For the heart - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 28

 

At her words telling him not to come any closer, Casian smiled mischievously like a boy whose playful nature had been triggered.

 

With his hands clasped behind his back, he bent his waist lightly to meet Nina’s gaze and approached with large strides.

 

In contrast, Nina, who was already maintaining distance from him with one arm, stepped back one step each time his fingertips were about to touch her.

 

After doing this several times, Nina’s body slightly lost balance when she misstepped on a stone embedded in the ground.

 

Casian quickly grabbed and pulled her wrist.

 

Though she didn’t fall into his embrace, the two ended up standing close enough to feel each other’s breath.

 

“What, what are you doing? How rude.”

 

Nina struck away Casian’s hand that was holding her wrist with a sharp sound.

 

Then she frowned at him for acting selfishly again, unlike when he was with Lillien.

 

At her voice tinged with displeasure, Casian extended his other hand that had been clasped behind his back.

 

And he quickly pressed it into her hand.

 

It was a long rolled paper tied with a blue string.

 

“If I’ve offended you, I apologize, Your Highness.”

 

“…”

 

At his immediate apology, Nina let out a sigh.

 

“…What is this.”

 

“Please unfold it. I guarantee it will be more than enough to forgive my current behavior.”

 

When would that shameless confidence of his ever disappear?

 

Nina untied the blue string and unrolled the paper.

 

“This is…”

 

“How is it? I drew it all night yesterday.”

 

“You drew this?”

 

“Then who else would have drawn it? Only Your Highness and I have seen the Saint’s portrait.”

 

Nina looked at the drawing again with her mouth agape, examining it thoroughly.

 

It was perfectly identical to the Saint’s portrait that Haren, Tila’s relative, had shown them in Tabur.

 

Though she had been filled with the desire to take that portrait, it was given by a Sevian Priest and he had even left a dying wish that it must never be lost, so there was no way he would hand it over to strangers like them.

 

Nina had looked at the painting for a long time, trying not to forget the Saint’s appearance in the portrait.

 

The eyes that held a mysterious pale purple mixed with silver-gray, the pale cheeks and slightly drooping earlobes. The faint freckles drawn over the bridge of her nose. The small nose and lips that gave a cute impression.

 

‘Even the oracle book the Saint was holding in her arms… How did he draw even the detailed parts of the pattern that was drawn in front of the oracle book, which I had memorized to commission, so identically?’

 

When Nina looked up at him again, Casian crossed his arms in front of his chest and wiggled his thick, neat eyebrows.

 

“I’ve been good at drawing since I was young. Well, there’s nothing I’m particularly bad at, you know?”

 

A look of disgust appeared in Nina’s eyes.

 

Casian, who immediately read that look, burst into loud laughter.

 

Whenever the Princess, who had been so expressionless after suffering great wounds that her expressions were unreadable, showed a face with any kind of emotion like this, it was strangely thrilling.

 

It felt exactly like he was the only one gradually discovering secrets that no one else had found.

 

“Since Desmorak and the Empress still haven’t found the Saint, I thought it would be good if Your Highness found her first. Will you forgive me?”

 

“…Fine.”

 

Finally, Nina relaxed her expression and answered.

 

The task of secretly finding a skilled artist to draw the portrait, and the work of drawing it. Casian had essentially solved it all in just one day.

 

If she sent this very portrait to the guild where she had commissioned them to find her master, perhaps she could find her faster than the Empress or Desmorak.

 

A faint satisfaction bloomed on Casian’s face as he watched Nina, who still couldn’t take her eyes off the drawing.

 

He spoke in a low, quiet tone.

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t say thank you… back then. It must have been very painful. This drawing is meant as gratitude and apology for that day.”

 

At his sudden apology, Nina looked up at him.

 

The day he was referring to was probably the day she was crushed under the chandelier instead of Casian in Nortanica.

 

Casian bowed politely while maintaining eye contact with Nina.

 

“Truly, thank you.”

 

“…”

 

Nina felt strange. No one had ever said such words to her before.

 

People always thought Nina’s sacrifice as an immortal was natural.

 

But Casian was apologizing and being grateful as if he felt great guilt about that day.

 

He was the one who had turned away from her that day with words calling her terrible.

 

It seemed certain that he had indeed recalled memories of his mother dying before his eyes, as she had expected.

 

“Duke Montregger.”

 

“…”

 

“You didn’t risk your life to follow me into battle without having a goal you wanted to achieve.”

 

“…”

 

“Now that I know the oracle is false, my goal has become even clearer. So from now on, our alliance will be strengthened further. Both I and you. We need each other. Even if the same situation comes, I will save you. For my own sake.”

 

“…”

 

“So don’t feel sorry. Just the fact that you thanked me…”

 

Is enough.

 

The last words flowed out so quietly they were barely audible.

 

This was because Nina, who had been speaking clearly while calling him Duke Montregger instead of his name and maintaining eye contact, quietly lowered her head and avoided his gaze.

 

Her blonde hair, now dry from sweat, flowed down to her ear.

 

Casian’s eyes followed that strand of hair.

 

With a start, an impulse to tuck that strand of hair behind her ear arose, and he clenched his fist to stop his hand that was about to move unconsciously.

 

‘Why… do I keep wanting to touch her?’

 

Even at the inn where they had briefly stayed in Tabur, Casian had tucked Nina’s hair behind her ear.

 

He had never done such ticklish things to anyone before.

 

Why he kept acting so strangely around Nina was beyond his understanding.

 

The person who would elevate him to the position of consort was not Nina, but Lillien Arsed.

 

Nina Arsed’s role was to actively recommend me to the Emperor as a consort.

 

As a strange silence continued, Nina soon walked toward the Satellite Palace again as if nothing had happened.

 

Casian also quietly steadied his breathing and followed behind her.

 

When they were passing in front of Maryeonso, Casian asked.

 

“Have you ever climbed over this wall?”

 

At the sudden question, Nina looked at Casian and Maryeonso’s high wall in turn.

 

Climbing over Maryeonso’s wall.

 

“No.”

 

At Nina’s answer, Casian slowly nodded his head. Then he slyly lifted the corners of his mouth and smiled.

 

Nina had an ominous feeling at his smile for a moment.

 

“Why are you asking something like that.”

 

“I’m thinking of climbing over it tonight.”

 

“Are you crazy?”

 

Even though she knew no one was around, Nina quickly looked around and then spoke to Casian in a lowered voice.

 

Just like when he suggested forming an alliance with me, this man spoke of outrageous things as if they were nothing.

 

“Maryeonso is a place where entry is forbidden unless there’s an imperial decree or Desmorak’s permission. Although no one even thinks of climbing over that place, if you’re caught sneaking in, it’ll be hard to keep your life.”

 

“When you put it that way, it sounds even more interesting.”

 

“Ha. Interesting?”

 

Nina’s blue eyes moved slowly as if checking whether the man before her was speaking with a sound mind.

 

“…What’s the reason.”

 

“There’s something I want to confirm. It seems like there’s something among Desmorak’s possessions that I know.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Seeing Nina asking actively unlike usual, Casian grinned.

 

“Secret.”

 

At his absurd answer, Nina sharply turned around and walked back the way she was going.

 

She found him annoying for acting so casually after saying something outrageous as if it were nothing.

 

Casian, who chuckled at Nina’s appearance, approached her side.

 

“Anyway, please wish me luck. I’ll be the first to climb over that Maryeonso wall. If I return safely, I’ll tell you everything I saw inside.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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