“You can have a serious relationship, or enjoy a casual romance. I have no intention of interfering with Your Highness’s love life. However, you must definitely marry me. Please also consider our public relationship as a married couple.”

“Ha, do you even realize what you’re saying, Miss Hardness?”

“Yes, I understand very well.”

As she said this, Veronica turned to look at him.

“This isn’t really such a strange thing to say, is it?”

It’s extremely common for nobles and royalty to have separate lovers.

Since marriage isn’t a relationship of affection, they find partners to fulfill their lacking emotions.

Some have casual encounters, while those seeking excitement enjoy risky relationships.

Of course, Veronica could never accept this. Having grown up watching her parents who were faithful to each other, Veronica had quite conservative views on relationships.

Others could have lovers, but her husband should not. Understanding someone else’s situation is different from experiencing it yourself.

How could love be divided in two? At least Veronica’s love could not be.

But there are exceptions to every circumstance. Cassian was the ‘exception’ in Veronica’s life.

The last time she saw him, Cassian didn’t have a separate wife, but he did have an intended fiancée. Or maybe he had someone else in mind.

This was Veronica’s own form of consideration. Though it didn’t seem to be conveyed to the other party.

“How do you see me?”

His face slowly hardened as he expressed his anger.

“If you don’t have anyone, that’s fine.”

“You’re looking down on me.”

Cassian was angry. Who would openly tell their marriage partner to take a lover? Even if it were possible, saying it to one’s face was the utmost insult.

Moreover, what really angered him was the thought that this was an extremely belated question.

Shouldn’t this have been asked on the day she demanded the marriage proposal? What would she have done if he had someone he cared for?

Then a memory came to mind.

‘In truth, Your Highness’s feelings aren’t that important.’

She really didn’t care about his feelings at all.

No, from the moment this engagement was settled, his opinion wasn’t included even to the slightest degree, but having it confirmed anew made him feel even worse.

He wanted to shatter that strangely relaxed expression on her face.

“Then what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you really given up your feelings for Asher? Until just a few months ago, you loved him so desperately?”

“Why? Are you afraid I’ll take Prince Roel as my lover?”

Her expression suggests the very idea is insane. She also gives him a look asking if he really thinks she would do that. Veronica let out a sneer.

“It seems Your Highness Cassian doesn’t trust his brother. Such lack of faith.”

Asher was not the type of man to become the lover of his younger brother’s wife. Wasn’t he the brother he cherished most dearly in the world?

“He would never do such a thing.”

“But I’m someone who could?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Why, are you saying I take after my birth father?”

Why is the conversation turning in that direction? Besides, when referring to his birth father, isn’t that talking about the Emperor?

“There are many ears around, Your Highness. Please be careful with your words.”

“What is there to be careful about? It’s all known facts.”

Of course, the Emperor’s loose morals were known to all citizens of the empire.

The Emperor, who had an extraordinary appetite for women since childhood, had never been denied anything in his life, so he would immediately lay hands on any woman who caught his eye. Whether the woman was engaged, married, or had children, he didn’t care.

Rumors circulated that he had touched over half the women in the imperial palace, so how much worse must it have been?

There were children in succession who had received his seed, and among them were illegitimate children who weren’t recognized as princes.

There were probably quite a few unacknowledged illegitimate children hidden in the world as well.

Even Harry, loyal to the imperial family, was wary of the Emperor’s womanizing.

He worried that his lecherous tendencies might extend to coveting his own daughter, but fortunately, the Emperor feared a loyal subject’s anger more than he desired young fruit, so such a thing never occurred.

“I don’t know what misunderstanding you’ve had. I only mentioned this because such matters should be discussed before marriage.”

Veronica certainly didn’t view him as being of the same ilk as the Emperor. However, Cassian didn’t believe her.

“Should I really consider this a misunderstanding? Or did you mention it on purpose?”

“It really is a misunderstanding.”

“To me, it sounds like the latter.”

Sharp words continued to fly. Veronica sighed and looked up at him.

She carefully scanned his anger-filled face. As their gazes lingered on each other for what felt like a long moment, she turned once more to look at the angel statue. It was just for an instant.

“You may not believe me, Your Highness, but I think we are destined for each other.”

“What a horrifying thing to say.”

Cassian’s face turned pale. His expression showed it was a dreadful thought.

“The fact that Your Highness Cassian and I have met again like this is because we are destined. Perhaps it was also fate that led us to this kind of relationship.”

“I told you I don’t believe in superstitions.”

“It was also fate that I fell in love with Your Highness.”

“Did you even hear what I just said?”

He was dumbfounded. Most of what she said in conversation was absurd.

In fact, from the moment she demanded the marriage proposal until now, there hadn’t been a time when Cassian wasn’t bewildered.

She said she knew he disliked her, and he conveyed his own intentions as well. But Veronica’s attitude didn’t change.

Spouting unbelievable lies about love, she only continues to force her love upon him.

Without caring about the other person’s feelings at all. Veronica Hardness was still a selfish woman.

“The day will come when Your Highness understands my heart.”

“That will never happen.”

“You never know about these things. Just as my heart that was directed towards Prince Roel turned to Your Highness Cassian, won’t there come a day when your heart changes shape as well?”

“I said that won’t happen.”

“It could happen.”

The conversation hasn’t been going anywhere for a while now. This time, Cassian let out a deep sigh.

“Fine, Miss Hardness. Let’s say everything you say is correct. If you really love me, what exactly is the reason?”

“Does love need a reason?”

“Of course it does.”

“I fell in love at first sight.”

“……”

“I knew from the moment I first saw you.”

She looks up at the blue sky. She feels a warmth like being held in the arms of a mother she doesn’t even remember.

The fresh scent of grass made her feel good.

It was just a path she walked following the wind. Her young heart fluttered ticklishly along with the colorful, abundant anemones.

“That I am standing here now to meet Your Highness. That Your Highness was waiting to meet me. That we are destined to be together.”

She feels love. She simply knows.

Even without anyone telling her, like breathing after being born, like meeting people and forming relationships, like wishing for one’s own happiness, loving was such a natural thing.

“I simply knew.”

Veronica smiled. A smile that looked like it might be blown away by the wind spread across her face once again.

And Cassian did not believe her words.

She had confessed her love to the point of nausea, but he couldn’t just listen pleasantly.

She said the day would come when he would understand her heart, but he didn’t think so. He didn’t believe in her ‘love’. Even if he tried to believe, he couldn’t.

“Thinking about it, it seems there’s still no trust between Your Highness and me. Trust is an emotion that can only be gained by building a relationship. As we build our relationship going forward, Your Highness will come to believe in my heart.”

“My heart will never change.”

Cassian’s voice cut off Veronica’s words. A smile spread again across Veronica’s face, which had been briefly expressionless.

“I know you better than you know yourself, Your Highness. Though you may reject it now, I know well that you will eventually come to love me.”

“If I ever come to love you.”

A low murmur flowed through his teeth. The wind blew again. As if representing the emotions of the two people, a cold and sharp wind enveloped their surroundings.

“That would mean I’ve gone mad.”

“That’s good. It means you’ll love me enough to go mad.”

Cassian looked at Veronica as if she really were insane.

“Everyone experiences a mad love at least once in their life.”

“Let’s stop talking.”

He had never met a woman like this before. She responds to every word without backing down. And yet she subtly leads the situation in the direction she wants.

She was originally a difficult person to deal with, but that was more due to the arrogance typical of a high-ranking family.

But now she was difficult to deal with in a different sense.

It was chilling to Cassian – that lofty face that couldn’t be predicted where her thoughts would jump to, and that seemed to not be easily hurt no matter what was said.

“This should be enough for a walk. Let’s return to the ballroom.”

He didn’t want to listen to her nonsense anymore.

His head had been aching continuously since she started spouting nonsense about love. Talking with her could make even a healthy person sick.

If her plan was to harm his health, it was succeeding. Could that have been her aim?

“Come to think of it, you said you had urgent business.”

Veronica mentioned it casually, even while knowing it was an excuse to get away from her.

“Regrettably, I’ll return to the ballroom alone.”

“That’s the most pleasant thing I’ve heard today.”

Cassian turned away without delay. He wanted to get away from this woman quickly. This time, Veronica didn’t try to stop him either.

Instead, her monotonous voice grabbed his ankle once again.

“His Majesty’s birthday celebration lasts for 5 days, doesn’t it? After that, there’s the royal family’s hunting competition. I’ll be participating in that as well.”

“Why would Miss Hardness participate in that?”

When he asked urgently, Veronica answered with a smile.

“Your Highness seems to keep forgetting the fact that you’re engaged to me.”

“I wish I could forget it entirely.”

“I’ll be attending as Your Highness’s fiancée. Though Your Highness may want to forget, His Majesty seems desperate to announce our engagement everywhere.”

To suit the Emperor’s love of hunting, a hunting competition involving the princes follows the birthday celebration.

It could be seen as purely a family event for the Diastara imperial family. Nobles invited by the imperial family also attended.

This time, she gained the right to attend as Cassian’s fiancée.

“We’ll see each other again.”

“……”

Cassian felt he had been deceived.

After parting ways with the furious Cassian and heading back, Veronica stopped in her tracks.

Near the ballroom, a certain man looked at her as if he had been waiting.

“Miss Hardness.”

“……”

It was Asher.