I Got Engaged To The Blind Duke - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke Episode 16

Marine blinked her eyes rapidly.

When the letters didn’t disappear, she rubbed her eyes vigorously. She even held the contract far away and tried reading it again.

However, the content didn’t change.

“You’re adding this?”

“Yes.”

My goodness. Money is pouring down from the sky.

Marine put down the contract and shook her head so hard it made a whooshing sound.

“No. I can’t accept this. The deal was finished with the 1 gold advance payment I received yesterday. I’m already so grateful just for letting me stay in such a nice place, but if I accept this too, I’d have no shame.”

When people get too greedy, they invite disaster.

But Oliver smiled bitterly and pushed the contract back toward her.

“There’s something you don’t know, Miss Marine.”

“….”

Marine quietly waited for his words.

“His Grace the Duke hasn’t been able to sleep for two weeks now. No, that’s just what I’ve observed, so he might have been unable to sleep even longer.”

It was the darkest expression she had seen from Oliver in the past few days.

“What?”

Marine opened her eyes wide and looked at Oliver.

Oliver, meeting her gaze, slowly nodded as if what he had just said was true.

At that sight, the conversations she had with Oliver flashed through her mind.

She finally understood why he had been more worried about the Duke not being able to sleep than about him bleeding.

“Actually, if His Grace could sleep even a little, we could give you 100 gold instead of 1 gold. Shall we change it to 100 gold?”

“No! Even 1 gold is too much. But this is already a finished matter from my deal with His Grace….”

Greed invites disaster.

Marine repeated this to herself once more.

She actually hadn’t known the Duke was unable to sleep to this extent.

This was a setting that hadn’t appeared in the novel.

She understood why the Duke had become sensitive after losing his sight.

My goodness. Sleep is so important.

“This is His Grace the Duke’s order.”

“…I understand. Then I’ll do it for 1 gold.”

Reading the worry in Marine’s expression, Oliver spoke kindly.

“We won’t have too high expectations, so don’t feel pressured.”

“Wow. That makes me feel even more pressured. Um, may I visit the library during my break time?”

Marine deliberately replied playfully, but there was no strength in her voice at all.

“Why the library?”

“To choose a book to read to His Grace.”

“I see.”

“By any chance, is there a type of book that His Grace finds particularly boring? I really hope there is!”

Marine looked at Oliver with earnest eyes.

“His Grace reads everything well across the board.”

Oliver smiled brightly and completely shattered her hopes.

“Yes….”

Marine answered weakly again and swallowed a sigh.

The more boring a book is, the faster sleep comes.

* * *

Marine went to find the library while looking at the map Oliver had drawn for her.

After walking through the castle for quite a while, she finally discovered an old-looking library door with a sun pattern carved in relief.

When she opened the door and entered, the fragrance of books filling the library greeted her.

The Duke’s office had been spacious too, but the library seemed to be twenty times that size. Books were packed tightly up to the third floor height.

Marine took a deep breath and exhaled, savoring the book fragrance she hadn’t smelled in a long time.

“I’m happy….”

“Why?”

“…!”

Before she knew it, a child holding a book as big as his own body was staring up at her intently.

White skin and hair that shone like silver thread. Deep blue eyes resembling a lake. A delicate nose and red lips.

He was a very cute child who looked as if an ice fairy had just popped out.

“Who are you?”

Marine bent her waist slightly to look at the boy who came up to about her waist level.

“Who are you?”

“You? Me?”

“Yes. You.”

The child smiled cutely, forming dimples.

“Ah, I’m called Marine.”

“Oh, so you’re Miss Marine. I’m Zero.”

Zero extended his hand while introducing himself.

Marine opened her eyes wide in surprise and screamed with joy inwardly.

Kyaa! This person is the alchemist Zero.

Among the things he had made was a potion that turned one into a child for several hours, and it seemed he had drunk it.

Marine pondered how she should treat him, then decided to treat him like an adult despite his young appearance.

More than that, does he know me?

“Master Zero, do you know me?”

“I heard from Oliver. But you have a talent for making people wait.”

When Zero stared at his own extended hand, Marine quickly placed her hand on top of it.

“I’m sorry. Nice to meet you.”

She expected a handshake, but Zero gently kissed the back of her hand and met her eyes.

“You’re an unusual person.”

“Me?”

When Marine tilted her head, Zero smiled cutely again.

“Yes.”

“What about me?”

“You speak formally to me even though I’m a child.”

“Ah, it’s because I’m a commoner.”

“You’re not good at lying.”

Marine turned her head to the side to hide her flushed face.

“It’s not a lie.”

“Well, let’s say it’s not. But you still haven’t answered the question I asked earlier?”

“What question?”

“You said you were happy as soon as you came here. Why?”

Marine finally remembered the question he had asked at the beginning.

“Ah, I really love books. Being in a place with so many books makes me so happy.”

Marine answered excitedly with sparkling eyes. It was the first question she could answer honestly since coming to the Duke’s castle.

Zero’s eyes widened slightly as if surprised, then he grinned and continued with his questions.

“I heard that you read reports well. Is that true? How did you discover such a talent?”

“I just liked books since I was young. Do I need to get permission from Zero to look at the books here?”

Marine asked carefully while changing the subject.

“No. Coming here means Gerald gave his permission. Feel free to look around. If you have any questions while reading, just ask.”

Zero spoke kindly in a voice as innocent as a child’s.

“Yes, thank you.”

Marine greeted him with a bewildered expression.

In the novel, Zero was basically the type who suffered from distrust of humans. He liked testing people, so he would approach them pretending to be a child to figure out the other person.

And he tended to dislike having someone enter his space, yet he said it was fine to stay in the library together.

For some reason, it seemed she had gained Zero’s favor.

* * *

After a long time, Butler Sebastian visited the Duke’s office.

His shoulders, which had always been confident while showing off his white-haired vigor, were now pitifully hunched.

“Begin.”

At the Duke’s command, Butler Sebastian bowed slightly and whispered to Oliver standing beside him. Knowing his voice was loud, he intended to relay his words through Oliver.

“He asks, ‘Shall I tell you the entire process?'”

“Butler. Just speak directly yourself.”

Gerald frowned as if tired.

“If I speak directly, it will be noisy for you.”

Butler Sebastian said while whispering as much as possible.

“Butler.”

At the Duke’s cold warning, Butler Sebastian quickly opened his mouth.

“I will begin, Your Grace.”

Butler Sebastian explained the scene he had witnessed in the morning in the smallest voice he could manage.

“Where are those commoners now?”

“I have them confined.”

“It won’t be just them. Those who took private gains.”

A chilling coldness settled in Gerald’s languid voice.

Oliver and Butler Sebastian looked at the Duke with tense faces.

“Oliver.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Those caught will have their assets confiscated and five years of hard labor. And investigate thoroughly to handle all of them the same way.”

“Yes.”

“And that woman who hit Temporary Mother…”

“…”

Oliver quietly waited for the next words.

“Since she didn’t know she was dealing with nobility, just make it so she can’t use her hands anymore.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Oliver quickly responded to his command.

At Gerald’s gesture, the two men silently bowed and left the office.

In the now quiet office, Gerald slightly released the senses he had been suppressing. Then, as if dissatisfied with being suppressed all this time, his senses exploded wildly.

Pain rushed into his head all at once as if it would burst.

A thread-like groan leaked from his tightly closed lips. And that groan became an arrow shot at himself, piercing his ears as if to tear them.

When he gritted his teeth to endure the groan that tried to escape again, the inside of his mouth tore. The taste of blood spreading from his torn mouth made him retch.

Gerald endured all that pain with an expressionless face.

To escape even a little from the pain, he thought of something else.

A strange and fascinating woman. The woman who had confidently said she could put him to sleep.

Thinking of Temporary, one corner of his mouth slightly lifted.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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