My Ruin to You - Chapter 220

His movements were cautious, careful as he set the armor down, wary that the slightest clink of plate metal might leak out and disturb her deep slumber. Roseline didn’t even stir once, not even when he untied the ribbon tied around his vambrace and placed it on the bedside table.

‘She wouldn’t even know if someone carried her off.’

After moving Roseline when she fainted at last year’s banquet, he had sat by her bedside, simply passing the time. The ribbons tied by Roseline’s numb fingertips were usually crooked, and that day was no exception. Right after a maid’s touch, they would be neatly shaped, but as time passed and Roseline handled them herself, the knots would become twisted or come undone.

He resisted nine times out of ten, but on the rare occasion he couldn’t hold back and cornered her in the carriage, the state of her ribbon was invariably ruined. He loved her clumsy, awkward gestures; even the messy shape was endearing to him. That’s why he never once tied Roseline’s ribbon for her.

‘I’ll be taking this.’

‘….’

‘If you come to me, I’ll grant you anything you ask, except for words of ending things. I can even pretend to yield or to die.’

‘….’

‘But if you don’t come, we’ll be starting over from the very beginning.’

Valen pressed his lips to the dustless white wrist, untied the crooked ribbon, and rose from his seat. Around that time, a palace maid entered.

‘When the young lady opens her eyes, don’t forget to tell her. If she wants the ribbon back, she must come find me.’

Leaving behind only messy emotions, Valen reluctantly turned to leave. And as expected, Roseline did not come looking for him.

“Don’t take it back when you wake up tomorrow.”

After washing up briefly and returning, Valen poked the cheek of Roseline, who was sleeping as if dead, then lay down beside her. On his way here, he had received a brief situation report from a courier he encountered, then had driven his horse like a madman to arrive. He needed to receive more detailed reports; there was much to do, but that wasn’t for today. He closed his eyes, holding in his embrace the warmth for which he had waited so very long.

◇◇◇

Around the time the sun was high in the sky, Roseline awoke from her long sleep. Having slept deeply without any dreams, she felt light, but her body felt stifled, as if trapped somewhere. It was a strangely familiar sensation. Her eyelids were so swollen from all the crying yesterday that it was difficult to even open her eyes. The moment she lifted her impossibly heavy eyelids, her gaze tangled with a pair of clear, wakeful eyes.

“Did you sleep well?”

The voice that reached her ears held no trace of sleepiness. Roseline rolled her eyes, slowly piecing together the fact that she had woken up in his embrace.

She had used a lot of mana and her stamina was drained, but it wasn’t to the point of fainting. It seemed her tension had snapped after all that crying and carrying on—it was truly mortifying. How could this be happening?

“Tell me if you’re hurt anywhere.”

I feel awful. To be precise, the memory of last night’s disgrace made her want to crawl into a hole and hide. Muttering, “No, I’m fine,” Roseline squirmed her way out of his arms. She had said she wouldn’t hate him anymore, but that didn’t mean she intended to greet the morning lying side-by-side like this. She was bad enough, but this man was extreme too.

“Drink some water first.”

Valen, who had risen from the bed, reached for the pitcher on the bedside table. He poured water and handed it over; Roseline, sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed, accepted the cup with both hands. Unlike Roseline, who was rigid, unsure how to treat him, Valen was simply at ease. His expression and demeanor were soft, as if he were savoring a long-awaited moment.

“……”

As she drank, Roseline’s gaze fell upon the bedside table. There lay the ribbon, shortened from being singed by fire. The fact that the ribbon was here meant Valen had brought it, which meant it had been delivered to him along with the news of her… ‘demise’. It felt strange.

“Don’t force yourself. If you’re done, give it here.”

Valen held out his hand to Roseline, who was staring blankly at the ribbon, the cup resting against her lips.

“Huh? Ah, yes. Thank y…”

Without realizing it, Roseline nodded slightly and handed over the cup. Then, startled, she moved to put it away herself, but the cup was already out of reach.

“Roseline.”

“…Yes?”

“I love you.”

Roseline said nothing. Not knowing what to say, she awkwardly rolled her eyes and scratched the back of her neck. Valen, suppressing a laugh alone at Roseline’s continuously flustered reactions since she opened her eyes, got up.

“Just so you know,”