Chapter 45

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Engaged to the Blind Duke
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During the employment engagement period, she'd stick close to the duke to minimize risks while earning money.

“Kay.”

At Gerald's call, a man who covered everything but his eyes suddenly appeared from somewhere.

Marin jumped in surprise and stared at him with wide eyes. She had finally met Kay, one of the novel's supporting characters.

She knew he existed, but it hadn't occurred to her that he'd be summoned right in front of her.

“Attach Shadow El to Temporary.”

“Yes.”

Kay responded in a barely audible whisper before turning toward Marin.

Kay was his shadow, always ready to protect the duke.

The duke was strong enough not to need anyone's protection, but the Vines shadows had guarded the duke's direct line for generations, or so she'd heard.

“I'm Kay. From now on, if you call for El, Shadow El will appear anytime.”

“Yes.”

She bowed her head following Kay's polite greeting, and when she looked up, he had already vanished from sight.

Marin glanced around her face full of bewilderment.

Where on earth had he hidden? He had to be nearby somewhere.

As Marin kept looking around, the duke spoke up curtly.

“Stop gawking. Do you have anything else to say?”

Marin narrowed her eyes and gave him a suspicious look.

Does this guy really not see me?

She believed it only because she knew he was the male lead, but if it looked this obvious, no one else would buy that the duke was blind.

“So, when do we draw up the employment contract?”

“You're certain, then.”

The duke's lips curved up in satisfaction.

“Might as well do it right.”

“I'll have it ready by tomorrow, Temporary. No, fiancée.”

Marin stared at the duke with wide eyes.

What did he just call me? Fiancée?

It felt so foreign and awkward, hearing the title for the first time.

Even knowing it was just employment, her face flushed hot.

She had thought someone like her—a failed noble who hadn't even made her debut—would never have marriage or engagements.

Yet here she was with the title of fiancée, even if it was purely contractual.

Her chest fluttered strangely, uncomfortably, and Marin answered belatedly.

“……Yes.”

“From the moment we sign the contract, you'll have to act like you're head over heels in love.”

He warned her again, impassively.

“Yes. I'll do my best.”

“Take care of me.”

Marin widened her eyes at the duke's straightforward words.

A request from him? She'd thought it was just punishment for deceiving him, but it was a request?

Marin felt she could put a little more heart into this employment engagement now.

“Yes. Take care of me, too.”

 

* * *

 

***

Marin trudged back to the annex with slumped shoulders, sorting through her jumbled thoughts.

The novel's plot had changed.

She was a character who didn't even appear in the novel. That's why she'd tried so hard not to disrupt the story up until now.

Even after hearing about the duke's horrific pain, she hadn't spoken up about the ingredients for medicine to heal his eyes. At most, she'd made a poultice and placed it over them.

She'd been that cautious, yet she'd never imagined a situation like this would arise.

“Sigh. Is this really okay?”

Marin muttered to herself and clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. From now on, even mutterings had to be careful. Who knew where the shadow might be listening.

Marin glanced around and whispered softly.

“Um, El?”

“Yes.”

See? He appears just like that.

Marin looked at El, who had appeared before her, with a troubled expression. El had a slightly slimmer build than Kay and was dressed in black that covered everything but his deep blue eyes.

“Will you be following me everywhere from now on, El?”

“Yes. And I am currently Miss Marin's shadow. No one speaks formally to their own shadow. Please call me casually.”

El's voice was soft and melodic, a bit more so than Kay's. Was he a woman?

“Got it, El. Um, even if I go to bathe……”

“No need to worry. I'll handle it appropriately.”

She hoped “handle it appropriately” didn't mean he'd hide well.

Marin couldn't bring herself to probe deeper and infused her words with as much implication as possible.

“Please! Do your, best, to, stay, back.”

“Yes.”

El gave a slight bow in response and vanished in an instant. No matter how she looked, she couldn't spot where he'd hidden.

Marin shrugged and entered the annex.

She soon arrived at Roanna's door and let out a deep sigh.

Now it was time to lie to her mother. Since when had her life become nothing but lies?

She knocked, and Roanna answered right away.

“Yes.”

Marin opened the door and greeted her brightly.

“Mom, I'm back.”

“You're home early today.”

Roanna welcomed her with a gentle gaze.

Marin stood there, gazing at her mother's face as if savoring it. The deeply sunken, sickly pallor had regained its healthy color, returning to its former beauty.

It was thanks to the nutritious meals since moving to the duke's castle and Yuria making sure she took her medicine on time every day.

As Marin examined her mother's face closely, she felt confirmed that her choice had been right.

“Mom, I'm engaged to His Grace the Duke!”

“Ma, rin…….”

Roanna, sitting on the bed, covered her mouth in shock.

“Mom, are you okay?”

Marin hurried to Roanna's side as she reeled from the news.

“What do you mean? Engaged to His Grace the Duke?”

Roanna's green eyes shook at the unexpected revelation.

Marin sat beside her and gripped her mother's cold hand tightly.

“You're shocked, huh?”

Roanna, eyes wide, nodded slowly.

“Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness.”

Roanna could only repeat the same exclamation, at a loss for words.

“I didn't expect this either.”

Marin met Roanna's gaze and confessed her honest feelings.

“You know about our status, then?”

Roanna asked cautiously, her eyes filled with fear.

***

Marin picked up the glass of water from the bedside table and handed it to Roanna.

“Mom, drink some water first.”

“Y-yes.”

Roanna sipped the water bit by bit, trying to calm her startled heart.

Marin took a deep breath, steeling herself for the lies she was about to tell. To fool her mother, she had to stick as close to the truth as possible.

“Mom, to start with, yes, His Grace knows our true status. It seems he's known for a long time.”

The glass trembled slightly in Roanna's hand. Her green eyes filled with terror.

“But he still protected me. I lied, but I'm not a bad person with malicious intent.”

That much was true.

In her past life or this one, she'd never heard anyone call her bad.

“Of course. There's no child as kind as you.”

Roanna nodded as if it were obvious.

Seeing her mother calm a little, Marin relaxed and continued.

“I read reports to him well and did a pretty good job with his aide duties.”

This was another truth she could state confidently.

“Yes, yes. There's no child as diligent as you.”

Roanna stroked Marin's hand affectionately, her face full of pity for her daughter.

“He watched over me quietly like that, and then... it seems he fell for me.”

A lie.

Marin covered her face with her palm, pretending to be shy. To avoid getting caught, it was better to hide her expression altogether.