My Ruin to You - Chapter 103

Roseline, who had been quietly steadying her breath, suddenly froze. If she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she might have dismissed it as an empty threat—but she had seen it. Her last memory before leaving the castle was proof. Yet, in critical moments, he always stepped back and yielded. That was his way of loving. And Roseline had always been weak to those who gave her their hearts.

“Your Highness.”

“Hm.”

“Calm down.”

When Roseline replied flatly, he let out a low, rough chuckle and pulled her even tighter, as if refusing to allow even the slightest gap between them. His arms around her waist tightened. Hahk. A sharp pain shot through her ribs, forcing a small gasp from her.

“What.”

He immediately pushed her back, his eyes scanning every inch of her.

“Are you hurt somewhere else? Not just your head.”

“No, it’s not an injury…”

Roseline pulled something from her cloak pocket—the potatoes the old woman had wrapped in cloth. The embrace had been so fierce that two of the cold potatoes were now crushed.

“I got lost, but I met an elderly couple living in the mountains. They gave me a compass, a map, and these potatoes.”

“Tell me the details later.”

After a brief glance at the potatoes, he turned Roseline around and carefully parted her hair to examine the back of her head. She had wiped away the dried blood with the damp cloth the old woman gave her, but with her magic depleted, she hadn’t been able to heal it.

His expression twisted when he saw the scabbed wound hidden beneath her thick hair. A cold light flickered in his gray-blue eyes, and his chest heaved. It seemed like something harsh was about to spill from his lips, but he clenched his teeth instead. Grind. The sound of his molars grating was unnervingly loud, and Roseline flinched, turning to look at him. Strands of her hair slipped through his fingers like silk.

“Don’t look.”

Valen covered her eyes.

“Why?”

“Because I want you to see only good things.”

“You’ve already shown me plenty of bad things.”

“Then consider this me holding back.”

“…Do we have to keep standing like this?”

“Then hug me again.”

“Huh? Again?”

“Yes, again. I was terrified.”

It was an uncharacteristic whine, not something he’d ever normally say. Remembering the exhaustion in his sharp, sleepless eyes, Roseline hesitated before slowly turning back to him.

The hand covering her vision gradually withdrew. Roseline wrapped her arms around his much larger frame and patted his back. Her touch was clumsy, but it was more than enough to steady him. His ragged breathing evened out, and the tension in his chest eased. Valen pulled her close again, his arms locking around her waist.

“Just how scared do you think I was? And you’re the one who’s supposed to be timid.”

“……”

She hadn’t been that scared, but his voice, heavy with something like regret, made it impossible to argue.

“I won’t leave you alone again.”

The quiet words sounded more like a vow to himself than a promise to her.

◇◇◇

His plan to avoid the unstable territory of Molin was overturned. He refused to let Roseline—who’d spent two days wandering the forest—sleep in a tent, and with her unable to heal herself, leaving her wound untreated wasn’t an option. In other words, Roseline was the sole reason for this reckless detour.

“What if the sun sets before we arrive?”

“Then we’d better hurry.”

Roseline balked, but he wouldn’t budge. He even offered to magically put her to sleep if the journey proved too taxing. She recoiled in horror, and for once, Valen conceded. Leaving a rear guard to manage the campsite, they mounted their horses.

With a short command, the horses moved in unison. Hooves cut through the cold air, their rhythmic strikes echoing through the quiet forest. Dry leaves scattered, and dust rose in their wake. Valen adjusted their pace intermittently, watching Roseline closely—loosening the reins when she seemed weary, tightening them when she steadied.