My Ruin to You - Chapter 101

Roseline was lost.

The mountains were vast—without a compass, let alone a map, finding her way was anything but easy. She’d resorted to navigating by the sun, but the campsite never appeared, just the same endless stretches of indistinguishable landscape. Every time she hit a cliff or rocky outcrop, she had to backtrack, and each glance upward showed the sun had shifted again.

Winter was merciless. The biting wind sapped her body heat, but the real problem was the utter lack of forage. She’d been rationing her magic to sustain her stamina, but even that had limits. Worse, she’d skimped on healing the wound on the back of her head to conserve energy, and now her steps dragged.

“How much farther do I have to go…?”

Exhausted, Roseline slumped onto a flat rock—when rustling sounded nearby. She froze, breath held, eyes locked on the source. As the footsteps grew closer, her tension spiked—until a shadow emerged from behind the trees.

“Y-you’re… alive?”

An elderly man, trembling hands gripping an axe, stood there with a bundle of firewood on his back. Behind him hovered an older woman, likely his wife. Their wrinkled faces were etched with fear and wariness. Roseline gave a weak nod.

“Alive, yes. Though possibly not for long—I’ve been wandering all day.”

Only after her reply did their shoulders sag in relief.

“Dear, she must be that lady the knights were looking for.”

Despite the dirt and dishevelment, her thick fur cloak and dress marked her as nobility. The pink hair matched, too—just like the young lady the knights had asked about that morning.

“Knights came by looking for me?”

“Aye, this mornin’.”

“Do you know where they are now?”

“Well, I do, but…”

The man trailed off, glancing at the sky. Then, with a kindly smile, he added.

“Sun’s near set. Best stay with us tonight—I’ll take you to ’em tomorrow.”

“I couldn’t impose like that. Just point me the way, and I’ll—”

“Oh, no, no. Once dark falls, even I—lived here all my life—couldn’t find the path.”

“Please, miss,” the wife chimed in. “It’s not just the roads—bandits are thick as thieves out here. Too dangerous for a fine lady alone.”

Roseline had already encountered those bandits—but there was no rule saying she couldn’t run into them again. When the old woman insisted, Roseline reluctantly followed them.

◇◇◇

She’d been lucky.

Roseline truly believed that. Though she couldn’t fully lower her guard after the shock of nearly being trafficked, the elderly couple welcomed her with unexpected kindness. It frustrated her that she had nothing to repay them with—but the simple, good-natured pair just smiled, expecting nothing in return. They were so generous, in fact, that they tried to offer her their only bedroom. Roseline nearly recoiled, waving her hands in refusal.

The modest sofa became hers. She lay down, pretending to sleep, and the fretful old woman finally draped a blanket over her before hesitantly leaving. Click. Only after the door closed did Roseline quietly open her eyes again.

Warm and full-bellied, another thought crept in: Maybe this is my chance to run far away.

After all, she’d found the late Viscount’s remains, and with Valen’s influence, she’d avoid execution—but the mere thought of returning to the capital made her chest tighten and her heart pound. She was terrified. Wouldn’t it be better to live quietly somewhere unknown, free from the lifelong stigma of being Valen’s shadow? But choosing that path didn’t seem like it would bring peace, either. She’d just torment herself, endlessly replaying everything she’d left behind.

She spent the night wrestling with those thoughts. At dawn, the hardworking couple rose, and the old woman served boiled potatoes for breakfast. Roseline declined their offer to guide her—partly because she hadn’t resolved her dilemma, but also because she didn’t want to burden them further.