Leaving behind the worried Harry, the two headed towards the entrance of the ballroom.

Gazes followed the path of the two as they walked.

To those who tried to speak to them, they politely excused themselves citing poor health. Looking to the side, Cassian’s face was still stiff.

“Smile, Your Highness. Someone might think you’re being led to the slaughter.”

“The feeling is similar.”

“And loosen up that scary expression too.”

“I don’t want to.”

“His Majesty is watching.”

“…”

Cassian closed his mouth again. It was a silent insistence that he absolutely wouldn’t smile.

Well, fine. Veronica had no intention of forcing him to smile.

As soon as they got outside, Cassian shook off Veronica.

“That’s too much, Your Highness. Even I would be hurt if you shake me off like a mouse. At times like this, you should ask if I’m in a lot of pain and offer to go get some fresh air together.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because we’re engaged, of course.”

“That damn engagement, it’s not like I wanted it…”

A voice mixed with resentment and anger flowed through his gritted teeth. Veronica reacted exaggeratedly.

“My, Your Highness. There are many eyes and ears here. Wouldn’t it be better to refrain from unnecessary words? And is that important? What’s important is that the world knows about our engagement.”

“Ha-”

Cassian let out a hollow laugh and turned his head.

“I don’t want to continue this conversation with Miss Hardness.”

“But I want to talk more with Your Highness.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Such hurtful words.”

Contrary to her words, Veronica’s face didn’t look hurt. Cassian made a nauseated expression.

“Still, thanks to me, weren’t you able to escape the ballroom?”

Veronica’s excuse of feeling dizzy to come outside could be considered her own form of consideration.

Inside the ballroom, all attention was focused on the recently engaged couple that was the talk of the town.

They couldn’t ignore people’s eyes, so unless there were special circumstances, the two had to stay together until the end of the party.

“I’m not particularly thankful.”

“Then should we go back inside? I’m fine with that.”

“I suddenly feel dizzy too. I’ll head back first.”

Cassian roughly rubbed his forehead as he turned around. As he tried to quickly distance himself, Veronica leisurely followed behind.

“Since we’ve come this far, why don’t you give me a tour of the imperial palace?”

“I’m busy.”

“You said you were dizzy just a moment ago.”

“I remembered I have urgent business.”

“Why don’t you put that urgent business aside for a moment and spend some time with me? Your fiancée has come all this way to see you in person, shouldn’t you at least pretend to get along?”

“It’s business that can’t be postponed.”

Cassian answered coldly with a stiffly set face.

Watching Cassian like this, Veronica stopped walking. Whether she stopped or not, Cassian continued walking. If anything, his pace seemed to quicken as if seizing the opportunity.

“If you keep showing that attitude, His Majesty will be disappointed.”

Soon his steps also stopped.

“You know too, Your Highness, who was most pleased by our engagement. But with Your Highness continuing to show this attitude, it’s upsetting. If rumors of our discord were to spread, I wonder what he would say…”

The last words were intentionally left hanging.

The response came immediately. When he turned back, his face was very angry.

It was because he knew she had mentioned His Majesty’s orders, targeting the fact that he couldn’t go against them.

Meeting the fiercely rippling blue eyes, Veronica smiled brightly.

“Well then, shall we go for a walk now?”

Leaving the building where the ballroom was, they came upon a corridor with one wall completely open.

It was a place where one could view the green scenery outside through the open wall.

The two walked there. Though it was called a “walk”, it was time forcibly taken, but in any case, they ended up having time alone together.

A cool breeze carrying the scent of flowers blew in. Feeling that breeze, Veronica smiled with quite a bit of satisfaction.

Beside her, Cassian was openly wearing an extremely displeased expression.

That expression was the same as when she had asked him to dance earlier.

An expression that said he really didn’t want to do this but had no choice but to go along with it. It exuded unspoken pressure not to expect anything more.

Cassian remained silent throughout the walk. Finally, Veronica spoke first.

“I kept sending you letters, did you read them?”

“Something did arrive. But I didn’t read them.”

She had expected as much, but still, this ill-mannered bastard.

“Why didn’t you read them?”

“I didn’t feel like it. I also didn’t feel any need to read them.”

“Still, they were letters from your fiancée. You should have at least pretended to read them.”

“Why should I do that?”

“It’s a matter of manners.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know. From now on, I can continue to be ill-mannered towards Miss Hardness, so please stop sending letters. Honestly, even throwing them away is bothersome.”

“…”

It was an answer that made the fate of the letters quite clear. Veronica glared at the back of his head. Then she took a deep breath.

“I don’t understand why you’re being so cold to me.”

Covering one cheek with her hand, Veronica put on an upset appearance. Cassian gave her a look of disbelief.

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“Could it be that you’re protesting to me about the forced engagement? But for people like us, a political marriage isn’t an uncommon thing. Even if you hadn’t gotten engaged to me, Your Highness would have had a political marriage with another woman.”

People like Lady Arin who have pure love marriages are extremely rare.

Generally, families form through political marriages.

Either they decide on a match from childhood and build a relationship, or when they come of age, they stage a fateful meeting to form a connection.

Either way, it was hard to deny that it was an intentional meeting. In that sense, Lady Arin could really be said to have fought for love.

“You must know that, so why are you acting like this?”

Veronica tilted her head as if she really didn’t understand. It was an acting performance that someone naive might fall for. Meanwhile, her crimson eyes rolled slightly to observe Cassian’s reaction.

“Or do you believe that marriage must be with someone you love? I don’t think you’re the type to know such romance, but…”

“…”

“Don’t be too upset. Isn’t it romantic to grow our feelings together from here on?”

Cassian stopped walking and faced Veronica.

“Do you have no shame?”

“No, I don’t.”

Veronica shot back immediately, and disbelief spread across Cassian’s face. But Veronica remained confident.

“Could it be that you’re acting like this because of Prince Roel? If so, there’s even less reason to be ashamed. I may have had feelings for him at one point, but I never had any kind of relationship with him. You should know that better than anyone, don’t you?”

“Do you know with what feelings Asher went to propose to you?”

“Do I need to know?”

Veronica asked back. That was a story that held no interest for the current Veronica.

It was a story even more boring than trivial gossip.

“You clung to him first. You obsessively sent letters even when he said no, you demanded to meet. Thanks to Miss Hardness’s overly dramatic one-sided love, not only did the whole country know, but it even reached His Majesty’s ears. After getting a proposal like that and then rejecting it, to then demand a proposal from me, do you think this is an easily understandable situation?”

“There’s nothing to not understand.”

Veronica Hardness remained shamelessly brazen to the end. Cassian laughed in frustration.

“Feelings can change at any time, can’t they?”

“What, are you going to spout more lies about loving me? Say that we shared our hearts and comforted each other?”

“I’ve never once lied about my feelings for Your Highness.”

“That itself is the biggest lie.”

“…”

“Miss Hardness. When have we ever shared our hearts? Have we ever had a proper conversation? We certainly never exchanged warm letters. Because the one you exchanged letters with wasn’t me. You know that better than anyone, don’t you?”

Cassian threw Veronica’s words right back at her.

It was bordering on sarcasm, but Veronica just smiled.

“We can share our hearts starting now. We can have conversations like we’re doing now. While we’re at it, why don’t you send replies to all the letters I’ve sent so far?”

“I knew you were shameless, but I didn’t know you were this thick-skinned.”

“It’s good to learn about the parts of each other we don’t know.”

“Don’t you dislike me?”

A firm voice tightened the atmosphere that was about to loosen.

The smile disappeared from Veronica’s face. The same was true for Cassian’s face.

“You, you dislike me, don’t you.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Do you think I wouldn’t know?”

It’s impossible not to know. If you think about the person in between them in their relationship.

“Even if you act out emotions, you can’t hide them perfectly. I could tell when we talked alone at the Hardness house. That your feelings towards me were certainly not favorable.”

“…”

“And you say you admire me? That the feelings you had for Asher turned to me overnight? Don’t expect me to fall for such lies too. What on earth is your reason for wanting to marry me?”

“Because I love you.”

Click- The sound of high heels echoed. The distance between the two suddenly shortened.

A sweet scent wafted to his nose. He couldn’t tell if it was the flower scent on the wind or from the woman in front of him.

A small face was reflected in blue eyes filled with bewilderment. She was smiling brightly.

“Because I love Cassian deeply.”

Crimson eyes that held no affection at all sparkled as she once again confessed her love.

Whether Cassian wanted it or not.