At the End of Ruin, There You Are - Chapter 66

In this impoverished Lucenport, the word ‘expansion’ ended up being distorted to mean that the Grand Duchess wanted to live more comfortably in a larger room, not that the fortress was being expanded.

It ended up that way because the Grand Duke, who had been quite receptive to the Grand Duchess’s opinion and agreed with it at first, turned against it.

There were several reasons. The mainstream opinion in Lucenport was that they should only spend the minimum amount by making small improvements, which clashed with the Grand Duchess’s opinion of continuously fixing things one by one whenever money became available.

The Grand Duke, who only wanted to add military functions, and the Grand Duchess, who said that the entire facility needed to be renovated, collided. Everyone recognized the need for expansion, but in the end, the money issue was bigger.

On top of that, the most decisive factor was the information the Grand Duke secretly received.

It was information that the reason the Grand Duchess kept actively intervening was due to the Emperor’s secret order to reduce the military function of Lucenport and tear down and renovate the castle into a style closer to a palace rather than a fortress, making it vulnerable to defense.

The Grand Duchess tried to hand over Lucenport, which the Grand Duke had barely managed to shape into a fortress, to the Emperor.

“I regret not being able to be of more help. But I don’t think there’s much we can do even if we stay longer, and it might even be an inconvenience.”

Peon ignored the words of Lord Isidore Dakiten, who officially ended the investigation as the Emperor’s inspector and said he would return to Klein. Before returning, he kept thinking about the expansion-related issues.

Looking back, Kaella put so much effort into everything that it made him want to stop her. She struggled with frequent illnesses in this cold place while trying her best to make Lucenport a place where people could live.

It was her misfortune that her husband was already brainwashed and corrupted by the Emperor. Kaella de Chasseur was terribly unlucky.

She lost her only family to the Emperor, had all the inheritance and titles she should have rightfully received from the Emperor taken away, and even her husband ended up like that. She was too, too unlucky.

“I think the best way for us to help Lucenport is to quickly return and report everything to His Majesty the Emperor.”

The Grand Duchess, who had no way of knowing that he was so deeply controlled by the forbidden art that he couldn’t even recognize the fabricated evidence, still tried her best.

“I will make sure to tell him that the entire castle needs to be expanded.”

From experience, the Emperor would not like the sight of Lucenport arming itself at all. So he had Beatrice send fake evidence about Kaella to make Peon stop the expansion. No, was it Beatrice’s independent action?

It was a very complex memory. The expansion that had been going well was overturned in an instant, perhaps because he recognized Kaella’s efforts to the point of exhaustion?

I should have been the only one to see it! I told you not to look away! If I put a forbidden art on you like that, you should have just obeyed, why did you get swayed by that stupid woman and rebel against the forbidden art to cause this situation!

He was definitely terribly shaken. Brainwashed by the forbidden art, and shaken by anything good and beautiful despite its miserable state.

“Thank you.”

Even if Isidore Dakiten argues to the Emperor about the need to expand Lucenport Castle, the Emperor will not be interested. He will probably leave it alone without support, telling them to figure it out themselves.

To the Emperor, Peon just needed to do what he was told well and not dare to rebel. The seed of a dirty dog should just act like a dog, it shouldn’t speak like a human or bark recklessly at its master.

“I’m sorry, elder brother.”

Is it because he’s a dog? Peon didn’t like Isidore Dakiten very much. It was worse because he knew that apology was Isidore’s best.

Anyway, he was a pretty good man, the heir to a family that produced an Empress despite not being royalty, with a solid future ahead of him, and who knew how to keep his conscience and chivalry. It bothered him that such a man acted like an older brother to Kaella without hesitation.

It bothered him even more because he knew that unless Kaella was completely out of it, she would never call Peon elder brother, that longed-for old way of addressing him.

“Don’t worry and go quickly.”

“Yes. I hope you stay healthy as well, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

“Be careful on your way back, Lord Dakiten.”

Kaella, who stood next to Peon, only faithfully fulfilled her role as the Grand Duchess. How did Kaella react when he mentioned the expansion last night? With a face devoid of any expression, she only passively replied asking if that was the case and fell silent.

Was she really the Kaella he knew before returning as well? Did she come back with him? Or was she just Lady Ostein with no such memories at all?

‘No way.’

If so, she would have called him elder brother without hesitation even when no one was around. Like she used to before returning.

You should use titles appropriate to your status, can’t you even distinguish between public and private matters?

Why do you call him that when you’re not even siblings? Stop it, it’s unpleasant. You’re not that close anyway.

He spouted such pretentious nonsense with a contemptuous gaze and a disgusted expression, not even hiding it regardless of who heard it. No matter how much it was due to the forbidden art, there was no room for excuses. According to Lucenport logic, the one who was subjected to it was weak, and weakness was a sin.

You should have just died. Peon thought that was what he should have done. If he was so reluctant to save his mother that he barely hung on like that because he disliked Kaella so much, he should have just died.

What’s the point of that life when all it does is hurt your loved ones and tarnish your honor if you live longer? He only trampled on his weak wife and slightly, very slightly extended his life. Now that his head was completely clear, it was too humiliating.

“Farewell and be well.”

“Have a safe trip back.”

One of the unwelcome guests who had stormed into Lucenport finished his business and left. The people of the castle silently watched the Emperor’s inspector’s entourage leave with anxious eyes.

The war started during the planting season. They repelled it this time, but no one knows about next time.

In the midst of that, no one knew what the inspector from the south who came to investigate the incident of the Grand Duchess’s collapse would say to the Emperor and how. If they held Lucenport responsible, they would have no choice but to accept it.

However, the Grand Duke turned around without showing any signs and only focused on cleaning up after the war. He tended to the wounded and called in stonemasons and carpenters to repair Fort Pueten.

Yet he gave the bizarre order not to stop the renovation of the Lucenport castle kitchen.

“How much money goes into the kitchen renovation, in this situation…!”

There were some who muttered. But because the Emperor’s inspector had thoroughly investigated Lucenport castle like catching lice for a while, others shut them up.

“How do you know what they’ll say in Klein? We have to at least pretend to fix it. We need to show sincerity.”

The new head maid constantly roamed Lucenport castle with a bundle of keys on her waist.

Now was the time to sow seeds and clean up after the war. No one had the luxury to pay attention to tea parties or plays, so naturally, no one paid attention to the only remaining unwelcome guest in the castle, Beatrice Lavallet.

The local nobles here who would have shown interest in her and wanted to know the sophisticated trends of the so-called ‘Klein social circles’ all had their names added to the list of war dead this time. The women were busy preparing for the funerals, weeping sadly.

Unfortunate events kept happening in the gloomy Lucenport. In the morning, the Emperor’s inspector quietly left, and in the afternoon, a sudden mass food poisoning occurred.

*

“Stomach pains, you say?”

Peon, who happened to be in the Grand Duchess’s office, took his eyes off the butler who reported that many people were complaining of stomach pains and looked at Darinka who had come in with him.

“What’s the cause?”

“We are currently investigating, but I think everyone ate something together. But when we try to investigate, everyone is suffering from vomiting and diarrhea…”

It meant they didn’t even have the energy to speak.

“How many have collapsed?”

“The scale is quite large. Close to twenty people.”

There was a lot of work to be done, but the castle staff were suffering from food poisoning. It was strange. Was it following the formula that an epidemic always spreads after a war?

“It’s definitely because they ate the wrong food.”

Darinka, who had the skill to become the Grand Duchess’s personal physician and managed and supervised the medical practices throughout the castle, was certain. Peon nodded as she knew the nutritional status of even the children running around the castle with runny noses.

“I see. Are the others besides the identified people alright?”

“We don’t know yet. Some people’s symptoms may appear late. I’m continuing to prescribe medicine.”

Peon’s brow furrowed.

“I see.”

“I will join the investigation as well.”

“You will?”

Peon was puzzled when the butler stepped up.

“Isn’t it something I should do?”

“Then do so.”

Peon nodded and sent the two back out again.

“…He’s come back to life.”

In the quiet Grand Duchess’s office, only Lord Renar had the personality to leisurely say what he wanted to say. Peon usually let him say whatever he wanted, and in the end, the one who looked at Lord Renar with puzzled eyes, asking for an explanation, was Kaella.

“I’m talking about the old butler. When the inspector turned the office upside down, I thought the old man was finally going to retire since he was almost dead, but as soon as the inspector left, he immediately came back to life.”

Lord Renar, who pointed out what everyone had noticed, chuckled in amusement.

“Ah, don’t mind it, Your Highness. That’s just how he is.”

Was Kaella concerned? Peon’s gaze immediately turned to Kaella.

“I wasn’t concerned.”

She answered quietly and gently.

Peon also knew that the butler was originally like that. Isidore had already subtly informed him, the head maid was investigating to death, and he also had the butler’s corruption that he had uncovered together with Kaella.

It’s just that it was pushed back in priority because of this workload that filled the Grand Duchess’s office desk and table to the point of overflowing and even spilling onto the floor.

If he does anything wrong, he will immediately grab him by the scruff of the neck and throw him outside the castle walls. Everyone in this room except Kaella predicted that the butler wouldn’t last a week.

I want to get rid of them. I want to get rid of them all.

It was also his desire to feel calmly disgusted right now. I wish the annoying things could be removed a bit. Like the poisoned teapot that he had removed when it came to his office before coming to the Grand Duchess’s office.

Tea, wine, then tea again. It’s already the third time. Quite persistent. It’s probably Beatrice.

Peon had no intention of drinking the poison that made his tongue tingle, nor did he intend to obviously collapse after drinking it and let her run wild. With the food poisoning on top of that, he had no time or leisure to dig into that poison right now.

What he was most worried about, focused on, and concerned about was Kaella.

“Then shall we continue our earlier discussion, Duchess?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As he watched Kaella, who was staying very passively far away and reluctantly focusing on the castle blueprint, he pondered and pondered again. He could no longer deny it. Kaella was already a different person to just ignore it and move on.

So, he had to first confirm whether she had really returned like him or not. How could he get a proper confession and apology? And he steeled himself again and again to face the emptiness that had been punched through inside him.

‘Confirm it, and if it’s true, then…’

She would be angry. He had to give her all his weaknesses, saying he wouldn’t harm her in any way. For example, from the secret that he was the son of the evil dragon Gwasalante, which must be hidden the most, to the fact that he dared to love her…

‘No, no, that can’t happen. She’ll think it’s disgusting. I can’t make her more uncomfortable.’

Even if that emotion that could not even be called love was a very fatal weakness and properly grasping his leash, Kaella would only feel bad about it. Moreover, how dare he enjoy the privilege of confessing his feelings?

He had to apologize to the best of his ability. It was already an unforgivable sin. Peon agonized and agonized over the painful dilemma.

“Then if we expand this area…”

“That’s a realm that needs an expert’s touch, and widening the stable…”

“Since we’re repairing the castle walls, if we add that tower over there…”

The issues with the castle that Kaella had pointed out one by one before returning were already pouring out.

They were all things he knew, but also things that required a tremendous amount of attention. And Kaella, Kaella who was watching her husband trying to discuss the big issue of expansion with the Grand Duchess, what was she thinking?

She didn’t smile, nor did she frown or show any signs of fear. She was just consistently indifferent and composed.

Peon knew that he had to look at that face diligently even now. It was a face he wouldn’t be able to see the moment he confessed. He probably wouldn’t be able to see it for the rest of his life.

*

Before he knew it, the sun had set and it was very late in the evening.

“Let’s rest for a bit.”

The meeting continued endlessly even at this hour because there were too many things to discuss besides the expansion. As Peon muttered while rubbing his sore eyes, everyone except the Grand Duke and Duchess left the office.

They wanted to go out and get some fresh air. For Peon, rest was Kaella, so since she didn’t leave, he also silently sat here.

“…Your Highness.”

Kaella carefully called out to Peon. Peon, who had been sitting sunken into his chair, turned his head to look at her.

“It’s a very trivial matter.”

“Please speak.”

“I think the youngest of my maids is suffering from homesickness.”

“Oh dear…”

Peon’s reaction wasn’t bad. He was listening attentively to what she was saying. It seemed like it would go well. So she was about to say that she would send her back with her own money, so don’t worry about it.

There was a knock on the door, and Head Maid Sylvester, who had gone out for a moment to get some work done and catch her breath, quietly came in.

“I apologize for interrupting your conversation. The butler says he must see Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

“Why?”

The head maid shook her head. It meant she wouldn’t say. Kaella’s eyes turned to Peon.

“Tell him to come here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After the head maid left, Peon turned his head back to Kaella.

“It must be worrying that the young maid is suffering from homesickness.”

“Ah, yes…”

That’s right. They were talking about Mary. He was going to say that he would send her back first, that’s what he was trying to do.

“Are you alright, Duchess?”

“I… I’m fine. Of course, I’m alright.”

While answering, the butler came in. He bowed his head and furtively glanced at Kaella.

“Your Highness the Grand Duke. I wish to speak to you alone.”

It was a look that meant she should take the hint and leave. It meant that the young Grand Duchess was not yet in a position to be involved. Kaella was about to get up from her seat right away, following the habit ingrained in her for 4 years. It doesn’t make sense, but this is Lucenport.

“If it’s something the Duchess doesn’t know, then I don’t need to know either.”

However, a gentle and firm hand stopped her, and a cold voice lashed out at the butler.