Opening my eyes, I gazed at Max, thinking he must be asleep by now. I looked up at his facehe had always looked intimidating, but now that his eyes were closed, his features were much softer.
In any case, he was flawless.
I admired his handso appearance for a mont before returning to reality.How should I send the invitations for the banquet?As I squird to break free, I pondered this. However, his sturdy arms were wrapped around my waistthey did not budge despite my struggling. Instead of letting
go, he pulled
closer. Afraid that I had woken him, I glanced up once again. He was still sound asleep, not knowing that I was trapped. At this rate, I wouldnt be going anywhere.
That was when he mumbled, Jubell His eyes were still closed.
Maybe hes sleeptalking.
Im sorry Please dont hate
he sounded agonized. As if in pain, he was also furrowing his brow.
Whats happening? Did he do sothing wrong to
in his dream?He looked quite different from usualeven a little vulnerablelike a child asking for forgiveness for a minor mistake.
It was sowhat cute.
Holding back a laugh, I gently brushed his hair away from his face and whispered, I wont hate you, Max. Perhaps he could hear
as his expression gradually relaxed.Maybe Ill be able to get out nowI tried to lift his arm to check, but he still didnt give way. In the end, I had no choice but to give up.
His warmth slowly wrapped around my body, comforting . Listening to his calm, even breaths, I snuggled into his embrace. I had spent most of my life in solitude until now, yet here I was, falling asleep in soone elses arms.
Drowsiness overca , and after blinking sleepily a few tis, I drifted off.
* * *
Hes definitely not ordinary.Knitting his brows, the emperor recalled what Mikhail had said.
Your Majesty, I would like to request a private eting with Her Royal Ladyship, as she may feel repulsed if she is forced into a marriage.
There was no problem with setting up a eting, but Mikhails manipulative nature made the emperor feel uneasy.
And there was that thing with RegisAt first, the emperor thought Mikhail feared the duke, as he was the head of the royal knightsexcept for the guards. However, certain events made the emperor doubt his suspicions.
Regis is not soone to threaten another person for no reason
That was not allthe mans expressions and reactions throughout the conversation were rather unfamiliar to the emperor. The strangeness beca more prominent when Mikhail was reassured about his worries regarding the duke.
Oh, how nice.
The emperor expected Mikhail to be relieved once he found out that he would be able to conquer a being he feared. However, what burned in his athyst eyes was intense hatred. The sovereign raised the corners of his lips, realizing his soon-to-be son-in-law shared his hatred for Regis. Mikhails loathing was justified in the emperors eyes as it was none other than Regis daughter who had persistently chased the renowned knight around. The rumors had reached even the royal familys ears. It seed the poor young man had not been able to reject his superiors daughter, and so he was holding a grudge.
The emperor knit his brow once more.That Maximillian. Hes no good at finding a decent woman. Does he not know that appearance is not the only thing that matters?
In the bigger sche of things, however, it was fortunate for the emperor that Max was head over heels for the lady. She had only waltzed with him once, which ant she had no interest in him. If Max had truly fallen in love with her, he would be willing to do anything for her.
Filled with fantasies about the world of his dreams, the emperor smiled. He would hold Regis daughter captive, then hed cajole Max into obeying his sches by using the girl as bait. The emperor was confident that his plan would reduce Maximillian to a ek figurehead. It would also help with getting rid of Regis in the futurethe only problem was coming up with a reason to invite the girl to the palace.
For a mont, the emperor impatiently tapped on his desk. A sinister smile soon characterized his face.What am I worried about? I will co up with a reasonsothing neither Regis nor the nobles can dare to refute.
* * *
Feeling well-rested, Max slowly opened his eyes. He looked out the window to realize it was dusk.
Have I slept that long?Naturally, he tried to get up. He then noticed sothing squirming in his arms and flinched.Jubelian?His face reddened like a tomato once he realized the lady was sleeping defenselessly in his arms. Her soft exhales tickled his chest.
He felt like he was going crazy.
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