SOTBW - 104

Najane gently touched Maximón’s rough fingers and continued speaking.

“Commander, you also come running without any reason when I’m fighting against the Holy Body.”

“This is different. You know how people feel about that curse.”

Somehow, the situation had reversed. With Najane revealing her vulnerability, she seemed unaffected, while it was Maximón who was trembling with anxiety. Maximón truly despised people who changed their beliefs as easily as flipping their palms, and there were particularly many such people in Noctis. As the anxiety and distrust from the Serith incident spread throughout the city, people started changing their words to follow the trend and acted like bats. Unfortunately, behaving that way was more advantageous for survival in this place.

Thanks to this foolish atmosphere, when rumors spread that Maximón had been injured after being dragged into the underground prison, some residents even raided the administration building, and those who feared Maximón spread the idea that the fortress would collapse instantly without him. If this story had reached Daniel, it would have been safe to assume that most of the residents of Noctis knew about Najane’s curse.

Now, there was no way to resolve this. Yet, Najane smiled and comforted Maximón.

“I revealed it knowing what would happen.”

“That’s reckless.”

“I learned all of this from you, Commander.”

“Najane.”

“Is that why you cried?”

At Najane’s playful question, Maximón’s pupils momentarily widened. Embarrassed, Maximón quickly averted his gaze. But the redness of his ears, which didn’t match him, couldn’t be hidden. Najane, with her hands behind her back, smiled slyly.

“Did you really cry because of me? Because you feel sorry for me? Or maybe because you feel guilty?”

“...I didn’t cry.”

“Liar. Commander, you can’t lie, can you?”

Najane purposely mimicked Maximón’s tone. His coyness was so cute that Maximón couldn’t help but smile. When Maximón smiled, Najane finally relaxed and felt at ease.

Of course, she didn’t reveal the curse to make him feel guilty. She just wanted to keep the promise she had made once. If Maximón ever needed help, she would definitely help.

Maximón gazed at Najane, then subtly intertwined his fingers with hers. Of course, Najane didn’t refuse.

“You’re not good at lying either, Commander.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Don’t worry too much. I can explain it well to the knights, and if they still feel uncomfortable with me, there’s nothing I can do. Amelia might be a bit shocked, but... well, we’ll figure something out. At least now the Commander has been cleared of the accusations...”

“I’m sorry.”

Maximón apologized in a calm voice.

Najane stared at Maximón.

“I didn’t kill Armunzen, but everything that’s gone wrong is because of my actions. It’s all something I have to take responsibility for, and I’ve caused you trouble.”

Maximón gently stroked Najane’s cheek, as if handling broken glass.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice was polite and refined, but his eyes were filled with tenderness and affection. Najane, uncertain whether she truly understood, stepped a little closer and gazed into his deep green eyes. When she stared at him, Maximón awkwardly shifted his eyes, but as Najane persistently looked at him, he reluctantly met her gaze.

Maximón, as though overcoming his shyness, moved his lips, and feeling awkward, kept fiddling with the hand he held with Najane. Najane, looking into Maximón’s moist, nervous eyes, realized that he was tense.

Had he done something wrong while she was asleep? In this incomprehensible situation, Najane tilted her head, blinking.

Ah, come to think of it, his right eye was back to normal. That’s a relief. She had been worried about what might happen if there was a major issue with his eye. Najane, having forgotten that she had been following his gaze, smiled while looking at his cozy and deep green eyes.

Those eyes, which once seemed damp and shadowed like moss, no longer felt scary. She wasn’t sure when it happened. Unknowingly, Najane had become drawn to those eyes. Now, she could touch Maximón’s face without hesitation. If it had been before, she wouldn’t have dared, but now, she could stare at Maximón while holding his hand without any discomfort.

“By the way, what about Daniel?”

Najane, as if she had completely forgotten, was startled and let go of Maximón’s hand.

Maximón, who had accidentally released Najane’s hand, frowned when he heard Daniel’s name.

“Why is that bastard’s name coming up in this situation?”

At times like this, a kiss or taking clothes off would be more appropriate.

Maximón’s face showed displeasure, but Najane, perhaps thinking that Daniel was waiting outside in the cold, walked toward the hallway.

“Even now, it’s chaotic outside. Shouldn’t you go out and check, Commander?”

As she opened the door leading to the hallway, she flinched at the feeling of her arms wrapped around her waist.

Maximón tightly pulled Najane into his arms, not allowing her to step into the hallway.

“Commander?”

“Don’t go.”

“I don’t mind, but are you sure it’s okay if you don’t go out?”

“I’ve already been out.”

“Really? Why did Daniel come? What’s going on…”

“Please, Najane. Stop talking about that bastard.”

“I haven’t mentioned him that many times…”

Najane, with a pout, started counting how many times she had mentioned Daniel, but then she was suddenly lifted into the air and let out a short scream. Maximón effortlessly lifted Najane as if she were a piece of luggage and kicked the door shut with his foot. Najane slapped his back with her palm, asking to be put down, but it was no use.

Maximón immediately carried her to the bedroom and threw her onto the bed. Najane, who had been thrown down abruptly, stumbled and hurriedly sat up on the bed. Just then, there was a clinking sound beside her. Maximón had locked the bedroom door. Najane, brushing her disheveled hair out of her face, looked up at him.

“Did you fight with Daniel?”

As soon as Najane asked, Maximón’s face darkened.

“No, I wasn’t trying to bring up Daniel. It’s just that you keep obsessing over him... So, you need to tell me why Daniel came. Did he come alone? Or did other knights come with him…”

“That bastard is Daniel, and I’m the Commander, right?”

“Well, the knights have a strict hierarchy…”

“That’s quite presumptuous. Who was it that begged me to stop and called me Maximón?”

“Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?”

As the memory of earlier today came back, Najane’s face turned red.

Najane was about to question why he was acting this way, but when she saw Maximón approaching her on the bed, she pushed herself back.

“U-um, Commander, I think we’ve done enough for today. Think about it. In the bathroom, in front of the fireplace, on the bed... and again…”

“Be quiet.”

Maximón pushed Najane into the corner of the bed and spoke softly.

“If you don’t want me to do something, I won’t. Just stay still.”

However, despite his words, Maximón began untying the strings of Najane’s clothes. As he pulled on the strings, the tightly tied fabric loosened, exposing her chest in a subtle way. Najane silently watched, wondering what Maximón was about to do. He carefully pulled the garment down to her shoulders, making sure it didn’t tear, and gently opened the fabric that had started to come undone.

Her rounded chest was revealed, but Maximón’s eyes remained fixated on the curse mark on her chest. He stared at the mark with an unreadable gaze and gently caressed the area where the spell was etched. As his touch made contact, Najane flinched without realizing it.

“Did it hurt?”

“No. I don’t remember it hurting at all when it was carved.”

“...It must have hurt quite a bit when this was carved.”

Maximón rubbed the curse with his thumb. Najane lightly shrugged her shoulder.

“I must have passed out so badly that I didn’t even feel the pain.”

“When I first saw you, you seemed lighter.”

“Is that so? I don’t really notice...”

At that moment, Maximón kissed the curse on her chest. The heartfelt kiss didn’t end after just one. Maximón buried his face in Najane’s chest and kissed, rubbing his lips, licking, and sucking the curse several times.

Najane looked down at Maximón and, feeling a certain tenderness, gently moved aside some of his black hair. As she combed through his thick hair with her fingers, Maximón lifted his head. After meeting her gaze, he softly kissed the exposed chest. As he gently sucked on her flattened nipple, it quickly hardened, turning stiff like a soft raisin.

Najane, her shoulders hunched, barely managed to suppress a moan. Maximón meticulously kissed her delicate shoulders and neck. It wasn’t about mixing their bodies for pleasure; he moved slowly and tenderly, as if he simply wanted to cherish and comfort her. When his emotional kiss traveled up her ear to her face, they silently gazed at each other.

In the silent, tickling moment, it was Maximón who moved first. He stared at Najane for a long time before kissing her. And as soon as their lips touched, he pulled away almost immediately. The brief kiss left Najane feeling disappointed, and she bit her lip in longing.

Maximón, holding back a smile, kissed her again. He tilted his head slightly and matched the gap between their lips. Neither of them used their tongues. They simply pressed their lips gently together, just enough for their noses to brush, then separated, repeating the motion. They parted their upper lips just enough for their tongues to almost be visible, kissed again, and paused to gaze at each other before rubbing their lips again…

When the second kiss ended, Najane was enveloped in Maximón’s arms. Now, she was accustomed to this position. Maximón ran his finger over her full lips, gently pressing her lower lip. Without resistance, Najane slightly parted her lips. He teased her tender, bouncy, soft flesh with his finger, before playfully slipping his tongue inside her mouth.

In the warmth of their mouths, their tongues moved softly. The tongues twisted together as if they were one, unraveling and entwining again as they became a single entity. At that moment, words were unnecessary.

After the third kiss, Maximón gazed at Najane once more. Her full lips glistened with a sheen. He wiped them with his finger, and Najane playfully pretended to bite it. With her daring gesture, Maximón smiled and met her gaze. Najane did not shy away from his eyes. That was their unspoken answer.

Without hesitation, Maximón threw off his outer garment and pulled Najane into his arms, kissing her again. Najane, gradually being pressed by his large body, slid his belt off. They kissed so fiercely that it was hard to breathe, touching each other’s bodies in a way that felt entirely different from usual.

Responding to Najane’s frantic movements to remove his pants, Maximón firmly grabbed her chest. He took her perked nipple into his mouth, sucking it with a wet sound, when suddenly, a loud voice came from outside.

“Commander, the merchants from the royal city have arrived. The goods you personally ordered have also arrived, and they need your signature. The traders say they need to leave Noctis before lunch!”

It was Jacob’s voice. But Maximón ignored the desperate call and kissed Najane’s chest. At that moment, Najane pushed his head away.

Sensing something was wrong, Maximón looked down at Najane. Her face was flushed with excitement, but she crossed her arms over her chest as if signaling that it was enough, shaking her head.

“You need to work.”

“...”

“Others are struggling as well.”

“So you’re saying this is how it ends?”

“I’m also disappointed, but...”

Before Najane could finish her sentence, a voice full of complaints rang from outside.

“Commander!”

At the repeated call, Maximón’s face twisted with anger. Finally, he irritably grabbed his outer garment and left the bedroom. He stormed out of the house like an angry buffalo.

Around the main gate of the residence, Jacob and the knights who had come to check on Maximón were gathered together. When they saw that Maximón was fine, they cheered.

However, Maximón, with a cold voice that made their cheers seem pointless, sharply ordered:

“Everyone, gather at the training grounds.”