My Ruin to You - Chapter 120

In the flickering candlelight, Schnitzel’s expression turned grave. Her eyes darted to Roseline, gauging her reaction with uncharacteristic caution. But Roseline remained calm. This wasn’t shocking—just an answer to the strange absence of patients. What did surprise her was Schnitzel knowing about it.
“Where did you hear that?”

“By chance. Refugees mentioned the healing center. Why summon manifestors to a place that wasn’t even operating? There’s an agenda there.”

“They must have deliberately planned to drag me into this.”

The answer was obvious, but explaining it fully would take time—time they didn’t have. Roseline glanced at the tightly shut bookshelf and chose to listen instead.

“I know their intentions, but we don’t have much time today. Please, just tell me what you came to say.”

“Then do you also know the professor who recommended the healing center to you has left the Academy?”

“……What?”

“The one who told me this was your maid.”

“Wha—? Lina? You mean Lina?”

This time, Roseline was genuinely shocked. So much so that she shot up from the armchair—only to flop back down after Schnitzel scolded her to sit still, for heaven’s sake. Her eyes were wide as saucers. Schnitzel clicked her tongue at the reaction.

“A few days before the plague broke out, your maid came looking for you. She’d gone to the Academy first, but the guards—bless their keen observational skills—told her to try me instead, since we seemed close. Anyway, that’s not the point.”

“……”

“She rushed back to the territory and found her mother in perfect health—chopping firewood, no less. Oh, and apparently, Baroness Celodienne has lavishly redecorated her mansion.”

From the professor to news of the territory—these were all things Roseline had been desperate to know, but she never expected to hear them like this.

“Is Lina… alright?”

“Of course. She’s working as a maid in our household now.”

“……Thank you, my lady. I don’t know how to repay this kindness. Truly, thank you.”

“What misunderstanding is this? We just happened to need more maids—don’t flatter yourself thinking I did this for you. Understood?”

Roseline could only smile wryly. Schnitzel huffed, but Roseline was too busy massaging her throbbing temples to retort. Watching her, Schnitzel narrowed her eyes and continued.

“Strange, isn’t it? Individually, these things seem unrelated—but put them together, and only one person comes to mind.”

“……”

“How meticulous of him to spare no effort in isolating you.”

Schnitzel’s sarcastic shrug left no doubt who she meant. Roseline, too, pictured that meticulous man’s infuriatingly perfect face. Just as Schnitzel said: he’d severed Roseline’s closest ties—first Lina, then the territory—forcing her into the Marquis’s lands with nowhere else to go.

“Now I finally understand why he disliked Schnitzel so much.”

Of course he’d be irritated. After meticulously tearing down every support Roseline had, forcing her to rely solely on him—only for Schnitzel to keep hovering around, playing the savior.

In fact, Schnitzel’s very existence might have been the spark that sent Roseline to the Marquis’s lands in the first place. But why there, of all places? That single question still gnawed at her.

‘Your Highness, how long have you known?’

‘Must I answer?’

Back then, he’d brushed her off with that infuriating non-reply. Between one crisis and another, she’d never pressed further—but now, she thought she understood.

Without a doubt, he’d known about the Marquis’s experiments long before.

And that damned experiment? It was never just about the plague. It was a snare meant to entangle her.

‘A scheme to tie you to the experiments, perhaps. You were part of the healing center, and you did learn about the bats. If things went south and the experiments came to light—what better leverage than you, my dear, to shake me?’

What a farce.

Valen and the Marquis, each dreaming different dreams—all over her. Good heavens, who knew I was this important? The sheer injustice of being the last to realize made her want to scream.

“Calm down, my lady. And rein in your magic.”

Schnitzel snapped her fingers, the sharp sound cutting through the tension. Roseline’s unfocused gaze sharpened, her roiling magic settling grudgingly.

“Save the rage for later. Right now, listen.” Schnitzel leaned in. “Once you enter the capital, you won’t escape the Grand Duke’s grasp. Today is your only chance.”