I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 116
Each step the child took made a small squeaking sound, emanating from the shoes Louise had bought for him recently.
“Ungh…”
Charles struggled to open the heavy door, looking for Sophie.
But the door Charles opened did not lead to Sophie’s room. Instead, he found himself facing a long corridor.
“Huh?”
Charles blinked rapidly at the dark and chilly atmosphere, which was quite different from Segolinde.
His Uncle Asil had promised to send him to his mother, but why had he sent him to such a scary place? Where was his mother?
“Mommy…”
Fearful tears welled up in Charles’ eyes. He rubbed them vigorously, remembering how his mother had said brave people don’t cry.
Since he held back his tears, his mother would surely praise him.
He had cried a lot in front of Aunt Louise and Uncle Asil, but that was because his mother wasn’t coming. So it wasn’t his fault.
Having justified himself, Charles set out confidently to find his mother, the squeaking sound accompanying his steps as he moved further away from the green room.
By the time Sophie realized Charles was missing and rushed out, the child had already descended the stairs.
* * *
The snow hadn’t completely stopped, and the repairs on the Ragnar Bridge hadn’t begun.
Thus, Mirabel couldn’t leave Renato.
Even knowing this, Ricardo couldn’t bear the anxiety. He feared she might disappear again and couldn’t sleep soundly at night.
He spent the early mornings pacing in front of the green room, returning to his own room only when dawn’s light crept into the hallway.
Perched on the lobby stairs, he clasped his cold hands together.
‘Was it a mistake to say that?’
Mirabel’s expression had darkened rapidly after learning that Ezio’s demotion was because of her. It seemed he had unintentionally burdened her with guilt.
‘I suppose I should reinstate Ezio.’
Ricardo considered addressing Ezio’s situation, something he had postponed.
Though he had been preoccupied, Ezio had been the most diligent in searching for Armilla.
And most importantly, he had found Armilla.
Though her return as Mirabel had nothing to do with Ezio, there was no longer any point in continuing his punishment.
‘What else have I overlooked?’
Ricardo’s heavy boots thudded softly against the carpeted stairs.
He wanted Mirabel to feel at ease during her stay here.
He wished she could let go of the guilt, anger, and resentment. All those burdens were his to bear.
Squeak.
Squeak.
‘What’s that?’
Lost in thought, Ricardo straightened his back at the distant sound.
He glanced up the spiral staircase but saw nothing.
‘Just my imagination.’
Ricardo frowned and redirected his focus.
Since Armilla’s disappearance, hallucinations and auditory illusions had occasionally plagued him. They had lessened recently, but it seemed they were returning.
‘I don’t want to show Mirabel my weak side.’
Ricardo took a deep breath. The doctor had said the hallucinations were psychological. He believed he could manage them on his own.
Squeak.
Squeak.
Squeak.
Despite Ricardo’s efforts to compose himself, the sound grew louder. The strange noise, unlike anything he’d heard before, set his nerves on edge.
Aware he might appear mad, Ricardo called out cautiously.
“What is it?”
“Mommy…”
A child’s sob answered his tense voice.
Ricardo, startled, stood up.
A child?
There shouldn’t be any children in Renato. It must be another hallucination.
His heart pounded.
As he went up the stairs, a small figure came into view near the curved part of the railing.
Ricardo squinted at the shape.
It was a child. A boy around three years old. But how could a child be here?
“What…”
“Mommy, mommy…”
Charles, clinging to the edge of the stairs and crawling down, called out pitifully for his mother.
The stairs were too many and too steep. His mother usually carried him down. But now, no one was around.
His resolve to hold back tears was faltering just as a chilling, ghost-like voice pierced the air.
“Huuh, huh, uwaahh!”
“Wa, wait!”
Ricardo quickly grabbed the boy dressed in his pumpkin pants and was about to topple backwards.
Holding the child in his arms, Ricardo stared at Charles blankly.
This child looked very familiar.
The boy’s glossy black hair, clear blue eyes, and adorable chubby cheeks…
“Charles!”
Ricardo looked up at the shout from the top of the stairs.
Mirabel, her face pale with shock, was staring at him.
Mirabel rushed down the stairs in a panic. She had intended to warn Ricardo to stay away from Charles if they ever met. She had been searching the entire mansion, trying to find him.
Meanwhile, a terrified Sophie had come to her, saying Charles had disappeared. When Mirabel demanded an explanation, Sophie tearfully confessed.
Asil had sent Charles early, and the boy had vanished while Sophie was briefly changing clothes.
In the Segolinde royal palace, Charles disappearing wouldn’t have been a big issue. But here, it was different.
Mirabel began searching frantically for her son. She combed through every room, including the smallest ones she hadn’t checked while looking for Ricardo.
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