My Ruin to You - Chapter 141

Am I dreaming right now?

Roseline blinked vacantly. It felt far too vivid to be a dream. Even without pinching herself to check, the scent of the banquet hall, the distinct noise, and her racing pulse were enough to convince her. Astonishingly, this was reality.

“……What? What’s going on?”
“What are you mumbling to yourself about?”

A blunt voice suddenly cut in, and Roseline quickly turned her head. Silver hair tied high, an indifferent expression—it was Schnitzel.

Roseline’s eyes widened, and she froze like a statue. Schnitzel, standing with her arms crossed, looked Roseline up and down as if she were an idiot. When she spotted the empty wine glasses stained with wine, she sharply furrowed her brows.

“Did you drink all this by yourself? Unbelievable, really.”
“…….”
“His Majesty hasn’t even made an entrance yet, and you’re already making a scene?”

Her critical tone was sharp, almost confrontational. But Roseline showed no reaction, merely following Schnitzel with wide eyes. It hadn’t even been an hour since she’d heard the news of Schnitzel’s death. She couldn’t begin to grasp what was happening. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her, reminiscent of a day buried deep in her memory.

“…….”

A headache, sharp enough to feel like her skull was splitting, surged. Even the drunkenness felt identical to that day in her memory. If her memory was correct, today was the day of the first academy banquet after enrollment. That day, Schnitzel had offered similarly prickly advice.

‘It’s none of my business, but you should know this isn’t a good look. Understood?’

Back then, Roseline, who had come to the capital without having a proper debutante ball, was still somewhat naive and had been cowed by Schnitzel’s rough advice, fleeing the banquet hall. It was while wandering outside that banquet hall that she first met Valen. So, if this wasn’t a dream, it meant she had returned to just before that first meeting.

Then what? Did she not die from her magic running wild, but instead travel back to the past? Good grief.

Roseline plopped down into a chair.

“It’s none of my business, but this isn’t a good look…… Wha, what? Are you crying now?”

Schnitzel’s eyes widened as she watched Roseline. Roseline had buried her face in her palms and wasn’t moving an inch, which was highly suspicious.

For heaven’s sake, Schnitzel muttered under her breath and bent down to eye level with the seated Roseline. It was then that Roseline looked up. Whether from the alcohol or from rubbing her eyes, her eyes were slightly red, but not wet. However, the moment their eyes met, her coral-colored pupils shook violently, and then—weren’t they becoming moist and glossy?

“……Sniff.”

Her puckered lips drooped downward, and walnut-like wrinkles formed on her chin. Her usual aloof and chilly demeanor was nowhere to be seen; she looked like a child struggling to hold back an impending burst of tears.

“Why, why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying. It’s just… I’m so happy to see you, Young Lady.”
“Huh?”

As Roseline laughed with reddened eyes, Schnitzel raised her eyebrows in disbelief. The sight was so quintessentially Schnitzel that Roseline’s tears welled up uncontrollably again. But she swallowed the lump of emotion clogging her throat. There was so much she wanted to say, but what good would it do to cling to a bewildered Schnitzel and pour out her woes? She’d just seem like a drunk not worth engaging with.

Yes, that’s right. Even if she didn’t understand how this happened or why she had returned to this specific day, if Schnitzel was safe and sound, that was enough. Moreover, this was before she’d encountered Valen—what a tremendous relief.

Perhaps this was a second chance granted by a goddess who took pity on her. If so, there was something she absolutely had to do: never, under any circumstances, get involved with Valen again.

◇◇◇

However, she hit a snag right from the start. Her second life wasn’t going to flow as easily as Roseline had thought. The first obstacle was her drunkenness. As time passed, her tongue grew heavier, and the ground seemed to sway and shake uncontrollably.

She knew she had to leave the banquet hall before Valen made his entrance, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. No, she couldn’t recklessly step outside for fear of running into Valen just like before.

So, her plan was to rest in the lounge until the intoxication subsided and then slip away quietly. But Schnitzel said there was no need to go to the lounge and released her magic. In an instant, the drunkenness faded, and her dizziness vanished—along with her excuse to leave the banquet hall.

“No need to thank me.”
How could she not be grateful for this?

Roseline chewed her lip with an awkward expression. Well, this was troublesome. What excuse could she use to leave the hall now?

“If you’ve come to your senses, follow me.”
“Where, where are you going?”
“Still not sober? His Majesty will be making his entrance soon, so we need to prepare, don’t we?”