Chapter 78

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Engaged to the Blind Duke
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Sunlight pouring into the office. It was a place she had visited often, but it felt utterly unfamiliar.

Marin's light green eyes scanned the surroundings.

A wide office desk. Bookshelves reaching to the ceiling and an assortment of swords neatly displayed along one wall. Red wallpaper with a black sheen.

The black curtains had been drawn back from the window, which stood slightly ajar. Even though it had just been opened, the room still carried a lingering mustiness.

Had he opened the window knowing Perido was coming? How? Well, protagonist buff, I suppose.

"So this is what the inside looks like."

Olive, who had overheard Marin's mutter, suppressed a smile and blew out the candle with a puff.

"Let's head in first."

"Yes. Let's go, Perido."

Perido rolled his eyes around, peering here and there inside the office.

"Hello, Gerald. It's really bright in here today."

Marin greeted him in a voice laced with amusement.

"......Hello."

Perido ducked behind the hem of her dress, peeking out only his head.

"Right."

The duke nodded slightly with an impassive face.

Olive greeted the duke with a refreshing expression.

"Good morning, Your Grace the Duke."

The duke responded with a nod of his head and turned back toward Perido.

"What is it?"

Perido hesitated, looking startled, then let go of Marin's skirt. Soon, he approached the duke with a brave face.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace. Let me blow on it for you."

"......What?"

For a moment, the duke's impassive expression cracked. He asked slowly, his face showing he had no idea how to react.

"I hit you last night. I'm sorry it hurt. So I'll blow on it for you."

Perido, who had approached the desk, peered around it to see the duke's legs on the other side.

Marin held her breath at Perido's adorable antics.

To think such a lovable child existed in this world.

Olive, too, gazed at the duke and Perido with a moved expression.

"......It didn't hurt."

The duke finally spoke after a long, flustered pause.

"But Ruby sis says it hurts even if I hit her just once?"

"You mustn't hit your sister carelessly."

When the duke admonished him in a stern voice, Perido nodded.

"It was an accident while throwing the ball. I won't do it anymore."

"Good. That's the right attitude."

The duke raised his hand, then hesitated.

Perido looked at that large hand and positioned his head beneath it.

"You can pat me. I permit it."

Oh, was that something you needed permission for?

Marin looked down guiltily at her own hand, which had ruffled Perido's hair without asking.

The duke stroked Perido's soft hair.

"Your Grace. Can I play here before I go?"

The duke, who had been petting Perido for a while, turned his head toward Olive.

***

"Olive, prepare a chair. A cushy one."

"Yes."

Olive replied with his usual gentle smile.

"I'm going to sit with Teacher."

Perido declared firmly. The good boy Perido was even considering his teacher's leg health.

"A long chair."

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"Teacher?"

Perido looked up at Marin with his dark eyes, as if asking for help.

"Hm, paper and pastels, and some snacks?"

When Marin thought for a moment and suggested that, Perido nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yes. I'll have it all ready in a flash."

Olive grinned brightly and quickly left the office.

* * *

Garnet knocked on Dia's door. But there was no response from inside.

"Sis?"

Cracking the door open slightly, she saw Dia asleep in bed.

For the usually sensitive Dia to miss the knock.

It was strange. It seemed something had happened last night, but Dia kept her lips firmly shut.

Garnet carefully closed the door so as not to wake her and headed to Rubiana's room. Just as she was about to knock, Rubiana opened the door and came out.

"Ruby, where are you going?"

"To the viscountess's room."

"Why there?"

Garnet shot her a dissatisfied look.

"Because we're friends."

"Friends?"

"Yeah. I decided to be friends with the viscountess. I read books to her every day."

"You really have nothing better to do."

Rubiana, clutching a book to her chest, stared straight up at Garnet.

"Seems like you don't have anything to do either, sis? Wanna play together?"

"No thanks!"

Garnet put her hands on her hips and acted tough.

"Fine. I'm busy anyway."

"Ruby!"

Garnet glared at Rubiana with a sulky face.

"Sis, I'll play with you later. Bye."

Garnet watched Rubiana head up to the third floor, then turned her head away sharply.

"Hmph. As if I have nothing to do."

She descended the stairs without hesitation. Flinging open the door to the annex and stepping outside, a winter breeze whooshed past.

Garnet's long golden hair and dress hem fluttered in the wind.

"I have things to do too. I do."

No sooner had she said it to the empty air than loneliness washed over her.

Back at the count's estate, it had always been bustling, busy, and fun.

But in the duke's castle, she didn't even know what to do, and it wasn't fun.

Wandering aimlessly, she ended up in front of the main building where the duke resided.

Perido's probably inside, right?

Should she ask them to call Perido for her?

***

As Garnet rolled a stone on the ground, lost in thought, someone called out to her.

"Miss Garnet?"

Looking up, she saw an old butler with a sturdy build and white beard standing there.

"Yes."

"My greetings are late. I am Sebas Chen, the butler. Please call me comfortably."

"Ah, okay."

Garnet nodded vaguely and lowered her eyes.

She regretted coming all the way here. She didn't really want to talk much with the people of the duke's castle.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just. Taking a walk."

"I see."

"It's boring, so I'm heading back now."

As Garnet half-turned, the butler asked in a subtle tone.

"Have you perhaps visited the stables?"

"The stables?"

Garnet felt she had shown too much interest and inwardly winced.

"Yes. There's a very pretty horse there. Shall I show you?"

"Well, whatever, I guess."

Garnet nodded with an expression that said she had no choice but to follow.

Sebas the butler smiled softly at the corners of his mouth and led Garnet to the stables.

Upon arrival, there were few horses in the stables.

"These horses are under special care, so there aren't many."

"I see."

Sebas the butler approached a horse at the end of the stables—black-faced but with a white body.

The horse recognized the butler, lifting its head and whinnying happily. The butler stroked it, then turned to Garnet.

"What do you think?"

"It's unusually colored."

"It's lived a long time. Over twenty years already."

"Wow, and it's still so healthy?"

"It was your mother's horse—Miss Garnet's mother's, that is."

Garnet froze, her hand outstretched toward the horse.

Her mother's horse? She hadn't expected to hear such nostalgic tales of her mother here.

"She intended to take it south with her but ended up leaving it behind, saying she might be separated from her family, but the horse's family was all here. She was quite reluctant about it."

Garnet tightened her fingers and moved her hand. Slowly stroking the horse, it let out a long, pleased whinny.

"That's so like Mom."

"Isn't it?"

Garnet took the apple the butler offered and fed it to the horse.

"What's the horse's name?"

"Blackie."

Garnet laughed brightly.

"That's such a mom name. Mom would call a pink bird Pink, and a yellow puppy Yellow."

"She was like that since you were little."

Sebas the butler smiled, reminiscing about the past.

"Hey."

"Yes."

"Is the name Sebas common?"

"Not in the duke's castle. Only me."

"Then were you perhaps the vice-captain of the knight order before?"

Sebas the butler's wrinkled eyes widened in surprise.

"How did you know?"

***

"I heard it from Mom once. She said she learned swordsmanship from the vice-captain of the knight order. She taught me swordsmanship sometimes too."

"Is that so?"

The butler stroked the horse with a wistful look.

"About swordsmanship—could you teach me too?"

Garnet gazed straight at the butler with an earnest face.

Sebas the butler hid his inner surprise and met her eyes.

Had Marin predicted all of this?