She didn’t know why Cassian said it was a date, but all he did was play and eat as usual.
Yernia felt good because she had filled her stomach with street food.
Now, she was happily eating cotton candy.
She would have freaked out if the Countess had seen them, but this hill was exclusive for Yernia and Cassian.
Nobody else was there.
“Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~.”
Humming, Yernia sat down and leaned against a wooden pole.
She hadn’t planned to escape that boring meeting even if she wanted to but she thoroughly enjoyed her time with Cassian even if they hadn’t done anything grand.
“Feeling good?” Cassian asked with a chuckle as he followed Yernia.
He was also having fun even if it was already night time.
“I think it would be better if we had some alcohol.”
Yernia hadn’t felt so good since she found out that she was Casian’s fate.
She was so confused and frustrated at that time because it felt like they were forced to marry each other.
It had been a long time since she ever felt this good.
“Maybe, next time, Yernia. Not today.”
“Well, I don’t mind being sober too.”
It’s better with alcohol, but it wasn’t bad without it.
It was all right.
The stars were bright today.
Yernia closed her eyes and inhaled.
Cool air filled her lungs.
“Shall we listen to it now?” Yena asked, pretending not to know, though she guessed it to a certain extent.
Yernia glanced at Cassian as she ate her cotton candy, wondering what he wanted from her.
She would have to listen to what he wanted to say.
“I guess you thought I had other ulterior motives.”
“It seemed like I have unexpectedly told you to dress up and play hooky with me. I’m quick-witted, you see?”
“You are quick to catch on.”
“So, what is it?”
Yernia had some guesses.
Marriage.
Cassian, who couldn’t erase his fate, would die if he couldn’t marry her.
Since his fate had appeared, Yernia had opposed their marriage left and right, so it was evident that he was trying to change her mind.
“There’s no such thing as an ulterior motive.”
“Come on, Cassian. Don’t lie to me.”
“I just wanted you to like it, and I went to see you because I missed you, Yernia.” Cassian replied simply.
Yernia’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at Cassian.
In the moonlight, Cassian wasn’t smirking like usual.
Perhaps, he wanted to be seen as serious, and he didn’t intend to make fun of her.
‘If what Cassian had said was, indeed, true—’
Yernia blushed a little at the sudden realization.
She felt more at ease to know that Cassian had no ulterior motive.
The question, “What’s wrong with Cassian?” got erased only to be replaced by the statement, “He must have an ulterior motive.”
However, when he told her that he had no ulterior motive, another set of questions arose.
“Have I been too awful for you, Yernia? I’m sorry that you think I had an ax to grind for doing this.”
“You always make fun of me all the time, Cassian.”
“I wouldn’t tease you if I’m not interested in you.”
What does that mean?
A question mark rose above Yernia’s head.
She thought about the answer for a moment while she took a bite of her cotton candy.
However, she couldn’t find anything significant except that Cassian was simply interested in dressing up.
He also wanted to make fun of her to look good.
Cassian didn’t like her anyway.
‘Well, was she wrong about that?’
Was he trying to ask her a different favor other than their marriage?
How awkward!
“You don’t know anything like you pretend to be,” Cassian said as if he had read her mind.
“What don’t I know?”
“See? You don’t know.”
“You’re making fun of me now. How can I know if you don’t tell me what it’s all about? Don’t just straight-up say that I don’t know?” Yernia tore his accusation to shreds while eating cotton candy.
Cassian stared at her and took a bite of her cotton candy all of a sudden.
“Why are you stealing my food?”
“It looks delicious when you’re the one eating it.”
She could yield her cotton candy as much but hated how Cassian ate it while teasing her as he tried to make her solve a riddle.
Yernia fought by shoving some of the cotton candy in her mouth.
Cassian threw his head back and laughed.
“Alright, I won’t take it from you.”
Yernia suddenly felt a sense of shame.
Why did the cotton candy make him laugh?
Feeling like she had lost her appetite, Yernia attempted to slip the remaining cotton candy into Cassian’s lips, but he returned it to Yernia again.
“You must eat them since you like sweet things.”
Yena shook her head and took cotton candy back to Cassian’s mouth. “I don’t want to eat anymore.”
“Are you throwing this trash at me?”
“That’s not—”
“I’m going to eat this trash if you’re the one giving it to me.”
Cassian took a big bite of the cotton candy and it vanished into his mouth.
“Your mouth is so big….”
As she admired his lips, she realized too late that her face was smaller compared to Cassian.