My Ruin to You - Chapter 259

“Hmm…….”

On a late night with pouring rain, a suppressed groan escaped in the study. Roseline, biting her lip, lifted her head to see the figures reflected in the window. Valen, sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out, and Roseline moving clumsily atop him.

The dark glass reflected their figures like a mirror.

How utterly mortifying.

Just as Roseline averted her face, dropping her head.

“You need to move faster.”

He pulled the awkwardly stilled Roseline into an embrace from behind. Wrapping his arm around her waist and biting her soft earlobe, Roseline gasped and tightened her hold below. A moan and a sigh escaped simultaneously.

“Are you trying to cut it off?”

His voice, thick with arousal, was deeply lowered, and the breath scattering near her ear was hot.

“Relax your strength. It won’t go in if you squeeze so tight.”

“That’s, not, working… hft.”

“Why the fuss again? You said you’d do it.”

“It’s too, big, what do I, hft, slow, ly, ah…!”

With only the tip barely inside and her wriggling around, he, driven to desperation, gripped Roseline’s hips and pressed her down firmly. Roseline stiffened as if impaled on a harpoon and trembled violently.

I can’t do this anymore. The problem was me, who insisted on doing this in a seated position when even lying down was a struggle.

Why did I do that?

It started with official business. Matters awaiting his decision had piled up, and as they weren’t being processed on time, the administrators were pacing anxiously. Knowing the Grand Duke’s temperament all too well, they must have been desperate to bring stacks of documents and knock on his bedroom door.

However, Valen didn’t even open the door. He only issued a cold order to leave.

‘……It seems urgent, you could attend to it.’

‘It’s not urgent.’

‘They sounded like they were going to cry…….’

They really did sound on the verge of tears. Muttering this as she recalled their trembling voices, Roseline saw Valen’s eyes sharpen.

‘Are you concerned?’

‘Why would I be?’

‘Then why are you paying attention?’

‘It’s Your Highness’s work. Let’s go to the office together. Okay?’

Roseline took his hand and shook it gently. It felt a bit like acting coy, which left a slightly bitter taste, but it was effective.

However, they didn’t go straight to the office. First, Valen demanded she sit on his lap, kiss him, let his tongue in, and hold her waist, thoroughly sating his own desires before finally deigning to head to the office.

Just as expected. An enormous pile of documents was stacked on the desk.

‘Sit.’

Valen, seated in the chair, patted his thigh. It was true that she had ended up sitting on that lap more often than him sitting alone since he woke up, but here it was a bit awkward. Roseline smiled awkwardly and sat on the sofa.

Before long, Merrick entered.

Merrick bowed his head once toward Valen at the desk, and then once more toward Roseline on the sofa. Following suit, Roseline also rose from her seat, bent her knee, and paid her respects.

An in-depth conversation ensued. With nothing particular to do, Roseline sipped her share of tea and observed their mood. Seeing the deep shadows under Merrick’s eyes, she remembered a matter she had completely forgotten.

She needed to plead for leniency for Merrick. The day Valen was attacked, taking her to the barracks was clear insubordination, but it stemmed from sincere goodwill. Moreover, how hard had he worked to fill the void of his absence?

It seemed the punishment hadn’t been meted out yet, but she was wary of broaching the subject. Just look at the case with the administrators. She knew all too well that if she stepped in unnecessarily, she’d hear all sorts of nonsense—like if she was concerned because he was her lover, or if she actually had feelings for Merrick. Hearing such wild talk would be the least of it. If he took his anger out on Merrick, it would be a disaster.

If it’s a matter of respect, it would be better to be prepared.

However, the warning Valen had issued that day was far too severe for her to draw a line and distance herself as if it were none of her concern. After pondering for a moment, Roseline quietly rose from her seat.

‘Where are you going?’

The moment she lifted herself from the sofa, Valen’s gaze shot toward her.

‘May I go to the bedroom?’

‘Why, are you bored?’

‘No. There’s something I need to check.’

‘Let’s go together.’

‘No, that’s alright. Please attend to your duties. I’ll be right back.’

Valen seemed to hesitate. Even though the distance was so close one could stumble and touch a nose, his displeasure was etched between his brows, as if he disliked even that separation. However, he reluctantly nodded, setting the condition that she return quickly.

Roseline moved swiftly. By the time she finished her task in the bedroom and returned to the office, a different administrator was there instead of Merrick. She brushed off Valen’s questions about what she had been doing and why it took so long with a vague smile and sat back on the sofa.