I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 114
“Understood.”
Ezio replied, standing at attention. His expression showed no hint of doubt or defiance.
Ricardo nodded at Ezio’s readiness to follow orders without question.
“You may go.”
“Yes, Master.”
Ezio responded, heading back down the stairs Ricardo had ascended. Once he was out of sight, Mirabel finally released the fabric of her dress.
“Haah…”
“Mirabel.”
As Mirabel’s body trembled slightly, Ricardo quickly approached her. Observing her pale face, he spoke in a serious tone.
“Your maid was looking for you in the library. I didn’t expect you to run into Ezio. I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
Mirabel replied firmly. Despite the numerous wrongs Ricardo had done to her, this incident was not his fault.
Mirabel didn’t want to hear Ricardo apologize for something he wasn’t responsible for.
“Alright, just a moment.”
Ricardo said obediently. He entered the library and quickly returned with her veil, carefully placing it back over her head.
“You might encounter someone else on the way to the Green Room.”
“….Why don’t you ask?”
Mirabel questioned as she adjusted her veil.
If the veil had fallen in the library, Ricardo must have seen the torn map. Yet he acted as if nothing unusual had happened.
“Is there something I should be curious about?”
“No, there’s not.”
Mirabel replied, turning her head in resignation. As she began to descend the stairs, Ricardo grabbed her wrist.
“Are you alright? Did Ezio hurt you?”
“Would you assign a guard capable of hurting me?”
Mirabel asked with a faint smile jokingly. However, Ricardo remained solemn.
“If you’re injured, tell me. I’ll deal with him severely.”
“There’s no need. I’m fine.”
Mirabel said, pulling her wrist from Ricardo’s grasp. She started down the stairs but paused and looked back at Ricardo, who seemed visibly anxious.
“….Why?”
“Why isn’t Ezio the Commander of the knights?” she asked.
“Well…”
Ricardo was taken aback by the sudden question. He bit his lip before sighing deeply.
Watching Ricardo hesitate, Mirabel tilted her head. She wondered why this question seemed so difficult for him. Finally, he spoke.
“Because I lost you.”
Ricardo’s gaze wasn’t on Mirabel. He was staring at something distant, as if recalling a memory far away.
“Because he let you slip away. So, I demoted Ezio.”
Ricardo’s response was something Mirabel hadn’t anticipated at all. She turned her head and swallowed dryly.
Her heart felt heavy.
Mirabel had tried to avoid thinking about what she had left behind when she departed from Renato.
So, her memories of Renato were frozen in time, on the day she left.
Cruel and cold Ricardo, the arrogant butler, the curt maids, and Ezio, the Commander of the knights.
Now, none of them remained as they were.
Ricardo had crumbled, the butler was dismissed, Bianca was expelled, and Ezio was no longer the Commander.
Renato had completely changed. The Renato where Armilla lived no longer existed.
While the changes with the butler and Bianca were satisfying, the changes with Ricardo and Ezio…
‘No, the only person I need to apologize to is Ezio.’
Mirabel gripped the railing tightly. Ignoring Ricardo’s intense gaze, she continued down the stairs.
Nothing stays the same over time. Everything changes.
So, there’s no need to feel sorry for Ricardo’s transformation. She should actually find satisfaction in it. With that thought, Mirabel nodded to herself.
* * *
“Charles is coming here?”
Back in the Green Room, Mirabel asked Sophie in shock. Sophie had relayed the news from Asil the moment Mirabel returned.
Asil had said that if Mirabel set a date, he would send Charles to her on that day.
He explained that they had no choice because Charles missed his mother so much. Hearing this, Mirabel murmured with a troubled expression.
“By magic?”
Sophie sniffled beside her. She had been hit by a pile of snow falling from the roof while looking for Mirabel.
“Yes, Prince Asil said he would send him. Achoo!”
Sophie sneezed and moved closer to the fireplace to warm up.
“Cover yourself with this, or you’ll catch a cold.”
Mirabel draped a blanket over Sophie, who was shivering. Sophie nodded in gratitude but furrowed her brow.
“But why do you look like that? I thought you’d be happy.”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
“It looks like you really don’t like it. It seems like you’re worried about something.”
“Not at all. I’m thrilled.”
Mirabel forced an awkward smile, feeling cornered by Sophie’s perceptiveness. The thought of seeing Charles again made her heart swell with joy.
But this was Renato, not her homeland. And just recently, Ricardo had learned about Charles. If the two were to meet directly now…
‘This won’t do.’
Mirabel shook off her rising anxiety and stood up. She left Sophie in the room, speaking hastily.
“I’m just stepping out for a bit. I’ll be right back.”
“Huh? Where are you… Achoo!”
Sophie tried to ask, but a violent sneeze shook her entire body. By the time she recovered, Mirabel had already disappeared. Sophie rubbed her nose and tilted her head in confusion.
“What could be keeping her so busy?”
Sophie muttered softly.
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