Franziska Coming Around On Phoenix As She Grows Older And Finally Admits Her Harshness Was Never His

franziska coming around on phoenix as she grows older and finally admits her harshness was never his fault but instead her jealousy that he could stand next to edgeworth, who always felt so far out of her reach and would never return her love (not romantic just deep admiration and respect) the way he clearly did phoenix's

she finally "concedes defeat" and treats phoenix with kindness and without any expectation of reciprocation because doing so is the most pure act of love she can do for miles. and since she's finally accepted that love should be given without expecting anything in return, that it be unconditional, she is also finally able to open up to receive love in ways she never expected and realized she needed. 

phoenix, being who he is, forgives like everything is a fresh start, and his warmth completely knocks her off her feet and everything is suddenly clear to her. "ah. this is why he loves him. this is why i could never do what he did."

and suddenly, phoenix is her big brother. not little brother like miles but genuinely sincerely the figure in her life she should have had all along. her father had trauma bonded her to miles and she had no other guiding mentors, but now she has big brother phoenix.

miles has no idea when this happened. he doesn't understand at all how his little sister, who chided and harassed this man he loved, suddenly stopped looking down on him and began looking up to him. he's grateful, her approval of his partner means more than he'll ever be able to say, but he's lost. 

phoenix gets it. he does not tease her the way he does maya because he knows how prized and vulnerable and fragile and valuable the kindness of franziska von karma is, how it should be cherished as the priceless gemstone it is. 

they bicker. they have different tastes in music and art. they debate like two old men in the box seats of a theatre. but the barbs are a love language. the attacks lack their old spite and volatility. it is a choreographed dance rather than a spar. sometimes, people forget that miles was the one she had been raised with.

when phoenix and miles marry, franziska dances with each of them in lieu of the parent-child dance. she leads miles, but she lets phoenix lead her. 

he thanks her and promises he will take care of miles the way she had for so many years. she smiles and admits "i know."