I No Longer Have Love to Offer You - Chapter 39

The incident involving Lily’s ex-husband causing a disturbance at the trading company was resolved after the Count apologized to Mirabelle and paid appropriate compensation. Though she was told there was no need to meet with Albert, Mirabelle attended the settlement proceedings.

(He looked utterly exhausted, so unlike when he was raging… What on earth did Albert do to him?)

Mirabelle didn’t know what had transpired between Albert and the Count. She was only informed that the Count would no longer cause trouble for Lily, Mirabel, or the company.

With this, Lily’s case was closed, marking the successful completion of Mirabelle’s first job.

(At any rate, I’m glad Miss Lily is free now.)

No longer fearing the Count’s presence, Lily began working at the dress shop more frequently. She seemed to have hit it off with the designer, brimming with new ideas, and her expression had brightened remarkably.

For better or worse, gossip spread like wildfire in high society. Lily and the Count’s strained relationship had already been well-known, but now, combined with the outcome, it had become quite the topic of conversation.

Not that Lily herself seemed to care anymore as if she considered it a waste of time.

And as talk of Lily spread, more noblewomen began seeking Mirabelle’s counsel. Whether these consultations would lead to work remained to be seen, but at the very least, she had given these long-suffering women something to consider.

Amidst all this, Mirabelle was summoned to the company president’s office one day.

“I heard you wanted to talk?”

Entering the room, she found Albert wearing a face like he’d bitten into something sour.

“Lord Ludovic contacted me.”

Albert and Ludovic now had a professional relationship. If Mirabelle was involved, it likely concerned investors. Recently, inquiries about investments had even come from noble families close to Ludovic.

“If it involves me, does that mean a new potential investor has appeared?”

“…Unfortunately, no.”

Albert’s mood remained decidedly low. It was unusual for him. Normally, he managed his own temper just fine.

“You seem out of sorts.”

At Mirabelle’s remark, Albert looked vaguely guilty. He rarely made such childish expressions, and for some reason, she found it oddly endearing.

(Does he only show this side to me?)

The thought crossed her mind.

“The letter was addressed to me, but he asked me to pass on a message to you.”

“May I read it?”

Accepting the casually offered letter from Ludovic, Mirabelle skimmed its contents.

“Ricardo?”

“Yeah. He says he wants to see you again.”

The letter was brief:

Ricardo insists on meeting Mirabelle one more time. If left unchecked, he might suddenly come to you, so I’d like to arrange a meeting—what do you think?

That was the gist of it. With Lily’s case making waves, Mirabelle’s name had also been circulating somewhat, so Ricardo must have learned her whereabouts. Or perhaps he’d pried it out of Ludovic.

“I want to hear what you’d like to do.”

Even as he said this, Albert muttered, “I don’t want you to meet him.”

“Well…”

To Mirabelle, Ricardo was part of the past. She couldn’t fathom why he’d want to see her now. Still, she wanted to avoid future complications by leaving things unresolved.

“All right. I’ll meet him once.”

At her reply, Albert sighed. “Figured you’d say that.” He knew Mirabelle wasn’t the type to leave things half-finished.

“Can I decide where you meet?”

Albert had no real stake in Mirabelle and Ricardo’s affairs. Yet, the concern in his eyes was unmistakable, so she agreed.

And with that, she realized the time had come to truly settle the past.