My Ruin to You - Chapter 227

“Then, do you want to go to the capital?”

Valen asked for Roseline’s opinion. But Roseline couldn’t answer readily.

If it were before the war, she would have packed her bags without a second thought, but circumstances were different now. She was troubled by the thought of leaving her academy classmates behind. While the option to return with them existed, she didn’t favor that either. The war wasn’t over, and if the academy Manifestors all left their posts at once, the healing centers would be short-handed.

Of course, the Magical Affairs Bureau or other Manifestors from within the Empire would fill their vacancies, but it would take time for them to travel here.

Staying a bit longer, until an armistice or the end of the war was certain, seemed the more beneficial choice.

Roseline solidified her decision to stay. Unaware of this conclusion, Valen grew increasingly anxious as her pondering dragged on. Watching Roseline, lost in deep thought, he finally spoke.

“If you truly want to go, I will send you, but it will require a very large escort. Whether I like it or not, your existence is known, and they will target you.”

“Target me?”

“To them, you’re the only piece that can turn the tide of the war, Roseline.”

He seemed to be considering everything up to Roseline’s abduction and hostage negotiations. She wondered if even the most capable spies could possibly infiltrate the imperial capital, let alone the Academy. But it wasn’t entirely impossible. Something could happen on the road back to the capital.

That was absolutely out of the question. If it were just her, maybe, but she couldn’t put her classmates in danger.

As Roseline fell into her own thoughts again and said nothing, Valen wet his dry lips. Making eye contact with her, he continued in a coaxing, affectionate tone. He started by persuading her that his side was the safest, then eventually presented an alternative. He said a decision would be made within a week, that it was only a week, and that he would personally escort her to the capital then.

“Do you not want to?”

Even though she hadn’t given a definitive answer about leaving like this, he seemed extremely anxious. The tongue licking his lips, the eyes scrutinizing her expression, the sharply angled eyebrows—they were all physical signals of a man on the verge of despair.

It was a look she had seen often lately. He was excessively agitated by any possibility that threatened Roseline’s safety.

“I don’t mind. But, Your Highness.”

“Hmm.”

“Why have you never once asked? Doesn’t it seem strange to you that I, who died, came back to life and returned to the past?”

Roseline turned her posture towards him sitting beside her. Valen, who had visibly relaxed the moment he heard she didn’t mind, raised his eyebrows as if the follow-up question was unexpected. Then he let out a short laugh.

“Did I ever have the chance to ask?”

“Well, that’s true but…”

An awkward Roseline scratched the back of her neck. The atmosphere hadn’t been conducive to discussing their mutual regression and forming a shared understanding. Roseline thought now was the right time for this conversation. So, she laid out her story: the snake she met in her past life, the traces that hadn’t been erased, and her speculation that it seemed to have been a messenger of the goddess.

Valen listened but gave no answer. He didn’t seem particularly amazed either. He just absentmindedly nodded, playing with Roseline’s hair, wrapping it around his finger.

“Did you… also meet a snake, Your Highness?”

“No.”

“…Then how…?”

As Roseline tilted her head in question, the hair wrapped around Valen’s fingertip gently slipped loose.

“No need to think too complicatedly. It just means you and I are fate.”

When was it? The priest at the chapel had given a similar answer. She even suspected he might have bribed the priest to extract her confession, but that was something even the Emperor couldn’t manage, let alone a Grand Duke. However, she was certain he was uncomfortable with this topic.

“Well then, it’s my turn. You said your piece and then fell asleep.”

Valen smoothly changed the subject. The hand that had been rolling the ends of her hair, engaging in a childish game, was now stroking the back of Roseline’s hand. He traced it as if drawing the veins, and pressed firmly on the spot above her wrist where her pulse beat.

“I promise you. There will be no more days where you are made to feel shabby.”
“……”
“So you keep your promise too, Roseline.”

Roseline slowly nodded. It was a peace they had only found here, on this land reclaimed after so much turmoil.

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