Although he was saying this, I could tell that he was more concerned about Bea than wanting to get revenge against the emperor.
"Thank you."
He hugged me again and asked, "By the way, who will be escorting you on that day?"
"Ah, don't worry about me. I decided to watch it with my dad. Besides, not all of our knights will participate."
He sighed in response to my answer and patted my head. "I see."
He seemed somewhat uneasy, so I smiled to help ease his worries. He was a busy man. I didn't want to cause unnecessary concerns.
"Don’t worry. I'm just going to watch as a member of the audience anyway. What could happen?"
"But..."
I stood on my tiptoes and brought my lips close to his. It wasn't a deep kiss like before, but it was enough to surprise him. Eventually, when I thought it was enough, I gently pulled away from him. Then, he pressed his lips firmly against mine, his soft tongue penetrating my mouth.
I had just kissed him, yet he was biting and sucking like someone who had starved for several days. I sighed. I guess he wouldn’t worry so much now.
Having tasted ecstasy, Max now lusted after her coral lips ceaselessly. Her petite but full lips resembled a red fruit and tasted just as sweet. It was enough to blow away the worries that had been giving him a headache.
Wait... I just... Max realized, his sense of reasoning returning.
He pulled away and looked at Jubelian. Her slightly puffy lips and long wet eyelashes tempted him once more, but he managed to hold onto his rationality. These safety measures were not enough.
Max sighed softly. He then turned to Jubelian, who was looking at him curiously.
"What's wrong?"
Contrary to her fragile appearance, she was a stubborn one. It was clear that she would be disappointed if he did what he wanted and attached an escort to her.
Kissing her on the cheek, Max replied, "You're beautiful."
Flushing, she looked up. Seeing her smile with her eyes, Max felt his face heat up. Her pale hand soon caressed his cheek.
"You're beautiful, too, Max."
He frowned slightly. Before, he hated those words, but now they were tolerable. He supposed that it was a good thing she saw him that way. For a moment, he enjoyed her soft touch before burying his head in her shoulder.
She stroked his hair.
"You're like a little kid,” she mumbled softly.
If she knew what he was thinking, would she be able to say that? Drunk on her fragrance, Max mulled over her innocent comment. Then, his eyes lit up. There was nothing he could do about it but attach a secret escort to her. Max furrowed his brow as he wondered who might be a suitable candidate. Soon, the corners of his lips lifted in a smile. Yes, he knew who would do well.
As he thought of just the right person for the job, Jubelian smiled, her eyes making little crescent moons.
"Oh, I’ll be giving you the handkerchief now!" she exclaimed.
Max grinned once she handed him the fabric. He could see small mistakes here and there, but even those looked lovely in his eyes. It was just as cute as she was.
Misunderstanding the cause of his smile, Jubelian pouted.
"I know it's not perfect, but you didn’t have to laugh at it,” she muttered.
It took all Max had to resolve the misconception.
Meanwhile, Victor was smiling and full of anticipation at the thought of escorting the lady. He was going to see his angel tomorrow!
Dennis, who was watching him, frowned. "Victor, are you really okay?”
"Of course, I am!"
Victor enjoyed being in the spotlight, so Dennis thought his subordinate would be dissatisfied with being disqualified from the hunting contest. However, he looked giddy instead. Worries clouded Dennis' thoughts. This guy... Had he gone mad from the shock? Although Victor was a good-for-nothing most of the time, Dennis was undeniably worried. After all, he couldn't just disregard all the years they had spent together.
"Victor, be honest with me,” he urged. "If you really want to participate in the hunting competition, I can—"
"I’m perfectly fine! I don't want to participate."
Dennis sighed. He was afraid Victor would cause something.
Just then, the window opened. Checking the person who climbed in, Dennis bowed. "Your Highness, welcome back,” he greeted.
He was certain that the crown prince had returned from his visit to the Floyen mansion, yet it looked like he was in a foul mood. Did something happen?
The crown prince turned to Victor. "The reason I excluded you from the hunting competition was because there is an important mission you must accomplish."
The smile disappeared from Victor's face.
"M-Mission, Your Highness? What is it?" Victor asked with a tremulous voice.
"It’s an escort mission,” the crown prince answered quietly. "However, you must not be found out by the person concerned."
Dennis lifted his head to face Max. The crown prince was cold enough to make one think he was made of ice, but now, he looked noticeably anxious and concerned. Dennis hummed thoughtfully. Maybe the crown prince wanted Victor to escort Lady Floyen. It wasn’t an unreasonable request for the crown prince to do. The emperor had already discussed Jubelian with him. Moreover, the man seemed to be colluding with the Hessen family.
"Escort my sister Beatrice during the hunting competition,” Max said.
Both Victor and Dennis were taken aback by the order.
"But, Your Majesty—"
Cutting off Victor's complaint, Dennis opened his mouth. "Victor is certainly one of Your Highness’ most skilled knights. He’ll fulfill your orders without fail. Still, it’s difficult to understand why you’re asking him to escort the princess and not the Handkerchief Lady.”
Max smirked and glanced at Victor. Although he looked like that, he had skills comparable to Mikhail’s... So, he would be good enough. Despite being irresponsible at times, Victor was a talented swordsman and one of Max's top three subordinates.
"While escorting her, you will have no choice but to protect the Handkerchief Lady as well."
Although cunning, Beatrice was a careless girl. She showed off too much. She sent a public letter and had even made an official visit to the Arlo mansion. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the princess and the lady's friendship was well known throughout high society.
Of course, Max had no intention of blaming her for being sloppy. The fact that Beatrice was close with Jubelian would have reached the emperor's ears anyway. The only thing Max was worried about was Jubelian getting involved in the emperor's schemes. He didn’t know what Mikhail and the emperor were planning, but he was sure it had something to do with the princess.