My Ruin to You - Chapter 13

The butler of the grand duke’s household is competent.

The thought came naturally upon seeing the neatly pressed uniform. It was not the same uniform that had been crumpled and tossed on the floor just yesterday. The faint fragrance of freesia lingering on the clothes was a trace of the maid, Lina. Lina always rinsed laundry in water infused with freesia and would tuck sachets of dried petals between fully dried clothes.

While I had been holed up in my bedroom yesterday, it seemed the competent butler had sent a servant to the dormitory. An awkward feeling was unavoidable.

“Where are the shoes I wore here?”

“I had them neatly arranged and sent back to the dormitory along with your clothes. Please wear these shoes today. His Highness gifted you a new pair.”

The maid picked up the box placed on the table. As she shyly smiled and opened the lid, a pair of women’s shoes lay neatly inside.

“They’re made of dark stag leather. According to the attendant, His Highness hunted it himself. They say he camped for days because the stag was nowhere to be found. All to gift it to you, my lady.”

The dark stag was an even rarer creature than the snow elk. Since they inhabited the rugged mountain ranges bordering the lands of the barbarians, hunting them was notoriously difficult. As rare as they were, their expensive leather absorbed light, appearing blue during the day and black at night. It was an unexpected gift. Roseline stared at the leather shoes with a devastated gaze.

“Oh my, how fascinating! They must have turned black after being kept in the dark box.”

The maid, acting as if she were the one receiving the gift, chattered excitedly about how much Valen cherished and adored Roseline, and how grand and beautiful his affection was.

Though Roseline had been in a three-year relationship with Valen and had frequently visited the capital’s estate, this kind of talkativeness was a first. The servants of the grand duke’s household were usually reserved, and this maid had been no exception—at least until yesterday. So why was she acting like this today?

“You’ll be late if you keep this up, my lady. Please try them on. They’ll fit perfectly.”

Noticing Roseline’s hesitation, the maid, who had knelt at her feet, tilted her head curiously. Unable to either wear or refuse them, Roseline hesitated for a while before slowly sliding her feet into the shoes. No matter how she looked at it, accepting them was the more reasonable choice. If only her own heart felt uncomfortable, everyone else would be happy.

She had spent the whole night tossing and turning in bed, but receiving an extra pair of shoes didn’t turn trash into treasure.

As the maid had said, the shoes fit perfectly. Compared to her old ones, they wrapped around her feet flawlessly and were wonderfully cushioned—yet strangely, each step felt heavier.

“They suit you.”

Valen, who had been leisurely watching Roseline descend the stairs, offered a brief remark. His gaze lingered a little longer on the shoes, now turned deep blue-black.

“Is there any discomfort?”

Valen extended his hand. A polite and familiar gesture. Roseline shook her head and placed her hand atop his palm.

“None at all. You’ve given me too precious a gift.”

“You’re the precious one.”

He replied matter-of-factly, as if stating the obvious, then pressed his lips to the back of her hand. Suppressing her unease, Roseline forced a smile and said, Thank you, Your Highness.

Valen studied her awkward smile before suddenly letting out a short laugh. It could have been amusement at her effort—or perhaps an evaluation of her pitiful attempt.

“Shall we go?”

He tugged her hand. As they stepped out the front door, a carriage bearing the grand duke’s black flag awaited Roseline. The door was open, and the butler, coachman, and attendant stood beside it in respectful silence. An unusual sight. Roseline glanced at the ever-loyal attendant, then turned to Valen.

“Are you… going out?”

“The Academy Head sent a letter.”

Meaning their destination was the Academy. Roseline’s eyes widened, her lips parting slightly—her usually composed features crumbling in an instant. Valen’s sharp gaze softened, as if he found the change utterly endearing.

“…My Academy Head? Why?”

“Who knows? I suppose we’ll find out when we get there.”

With a smirk, he reached out again, unable to resist touching her. He pinched her cheek and playfully nipped the tip of her nose. Roseline recoiled like a turtle retreating into its shell and shoved his shoulder away. Surprisingly, he yielded easily, then gestured toward the carriage.

“Can you afford to be late? Not that I mind, but you’re such a diligent student.”

Roseline rubbed her bitten nose briefly before scrambling into the carriage—diligent student that she was.

Her heart was uneasy. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going wrong. Even setting aside the abstract dread of their separation growing more distant since Valen’s return, the immediate problem was the Academy Head’s involvement. So she asked.

“Was the request for a meeting related to me?”