My Ruin to You - Chapter 229

His steel-blue eyes grew heavy and sank. The distorted shape of his eyes and the deeply lined furrow between his brows were traces of his inner turmoil. The meaning of “the night is long” was reinterpreted. She had thought it merely meant there wasn’t enough time for them to be together, but it seemed he had been brooding alone over something.

“I have no intention of becoming a Tara. It doesn’t seem to suit me.”

Roseline shrugged her shoulders. Listening to Armenia and other Taras, they spoke of feeling a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration, but to Roseline, it was a distant story. Forget accomplishment, she only felt pressure. She had been so tense every moment, afraid of making a mistake, that she felt she still hadn’t recovered the courage she’d lost back then.

“I realized I can’t do it twice. Once was enough experience.”

As Roseline shuddered at the thought, Valen finally let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, that’s a good thought. Twice is indeed unacceptable.”

Knowing that Valen had likely had a much tougher time than she did, Roseline rolled her eyes skyward and then, belatedly, nodded. Then, unnecessarily, she busied herself by tidying up the area. Valen, seated on the edge of the bed, watched her fidgeting. Just as she was about to place the leftover medicinal herbs and the decoction water on the table, Valen spoke.

“Stay and sleep, Roseline.”

“I can’t.”

“I won’t lay a hand on you.”

“That’s not the problem.”

“Then what is the problem?”

Is he asking because he doesn’t know?

Even married couples didn’t always share a tent, and occasionally, during external events like hunting competitions, they used separate tents. While it was true that some affectionate couples shared one, their situation was different.

The answer became clear if she imagined the scenario of sneaking out of Valen’s tent in the early dawn and running into someone. They would pretend desperately not to know in front of her, but behind her back, they would be exchanging absurd comments about the imminent arrival of a little Confucius, overcome with emotion. Sadly, it was all too easy to picture.

“Shall I stay and sleep then?”

Roseline said words she didn’t mean and smiled brightly. Valen, who had only anticipated her refusal, wore a rare expression of surprise. He even seemed to have frozen solid. Just as she expected. Seizing the moment, Roseline quickly walked towards the tent entrance.

“Next time.”

She threw out the cheeky remark and was just about to step out of the tent when Valen closed the distance in an instant, his hand covering hers as she reached to lift the entrance flap. With his other hand, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her back firmly against his chest.

“Roseline.”

“No, heuk…!”

Valen tilted his head and nibbled on the shell of her ear. Roseline, whose ears were particularly sensitive, flinched and struggled, but as always, he didn’t budge an inch. Instead, he pulled her even tighter against him and deliberately blew a soft breath into her ear.

“Just your lips.”

“…Ah, stop it.”

“Just let me kiss your lips.”

“…Hueu.”

“Hm?”

The moment Roseline, cornered, reluctantly nodded, his hand cupped her delicate jaw. His large hand, compared to her small face, completely covered her chin and obscured half her cheek. As his fingertips pressed firmly against her cheek, her pert, protruding lips parted slightly. He lowered his head and swallowed her lips.

Slorp, Schlup. The wet, slick sound echoed through the tent shrouded in night. He sucked fiercely on the root of her tongue as if to pull it out, causing saliva to pool abundantly under her delicate tongue. The brazen intruder plundered her wet mouth like a long-starved beast, and Roseline’s head was gradually forced further back.

“Mmph, wait, a moment.”

As her position became uncomfortable, Roseline squirmed in his embrace. Instead of releasing her lips, Valen twisted her body toward his.

He had thought about it. If he didn’t intend to make her sob like he had in some memory from the past, he had to stop here.
But it wasn’t as if he’d plunged his manhood into her; it was just some lip rubbing and tongue sucking, yet it felt like his head was spinning, leaving him no room to feign nonchalance. Roseline was disgusted, and he desperately craved that very vulgar act he supposedly despised.

“Hup, haah…”

As Roseline gasped for breath and struggled, Valen clung to her tenaciously. He cupped the nape of her neck, tilting her head to prevent further squirming. Their union deepened.

What could be so delicious about this?

If he could, he wanted to chew and swallow everything—the soft, pliant lips, the small, thick tongue. Even as he greedily sucked and bit, a desperate regret gnawed at him.

“Wait, a mo-ment… please!”

Roseline pushed against his solid shoulders with trembling hands. Slorp. Just as it seemed his lips had moved away for a moment, they attached themselves to hers again. Gasping for air, she struggled once more, and his misplaced lips landed on the corner of her mouth. His lips, which had brushed against her quivering lip-corner and feverish cheek, touched her rounded bead of sweat.