I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 143
Mirabel bit her lip as she recalled Ricardo’s gasps for breath.
He was someone who should be wielding a sword and defeating his enemies, not lying there helpless and unconscious.
Mirabel didn’t know the weak side of Ricardo.
The Ricardo she knew was a strong man.
He had to be.
So that she wouldn’t be moved by resentment or hatred.
Ricardo needed to be steadfast.
“If you die… I won’t forgive you.”
Standing alone in the empty courtyard, Mirabel struggled to voice her wet, quivering words. The tears streaming down her cheeks felt both hot and cold.
* * *
“Princess?”
As she arrived at the knights’ quarters, a familiar voice pierced through her thoughts.
Turning her head, she saw a neatly dressed man approaching.
“Nasir.”
After recognizing him, Mirabel called out his name, and Nasir walked toward her, tilting his head in curiosity.
“What brings you here, Princess?”
“I heard Ezio has woken up.”
“Oh, I see. I was actually on my way to visit him as well.”
Nasir smiled gently as he stood beside Mirabel. She hesitated momentarily, finding herself unintentionally in his company. Noticing her pause, Nasir blinked at her.
“Is something wrong? Do you have an issue?”
“Not an issue, but it just occurred to me that I should thank Nasir as well.”
Mirabel exhaled lightly. Nasir looked at her with a puzzled expression.
After returning to the mansion, she had crossed paths with Nasir several times while caring for Ricardo, but they hadn’t really exchanged words. The seriousness of Ricardo’s condition had consumed her attention.
Now, however, she felt a little more at ease.
Ricard had overcome a significant hurdle, so it seemed as if she could finally breathe.
Only now, with some relief, did Mirabel realize that she had been neglecting those around her.
“Thanks to Nasir urging me to carry a dagger, I was able to protect myself from the beasts. I really appreciate it.”
Mirabel said this with sincerity, bowing her waist slightly. As she lowered her veil and offered a bow, Nasir looked thoroughly taken aback.
“Pri, Princess, please don’t do that.”
Mirabel slowly raised her gaze, and when she smiled warmly, a flustered Nasir spoke up.
“It’s not something that requires a bow from you, Princess. And it was the Grand Duke who protected you, not me.”
“…That’s true.”
When Nasir mentioned Ricardo, a bittersweet smile crossed Mirabel’s face.
“I’m grateful to the Grand Duke as well.”
“When he wakes up, please let him know. It will bring him joy.”
Mirabel bit her lip at Nasir’s warm words. Imagining herself thanking Ricardo and seeing his happy face made her heart ache.
Mirabel hated Ricardo. He was the one who had stained the happiest moments of her life with tears, leaving her with nothing but pain, not memories.
The man who coldly scoffed at her heartfelt confession.
The man who did not believe in love.
That man was Ricardo.
Mirabel, or rather Armilla, endured her unhappiness by his side foolishly, as that was how she knew to love.
But eventually, that love burned away to nothing.
What had once been an endlessly blind affection transformed into resentment and hatred, leading Mirabel to let go of her past.
At least, she thought she had.
To calm her tumultuous feelings, Mirabel rubbed her eyes.
Her eyes felt hot and her nose tingled from the tears she had shed moments earlier. But now that she had cried, her heart felt a little lighter.
What those tears meant, she couldn’t even understand.
What was the emotion she held for Ricardo? What was it that pressed so heavily on her heart?
Worry? Anxiety? Hatred?
There were no answers.
Mirabel wanted to know how long the feeling of love lasted. If love lasted a lifetime, did the hatred born from it also persist throughout that lifetime?
But again, there were no answers.
What Mirabel wanted would be the answer, yet she had no idea what she truly wanted. It felt as if she was trapped in a hazy fog.
The only thing she was certain of was that she did not want to be alone in that fog.
“The Master will be fine. He has returned from the brink of death countless times.”
Nasir gently spoke, having figured the reason for Mirabel’s silence. He took slow steps as he continued.
“When he lost, the Grand Duchess… Lady Armilla, there were also moments where he faced death, but he ultimately returned.”
At Nasir’s words, Mirabel quietly clenched her fist. He looked at her and calmly continued.
“I genuinely thought we were going to lose the Grand Duke back then. He was driven to the edge of despair, overwhelmed by his longing for Lady Armilla.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Just sharing the past.”
Nasir shrugged lightly, gesturing toward the main entrance of the lodging without further comment.
Even though Nasir was leading the way, Mirabel did not follow immediately behind him.
Her mind was already a tangled mess, and hearing Nasir’s words only added to the confusion.
Everything felt jumbled.
She had thought that her feelings of hatred toward Ricardo would remain clear and unchanged over the years.
But now, there was nothing vivid in her heart.
After a few steps, Mirabel finally began to move, her feet slowly following behind him. Amidst the ambiguity, her heart stirred along.
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