My Ruin to You - Chapter 80

This was the guilt Roseline couldn’t shake. Yet it felt unjust. Though they were her choices, what had driven her to make them was always power—sometimes Valen’s, sometimes the Marquis’.

“What?”

Valen questioned, reading the discontent in Roseline’s sharpened gaze. She hesitated, lips parting slightly before she shook her head. Maybe, just maybe, Roseline was also looking for someone to blame.

Alright, let’s not be petty about this.

Sure, he had acted ruthlessly first, cornering her into this mess—but Valen couldn’t have anticipated such a horrific outcome either. That’s why he’d searched so desperately for her, even in these treacherous lands.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Nothing. Just surprised by how considerate you are—for someone who woke up an entire horde of infected just because I didn’t listen.”

Despite her self-reassurance, the words that slipped out were needlessly sharp. This time, Valen stared at her intently. At first, she met his gaze, but the longer it lingered, the more it unsettled her. It wasn’t anger or coldness—just those piercing gray-blue eyes scrutinizing her like he was measuring something.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Thinking about why your grating little remarks still make me hard.”

He furrowed his brows slightly, as if even he didn’t understand. Tilted his head, too. Roseline blanched and whipped her head around, checking if anyone had heard. Thankfully, no ears were nearby—but she’d almost been dragged into another vulgar scandal.

“Then go cool off.”

She glanced down at the obvious bulge in his trousers, yanked her hand free, and tried to step away. But before she could take even a single step, his fingers clamped around her wrist again. He smiled soundlessly and tightened his grip.

“You can’t just stir me up and leave.”

“When did I—?”

“Be grateful for my patience, Roseline. If I cherished you even a little less, I’d have hiked up your skirts right there in the Marquis’ study.”

“……”

“But I couldn’t trust myself to undress you properly.”

“Why not? You could’ve just found me clothes. There must be plenty of abandoned ones.”

“No. I can’t put some stranger’s clothes on you.”

Unbelievable. She was too stunned to speak, struggling uselessly to free her hand—but of course, it was futile. Instead, he laced their fingers together, locking her in place, making it even harder to pull away.

Roseline shut her mouth entirely. She didn’t know what had riled him up, but in moments like these, the best course was to wait quietly until he calmed down. Sure enough, as soon as she fell silent, the crushing grip on her fingers loosened—just slightly.

Behind them, the clang of metal and the occasional barked order drifted on the wind. The tense air lingered in their wake, and the distant bustle of soldiers preparing for battle echoed faintly.

Meanwhile, far off in the distance, Rudy was hopping around cheerfully by himself. Having been cooped up in the estate all this time, the boy must have been terribly bored. He was waving a flag—who knew where he’d gotten it—pretending to be a knight.

“This rascal, at it again!”

Soon, a woman emerged from one of the barracks, grabbed Rudy by the arm, and dragged him inside. Aww, just a little longer! Roseline couldn’t help but smile faintly at the child’s whining protest.

Valen noticed the softening of her expression, and his gaze turned curious.

“Didn’t know you liked kids.”

“I don’t.”

Her blunt, automatic response seemed to amuse him, and the corner of his mouth lifted. When she heard his quiet chuckle, Roseline glanced at him and added defensively.

“That day was a festival. He was the lantern seller’s child.”

“How’d you know he was the seller’s kid?”

“Because I bought a lantern from him.”

“What’d you wish for?”

“…Money?”

“Consistent as ever.”

His laughter deepened slightly. Just as Roseline had reminisced about the past while flying the lantern, Valen, too, seemed to recall a memory of his own.

“You really are pitiable, Your Highness.”

“Me?”

“Out of all the women in the world, you just had to meet me and suffer like this.”

Valen’s footsteps faltered. He reflexively tightened his grip on her hand, then loosened it again—a small motion that betrayed his thoughts.

“If you know, then stop tormenting me.”

That, too, was his genuine feeling. Instead of answering, Roseline smiled bitterly.