I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 111
Mirabel flinched and froze when she tried to push Ricardo away. He inhaled her scent deeply and furrowed his brows.
“Even a princess, even a Grand Duke, has moments of vulnerability. Please understand that.”
“What do you mean by that…”
“When I had to accept that you were dead, I truly understood what it meant to feel like the sky was falling. I don’t ever want to experience that again.”
“We’re in Renato, it’s not dangerous here.”
Trying to avoid showing her blushing face, Mirabel turned her head away. Ricardo tightened his grip in response.
He held her close enough to suffocate. The fine black hair fluttered over her shoulders.
“The mansion is also a danger. Last time you went to the stable. And now your maid has gone to the cemetery. It wouldn’t be strange for a beast to appear at any time.”
“The likelihood of a beast invading a building is low. And… I heard the Grand Duke got rid of the beasts.”
Mirabel’s voice trembled slightly. Ricardo’s warmth seemed to be melting her resolve.
She could feel his heart beating fast through his chest that was touching her. She too felt her heart start racing.
“The beasts…”
Ricardo sighed and murmured. The soft voice whispering in her ear made Mirabel shiver.
This is dangerous.
It wasn’t clear what the danger was, but it was certainly not good to remain in Ricardo’s arms. She desperately pushed against his chest,
“Anyway, please go away.”
“You don’t understand. Beasts without a leader might attack houses. So, we can’t be complacent.”
“Why would there be no leader?”
“Because I killed it. I did it to avenge you.”
Mirabel’s hands stopped pushing him away. As she dropped her hands, he gradually relaxed his arms.
“I thought the leader had killed you. So I went to Isota and killed it. I tore apart the leader’s innards trying to find any trace of you.”
Still holding Mirabel, Ricardo locked eyes with her. He gently grasped her chin and said in a pained tone,
“But I found nothing. All that was left was a blood-soaked bracelet.”
“…..”
“…Ever since you disappeared, I have gone out every year to slay the beasts. It felt like the only way I could keep on living.”
Ricardo gently caressed Mirabel’s cheek. His touch was trembling with tenderness.
“This year is different. I won’t go to the snowy mountains. If I leave, you might decide to leave too. And in my absence, you could be in danger. That’s why you need a guard, to be prepared against the beasts.”
Ricardo looked into Mirabel’s blue eyes and smiled sadly.
“I know you need to leave soon. I don’t have any right to ask anything of you.”
Mirabel bit her lip.
It hurt her heart. Seeing Ricardo’s sadness should have felt satisfying, but it wasn’t. The part of her that still loved him as Armilla was crying out in her heart.
Isn’t this man pitiful?
‘Absolutely not.’
Mirabel bit down hard on her lip. Blood seeped out, but it helped her focus.
This man is cruel.
He toyed with Armilla, making her miserable. She mustn’t be swayed by his current sweetness, forgetting the tears that were once her daily reality.
Falling for Ricardo is exactly what he wants. Mirabel repeated this to herself firmly.
“You’re well aware. You have no right to confine me.”
“It’s not confinement, it’s protection. And besides, Ezio is less bothersome than me.”
Pushing Ricardo away with determination, Mirabel finally distanced herself and sighed.
“Being monitored by anyone is bothersome. It’s even worse when it’s someone from Renato.”
“Mirabel, please.”
“If that’s the case, then only accompany me outside the mansion. Limit the guarding to within the Renato estates. Inside the mansion, you can watch over me.”
“Am I allowed to do that?”
Ricardo’s face lit up at her proposal.
He covered his mouth, unsure of what to do, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. Then, lowering his hand, he asked with a trembling voice.
“Can I, really, protect you?”
“Protecting a guest is the duty of the head, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
Ricardo’s violet eyes sparkled. As Mirabel observed the unusual liveliness in his eyes, she realized something new.
Since her return to Renato, this was the first time she had seen Ricardo look so vibrant.
* * *
Louise sighed deeply, her breath causing the papers in front of her to flutter.
“What should I do?”
She quickly grabbed the papers that threatened to fly away and soon began to grab her hair. If Ophelia saw her now, she would scold her for being unseemly, but Louise was alone.
So, this much is okay.
“Oh, this is driving me crazy!”
Louise shouted as she pushed back from her desk and stood up. She stormed towards the office door.
Just then, as she opened the door, she accidentally bumped foreheads with Asil, who was about to enter.
“Ugh!”
“What the, Asil! Why are you sneaking up like that?”
Asil, bending over in pain, grimaced at his twin sister’s exclamation. He pressed his forehead and complained,
“I definitely knocked. What’s your head made of, it’s so hard? Ah, it hurts.”
“What’s it made of? The same stuff as yours. Don’t be such a baby.”
Louise rolled her eyes at Asil and turned away sharply. She flopped down on the sofa in the office and beckoned her brother over with a flick of her finger.
“What brings you here? Just looking at the door to the office gave me a headache.”
“In a way, it seems I’ve gotten a headache this time too.”
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