The blue eyes that were unconsciously looking towards the entrance to clear away distracting thoughts narrowed.

It had felt like someone was staring oddly for a while, and sure enough, a woman was standing outside the entrance watching intently.

Even the servants waiting there seemed perplexed by the woman.

Cassian’s expression became inscrutable.

“What’s that about?”

“It’s nothing.”

“She seems very interested in us.”

“You don’t need to pay attention to it.”

Veronica nonchalantly sipped her tea.

Cassian alternated between looking at the woman’s complete disregard and her bright-eyed gaze from afar as he pondered.

“If she’s with you, she can sit over here.”

“She’s an uninvited guest.”

“Isn’t she someone you brought?”

“No, she’s not.”

How can you say she’s not when you haven’t even looked at who it is? Cassian turned his gaze from the face ignoring him to look at the woman in the distance.

When their eyes met, she startled and tried to hide, but there was no way she wouldn’t be seen behind the glass wall. What was that awkwardness about?

“Who is she?”

“Someone Your Highness doesn’t need to know about.”

“But I’m curious. Didn’t you just tell me to ask about things I’m curious about?”

“…She’s a guest staying at our mansion briefly.”

“Then why is she acting like that?”

“Because she followed me here on her own.”

“Her gaze is quite intense.”

“Ignore her.”

The answers were half-hearted. It conveyed this was an unwanted topic.

A faint weariness could be read on Veronica’s face. The blue eyes once again fixed on the woman standing at a distance.

Suddenly Cassian burst out laughing. Veronica frowned.

“Why are you laughing?”

“So you can make that kind of expression too.”

“What kind of expression am I making?”

“The same expression I was making not long ago.”

Cassian couldn’t hold back his laughter again.

Whatever the circumstances were, he seemed to find it amusing. How unpleasant to enjoy seeing his fiancée troubled.

His taste was quite despicable, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop his hearty smile that she was seeing for the first time. Her heart only became more crooked.

“Experience the pain I went through.”

“What nice words you’re saying.”

“It’s thanks to you.”

He was a man who wouldn’t back down even in moments like this. Veronica glared at him. Cassian pretended not to see.

Then, not wanting to miss this unusual situation, he smiled and suggested:

“Bring her over. I don’t mind.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Why not? We can’t just leave her like that, we should at least receive her.”

“Don’t talk to other women.”

“…”

“If you’re kind to her, I’ll get angry.”

Cassian stopped speaking. The face looking up at him revealed a fierce energy.

Could she possibly be jealous right now? He was more shocked at himself for having such a thought.

“It’s unfair. Do you know how much trouble I went through to have this time with Your Highness?”

That’s more like it. Cassian felt relieved.

“Even falling into a lake.”

“Who told you to go through trouble? Lady Veronica fell into the lake on her own, and I was the one who had to go through trouble to pull you out.”

“I even caught a cold afterwards.”

“Don’t lie. You came to see me two days later, didn’t you?”

“I endured the pain to come see Your Highness.”

“Lady Veronica’s shamelessness gets worse by the day.”

“But wouldn’t Your Highness also dislike seeing me with other men?”

“Not at all.”

“Really? Not even a little?”

“No.”

“How cruel. It seems Your Highness’s love for me is lacking.”

“I never had anything like that to begin with.”

“Then start making it now.”

Now, immediately. Veronica demanded shamelessly, emphasizing those two words. Cassian sighed emptily again.

Her maddening shamelessness had become quite familiar, to the point he could brush it off like a dog’s barking.

Cassian forcefully pulled up the corners of his mouth to smile. Veronica smiled back.

To others it may have looked like they were getting along well, but between them it was a tense battle of nerves.

“From my perspective, you also seem like an uninvited guest, so it would be difficult.”

“A fiancée and an uninvited guest are strictly different beings.”

“They feel similar to me.”

“Try changing your mindset. Your feelings will change too.”

“That’s too difficult a request.”

“How is it difficult? You should do it for your fiancée.”

“I told you not to think everything will work out just because you’re my fiancée.”

As they exchanged prickly words, the promised hour quickly came to an end.

Cassian immediately chased her out. Veronica wanted to stay longer but had no choice but to get up.

Leaving the glass palace, Veronica spotted Magnolia standing there bored. Having missed her chance to escape, Magnolia froze.

“Ha-Ha-Hardness.”

Veronica coldly looked at her. Magnolia slightly averted her gaze.

Just then, Cassian abruptly intervened in the suffocating silence.

Turning his gaze to Magnolia, Cassian suddenly placed one hand on his chest and greeted her.

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Your Highness the Prince! It’s an honor to meet you!”

Magnolia also straightened up upon seeing him. She introduced herself stuttering, making a few mistakes, probably due to nervousness.

Cassian waited for her with a smile. Meanwhile, he glanced at Veronica.

Veronica was glaring at the two of them. Cassian rubbed his mouth with his hand, feeling it about to break into a smile for some reason.

Veronica was annoyed. She was angry at the man who was smiling and speaking to Magnolia as if to show off. It was a side he had never shown to her.

Rather than jealousy, it was more like her guts were twisted. No one would like having their prey taken away by someone else.

She had no intention of just watching with her eyes wide open either. Who was this for anyway?

“Didn’t you say you had business! Let’s go quickly, Miss Rinning!”

“Ah, yes! Then I’ll be going!”

Veronica grabbed Magnolia’s arm as she tried to say goodbye to Cassian again. Magnolia was flustered and helplessly dragged along.

“Take care on your way.”

Veronica paused at those words.

He had never told her to take care before. Veronica glared once more at the man who irritated her to the end.

Then she pulled Magnolia again as she tried to respond to him.

Watching Veronica irritably moving away, Cassian let out a burst of laughter.

“Don’t you think it’s too rude to follow all the way to the imperial palace?”

“…I’m sorry. I actually didn’t know we were going to the imperial palace.”

As soon as they got in the carriage, Veronica spat out those words. Magnolia looked dejected.

“Then you should have gone back when you found out.”

“I-I was scared to go back alone.”

Where did the boldness of coming to the Hardness mansion alone go? Veronica irritably brushed back her hair.

“Do you know how annoying you are, Miss Rinning?”

“I’ve heard that a lot. That I’m too dependent… My brothers also told me to fix that…”

“So you do know. How many brothers do you have?”

“Two. The eldest went abroad to study, and the second moved out early saying he wanted to try living independently, so I haven’t seen him in quite a while.”

If her brothers had been by her side, would things have been different? But she dismissed the thought. It was a meaningless premise.

“But earlier when I saw Lady Hardness and His Highness together from afar, I was so envious. You two looked so affectionate talking together.”

“Did we look affectionate?”

No matter how she thought about it, their conversation seemed far from affectionate. Magnolia probably couldn’t hear what they were saying though.

“Yes. You were making eye contact, smiling at each other!”

“Ah.”

We did smile. Though neither of our smiles had a good meaning.

“Don’t most people do that much?”

“But I could feel the affection between you two.”

Veronica looked at her pitifully. It seemed Magnolia’s eyes were just for show.

She thought the girl just had poor judgement with men, but it turns out she just lacked perception in general.

Magnolia just had a bright smile on her face.

“So.”

“Yes?”

“What was your business?”

“…I didn’t have any. It was a lie. I’m sorry.”

Magnolia shrank again as she admitted her wrongdoing. Veronica sighed with her arms crossed and absently took in the scenery outside the window.

She could feel Magnolia fidgeting in front of her.

Even without looking, she could imagine her watching nervously. The girl was a bit like a puppy.

While letting the street scenery flow by, Veronica casually opened her mouth.

“Since it’s come to this, shall we go get some fresh air?”

“Is that okay?!”

The response was quick. An expectant face appeared.

“Why not?”

“B-but it would be trouble if we ran into family…”

“If we go somewhere crowded, we won’t stand out.”

Magnolia was overjoyed at those words.

It seems she was feeling cooped up just staying at the mansion. If I had known, I should have taken her out earlier. The brief thought turned into a small smile.

Before she knew it, it had become late at night as she was reading. These days Veronica enjoyed reading romance novels.

They used to be one of her favorite reads long ago, but at some point she had stopped even glancing at them.

She picked them up again as reference for winning Cassian’s heart, but she got quite into them and lost track of time while focusing.

Just as she was about to go to bed, she suddenly sensed movement outside her room.

At first she thought it was her imagination since it was a time when everyone should be asleep. But then a timid sigh somehow grated on her ears.

When Veronica suddenly opened the door after getting out of bed, a startled face appeared.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah, um, Vero- Lady Hardness.”

Magnolia was standing outside the door. Veronica tilted her head.

“Are you trying to sneak away in the middle of the night?”

That didn’t seem to be the case though, as she was in her nightclothes and didn’t have her luggage with her. Magnolia flustered replied:

“That’s not it… I couldn’t sleep…”

Magnolia mumbled with a slightly reddened face. It seems she was having trouble sleeping due to the change in environment. Could this have been happening since the first night?

“So what were you doing?”