My Ruin to You - Chapter 119

“Y-You, my lady?”

Roseline rarely stammered, but this time, she couldn’t help it. It wasn’t just Schnitzel’s presence that shocked her—it was her outfit. Schnitzel was dressed in a maid’s uniform from the Count’s household.

“What are you staring at? You think I wanted to wear this?” Schnitzel snapped.

Lady Rodelac giggled behind her hand. “She gets loud when embarrassed. Hehe.”

Schnitzel’s sharp glare shot toward her, but the young lady only beamed brighter, as if thrilled by the reaction.

“What on earth is going on?” Roseline asked.

Finally snapping out of her delighted daze, Lady Rodelac explained: After receiving Roseline’s letter, Schnitzel had been desperate to meet—but knowing the Grand Duke would never allow it, they’d arranged this secret rendezvous. The sudden banquet? Also her idea. She’d smuggled Schnitzel in during the chaos.

“I’m grateful for your help, but what if I hadn’t understood your signal? This was… bold.”

“Oh, I was planning to invite you for tea tomorrow morning anyway. Hohoho.”

In other words, she’d intended to hide Schnitzel in her bedroom until then. Schnitzel, who’d apparently not been briefed on that detail, looked horrified. Lady Rodelac, of course, savored the reaction.

“No time to dawdle! Talk while I pick a dress.”

With a dramatic shove, she heaved against a bookshelf. The massive wooden structure rotated, revealing a hidden chamber—a snug space with a desk, an armchair, and a single drawer. After lighting candles, she warned them not to open the drawers, then pulled the shelf shut. Her shy smile vanished behind the spinning wood.

“‘The Bear’s Lace Gloves’? She’s deranged.”

The moment the door sealed, Schnitzel clicked her tongue. Clearly, she’d heard of the young lady’s eccentric clubs. Roseline gave a wry smile.

“Her hobbies are unusual, but she’s kind.”

“Still blind as ever, I see.”

“Hardly. She’s the kindest person I know.”

“Hmph.”

Schnitzel flopped onto the desk chair, nudging the armchair toward Roseline. Perching on the edge, Roseline cut straight to the point:

“But why are you here? I nearly fainted when I heard you were in the territory.”

“You were shocked? When I heard about the plague turning people into monsters in the Marquis’s lands, I—” She cut herself off, exhaling sharply. “You couldn’t send a word, could you? …Sorry, my lady.”

“Oh, who asked for an apology? I meant, ‘Do you realize how worried I had to be to come all the way here?’ Understand?”

Roseline didn’t. If you were shocked, why come down here?

As she tilted her head in confusion, Schnitzel sighed like she was dealing with the world’s biggest fool and thumped her own chest.

“If something happened to you, who else would come looking? Me. Who else is there? Oh, I heard His Highness marched out with the knights—but I assumed it had nothing to do with you. Political reasons, surely. You two weren’t exactly on good terms.”

“…You came because of me?”

“Not specifically! I just happened to have time, so I dropped by. Kill two birds with one stone.”

Roseline’s head drooped. If she spoke, the hot lump in her throat might burst out. Her nose stung; her eyes burned. A sniffle escaped.

“Ugh, why are you crying? So dramatic,” Schnitzel grumbled, but her scolding voice wavered.

“Snf—Anyway, I heard you’d left the castle safely a few days ago. The whole Empire’s eyes and ears are fixed on the plague zones, so news travels fast.”

“But why didn’t you go back up? The Count’s lands are safe, but still… The Marquis must be worried—”

“Because I had to see you before returning to the capital.”

Schnitzel explained she’d planned to intercept them here, since Valen and Roseline would pass through the county en route to the capital. But when days passed with no sign of them, she’d assumed they’d bypassed the area—until rumors of the Grand Duke’s visit reached her. The Count, however, had tightened security, politely refusing all outside guests.

Roseline hadn’t known any of this. Of course not—she was just a guest clinging to the Grand Duke’s coattails. Why would the Count’s affairs concern her?

“Now listen carefully. The Brun Marquisate’s healing center was shut down months ago.”