If You Wish For My Death - Chapter 27

The maid’s eyes scanned the book she had just read and the pile of books stacked next to the sofa.

They were all romance novels. Could she have stayed up all night reading all these romance novels? The maid looked at Veronica sitting in front of the mirror with bewilderment.

After finishing breakfast with Harry, Veronica immediately prepared to go out.

Dressed more carefully than usual, she scrutinized her reflection in the mirror.

Her piercing eyes examined herself from head to toe, then she turned and asked,

“How do I look today?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Am I pretty?”

“Yes! You’re very pretty!”

“You look beautiful, miss!”

The maids poured out compliments one after another.

Listening to the familiar words with some pleasure, Veronica stared at herself in the mirror once more. The maids did not see her face of determination.

After finishing her grooming, Veronica boarded the carriage. Passing through familiar routes and scenery, she entered the imperial city.

The carriage went further in than the main palace and stopped in front of a separate palace.

Veronica got out of the carriage and told those who tried to follow her to wait, then went inside alone.

Though smaller than the main palace, the separate palace was still complex enough to get lost in.

Fortunately, Veronica knew the paths here very well. She easily reached her destination.

Just then, a servant was coming out of the room. It was a familiar face. It was the servant she had met at the last hunting competition.

“Lady Hardness.”

The servant recognized Veronica and bowed.

“I’m here to see Prince Cassian.”

“The prince is not in the room right now.”

“Has he gone out?”

“No. He should be on the first floor. I’ll inform him.”

“Guide me there.”

“Pardon? Um… Do you have an appointment with His Highness?”

“No.”

At the last answer, the servant seemed to hesitate in confusion. But when Veronica urged him with her eyes, he reluctantly started walking.

Following the servant, she went down to the lower floor and walked along the corridor. After walking quite a bit down the back corridor, a sound of something colliding began to be heard from afar.

Veronica sent the servant who had finished his business back first, then stood in front of it.

She combed her disheveled hair with her hand to tidy it up and went inside.

It was a narrow space with only the ceiling open with glass. In the space enclosed by walls on all sides, at the end of the building, various training equipment was placed.

She could see why the servant was reluctant to guide her. Seeing even a wooden training dummy placed there, it seemed quite plausible.

“You’ve managed to make a training ground in a place like this.”

“…What brings you here?”

Cassian frowned as soon as he spotted Veronica. Ignoring his displeased voice, Veronica looked around.

“You’re diligent. Even doing self-training.”

“I asked how you came here.”

“The servant guided me here. Ah, don’t scold him too much. I pressured him.”

He seemed to roughly guess the situation, as a sigh was heard from behind.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to see Your Highness, of course. Am I not allowed to come?”

“It would have been better if you had made an appointment before visiting.”

“But you wouldn’t meet me if I did. I know you avoid meeting with me unless His Majesty calls for it. You’re even uncomfortable being alone with me for a moment.”

“…This is burdensome.”

“Please understand. I’m afraid you’ll forget about me if I don’t see your face.”

Cassian let out an incredulous laugh. Veronica turned her head again and leisurely looked around the small space.

Honestly, it was too small and shabby to be called a training ground. The training equipment showed signs of age, and the wooden training dummy had a strong handmade feel.

He didn’t make it himself, did he? The wear and tear made her suspect so.

Yet she fiddled with the wooden dummy that showed signs of quite a bit of abuse.

“His Majesty would be pleased if he knew how hard you’re working.”

“That’s not likely.”

It was an obvious and expected answer. A fact everyone knew.

The greedy and cautious emperor fretted every day, worrying that someone might covet his power.

It was obvious even from how he directly ousted Harry yet called for him every day. It was no different for his own children.

The emperor was someone who worried that even a newborn baby who couldn’t walk might covet his position.

If Cassian showed interest in martial arts and even had individual practice time, he would certainly not think well of it.

“So that’s why you set up a personal training ground in such an inconspicuous place.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret.”

It wasn’t particularly a secret, but the tone that sounded like she had caught his weakness was irritating.

Cassian frowned. Veronica’s gaze, which had been looking around, finally stopped at one place.

“I’ve been learning martial arts from my father recently too.”

“You?”

“Yes. I’ve even learned how to hold a sword.”

Saying that, she picked up one of the wooden swords on the wall.

“Hmm, is this how you hold it?”

As Veronica held the wooden sword, deliberately clumsily with one hand, and looked around, footsteps approached with a sigh.

“If you hold it like that, your wrist will be ruined.”

Body heat touched her back. A thick hand stretched out from behind, grasping Veronica’s fingers and correcting their position one by one. He pulled her other hand to correct her posture.

“The way you hold it differs depending on the difference in supporting force. That’s so you can offset the impact you’ll receive when you stab your opponent.”

“You know well.”

“Well.”

Cassian, who was about to say he had learned since childhood, stopped abruptly. Veronica’s face was right in front of his nose.

They were close enough to feel each other’s breath. Only then did he realize he was in a position of embracing her from behind.

Cassian immediately removed both hands and stepped back. He rubbed his nape, feeling unnecessarily flustered.

“Why did you stop talking?”

“Let’s stop. You couldn’t even stab one person in that outfit.”

“Hahaha, Your Highness. What does outfit have to do with stabbing someone?”

Veronica laughed heartily as if she had heard something amusing.

“Actually, posture isn’t that important for stabbing someone. You can kill a person even swinging this blunt wooden sword. It’s not as difficult as you think.”

“You speak as if you’ve done it before.”

Veronica’s smile deepened. He had played along thinking it was a joke, but somehow the atmosphere became strange.

You couldn’t kill a person with such a blunt wooden sword, and even if you could, it wouldn’t be easy.

Yet the wooden sword in her delicate hand somehow looked threatening. Surely she wasn’t going to hit him on the back of the head?

Thinking it was a useless thought, Cassian shook it off and turned around.

He found the water bottle placed on the table and moistened his throat, then wiped his sweat with a cloth. But his cheek kept stinging.

Veronica was staring at him intently. He really didn’t want to know, but unable to ignore her demeanor, he finally put the water bottle to his mouth again and asked.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You look sexy when you’re sweating.”

Cassian spat out the water he was drinking.

“What on earth are you thinking in that head of yours!”

“I was thinking about Your Highness.”

“What kind of thoughts… No, never mind. Don’t tell me.”

He was afraid to hear the answer, thinking she might be having thoughts beyond his imagination.

Cassian wiped the moisture flowing down his chin with the back of his hand and wrapped up the conversation. Veronica smiled brightly. That face made him even more creeped out.

“Prince Cassian.”

“What?”

“How do I look today?”

“Pardon?”

“I always put in effort, but I’m disappointed that Your Highness doesn’t notice.”

So what? A question appeared on Cassian’s face. Veronica was just smiling sweetly.

His round blue eyes scanned Veronica up and down.

A white hat with flower decorations, a blue coat tightly cinched at the waist, a white dress worn underneath, and blue shoes to match.

Her appearance, dressed elegantly from head to toe, was the same as usual.

Tying her light brown hair back gave off a more mature atmosphere than usual, but that was all.

There was nothing special. Cassian had no idea what she wanted him to notice.

“What do you want me to say?”

“You’re pretty, you’re beautiful, you’re dazzling, I might fall for you. I’m the happiest man in this empire to have you as my fiancée.”

“What—”

Hearing this, Cassian was dumbfounded. He wanted to ask if she really wanted to hear such words.

But Veronica’s face looked so serious, so sincere, that it rather calmed his heart.

“It’s not hot enough weather to feel the heat yet.”

Cassian looked up at the sky beyond the glass ceiling, clear of even clouds. It was good weather, but there was still a chill in the air.

“Yes, it’s a pleasantly warm and nice day. So?”

“…”

“Prince Cassian?”

“…If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going now.”

“Alright then.”

A compliant answer came back. Cassian gave her a suspicious look.

Veronica just smiled brightly. Based on past experience, he couldn’t let his guard down, but Cassian turned to leave for now.

He walked out of the secluded space and along the corridor.

All the while, one gentle step followed behind his rugged footsteps. It continued until he walked down the corridor and up the stairs.

Finally, Cassian stopped.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you following me?”

“Why do you think I’m following Your Highness?”

At the calm question, Cassian momentarily lost his words. Her expression seemed to rebuke, ‘Why do you assume I’m naturally following you?’

Certainly, it was hasty to judge that she was following him just because they were going the same way. Cassian hid his embarrassment and started walking again.

And Veronica was indeed following him.

He became certain of this when she followed him all the way into his room.

Cassian turned to look at her with an incredulous expression. Wasn’t she not following him?

“What is this behavior now? You said you weren’t following me.”

“I never said I wasn’t. I just asked why you thought so.”

“…”

“More importantly, it’s my first time in Your Highness’s room.”

How can a person be so brazen?

Cassian was flabbergasted. He was really fed up. The uninvited intruder shamelessly barged into someone else’s room and was busy looking around.

Without any consideration for the room owner’s feelings.

A servant approached and whispered.

“Your Highness. Shall I prepare a change of clothes?”

“…It’s fine.”

He’d rather give off a sweaty smell to send her away quickly.

Cassian also acted shamelessly. He sat down on the sofa in his sweaty outfit. At this point, it was a matter of who would win.

But contrary to expectations, Veronica, who he thought would be disgusted, sat down right next to him. He endured for a while before saying,

“Sit further away.”

“I think this distance is good.”

“I don’t. And I’m sweaty now, so I smell.”

“I don’t think you smell that bad.”

Veronica’s face suddenly approached his nape. A hot sensation brushed against his skin.