At the End of Ruin, There You Are - Chapter 41

Would Peon really cut off the butler too? It was already the second time he mentioned replacing him, and there was also the incident with the head maid, so judging by his actions so far, there was a fairly high possibility that he meant it.

That’s right. Kaella didn’t fully trust him. Having been confined and left to starve to the point of gratefully drinking poison and dying, what else was there to trust aside from Peon? The only things she believed in were the small bottle in her pocket and the experience of having died once before.

Since she had died once before, she could die again next time. She could endure it.

“Here are the letters that have arrived for Your Highness.”

Looking at the silver tray on which the butler had placed several letters, Kaella wondered just how many of those silver trays were left. The inventory of silverware was shockingly high.

“Thank you.”

How many letters would arrive for the Grand Duchess who had barely managed to get up from her seat? At most, there would only be letters sent by her father from Ostein, but there were quite a few letters.

“Are you working on selecting a new head maid?”

Immediately, Sethil and Denise glared at the butler. That was the problem with that Rolf Anderson, the “Viscount.”

The butler should have kept his mouth shut until the Grand Duchess gave an order. Or at least asked very carefully. But every time he faced Kaella, he kept nagging about the head maid as if inspecting her work, like a superior. Kaella wanted to personally rip open his head and see how the hierarchy and positions were arranged in that man’s mind.

“I haven’t forgotten.”

No matter how much she argued, that man’s habit of speech would always be like that. Since it was obvious that he would personally retaliate if she, the ridiculous Grand Duchess, said anything to him, Kaella was too tired to even bother.

They deliberately sent in maids who kept making mistakes, or made them make mistakes on purpose. And if Kaella said anything, they would cry that they did their best to make her look like the bad person.

“Coincidentally, all those who sent letters are good candidates for the head maid position. Your Highness can refer to them when making your selection.”

“I see. You may go.”

“Yes.”

When Kaella waved her hand, the butler had no choice but to leave. As the door closed, Sethil, who had been making a stupid expression, turned to look at Kaella.

“Just now… he said he looked at who sent the letters to Your Highness first…”

“Inspection is only natural. This is a fortress, not a castle, Sethil.”

“But he said ‘you can refer to them’ not even ‘please refer to them’…”

Sethil stammered, unable to properly string her words together. How dare he take such an impudent attitude toward the noble lady of Ostein, the Emperor’s niece!

“Such trivial speech habits are not important here.”

Kaella muttered, examining the letters without even smiling.

“How important are speaking habits, Your Highness? In Ostein…”

“This is not Ostein, and the more we say such things, the more we will be treated as outsiders.”

Sethil was not the type to avoid things. She persevered and persevered here with Kaella until she fell ill and died. Since the treatment of the Grand Duchess’s maids was worse than that of the Grand Duchess herself, it was only natural that Sethil would crumble first.

Kaella spoke decisively as she tore open the letters. Perhaps she would have to send Mary away before the young girl. She had to send them back well and establish a plausible reason when doing so. Everything was exhausting.

“Why would the noble ladies of Lucenpord send letters to Your Highness?”

Yolnes Farah, the wife of the Watergate Keeper, Alicia Rulmon from her maiden family whom she had tried to introduce, and other noble ladies Kaella found tiresome had sent letters.

“They want to meet me.”

Kaella perfunctorily tore open the remaining letters to read them before pushing them aside.

“Burn them all.”

Unless summoned by the Grand Duchess, the noble ladies cannot visit her. So they were first requesting in writing for her to call them.

It was obvious that they were all eyeing the vacant head maid position. Of course, Kaella had no intention whatsoever of summoning the close associates of the former head maid, Doris Windgood.

‘Head maid, huh.’

Appointing people was the most bothersome and troublesome thing. She was sick and tired of the position of head maid itself.

She even thought it would be more convenient to not have one at all. No matter who sat in that position, they would ultimately be from Lucenpord, so it would just be one more person to torment Kaella.

However, if there was such an uproar, it might be more comfortable to just choose someone and put them there. Come to think of it, it would be ridiculous to be unable to select a head maid when she had personally checked all the ledgers and even went to check the silverware inventory in the middle of the night.

It would be comfortable for Kaella to have Sethil do it, but she had no intention of making Sethil, who was not a local, suffer more. Sethil, Denise, and Mary were people who would leave for Ostein.

“Denise. Can you go and see what His Highness the Grand Duke is doing?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Originally, to see the Grand Duke’s face, she always had to inquire around and carefully check the timing.

Kaella took a deep breath, feeling suffocated as if she had returned to the time when it was so difficult to have a single conversation with her husband. No, should she slap him across the face again?

He belongs to someone else. Before she died, Kaella was ashamed of herself for never being able to end her one-sided love, and was constantly tormented by guilt for doing something she shouldn’t.

By the time her confinement was approaching, all Kaella wanted from Peon was for him to respect her as the Grand Duchess, having given up so much.

Even now, she had no choice but to strive to believe that what Beatrice said about him contributing to the death of her father, and the memories of him trying to starve her to death, were true.

Peon had no feelings for her at all. So she had to maintain boundaries and be careful with him. Above all, she must keep in mind that Peon was always a difficult person to see.

“Excuse me, Your Highness.”

Some time after Denise left, there was a knock on the door. Sethil went to check and called for Kaella with a slightly troubled face.

“Yes. Tell them to come in.”

In any case, wouldn’t it be Denise who had gone to the Grand Duke’s office on the opposite side of the Grand Duchess’s office where she was sitting? Kaella spoke without even looking.

“She says to come in.”

Come in? It’s polite speech, so what happened? Did something go wrong? Kaella hurriedly raised her head.

The person entering was not just Denise. No, Denise was rather in the back, and it was the Grand Duke, tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in black and looking threatening, who entered.

Kaella was startled and jumped to her feet. Peon slightly narrowed his eyes at the shabby interior of the cozy Grand Duchess’s office before striding over.

If she told them to assess the mood, but he came directly, something must have gone wrong. Was he upset? Did he think she was monitoring him? Kaella, who had turned pale, looked up at the man who instantly filled the office.

“Sit down, Duchess.”

“Your Highness.”

The trembling voice barely managed to respond. The large eyes were filled with bewilderment and fear. Every time he faced those eyes, Peon felt miserable and urgently grabbed Kaella’s arms to gently sit her back down.

“Sit down. It seemed like you needed me, Duchess, so I came.”

Since when did she fear him so much? Why would she be afraid? He finds himself wanting to find the reason elsewhere.

Because he looks scary. Because he is a threatening and rough man. Because he is too beneath the delicately raised lady of Ostein. They’re all excuses, and he knows the essence lies elsewhere, but he keeps doing this.

“How may I assist you?”

Kaella was brave. Even though her small, pale hands trembled with fear, she answered resolutely when he asked.

“I was worried that Your Highness would be busy, so I sent a maid to check first. I apologize if it was presumptuous.”

“How could that be? If you want to come see me, come anytime. Or you can call for me.”

Watching the Grand Duke, who had knelt on one knee in front of the Grand Duchess he had seated in the chair, speak affectionately, Knight Renard wanted to rub his eyes.

Our stone-like Grand Duke is going this far for a lady? He didn’t even do this for Lady Lavallée, whom he sometimes saw and whose movements were very suspicious!

Now that he thought about it, the Grand Duke he served had long since lost interest in Lady Lavallée. The way the Grand Duke gazed at the Grand Duchess was only warm.

“Thank you.”

As the Grand Duchess hesitantly expressed her gratitude, unable to find the words to say, Peon unknowingly smiled. For Kaella, it was awkward and strange for the blunt and unapproachable Grand Duke to willingly lower himself to meet her eye level.

Having never experienced it, she continues to be on guard.

If it were Beatrice Lavallée, she would elegantly tilt her head and naturally accept it, but Kaella de Chasseur could never do that. At most, she would end with “Thank you,” so how could she be a match for Beatrice?

It would be more than enough for her to remain as just a cute younger sister, a much younger sister. And whether Kaella wanted it or not, that was right.

“What did you need me for, Duchess?”

Knight Renard was truly amazed. It wasn’t that our Grand Duke couldn’t do it, but rather he didn’t want to do what he knew how to do.

As soon as the Grand Duchess’s maid stammered, he directly asked what the matter was, immediately put aside his work, and went straight to the Grand Duchess’s office. The usually non-smiling man even laughed, so it was too obvious how things were going.

The quick-witted Knight Renard’s eyes met those of the maid Denise who had come on the errand. It seemed that maid had also roughly grasped the situation.

“Excuse me, I have a request.”

“Yes, please speak.”

Knight Renard was in a very good mood. At this rate, by next year, the sound of a baby’s cry would be heard, and he would be able to see a much more relaxed and loosened-up Grand Duke. Knight Renard, who had always been worried because the lord he served lived so strictly, was immersed in a happy dream.

“I have something to discuss with Knight Renard, so I would appreciate it if you allowed it.”

Knight Renard, who only wanted to dream, was startled when the Grand Duchess suddenly mentioned him. Peon’s gaze also turned toward Knight Renard.

“Why would you need my permission for such a trivial matter? Just call him and ask.”

“But he is Your Highness’s knight.”

“If he is my knight, he is also your knight.”

“Thank you.”

The Grand Duchess, who politely bowed her head in gratitude, turned to face Knight Renard. Then Peon added:

“I can be present as well, right?”

In all his numerous battle experiences in Lucenpord and intelligence experiences throughout Klein, Knight Renard had never seen anyone as terrifying as the Grand Duke who was looking at him right now.

The excessively calm gaze seemed ordinary at a glance, but Knight Renard knew well that those eyes were terrifying precisely because of their composure.

“Yes, of course. I was going to ask Your Highness as well. Please have a seat, Your Highness. You too, Knight.”

Peon sat down, thinking about how he could replace this sofa in the Grand Duchess’s office that he found unsatisfactory without destroying it.

Kaella, on the other hand, doubted whether the sofa with the tacky floral pattern embroidered on it could handle a sturdy and large-bodied knight like Peon sitting on it. It must have been furniture hastily prepared by the banished former head maid, and it made a creaking sound.

Kaella, who had told Mary to bring out tea, faced one of Peon’s adjutants and an informant whom she had never formally greeted but already knew.

“Knight Renard.”

“Yes, Grand Duchess.”

Knight Renard, full of tension, had connections throughout Lucenpord and Klein.

With his unique affability, he had many acquaintances in the Imperial Knights as well, and Lucenpord was his backyard. And he knew too many circulating rumors, making him one of those who had cast unfavorable glances at Kaella.

In the end, Knight Renard seemed to have been angry. Well, there were more than a few who were angry at Kaella for allegedly betraying her lord.

“I am not familiar with Lucenpord, so I do not know the people here well. That’s why I hoped you could help me, Knight.”

Kaella humbly requested the knight’s assistance. Even if she, the mistress of Lucenpord, gave an order, Knight Renard would have to follow as a knight, but she was asking like this. Knight Renard felt extremely honored.

“I will follow whatever you ask.”

“I heard you have wide connections. What I want to know about is Knight Hugo Ferwedding.”

However, regardless of her attitude, what the Grand Duchess was saying gradually drove Knight Renard into a quagmire. She said she had something she wanted to ask her husband’s knight about her husband, and now she was asking about another knight.

“What I want to know is the accurate and cold reputation among his colleagues.”

“Ah, that friend is upright.”

“Does Your Highness also think so?”

“That’s right.”

After confirming with the Grand Duke once more, Kaella asked Knight Renard again.

“Then what about his wife, Merma Ferwedding?”

Kaella thought of the confident attitude of Merma Ferwedding that she had seen at the first meeting with the Lucenpord noble ladies.

“Aren’t married couples alike?”

Of course, that didn’t apply to Peon and Kaella.

“Yes. They have similar personalities.”

“Tell me the gossip going around as well, without exaggeration or understatement. Does the wife have ambition?”

Knight Renard looked around and then obediently answered.

“Yes. To be honest, if the families of the banished head maid were the mainstream, you can consider Madam Ferwedding as the leader of the second force following that mainstream.”

“It’s best if you speak to me in that way.”

Kaella nodded. Before she died, in Lucenpord, they didn’t give Kaella any information at all. So she had to directly clash with her entire body to grasp the forces of the noble ladies who didn’t want to deal with her.

However, the amount of information she could grasp was too little, and Kaella could only make guesses. So only now was she confirming that her guesses were correct.

Perhaps this would be almost the last time she could confirm it.