“Your Highness Cassian?”

Veronica called out to him in bewilderment. Cassian, suddenly coming to his senses, finally removed his hand.

As the shoulder that had been subtly tightened by his grip was released, a dull pain set in. Veronica glared at him while rubbing her shoulder. What’s wrong with him?

“…Let’s return to the imperial palace now.”

“Already? I’d like to stay a bit longer.”

Cassian looked at her again. His face said, ‘You want to keep wandering around even in that state?’

But Veronica couldn’t give up either. How could she waste this hard-earned time? She had to make the most of it.

Reading Veronica’s stubbornness, Cassian let out a brief “Ha-” releasing the emotion he had been trying to suppress, then ran his hand through his hair.

Veronica quickly asked,

“Is there somewhere you want to go? Or something you want to do?”

After thinking for a moment, Cassian opened his mouth.

“What about you?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking what you want to do with me.”

“I want to love you, Your Highness.”

“Not that. Tell me something we can do right now.”

Veronica blinked.

It was the reaction of someone who had received an unexpected question. Come to think of it, he had never asked such a question before. Cassian turned his body towards her and asked again.

“What do you want to do?”

This time she didn’t answer right away. Her crimson eyes blankly disappeared and reappeared behind her eyelids once, twice, three times before Veronica finally opened her mouth.

“Hands…”

“Hands?”

Cassian’s gaze turned to Veronica’s hands. Perhaps she had injured her hand? But that wasn’t it.

“I want to walk down the street holding hands.”

“Is that enough? Just holding hands and walking down the street?”

“Yes.”

Holding hands and walking down the street. Simply taking steps without a destination. The warmth transmitted through the palms of their hands, and the soft energy spreading in their chests, just like that.

Like ordinary lovers.

“It seems we haven’t been able to do even that much.”

Veronica had never lived such a life. Perhaps even those memories had faded.

Veronica lowered her eyes. Honestly, she thought Cassian would refuse, saying he disliked it.

Since he particularly disliked unnecessary contact, she thought he would show a reaction of refusal because he was a man.

But warmth crept into her shrinking fingertips.

Cassian, who had taken off his gloves at some point, spread Veronica’s fingers and intertwined his fingers with hers at each joint.

The small hand was completely enveloped in the large hand. As their palms touched, their body heat spread to each other. It was a bit hot, perhaps from running.

Cassian stood next to Veronica.

“So we just walk anywhere like this?”

“Will you indulge me?”

“It would be a shame to die without experiencing even this much.”

At his uncharacteristic joke, Veronica let out a small laugh.

“This is the easiest thing you’ve ever asked for. You should ask for things like this instead. I’ll walk with you holding hands as many times as you want.”

“Really?”

“Can’t I do at least that much for my fiancée?”

“I don’t think you can.”

“You always have that one line as a problem.”

The guards who had been checking the surroundings approached. Cassian took a step. Veronica followed. Without saying anything, they walked together.

Veronica couldn’t tell when that simple act had become difficult.

Veronica’s guard who had been stabbed was taken care of by Cassian’s guards.

Fortunately, he seemed to have regained consciousness, but since he had been hit on the head, it was impossible to guarantee there wouldn’t be any aftereffects.

Hearing that immediate treatment was necessary as it could be dangerous, Veronica entrusted the guard’s treatment to them for now.

Cassian was by her side, and they would use a carriage on the way back, so there was no problem.

The two walked among the safe crowd. Somehow, as they walked, they ended up returning towards the square.

However, there were too many people inside the square to enter. In the end, the two decided to take a rest under a large tree on the outer wall of the square.

After letting go of the hands they had been holding all along, Cassian said,

“Just sit there for now.”

“Are you telling me to sit in this dirty place?”

Veronica asked, pointing to the box placed under the tree. Cassian glanced at it once and made an expression that seemed to say, ‘Well, what else can we do?’

“At least spread a handkerchief for me.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Tsk. You should carry one around.”

Veronica, who had given this advice, took out her own handkerchief and spread it clumsily on the box. Then she grabbed Cassian’s arm, who was looking dumbfounded, made him sit down, and suddenly sat on his lap.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her body close, but Cassian couldn’t comprehend the situation for a moment.

“Your Highness, your thighs are quite firm.”

“Get off, right now!”

Cassian shook his body in embarrassment. Veronica clung to him even more, tightening her arms.

“I only have one handkerchief.”

“I’ll spread my clothes for you if I have to, so get off!”

“There’s only one place to sit, you know.”

“You can sit alone! I’ll stand!”

“Actually, there’s a reason I climbed up here.”

Only then did Cassian stop shaking his body from side to side.

“I really don’t want to ask, but I know you won’t get off unless I do, so I’ll ask. What is it?”

“I want to try something more lover-like.”

“…What’s that?”

“A kiss.”

As she said this, she really moved in as if to kiss him. Cassian pulled his face back and firmly pressed her forehead. What on earth was she doing all of a sudden?

“Do you know we haven’t even kissed once yet?”

“I don’t know! Move aside!”

“Let’s do it just once while we’re at it.”

Her brazenness knew no bounds. The atmosphere that had been quite nice until just a moment ago crumbled.

This wasn’t the first time she had acted so inappropriately, but she had seemed to be behaving more normally lately, so he had let his guard down. Now he felt doubly bewildered, as if he had been ambushed.

“I’m sure I told you not to force things in private settings.”

“You don’t do it in public settings either.”

“I have no obligation to do such things.”

“That’s why I’m waiting for when Your Highness feels moved to do it.”

“I’ve never felt moved.”

“Are you really going to refuse?”

“Of course I’m refusing.”

Why not? A look of confusion appeared on Veronica’s face. She seemed to be genuinely asking without understanding, leaving Cassian at a loss for words.

What kind of thinking was it to assume he would naturally accept just because she attempted to kiss him?

“The opportunity to kiss me is not something easily obtained.”

“I don’t need such opportunities.”

“It’s not bad for Your Highness, is it?”

It was very bad. Moreover, they couldn’t engage in such inappropriate behavior in such an open space. They were surrounded by guards as well.

The guards, faced with this somewhat embarrassing scene, pretended not to see the two. Their touching effort made Cassian’s head hurt again.

“How is it?”

“…What do you mean?”

“I heard it’s a popular perfume these days, and I was wondering how it is for Your Highness.”

Veronica pulled her arm towards herself and tilted her neck slightly.

Her smooth nape was thrust before his eyes. He couldn’t tell if there was a scent, but more than that, he felt annoyed.

“I told you to get off.”

“I recently read a romance novel.”

Suddenly the topic jumped in a different direction. Moreover, a romance novel? Was she talking about a love story?

“I went to a shabby restaurant before, and there was a used bookstore nearby that I’d never seen before, so I bought a book there. It said that the more dangerous the situation, the stronger the relationship between lovers becomes.”

“Don’t read such strange books.”

“When Your Highness saved me earlier, as we overcame the crisis together, I feel like my feelings for you deepened even more. How about you? Did you really not feel anything? You were very worried about me, weren’t you?”

Cassian, who was about to refute out of habit, vividly recalled the situation from earlier, just as she said.

Her face showing no fear even while facing a man with a dagger, her attitude of not caring if she got hurt, and even himself getting angry at that.

Momentarily flustered, Cassian deliberately replied gruffly.

“Anyone in their right mind would worry in that kind of situation.”

Wait a minute.

As he was pushing away Veronica, who was subtly trying to press her body against him, Cassian suddenly stared at her intently.

“Don’t tell me… you deliberately led us there.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if you intentionally went to a place with no people.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Veronica really made an expression of not understanding. But the suspicion ignited in Cassian’s mind grew stronger.

This woman was really someone who would take such a risk. Just to kiss him.

“You, what kind of woman are you, always doing this sort of thing whenever I’m a little nice to you.”

“What’s wrong with me? Your Highness is always criticizing me.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I can see right through your intentions now.”

“What are you still talking about? It’s too much to suspect someone without any evidence. At this point, isn’t the problem with Your Highness rather than me?”

“You must be the first person to say such rude things so openly.”

“That’s nice. I’m honored to be Your Highness’s first.”

“Don’t interpret my words strangely again. Please, just take them as you hear them.”

“I am taking them as I hear them.”

Eee-! About to shout, Cassian swallowed his excitement for now.

Considering his experience of being with her so far, acting emotionally at such an important moment was not the right choice.

She was a woman who wouldn’t understand even with a direct approach.

Cassian, trying to penetrate that ill-mannered mind of hers, pulled out a suitable reason that could touch her mood.