I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 144
Mirabel and Nasir went to Ezio’s room. Nasir seemed familiar with the place, guiding her expertly. As the two entered, Ezio, who was lying in bed, hurriedly tried to sit up.
“Princess!”
“Don’t get up.”
Mirabel quickly said as she noticed Ezio wince with his bandaged leg.
Nasir moved closer to help him lean against the headboard, and Ezio exhaled deeply, as if trying to suppress his pain.
“It’s an honor to see you, Princess.”
“I came because I heard you were awake. How are you feeling?”
“I’m managing, thank you. I appreciate you coming in person.”
Ezio awkwardly bowed his head as he greeted her. Mirabel smiled gently at him.
Though Ezio often played with Charles, he hadn’t had much of a conversation with Mirabel.
Since their awkward encounter in the study, they had kept a distance from each other.
Whenever their eyes met, Ezio would noticeably look away, and she hadn’t initiated any conversation with him either.
So it seemed that Ezio had not expected her to visit.
However, despite their somewhat strained relationship, Mirabel wanted to express her gratitude.
If it hadn’t been for Ezio, she wouldn’t have been able to bring Ricardo back to the mansion.
On the day they encountered the beasts, Ezio had supported Ricardo even after injuring his leg.
It was just when Mirabel was about to collapse while trying to lift the unconscious Ricardo that Ezio appeared out of nowhere, steadfastly supporting them.
He then guided their group to the mansion, keeping an eye out for any remaining beasts.
Ezio had laid Ricardo down safely on the bed before collapsing himself. Mirabel only learned about his situation later, as she had been too overwhelmed to notice at the time.
“I should have come to greet you sooner. I’m sorry for being late. Thank you for that day.”
“What do you mean?”
“You helped bring him back to the mansion.”
“That’s just my duty. There’s no need to thank me.”
Ezio scratched his head, looking awkward. Seeing his discomfort, Mirabel kept her mouth shut, unsure of how to respond to his humble remarks.
It was difficult to steer the conversation forward when the other person was not very outgoing.
As a result, an awkward silence lingered.
“Well, even so, there’s no need to speak to the Princess like that.”
The awkwardness that had settled between the two was broken by Nasir’s clear cough.
“It’s true that you helped the Master. Now, relax and think about what kind of reward you’d like.”
“I didn’t do it for a reward.”
“You know the Master won’t let that slide, right? The master of Renato…”
“Never forgets to repay both kindness and enmity.”
Ezio picked up on Nasir’s words, sounding grumpy. He glanced down at the bandage with a faint trace of blood and sighed.
“Whatever the reward, I just hope he wakes up soon.”
“He will.”
Mirabel, who had been quietly listening to the two men, finally spoke up. She lowered her gaze as she continued.
“He’s a strong man.”
At her words, the two exchanged looks. Ezio cleared his throat and Mirabel raised her gaze.
“What’s with you two?”
“Well, it’s not that you’re wrong, but…”
Ezio hesitated, then continued.
“He was someone who wouldn’t crumble no matter what happened. But now…”
“Are you saying the Grand Duke isn’t strong?”
“Not at all. He’s still strong. But since that woman… the Grand Duchess has left, he’s become a different person.”
Ezio carefully observed Mirabel’s reaction as he spoke.
“He’s clearly changed from the person he used to be. He’s lost a lot of strength over the past events. His resilience isn’t what it used to be. If it were the old him, he would’ve swept away that many beasts in no time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. A lot has happened in Renato since the Grand Duchess left. The Grand Duke has been feeling a lot of guilt and suffering. The grief over the Grand Duchess has made him ill.”
As Ezio’s story sunk in, Mirabel raised her head. She looked at him intently before speaking softly.
“By why are you bringing up the Grand Duchess all of a sudden?”
At Mirabel’s question, Ezio fell silent. He glanced at Nasir, who let out a sigh.
“I think he may have crossed a line while trying to explain things to the Princess. Please forgive him. Apologize, Ezio.”
With Nasir’s counsel, Ezio bowed his head in response.
“I’m sorry, Princess. I thought you might be worried about the Master, and in trying to explain, I may have overstepped my bounds.”
“Of course I’m worried. He got severely injured while protecting me and Charles.”
Mirabel sighed and turned her body. She fiddled with the end of her veil as she continued.
“But it’s not very pleasant to hear about the Grand Duchess every time I meet you two.”
She hoped her tone sounded calm as she spoke.
“I don’t understand what the Grand Duke’s love for the Grand Duchess has to do with me. Besides, I’ve heard that the Grand Duchess didn’t die but ran away. That makes it seem like the Grand Duke didn’t love her that much at all.”
“No, he loved her. So much so that he got mad!”
“What do you mean by that?”
Mirabel narrowed her eyes at Ezio’s retort. She felt uncomfortable discussing such matters with him. Ezio stumbled over his words as he tried to respond to her probing questions.
“So, um… Damn it, Nasir! You say something!”
Ultimately, Ezio grabbed at his hair in frustration as he shouted. Nasir, who had been quietly observing Mirabel, rubbed his forehead.
“Enough of this, Ezio. We agreed it wasn’t our place to discuss this.”
“Still! Don’t you feel sorry for our master?”
“…Feel sorry?”
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