I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Translator: effe
In the beginning, Ricardo had set out to save the princess as quickly as possible. Yet now he was going out to search for the body.
To give the princess a safe funeral.
That was the responsibility that remained for Ricardo, the princess’s ex-fiance. Before he could finish his duty, he would be branded a sinner who could not fulfill his imperial duty.
If it were someone else, they wouldn’t even go so far as to call it a sin. Furthermore, it would have been okay to hire an underling to do the assignment instead. It’s not easy to find a fiance who he never even met and having to put other work aside for her sake.
But to Ricardo, the Emperor’s every word was especially heavy. It was because of the one secret he was holding. That…….
“I want to rest.”
“Should I order them to prepare the bath water?”
Ricardo stood up instead of answering. His steps were heading towards the whiskey bar in one corner of the library. Nasir looked at his master’s back and nodded his head.
“I will take my leave.”
With those words, the study door closed quietly. Ricardo poured the amber liquid into a crystal glass with a tired face.
During the bitterly cold season, high-alcohol drinks are good to raise the body temperature. There are also ways to take a hot bath, but he wasn’t in the mood for that today.
He hadn’t told Nasir yet, but in fact, a letter arrived from the imperial family today.
In the Emperor’s personal letter, which was secretly delivered, there were contents that would disturb Ricardo’s head.
Sitting on the sofa, Ricardo twisted his wrist and rolled the liquid in the glass. He gazed at the drink as it simmered and brought the glass to his lips.
Ricardo buried himself deep into the sofa, enjoying the feeling of the strong drink running down his throat and warming himself. As he drank, it seemed that the fatigue accumulated from roaming the mountains was washed away.
Ricardo sipped his drink and slowly recalled the Emperor’s personal letter.
All of the contents of the letters were garbage, but the most garbage was the first sentence.
[To my dear son]
A son whom the Emperor could not proudly present outside the world, and yet said he cherished more than anyone else. The Emperor’s illegitimate son.
That was Ricardo’s secret.
Ricardo was born from an affair between the Emperor and the former Duchess Vittore, higher blood than anyone else, but dirtier than anyone else. It was also the bondage and fate that Ricardo tried to escape his whole life but could not.
* * *
Armilla was pacing in the hallway. While going back to the bedroom, she remembered that she had left her practice paper behind.
She wouldn’t care if she left it, as long as it was just plain name practice. However, the scribbles she made on the back of the practice paper were a problem.
She tried to take it out right away. But Nasir and Ricardo seemed to be having a serious discussion so she couldn’t.
When Nasir came out of the study, Armilla quickly hid herself in the corner of the hallway. And waited for Ricardo to come out. However, even after waiting for a long time, the study door didn’t seem to open again.
“Move.”
As she pulled her neck to look at the study, a gray-haired maid appeared out of nowhere. The maid seemed to be heading to the dining room, she was carrying a silver tray. The maid said, frowning at Armilla.
“What are you looking at?”
Armilla then realized that she was looking at the steaming food on the tray.
Everything that came to Armilla’s room was cold. Cold wheat sandwiches with cold ham and cold soup were the main menu items.
So, it’s not unreasonable that her eyes are drawn to the hot stew that seems to melt the cold just by looking at it. Armilla wetted her lips and excused herself.
“No, it’s just. It looks delicious.”
“Ah, did it look delicious? So what?”
The maid smirked, mimicking Armilla’s accent. Armilla muttered a small ‘sorry,’ and stepped back.
She was used to this kind of treatment. The maid and the servants gave Armilla a childish banter.
Armilla’s life was only outwardly glamorous. The water in her bath was ice cold, the firewood in her fireplace was too small to last until dawn, and her clothes were unpredictable.
It is normal for employees to argue with her or pretend to do wrong as they do now. Because to them, Armilla was a parasite attached to the family head.
“If you know you’re sorry, get out of here.”
The maid poked her elbow to Armilla’s waist and then proceeded to walk down the hallway proudly.
Armilla rubbed her waist and watched the maid walk away. She wasn’t particularly upset. It’s an everyday thing anyway.
When the maid had completely moved away, Armilla crept closer to the entrance to the study. She looked at the golden handle and slowly raised her hand.
‘What to do?’
Armilla hesitated. She hesitated to enter the room with just Ricardo alone.
The air seemed to become heavier when she was alone with him. Her heart sank heavily, and it was difficult to breathe.
‘Anyway, I must take the practice paper.’
Armilla clenched her fists in determination. If Ricardo ever looked at the back of the practice paper, she would have to avoid him rather than shy away.
Armilla inhaled and exhaled deeply. And when she tried to knock on the door.
“Who is it?”
A sharp voice came from inside the study.
The stunned Armilla took a step back from the door. When she hesitated, not managing to answer properly, Ricardo asked again coldly.
“Who is it?”
Armilla froze at the cold voice she hadn’t heard before.
Ricardo’s voice was full of vigilance. Even when he was with Armilla, he wasn’t very friendly, but compared to now, it was like a warm wind.
Clack.
As Armilla was perplexed, the door in front of her opened with a gust of wind.
“I said who…… Armilla?”
Ricardo, who was sharply questioning the uninvited guest, narrowed his eyes when he saw the woman standing in front of him. He didn’t know why she was here.
Armilla quickly got herself together and opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry. There is something I left behind.”
“Come in.”
Ricardo stepped aside to let Armilla enter. Armilla passed him by and went into the study.
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