward his face, shot something out, and then crumbled into dust and vanished in an instant.

For a split second, it flashed like lightning right before his eyes, and he saw nothing.

To think the last thing he saw was a monster.

That was how he was blinded by the monster's colorless, odorless poison.

"Good night."

Gerald awoke from sleep at the sound of Temporary's voice.

It had been ages since he'd dreamed. Even if it was a nightmare of the memory that blinded him, just having a dream was a rarity.

The sound of her cautious footsteps gradually faded as she closed the door and left.

"Kay. How long was I asleep?"

"You slept for one hour, sir."

Kay replied in a voice as low as he could manage.

"Sleep... is a wonderful thing."

Just one hour of rest had invigorated his body and left him refreshed.

His senses were still wildly restless, but they felt a bit easier to control now.

He hadn't realized how good it was when he'd forgotten sleep and endured. Now that he'd tasted it, he didn't even want to think about not sleeping again.

"What should I do about Temporary..."

A strange and wondrous woman.

And... a dangerous woman.

She was someone who could draw out infinite power from him. She had the ability to free him from this pain—or trap him in it forever.

She had become an existence that was dangerous to him, yet one he absolutely could not let go.

* * *

Unlike usual, where she would head straight to Roanna's room upon returning to the annex, Marin went directly to her own.

Sitting at the vanity, she saw her disheveled state and made a horrified face.

"Oh my god. So that's what Olive meant."

Her hair was a mess, and there was a long scratch on her cheek.

***

To think she'd gone to meet the duke looking like this.

Thank goodness he couldn't see.

Knock knock.

She let out a small sigh when a knock sounded. Marin roughly tidied her hair and replied.

"Yes."

"Pardon the intrusion."

Yuria entered cautiously, pushing a tray.

"Lady Marin. Are you alright?"

Yuria scanned Marin up and down with worried eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. His Grace the Duke didn't scold me, so don't worry."

Marin grinned mischievously to reassure her.

"Phew. That's a real relief."

"And you, Yuria? Are you okay?"

Marin carefully examined Yuria's face, which still held the innocence of a girl. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

"Yes, I'm fine. I've been through this sort of thing many times, so I'm used to it."

Yuria spoke as if it were an everyday occurrence, which instead stabbed at Marin's heart.

This was the life of a commoner.

Moreover, Yuria was an orphan. Receiving help from anyone must have felt like a miracle.

Marin swallowed her surge of emotion and spoke even more brightly on purpose.

"Yuria, if anything like this happens again, come running to me! I'll fight alongside you again! Got it?"

Yuria beamed widely, as if to say she didn't want to burden Marin anymore, in lieu of a verbal reply.

Soon, she took something out from the trolley.

"The butler gave me this ointment."

"Wow, thank you."

As Marin reached for it, Yuria hesitated, clutching the ointment.

"May I apply it for you?"

"I can do it myself."

"I want to do it for you."

Seeing Yuria anxious about possible rejection, Marin gladly accepted.

"Then I'd love that."

Yuria carefully applied the ointment to the scratch on Marin's face and spoke up again.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For what you said earlier, and for fighting with me. You didn't have to."

"Honestly, I have a confession too."

"Yes, go ahead."

"At first, I was going to pretend not to notice. I'm just a temporary hire here, someone who could leave anytime. I didn't want to get involved in others' business. If they hadn't insulted my mother, I probably would've kept ignoring it. I'm sorry."

Marin bowed her head in apology.

Yuria smiled softly at her honest confession and sincere apology.

She and Roanna were both commoners, but their mannerisms and speech were different from typical commoners.

So she'd wondered if they might be fallen nobles. She'd only guessed to herself.

Marin said she would've ignored it without Roanna, but she'd fought alongside her, rolling in the dirt. And now she was being this frank.

"Please don't apologize to me. I'm just grateful to you, Lady Marin."

"I'm grateful to you too. We're comrades who beat a common enemy."

Marin and Yuria met each other's eyes and burst out laughing.

"And Lady Marin, please speak casually to me."

"Well..."

Marin trailed off with a troubled expression.

"You're older than me."

"That's true."

***

"Please. I beg you."

At Yuria's plea, Marin reluctantly agreed.

"Alright. I will."

Marin nodded with a gentle smile.

"Thank you. Let me brush your hair too. Roanna would be shocked if you went like this."

"Thanks."

"Hehe."

Yuria smiled shyly.

Marin was a good superior. As her subordinate, serving someone like this was great fortune.

Yuria resolved to do anything for Marin from now on.

When she undid Marin's hair, long platinum locks cascaded like a waterfall down to her waist.

"Wow, it's so pretty. Why do you keep it up?"

Yuria marveled at the beautiful color, a blend of pale gold and silver that shimmered softly.

"It's a nuisance."

Marin sheepishly stroked her hair, revealing the dangling sleeves of her dress.

"Lady Marin. May I mend your dress for you?"

"You can do mending too?"

"Everyone says I have skilled hands."

"Really? I'd be so grateful."

"Yes!"

Yuria beamed happily, thrilled at the chance to do something useful for Marin.