I Got Engaged To The Blind Duke - Chapter 257
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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
Side Story 2 Episode 15
Side Story 6
Eastern Academy.
A boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes was turning the pages of a book one by one.
Among the group watching him with disapproving eyes, a red-haired boy recalled his conversation with his father from last night and narrowed his eyes sharply.
“Mike. Remember this well and remember it again. You must get along well with the Eastern Archduke. It would be even better if you became his closest friend. The Archduke probably doesn’t have any friends yet, so you should become his friend.”
“Father. Why do I have to be friends with someone who has commoner blood mixed in? You always told me not to associate with commoners.”
Father nodded with a displeased look.
“That’s right. You shouldn’t get close to commoners and such. But the Eastern Archduke is different. He will become the ruler of the Eastern Region in the future.”
“Is that possible when he has commoner blood mixed in?”
Mike frowned.
“Tsk. I’m also dissatisfied, but the Duchess of the East will make it so.”
“It’s unfair. How can someone with commoner blood mixed in rise to such a high position.”
When Mike grumbled, Father waved his hand as if he didn’t want to hear any more, dismissing him.
“Mike. Stop it. Aren’t you staring too obviously?”
The boy next to Mike lowered his voice and tapped his shoulder.
“Aren’t you guys annoyed? Someone who’s half commoner blood coming into the academy. This is a Noble Academy where commoners can’t come!”
Mike raised his voice while looking around at the children.
The children in the group looked nervously at the Young Duke.
They too had heard the rumors about the Young Duke.
The precious only daughter of the Eastern Ducal House fell in love with a commoner knight and eloped. Then both died, and only that Young Duke returned to the Eastern Region alone.
At first, everyone looked at the child who suddenly enrolled in the academy with curiosity and goodwill.
However, when they heard about the Young Duke’s origins from their parents, they felt strange jealousy and rejection toward the Young Duke.
Mike especially was worse because his father had always told him that commoners were like livestock. How could he, a human being, attend classes with livestock?
The Young Duke must have heard his words, but he was still only reading his book. Watching this, a mischievous smile suddenly appeared on Mike’s lips.
Ah, he’s scared. Of course. How dare a mere commoner be with nobles.
Mike kicked back his chair and stood up, heading toward the Young Duke. The children looked back and forth between the two with surprised faces.
“Hey, half-commoner!”
Even though he was speaking right next to him, the Young Duke didn’t even pretend to listen. How dare a half-commoner ignore him, the eldest son of a count’s family.
Mike tapped on the Young Duke’s desk.
“Hey, can’t you hear me? Are half-commoners deaf too?”
Only then did the Young Duke look away from his book and slowly raise his head.
When he saw the Young Duke’s cold blue eyes, he remembered the Duchess’s blue eyes he had seen at a party before.
Why does a half-commoner have eyes similar in color to the Duchess’s?
He had picked a fight with the intention of looking down on the child, but thinking of the Duchess made him feel inexplicably anxious.
That was when it happened.
“What’s your name?”
The child’s blue eyes looked directly at him.
“What?”
“You, who calls me a half-commoner. What’s your name? I’ll remember it.”
“Re-remember it for what?”
The Young Duke chuckled.
“You’re an idiot. To only remember me as a half-commoner. Did you forget about the existence of the other half?”
“Wh-what…”
Mike looked at the Young Duke with confused eyes.
“I am Stein.”
The Young Duke faced Mike with cold eyes unbefitting a child.
Mike unconsciously clenched his trembling hands tightly. If he backed down here, he would be humiliated in front of the children watching from behind. He absolutely had to avoid that at all costs.
“How dare a half-commoner speak the name Stein!”
In the Eastern Region, Stein was an existence that couldn’t be spoken of carelessly. That’s why it had been so infuriating that this half-commoner possessed that great family name.
“If I, the sole heir of Stein, cannot speak my family’s name, then who here can? You? Or those children watching from behind?”
The Young Duke’s lips curved upward.
At this, Mike glared at the Young Duke while breathing heavily enough to make his shoulders heave. How dare a mere commoner mock me.
He wanted to grab the Young Duke by the collar and shake him violently, but he couldn’t muster the courage to go that far.
He could pick fights with words all he wanted. But laying hands on him was a different matter, something he understood well despite his young age. That made him even more unable to contain his anger.
“You half-commoner!”
“Pfft. That’s all you know how to say.”
“Grr… What did you say!”
The Young Duke glanced at Mike, who was trembling with frustration, and stood up from his seat.
The boy’s sharp gaze turned toward the children who were secretly watching them.
“You all listen carefully too. I don’t care if you ignore me or look down on me. But you’ll have to deal with the consequences. Especially you.”
Nezart’s gaze, which had been looking around at the children, finally landed on Mike.
Mike flinched and hurriedly returned to his seat.
Watching this, Nezart sat back down with an expressionless face.
Compared to life at the orphanage, this level of bullying was nothing. The children at the orphanage had used direct violence.
Rather, their huffing and puffing with only words was almost laughable.
More than anything, he didn’t have time to waste dealing with such weak children. As the sole heir of the Eastern Ducal House, he needed to quickly build his strength.
“Would you be happy if I went to a powerful house?”
“Of course, that would be good. It means our Nezart will become very strong.”
“Then I’ll become strong! When I grow up, I’ll protect Nanny too. I promise!”
“Yes, I promise. Our Nezart. You’re so admirable!”
He had made a promise with his nanny.
“Then, if I keep my promise later, will you come see me?”
“Yes. When Nezart becomes very strong, I’ll come to see you then.”
“Promise?”
“Promise!”
Because the nanny was someone who kept her promises.
She must be waiting somewhere for him to become strong.
He had to become smarter and stronger than others to meet the nanny quickly.
That’s why he pestered his grandmother to let him attend the academy. His tutor had said the academy was truly a treasury of knowledge.
“Nezart. Do you really have to go to the academy?”
Duchess Edena looked at her grandson with worried eyes. She was concerned that the child, who wasn’t yet accustomed to noble society, might be bullied at the academy.
“Yes. I want to become smart quickly. I heard that Stein was the first to establish the academy too.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“I’m also a Stein. So I’ll go to the academy and study hard.”
Edena stroked her grandson’s head with proud eyes.
“Alright. I give you permission.”
“Thank you, Grandmother.”
Nezart hugged his grandmother while thinking of the nanny.
He had to quickly become smart and strong to meet the nanny.
Creak.
Just then, the door opened and a middle-aged woman entered.
The middle-aged woman with an ordinary appearance that could be seen anywhere stood at the podium and looked around at the children.
The children looked at the middle-aged woman with surprised faces. All the academy professors were men. But for a woman to stand at the podium.
“The professor had some circumstances arise, so I’m Camelia Neon who will be temporarily taking care of you all.”
Nezart, who had been wearing a dazed expression since she entered, came to his senses and shot up from his seat.
The name was different, but that warm appearance and gentle voice were definitely the nanny’s.
How was the nanny here!
“…H-how?”
“Student. If you have something to say, come find me later.”
Camellia spoke coldly without giving Nezart even a glance.
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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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