Chapter 33: Chapter 18.1

Cassian must have given her these cookies because of the kiss they shared last night.

“Well, I’m fine.” Yernia waved her hand in dismissal.

She was about to let it go.

It never happened.

Nothing happened yesterday, so she shouldn’t accept it.

“I’m not in the mood to eat anything, Cassian.”

“You told me you liked these cookies. You never failed to convince me every day that I had to get it in line and get it for you.”

“I was just trying to annoy you.”

“…….”

Cassian only stared at Yernia as he leaned against the half-open door.

Yena stepped back when Cassian strode into her room in a rush.

His presence was so frightening that she accidentally twisted her feet and staggered backward.

Fortunately, Yernia didn’t fall because Cassian had grabbed her arm and pulled her gently towards his chest.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

The distance between them narrowed instantly when his face grew closer and closer.

She couldn’t avoid him now, not when his lips almost touched hers.

Yernia swallowed hard and pursed her lips.

She blamed herself for that unladylike gulping sound.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Cassian asked carelessly. “You’re acting strange.”

Yernia didn’t think he was ready for what she was about to tell him.

She spread her palm across his chest and successfully pushed him off her.

At that point, Yernia didn’t care if she appeared strange in Cassian’s eyes.

“I’m not avoiding you, alright? I’m just angry that my family made the wedding preparations without my knowledge.”

Yernia struggled to regain her composure.

She was calm now.

It’s alright.

Nothing happened yesterday.

“Are you sure it’s not because I kissed you, Yernia?”

“Kiss?”

“What? You don’t remember?”

In a few seconds, Yernia’s composure shattered into pieces.

Time went by in the suffocating silence, and Yernia realized her mistake too late.

Yernia’s face paled.

“I have to kiss you again just in case you forgot.”

Cassian was pushing things too far.

Every time he narrowed the gap between them, Yernia’s brain threatened to shut down.

It wasn’t helping her situation.

‘It will be hard to settle this.’ She thought mechanically.

“You don’t want to see me again after that, do you?”

“That—”

“Yet, you bit my lip when you kissed me, Yernia.”

Cassian burst into laughter.

His face last night overrode his gorgeous smile in the present.

“I’ll let you go if you still feel like I’m your brother after kissing me.”

The nonchalance in his words made it sound like it was her only way out of their engagement from the start.

“Well, let us say I did kiss you yesterday. It didn’t bother me that much.”

“Really, huh?”

Yernia had to change tactics.

“Yes. I still feel like you’re my brother. My childhood friend.”

It was true.

Yesterday’s kiss with Cassian was just an accident.

That didn’t mean that she loved him overnight and would be fine with their upcoming marriage.

Yernia couldn’t believe she kissed her best friend when she was drunk.

Cassian felt like a brother to her—a family member.

The incredible shame made her lose the courage to face Cassian ever again.

She was also regretful and apologetic for what she had done.

Don’t think about anything else.

Yernia was confident that it was what it should be.

“You had to keep the promise you made last night, Yernia.”

She finally made up her mind.

Yes.

Both of them were robbed of their first kiss.

But why did a young woman like her have to take responsibility for everything?

“Tell me the exact words you told me last night, Cassian.”

“Well, I told you that I would release you from the engagement if you still feel like I’m your brother after kissing me,” Cassian answered and suddenly burst into laughter.

What did he find as funny?

If Cassian flashed her a relaxed smile, he would appear somewhat derisive.

Warmth flushed Yernia’s cheeks.

“We didn’t kiss yesterday, did we?”

“What?”

Cassian’s fingers caressed Yernia’s lips before she could avoid it.

Yet, he pulled back immediately as if he’d never done so.

“I don’t think it would be wrong if we did it again.”

“……?”

“How far do you remember, Yernia?”

Yernia’s drunken memory ended the moment she was about to kiss Cassian, so she couldn’t tell whether he had kissed her or not.

She impulsively agreed to it, and Cassian didn’t even hesitate.

That’s why Yernia assumed that they did it.

“All I can remember is you and I and the moment when we were about to kiss. That’s all.”

Her eyes widened in surprise when Cassian suddenly flicked her forehead.

Yena immediately covered the sore spot with one hand.

“Why are you hitting me?”

“Why did your memory stop there?”

“I don’t know.”

“You slept, didn’t you?” Cassian said with reproach.

Yernia grimaced.

“Did I sleep? So you weren’t able to kiss me, right?”

“Yes,”

“Oh, I’m glad.”

Yernia was relieved.

Cassian might be uncomfortable after she caused this accident and got drunk for no reason.