"Em, how are you? Do you want to sightsee with ?" Maxim asked Emlyn after he knocked on the door. From Horatio, he had heard that Emlyn went out with Kira after lunch and now she was resting.
Emlyn imdiately opened the door and let Maxim enter. "Hey... sure. But aren't you tired? I heard from Horatio you spent so much ti in your study today. I wanted to co to you after Kira and I returned from outside, but I didn't want to bother you."
"You never bother ," Maxim replied with a smile. He entered the chamber and looked around. "Are you happy with your chamber? Do you need anything?"
Emlyn thought the chamber was really nice and it lacked nothing. So, she shook her head. "No.. everything is perfect."
She noticed his gloomy expression and wondered if sothing bad happened. Emlyn touched Maxim's arm and asked him, "Are you okay? You look really sad."
"Do I?" Maxim batted his eyes and looked away, trying to hide his pain.
He was a good liar, but he couldn't really lie to that extent to Emlyn. Maybe because Emlyn was really smart, or she knew him too well... she would always know if sothing was not right with him.
When he rembered Emlyn confronted him weeks ago about his connection to Myreen as the only connection between her and the Leoraleis, he was wondering about what she would say if he told her that her assumption turned out to be correct?
He was really her only connection with the Leoraleis.
And he was the reason why she was cursed and suffered so much.
Whenever Maxim rembered those facts, he felt like his brain wanted to explode. He turned to look at Emlyn again and shook his head weakly. "Please allow not to answer your question this ti. So I don't have to lie to you."
Emlyn was very surprised to hear this response. She looked at Maxim intently and tried to read his expression. She could tell the man was having a really bad day.
Did he... cry?
She didn't know why she could think that way when her fingers touch the young king's damp sleeves. It felt like Maxim was crying earlier and he wiped his tears with his sleeves.
But... was it true? It didn't seem right, Emlyn thought to herself.
The man before her was a formidable man. He was tall and well-built and with his ssy ash hair that sotis covered half of his eyes, people would think he had no care in the world.
So, it was hard to think that Maxim felt extrely sad today that he cried. Emlyn chided herself for thinking that way. Maybe she put too much thought into the damp sleeves. They could be from sweat, right?
"Please don't lie to . I will not be mad if you tell the truth, no matter how bad. What is it?" Emlyn asked Maxim.
She kept her expression gentle and not judging. Even though she was really curious to know why Maxim felt the need to lie to her, she didn't push him. "You look really sad. Please... tell what happened. I want to help you."
Maxim felt his heartstrings tugged when he heard Emlyn wanted to help him. Wasn't she having such a hard life herself? How could she think about other people's sufferings?
"Well... you can help and make feel better if you go out with and do sothing fun to relax my mind. That's all I can say," Maxim replied, forcing a smile.
"Uhm...? okay." Finally, Emlyn nodded. She tied her hair into a ponytail and wore her shoes. "Let's go."
They went down from the second floor and went to the massive garden in the middle of the palace compound. Both were quiet.
Maxim wanted to enjoy his ti with Emlyn while she was busy thinking about what happened to him that made him so gloomy.
They walked along the small path lined with blue pebbles that led to the lake and finally stopped under the big jacaranda tree that was blooming with purple flowers. It was a beautiful sumr day.
The sun was slowly going down in the western horizon and they could see the water reflecting the many colors of sunset, like orange, purple, and pink.
It felt quite magical especially when several jacaranda petals were falling down from the tree like light rain. Maxim loved this tree because it was planted by his father on the day he was born, as a gift to Queen Maude.
Both Maxim and Emlyn were srized by the scene and, for a few monts, they looked around and took in the view to their heart.
It was calming and felt so peaceful.
This was a perfect place and perfect mont for a love confession, Maxim thought bitterly.
Being here under the jacaranda trees with Emlyn surrounded by so much beauty made him feel bliss.
Unfortunately, he already promised Emlyn that he wouldn't make their situation awkward by pursuing her romantically until after all her problems were resolved.
In his own words, only after they got everything sorted and the dust had settled... would he think about their relationship.
He felt so valiant when he uttered those stupid words. A true gentleman.
Sohow, now, he regretted it. He wished he snatched the opportunity and convinced her imdiately to accept him. Maybe now she would already be his.
Well.. she was supposed to be his. He was robbed of the chance because...
He lowered his head dejectedly. He was robbed of the chance not by Mars Strongmoor, but by his mother's and Aunt Catalina's stupid agreent.
No matter what, Maxim would never love that girl they were forcing him to marry. She was responsible for all the sufferings that Emlyn, the woman he loved, was going through.
Emlyn looked at the man and wondered what was going on in his mind. She didn't rember ever seeing Maxim sad before. He was a? happy-go-lucky man without a care in the world.
So, what could possibly make him so sad today?
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You are all amazing! Thank you for the Golden Tickets in August! This is the second chapter. I will write 3 more.
Let's have a weekly goal for Golden Ranking in September. If we can stay in Top 3 Golden ranking until Sunday, I will publish 3 chapters per day for the whole next week. If we keep our #4 position, I will give 2 bonus chapters on Monday (a total of 4).
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