My Ruin to You - Chapter 37

“You came.”

The vivid voice from her memories overlapped with the present.

“The injection was quite amusing.”

It was the day after attending the imperial banquet. Roseline had woken in some lavishly decorated room of the palace and was summoned before the Grand Duke.

For him, it was their second meeting. For Roseline—whose memories were half gone—it felt like the first. And the Grand Duke was far more striking and beautiful than the rumors suggested.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. Last night, I drank too much and failed to recognize you, making a complete fool of myself. I deeply apologize.”

“Do you remember anything?”

“…Some parts.”

“Then what exactly are you apologizing for?”

“The person who brought me here told me. It was my first time drinking, so I didn’t know my limits and…”

“How much do you remember?”

Roseline fidgeted with her neatly clasped hands, trailing off.

“…I vaguely recall trying to heal an injured frog.”

“A frog.”

The Grand Duke chuckled softly, as if hearing something absurd. It was then that Roseline, who had been bowing her head like a criminal, dared to glance up. Their eyes met, and his handsome features curved into an even deeper smile. The twenty-year-old country bumpkin, freshly arrived in the capital, forgot her place and stared at him, mesmerized.

“But you’ve forgotten the important part. You teased me.”

“Excuse me, I teased you?”

“You clung to me, leaned on me.”

“I’m sorry, I did that to you?”

Roseline gnawed on her lip and hung her head low. So when I’m drunk, I act on my desires. How mortifying.

“Ah, I also ordered you to shut your mouth, didn’t I?”

The Grand Duke, who had been studying her closely, added casually. Now that he mentioned it, fragmented scenes resurfaced. Ah, I’ve lost my mind. If only she could shake some sense into her past self. Unfortunately, the damage was done—all that remained was damage control.

“…Um, before I’m taken to prison, could I at least write one letter to my maid?”

For a moment, the Grand Duke simply stared at her with exaggerated wide eyes—then burst into laughter. Roseline couldn’t ask why he was laughing, nor could she join in. She could only wait anxiously for his answer.

“I’m afraid not.”

The reply was merciless. Roseline accepted it calmly. She wasn’t in a position to make requests anyway, and if he said no, what could she do? She was just thinking she’d try bargaining again once handed over to the prison guards when—

“Is your head still not ringing?”

The Grand Duke rose from the sofa and approached her leisurely. His presence, already overwhelming while seated, became even more pronounced as he stood. Roseline had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. Dazed, she stared at the tall man approaching before belatedly nodding.

“No.”

“Good. You may go.”

“Back then, I was certain I’d be hauled off to prison without a second thought. It never even occurred to me how strange it was for the Grand Duke to handle such matters personally. Instead, he led me to the room adjacent to the parlor. A long dining table was set with an extravagant feast.

‘I waited quite a while, wondering when you’d wake up.’

The questions never stopped throughout the meal. Why had I drunk? Why had I learned magic from another lineage? Who else knew about it? Though deeply personal, resigned to treating this as my last supper, I answered without holding back. When I admitted, ‘Life was hard, so I thought drinking might help—but it only made things worse,’ he lowered his head and laughed.

Even after the meal, no prison awaited. ‘Shouldn’t we check on that frog you healed?’ he said, guiding me back to the garden from that night. When we found not a frog but a lumpy rock instead, I wanted to dig into the earth and disappear. A clear, amused laugh rang in my ears.

‘That was fun. Enough to make me glad you came to the banquet.’

My cheeks burned. Inside, I felt fluttery, like a small bird ruffling its wings.

‘I was the one teased—why should your maid get the letter?’

Looking back, he’d likely meant it as a request for correspondence. But back then, unfamiliar with noble subtleties, I took it literally. Ah, I’m supposed to write a letter of repentance.