I Don’t Need the Grand Duke’s Regret - Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Translator: effe

The knights did not look at a beast that came from behind. The moment the black shadow tried to overtake him, this woman blocked Ricardo’s way.

This woman saved Ricardo’s life. However, the woman who could not avoid the beast severely injured her head.

Ricardo had given first aid with magic, but that was not good enough. So Ricardo brought in the woman who was his lifesaver.

Vittore’s doctor said that the woman might not wake up forever. It was great enough just for her to open her eyes and be able to have a normal conversation.

“What should I do from now on?”

“What was the last thing you remember?”

“…… It was cold.”

The woman opened her mouth as she cast her gaze into the distance.

“I was wandering around in the cold. Then the beasts appeared in groups. So I hid. Then I…….”

The woman jogged her blotchy memory, frowned and looked at Ricardo.

“I saw you.”

“…… Ricardo.”

“What?”

“My name is Ricardo. The Master of Renato here, Grand Duke Ricardo Vittore.”

“You are the Grand Duke.”

The woman listened to Ricardo’s introduction and nodded her head slowly. She had guessed his identity from his clothing and manner of speech, and she was not that surprised.

“Your Grace was in danger. So I ran out. Then when I opened my eyes, it was already here.”

She added cautiously, looking at Ricardo’s eyes.

“I can’t remember anything else. I don’t know my name, nothing…… I don’t know anything.”

“Names don’t mean much. If someone calls you, that becomes your name.”

“Then, how will Your Grace address me?”

“How would you like to be called?”

“Well. I…….”

Ricardo said nonchalantly to the confused woman.

“Your matter must be decided by you. There is no one to do it for you. At least you name yourself.”

“Then……. I’ll take Armilla.”

The woman fidgeted with the bracelet and muttered softly. Ricardo laughed at the name that came out of her woman’s lips.

“Alright, Armilla.”

Armilla. In Segolinde language it means ‘bracelet’.

* * *

Armilla was standing in the middle of the hallway. She smiled lightly as she watched the sunlight break through the bars.

She recalled the first day she came to this mansion, no, her first memory.

It’s already been over a month since she came to Renato. In the meantime, she received magic treatment from Ricardo every day.

Ricardo went out without ever missing a day, and after that he always went to Armilla.

She initially wondered if he was going out to take a look around the estate. However, she soon discovered that he had gone out to the snowy mountains.

And that the object of his search was his fiance.

At first, she was very surprised when he told her that he was engaged. But Armilla was not one to express such things.

Because she was a guest of this mansion and just a freeloader.

She stays in the mansion because she saved Ricardo’s life, but the servants were uncomfortable with her.

Armilla was a person who was too precious to be treated badly, but they were reluctant at the same time.

It was the person itself Armilla, who was most troubled by the ambiguous treatment.

Ricardo treated her as his ‘lifesaver’. He gave her the nicest guest room and prepared a bunch of warm dresses.

But that was all she was. He neither ate with her nor he respected her in any way.

But Armilla thought it was enough. It would be greedy to want more from Ricardo. Greed was a luxury for her who didn’t even know who she was.

* * *

“No, so, what in the world is Armilla?”

Coming out of the study, Armilla was startled by the maids’ voice across the hall. She hurriedly went behind the door next to her and hid.

“What do you mean by what? Didn’t you hear about Bianca from the main building? Every night, the Master goes to Armilla’s bedroom. That’s the end of the story.”

“Then is she that? A mistress?”

“I envy her. I wish I could have held the Master just once.”

“Anyway, if Princess Mirabel comes, she will be treated coldly. You have nothing to envy.”

“Still!”

Entering the dark room, Armilla leaned against the door and held her breath until the maids’ voices faded away. She squeezed the book she was holding and bit her lips.

Each employee made up a story about Armilla.

They shrank in front of Armilla, but like today, she couldn’t stop the stark rumors from entering her ears.

‘Help me.’

When she was attacked by the beast instead of Ricardo. Armilla said so. She sobbed and begged for her life towards the one she was trying to save.

But it was a visceral plea to live, not out of calculations to cling to him.

Should she have turned away from Ricardo in the first place?

Should she pretend to not have seen him and keep hiding behind a rock?

“Did you get another headache?”

As Armilla frowned, clutching the book, a familiar voice came from within the dimly lit room. It was Ricardo. Armilla freaked out and dropped the book.

“Oh.”

Ricardo appeared from the darkness and lightly snatched the book she had dropped.

“I don’t think your memory will come back just by reading this.”

Ricardo said nonchalantly as he flipped through the book written in Segolinde language. Armilla looked at him bewitched as he was dressed in a perfect suit.

His broad shoulders and well-muscled body were complemented by a navy blue suit, filled with silver buttons.

In addition, the completely neat appearance of the cravat looked somehow stoic. Moreover, those deep lilac eyes. She felt like she would fall into it if she kept looking at it.

As the maid said, Ricardo was an attractive man. Any woman would want to hold him.

‘Get yourself together.’

Armilla grabbed her skirt. Ricardo is a benefactor who had been taking care of her. To be wanted to be embraced by her benefactor, who also has a fiance.

“Did you go to look for the princess again today?”

“Yes. Today too, it was a waste of time.”