My Ruin to You - Chapter 168

“Indeed. What a pity.”

He let out a short laugh. Following the laughter that spread like a sigh, Roseline’s gaze returned to him.

“Rather than watch you die in front of me again, it seemed better to let you meet a few other men. But it seems I overestimated myself.”

His fingertips, resting on the table, brushed precariously against the wine glass, almost touching it. He slowly scanned Roseline’s frozen, unyielding expression as he continued.

“I find it hard to endure even you grabbing another man’s sleeve. Me, agonizing over whether to kill a mere subordinate for being that loyal.”

“…….”

“I know why you’re doing something you have no heart for, but my method was wrong, Roseline. So don’t provoke me further. If my patience runs out, it won’t do you any good.”

“What do you want to do with me?”

“You say that as if you’re considering doing something with me.”

Roseline’s frozen expression crumpled violently. Her furrowed brow and venomous glare were answer enough.

“Relax your eyes. They’ll get cold.”

As this unwelcome concern dropped, Roseline shot up from her seat. She was now at his eye level. He tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes as he watched her retreating back.

“Have I ever permitted you to leave?”

“…….”

“You should sit, Young Lady.”

Roseline, who had been swiftly moving away from the table, stopped dead in her tracks. She intended to ignore whatever he said, but his utterly casual voice rooted her feet to the spot. It was chilling.

The voice and tone coming from behind her were so refined, it was as if the raw conversation from moments ago had been entirely her delusion. How can he be like this?

Paradoxically, his bizarre madness suppressed her raging emotions. Yes, that’s right. He’s acting so composed; it’s utterly unfair to be the only one agitated and jumping around. Roseline, clenching her ice-cold hands into tight fists, slowly turned around.

“And if I sit? Will I die again in front of Your Highness like this?”

For an instant, a fierce light flashed in his eyes. The moment he looked up at Roseline with that piercing, cold glare was brief. He swept his hand over his eyes and let out a soft, derisive laugh.

“It seems you still don’t know me well.”

“…….”

“If winning your favor is this difficult…”

He silently pushed his chair back and rose from his seat. Then, with steps neither fast nor slow, he approached Roseline. Roseline stared straight at him as he caught up to her in just a few steps. He, who had been intently gazing into her coral-colored eyes that now held venom after the initial shock, faintly furrowed his brow.

“What is it that you dislike so much?”

“…….”

“The things you think you lost because of me, I’ve returned them all, haven’t I?”

“Returned them?”

The moment she echoed his words, the stark differences from her past life flashed through her mind. For instance, being followed by praise instead of scandal, the overflowing rewards, even the exceedingly peaceful daily life. What he meant by ‘returned’ was likely all of that.

An absurd laugh burst from her. Even conceding a hundred times that the rewards were given by him, the other parts were unclear. Regardless, she was the one who prevented the accident at the banquet hall. Unlike her past life, she was building a smooth daily life, not setting herself up as a target and deftly handling the young ladies’ complaints. In the end, she achieved all of it herself. So what exactly did he give?

As she questioned herself again, just like before, she found the answer. Ah, perhaps he meant that he simply refrained from interfering with the small things she accomplished, that he didn’t isolate her like before and just thoroughly watched over her. What a truly magnificent thing to have done.

“Now that I think about it, I suppose I did receive something. I am deeply grateful, Your Highness. I will accept it thankfully, considering it compensation.”

Contrary to her polite words, the look she shot him was sharp. Valen’s expression also hardened. His thick eyebrows formed a sharp angle, and his gaze became a chilling chain that bound Roseline. Roseline was the first to look away. No one was going to give her a prize for winning a staring contest. Holding out would only result in one of two things: her anger exploding or her magic exploding and killing her. Either way, she was the one who would lose.

She decided to first remove herself from this situation. It was just as she was turning her back.

“Stop.”