I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 166
“So please help me. If you assist me, the Emperor who will ascend the throne will declare Segolinde as the eternal ally of the Empire. Please, tell me. What did you find from His Majesty’s body?”
Mirabel lowered her gaze at Valerio’s question. After a brief pause, she spoke.
“The mortician was very thorough with the preparation. The skin was as white as snow, the cheeks were flushed, and even the nails were coated with a thick white paint.”
Valerio held his breath as Mirabel spoke. She tilted her head slightly before continuing.
“However, one of the nails had a slight chip, and I could see the black nail underneath.”
A black nail.
Valerio inhaled sharply at the clue the princess had provided.
The bodies of those poisoned often show bruising all over the skin, and their nails turn black. No royal would be unfamiliar with this.
“I can only help you to this point.”
“Wait, please.”
“Our next meeting should be at the funeral.”
Mirabel said, cutting him off.
This was enough. She had already crossed a line by saying this much.
As Mirabel turned to leave, Valerio quickly spoke.
“Please, just hear me out. If I am unable to ascend the throne, a succession war will break out. The Empire will be thrown into chaos. The Grand Duke will become involved, whether he wants to or not, and innocent people will get caught up in it.”
When Valerio mentioned Ricardo, Mirabel tensed. Valerio continued again after observing her expression.
“And it will affect Segolinde as well, since we have not completed the peace agreement yet.”
Mirabel didn’t like Durante, the Crown Prince’s rival, but she also didn’t want to get involved in a succession war, especially in an Empire’s internal politics.
Succession wars were dirty, like a swamp.
Even if she stepped back now, the Crown Prince could hardly blame her. Just by hinting at the Emperor’s poisoning, she had already provided significant help.
She could walk away here. But the thought of Ricardo getting involved made her uneasy.
‘He’ll handle it well on his own.’
Ricardo wasn’t a fool. It was doubtful he would just let himself be manipulated by Durante’s wishes.
Mirabel’s gaze shifted from Valerio toward the door, her eyes following the hallway where Ricardo had wandered last night.
“…I will see you next time.”
With a stern expression, Mirabel bid farewell to Valerio. This was all she could say for now.
* * *
As soon as Mirabel left her meeting with the Crown Prince and stepped into the drawing room, Sophie rushed toward her.
“Princess!”
Sophie said in an urgent tone while panting heavily.
“Luce, Luce!”
“What’s happened to Luce? Did she get lost again? Take a deep breath and tell me slowly.”
“She’s been kidnapped!”
“What?”
Mirabel, who had been trying to calm Sophie, was alarmed. She grabbed Sophie’s hand and asked frantically.
“What do you mean by that? Kidnapped in the palace?”
“I saw it, just now!”
Sophie, trying to calm herself down, choked on her words and cried out.
“Luce went to the study to get Prince Charles’s storybook. But when she didn’t come back, I, I went out to check…”
“And then?”
“I couldn’t find her in the study, so I searched everywhere, and then I saw a few knights by the stables. They were holding Luce’s mouth closed and put her in a carriage. What should we do?”
“What about the servants? There are so many eyes in the palace, where were they?”
“Well… it’s strange, but no one was around.”
“What kind of carriage was it? What color were the knights’ cloaks or their insignia?”
“They were covered in black. But one knight dropped this. Luce kicked it when she tried to resist.”
Sophie held out the badge she had been clutching tightly in her hand.
The silver badge had the head of a white goat engraved on it. As Mirabel recognized the insignia, her eyes burned with fury.
Mirabel had seen this emblem before. When she went to pay her respects to the Emperor, the knights who were escorting Durante wore this badge.
It was the emblem of the Adalberto family.
Mirabel gripped the badge tightly.
‘If someone has enough power to clear out the palace servants, it must be Durante.’
Crown Prince Valerio had mentioned that Durante was plotting a rebellion. If the Crown Prince had said so, Durante’s influence must be significant.
Based on the circumstances, Durante was most likely the one who kidnapped Luce.
‘But why?’
Yet, Mirabel couldn’t figure out his motive. What could he want from Luce? Why would he be so bold as to kidnap her from the palace?
‘The reason doesn’t matter.’
Mirabel decided to push aside Durante’s issue. Even though Ricardo was involved, he was not so helpless that she had to intervene.
More importantly, getting involved in another country’s succession struggle was a highly delicate matter.
But if he had touched someone of Mirabel’s, especially Luce, that was a different story.
Who was Luce?
She wasn’t just a maid to Mirabel. She had been a light that comforted her during the times when Mirabel’s soul withered from loneliness.
Without Luce, Mirabel would have long ago been consumed by her suffering and died.
“Prepare the carriage immediately. We’re going to the Adalberto’s country house.”
“Yes!”
After giving the order, Mirabel stared at the badge before Sophie quickly ran off.
Moments later, Mirabel found herself standing before a grand mansion. Her anger was propelling her forward faster than anything else.
“We’re here to see the Count. This is Princess Mirabel Etienette of Segolinde.”
“The, the princess?”
The butler, who had received Mirabel’s name card from Sophie, was stunned. He blinked rapidly, looking flustered before replying.
“My apologies, Princess. The Count is out of the mansion. I’m afraid you’ll have to—”
“Take me to the reception room.”
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