Chapter 82

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Engaged to the Blind Duke
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* * *

Knock knock. At the sound of the knock on the door, Marin looked up from her book and replied.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and she saw Dia holding the thick robe she had lent her last time.

“Excuse me.”

“Come on in, Dia.”

Marin offered her a chair, and Dia sat down carefully. She held out the robe she had been carrying and bowed her head slightly.

“Thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

Marin smiled, took the robe, and placed it on the table.

When she looked up, Dia was staring at her with an expression that said she had something to say.

“I’m a very good listener.”

At Marin’s playful remark, Dia smiled shyly.

“I heard you’re going to be my chaperone.”

“That’s right.”

“But why aren’t you trying to convince me to go to the debutante ball?”

Marin widened her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“That’s up to you, Dia. If you want to go, go. If not, don’t.”

“His Grace the Duke wants me to go.”

“Oh, sorry about that. It’s probably because of me.”

Dia’s deep green eyes filled with confusion at Marin’s sudden apology.

“What do you mean…?”

“I couldn’t go to my debutante ball. Something came up.”

“Yes…”

Dia lowered her gaze awkwardly, trailing off.

“Huh? Did you hear about it?”

Marin asked with a look of disbelief.

“Yes. From the viscountess.”

Dia nodded slightly with an apologetic expression.

“Wow, from Mom? She doesn’t usually talk about that stuff. Oh, were you surprised? I’m older than you, but I still call her Mom.”

Marin let out an embarrassed laugh.

“No. I’m actually envious that you have someone to call Mom.”

Dia shook her head with serious eyes.

“Anyway, because of that incident I told you about, I couldn’t go to my debutante ball. After that, the nobles ignored me. So I guess Gerald pushed you even harder because of it.”

Dia’s face darkened.

“Honestly, I don’t really understand His Grace the Duke. I can’t figure out what he’s thinking or how he sees us.”

Marin gazed at Dia with calm eyes, carefully choosing her words.

“Hmm, it’s natural you’d feel that way. Actually, that’s something Gerald needs to handle better. To defend him just a little, though—he has a lot of enemies.”

Dia’s deep green eyes wavered as she fell deep into thought.

Marin waited quietly, giving her time to think.

“I’ll go to the debutante ball. And I want to ask His Grace the Duke something.”

Marin looked at Dia with encouraging eyes.

***

* * *

She stood in front of the duke’s office door.

She had thought she would never have to come here again.

Dia raised her hand, her face tense enough to make her pale skin stand out even more. In one hand, she clutched a handkerchief her mother had embroidered, taken from her luggage.

“Come in.”

Before she could even knock, the duke’s voice came first.

Where are the candles?

She should have paid closer attention when Olive picked them up.

But no matter how she looked around, she couldn’t see any candles.

It was for the best, anyway. The duke had his eyes closed and couldn’t see, and she figured it was better if she didn’t see his expression either.

Dia carefully opened the office door—and her eyes widened.

The office, which she had expected to be dark, was bright with sunlight pouring in.

As she walked closer to the duke’s desk, she noticed a long sofa she hadn’t seen before. On the sofa were children’s toys. On the table in front of it were pictures drawn in pastel crayons.

She knew Perido visited every day, but she hadn’t expected the duke to accommodate him to this extent.

Dia stopped in place and stared at the duke.

“What is it?”

“Why? Why are you going this far?”

Dia demanded.

“…”

The duke, eyes closed, didn’t answer.

“You’re making me have expectations. Why are you doing this?”

Her chest tightened, and her voice rose involuntarily.

After her parents died, she couldn’t trust anyone.

But when the duke had saved her sisters from the devil-like Killon and brought Perido back to her.

She had thought maybe he was an adult she could trust.

But the moment she arrived at the duke’s castle, those expectations plummeted.

And now, she didn’t know. She should just hate him. Why did he keep making her want to trust him again?

“Why did you say that? That I shouldn’t hate Mother but hate you instead. Why would you say something like that?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

The duke’s lips finally parted.

“I heard from Miss Marin. You have a lot of enemies, Your Grace.”

“That’s true too.”

“Was the party on the day we arrived just to make it look like you were ignoring us on purpose because of those enemies? Is that why you never once came looking for us? Please tell me, please!”

Dia stared at the duke’s face with anxious eyes.

The duke resembled her mother.

But the two were so different. Her mother had expressive faces, but the duke was always expressionless.

That made it hard to read his mind. She needed to hear it from him.

“…I’m sorry.”

The duke indirectly admitted it.

Relief spread deep through her body at the fact that the duke didn’t hate them.

It seemed she hadn’t wanted to be hated by the only adult left in her life.

As tears threatened to fall and she turned her head, her eyes caught Perido’s drawing on the table. It depicted the sisters, the duke, and Miss Marin.

“I’ll go to the debutante ball.”

The duke’s head snapped up. A flicker of relief passed over his expressionless face.

“Just like Your Grace has been doing to fool your enemies, I’ll keep my distance too. In return, please keep cherishing Perido like you do now. The child really likes you, Your Grace.”

Dia held out the handkerchief she had been clutching tightly until now.

“Here.”

“…”

The duke took it wordlessly. She could see his careful touch, as if feeling the texture of the old handkerchief.

***

“It was Mother’s most treasured possession.”

“…”

The duke pressed his lips together tightly, as if holding back overwhelming emotions.

Dia already knew the words embroidered on that old handkerchief. Her mother had always shown it off proudly.

* * *

“Miss Marin.”

Marin ran into Olive in the corridor on her way to the library.

“What brings you here?”

“I was looking for you, miss. You’ve been so busy.”

Marin grinned and nodded.

“You’re right. Even I think I’ve been ridiculously busy lately.”

Olive gave a soft smile at her lighthearted remark.

“An invitation has arrived for you and Miss Dia.”

“For both of us?”

Invitations to tea parties had come occasionally since the last ball, but they had all been politely declined. They would have to accept one eventually.

“It’s from Lady Susan Air of House Air.”

Marin could sense the unease in Olive’s voice.

“You know her too, Olive?”

“Do you know her as well, miss?”

Olive’s gaze was filled with concern.

“I saw her at the last ball.”

“Then you must know her personality.”

“I only caught a glimpse.”

The lady’s glare came back to her mind.

“Be careful.”

“Of her?”

“Yes. She shows excessive interest in His Grace the Duke.”

“I see.”

That explains it. Marin nodded inwardly.

“Shall I decline it on your behalf?”

“Hmm, I’ve heard about these invitations from Designer Idre. She said it’s a gathering for young ladies preparing for their debutante balls, like a friendship event. Dia doesn’t know anyone in the west, so it might be good for us to go together.”

Olive nodded reluctantly, as if agreeing.

“Then, prepare before you go.”

“Prepare?”

“Go see Master Zero.”

“Master Zero?”

“Yes. He has something very precious to show you.”

She could sense some scheme behind Olive’s gentle smile.

“Got it. I’ll go see Master Zero.”