CH 35

‘Anything I wish to know…’

What Cassadin had said to me was definitely tempting, but…

‘It’s not time yet.’

Only when Cassadin could fully open his heart to me, and when he could tell me everything about him without hesitation, would I also be able to treat him comfortably.

So even though he didn’t lie as he did before, with him holding back the truth about his past, I would also refrain from telling him everything, as he did to me.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Cassadin.”

I gently caressed his cheek, expressing my approval. And Cassadin smiled as he enjoyed my touch.

“But we’ll keep that for another occasion. For the time being, I’m going to be busy preparing for the banquet.”

“A banquet?”

Seeming to be hearing this for the first time, Cassadin’s eyes widened.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has invited me to a banquet.”

“…I see. Very well, then. He did mention that he was going to open another large banquet in the near future to make amends for the birthday banquet.”

He must have remembered what the Crown Prince said to me while he was disguised as a palace knight. That’s one remarkable memory he had.

“That’s right.”

I nodded to Cassadin’s comment in agreement. He stared at me for a moment before opening his mouth once more.

“Is it possible for you to take me?”

Bringing the culprit of the Crown Prince’s poisoning incident to the banquet again? How foolish did one have to be to do that?

“Sorry, but I don’t think I can do that.”

My firm answer caused Cassadin’s straight eyebrows to wrinkle.

“I’ll stay as quiet as a mouse.”

“…”

“I won’t cause another problem ever again, so please take me with you.”

Cassadin grabbed my hands. His widened eyes and tight grip on my hands almost felt desperate.

“The banquet is hosted by the Crown Prince, so he’ll definitely be there. Then what about Damian? Will he be at the banquet? After suing the imperial family, will he make an appearance at the Crown Prince’s banquet?”

Since the concept of ‘chance’ existed, it might be a better choice to take Cassadin. But there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t cause trouble, as he had done before.

“Alright then. Let’s go together.”

Cassadin’s expression brightened at my answer.

“But on one condition.”

“What is it?”

“In return for me taking you, tell me what you have been hiding from me.”

Then I smiled cheerfully at Cassadin.

“Of course, I won’t force you to tell me what you don’t want to. If you don’t wish to tell me, then you merely don’t have to attend the banquet.”

“…”

“What do you want to do?”

Now that there is a condition, either choice won’t be a loss to me.

Of course, if Cassadin decided to hide something from me even after attending the banquet, then the trust that the two of us had built up until now would crash to the ground. Since Cassadin had also invested his efforts in doing so, he wouldn’t want that to happen.

After a long pause, Cassadin finally opened his mouth.

“Please give me time to think.”

“…”

“I’ll give you my answer before tomorrow’s sunrise.”

It was the next morning.

Cassadin, who had promised he would make his decision before sunrise, must have been unable to do so, as he didn’t knock on my door even though it was now morning.

I woke up, took a warm, soothing bath, put on a pink dress that the maids claimed was beautiful, and am currently sitting in front of the dressing table getting my makeup and hair done.

Sasha seemed to be grinding her entire soul into drawing my eyebrows, as there were already beads of sweat forming on her forehead, and her hand was trembling severely.

“Sasha, aren’t you shaking a little too much in front of Miss?”

The maid that was brushing my hair bluntly said to Sasha.

Sasha must not have heard the maid, as she ignored her and concentrated on drawing my eyebrows. And they must have turned out nicely, as Sasha had a wide grin on her face.

“Miss, you are the most beautiful person I’ve seen in the world!”

“Thank you, Sasha. Why don’t you wipe the sweat on your forehead now?”

Sasha answered with an enthusiastic ‘Yes, Miss!’ and wiped her sweat. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw Sasha’s bright attitude.

‘Cassadin must not be going, then.’

I was fine with Cassadin being unable to go to the banquet. Because I understood how it felt to be unable to trust anyone and to tell anyone about one’s inner thoughts.

Finishing my preparations, I entered the carriage that would take me to the banquet hall. So just as the carriage was about to start, someone roughly opened the door of the carriage.

The droplets of water lingering on his silver hair sparkled in the sunlight, and his purple irises under them seemed even deeper and clearer than usual.

The man in the white uniform who opened the door to the carriage heading towards the palace was…

“I’m going, Sister.”

…my younger brother.

Cassadin didn’t utter a single word after getting on the carriage. He was lost in deep thought, like a philosopher attempting to find a solution to an unsolvable dilemma.

Why did he choose to come if he was going to be troubled by the matter so much? I couldn’t understand Cassadin at times like this.

Seeming to have finished thinking, Cassadin let out a soft sigh and opened his mouth.

“…I will tell you everything once the banquet is over.”

His resigned voice was low and quiet, like the abyss. I gave him a small nod in acknowledgment of his answer.

“We’ve arrived.”

My mouth dropped open in shock as soon as I stepped into the banquet hall. That was because there were an unbelievable number of people, incomparable to the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet.

There were ladies and dames wearing extravagant dresses and conversing with one another, holding fans, and noblemen with glasses of liquor, discussing each other’s business. Just a rough estimate gave me a count of over a hundred people.

There were some faces that I recognized among them, but the majority of them were ones I didn’t know.

Not to mention that the banquet had yet to start, but there were already this many people in the banquet hall.

‘Did the Crown Prince invite every single noble in the empire? What was he thinking?’

Did he want to prove to everyone that he was well and alive after the poisoning incident?

Just as my eyes narrowed, confused about the Crown Prince’s intentions, an unpleasant, familiar face trotted in my direction.

“Oh my, if it’s not Lady Serkia.”

The woman who approached me was Ively. Her curly red hair fluttered like a butterfly’s wings.

“Lady Christine.”

“I see that Sir Cassadin has also come. I believe we’ve met before?”

Ively blushed and smiled bashfully towards Cassadin. It was a truly pretentious expression for a woman from a noble family who gained wealth by using slaves like disposables.

“Is it Lady Christine? I’m sorry, but today’s the first day we’ve met.”

“Pardon? But we’ve definitely met at His Highness’s birthday banquet. Don’t you remember me?”

“I did attend His Highness’s birthday banquet, but I don’t recall meeting you.”

“I-I asked who you’ve fallen in love at first sight with.”

“Did you, now?”

Cassadin cocked his head slightly and rested his chin on his hand, then shook his head.

“I do believe I said something similar to that, but I’m afraid I don’t remember you, Milady.”

“…”

“I’m not very good at remembering people’s faces. I apologize if this has upset you.”

Cassadin’s response caused Ively’s face to turn as red as a crushed tomato.

He couldn’t remember Ively with his extraordinary memory? He was definitely lying. It was a talent to be able to humiliate someone in such an elegant manner.

‘He’s supposed to be the Crown Prince of the Hyran Kingdom, but with a mouth like that, I’d believe it if he was the Crown Prince of this empire.’

“Then, we can just start over.”

But Ively also did not give up easily. Her distorted expression was gone, and she now had a new smile attached to her face.

If there was a jewel she liked, she would do whatever it took to get it into her possession. Ively was exactly as the rumors described her to be.

“Nice to meet you, Sir Cassadin. I’m Ively Christine of the Earl Christine Family. You can just call me Ively.”

Throwing away her pride as a noble, Ively grabbed Cassadin’s hands. Cassadin must have also disliked the sudden contact, as his eyes narrowed.

“I will remember this time, Lady Christine.”

Cassadin tightened his grip on the hand that Ively grabbed. Ively must have only seen and liked the fact that Cassadin had accepted her hand, as she didn’t seem to notice that Cassadin called her by her surname.

“Excuse me, but from what I was told, it’s incredibly impolite for a lady to hold the hand of a man who they don’t know well.”

After saying that, Cassadin let go of Ively’s hand. But the woman didn’t know when to give up. As soon as he let her hand go, Ively clung to his arm and responded,

“Wouldn’t it be foolish to let go of someone you have an interest in?”

Ively’s outright persistent behavior attracted the attention of others as well.

“What’s happening? The banquet hasn’t even started yet.”

The people who had whispered among themselves changed their attitudes the instant they saw Cassadin’s face.

“Goodness, gracious. That man is incredibly handsome.”

“I have never seen such an attractive person in my life.”

“I feel my eyes becoming purified just looking at him.”

It looked like the banquet was going to become a pain even before it started because of Ively. She must not know what shame is, as Ively had her back straight and her head up proudly.

Cassadin attempted to detach Ively from himself, but the more he did so, the closer she stuck to him, just like a leech.

“Please stop doing this.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Do you really want to do this at a banquet, of all places?”

“Sir Cassadin, it’s because there are so many people that the others will also want to speak to Sir Cassadin. I’ve chosen you to be mine the moment I set my eyes on you.”

Ively was… truly not sane. I was just covering my eyes, unable to watch her clinginess any further, when…

“Wow!”

“Oh my…”

The people standing near the entrance of the banquet hall all started to gasp.

Clack, clack.

A loud, rhythmical clicking of one’s shoe rang out in the banquet hall.

And the sound of the shoes walking stopped exactly in front of me.

“Lady Serkia.”

Hearing a familiar voice, I slowly lowered my hands that I was using to cover my face. As soon as my eyes met the man with black hair and green eyes, he elegantly curled his lips up.