My Ruin to You - Chapter 97

Meanwhile, Roseline ran desperately toward the faint light. In the night-shrouded forest where nothing was visible beyond an inch ahead, only a small flickering light could be seen in the distance. Her feet occasionally caught on stones or roots, making her stumble, but she somehow managed to keep her balance as she groped through the woods. Whenever her protective barrier brushed against dark branches and undergrowth, the transparent shield glowed dimly.

Had she come this far already?

Just as she tilted her head, puzzled by the light that seemed to grow no closer despite her running—thud—a dull impact struck the back of her skull, shattering her barrier. Roseline froze mid-step and whirled around. A presence lurked in the pitch-black darkness, close enough to touch.

Roseline hesitated. She was at an awkward distance—too far to turn back to Valen, yet not close enough to reach the knights. Had she any magic left, she might have used an offensive spell, but maintaining a second protective barrier had already been precarious after continuously healing herself during the horseback ride. She couldn’t even scream for help—sound didn’t travel only to the living.

“…Huh?”

The shadowy figure in the dark seemed baffled that Roseline hadn’t collapsed, unable to hide their flustered expression.

“Y-you’re a Manifestor?”

The voice was young, still tinged with adolescent awkwardness. At that moment, flames erupted in the distance where Valen and Merrick were. As Roseline glanced toward the blaze—CRACK—another blow slammed into the back of her head, sending her vision spinning.

“S-sorry! Really, really sorry! I-if you use magic, I’ll be in trouble…”

Amid her fading consciousness, disjointed apologies scattered into the void.

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“I-I had no choice… They said they’d pay big money if I brought a Manifestor… I-I’ll just carry you down later. B-but why won’t you wake up?”

Even when Roseline finally opened her eyes, her captor was still muttering aimlessly to themselves. The damp air and echoing murmurs suggested they were in a cave. How hard had they hit her? Even lying on her side, the back of her skull throbbed.

Well, of course it hurt—she’d been struck twice. But strangely, her entire body ached too. Cracking her eyes open slightly, she confirmed it—definitely a cave.

“How much are they paying you?”

“G-gah! Y-you’re awake?!”

The figure, who had been leaning against the wall, scrambled forward on their knees. Were they even in their teens? Though too dark to see clearly, the glimpses of their face matched their voice—painfully young.

“N-no, you shouldn’t be awake yet! S-sorry! I hit you too hard… T-there was so much blood…”

Looking at this young boy who so readily apologized in such a docile tone despite what he’d done, Roseline suddenly thought of Valen. It occurred to her that what she did to Valen wasn’t all that different from what this boy had just done to her.

“What’s your name?”

“W-why do you ask…?”

“I need to know what to call you.”

“T-Toma.”

“Alright, Toma. How much time has passed since you hit me on the back of the head?”

“…I-it’ll be sunrise soon. M-maybe.”

Since the incident had happened just after sunset, quite a bit of time had passed. If she were to guess why Valen hadn’t found her yet, there were two possibilities, first, this cave was extremely remote, or second—something had happened to Valen, leaving him unable to search for her.

The first scenario wasn’t so bad, but if it was the second… The memory of Valen pushing her away, telling her to go, now, flashed in her mind, sending a chill down her spine.

“I have companions,” Roseline said urgently. She had meant to ask if Toma knew anything about the people who had been behind her when he struck—but before she could even finish, Toma blurted out:

“Y-you mean His Highness the Grand Duke, right?”

Roseline’s heart lurched. Before she could even ask how he knew, Toma spilled everything he’d heard the night before—how they had originally planned to take her to a hideout, but upon realizing she was a Manifestor, the plan had changed. He described the bandit leader’s voice echoing through the mountains, the screams that followed…