My Ruin to You - Chapter 28

Roseline drew a shaky breath. Maybe the ceremony after graduation would be her funeral. Strangely, every word she spoke only seemed to fuel his fury. Deciding silence was safer, she lowered her eyes and shut her mouth.

The silence was biting. He stared at Roseline as if he could devour her whole. Just as the suffocating pressure threatened to choke her, a sigh-like laugh escaped him.

“Well. This is like you.”

His tone was that of an adult humoring a stubborn child. His gaze traveled over her from head to toe before he suddenly leaned in. Roseline flinched, stumbling back until her shoulders hit the door—but his target wasn’t her. Valen gave her a cold once-over, then flicked his eyes toward the open door.

“Go on, then.”

“…”

“But remember this. If you walk out now, the next time you come back, you’ll crawl.”

The implication was clear. There was no trace left of the affectionate lover she once knew—only a man barely restraining his fury behind threats and a crushing glare.

She had so many questions. Why go this far? What do you gain from this? But Roseline already knew no answer would satisfy her. So she simply bent her knee, bowed her head, and forced out the expected courtesy.

“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”

With one last glance at him, she turned away. As she slipped through the door, Valen roughly loosened his cravat.

“Escort her.”

At his command, the butler followed Roseline out. Moments later, a deafening SLAM echoed through the mansion as the parlor door was thrown shut with enough force to splinter wood. The sound was so violent it made Roseline’s shoulders jerk. Just as she almost turned back, the butler spoke.

“Shall we go? The carriage is ready.”

After a brief hesitation, Roseline nodded. Only once they’d crossed the lobby and stepped outside did she correct him.

“The carriage isn’t necessary. Escorting me to the entrance is enough.”

“His Highness is concerned.”

“You heard him. I’m no longer his lover. You don’t need to extend these courtesies to me.”

“Treating guests with honor is my duty. It would grieve me deeply to see you leave alone, so please, don’t refuse. The night air is cold.”

The idea of riding back in her ex-lover’s carriage sat bitterly in her chest, but arguing further felt exhausting. Reluctantly, Roseline climbed in. The butler shut the door behind her with a polished smile. “I’ll await the day we meet again.”

He must have heard his master’s warning—that the next time I return, it’ll be on my knees. Of course. A servant like that, for a master like him.

It didn’t feel real at first. Not until the carriage began moving, not until the moonlit forest path stretched silently ahead—only then did the emotions she’d suppressed start rising, one by one. The loss of what had slipped through her fingers. The relief that it was finally over. The memories that stung her eyes, for some reason.

And the worry.

What now?

“…What if he really retaliates?”

From the moment she decided to end things, she had imagined it countless times—how she would bring it up, how Valen would react, how their final moments would unfold.

But in all those hundred-odd scenarios, not once had she pictured this. She had assumed he would accept it plainly—”If that’s your decision, so be it. It’s been good while it lasted.” Not because his love was lacking or his heart shallow, but because that was the kind of man he was; one who left no room for regret. That would have been the most Valen-like ending. Some days, she’d even shed a few tears imagining them parting with a handshake and mutual well-wishes.

Good God. A Valen who threatens me?

If this was just anger, just wounded pride lashing out—then fine. But if he meant it, her future would darken like the void beyond the carriage window. And the most terrifying part?

There was nothing she could do about it.