I Don't Need the Grand Duke's Regret - Chapter 87
Mirabel pulled her veil down below her eyes and smiled quietly. Then, she lightly touched her slender chin under the veil.
“From their point of view, I’m someone who came back from the dead. Any conversation would just make things awkward for both of us.”
“That makes sense.”
Sophie replied, her eyes wide as she nodded. Mirabel sighed softly and parted the carriage curtains slightly.
The sky was growing darker. Gazing at the stark contrast between the sunny skies of Segolinde and the gray skies ahead, Mirabel gently gripped the curtain.
Soon, they would arrive in Renato.
And she would meet Ricardo.
Cold and cruel, that man.
“Ah…”
Mirabel flinched and clutched her chest as a sharp pain struck her at the thought of Ricardo. She let go of the curtain and took a few deep breaths.
‘It’s okay, he won’t recognize me anyway.’
Mirabel closed her eyes tightly, trying to reassure herself.
Armilla and Mirabel are not the same person.
Thanks to the protective magic cast on Asil’s bracelet, Armilla had red hair and green eyes.
With her radiant golden hair and sky-blue eyes, Mirabel didn’t think anyone could associate her with Armilla.
Moreover, Mirabel is a princess.
Comparing the scorned Armilla, who was treated like a prostitute to Mirabel, would be an insult to Segolinde.
Just to be safe and avoid any recognition, she had also worn a veil.
Most of the conversation would be handled by Sophie, so there was no need to worry.
‘I probably didn’t need to go this far.’
Mirabel smiled bitterly. Even without getting through the trouble of wearing a veil and borrowing her maid’s mouth, Ricardo probably wouldn’t remember Armilla’s face.
So, there was no need to fret. She doesn’t need to worry.
“Princess? Are you alright?”
Sophie asked, looking concerned as Mirabel breathed heavily. Mirabel composed herself and reassured her.
“I’m fine. Just a bit nervous, it’s been a while since I’ve traveled.”
“Maybe we should rest a bit before continuing.”
Seeing Mirabel’s pale face, Sophie raised her hand to the ceiling of the carriage, tapping it to signal the coachman.
However, before she could even knock on the ceiling, the carriage seemed to anticipate the signal and slowed down on its own.
Realizing this, Mirabel’s eyes widened, and she swallowed dryly.
Her heart was racing. She thought she would be fine, but she was far from it.
When the carriage finally came to a complete stop, Mirabel lifted her head with a hardened expression.
* * *
Mirabel Etienette, the beloved Princess of Segolinde and former fiance of the Grand Duke.
The news of her visit for the founding celebration had stirred Renato. It brought some excitement to the once somber mansion that had lost its vitality after the Grand Duke lost the Grand Duchess.
“Isn’t that Princess supposed to be stunningly beautiful?”
“And Segolinde is famous for its lilies, right? If she comes to Renato, wouldn’t our fortunes improve? Oh, she should have been the Grand Duchess.”
“The Grand Duchess is Lady Armira!”
Luce, who was cleaning the guest room where the Princess would stay, bristled at the maids gossiping. She huffed as the maids replied nonchalantly.
“Yeah yeah, your Lady Armira.”
Luce blinked back tears as she watched the maids answer dismissively. Even after Armilla had vanished suddenly, no one seemed to care about her.
People only blamed Armilla.
They said she drove the Grand Duke mad, that she bewitched him into madness.
“Lady Armira…”
Luce wiped her eyes with a gloomy expression. After Armilla disappeared, Luce, who was once her personal maid, returned to being a regular maid.
In her repetitive daily life, Luce still missed Armilla. She was initially shocked by the disappearance, but more than that, she was worried.
On the day the Grand Duchess’s funeral was held, she cried so much her eyes swelled.
When she saw the Grand Duke trying to end his life in the Red Room, she was so shocked that her tears dried up.
‘The Master might not say it, but I know he’s worried about Lady Armira too.’
Every year, on the anniversary of Armilla’s disappearance, the Grand Duke would head to the mountains. Others saw this as madness, but Luce viewed it as his way of mourning.
To her, it was the Grand Duke’s own way of missing Armilla.
As Luce wiped the tears with the sleeve of her dress, she looked out the window. For some reason, it wasn’t snowing today. It seemed even the heavens knew a distinguished guest was coming.
“Uh…?”
Luce’s eyes widened as she saw a golden carriage roll into view from the window. The household staff, including the butler and the chief maid, lined up to greet the carriage that came to a slow stop.
As the carriage door opened, a veiled woman and what appeared to be her maid stepped out. Luce pressed herself against the window, unintentionally letting out a gasp of admiration.
“Wow…”
Although she couldn’t see her face clearly, Princess Mirabel moved with grace. She accepted the greetings from the butler and the chief maid with aristocratic poise and entered the estate. Her skirt swayed gently with her stride, capturing Luce’s admiring gaze.
“Amazing.”
Watching the princess, Luce’s cheeks flushed with excitement. She gripped the duster in her hand tightly and whispered quietly to herself.
“She looks like Lady Armira.”
Chuckling softly to herself, making sure no one else could hear, Luce suddenly perked up and spun around.
After Armilla disappeared, Luce had lost much of her motivation. For the first time in a long while, she began to clean with renewed enthusiasm.
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