Just her long hair fluttering in the wind, and the cool face briefly revealed within caught Cassian’s gaze.

The murderous intent reflected in her deep red eyes was familiar.

Cassian slowly moved his lips. He was about to ask why she was standing like that, but the wind had been getting stronger for a while now.

At that moment, Veronica moved. The shoes stepping on the narrow floor wobbled unsteadily. Seeing that, Cassian reached out his hand.

“If you move now!”

A strong wind followed. The fluttering curtain tore and fell on Veronica.

The boat capsized.

Water rushed into her nose and mouth. The fierce current pressed down on her.

Veronica’s body was helplessly sucked to the bottom of the lake.

Instinctively she cut through the current, but an invisible force seemed to be holding her. Moreover, her clothes were too heavy.

In her blurry vision, she saw remnants of sparkling light. As she reached out towards it, suddenly a sharp pain shot through her left leg.

Veronica grabbed her leg and curled up. She felt her breath reaching its limit. Her vision gradually became enveloped in darkness. She sensed death.

Death, death, dying now. The familiar sensation made her body go limp.

Even the bubbling sound became quiet. It didn’t matter anyway since she was going to die.

Veronica closed her eyes. And waited for the next return.

At that moment, a strong force pulled her body up in an instant.

“Huk!”

Her blocked airway opened. Veronica gasped for breath hurriedly.

The force that pulled her out of the water brought her to the edge of the lake. Her body was lifted and taken out of the lake.

“Call a doctor here! Quickly!”

“Yes!”

She heard someone’s footsteps urgently fading away.

Veronica immediately vomited water. Then, gasping for breath, she discovered through blurry vision the man looking at her.

The blue eyes examining her complexion turned sharp when their gazes met.

“Didn’t you hear it’s dangerous to move carelessly on a shaky boat?”

“…I think I might have heard, cough.”

“Next time you’re on a boat, sit still. If you want to move, wait until the boat stops. Understood?”

The tone of scolding her mistake like a child was absurd. Who didn’t know that?

If he knew why she moved, he wouldn’t say such things.

“Thank you for the excellent advice.”

“Don’t take it sarcastically. The boat almost capsized and it was really dangerous. Don’t do that again unless you want to drown. You can’t even swim, right?”

“I can swim. My clothes were just too heavy.”

Veronica burst into a cough. Cassian patted her back.

“Breathe slowly.”

“Huk. Heuk.”

Cassian gently soothed Veronica, who was still having difficulty breathing.

He held her shoulders and carefully rubbed her back. His warmth spread through her cold body.

It reminded her of the hunting competition before. Back then, he had comforted her like this when she was hurt.

Veronica looked at Cassian again. He was also soaked through just like her.

“We should be thankful the weather is warm.”

A hint of worry flashed across his face as he said that. Worry, for her.

Nonsense.

“Why did you save me?”

“Is that a question to ask right now?”

Cassian frowned.

Veronica was genuinely curious. This was an unexpected action. It was as unexpected as the boat capsizing and her almost drowning.

Him saving her… Why? For what reason? There would be no benefit in saving her.

It would have been easier to let her die. Then the forced engagement would have been canceled, and he wouldn’t need to be bound by marriage. Isn’t that what he desperately wanted?

And she wanted it too. Because she could go back to how things were originally.

She would have met the naive you, received a proposal, and entered into another political marriage.

“You’ve always killed me.”

“What are you saying?”

“You hate me, don’t you?”

“Even if I dislike you, I’ve never wished for your death.”

“Liar.”

“When have I ever said such a thing?”

He wouldn’t carelessly say such things even as a slip of the tongue.

Cassian tried to recall the words he had said so far. To be honest, since he hadn’t been polite in front of her, he wasn’t completely sure.

“That’s absolutely not the case, so don’t misunderstand.”

But he didn’t want to apologize even out of courtesy. She had been just as impolite.

Cassian spoke evasively and stood up. The boatman and servant who went to call the doctor still hadn’t returned.

Wondering if they had gotten lost, he looked around, when he felt a force grabbing his leg. As he turned, Veronica’s hand was gripping the hem of his pants.

“Then why do you push me away?”

The thought ‘Is this the time to talk about such things?’ was readable on his face. But Veronica was not in her right mind now.

“…Why?”

Her voice trembled slightly as she asked again.

Cassian let out a hollow laugh at her trying to pursue her goal even in this situation, but soon his expression hardened as he sensed Veronica’s condition was not normal.

He told her to get up and talk later, but she didn’t move as if rooted to the spot.

Her stubbornness to not move until she heard an answer was palpable.

Cassian ran his hand through his wet hair, thought for a moment, then continued speaking.

“How can you say you love me with that face?”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

“You look like you want to kill me.”

“…”

“Do you know? Your eyes always have murderous intent when you whisper love to me. As if you want me to be unhappy. How can I build trust with you when you have such a face? How can I believe your words of love?”

Her light brown hair fluttered, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a charming smile.

Her crimson eyes narrowed momentarily to hide her emotions, but Cassian didn’t miss it.

What dwelled there was neither affection nor fondness.

Inexplicable self-confidence and venom, obsession with the other person. And occasionally, murderous intent bordering on contempt.

Who would look at someone they love like that? Who would ignore the other’s feelings and demand a forced relationship? Who would only pursue their own greed?

If it was love, if it was sincere, it shouldn’t be like that. Such emotions shouldn’t be called “love”. At least that’s what Cassian thought.

“No, Your Highness is mistaken.”

“…”

“Look carefully again. Am I not looking at you with a loving face right now?”

Her upturned eyes, wet with water, took on an even deeper red hue. Her face, devoid of any relaxed smile, cried out as if clinging.

Fiercely and desperately. Forcefully and intensely. She claims that is love. Despite it being a face where not a hint of love could be felt.

“Do you truly know anything about love?”

“Do you know, Your Highness?”

True love, trust, faith, sincerity, all those warm and beautiful emotions encompassing everything.

That which symbolized happiness in books.

“Then will you teach me too?”

Veronica does not know. True love and such. Faith and such. Trust and such. She didn’t want to know about sincerity and didn’t try to know.

If she hadn’t repeated her 16th year, the innocent young lady would have denied being betrayed until the end.

That’s how much she thought her love was perfect.

The young lady who thought everything in the world was beautiful and only happy is now gone.

The girl who believed in true love died long ago. What sustains her now is not sweet emotions like love. It’s revenge.

Your beloved elder brother made her like this.

How can he live happily after doing that? He shouldn’t, leaving behind the betrayed her.

And you too.

“Tell me. How can I win Your Highness’s heart?”

We must go together. Even if only a thorny path lies ahead, because I decided to walk again.

“Your Highness must teach me that.”

It was a voice of desperation as if that was all there was. However, the momentary emotion quickly hid itself and only her usual calmness remained on her face.

But for the first time, Cassian couldn’t take his eyes off Veronica’s face.

Every time before he didn’t even want to look at her spouting incomprehensible words, but now he stared at that face for a long while.

Then he opened his mouth.

“I saved you because I thought you’d become a ghost and appear before me if I left you. I thought you’d torment me asking why I didn’t save you.”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”

“I’m not joking either.”

“…”

“I’ve truly never met a woman like you before.”

Sighing and looking into the distance for a moment, Cassian knelt down again. He matched Veronica’s eye level and continued speaking calmly.

“Back then, I also lost my reason in anger, but thinking about it again, your words had a point. It could have been a moment when you wanted help, and it was my fault for leaving irresponsibly without checking. It’s natural for you to be angry because of that.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“…I’m apologizing. For that day’s incident, for my careless attitude that may have hurt you. Disappointed you too.”

There was a hint of reluctance in his last words, feeling he had to back down first, but nonetheless Cassian offered an apology with a serious face.

He really didn’t want to admit it, but he realized from Veronica’s unfamiliar appearance that he had been at fault.

Asher was right. No matter how it happened, the two are engaged and they can’t keep mixing in other emotions forever.

Of course, her rudeness was greater than his fault, but he had no desire to argue about it now.

His body was too tired now for a battle of wills. They couldn’t stay like this either.

“I won’t act so irresponsibly again.”

He wanted to comfort her anxiety a little. For some reason, he wanted to do that for her now.

Cassian apologized to Veronica with a small sincerity. But Veronica’s face became strange.

She stiffened in surprise, then immediately contorted her face as if about to cry, before shaking her head. Her fair forehead with hair sticking to it somehow stood out.

“Don’t apologize…”

“You keep…”

“…I won’t apologize.”

“…”

“I won’t.”

“Do as you please. Whether you apologize or not, I didn’t expect it anyway.”

Cassian was annoyed by her selfishness that wouldn’t yield even at times like this, but he truly hadn’t expected it.

She was this kind of woman from the start. Selfish and only knowing her own greed, it wasn’t surprising even if he realized it anew.

“…You’ll regret it.”

“Don’t make me want to regret it already.”

Cassian looked away and surveyed the surroundings again.

The weather had turned warmer so they wouldn’t catch a cold, but they couldn’t stay wet like this. It seemed better to move on their own.

“Get up now. We need to go somewhere warm.”

Only then did Veronica rise. But she slumped back down after taking just one step. Cassian raised an eyebrow.

“Why aren’t you getting up?”

“My leg…”

Veronica pointed to her left leg.

This time too, Cassian suspected she might be feigning illness. But her pale face didn’t seem to be lying. After pondering for a moment, Cassian approached her and held out his hand.

Veronica, who had been staring blankly at his hand, slowly extended her own hand.

Though the incident with Cassian was settled, nothing had changed.

He still felt uncomfortable with her, and she continued to want his heart.

Truly not even a mouse dropping’s worth had changed, but from the last incident, Cassian made one promise. That he wouldn’t avoid Veronica.

‘Once every fortnight.’

‘Once a week.’

‘Once every ten days.’

‘Once every five days.’

‘Four days.’

‘Three days.’

“…Alright, three days.”

Thus they agreed to meet separately once every three days.

Instead, conditions were attached that she shouldn’t visit on days other than promised, and shouldn’t demand the duties of a fiancée except in public settings, but it wasn’t a bad outcome.

Veronica was satisfied seeing the letter reply that had grown from one line to two.

‘You’re the one with a face that looks like you want to kill me.’

Cassian was quite perceptive. The man who seemed younger than in her memories gave off an immaturity typical of that age, which she found ridiculous… She would have to be careful.

Veronica put down the letter and looked out the window.

The heat had passed and summer was in full swing outside. The sun in the sky was blazing, and the trees had grown lush.

Gardeners were trimming the tree leaves to shape them.

“A guest is looking for you, miss.”

Who? Veronica left the room with a puzzled mind as there were no scheduled appointments. When she descended the stairs and reached the entrance hall, a woman was standing there.

Hearing footsteps, the woman raised her head. She appeared to be a young person around Veronica’s age.

“You are…”

So her name was…