I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 136
This was already her third time parting with Luce, and yet, no matter how many times it happened, farewells never seemed to become familiar. It seemed that Luce felt the same way.
“You must, must come again…”
Mirabel forced a smile.
She didn’t want to leave Luce. After all, Luce had been a source of strength during her hardest times.
But Luce was a part of Renato. As the princess of Segolinde, Mirabel couldn’t just take her away.
Instead, Mirabel left Luce a small gift—a lily bulb she had brought from Segolinde.
“Luce, don’t need flowers. All I need is the princess.”
“Don’t say that.”
Mirabel comforted Luce and then let go of her hand.
In Arcangelo, lily bulbs were said to be worth more than an equal weight of gold, so it would be helpful for Luce’s life.
Just in case, Mirabel had asked Ricardo to keep an eye on Luce.
So, Luce wouldn’t have to endure hardship any longer.
It was a small token of gratitude for Luce’s help with Armillia.
“I’m going now.”
Mirabel gave Luce a final wave. As she turned her body, Luce finally collapsed to the ground, crying.
“Huh, Princess…”
“Luce…”
Luce’s tears made Charles, who was watching, scrunch up his face.
Mirabel gently patted the child’s back, who was trying to hold back tears. Once Charles was comfortably settled inside the cozy carriage with Sophie’s help, Mirabel joined him.
The door to the princess’s carriage closed, and the sound of the coachman’s whip cracking spread in front of the mansion.
As the carriage rolled away, the sound of a horse’s whinny echoed outside.
“Depart!”
Under Ricardo’s command, the Segolinde party headed toward the snowy mountains.
Inside the swaying carriage, Mirabel held Charles’s hand tightly, her face set in sternly.
Her heart pounded heavily, as if sensing some ominous foreboding.
* * *
Mirabel sat in the carriage, tense and upright.
Contrary to her worries, neither beasts nor other obstacles appeared immediately. However, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down until they reached Segolinde.
In the past, avoiding the Isota Canyon would keep them safe from beast hordes.
This route was designed to avoid the canyon, making it relatively safe as long as they stayed away from the area where the leader beast was located.
However, things are different now.
With the leader beast dead, they could encounter a horde of beasts at any time and place.
‘We won’t encounter any more beasts.’
Mirabel tried to calm her trembling heart with reassuring thoughts.
The terror she felt when facing the leader beast remained vivid even after years had passed.
The beast’s snarling, sharp fangs, exposed gums, its overwhelming size and ferocity—these were all etched into her memory.
It was a despair that left her feeling utterly powerless.
At that time, her only option was to flee. Her survival seemed like a miracle.
Even though Asil’s bracelet provided protection, arriving safely in Segolinde was purely a stroke of luck.
Whether that luck would hold again was uncertain.
Therefore, Mirabel could only hope that such misfortune would not come their way.
‘It’ll be alright.’
Mirabel swallowed hard.
The beast from that time was dead. Ricardo had killed it. So, at least she wouldn’t fall into that same kind of fear again.
To calm her unease, Mirabel gently stroked Charles’s hair as he slept with his head resting on her lap.
As she caressed the soft, silk-like strands of the child’s hair, she let out a heavy sigh.
“Try to get some rest, Princess.”
“No.”
Mirabel responded calmly to Sophie, who was sitting across from her, and turned her head. Pulling aside the carriage curtain, she looked out at the snow-capped mountains.
The bare branches dusted with snow came into view. The scene outside, covered in a thick blanket of snow, slowly passed by like a moving painting.
‘It’s always winter here.’
Mirabel thought as she gazed out. While the path was cleared for the carriage, it didn’t mean the snow had melted. The snow on the mountains never melted throughout the year.
That’s why people hadn’t given the mountain a specific name; ‘Snow Mountain’.
Some might think it was perpetual snow, but that was a futile assumption. Renato was a place where snow fell regardless of the season.
Looking outside, Mirabel left the curtain half-drawn and sat back up.
When they first set out, the white snow had reflected the sunlight, making it dazzling, but now it was less intense.
Even though the scenery was similar, seeing it gradually seemed to help calm her mind.
“The prince is sleeping soundly. I was worried because he woke up several times early yesterday morning.”
Mirabel looked down at Charles, who was sleeping soundly. The child was clutching one of her fingers tightly.
Usually, he wasn’t so clingy to Mirabel, but it seemed the shock of seeing her faint in front of him had deeply affected him.
“How was Charles yesterday?”
“You wouldn’t believe it. He was so upset, crying because he thought you had collapsed because of him. I was on edge, worried he might make himself vomit again. But the Grand Duke managed to calm him down quickly.”
“He did?”
“Yes. He carried you to the green room, had the doctor examine you, and then he held the prince until he fell asleep.”
“…I see.”
Mirabel responded calmly to Sophie’s words. She was already aware of Ricardo’s affection for Charles.
That was exactly why he made her uncomfortable.
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