Chapter 6

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Engaged to the Blind Duke
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Marin blinked rapidly as she stared at Olive.

“Um, uh, here, this... it seems like it’s written wrong.”

Marin stammered in surprise, pointing at the spot marked with 1 gold.

*Please, please tell me it’s a mistake.*

“No. It’s not written wrong.”

“W-Was it something I said out loud?”

In her panic, she quickly covered her lips with her hand.

“Yes?”

Olive looked at her with a face that said he had no idea what she was talking about.

Marin flashed an awkward smile and brushed it off.

“It’s nothing. So, the wage is really 1 gold per week?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s because Miss Marin is in a special position.”

“A special position?”

“Yes. Those in special positions like Miss Marin in the duke’s house receive higher wages than others. We’ve set it to match the amount those people got when they were new hires.”

Olive’s face seemed to shine with kindness as he explained.

“Special position...”

Marin murmured quietly to herself.

A few characters from the novel flashed through her mind.

The spy infiltrating the eastern region, the duke’s Shadow Kay, the duke’s house blacksmith Suren, the Alchemist Zero.

“So, take your time reading it...”

“Can I sign right here?”

She cut Olive off mid-sentence and pointed to the signature line.

“Have you really read it all? It’d be best to check it carefully.”

Olive gently urged her with a worried expression.

“Yes, yes. I’ve read it all. I want to sign. Very, very much, I want to sign right now.”

She didn’t need Olive’s concern. The allure of 1 gold was too powerful.

“Alright. We’ve put ‘temporary’ for the term for now, but you’ll soon become a full-time employee. Do your best.”

Olive cheered her on brightly, as if encouraging her.

“Yes! I’ll do my best.”

She wasn’t fazed at all by the word ‘temporary,’ but she responded with an enthusiastic voice.

Truth be told, she hadn’t even dreamed of becoming a full-time employee. Her goal was to work only until just before the heroine appeared.

The duke would regain his sight after meeting the heroine.

Then, she would naturally no longer be needed to read reports by his side.

Moreover, who would want to linger around the protagonists?

She didn’t want to get caught up in their affairs and end up in the crossfire.

Her goal was a peaceful life with her mother. She had no interest in a perilous existence beside the protagonists.

Her gaze fixed on the 1 gold written on the contract. 1 gold per week meant 4 gold a month. It was a total honey of a job.

If she saved that money diligently, she could live without financial worries for a long time.

*Once Mother gets healthier, we’ll move to a smaller territory. I’ll tend a vegetable garden in front of the house and get a job at a general store.*

Imagining that happy future, Marin quickly signed.

* * *

Marin returned home, carefully carrying not only the books but also the picnic basket Olive had packed for her.

***

“Mom! I’m coming in.”

The excited Marin announced her entrance loudly instead of knocking on Roanna’s door, since her hands were full.

Roanna, sitting with her back against the headboard, was gazing out the window.

“Marin.”

She slowly turned her head, looked at her daughter, and gave a pale smile.

“I’m back, Mom. I’m sorry I couldn’t read to you.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Marin glanced at the nightstand. The clear soup hadn’t been touched and had gone cold.

Pretending not to notice the soup, Marin dramatically placed the picnic basket she carried on the nightstand.

“Mom, look at this.”

Marin opened the picnic basket with a proud expression.

Roast chicken still warm, sandwiches slathered with tangy strawberry jam, sandwiches stuffed with savory eggs and thick ham, banana muffins wafting a sweet aroma, and chocolate cookies.

She took out each food item and placed it on the bed.

At the sight of proper food after so long, Roanna didn’t look pleased—instead, her face turned pale with fear.

“W-What is all this?”

Marin placed a chocolate cookie dotted with large chunks of chocolate in Roanna’s small, thin palm.

Chocolate was a noble snack they hadn’t seen or eaten in years since their fortunes declined.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? You loved these a lot, Mom.”

Roanna stared at the chocolate cookie for a long time before giving a faint smile.

“You liked them more.”

“Did I? Hehe.”

Marin scratched the back of her head and grinned sheepishly.

“Marin.”

Roanna’s eyes, shifting from the cookie, were filled with a mix of sadness and worry.

“Where did all this come from? Not like last time...?”

“No, no. Don’t worry. I won’t have anything to do with those trash nobles ever again.”

She had briefly worked for her father’s friend’s family. After Roanna found out about the awful incident then, her illness had worsened. She had blamed herself, thinking she was a burden to her daughter because of her sickness.

“...”

Roanna waited silently for the rest of the explanation.

“Mom, don’t be too shocked and listen.”

“That just makes me more scared.”

Marin didn’t beat around the bush and came out with it.

“I got a job at the duke’s house. They gave me this to celebrate my hiring.”

“The duke’s house? You mean House Vines?”

“Yes.”

Marin nodded proudly.

*House Vines keeps its word.*

Anyone in the western region praised House Vines.

“Oh my! That’s wonderful. If it’s the duke’s house, I can trust it. Of course, it’s the great Duke Vines.”

Color finally returned to Roanna’s pale face after a long time.

“Of course. It’s that duke’s house. So now, Mom, don’t worry about me—just get better soon. I signed the employment contract. I’ll earn a lot of money from now on, and we’ll live happily.”

Marin said it extra cheerfully on purpose.

“Lord, thank you. Thank you.”

Roanna immediately clasped her hands and offered thanks to the gods.

It had been a long time. She hadn’t sought the gods since her husband and son’s deaths.

“But Mom, I have a confession.”

“Tell me.”

“I lied to His Grace the Duke and said I was a commoner.”

“...There must be a reason?”

Roanna asked cautiously, her expression darkening.

***

“As a noble lady, I probably couldn’t have gotten hired. There’ve been plenty of noble ladies approaching His Grace with impure intentions.”

“That’s true.”

Roanna nodded in agreement.

“If I’d revealed my real status, he would’ve thought I was one of those ladies.”

The reason the duke hadn’t married (yet?) was partly due to the persistence of noble ladies.

One lady had stalked the duke and even broken into his bedroom.

It was a pretty valid reason for him to avoid women.

Of course, knowing the original story, she knew he’d stayed single until meeting the heroine.

“Still, deceiving the duke’s house worries me.”

Roanna let out a deep sigh.

“Don’t worry too much. Once I earn enough to support us two, I’ll quit right away.”

“Alright, you’ll handle it well. Mom believes in you, my daughter.”

Marin’s nose suddenly tingled, so she quickly turned her face away and stood up.

“I ate a lot already. Mom, make sure to chew this well. I’ll go get you a cup of warm water.”

“Thank you.”

With her worries eased, Roanna picked up a banana muffin with an excited face.

Marin went to the kitchen to find a kettle to heat water.

*Mom’s so happy over just one muffin. That’s why I have to make money.*

“I’ll buy a bottle of wine with my first week’s pay.”

Before the family fell into ruin, Roanna always had a glass of warm wine before bed.

Marin hung the kettle on the hearth and leaned against the wall.

“Even temporary—six months will do! I’ll stick with the duke’s house no matter what! I can do it!”

Marin resolved herself with determined eyes.