I Got Engaged To The Blind Duke - Chapter 258

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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 16

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The wrinkles around the middle-aged woman’s eyes had deepened, revealing the passage of time.

Today she wore her most cherished bright dress.

She had carefully applied makeup from the morning and neatly pinned up her hair.

Because she had to have a very important conversation.

“Your Grace, it’s been a while since I’ve greeted you.”

She entered the Western Duke’s Office, lifted the hem of her dress, and bowed politely.

“What’s your name this time?”

At the question she heard every time she visited the office, the corners of her mouth slightly rose.

“It’s Anna.”

Until now, she had operated under many names like Camellia, Iris, and Jenny. But today she calmly spoke her real name.

“Anna?”

The Duke raised his eyebrows as if he had heard an unexpected name.

Oliver, who was standing beside him, also looked at her with surprised eyes.

Anna clasped her hands together, bowed politely to the Duke once more, and raised her gaze.

“Seeing you say that name, you must be thinking of quitting.”

“Yes. I’m planning to retire now.”

When she spoke with a gentle smile, regret showed in the Duke’s eyes.

Anna watched this and smiled warmly.

Seeing an expression she had rarely seen from her usually blunt superior, it felt like receiving praise for all the work she had done.

“Yes. It’s about time you rested.”

“Won’t you try to stop me?”

When she asked playfully, the Duke chuckled.

“Would you be stopped if I tried?”

“Hohoho, no.”

“Where will you go now?”

The Duke asked calmly, as if he had expected this.

“Since I’ve saved up a lot of money, I’m thinking of spending it lavishly while meeting men.”

When Oliver’s eyes widened in surprise at her answer, Anna winked at him as their gazes met.

“That’s a good idea.”

The Duke supported her ridiculous plan without any change in expression.

“Your Grace, have you developed a sense of humor since getting married?”

“I’m being serious.”

At the Duke’s serious voice, Anna burst into laughter.

“Before settling down somewhere, I’m thinking of visiting the children one last time.”

“That’s also a good idea.”

“Thank you.”

“Oliver. Give Anna the manor and one silver mine in Nairon Territory as her severance pay.”

“Yes. I will follow your orders.”

Anna looked at the Duke with a shocked expression.

Thanks to the Duke’s grace, she had already earned enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life. But a manor and silver mine in Nylon Territory?

Especially Nylon Territory had become the most expensive land in the Western Region due to the development of the opal mine.

“Your Grace. This is too much for severance pay. Please withdraw your order.”

As Anna bowed her head and tried to politely refuse, the Duke called her.

“Anna.”

“Yes?”

She raised her head and her eyes met the Duke’s.

“You’ve worked hard all this time. I hope your life will be peaceful from now on.”

At his sincere final farewell, Anna suppressed her overwhelming emotions and bowed deeply to the Duke.

“…Thank you. Please be well.”

Anna, who had left the Duke’s Castle, looked up at the sky. Bright sunlight poured down on her face.

She had thought she would feel relieved upon retiring, but instead she felt more regret. Perhaps it was because she cherished this place where she had worked since becoming an adult.

Anna lowered her head, composed herself, and slowly began walking.

Having lived as a spy her entire life, she couldn’t start a family. She didn’t regret this. She loved the Western Region enough to dedicate her entire life to it.

And while she had no children born from her own womb, there were children she had raised while working as a spy.

Among those children, the ones who particularly weighed on her mind were Nezart, who had now become the Eastern Archduke, and Eira, who had left the Empire.

Now that she was no longer a spy or anything else, just an ordinary person, she had plenty of time.

Her steps were as light as feathers, buoyed by the anticipation of meeting the children.

* * *

Nezart stared wide-eyed at the nanny who had brought a chair to the podium, sat down, and was reading a book.

The other children were also looking at her with bewildered expressions.

Among them, a child with green hair stood up from his seat.

At the sound of the chair being pushed back, she looked up from her book and gazed at the child.

“What are you doing right now?”

The child adjusted his glasses and questioned the nanny.

“What am I doing? I’m sitting here.”

“You said the Professor had an emergency and you were temporarily taking over the class, didn’t you?”

“So?”

“Then why aren’t you teaching?”

She closed the book in her hand and chuckled.

“You’re Sonny Hyeons, right?”

“…Yes.”

Sonny pushed up his glasses to hide his surprised expression. This was their first meeting, yet she had correctly guessed his name just by looking at his face.

“I’m a woman, as you can see. How many children here would listen to what I teach without dismissing it?”

She looked around at the children with a hint of mockery.

After it became known that Her Imperial Majesty, the Western Duchess, and the Southern Duchess all had reading as a hobby, reading books began to become fashionable among noble women.

However, since that trend had only just begun to sprout, many people still found it awkward for women to read books.

In such a situation, naturally there wouldn’t be many noble children who could accept that a woman could not only read books but also teach classes at the Academy.

Several children who made eye contact with her subtly lowered their gazes, while some others looked at her with rebellious eyes.

“I understand what you mean.”

Sonny nodded slightly and sat back down in his seat.

A glimmer of interest flashed in her eyes as she looked at the child. He knew how to ask questions immediately when curious, and had good judgment too. He was a smart child.

She pretended to look at her book while sneakily glancing at Nezart. Nezart was still staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.

Anna hid the smile that had formed while anticipating her meeting with Nezart behind her book.

A week had passed since a middle-aged woman named Camellia had shown her face instead of Professor Men.

On the first day, she sat at the podium reading a book, but after that, she would just show her face and disappear immediately.

The children gradually began to accept that time as free time.

“Hey, Sonny. Let’s go out and play.”

“It’s class time right now.”

“What class time? That woman isn’t even here.”

“That woman?”

When a sharp voice suddenly came from behind, the two turned around.

Nezart was looking at the two of them with piercing eyes.

When the child who had spoken to Sonny just gaped with a bewildered expression, Sonny sighed and asked instead.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Since she came in place of the professor, you should treat her as a professor. What is the spirit of the Academy? Don’t you know that anyone in a professor’s position must be respected unconditionally regardless of their social status?”

Nezart said coldly.

All students who entered the Academy were children of nobles, but the professors were different. Especially in swordsmanship classes, there were many commoner professors.

Therefore, for the authority of the professors, students had to unconditionally use respectful language with professors, while professors used casual speech with the children.

“I know. This friend was being thoughtless. I’ll go to the professor’s room with him and apologize directly.”

“Sonny…”

The child called Sonny with a displeased voice.

Sonny sighed and whispered to the child.

“Jayden. Do you want to end up like Mike too?”

At some point, Mike had disappeared from the Academy.

According to rumors, after being severely scolded by the Count who heard about what happened at the Academy, he was banished to a distant province.

All the children suspected that the Eastern Archduke was behind that incident.

“N-no. I’ll go.”

Jayden answered with a sullen face while watching Nezart’s reaction.

Nezart looked at Sonny, who was obediently apologizing, with surprised eyes.

Come to think of it, when Mike was bullying him, this child was the only one who didn’t watch and just read his book.

Maybe he wasn’t a bad kid?

Then suddenly his thoughts drifted to something else.

He envied Sonny’s courage in boldly saying he would go to the Nanny.

A whole week had passed, but he still hadn’t found the courage to meet the Nanny and hadn’t gone to see her.

“When are you going to see the Professor?”

“Why? Are you going to monitor whether I actually go?”

When Sonny asked bluntly, Nezart slowly shook his head.

“I have business there too.”

Nezart’s voice trembled slightly.

Those children going to apologize was also a courageous act.

If that was the case, shouldn’t he also find the courage?

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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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