My Ruin to You - Chapter 49

He halted his horse just two steps away from Roseline. Even amidst the crumbling ruins, the man sitting tall atop his mount exuded an overwhelming presence. His sharp features stood out starkly beneath his dark hair.

His armor, like the knights’, was made of leather—but unlike theirs, it was edged with intricate gold embroidery, and the rich, golden cloak draped over his shoulders fluttered in the wind, adding to his imposing aura.

As if nothing else in the world existed, his steel-gray eyes fixed solely on Roseline. The veins on the back of his hand, clenched tightly around the reins, bulged dangerously. From head to toe, he scrutinized her—checking if her arms were still attached, if her fingers were unharmed, if her legs were intact. Every inch of her.

“It’s been a while.”

His voice—she hadn’t heard it in so long. Just like Valen, Roseline had been staring at him in a daze, but now she jerked her head away sharply.

“…Your Grace.”

“Hm. You don’t look like you’ve been doing well.”

“……”

“I’m glad to see you. Are you?”

Glad? His expression and tone were far too composed for that. If she twisted his words, it almost sounded like he was mocking her—for leaving him only to end up in this state.

How can someone be so cold?

But Roseline wasn’t like him. The moment she recognized him, her eyes stung, and a hot surge of emotion clogged her throat. Even in the middle of this disaster, all she felt was relief—and worry.

“This isn’t a place for Your Grace to be… Why did you come…?”

What kind of deranged imperial would willingly step into the epicenter of a plague?

And yet, here he was.

And maybe—just maybe—her safety had been the reason. The captain had known her name. The signal arrow had been fired the moment she was found.

Had he been looking for her?

The thought made her unbearably sad.

“Speaking as if you’re actually concerned about me.”

Valen released the reins. His hands—his nails, his palms—were drenched in blood. The marks of endurance, of holding back the urge to spur his horse into a reckless gallop.

“I didn’t think we were close enough to exchange worries.”

“……”

“What a shame.”

In one swift motion, he drew his sword—still sheathed—and flicked off the captain’s cloak from Roseline’s shoulders. The fabric slid down her back and pooled at her feet.

Dazed, she looked up.

His expression remained indifferent as he unfastened his own golden cloak and tossed it at her.

“Huh—?”

She fumbled to catch it.

Valen, meanwhile, turned his gaze to the captain standing far behind her.

“Must I also guess your intentions, Captain?”

The captain bowed his head, his eyes lingering on his discarded cloak at his feet.

“My apologies, Your Grace.”

Valen barely spared Roseline another glance before turning his horse sharply. She had been so fixated on him that she only now noticed the two additional horses trailing behind him.

“……”

Left standing alone, Roseline sniffed uselessly as she watched his retreating figure.

Did he come because he was worried about me?

But no—he had drawn a clear line between them. We’re not close enough to exchange worries. And now, without so much as a backward glance, he was walking away.

The idea that he had entered this ruin out of concern for her had been pure delusion.

Of course not.

It was bitter, but she had no right to feel disappointed. There was no such thing as a beautiful farewell—they had simply returned to their respective places. And she was the one who had made their relationship this way.

“We’ll escort you to the safe zone.”

“Huh? Oh, right… Just a moment.”

Damn it. What do I do now?

She bent to pick up the captain’s fallen cloak, her mind racing—

BOOM.

A deafening crash shook the ground behind them. Dust billowed into the air as debris from a collapsing structure tumbled across the street. Everyone inside the barrier—Roseline included—whirled toward the sound.

“……”

It was the front gate of the Marquis’s estate. The upper half of an already cracked pillar had finally given way, crashing down in a delayed collapse. No one had expected it. A tense silence filled the barrier.

“Captain, what are your orders?”

One of the knights spoke gravely—

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sound of hooves, faster and more urgent than before, cut through the stillness. Before she could react, Valen’s horse was upon her. In one swift motion, he grabbed her and hauled her onto his saddle. The cloak and rolling pin she had just picked up clattered back to the ground, tangled together.