At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 92

Caella never lets a single tear fall. Tears were a hassle to deal with afterward—wiping them away, calming her reddened nose and eyes, and tidying herself up until she looked perfectly composed was simply too troublesome.

In her previous life, she had learned all too well that no one cared if she cried—and worse, they would only mock her further. Tears were weakness. Therefore, here in Lusenford, surrounded by enemies on all sides, she absolutely could not afford to show any sign of weakness.

Yet, seeing the bouquet adorned with the sky-blue ribbon—the very one her child clearly cherished—made her nose sting unexpectedly. So throughout the carriage ride back to the castle, Caella kept her head bowed, staring only at the bouquet resting on her lap, desperately trying to calm her emotions.

“Your Highness!”

“Your Highness!”

“Your Majesty!”

But the voices outside, cheering and waving eagerly toward her, wouldn’t even let her keep her gaze lowered. Those cheers, meant for Pheon the war hero, now occasionally called out to Caella as well.

When she looked up in surprise, people would remove their hats and bow slowly, while children waved even more enthusiastically with louder shouts. Caella had never witnessed Lusenford’s atmosphere so relaxed and welcoming before.

“Our Highness is truly popular.”

And hearing Pheon say something like that was also a first—so unfamiliar it left her utterly unaccustomed. The man, once so taciturn, now smiled whenever their eyes met and even initiated conversations himself.

“I suppose I’ll need to step up as well.”

“But surely an outsider like me could never replace Your Highness. The true master of this domain isn’t me—it’s…”

“That’s not it. It’s just that you’ve become so popular, I’m worried I’ll seem dull beside you. So I figured I’d better make an effort before that happens.”

What nonsense. Pheon chuckled softly. It still felt strange that he had chosen to ride in the carriage with her rather than on horseback, facing her directly. It felt strange that he’d swept her up into his arms when she’d mentioned going to the Grand Duchess’s chamber and laid her down on his own bed, then simply stayed there beside her.

It felt strange that he listened attentively and spoke kind words.

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