I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 54
Fortunately, there was no one in the corridor. Originally, the second-floor corridor with the Red Room was rarely frequented because people avoided this area due to its ominous reputation.
“It’s actually better this way. When His Grace returns, everyone usually goes out to greet him in front of the mansion.”
Armilla adjusted her dress. Luce, who saw her in a thin indoor dress, looked upset.
“Are you leaving now?”
“It has to be now.”
“But it’s so cold if you go out like this.”
Luce clasped her hands together, looking visibly distressed. Armilla agreed with Luce’s concern.
It had been snowing heavily for several days. There was so much snow that the trees in the garden were almost breaking under its weight. Going out like this would almost certainly lead to freezing.
“Wait here. I’ll bring a cloak.”
As Armilla paused, Luce made a determined expression, rushing in the direction of the Black Room.
Armilla anxiously waited for Luce.
‘I hope she comes quickly.’
Even though not many people frequented this corridor, it was uneasy to stand alone. Armilla hid behind a decorative pillar in the corridor.
‘What should I do once I go out?’
While waiting for Luce, Armilla’s anxiety grew. She had decided to run away to protect the child, but now that she was about to go out, she felt overwhelmed.
There was nothing she had now. Maybe that’s why she was afraid of being abandoned by Ricardo in the first place. Because there was nothing she had, nothing she could do.
But now she had to break free from him. She had to find a way to survive, even if she had to scrape together anything she could get.
Armilla anxiously scanned her outfit. She was wearing a dress Ricardo had procured for her. It was far from a grand ball gown.
However, the lace and jewels adorned throughout the dress were valuable items. If she were to remove and sell them, it seemed like a decent amount of money could be obtained.
‘Should I take those at least?’
As Armilla surveyed her outfit, her thoughts suddenly turned to the dagger she had received from Ezio.
The dagger handed over by the Knight Commander was elegantly decorated. While she didn’t know the exact value of the weapon, she could guess that its exquisite craftsmanship would make it quite valuable.
With this thought in mind, Armilla discreetly stepped out from behind the pillar, entered the Red Room, and tucked the dagger into her bodice.
“The Red Room?”
“As you instructed.”
Suddenly, Armilla heard Ricardo and Nasir’s voices. Without much time to think, her body instinctively moved.
With the thumping sound of her heart ringing in her ears, Armilla emerged from the room. She then slipped behind the pillar.
Suppressing her breath, she moved silently against the wall. Wanting to cry in the growing terror with each increasing footstep, she held back her tears and continued moving.
Finally, at the tip of Armilla’s fingers, she found the doorknob she desperately sought. Quickly pulling the door open, she hid herself inside.
The door in the middle of the corridor was an entrance for the servants. Armilla leaned against the door, trying to calm her breath.
‘Stay calm, Armilla. You can do this.’
Armilla breathed deeply, swallowing her fear, and then descended the stairs leading to the servant’s quarters. Perhaps all the servants had gone to welcome the master, the usually bustling passage was now silent.
Armilla quickly descended the stairs. The stairwell, leading to every part of the mansion, branched into several paths.
Due to Luce frequently getting lost, Armilla had once drawn a map of the servant entrance for her. Thanks to that, Armilla easily made her way towards the back gate of the mansion.
Opening the back gate, Armilla stepped outside and took a deep breath.
She wrapped her arms around herself as she embraced the fresh air she hadn’t experienced in a while. The sharp wind surrounded her body, causing Armilla’s red hair to flutter in all directions.
Facing the intense cold that seemed to freeze her to the bone, Armilla clenched her teeth.
Even if she froze to death, she had to go.
For the sake of the child.
Ignoring the noisy sounds of the servants, Armilla turned her body towards the mountain.
The real escape begins now.
Getting caught here without attempting to escape was not an option.
‘I must not get caught.’
Armilla’s eyes glared defiantly, then she decisively moved her feet towards the mountain, her green eyes piercing through the curtain of wind.
* * *
Returning to the mansion, Ricardo headed straight to the Red Room. He quickly passed the servants lined up in front of the mansion. The expressions of the maids and servants were taken aback.
It wasn’t because they were just being ignored, the atmosphere surrounding him was particularly harsh.
Has there ever been such a frosty time since the Grand Duke got married?
They earnestly hoped that the Master’s anger would only be directed at the Grand Duchess.
The usefulness of that woman was just that.
“The Red Room?”
Ricardo quickly walked, asking Nasir as he approached. The man, who had come out to greet his master, hesitated at the Grand Duke’s first words and replied, puzzled,
“As you instructed.”
Only after hearing Nasir’s response did the sharp air that surrounded Ricardo’s body soften a bit.
In fact, he was now more anxious than ever.
Originally, he had planned to stay in the mountains for about a month. However, capturing the leader beast proved to be more difficult than expected, causing a delay.
In the end, Ricardo couldn’t capture the leader even after two months. To do so, he needed to venture into the middle of the mountains, but he lacked the necessary equipment.
Rather than recklessly advancing, he decided to wait and reassess the situation.
In the past, he might have pushed forward even if it meant taking risks to capture the leader. Ricardo used to be someone who, once he drew his sword, would achieve his goal at any cost.
But this time was different.
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