You are at the End of the Downfall

Kaela nodded. Even without the doctor’s earnest advice, she was already in the laziest state of her life. In other words, she had no will to live. She already knew exactly what she would do from now on.

Nothing was new, and the thought of going through it again was more painful. However, her past experience of faithfully performing the role of Grand Duchess made her mind work unconsciously.

‘I should meet the people in the castle, and since the banquet ended like that, I should meet the nobles again, but the head maid would have taken care of that anyway, so why should I do it?’

Wasn’t she treated as a young, ignorant lady when she went out? As Kaela recalled the shame and humiliation of that time for a few seconds, she belatedly realized, “Ah.”

‘There’s no head maid.’

She was gone. Could she move around more freely then? Her shoulders, which had briefly risen, slumped again. So what? Even without the head maid, there would still be people acting like her.

Moreover, wasn’t the butler still active? The maids would also choose someone who suits their taste, considering their own interests. It wasn’t Kaela’s business as an ‘outsider’ to interfere.

“Just do one important thing and rest again, Your Highness.”

“Yes, that’s right. Watch us embroider, and look at the snow flowers. It’s amazing how much snow falls here.”

Lusenford wasn’t a place worth putting effort into. In a few years, the Grand Duke would inevitably be unable to avoid the charges of treason imposed by the Emperor, and Lusenford would be trampled under the hooves of the royal army.

‘Before that, I should send these innocent maids to the warm south.’

She made a new resolution every time she saw the maids. This time, she would make sure all three of them avoid the war without exception. If there was a goal in this powerless life, that was the only one.

So this time too, Kaela had no intention of doing anything.

Honestly, she had no motivation to do anything, and she had no intention of going out to a pre-arranged setting to play the role of a puppet figurehead. Whatever she did, she didn’t have the ability to do it properly anyway.

****

“The Grand Duchess should choose the head maid.”

Peon said clearly, looking at Kaela.

“It’s better to deal with personnel issues first. The more people there are to help, the easier it will be.”

She stared blankly at her husband, who rarely visited her, usually telling her to rest. In the past, she would have been mindful of every expression, attitude, and even the position of her hands in front of him, but now she didn’t even bother to hide her expressions.

“Then does Your Highness have someone in mind?”

The next head maid would probably be predetermined anyway, so she would just have to pretend to choose. Kaela waited for an answer.

“…How could I?”

But Peon looked at Kaela as if puzzled. He seemed a bit flustered too.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know much about that area… I’ll leave everything to you, so please do as you wish, as you know better than I do. It’s an area I’ll never understand anyway. Isn’t it your domain?”

Kaela thought for a moment and then asked again.

“Then shall I discuss it with the butler?”

“That would be fine, but…”

Peon paused for a moment and looked directly at Kaela.

“I trust your judgment. I think you’ll discover someone with qualities that the people of Lusenford have overlooked, more wisely than the butler.”

Who are you?

Kaela looked at Peon with an expression that said, “Who on earth are you?” Had God felt so sorry for her that He put someone else inside Peon’s shell this time?

“It’s your unique authority, so please do it yourself.”

Peon didn’t avoid her gaze. Rather, he met it head-on.

“You need to choose your own people.”

She needed to find someone who could be a support in this lonely and cold place. Someone who could be Kaela’s hands and eyes needed to come in.

“It might actually be a good thing. Isn’t it good for you to directly choose the head maid and make a new start together?”

“A new start?”

“A start in Lusenford.”

How much change could there really be just by changing one person? Kaela was always skeptical. In fact, she was even more so because she hadn’t met any proper people in Lusenford.

“I heard that there will soon be an occasion for the noble women of Lusenford to meet you for the first time.”

Of course, that was a scheduled event whenever a lord, king, or emperor got married. It was an occasion for women to greet the new Grand Duchess, introduce themselves, and promise future cooperation and loyalty.

“That occasion will proceed in an extremely normal and sensible manner.”

His assertive, cutting voice remained level throughout. It didn’t sound colder or scarier. But Kaela knew well that this was Peon’s way.

Within Lusenford, things inevitably rolled out as he said. Those who disregarded the Grand Duchess naturally obeyed the Grand Duke. Peon was their pride, their solid shield, and sword.

“Since it’s an occasion you’re presiding over, it will surely be safe.”

Above all, Peon had an unbreakable strong will. He would rather break than bend. That’s why, before she died, Kaela had fallen for him helplessly.

He was someone who had possessed all the qualities she wanted to be since she was very young. Someone who maintained a firm will even in adverse situations and continuously cultivated the strength to keep it. Although the enemy was too strong, he didn’t give up.

But that’s an old story. Kaela, who had naturally given up on living since coming here, was watching without interest as Peon pulled something out. In fact, she didn’t even know what it was.

“And this is what I showed you as a raw stone before. I’m ashamed to show you the finished product only now. I hope you like it.”

Peon very politely held out a box. Kaela, who had been lost in thought, looked at the box placed in front of her hands and then back at Peon.

“Please open it.”

The radiance visible as soon as the box was opened was dazzling. It was a teardrop-shaped cut ring, larger than the thickness of Kaela’s finger and big enough to fill an entire knuckle.

Kaela, whose thoughts had stopped, belatedly realized that this was a ring made from the smallest of the twelve diamonds mined from the Kervan mine.

“How is it?”

If she didn’t like it, he was thinking of refining it again. He wanted Kaela to like everything. Peon waited anxiously for her reaction. But Kaela was flustered and started looking around, rummaging through things.

“I’m sorry. Just a moment.”

He waited with a puzzled face, then saw Kaela bring a box she had taken out from a locked drawer of her dressing table.

“Is this mine?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then I’ll return this to you.”

With a clear face, Kaela returned to Peon the Empress’s ring, which was also her engagement ring, that she had received when they got married. As if it were the natural thing to do.