I Don’t Need the Grand Duke’s Regret - Chapter 150

The sitting room was inconveniently located far from the Black Room, and as she hurriedly climbed the stairs, Mirabel felt her breath catch in her throat.

“Haa, haa. Haa…”

Finally, when she stood before Ricardo’s bedroom,

Mirabel released her grip on her skirts and took a moment to breathe.

Perhaps it was the running, but her heart raced wildly, as if it was beating all over her body.

Thump, thump, the loud beats echoed in her ears.

Gathering strength in her trembling legs, Mirabel exhaled deeply. Even though she had sprinted to arrive quickly, she found herself unable to step inside the room.

So she stared blankly at Ricardo’s bed. With Hugo and the servants surrounding him, she could only catch glimpses of his dark hair.

Frowning as she caught sight of Ricardo’s figure, just seeing his hair made her heart ache.

“…Mirabel.”

Startled by the deep voice resonating from inside the room, Mirabel flinched.

At Ricardo’s call, those standing by his side stepped aside to create a path.

Yet, even then, Mirabel could not approach Ricardo. Her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground.

Clenching her fists, she focused her gaze on him.

Ricardo looked even more gaunt than when Mirabel had returned to Renato.

His once-sharp jawline had become noticeably sharper, the defined gaze beneath his thick eyebrows stood out, and dark shadows had settled under his sunken eyes.

His once robust physique seemed to have lost all fat, leaving only muscle, and his bare torso showed no sign of excess.

However, despite his emaciation, Ricardo did not appear impoverished. Instead, his expression had grown sharper and more precarious, exuding a starkness that compelled one to kneel in submission.

Yet, contrary to the brutal chill emanating from him, his violet gaze, which fell on Mirabel, was filled with nothing but pity.

As their eyes locked in the air, the others in the room began to leave.

When Ugo, Missus Catarina, and the others exited, and Nasir closed the door, Mirabel remained standing, frozen in place.

“All this time…”

“…Why?”

When Ricardo broke the silence with his question, Mirabel lowered her head, her lips trembling.

She couldn’t bear to look at him any longer. Just gazing at him made her throat burn, making it difficult to speak.

“Why…”

Mirabel squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists tightly.

“Why did you do that? Why… take such dangerous risks?”

Leaning against the closed door, she covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders hunched and began to tremble.

“You could have died.”

“…”

“It’s recklessly foolish. Even for you, to use the sword energy twice…”

“It had to be this way.”

Ricardo replied flatly. The sound of rustling blankets accompanied by the creaking of the bed springs filled the air as he sat up slowly, taking careful steps towards Mirabel.

Soon, his shadow loomed over her, and the fresh scent brushed against her nose, yet she couldn’t lift her head. Her palm, which covered her face, was damp, and hot tears pooled on her chin.

“Don’t cry.”

A gentle voice reached her ears as a large hand gently grasped her wrist. Ricardo lifted the veil from her face and cupped her delicate chin, tilting her head upward.

“I did this to make sure you wouldn’t cry. I had to protect you and Charles, and this was the only way.”

Ricardo tenderly wiped the tears from Mirabel’s eyes with his thumb. As her eyelids opened under his touch, her vision filled with his haggard face, making her expression twist as she spoke.

“Even if it means dying?”

“Even if it means dying.”

Ricardo offered a hollow smile.

“The rampaging beasts are entirely my fault for neglecting my duties. If I hadn’t skipped this year’s hunt, none of this would have happened.”

“That’s not your fault. It was because of the prolonged cold, and the beasts were starving.”

“No, all the misfortunes that have befallen you… I brought them upon you. So…”

As he wiped away Mirabel’s tears, Ricardo’s face suddenly contorted in pain. He clutched his bandaged abdomen and gasped for breath.

“Grand Duke!”

Startled, Mirabel reached out to help him, but Ricardo looked at her and forced a smile.

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie to me! The bandages are soaked with blood!”

As Mirabel led Ricardo back to the bed, he gripped her hand tightly. Looking at her with intense eyes, he vowed,

“Don’t worry. I’ll take on all your misfortunes.”

“Just lie down on the bed already. I get it.”

“I heard that the repairs on the Ragnar Bridge are complete. You can go wherever you want. Whether it’s the palace or Segolinde. I’ll send you off. Wherever you go, ugh, I’ll… protect you.”

Ricardo refused to be led to the bed, leaning against the door for support. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he stubbornly resisted.

“Who asked you to protect me? Who told you to take my misfortunes upon yourself?”

Mirabel shouted, striking his solid shoulder in frustration. She was angry at his foolishness. Angry and hurt.

With a body that looked as if it might collapse at any moment, how could he talk about protecting anyone?

When he had clung to her for support, why was he now pushing her away?

Mirabel had waited for Ricardo to wake up for so long. When he finally did, she had so much to say. Too much, in fact, that she still hadn’t fully sorted through her thoughts.

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