At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 64

Caella had no expectations. Since she expected nothing, no matter what happened, she would simply accept it with an “I see” and step back. Even if it was frightening, surprising, absurd, or unfair, she could still withdraw. She had done it many times and was good at it.

So when she opened her eyes, no matter what reaction Pheon showed, she would not be shaken. Wasn’t that only natural for someone living on borrowed time, waiting for death?

“You could have slept more.”

Yet among the reactions Caella had prepared herself for from Pheon, there was nothing about him sitting beside her in just a loose robe, gazing at her and smiling.

Wasn’t waking up alone in an empty room the most desirable and likely outcome?

With an uncharacteristically casual appearance like yesterday, Pheon sat on the bed and shattered all the possibilities Caella had calculated based on the Pheon she knew and the typical life of noble couples.

“Did you sleep well?”

If you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed or hurt. And if you don’t expect anything, you can be surprised even more. Caella only realized that now.

Last night, Pheon had clearly not been in his right mind. Slightly—no, perhaps very much not in his right mind. His eyes had been exactly the same as that night before her death when she had stolen a glance.

In those vertically narrowed pitch-black pupils and dark violet irises, reason had not existed. So even if upon waking he kept his distance from Caella or pretended that night had never happened, just as he had afterward, it would have been fine.

“It’s about time for lunch.”

Yet Pheon was caressing her cheek and smiling. His eyes were tender, his touch gentle, and the cool line of his mouth was curved in a smile—was this a dream?

Ah, yes. Ever since Caella had died and woken up again in the Ostein ducal townhouse, she sometimes thought every new day unfolding before her might be a dream.

There was nothing wrong with achieving in a dream all the things that had been forbidden to her. if she couldn’t do it this time either, it would be too unfair. The Grand Duchess who had desperately tried to stay upright and never stray was now committing her own little rebellion.

If something went wrong, there was a solution. She already knew the ultimate method she had experienced once before. So it was fine. If this was not a dream but reality, she would run away. But right now it felt like too sweet a dream.

Read full content of this chapter on r e d c a t t y . c o m