I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 162
“I need to know who she is so I can help you, Miss. If a new Countess is coming to the Adalberto family…”
“Haha!”
Julia, who had been listening indifferently to Bianca’s words, suddenly burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that her shoulders shook, then spoke.
“Pfft, ridiculous. A princess from Segolinde got crazy, marrying into the Adalberto family? To my father, no less?”
“Yes?”
Bianca, who had been listening intently to the information Julia was casually spilling, was left stunned.
A princess from Segolinde? That must be… Armilla.
‘Has she come to the capital?’
Unknowingly, Bianca gripped the comb tightly in her hands.
She had thought she’d never see her again.
She had spent countless nights thinking of Armilla, the woman who had humiliated her and forced her out.
‘It seems the heavens haven’t abandoned me.’
Bianca couldn’t help but smile to herself. If she played this right, she could get back at Armilla.
No, she had to. The heavens were practically pushing her to take revenge—there was no way she could let this go.
“Anyway, the maids. A new Countess, you say?”
Julia, unaware that the hair brushing had stopped, snickered. She continued, as though eager to point out the maid’s mistake.
“Talk about delusions. If a princess from Segolinde were to marry, it’d be to the Crown Prince or the Grand Duke. Oh wait, the Grand Duke will marry me, so it must be the Crown Prince.”
Julia yawned exaggeratedly, as though the conversation bored her. She had been so agitated earlier, but now she seemed tired.
“Anyway, Father has been working hard to get those lily bulbs from that woman. It’s not for some silly reason like you think.”
“You’re right, I must have thought it was something trivial.”
Bianca, carefully listening to Julia’s explanation, agreed with a nod. She continued to brush her hair while speaking softly.
“It was for something much more interesting.”
Bianca’s dark eyes shone with a new, mysterious light as she spoke.
* * *
Mirabel sat on the bed, gently stroking the child’s head. Thanks to the medicine that Ugo had given, Charles’ temperature had returned to normal.
‘What a relief.’
Mirabel let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had acted unaffected in front of Ricardo, but seeing the sick child had torn at her heart.
Most of all, the fact that Charles’ fever was a result of her passing on that pain made her stomach turn.
If only Mirabel hadn’t married Ricardo, hadn’t slept with him…
Then Charles wouldn’t have suffered from the fever that comes to children born of an Arcangelo and a Segolinde mix.
But if that had been the case, Charles would never have been born.
The past could not be changed.
All Mirabel could do for Charles now was make this period a little less painful for him.
“I’m sorry, Charles.”
Mirabel quietly whispered her guilt. At that moment, the child’s chubby cheek twitched, and Charles’ eyelids fluttered open.
“Mommy…”
“Did you wake up?”
“Uncle?”
Charles rubbed his eyes with his small hands and began looking for Ricardo. His blue eyes searched for him, moving back and forth.
“Where Uncle?”
“Uncle had to go because he was busy. He’ll come see you later.”
“Weally?”
“Really.”
As Mirabel replied, she saw Charles’ innocent face, and her eyes darkened. Gently stroking his cheek, she asked with a troubled heart.
“Why does Charles like Uncle Wolf so much?”
“Just…”
Charles looked down at his lap, mumbling in response. His little eyelids fluttered as he blinked, and he shifted under the covers.
“…Just…”
“Hm?”
“Charles grow up, want to be like Uncle Wolf. Uncle Wolf cool.”
“But the Grand Duke is a scary person, though?”
“Not scary. Kind. Warm.”
Charles smiled brightly. But as soon as he saw his mother’s serious expression, he hurriedly changed his words.
“But, but. Mommy better.”
Mirabel noticed the way Charles was watching her.
Since the time when he had cried and resisted going back to Segolinde, Charles had been careful not to upset her.
‘Making the child worry like this.’
Mirabel sighed bitterly. She wanted Charles to grow up bright and happy, but it troubled her that she might have planted painful memories in him.
She gently hugged Charles’ face and spoke softly.
“Mommy loves Charles.”
“Mm. Charles loves Mommy too. So, if Charles don’t have… is okay…”
Charles, resting his head in his mother’s warm embrace, murmured. Mirabel could guess what word he had just swallowed.
The word Charles had never spoken, no matter how many times he called ‘Mommy.’
The word he must have thought of while looking at Ricardo.
That single word hit Mirabel’s heart heavily, and she quietly patted the child.
* * *
With knights and maids in tow, Durante arrived at the Princess’s annex, growing impatient. Restlessly tapping his cane on the floor, he hastily asked the maid who opened the door.
“Surely the Princess won’t turn me away again today, right? Today, I want to take her to the Adalberto family’s country house.”
“Apologies. The Princess hasn’t fully recovered from her journey…”
“Still?”
Durante’s face twisted with displeasure. The black cane with a silver handle trembled in his hand.
“Did I not mention that I have flowers in my garden that she would love? And that we need to have an important conversation?”
“Yes. However, she says she will meet you at the funeral. Please return now.”
“It will be too late then!”
Durante slammed the cane hard onto the floor.
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