You are at the End of the Downfall

People were gathered closely at the port. They had lost interest in watching the expansion construction after a day or two, and instead had to keep children from lurking around to prevent accidents.

But the ship arriving from the far South was different. People had come out to watch, amazed to see a ship with three masts instead of the usual longships rowed by foreigners that they were accustomed to.

While watching, the people of Lusenford couldn’t hide their characteristic wariness of outsiders. Though curious, they remained cautious. Since the Grand Duchess was from the South, the arrival of Southerners was both interesting and uncomfortable to them.

The Grand Duke’s carriage stopped, and when the door opened, the Grand Duke stepped out first. The knights who had already gathered at the port bowed their heads. The Grand Duke turned and extended both hands into the carriage. The petite Grand Duchess took his hands and stepped down from the carriage.

“Oh my, Your Highness the Princess!”

Both the people unloading cargo and the main crew members instinctively called out the name they had used for so long, rushing over excitedly. Everyone showed signs of delight.

The people of Lusenford glanced sideways at the Grand Duchess. Here, no one greeted the Grand Duchess with such enthusiasm.

“Your Highness, oh my, our young lady!”

One voice was particularly emotional. The captain, who came running while repeatedly exclaiming “Oh my, oh my,” was so large in build that he could intimidate even the sturdy men of Lusenford.

His face was deeply tanned from fighting against the sun and harsh weather, with layers of age settled upon it. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, about the same age as Duke Ostein.

“Johnny?”

Peon looked down at his wife, who called out the familiar nickname with wide eyes. Her small, white face bloomed with life. How long had it been since he’d seen her so animated? In Peon’s memory, it had been quite a while.

“Yes, it’s me, Johnny! Oh my, our young lady, oh my!”

The captain who had been commanding the port rushed towards the Grand Duchess, who though small was clearly an adult, crying “Oh my, oh my” like an uncle seeing his beloved niece. Or perhaps like a grandfather seeing his grandchild.

“You came yourself? My goodness, Eddie!”

“How could I not come when our young lady called? Yes, the Swan Lake has arrived.”

The giant of a man who quickly arrived before the couple knew noble etiquette. He bowed his head to the Grand Duke, rough but respectful.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Grand Duke. I am Benjamin ‘Johnny’ Toti, leading three ships from Ostein – the Swan Lake, the Pearl Lake, and the Mermaid’s Song. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Must be from the navy. His manner of removing his hat showed traces of military bearing. Peon nodded solemnly.

Who was this person? He had never heard Kaela mention the name Johnny before. In fact, he knew nothing about how she had lived in Ostein.

Kaela had spent more time in Ostein than in Crania or Lusenford, but he knew nothing about her life in the South, which made him particularly alert to the man standing before him.

He wanted to know everything. This was the Kaela he should have known about long ago but still didn’t.

“Welcome. The journey must have been difficult.”

“We took quite a detour, but it was manageable. If anything, I was surprised by how much closer it was than expected.”

“Welcome. Thank you for making the difficult journey.”

“Think nothing of it. We would go anywhere at your command. Ah, this is a letter from the Duke of Ostein for both of you.”

Captain Johnny gestured behind him. Kaela’s expression brightened again at the sight of someone approaching with two boxes.

It was the sailor called Eddie, who was extremely large in build. After deeply bowing to the couple, he handed the boxes to Sir Wilfred.

“Have you been well, Eddie? How are your wife and children?”

“As for my family…”

When Kaela asked, the booming voice that answered was full of emotion. The sailor, whose forearms were thick enough to take down a shark bare-handed, had a very strong Ostein accent.

“Thanks to Your Highness’s grace, we’re living very well. Our entire household prays day and night for Your Highness’s wellbeing.”

“Really? Thank you.”

“It’s only natural, Your Highness. Only natural.”

The Lusenford nobles who had hurriedly come out upon hearing that the Grand Duke would appear personally, stared with surprised eyes at the massive merchant ship and the strong men filling it.

“We’ve brought lots of things that Your Highness likes.”

Having heard how you suffered from discrimination and nearly died in this cold place – the seafaring men, as sturdy as any Lusenford native, looked at Kaela with reddened eyes and simply bowed their heads.

“Is that so? Shall we take a look, Your Highness? Let’s go closer.”

Peon began walking toward the ship while escorting Kaela.

“Miss!”

“Princess, Your Highness!”

But their progress was very slow. They had to greet each sailor who bowed their heads in joy at seeing their beloved young lady. They were all either former Imperial Navy members of Crania or knights belonging to the Ostein duchy.

The sailors and navy men standing on both sides bowed their heads. The Duke of Ostein’s intentions were evident in the massive scale of it all.

Since Lusenford’s port was small, they had reluctantly reduced the ship size to medium-class rather than sending large ships, but they had assembled the crew entirely of familiar faces who had served and watched Kaela since she was very young.

“Your Highness the Grand Duke, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Moreover, each ship was loaded with so many goods that their hulls sat lower in the water than usual.

“Please grant permission to unload the merchant ships from Ostein.”

Kaela finally smiled at the captain’s formal unloading request. She managed a faint smile at the welcome faces she hadn’t seen in years.

Peon couldn’t take his eyes off that sight. This was exactly why he had deliberately requested goods from the Duke of Ostein. He had willingly paid the expensive cost just to see his wife smile.

“Your Highness. You should grant permission.”

Kaela nodded while looking at the nostalgic sea smell and the knights who had served her.

“Begin unloading!”

“Unload!”

The Lusenford people flinched in surprise at the disciplined command. The sailors immediately began unloading the cargo.

What strange items had they brought? People craned their necks in curiosity, and whenever the packaging was opened to reveal the contents, gasps of amazement naturally followed.

Expensive salt took up half the merchant ship.

While everyone gaped at the endless unloading of salt barrels, precious Southern fabrics came down by type, followed by crates of perfumes and soaps so fragrant that even people standing far away could smell them.

There was plenty of strong rum and precious wine.

“Ah, this is for our young lady. Sent by His Grace the Duke.”

“This is also for the young lady.”

“That too.”

“Yes, that’s correct as well.”

Moreover, beyond the ordered items, there were so many things the Duke of Ostein had sent for his only daughter that the port workers in charge of checking the cargo were overwhelmed trying to sort it all. There wasn’t an inch of space left in the port.

“This is much more than expected.”

“Hahaha! His Grace the Duke originally planned to send a fleet-sized convoy! We had to reduce it again and again to just this much, which is quite disappointing! Hahaha!”

The large sailors and knights laughed heartily as they carried the goods.

The abundance of expensive items demonstrated Ostein’s wealth, while the scale of the knights who brought them and their devotion to the Grand Duchess showed the dignity of the Princess of Ostein.

The Duke of Ostein knew why his son-in-law had specifically requested goods from his father-in-law in the central South.

The Grand Duchess had a formidable family background. She had a reliable and wealthy father. She had knights who showed absolute loyalty while cheering for their young lady.

He deliberately showed that the Grand Duchess was both a precious, beloved daughter and the heir to Ostein.

Having heard that his daughter, whom he raised alone without remarrying, had nearly died from insubordination right after marriage, the Duke of Ostein had made thorough preparations. It was a shocking sight for Lusenford.

****

“My goodness, Your Highness, look at these. Such beautiful pearls!”

“Oh my!”

Denise and Cecile exclaimed enthusiastically. The Duke of Ostein, who had sent his daughter a box full of ocean-harvested pearls, also wrote a long letter to encourage her.

The letter, spanning over ten pages, expressed his concerns about her recovery and whether she was struggling with Lusenford’s cold weather.

Kaela smiled as she happily read the letter detailing how to use everything he had sent, while looking at the nostalgic Ostein items that Cecile, Denise, and Marie showed her.

In contrast, the Duke’s letter to Peon was just two pages. His father-in-law’s intention was clear, compressing many unspoken words into those two pages.

[Though I trusted you, this incident was very disappointing. However, I’m grateful you handled it well, and I ask that you be more careful in the future.]

Throughout the letter, there were hints that he was holding back only because Peon had saved him from being killed by the Emperor in Crania.

This was about Kaela collapsing after eating ferenco, but if he knew she had tried to take her own life by drinking poison, he would immediately come rushing with the prenuptial contract. It was fortunate that she had a father who would always take her side.

Peon, who had done his best to save the Duke of Ostein in this life too, put down his father-in-law’s letter. He hadn’t forgotten the weight of the blood on his hands. Saving someone once doesn’t erase the crime of unwitting complicity from before.

He had provided the Emperor with the weapon that killed the Duke of Ostein. Though he hadn’t known, a sin was still a sin. Peon reminded himself repeatedly.

“We’re clearing out all the stored soap. The space will be empty soon.”

“Salt goes this way!”

“Ah, that’s Her Highness’s belongings. Bring it over here.”

The key ring that the dead butler had held onto so tightly was now in the Grand Duchess’s hands. Kaela had all the storerooms opened and thoroughly cleaned of old dust.

She had everything taken out, including old items that had been tucked away out of excessive frugality, using up consumables and finding purposes for unused items.

Every woman in the castle rolled up their sleeves to sort through and organize her father’s gifts, her husband’s gifts, and separately ordered items.

While managing and supervising today’s incoming goods was the head maid’s job, she ultimately reported everything to Kaela for approval.

Whether intentionally or not, Kaela’s traces and touch reached every corner of Lusenford Castle.

None other than Kaela de Chasser, the lady of Lusenford Castle. She who had tried to die as quietly as possible now sat surrounded by items filled with the familiar scent of her beloved homeland.

The halls of Lusenford Castle were filled with exotic items as if it were Ostein. Her father was the Duke of Ostein, said to be the wealthiest after the Emperor in the Crania Empire, and she was the heir to that title.

The people of Lusenford watched with a hint of awe as she returned leading this enormous procession of goods. Even the knights treated Kaela more carefully.

“If only you had done this earlier, Your Highness.”

Cecile whispered with slight disappointment. The maids from Ostein, who had suffered from both obvious and subtle discrimination starting with what Kaela endured, had their faces gleaming with pride today.

That was true. If she had been an ordinary princess, after collapsing from drinking the Ferenco, she should have immediately contacted her father to show how remarkable and noble a person she was.

It wasn’t difficult to display the power of the Ostein duchy in Lusenford. Before the regression, Kaela couldn’t do it, and after the regression, Kaela didn’t feel it was worth doing in Lusenford.

No matter how much she thought about it, the conclusion was always the same. It wasn’t worth it.

Even acting as the Princess of Ostein required careful consideration and delicate handling to avoid irritating the Emperor’s watchful eyes throughout Lusenford, so she wondered why she should go to such lengths.

Despite bringing an impressive dowry, the people of Lusenford still treated her like an uncomfortable outsider. And since she would die anyway, what did it matter?

“My goodness, what arrived is several times better than what we ordered.”

Next to the admiring Lady Silenster, Denise stood proudly.

“It’s because our lady is such a precious daughter, so His Grace the Duke paid special attention.”

“I’m truly grateful, really.”

But now, expressions of gratitude for her could be heard everywhere. It’s a harsh place where you need to survive at least two life-threatening situations to be finally accepted. How remarkable. Either survive to gain recognition or just die – that’s all there is to it.

Even while being sarcastic, her cynical heart would soften when she saw people bowing deeply in gratitude to Her Highness the Grand Duchess. Unbelievably, it made her a bit happy.

She became like a child excited from receiving praise. She finally received the recognition she desperately wanted in Lusenford. Her half-hearted efforts were showing good results everywhere. That too was satisfying.

At the same time, it was pathetic. It was absurd that even a Grand Duchess had to work for recognition, and it was pathetic to feel proud of such things. While outwardly she was the noble Princess and Grand Duchess, inside she was still a miserable prisoner confined to a tower.

“Oh, how lovely. As I said, fabric must absolutely be ordered from Ostein.”

“Oh my, Your Highness, Your Highness. This is it! This color! A dress made with this would suit you so well!”

Kaela was startled by Lady Silenster and Denise, who were beside themselves at the sight of the huge fabric box.

“Why is there so much? I only asked for enough for one dress…”

“Didn’t you know? His Highness the Grand Duke modified the order. He ordered all the fashionable fabrics from Ostein in every color.”

Lady Fabiola Silenster chuckled. At those words, Kaela turned her gaze across the hall. Peon had been watching her for quite some time. When their eyes meet, he gives her a gentle smile.

‘Why?’

Kaela couldn’t understand Peon’s kindness toward her, or rather, the emotion that was more overt than mere kindness.

Does regression change people? No, that couldn’t be it, as Kaela hadn’t changed at all. She was still the same foolish, stupid, ugly Kaela who couldn’t read situations.

That’s why it was even more incomprehensible. Why did he look at her with such eyes? She hadn’t changed at all.

If anything, she had become more twisted, more rough-edged, more broken, and even her passion and diligence, which could barely be called virtues, had disappeared. She was just worn out, exhausted, broken and weathered by harsh experiences.

So, why?

Why did he now look at her with such gentle eyes, take care of her in everything, and be so eager to be near her?

She couldn’t understand it, and truthfully, she didn’t want to know more.