The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: 03/26- Rowan Vale
As the group followed Riven through the battered ruins, the air thick with tension, Aeliana couldn’t shake the weight of what she had just learned. Little brother. The words echoed in her mind, raising more questions than answers. Lucian had never spoken of Riven before—never once hinted at a connection, much less one so deep that Riven would refer to him as family. And yet, the way they spoke to each other, the sharpness in their words, the unspoken weight behind every glare and unrelenting challenge, told her that their past was complicated.

Lucian was rigid beside her, his jaw set in frustration, though whether it was at Riven or himself, she couldn’t tell. He had barely looked at her since their argument, his focus now locked onto Riven’s back as though keeping his so-called brother in his line of sight would prevent another betrayal.

Riven, on the other hand, walked with an infuriating ease, his hands tucked into his coat pockets as though the battle, the confrontation, and the underlying tension were all nothing more than an amusing detour in his day. Aeliana didn’t trust his calm. No matter how much he smiled or jested, there was something beneath his golden-eyed gaze—something calculated, something guarded.

Before she could dwell further on it, a voice—sharp, laced with amusement—cut through the uneasy silence.

“Well, well. What do we have here?”

The entire group tensed, hands reaching for weapons in an instant.

From atop a pile of broken stone and overgrown ruins, a figure lounged with a self-assured smirk, one leg casually bent over the other. She was a striking woman, tall and lithe, with sun-kissed skin and dark, wind-tangled hair that cascaded over one shoulder in unruly waves. A deep crimson coat, trimmed with gold, was draped over her frame, the ends swaying slightly in the breeze. Beneath it, she wore a fitted leather corset and loose, dark breeches tucked into knee-high boots, her entire presence exuding the effortless confidence of someone who lived by their own rules.

A single, gold-adorned cutlass was strapped to her hip, but what caught Aeliana’s attention was the weapon in her hand—a curved dagger, its hilt wrapped in deep indigo cloth, its blade gleaming wickedly in the fading light. The way she twirled it in her fingers suggested she was no stranger to its use.

Kael was the first to speak, his voice wary but intrigued. “Who are you?”

The woman’s smirk widened. “Name’s Rowan Vale,” she drawled, her accent touched with the rolling cadence of someone who had spent more time on the sea than the land. “And you lot have stumbled into my territory.”

Garrik let out a low whistle, nudging Markus. “A pirate?” he muttered under his breath.

Markus grinned. “I like her already.”

Rowan’s sharp, emerald-green eyes flickered toward them, amusement dancing in their depths. “Technically not a pirate,” she corrected, “but I do enjoy a good ship, a decent haul, and an adventure worth my time.” She leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knee. “And judging by the looks of you, I’d say you’re caught in a rather interesting one.”

Selene crossed her arms, unimpressed. “And what exactly do you want?”

Rowan grinned, her fingers still idly spinning the dagger. “Oh, nothing much. Just passing through, saw some very serious faces, and thought I’d introduce myself. It’s been ages since I met such a brooding bunch.” Her gaze flickered over the group before settling on Lucian and Riven. “Though I see some of you are a bit too preoccupied to appreciate good company.”

Aeliana followed Rowan’s line of sight. Lucian and Riven hadn’t even reacted to her arrival. Lucian’s focus remained locked on Riven, and Riven, for all his amusement, still carried that glint of something unreadable in his golden gaze.

Rowan sighed dramatically. “A shame. I do enjoy a handsome face, but these two seem far too tangled in their own drama to even look my way.”

Garrik laughed. “You’d have better luck flirting with a brick wall.”

Rowan placed a hand over her chest in mock heartbreak. “Tragic.”

Selene, ever pragmatic, cut in. “Are you planning to rob us?”

Rowan grinned. “Not today.”

Kael frowned. “Then why are you here?”

Rowan shrugged, hopping down from her perch in one fluid movement. “I could ask you the same thing. These ruins aren’t exactly friendly territory.” Her eyes flicked toward Aeliana’s wound, lingering briefly before returning to her face. “You look like you could use a safe place to rest.”

Lucian finally broke his silence, his voice firm. “We have a destination already.”

Rowan raised an eyebrow. “Do you now? And you trust him to take you there?”

She tilted her head toward Riven, and for the first time, the smirk on his face faltered just slightly.

Lucian’s glare darkened. “That’s none of your concern.”

Rowan hummed. “Suit yourself. But if I were you, I’d be very careful about following men who smile too much.” She twirled her dagger once more before slipping it back into its sheath. “Still, I admire a good bit of recklessness.”

Aeliana, sensing the unspoken challenge in her words, sighed. “Are you offering us a different path?”

Rowan grinned. “Maybe. But only if you’re willing to take the scenic route.”

Kael pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is getting ridiculous.”

Riven finally spoke, his tone amused. “If you’d like to keep up, by all means. But don’t slow us down.”

Rowan’s smile was all sharp edges and mischief. “Oh, darling, I don’t slow down.”

With that, she fell into step with the group as if she had been part of it all along, earning a mix of groans, chuckles, and wary glances.

And as they continued their journey, Aeliana couldn’t help but wonder—had they just found an ally? Or had they invited another storm into their already uncertain path?

…..

Rowan Vale walked with a practiced ease, keeping a few paces behind the group, her sharp emerald eyes flickering between the faces before her. She had met many kinds of adventurers in her time—the noble ones, the reckless ones, the ones who clung to rules and honor, and the ones who abandoned both the moment the stakes were high. This group? They were a mix of something in between, but she could already tell one thing: they weren’t as united as they seemed. There were too many unspoken tensions, too many guarded glances.

Not that it was any of her business.

She had long learned that trusting a party—any party—was a fool’s gamble.

“So,” Garrik mused, eyeing her from the side. “A lone adventurer, huh? Ever thought about settling into a guild?”

Rowan snorted. “And be tied down by rules, politics, and some self-important leader who thinks they know what’s best? No thanks.” She adjusted the strap of her satchel. “I work better on my own.”

Selene gave her a skeptical look. “That’s not a very common choice. Most solo adventurers don’t last long.”

Rowan’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Most don’t.”

Aeliana, walking beside Kael, found herself studying Rowan more closely. There was something in her tone—something distant. She had heard that kind of guarded speech before, from warriors who had seen too much, from mages who had been betrayed by their own. Rowan carried herself like someone who had been through the worst and had survived it.

Lucian, still locked in his quiet turmoil with Riven, hadn’t acknowledged Rowan once. That, in itself, was telling. Normally, he was aware of every new presence, especially someone as unpredictable as Rowan.

Aeliana spoke carefully. “You say you work better alone, but most adventurers start in a party. You had to be in one at some point.”

Rowan’s fingers brushed over the hilt of her dagger—a brief, absentminded movement before she tucked her hand back into her coat. “A long time ago. Didn’t work out.”

Garrik nudged Markus, whispering, “I bet it’s a tragic backstory.”

Rowan shot him a look. “It’s a lesson.”

Kael, always direct, asked, “What happened?”

Rowan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stepped ahead of them, moving with the kind of ease that came from years of navigating uncertain ground. When she finally spoke, her voice was quieter than before.

“I was fresh out of my hometown when I first joined a party,” she admitted. “Didn’t know a damn thing about the world outside the coast. I was eager, naïve, ready to prove myself.” Her fingers drummed against the hilt of her cutlass. “They took me in, told me they’d train me, teach me the ropes. Said I was lucky to have found them.”

Aeliana noticed the shift in her expression—how the sharp-edged humor in her gaze dimmed just slightly.

“It was all good for a while,” Rowan continued. “I followed orders, I fought when I had to, and I pulled my weight. Thought I was finally part of something bigger than myself.” She let out a breath, almost laughing at herself. “Then came a job. Seemed simple—escort a caravan, protect the goods, usual deal. Except it wasn’t usual.”

Selene frowned. “What happened?”

Rowan’s lips curled into a humorless smile. “Turns out, the ‘job’ was a setup. The party knew. I didn’t.” She tapped a finger against her temple. “I was the only one not in on it. They played their roles well—acted shocked when we were attacked, shouted for me to hold the front line while they fell back. I fought like hell, trying to hold our ground, thinking we were under siege.” Her jaw tightened. “Didn’t realize they had already cut a deal with the enemy. That they had planned to leave me behind as a distraction while they took the real prize and ran.”

A heavy silence settled over the group. Even Riven’s usual smirk had faded, his golden eyes unreadable.

Aeliana’s heart ached at the story, at the sheer cruelty of it. “They left you?” she whispered.

Rowan nodded, her expression unreadable. “Bleeding, outnumbered, and surrounded. I should’ve died that night.” Her hand tightened into a fist before she forced herself to relax. “But I didn’t.”

Kael was watching her carefully. “How did you survive?”

Rowan grinned, but there was no warmth in it. “Same way I do now—I adapted.” She lifted a hand, rolling back the sleeve of her coat to reveal a faded scar running along the length of her forearm. “Cut my way out, ran until I found cover, and learned something valuable that day.” She met each of their gazes. “That when things go wrong, most people will look out for themselves first. If you’re the weakest link, they’ll cut you loose without a second thought.”

Aeliana swallowed. She had seen betrayal before—had felt it in the way duty had sometimes forced people to abandon their own. But to be used like that, to be left to die by the very people who swore to fight alongside you?

Garrik shifted uncomfortably. “That’s… harsh.”

Rowan chuckled, but there was an edge to it. “It’s true.” She looked up at the darkening sky. “After that, I stopped taking chances. No ties, no blind trust, no one to hold me back. I work alone because I know where I stand that way.”

Aeliana exhaled. “You must have met some good people since then.”

Rowan tilted her head. “Maybe. But that doesn’t change the lesson.”

Lucian, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. His voice was quieter, but there was steel in it. “Not everyone is like them.”

Rowan met his gaze, unflinching. “Maybe not. But how can you tell who is—until it’s too late?”

Lucian had no answer for that.

The group walked in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Even Garrik, usually the one to break tension, seemed at a loss for words.

It wasn’t until Markus muttered, “Well, that was the most depressing thing I’ve heard all day,” that the air shifted slightly.

Rowan laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, don’t look so grim. I survived, didn’t I?”

Aeliana watched her, unsure whether Rowan truly believed her own words or if they were just armor, like the coat she wore, shielding her from the past.

One thing was certain—Rowan Vale had learned to fend for herself, and she wasn’t about to change that.