CHAPTER 32

Lucian is still gone.

He hasn't said a word in three days—no task scrolls, no letters.

Clearly, he wants me to "wait and reflect." Fine… I'll wait. But I don't need to sit still to reflect.

That's why I went down to the training yard at first light.

The air was crisp; the smell of dew clung to the stone. I flexed my fingers, felt the mana stir inside me, then began the first form: Basic Mana Cycle.

⸻

[System] Mana flow stable…

[Magic Status] 29 → 30

+1 Magic Point earned.

Three hours, twelve full cycles, countless drops of sweat… and a one-line reward.

Still, the little +1 on the screen made me smile. Better than nothing.

As I wiped my brow, the garden gate creaked. Light armor, leather gloves… violet eyes. The mage who tried to leave Cassian's side—and failed.

Kaedin Veyne—his auburn hair gleamed like copper in the morning light.

"Hey." A soft but tired voice.

"Is this garden all yours today, or is there room for a guest?"

"We accept visitors." I smiled. "But there's a sweat guarantee."

He adjusted the strap of the sword on his shoulder. "Sweat's good. They say it helps with sanity."

We started with a few basic drills: circular defense strikes, then mana-enhanced blade lines. Kaedin's style wasn't as refined as the mages'—his moves were short, clean, and soldier-like.

"Shoulder a bit further back—" I said.

"Like this?"

"Yep… now strike!"

The hiss of steel slicing air. A spark.

Kaedin stepped back, laughing. "Okay, your instructions work."

It could've been an ordinary morning.

Even a fun one.

But in the middle of the third round… something changed.

Kaedin's breathing grew harsh. A strange hum clouded his violet eyes—as if someone else was watching from behind the curtain. Suddenly, his strikes accelerated. No warning, no tempo.

"Kaedin? You're going a bit–"

Before I finished, his sword slammed into my barrier.

Crack… My shield fractured like a spiderweb.

This wasn't sparring anymore. I leapt back—my heel caught on the stones. Kaedin lunged, his blade skimming my hair.

"Kaedin! Snap out of it!"

But he didn't hear—or couldn't. His jaw was clenched, veins bulging at his temple. Second strike, third… I threw up another barrier; it shattered. Heat lanced through my shoulder, fabric tore.

Breathe, Elysia. Don't panic.

Pivoted left with a sasa-step, dodged the knee strike. Then I cast a flash—blinded him, but only for half a second. Even then, he cornered me. His wrists trembled, his gaze unfocused—but the strength remained.

One last sharp step and he nearly touched my throat with the tip—until… his pupils dilated, blade quivering.

"Ely… sia?" His breath shattered.

The sword clattered to the ground.

Kaedin dropped to one knee, hands gripping his hair.

"No… no. What have I done?"

—

"I'm fine," I said, pressing my shoulder.

"Take a deep breath."

"You're not fine. Your shoulder… it's bleeding."

"A scratch." I met his eyes. "First you need to calm down. What happened?"

His hands shook. He brushed hair back with trembling fingers. His violet eyes misted.

"Working with Cassian… it's draining me," he whispered. "Sometimes it feels like I'm really going to lose it. Like control just vanishes."

"Stress?" I wondered aloud. Internally, I muttered—Even this world has workplace harassment.

He nodded. "That, and something else."

He paused, then continued in a low voice:

"He keeps seeing a woman in his dreams."

"To find her… he summoned the daughter of House Xellora. Kept her locked in the palace for days. Then said, 'It's not her,' and threw her out like a stray dog. Now the Xelloras are furious. And we're… just stuck in the middle."

He grasped the stones beneath him, head bowed.

"I'm losing it, Elysia. I attacked you today. There's no excuse for that. 'Sorry' isn't enough but… still, I'm sorry."

I knelt beside him silently. My shoulder throbbed, but that wasn't the heaviest part.

Cassian dreams of a woman… and drags real people into it.

One possibility slammed into my brain and bounced back:

Did I break him?

Did I max out his romance stat with side quests—without ever meeting him—and now the prince has gone mad?

My brain yelled *nonsense,* but something deeper whispered:

Maybe not.

"Give me your hand," I said.

I took his wrist and sent a gentle calming mana stream. His pulse steadied.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Kaedin… this burnout could happen again. Request leave. Get away from Cassian."

He closed his eyes, gave a bitter smile. "You think Director Sevrik will allow that?"

"I do," I said firmly. "If he sees you like this, he will."

A quiet "maybe" left his lips.

Silence fell on the garden. Kaedin had bowed his head, and I held my aching shoulder as one thought circled in my mind:

Cassian sees someone in his dreams. And it might be me.

Maybe I added too many points. Played too many quests. But… did I mess with someone's mind that deeply?

I shook my head, tried to swat the thought away—

"Elysia!"

Nina's voice sliced the morning air. She rushed into the garden, hair clip dangling. Papers fluttered in her hand.

"There you are! New mission. Get ready!"

As Kaedin tried to stand, I hesitated.

"Did Lucian send it?"

Nina stopped. Adjusted her glasses, raised an eyebrow.

"Lucian? No, sweetie. Director Sevrik. It's a royal hunt. The towers are providing security. Official mission. We're going."

"…Royal?" I hissed.

"Yup yup, even the royal family's attending. Invitation straight from the palace. Hurry up!"

My stomach dropped.

The royal family?

That means… Cassian.

The guy with MAX romance points.

The one I've never even seen.

And now… I'm going to meet him.

My legs locked for a moment. My shoulder throbbed. So did my heart.

What the hell am I going to do?