I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Translator: effe
Ricardo cleared his throat and spoke again.
“Anyway. Returning to the original story. It would have been nice if the arranged marriage had proceeded safely. But now since that has become difficult, we have to find the princess’s body at least. I guess they were a little worried that I hadn’t been able to find it.”
“The princess must be a really important person to Your Grace. I think you cared for her a lot.”
“Should I say that I cherish her?”
Ricardo said bitterly.
There was a pensive look on his face. He doesn’t seem to want to talk on this subject any longer.
Armilla looked uneasy as Ricardo’s expression slowly hardened.
“Your Grace?”
“…….”
“Your Grace, what’s wrong…….”
“It’s late.”
“Ah, forgive me.”
When Ricardo said those words after a long silence, Armilla hurriedly left.
It was a relief that he dismissed her. She didn’t know what kind of mistake she would make if she stayed in the study.
‘Was it useless?’
Armilla mused over what she had said anxiously. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary or strange. She understood her place well.
Heading towards the bedroom, Armilla looked down at the small scribbles on the back of the practice paper she was holding.
Actually, she wanted to ask if Ricardo had seen it.
But she just threw useless questions about the princess and the letter for Segolinde. It was for nothing. She ended up making him feel bad for no reason.
‘I don’t think I’ve got caught.’
Armilla rubbed her fingertips, wanting to erase the scribbles. However, the scribbles with dried ink could not be erased nor smudged.
Armilla sighed and pressed down on the scribble. Then, the part with the scribble on was crumpled.
Entering the bedroom, Armilla threw the practice paper at the fireplace. As it burned, the practice paper rolled from the edge and started to char.
Armilla’s scribbles also turned to black. Armilla looked at the scribbles with cold eyes.
Armilla Vittore.
It was a scribble with no sense of her own place.
* * *
Ricardo Vittore was a perfectionist. That word suited him. He searched for the princess without missing a single day, and even today, after finishing the search at dawn, he came to treat Armilla.
“You’re here.”
Armilla greeted Ricardo with an awkward face as she sat down on the bed.
At first, she was treated in the parlor rather than the bedroom. However, after she lost consciousness several times after bouts of pain during the treatment, they switched to doing the treatment in her bedroom.
Armilla tucked her shawl as she watched Ricardo cross her room with a dry look.
It was snowing today, and a lot of snow was piled up on Ricardo’s head and shoulders.
Getting snowed on was his daily routine, so there is nothing odd about it. The only problem was that the snow was starting to melt and wetted his hair and clothes.
Armilla raised her eyebrows, looking at his black hair with clear drops of water.
“You can come after warming up.”
“That’s okay.”
Ricardo replied, shaking off the snow roughly. Then he threw the marten cloak on the chair and went over to the fireplace.
He watched the flame in the fireplace carefully before adding a few more wood. Looking at the empty firewood basket, he spoke.
“It’s better to finish quickly.”
A dry tone, devoid of any emotion. Armilla felt herself getting smaller with his voice.
In front of the fireplace where she burned away the scribble where she dared added his last name to her own name, Ricardo was treating her matter as a simple business.
He didn’t show any signs of annoyance during the search for the princess, which required him to wander through the mountains in heavy snow. Yet he acted as if he was impatient to finish the magic treatment, which could be done in about 5 minutes in a warm bedroom.
The difference in his attitude chilled Armilla’s heart. Armilla grabbed the bedsheets and said gloomily.
“Then we should start soon. That way it will be over soon.”
Armilla was startled for a moment and covered her mouth with one hand as she looked at Ricardo. Her words came out more bluntly than she thought.
But Ricardo didn’t respond. He just stayed there and stared at the fire. There was only the sound of firewood crackling spreading in the bedroom for a while.
‘Is he angry?’
The silence was long enough that it felt awkward, Armilla anxiously looked at Ricardo’s back.
“Right.”
“Yes?”
Armilla, who was blaming herself, blinked to his sudden voice. Ricardo slowly got up and began to remove his jacket.
Armilla watched his long fingers unfasten the golden buttons one by one. The sight made her forget to take a breath.
The wet jacket flopped heavily onto the sofa. He must have been badly snowed on today, even the white shirt he was wearing under the jacket was soaked.
“Let’s get started quickly.”
Ricardo murmured lowly and turned. Armilla’s cheeks heated up when she saw him.
His wet shirt clung to his solid upper body, revealing the curves of his well-muscled body. His flat, broad chest and the well-split abs beneath it slowly moved with each Ricardo’s breath.
“Shall we begin?”
Ricardo said quietly as he swept his wet hair up. Even though it’s not a big deal, it felt like a hot fire broke out inside Armilla’s stomach.
Armilla looked at Ricardo with a bewildered look and nodded her head slightly.
With her quiet reply, Ricardo slowly approached the bed. His boots made footprints on the carpet, and the sound of his strong thighs rubbing against each other resounded loudly.
No, actually it only rang a little. Far less than the sound of Armilla’s heart beating.
“Your Grace…..”
“How is it?”
“……what?”
Ricardo’s hand came all of a sudden and caressed Armilla’s head. Armilla stared blankly at Ricardo, forgetting to straighten her shawl.
“Your head.”
“Ah…… it’s okay.”
Armilla belatedly grasped Ricardo’s question and bowed her head.
Looking down, she saw her upper chest sway, exposed over the bodice of the dress.
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