I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 164
But it was all over.
‘I’m sorry.’
Ricardo’s hand instinctively grabbed at his chest as he recalled Mirabel’s calm voice as she ended things. The sweat that had beaded on his bare chest glistened as it caught the faint light through his gown.
Each day was a painful struggle.
Ricardo wished he could just die.
In the past, he would have taken his own life already. But now, he couldn’t.
Because of Charles.
He couldn’t bring himself to bring the sorrow of ‘Uncle Wolf’ dying to Charles.
That was the least he could do.
However, even though Ricardo was still alive, he wasn’t truly living. He was slowly dying.
Nasir had been the first to notice his change. After consulting with the doctor, Ugo examined the Grand Duke.
Ugo was surprised that Ricardo, who had always been in good health, was suffering from what seemed to be a body ache. But once he realized it wasn’t a physical illness, he recommended rest.
If only it had been a physical illness, things would have been better.
But because it was his heart that ached, Ricardo had to endure the pain without treatment.
Nasir, Ezio, and Valerio all felt sorry for him.
But there was no way to console him.
They could only hope that Ricardo wouldn’t lose his sanity again, as he had before.
But could he hold on?
Could Ricardo, who was rejected by Mirabel, truly stay sane?
Was it even possible?
As impossible as it was for a person to breathe without air and walk through fire, it seemed impossible.
“..rabel.”
After he woke up, Ricardo walked barefoot across the room. He didn’t even know what he was doing, mumbling to himself in a daze.
“I have to see her… I have to beg…”
Before he knew it, Ricardo had left the room.
The corridor of the palace, bathed in the dark blue of early morning, felt eerily silent. Its vast size, compared to Renato, only made it feel more chilling.
But Ricardo didn’t feel fear. Only the overwhelming longing for Mirabel filled him.
* * *
Mirabel looked at Ricardo with a troubled expression. She steadied herself and spoke calmly.
“I told you not to come.”
How many days had it been?
Meeting Ricardo in front of her door at dawn had almost become a daily routine.
The first time she encountered Ricardo had been purely by chance.
That night, she couldn’t sleep. Eventually, she had gotten up, and when she tried to drink water, she realized her bottle was empty.
Not wanting to bother the maids at such an hour, she stepped into the sitting room. That was when she heard someone outside the door.
She cautiously opened the door, and when she saw Ricardo pacing in the hallway, she was utterly startled.
But what was even more surprising was his behavior. He had grabbed Mirabel’s skirt and begged her. Just like he was now.
“I was wrong. It’s all my fault…”
“Please leave.”
“I’ll stay like I’m dead. I won’t say a word, I’ll just be silent. Just let me stay by your side.”
“I don’t need that.”
Mirabel said calmly. She no longer loved him, so there was no reason for him to stay near her.
Completely cutting off Ricardo was hard for Mirabel too.
But this was necessary, not just for her, but for him as well. It would be more cruel to accept his presence out of pity when she no longer had feelings for him.
“It’s late. Go back. And don’t come again tomorrow. Even if you do, I won’t come out.”
“You don’t have to come out. Just think of me standing here, waiting.”
“I don’t need that. It’s annoying.”
Her voice was colder than ever. She spoke as if she had resolved not to leave him any room to cling to.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
“I didn’t want to make it hard. I just missed you too much…”
“You’ve seen me. That’s enough. Go.”
Mirabel spoke coldly and turned her back on him.
Seeing her retreating figure, Ricardo felt an agonizing pain twist inside him, and cried. Beads of tears, like pearls, dripped down his hand that was resting on the floor.
“Don’t go… I… love you.”
“Love?”
Mirabel smiled coldly. The word ‘love’ that left her lips pierced Ricardo’s heart like an icy dagger. She turned her head and looked down at him.
“If you love me, does that mean I have to love you back? You didn’t.”
“No. You don’t have to love me. You don’t have to make me your first man. Just don’t cut me off.”
“I was happy in the four years I spent away from you. But now that I’m meeting you again, I’m suffering once more. So, I’m saying enough.”
Go. With that final word, Mirabel disappeared into the room.
Alone in the empty hallway, Ricardo wept.
His heart felt like it was being torn into a thousand pieces, ten thousand pieces. It was like someone was squeezing his ribs and crushing them painfully.
He wished this was a nightmare.
He wished he could wake up from this dream.
But he couldn’t escape. The hell he was in now was the reality created by his past.
* * *
Valerio savored the aroma of the fragrant tea before lifting his eyes. Across from him sat the princess of Segolinde, sipping her tea with grace.
He had heard rumors about her beauty, but seeing her in person was something else entirely.
Valerio had never truly believed the rumors. There were always whispers about the beauty of princesses and the handsomeness of princes.
‘But this… is truly surprising.’
With looks like hers, the rumors should have been even more widespread.
After the princess disappeared, she returned with her young son, and the people welcomed her, as they say.
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