At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 20

Not long after Pheon was practically driven out of Lusenford, Beatrice Lavalle also began visiting Lusenford frequently. After all, with her family’s fortunes in decline, she had nowhere else to turn.

In Lusenford, she was always a welcome guest—more so, even, than the Grand Duchess, who, despite being the Emperor’s niece, was the daughter of a bastard.

The Lusenford nobles held both admiration and resentment toward the capital. Secretly, they favored the vibrant and dazzling Beatrice—the reigning flower of high society.

She loved establishing hierarchies. From a very young age, she’d always wanted to prove she stood above Caella, the Grand Duchess, within their established relationship.

The Lusenford nobility joined in, and whenever Caella tried to assert her ducal authority in response, Beatrice would immediately run to Pheon. After all, she possessed the powerful spell known as the Golden Seal.

“Pheon and I have always been so close.”

Beatrice shot back without so much as blinking at Caella’s words. Ever since childhood, Caella had adored Pheon, so all Beatrice needed to do was mention the special bond between herself and Pheon—and that was enough. Beatrice always won.

Caella recalled the widespread rumors that Beatrice had wept in front of Pheon because of her.

More precisely, it spread as “The Grand Duchess made Lady Lavalle cry.” She remembered the stifling chill of Lusenford, where every move she made felt constrained, suffocating her.

“I was just worried—suddenly announcing your marriage like that. That emotionally dense boy who never understands people’s feelings… you know he never understood your heart.”

Pheon never summoned Caella separately or took any action back then. He simply left her alone, as always. He did nothing; it was the nobles and palace staff within Lusenford who handled everything.

“Well, I suppose it makes sense. After all that persistent effort, you’re finally getting your reward, aren’t you?”

Though she wasn’t even treated properly as Grand Duchess, Pheon still insisted on calling her by that title.

Caella was certain that this was the only form of aggression from the emotionally reserved man—wasn’t it an insult to call someone “Grand Duchess” when she clearly wasn’t?

“I’m just worrying as Pheon’s closest friend, so don’t take it the wrong way.”

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