Max couldn’t speak for a while, as he just stared at her eyes that seed to see through him. For once, he felt helpless, sothing he hadn’t felt in a long ti.
Even when he was fighting those monsters and even the Baron Marcus, he hadn’t felt this helpless and... vulnerable.
His instincts kicked in as he pushed her and backed away. He gasped repeatedly for his breaths and took so ti to reorganize his thoughts.
lissa sighed, looking at him, and went back to sit on John’s table. Then, she said, "You wanted to know why we are treating you so good, right? It’s because you’re the first kid to check in our Inn."
Max took a breath and smiled wryly, "I didn’t think Aunt lissa could lie so, so easily."
"It’s not a lie! We don’t get many custors, and even those we get are either retired hunters or so people who co to relax for a day or two. You’re the first kid to book a room ever since the Inn was founded," lissa smiled and said.
"Is that all?" Max didn’t believe it.
"No! You see, we had a son who was passionate about diving in the Labyrinth," lissa said, her voice even, but Max could sense the sadness in it. "He was probably the sa age as you."
"Had..." Max muttered, as realization dawned on him.
"He once dived in the Labyrinth and... never returned. We didn’t even get his body to give a proper funeral. That is the fate awaiting many hunters," lissa closed her eyes and paused to calm her emotions.
"I-I-I’m sorry for bringing that up," Max stuttered slightly and quickly apologized.
"It’s fine, boy. You just reminded us of Mark, and you were also the one who saw more benefits in this Inn for your Cultivation than others, just like him. So, we just wanted to make sure the history didn’t repeat itself," John sighed and held his wife’s hand.
Max fell silent, not knowing what to say. He cursed in his mind, ’Damnation! Why do I not know how to console soone when they’re sad? I should have studied so books...’
lissa opened her eyes and saw his expression. A chuckle left her mouth as she said, "You don’t have to console , but you should learn to do that if you want to have a good family ti in the future."
Max seed taken aback as he asked in shock, "Aunt lissa, can you read people’s mind?"
"No, you’re just too easy to read," Aunt lissa chuckled and said. "That’s why I can sense you hiding so terrible past."
"It isn’t sothing unique, though. Everyone has a past they want to forget or get over with, but they simply can’t," Max smiled and said. "They just have to live with that. Besides, mine isn’t that terrible, as I sotis even forget about it, haha."
lissa continued to look at him with seriousness and then nodded, "It’s fine if you don’t want to tell us, because I also don’t want you to rember anything unpleasant. Just rember that you now have an Aunt and Uncle, so you can co to us if you want to talk about sothing."
John nodded and added, "Rember one thing, Kiddo. In the Labyrinth, it isn’t just your usual fighting monsters. There are different kinds of battle, and you need to be victorious in every one of them. Hope you understand!"
Max took a deep breath and said, "I understand. Thank you for caring for , and it really ans a lot to ."
"Woah! You can already say your feelings upfront? That’s surprising," lissa exclaid lightly.
"Aunt, I’m a confident gentleman who can do a lot of things," Max shrugged. "Just wait, and I’ll bring ho your... niece-in-law?"
"Haha! Go on, I’ll be waiting," lissa giggled at that.
"Well, for now I’m going to sleep. Thanks for the al," Max said, before escaping to the stairs.
John watched him go and asked his wife, "What do you think about him?"
"He’s good, but also needs improvent. Sothing has cut him too deeply, maybe when he was a kid, but it left a deep scar on him. The worst thing is that he buried it deep instead of facing it, so it just continued to get worse," lissa sighed. "I worry for that child."
Then, she turned around to face her husband and asked, "That aside, this is the first ti you actually showed interest in soone. What is so special about him?"
Seeing her wiggling brows, John rolled his eyes and said, "His mouth probably, as he likes to use it a lot."
"Oh, co on! Please tell !"
However, she was bound to get no answer, because John himself had none. But how was he supposed to explain that to her?
anwhile, Max reached his room, and with a quick twist of the knob, he entered the room and flopped on the bed.
[I didn’t know you have so trauma!]
"I don’t!"
[Really? I didn’t search through your mories to respect your privacy, but I can do it, you know.]
"I really don’t have any trauma. It’s just a deep-rooted mory of my parents’ death when I was 10. I’m pretty sure anyone who went through that would rember it and be affected by it, right?"
[Ohh, I’m sorry, Max. Also, why didn’t you say that earlier? I could have transferred you to so other world, or maybe so other person, so that you’d get good, loving, and caring parents. I just dropped you with another set of a shitty father and—]
Max opened his eyes, surprised at her worried tone and words. This was probably the first ti she wasn’t teasing him and was genuinely thinking of his well-being.
A smile ford on his lips as he said, "You don’t need to worry that much, Big Sis. This is actually for good, as I would have been weirded out if I had parents."
[Really? Are you sure you’re fine?]
"Yeah, don’t worry! Besides, haven’t you heard of those readers who say parents are a burden and that’s why many authors make the main character an orphan? Guess I got that privilege easily."
[Max, do not joke about that.]
"Jeez! You can’t even handle a light joke."
Although he said that, there was a silly smile plastered on his face.
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