My Ruin to You - Chapter 117

“You picked the perfect topic to lower Valen’s guard.”

Between Lady Rodelac’s excessive favoritism, the strained relationship between Lady Malsen and the Countess, and now this—Roseline had chosen the one subject that could distract him completely. And judging by his reaction, it had been the right move.

“What did you say you resembled?”

Valen stopped walking and turned fully toward her, his brow arched as if he hadn’t heard right—but the faint curl at the corner of his mouth betrayed his amusement.

“A donkey,” Roseline repeated flatly.

His gaze slid downward, lingering somewhere between the bridge of her nose and her lips before flicking back up. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly.

“I’m not sure.”

“Right?”

“Smile for me.”

Roseline awkwardly stretched her lips.

“More.”

Tilting his head as if searching for the resemblance, he waited until she pulled her lips back as far as they could go, her neat teeth peeking through. That was when Valen burst out laughing. His crescent-moon eyes crinkled, and before she could react, he pinched her cheek like he couldn’t resist.

“I was going to sulk a little longer, but— hn? ”

Each time his fingers pressed into her soft flesh, her lips puckered like a sparrow’s beak—a telltale sign he was about to kiss her. Roseline quickly raised a hand to cover her mouth. Undeterred, Valen smirked and pressed his lips to the back of her hand instead. When his teeth lightly scraped the bony surface, she flinched and shoved his shoulder. Only then did he finally pull back.

“Stay where I can see you. I get uneasy when you’re out of sight.”

“……”

“And when I’m uneasy, I get angry.”

Roseline nodded stiffly. She’d never seen anything good come from Valen in a bad mood, so she counted this as a win. Still, the fact that she owed this small victory to a donkey left a bitter taste in her mouth.

◇◇◇

They rode through the city in the carriage with no fixed destination—passing empty farmlands, temporary tents for refugees, and distribution centers. The city gates, now open unlike yesterday, seemed to hum with a strange energy. Maybe it was just her imagination, but things felt livelier. Tomorrow will be better than today.

She could finally stop meddling in others’ affairs and focus on her own future. That was likely why Valen had insisted she see the city with her own eyes instead of just hearing reports. On the way back, she thanked him—and, predictably, he demanded a kiss in return.

It started light, but Valen, as always, had no sense of restraint. By the time they stepped out of the carriage, her lips were swollen, the root of her tongue stinging from how much he’d sucked on it.

Pervert. Shameless. Lecher. Beast. Lust-driven demon.

She was busy mentally cursing him and straightening her disheveled clothes when—

“What did you hear that made you laugh?”

The sudden question caught her off guard.

“The one laughing right now is you, Your Highness.”

“Not now.”

“Then when?”

“You must’ve laughed at something for the donkey comparison to come up.”

Even though that conversation had ended long ago, he still seemed fixated on the donkey. She hadn’t heard the remark while smiling, but there were too many delicate details to explain outright—like the young lady’s bizarre hobby of collecting fan clubs, or the fact that Roseline herself was one of those hobbies.

“She apologized for yesterday’s incident.”

“Nothing funny about an apology.”

“I couldn’t exactly cry while accepting it, could I? By the way, aren’t you getting down?”

He showed no intention of leaving the carriage, lounging against the door with his long legs stretched across the opposite seat, watching her with an unreadable gaze. Unlike Roseline, his lips showed no trace of swelling, just a faint curve—but that alone gave no clue to his thoughts.

“Should I use magic? It’s only my lips that are visible.”

“Ah—”

Only after Roseline hurriedly applied healing magic did he finally smirk and knock on the window. The carriage door swung open. Stepping out first, he silently offered his hand. Roseline, now with subdued lips, took it belatedly and stepped onto the ground. A cold gust of wind swept past, sparking an odd question in her mind.

“Your Highness.”

Valen turned to look at her.

“Between everyone hating me and everyone liking me—which would you prefer?”

His finely arched brows lifted slightly, as if surprised by the question. He studied her in silence, the winter sunlight flickering in his calm, unblinking eyes.

“Right now, it’s better that no one knows you.”