SOTBW - 53

At Najane’s words, Maximón blinked as if he had just remembered something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an object. She glanced absentmindedly at his pitch-black leather gloves.

Resting on his palm was a human ear.

Startled, Najane clamped her mouth shut. She almost gagged. Pressing her fingertips tightly against her lips, she stared at Maximón with a look of utter bewilderment.

He smiled faintly, like a boy presenting the prettiest seashell he’d found by the shore.

“This… this is…”

“Nathan’s ear.”

“Commander Nathan Armunzen? You mean that Nathan’s ear?”

Najane asked in a voice filled with shock. The situation regarding Nathan’s involvement in the attempted assassination was still uncertain. Nothing could be definitively judged until he was tried and interrogated.

And yet, Maximón had gone ahead and cut off Nathan’s ear.

Nathan wasn’t just any knight. Even if he had truly attempted to kill Najane, as someone tied to the Armunzen duchy, he could easily escape punishment. Could it be that Maximón had acted knowing this and harmed Nathan on purpose? No, that couldn’t be.

Maximón wasn’t someone who thought that far ahead. He must have concluded that Nathan was the mastermind behind the plot and skipped all the formalities to take revenge.

What on earth was she supposed to do—be happy about this, or something else entirely?

Najane was struck anew by the realization that Maximón was, in fact, completely insane. Just imagining the chaos this must have caused in the Knights of Colnux made her head spin. She looked at Maximón with a pale face.

Sensing her disbelief, Maximón seemed eager to prove he hadn’t actually killed anyone. His eyes, unusually earnest, met hers as he spoke.

“Don’t worry. Nathan is still alive.”

“…Alive? In heaven, perhaps?”

Najane’s voice brimmed with complete mistrust.

Maximón, looking genuinely offended, replied,

“I only cut off his ear. I even sprinkled holy water on the wound to make sure it heals well.”

“…Oh, I see.”

Reluctantly, Najane answered Maximón’s determined explanation. She desperately wished for him to get rid of the ear immediately, but instead, he stared at her like a child waiting for their homework to be graded. Only then did she realize he was expecting something.

What exactly? Confused, she blinked, and then cautiously asked, as if struck by a sudden thought, “Why didn’t you kill Nathan?”

“Because you wouldn’t like it.”

Maximón answered without hesitation. Tossing Nathan’s ear out the window, he looked down at her. Najane looked up at him, her expression unreadable. He tilted his head slightly.

“Or… should I have killed him after all?”

At that, Najane flinched and quickly shook her head. Maximón smiled faintly.

“So, I did well, then?”

“…Sorry?”

“I’m asking if I did well.”

“…Pardon?”

Najane, dumbfounded, repeated his words in a dazed voice. But fearing that Maximón might actually go back to kill Nathan, she quickly nodded. Only then did Maximón’s face light up with satisfaction.

She stared at him blankly. He seemed to take great pride in the fact that he hadn’t killed Nathan. Did he really believe this was something worthy of praise?

Rules and common sense tangled chaotically in Najane’s head. She had so many things she wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut, unwilling to ruin his mood. From his perspective, refraining from murder might indeed be an accomplishment.

Maximón didn’t value the knights of Romsoa. He didn’t even remember how many of them had died in the field, how they had fallen, or even their names.

For someone like Maximón to cut off Nathan’s ear as an act of revenge for Najane…

“I don’t love you. I just…”

What had he been about to say back then?

Najane pondered as she looked up at Maximón. While the situation with Nathan had been disconcerting, the priority now was to leave the mansion and find Luna as soon as possible.

“So, does that mean I can start staying at the knights’ quarters again from today?”

She suppressed the urge to rush off to the black market and look for Kieron, asking him politely instead. Maximón removed his gloves and replied curtly.

“No.”

“…Pardon?”

Najane froze, one foot halfway into a pair of scuffed boots. Maximón, undoing his leather belt, looked at her as if wondering why she seemed so surprised. She was so flustered she didn’t even realize what he was doing.

“You’ll continue to stay here.”

“W-wait. I thought we had cleared the air earlier. Why…”

“It’s true that I feel sorry for you. It’s also true that I plan to grovel like a dog, watching your every move from now on. But that doesn’t mean I’m sending you back to the knights’ quarters.”

He muttered under his breath, “I can’t leave you in a place crawling with men.”

Throwing his belt to the floor, Maximón rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to his wrists. Najane finally sensed something ominous. When she tried to get up from the chair, he blocked her path, making it impossible for her to move.

He leaned down, placing his palm firmly on the armrest of the chair, looking down at her. Caught under Maximón’s relentless gaze, she slowly shifted her eyes from side to side.

“Do you have something to say to me…?”

“How did you deal with your… urges while I was away?”

Najane glanced briefly at the bracelet on her wrist before meeting Maximón’s gaze with a calm expression. He was so close that if she lifted her head slightly, their lips would touch.

Maximón didn’t look at her with outright suspicion, but there was a hint of unease and restlessness in his eyes. What would happen if she told him the truth—that it was thanks to the Bracelet of Solace Gwyneth had given her?

He might take it away.

Even Gwyneth had said the bracelet’s effects wouldn’t last forever, but being able to get through a day without relying on sex or sedatives was a relief she cherished. Not that her time with Maximón had been unpleasant, but…

Still, Najane felt indignant about revealing the truth so quickly. Maximón had known about her struggles with the curse, yet he hadn’t visited the mansion for days. It was downright infuriating.

“I’ve just been lucky,” she replied.

“…You didn’t go into heat?”

“No.”

Najane lied calmly, even though she knew he would eventually catch on.

“So you expect me to believe that nonsense?”

“Are you accusing me of lying to you, Commander?”

“You’ve grown quite bold while I was gone.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Maximón chuckled quietly at Najane’s prim retort. He found her blatant lies oddly endearing. Just as he was about to step back, his eyes flicked to her wrist. Peeking out from the short sleeve of her bathrobe was a bracelet he’d never seen before.

It didn’t take long for Maximón to realize it wasn’t an ordinary accessory. If he touched it, it would likely burn his skin. Blowing a playful puff of air at the top of her head, he grinned as she flinched and lifted her head in surprise.

“That’s a bracelet I’ve never seen before.”

Maximón motioned toward it with a slight nod. Instead of answering, Najane slid the bracelet further up her wrist, tucking it under her sleeve.

“Who gave it to you?”

“…It was a gift.”

“To whom.”

“...To whom are you referring?”

“Gwyneth?”

Maximón immediately guessed who had given the bracelet. Najane flinched. She hadn’t expected to be found out so quickly. She stared at Maximón with a frustrated expression. He gently stroked Najane’s still damp hair and smiled mischievously.

“The only person here who could have a bracelet of true respite is Archbishop Gwyneth. Thanks to the bracelet’s effect, you avoided estrus.”

Well, if that’s the case, it’s a relief. Maximón had been worried that Najane might have been suffering due to his carelessness. Najane didn’t seem particularly intent on hiding the bracelet either, and responded calmly.

“Yes, so we don’t need to have relations for the time being.”

“Yes, for the time being.”

Maximón readily agreed. However, contrary to his readily accepting attitude, he tilted his head as if to kiss Najane’s forehead, grinning.

“But I want to right now.”

Najane was visibly flustered by Maximón’s whisper.

Had they ever had sex because Maximón wanted to? Oh, there was one time.

When they met at the black market. But at that time, they were both in a highly emotional state. Both Maximón and Najane were swept away by a sudden wave, and had no time to grasp their own feelings.

Moreover, strictly speaking, she had impulsively desired Maximón’s body that day as well, so it was inaccurate to say that they had sex because he demanded it. Usually, they did it as a preventive measure before Najane’s estrus occurred, or to rectify the situation after it had broken out.

Najane didn’t know what to answer and opened and closed her mouth. Maximón was serious. She leaned back against the back of the chair to avoid Maximón’s lingering gaze. Not that it mattered, as she was still within his sight.

He raised a hand and stroked the fluffy collar of her woolly bathrobe. Najane swallowed hard. She wanted to say that she wasn’t in the mood, but strangely, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Rough fingers, like sandpaper, subtly brushed against her neck. Maximón’s fingers were as cold as ice. Startled, she inhaled sharply. Maximón smiled knowingly. Najane avoided his gaze, looking at something else and stammering.

“...You said you were going to be groveling and watching my every move.”

“I did.”

Maximón replied leisurely, pretending to fasten the collar, his hand brushing against Najane’s skin. Najane barely managed to push Maximón’s hand away, afraid he would hear her quickened breathing. Her ears were already bright red.

“...How is this groveling?”

“Should I get on my knees?”

Maximón said playfully, sliding one knee between Najane’s legs. Najane desperately pushed his knee away with both hands.

“You’ll wear out all the wrinkles in your knees if you do that.”

“It’s okay. You’ll forgive me before that happens.”

Najane was dumbfounded at his matter-of-fact reply. Maximón, unable to hold back any longer, pressed his lips against Najane’s forehead and temples. Her skin smelled of soft soap and alluring roses.

As Maximón’s lips traveled from her temple to her ear, Najane instinctively shrugged and turned her head. The bones stood out along the neckline she had turned sharply to the side.

He kissed her smooth skin and gently pulled on the collar of her bathrobe with one hand. As he pressed his lips against her flushed shoulder, she curled her thighs as if ticklish. Maximón slid his hand down and grasped her soft breast. As her breast was caught in his icy cold hand, Najane sighed softly.

“I’m going to be good to you from now on. So much so that other people will envy you.”

“...Why… suddenly….”

“Because I want to make a good impression on you.”

Maximón, who was kissing Najane’s body, smiled meaningfully.

Love me, Najane. Think of me as your top priority, pour all your emotions into me. Then I will live for you. The paltry honor given by humans, the useless money, the power to treat Cerise like a toy, I will give it all to you.

Yes, if you come to love me…

“Don’t worry. You’ll definitely only think of me.

Because you’re the kindest person I know.”

Maximón swallowed the words he wanted to say and kissed Najane. He carefully rubbed her already erect nipples with his thumb, and Najane let out a cute groan. Honestly, Najane didn’t entirely dislike having sex with Maximón, so she let his rough hands wander over her body.

The hand that had been caressing her breasts gradually moved down below her lower abdomen. Najane gripped the armrest tightly and closed her eyes. Long fingers smoothly penetrated her bare lower body as if being drawn in. Naturally, Najane’s lower abdomen tensed.

Maximón slowly rubbed the area where the moisture from her bath faintly remained. It quickly became wet. He was certain that Najane enjoyed having sex with him. It was good news.

Because there was no easier and faster way than physically taming a partner. Maximón removed his hand from beneath her and rubbed his sticky, wet fingers together. Najane’s face flushed red at the sight. Maximón looked down at Najane and smiled cunningly like a fox.

“It seems you missed me too.”

“…….”

Najane didn’t answer. Seeing Maximón’s triumphant appearance, she simply didn’t feel like answering. He smiled slightly at Najane, who kept her mouth tightly shut. He was pleased that Najane desired him. Maximón was confident that he could truly please her.

Maximón threw off his shirt and pulled Najane’s waist forcefully towards the front of the chair. Najane slid all the way to the edge of the chair, gasping quickly. Through the robe with its loosened ties, her glistening, wet nether region was visible. Maximón bent down and kissed her knee.

He slightly lifted Najane’s thighs and commanded.

“Open your legs.”