The day before the hunting competition, Max received a carrier pigeon from Fresia. Filled with anticipation and impressed that she had already thought of what to give Jubelian for her coming-of-age ceremony, he smiled proudly. He was in a hurry now that the banquet was only about a month away. All in all, thanks to his competent subordinate, he had one less thing to worry about now.
He decided to read the note, but upon opening the letter tied to the pigeon’s leg, he frowned. Mikhail visited Viscount Droil and has been acting suspiciously since then? It was usually the other way around; Viscount Droil often frequented Marquis Hessen's mansion, but the same couldn’t be said for the reverse. If this was true, it would definitely be something to look out for.
That snake. What was he planning? Max cursed inwardly. Then, anxious thoughts bombarded him. Now that he put some more thought into it, all of his master’s knights—the skilled ones, at least—would be attending the hunting competition.
No matter how powerful his master was, if the emperor was determined to tamper with the duke's plan to protect his daughter, there was a good chance that he would be swept away. Max was supposed to receive a handkerchief from Jubelian today. He decided to pay a visit to the duke's house to check if Jubelian had plenty of escort knights.
Not only that...
Usually, when a man was to receive a handkerchief from his lover before a grand event like this, he would also receive a kiss that wished him victory. He would have to check if the marks he made were still there. Recalling Jubelian's flushed expression, the corners of his lips began to lift.
Once he entered the mansion and saw her face, he was overcome with relief and emotion. He immediately brought her into his embrace.
At first, he had pulled her into his arms. Then, he gradually began to lean into her. He was certainly... dependent on her now. Max had never even trusted his powerful master, so he couldn't understand how he had come to rely on such a small and delicate woman. He was astonished.
Just then, Jubelian patted him on the back. Sensing her tender and attentive touch, Max smiled, realizing that he depended on her because she supported him. Then, he heard a slap against his back followed by a slight sting. Her soft voice met his ears.
"Max, you're heavy,” she said.
He was stunned. He didn't think she would hit him on the back. Did he lean on her too much? He felt ashamed. Straightening his back, he started holding her properly. He had long missed the feeling of her delicate and soft body fitting snugly in his arms.
"How have you been?” he asked.
Jubelian looked up and nodded. "The preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony are going well. The only problem is that... Dad has been returning to the house really late these days."
Max felt guilty. He was the reason behind his master’s lateness. Whenever his master would try to go back home in the evening, Max would provoke him into somehow extending the training.
"Is this it? It seems that you’ve aged,” he would say, unaware that what he was doing was making Jubelian lonely.
Regret and guilt washed over him, but Max smiled once he came to a solution.
He was going to do his best to help rid her of her loneliness. Using one hand, he pulled her close by the waist. With the other, he lifted her chin slightly upward.
"I visited to receive the handkerchief from you, as promised. And..." Max trailed off to gaze at her lips. Then, he lowered his head toward them. However, Jubelian's small hand shot out and stopped his mouth from reaching hers.
"No."
He furrowed his brows at her harsh tone. Knowing that it might prove more effective to act pitiful, he sulked. "What's wrong? You don’t want to?"
Blushing, Jubelian answered, "It's... It's not that I don’t want to. It's because last time..." she trailed off, adjusting the cloth choker covering her neck.
Max smiled mischievously.
"What about last time?" he asked, gently poking the ribbon keeping the choker on her neck.
Jubelian flinched. Her eyes were wider than ever and she glared at him. Nonetheless, she looked nothing short of adorable in his eyes. She looked like a timid little animal on the lookout for its predator.
Max wanted to tease her some more.
"So, what is it?" he pressed.
The sight of her endearing reaction made him want to play with her some more, but what she said next shocked him.
"From now on, you can't kiss me without my permission,” she declared.
What? He gazed at her with trembling eyes, but she made herself clear.
"Do you understand?"
I asked for confirmation. However, Max just gaped at me without replying. His handsome face and pitiful gaze almost moved my heart, but I remained adamant in my decision. If he left another embarrassing mark in a place where others could see... I would have to hide from Dad entirely.
A few days ago, I woke up early to see my father off, but as sharp as he was, he eyed the choker on my neck suspiciously.
"Jubelian, why are you covering your neck?" he asked.
I told him that it was because of a sore throat and that I wanted to keep my neck covered. Still, I had been worried ever since then that he might make a great fuss out of my fake illness and call Allen. Also, wearing something around my neck all day was uncomfortable.
I glared at the culprit of my ailment with resentment.
"I wanted a kiss for tomorrow's hunting competition...” he said softly. "Can I really not?"
He was looking at me with puppy eyes now. My heart grew weak. I couldn’t do this... Honestly, I didn't want to refrain from kissing someone I liked.
All of a sudden, my mind started making up excuses to let him do as he pleased, and in the end, I wound up compromising with my desires.
"All right,” I acquiesced. "One on the cheek is fine..."
His eyes curved into crescent moons as he donned a captivating smile.
"That's good enough,” he whispered.
I swallowed nervously as I approached him. Then, my eyes met his crimson ones. The deep crimson hue was somehow darker than it had been. He was giving me all of his attention, and it made me feel somewhat embarrassed. My face was getting hot. Yes, this was similar to the strange feeling I felt a few days ago when he had initially left the mark on me.