I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 123
Even though she poured love into raising Charles, he always craved more affection.
Mirabel should have expected this from the moment Charles started asking questions about Ricardo.
Especially since Ricardo had even saved him, Charles would inevitably continue seeking him out.
‘There’s nothing I can do.’
Mirabel’s soft slippers brushed gently across the hallway. She walked with the familiar steps of her body, heading toward where Ricardo was.
* * *
The snow began to melt.
This simple statement filled Ricardo with dread. As the master of Renato, he had endured a long winter. The thawing of the cold and the melting snow signified a relief from the burden on his shoulders.
But this time, it was different.
Ricardo hoped for the cold to be fiercer than ever this year. He wished for the windows to be frozen solid and for the fires in the hearth to burn with such intensity that his body would shiver.
That way, Mirabel wouldn’t be able to leave Renato.
However, cruelly, nature flowed according to its own laws. The cold snap that peaked last week began to retreat, marked by the melting icicles.
Thus, Ricardo resorted to desperate measures.
He took the cheap and crude tactic of sending away all the servants just to see the child before Mirabel left.
As a result, Ricardo left Charles to suffer alone and made Mirabel tremble with fear.
“Haah…”
Ricardo hunched over and grasped his head with both hands. He blamed himself so intensely that veins bulged on his knuckles.
At this rate, he had nothing to say to Mirabel.
How could he possibly face her?
“Grand Duke.”
After some time with his head bowed, Ricardo jerked up. He frowned, wondering if he had heard wrong.
“May I come in?”
At the clear voice that followed, Ricardo sprang up from his seat. He nearly ran across his office to open the door, trembling with anticipation. When he opened it, Mirabel stood before him.
“I went to the dining room and heard that you skipped dinner tonight.”
“…Yes.”
Ricardo answered and quickly cleared his throat. His voice, ragged and hoarse, surprised him momentarily.
He had thought that all his damaged appearances had already been seen by Mirabel, but it seemed he needed to renew that record once again.
“Would you like to… have a meal together?”
“I don’t have anything particular to discuss over dinner.”
Mirabel shook her head slowly, declining the offer. Despite the refusal, Ricardo’s smile remained faintly pleased.
He was simply glad that she had come to see him, even more so than the fact that she had rejected him.
“Come in.”
Ricardo stepped aside, inviting her in. Mirabel hesitated for a moment as she entered the office, her expression changing after seeing its different appearance from her previous visit.
Ricardo, noting her gaze, quickly moved the liquor bottles sprawled on the floor.
“I couldn’t sleep. It’s not something I do often, just occasionally…”
“Charles wants to see you.”
Mirabel went straight to the point. Ricardo inhaled sharply, surprised by her words. Before he could respond, Mirabel continued.
“He calls you ‘Uncle Wolf’. I warned him that you’re a scary person, like a wolf, but it seems that nickname stuck.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s all there is to it.”
Mirabel’s eyes, glowing a clear blue, fixed on Ricardo with a warning. She spoke firmly, her voice carrying a clear message.
“This is as far as I will permit.”
Ricardo nodded, his face tense. He spoke with conviction.
“That’s enough.”
Their eyes locked, and Ricardo gazed at her intensely as he promised.
“I will never approach the child beyond what you’ve allowed.”
Despite this vow, Mirabel’s wariness didn’t wane. She looked at him coldly as she continued.
“Anyway…”
She walked towards the door, grasping the handle as she finished.
“You could never be more than that. The snow is melting.”
Ricardo, understanding the hidden meaning in her words, nodded silently.
As the snow melts, the path through the mountain opens up, allowing Mirabel and her group to return to Segolinde. Thus, even if Ricardo tries to get closer to Charles, the child will soon leave. Once that happens, Ricardo will merely be a faint memory of a brief connection.
Mirabel had hit the nail on the head.
Ricardo furrowed his brow, watching Mirabel’s retreating figure. Even in the dimly lit room, her blonde hair continued to shine.
The violet eyes, gazing at the sparkling blonde, grew unfocused and blurred.
Once, under a candlelight like this, Ricardo had seen Armilla. Back then, amidst her red hair, a few strands had shone like threads of gold.
In those days, Armilla had looked at him with eyes sparkling with affection. She had loved him and desired him.
That was who she was back then…
Ricardo, as if entranced, reached out towards the blonde hair. Just before his hand could touch it, Mirabel moved towards the door, pulling away from him.
“When Charles’ fever has subsided, I’ll let you see him. Until then, wait.”
Ricardo watched her retreating figure, clenching his fists tightly. Staring at his empty hands, he spoke in a voice filled with despair.
“I’ll wait.”
Mirabel, having heard Ricardo’s earnest reply, turned and left for her room without a word of farewell.
Ricardo stood there, gazing with hollow eyes at Mirabel’s diminishing figure. He remained by the door for a long time, lost in thought.
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