CH 258

I was about to tell him that I was not enjoying this at all when he continued, “Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve laughed like this. Thank you.” He sounded extremely delighted.

Shaking my head, I spat out, “I feel rather offended.” He snorted again at my response, making a sound similar to a balloon being deflated. I gave a cold stare, and he, without a hint of regret in his expression, apologized again.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

I scowled. ‘Stop laughing if you’re sorry.’

***

Meanwhile, in Jubelian’s room, Max sat with a disapproving look on his face, waiting for the lady to return. He wondered who was visiting her this late, and to make it worse, his patience was running thin. However, he kept still, remembering what she had said.

“Max, you have to wait for me here, okay?”

Taking a deep breath, Max cleared his cluttered mind. However, his delusions only grew as time passed. It had been about an hour since Jubelian left when Max came to the imagination that a nobleman was clinging to the lady, asking her to marry him. Thoroughly disgusted by something that had not happened, Max jumped up. He told himself it wasn’t because he didn’t trust her—it was rather that he didn’t trust the flies that constantly hovered around her. And so he headed to the window that showed the drawing room where Jubelian and the uninvited guest were.

Max could hear someone laughing as he got closer. His expression hardened as he tried to gauge the owner of the idiotic laugh. The moment he looked into the window, he spotted a familiar face.

“Pardon me, Your Highness, but I believe it is the first person that asks the lady for a dance who has claim over her.”

‘That damned fox.’ His blood boiling, Max contemplated whether he should break into the room. That was when he heard a cold voice.

“What’s so funny?” It was Jubelian—she sounded angry, and her expression was cold unlike usual. This reassured Max. Moreover…

“Give me a hug, Max.”

“E-eat this.”

She was only showing her cute side to him and no one else. Max felt proud as her boyfriend once he realized this. In any case, Frederich did not give in.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just… I’m more intrigued than I thought I would be,” he mused. “The hunting competition—it is just around the corner. I want you to cheer me on.”

With fiery eyes, Max glared at the man. He wanted to hunt down the nobleman for the competition if he could. A murderous impulse gradually overcame Max when he heard the lady say, “It’s an absurd request.”

“Why do you think so?”

“The fact that the criminals are on our land is clearly your family’s fault. You cannot ask for a reward for the work you are responsible for.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Max smiled. He thanked the heavens that she had not been swept away, while at the same time he was astonished by her unusual quick-witted behavior. Smirking, Max turned to Frederich, only to realize the man had his lustful eyes glued to the lady. To make it worse, he began his irritating laugh once more.

Frowning, Max clenched his fists. ‘That b*stard. How dare he look at her with those eyes?’ If he could, Max wanted to give the nobleman a beating and warn him not to come near Jubelian again. Nonetheless, doing so would reveal their relationship.

‘That might make her upset…’ Just imagining her being angry frightened Max. However, he couldn’t just stand by knowing that men like Frederich might continue approaching her. His gaze ferocious, Max glared at the nobleman once more before turning around. He realized he needed a plan for the hunting competition, then he smirked.

‘I hadn’t even thought of the handkerchief… I must thank him for the idea.’