My Ruin to You - Chapter 50

“To the Marquis’s estate.”

“Your Grace, it would be safer for you and the lady to retreat to the stronghold—”

“They’ll swarm from all sides like rabid dogs. How do you plan to hold them off?”

“…Understood.”

“Clear the entryway and secure the third floor. We’ll reopen the barrier then.”

The plan was to hold out in the Marquis’s estate tonight and move once things had calmed. Though the mansion’s many windows made it vulnerable, the highest floor was defensible. A perfectly rational decision.

After a brief hesitation, the captain bowed deeply and pressed his right fist to his chest—a gesture both respectful and resolute, carrying both loyalty and tension. With the captain leading, the six knights stepped beyond the barrier. Their heavy footsteps echoed through the silent streets, mingling with the thrum of their own pulses, the faint tremble of their swords, and the distant, grotesque wails creeping closer.

“Roseline.”

Valen’s voice was low, barely above a whisper, yet it sent a shiver down her spine. She turned to look at him—really look at him—for the first time since he had pulled her onto his horse.

His expression was unreadable.

But his grip on her waist was ironclad.

As if he had no intention of letting go.

“Yes.”

Valen pulled the cloak from Roseline’s arms and draped it over her shoulders, securing it with a firm knot.

“Cast your barrier on yourself.”

“What about you?” Roseline asked, already wrapping herself in a shimmering shield.

Inside the Marquis’s estate, a crimson glow of magic flickered. The sound of footsteps—thud, thud, THUD—echoed through the ruined streets as the horde closed in from all directions.

“Try it if you’re confident.”

His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him. The moment he yanked the reins, the horse surged forward. They raced toward the estate, leaving behind the hundreds of glowing red eyes and the dull thumps of bodies colliding with the barrier. The world blurred—no time to even catch her breath—as monstrous howls chased them through the air. Instinctively, Roseline clung to Valen’s waist.

Was it the tension?

She had been certain of her magic, yet every time she tried to extend the barrier to Valen, it rebounded.

“GRAAAH—!”

A frenzied attacker lunged from the garden, only for one of Valen’s guards to cleave its head off in a single stroke. Blood sprayed, the severed skull rolling across the ground.

As they reached the mansion’s entrance, Valen tugged the reins and dismounted in one fluid motion, pulling Roseline with him.

“This way, Your Grace.”

The captain led them inside. The interior wasn’t much safer. So this is where they hid during the day.

By the time they reached the third floor, at least twenty corpses—slain by blade or magic—littered their path. The thought of her recklessly searching for records alone in this hellhole made her dizzy.

The moment they entered the drawing room, everyone moved with urgency. The captain tore down curtains, knotting them around the door handles. Knights barricaded the entrance with furniture—first the bookshelf, then two long sofas, followed by tea tables and consoles.

Two knights with healing magic clasped hands to cast a barrier. Roseline stepped forward to join them—

Valen caught her wrist.

“You’re not a knight.”

Had it been a simple order, she might’ve bristled. But it was the truth. With no retort, Roseline withdrew. Valen’s grip loosened—

“Wait.”

His fingers suddenly tightened again. Frowning, he turned her wrist over.

“You were bitten?”

His thumb brushed over a faint scar—so faint most wouldn’t notice. His eyes are too sharp.

“It’s from a snake in the capital.”

“And it’s still there?”

“It never faded.”

Roseline shrugged—

BANG. BANG.

The barricaded door shuddered violently, as if it might splinter any second.

“Are we all going to die like this?”

If the door gave way, they’d be no better than rats in a trap. Even if they somehow escaped through a window, there was no real way out. Roseline’s expression darkened as she agonized over how long the barricade would hold—and what to do if it didn’t.

Valen glanced at the door, then pulled Roseline toward a corner.

“Drop your barrier now.”

Is he telling me to die neatly?

She stared at him, bewildered. He flicked his eyebrows up impatiently. Suspicious but compliant, Roseline dispelled the translucent shield around herself. Just as the shimmering light flickered out, Valen motioned to a nearby knight with a tilt of his chin.

“Put her under.”

“Huh? I—!”

Her words slurred as her vision blurred. Valen covered her eyes with his hand. Roseline went limp in his arms.