My Ruin to You - Chapter 26

Even in this era of free love, noble marriages were a matter of practicality. So when Valen admitted to interfering with the Magical Order’s appointments, she had even thought—Ah, maybe Lady Schnitzel will become the next Duchess.

It would be a lie to say it didn’t affect her, but even if it did, what could she have done? She had only come today to hear his reasons, to finally end the relationship she’d been putting off, and to leave with dignity. So why is this happening?

Roseline knew her place. The title of Duchess wasn’t hers. She still loved Valen, but she couldn’t bear the weight of an ill-fitting role and the crushing honor that came with it.

“Why so quiet? Don’t you like the ring?”

Valen, sitting beside her, tilted his head slightly. His fingers traced the ring on her hand, then suddenly tightened around it.

“No. The ring isn’t the problem.”

“Then what is? Regret over the Magical Order?”

“That’s part of it, but…”

It wasn’t just regret. It was something deeper—something that might have been easier to bear if he had given her even the slightest warning.

But she had no right to blame him. She was the one who had been avoiding this conversation, delaying the inevitable.

Yes, this is my fault.

Her past avoidance had only made the weight of this moment heavier.

“…I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Sliding her hand free from his grasp, Roseline slowly pulled the perfectly fitted ring off her finger.

“I can’t marry you.”

Valen’s eyes narrowed. His sharp gaze traced the empty space on her finger, then the abandoned ring, before finally settling on Roseline herself.

“‘Can’t’?”

He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, dissecting her expression like a surgeon peeling back layers. The intensity of his stare was so piercing it felt like it could flay her skin and prick straight through to her bones.

“…I’m not suited to be a Duchess. I’m sorry. I think… this is where we part ways, Your Highness.”

“You shouldn’t apologize.”

“…”

“Why are you doing this? I’ve indulged you all this time, thinking it was just idle hesitation. Me—for you.”

Me—for you.

The words, bitten off sharply, dragged Roseline’s gaze up from the floor.

Valen seemed calm at first glance. If not for the way his fingers flexed and clenched, if not for the veins standing taut on the back of his hand, she might have mistaken his composure for indifference.

“I know. And I’ve always been grateful for that.”

Roseline admitted it plainly. Whatever his intentions, she couldn’t deny—nor did she want to—that Valen had always adjusted for her. But it still hurt. Because it felt like he had known all along that she wanted to leave. Like he had pushed forward with the marriage plans in silence, hoping to override her doubts. And now, she couldn’t give him the happiness he expected in return.

“Ah, grateful?”

“…Yes. I won’t forget it.”

“What a shame. I have no intention of becoming just a beautiful memory for you.”

The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smirk. The air in the parlor chilled in response, matching his frigid tone.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of his fingers drumming against the armrest tightened the silence. His razor-sharp gaze stabbed into her, but Roseline endured it silently. After a long moment of staring at her stubbornly pressed lips, his eyes narrowed further.

Then, in one swift motion, Valen snatched the ring box and hurled it into the fireplace.

“Your Highness!”

“I’ll prepare another. Let’s say the ring wasn’t to your taste.”

Crackle, crackle. The sound of the firewood burning was horrifying. The flames, indifferent to what had been thrown into them, devoured the box greedily. Roseline stared blankly at the fireplace, her mind numb.

“Acting like a clueless child? Not bad. It’s endearing. But, Roseline—”

“…”

“Since when did you decide the ending?”

His voice, eerily calm, lashed at her like a whip. Roseline flinched and turned to look at him. As if he had never been shaken, he was exactly as he always was—flawless features, an expression so controlled it bordered on blank, posture straight and elegant. In this most Valen-like manner, he was teaching her a lesson. About who truly held the reins of their relationship.

“I have no intention of letting you go. Whether I do, or don’t—and if I do, when and how—that’s for me to decide.”

“…”

“If you understand, nod.”