I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 151
First and foremost, she wanted to express her gratitude and apologize. Yet, at the same time, she was angry at his recklessness. But right now, one thought overshadowed all those feelings:
It was frustrating.
The man who was willing to sacrifice his life without understanding her struggles was so infuriating, to the point where it hurt.
“…You told me not to go.”
With tear-filled eyes, Mirabel glared at Ricardo. Amidst her hazy vision, she could see the man who was groaning in pain looking back at her.
Just seeing him like that made her heart ache, and it frustrated her.
“You told me not to go. Don’t you remember? You begged me not to abandon you, not to leave. You said that with your own mouth.”
“That was…”
Ricardo’s expression turned troubled at Mirabel’s questioning. As he bit his lip in discomfort, she continued to unleash her frustration.
“Do you even realize how selfish this is? You say you want to protect me? That you’ll take on all my misfortunes? Isn’t that just for your own peace of mind? Don’t protect me. Don’t even try to do so. I’d rather not see you get hurt again or end up bedridden because of me….”
“Would it make you feel better if I died?”
“That’s not what this is about!”
“You always get angry at me, upset, and sad whenever you see me.”
Mirabel was momentarily at a loss for words at Ricardo’s blunt remark.
Hearing him speak the truth so casually hurt her heart.
She didn’t know what else to say. She couldn’t hate him more or get angry at him again.
As she dropped her hands and pressed her lips together, he cautiously spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
“…Let’s go to the bed. You’re the patient.”
Mirabel managed to say calmly. She wondered if her voice would be shaky, but fortunately, it wasn’t too noticeable.
“Thank you.”
Ricardo looked deeply moved. He then walked heavily back to the bed. Even though Ugo had been by his side, monitoring him, it seemed his strength had waned.
Seeing Ricardo lose the robust strength he once had made Mirabel’s heart ache.
Why was he in pain and suffering so much?
It was Armilla who had truly suffered. Why was he acting as if he was the one in torment?
‘How can I possibly hate you more after this?’
Watching Ricardo’s back as he spoke words of thanks and apologies, even for trivial matters, left Mirabel feeling bitter.
She had thought that once he woke up, everything would become clear. But the fog in her heart only grew thicker and more suffocating.
* * *
“First, we should provide compensation to those who couldn’t conduct their businesses due to the roadblocks to the capital. We can cover the compensation from the budget. And…”
Mirabel sat quietly on the sofa in the office, listening to Ricardo’s instructions. Beside him stood Nasir, diligently taking notes on the Grand Duke’s orders.
After waking up, Ricardo had immediately dived into the backlog of work that had accumulated.
Although Nasir had handled most of it, there were still matters that only the Grand Duke could address directly.
As a result, the two had launched straight into a meeting, and Mirabel found herself present at Ricardo’s request.
However, as she listened to his directives, she couldn’t help but question why she was even there. She was concerned about whether it was appropriate for the princess of Segolinde to be so closely involved with the affairs of Renato.
“I think I’ll take my leave now.”
“No, please wait a moment.”
Just as Mirabel was about to stand up, Ricardo quickly raised his hand to stop her. He exchanged a glance with Nasir before addressing her.
“I have something to ask the princess. It’s important.”
“What is it?”
At Ricardo’s words, Mirabel turned back toward him, having almost left the room. Her curiosity piqued as Nasir handed a list.
“Now that my leg has recovered, I need to tackle the backlog of work. Could you take a look at the names listed here?”
Mirabel narrowed her eyes as she examined the list Ricardo had handed her. She looked back at him with a puzzled expression on her face.
What Ricardo had provided was a list of the staff members of the Vittore mansion. It was filled with names, starting from the butler Walter and the head maid Missus Catarina, down to the lowest-ranking maids.
Mirabel asked Ricardo in a confused tone.
“Why are you showing this to me?”
“I’d like you to help me pick out a few names from it.”
“Which names?”
“The names of those who qualify to continue working at this mansion.”
Mirabel tilted her head at Ricardo’s explanation, struggling to grasp what he meant.
“Could you explain a bit more?”
“I’m trying to do what I should have done first after losing the Grand Duchess.”
Ricardo said this with a bitter smile. He offered Mirabel a seat before continuing.
“I met with all the staff after she ran away. Every single one of them. But surprisingly, they all seemed to dislike her. Isn’t that amusing?”
“…”
“For a moment, I thought about whether I should just kill them all.”
Mirabel tightened her grip on the paper she was holding, sensing the coldness in his steady tone. It was evident he meant every word. Murderous intent flickered in his violet eyes.
“If I were to eliminate them all, it might serve as atonement for Armilla. I even thought about how best to kill those who dared to complain and criticize her. But ultimately, I decided against it.”
“…Why?”
“Because I don’t want to erase the memories of those who remember Armilla.”
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