SOTBW - 78

Maximón closed his eyes and gently rested his forehead on Najane’s shoulder.

“I regret making you a knight.”

“...Commander?”

Najane, startled by the unexpected confession, grabbed both of Maximón’s shoulders.

Maximón continued speaking.

“I’ve always thought that earning my father’s love was my life’s goal. When I received his attention and praise, I felt like I was a worthwhile person. So, I wanted to be loved more than Lucas, his real son.”

His soft, lonely voice echoed in Najane’s ear. Najane slowly eased the pressure in her hands, no longer trying to push Maximón away. She understood that feeling. Like him, Najane had worked hard, striving for Nellis’ attention, love, and recognition as her daughter.

She had endured hope and torment, thinking that just a little more effort would win Nellis’ approval. So, she understood Maximón’s words. She could relate to that desperate, lonely feeling better than anyone.

As the strength left Najane’s hands, Maximón lifted his head. They were very close to each other. Maximón whispered in a voice devoid of power.

“Have you ever thought of yourself as a monster?”

The significant question made Najane shake her head. She thought of Lucas, who had called Maximón a monster. But she assumed it was a metaphor, referring to Maximón’s inhuman side as a “monster.”

Najane instinctively sensed that Maximón was confiding something he had never shared with anyone. So, she looked deeper into his eyes. His dark green irises trembled with unease. His vulnerable side felt unfamiliar. She was tense, yet her heart beat a little faster.

“Since I became aware of my existence, I’ve always thought of myself as a monster.”

“...Do you still think so?”

“Yes.”

“...Is it because you harm people?”

“No.”

Maximón calmly denied it.

“To be honest, I don’t feel pleasure from killing people. But I don’t feel guilty either. And apart from that, I think of myself as a monster. To be more precise, I feel like I’m not even human.”

Najane wanted to ask why he felt that way, but she decided against it, not wanting to dig too deeply. She felt that Maximón wouldn’t answer if she pushed him. And besides, she was a little surprised. To learn that Maximón had such a deficiency in affection, such a vulnerable side—this was unexpected. It was as though he was suddenly becoming more human to her. Perhaps it felt that way because they shared similar childhoods.

Maximón paused and stared at Najane. She reached out, as if to comfort him, and took his hand. She seemed to empathize with him. It wasn’t a clumsy attempt to console him but sincere sympathy. Her heart was clear in her gaze, which softened with a deep understanding. Maximón, holding back a smile, saw the warmth in her eyes.

Kind Najane.

How lucky I am that you are so pure and open.

With a weary expression, Maximón rubbed his eyes and looked back at Najane. He did his best to maintain the sorrowful, lonely act.

“What I’m trying to say... is that because of these thoughts, since I was a child, I’ve always wished someone would completely embrace me. When I was going crazy with the fear of not being human, if my father had held me, the fear would have melted away. That’s when I realized. I had to be loved by my father. I could never be abandoned... But my father had many things he treasured besides me.”

Maximón spoke the truth. At least his desire to be loved by Edwin was genuine. That’s why he could speak honestly to Najane.

Having confessed, Maximón lowered his head, pretending not to look at Najane. What should he do now to get closer to her? Should he shed some tears? Would she accept him if he begged for a hug?

At that moment, a warm palm touched Maximón’s cheek. Maximón lifted his head. Najane, who had hesitated, cupped his face with her hands. Her palms were rough but warm. Maximón, feeling a slight success, gripped her hand tightly.

Najane recalled the days when she was completely ignored by Nellis and felt her stomach churn, but she made sure not to show it. However, the more she mulled over Maximón’s confession, the more she thought of her own childhood, desperately trying to earn her mother’s warm gaze, and her nose tingled with emotion.

Nellis was foolish. If, when she was nominated as the crown princess, she had abandoned the sword and married Leon, she wouldn’t have ruined her life. But what Nellis wanted was to be the head of the Powley family and the youngest Sword Master. Once she decided to wield the sword, she should have let go of her feelings for Leon, but Nellis couldn’t do that.

In the past, Najane had also questioned her mother’s feelings. Did she love us? Was it true love?

At that time, Najane had tried to comfort herself, telling herself that her mother truly loved her. But now, she could speak the truth that had been ignored for so long. What Nellis loved were the sword, Leon, and the Powley family. Najane had never been loved. Not as a child, not as a knight—she had never been loved, not even a little.

Najane looked at Maximón with sorrowful eyes. Maximón, as if full of self-blame, released her hand and spoke.

“I made you a knight because of my greed to earn more recognition from him. How could I not regret it? I dragged you into that hell...”

Maximón’s voice trailed off as he uttered a word filled with guilt.

“I’m sorry, Najane.”

That was the final blow.

Najane, her face in shock, shook her head in denial.

“No, it’s not like that. Becoming a knight was also my choice. I... I...”

Unsure of what to do, Najane carefully stroked Maximón’s fingers.

“...I’m really okay. Truly...”

After hesitating, Najane exchanged glances with Maximón. She opened her mouth but couldn’t find the right words, repeatedly starting and stopping. The distance between them was so close that she could hear Maximón’s faint breath.

Maximón watched Najane’s gaze and expression closely, gradually narrowing the gap. Before long, their noses were almost touching, but Najane didn’t pull away.

Maximón took hold of Najane’s hand, which was lightly caressing his fingers, and gently grabbed her wrist. He could feel her heartbeat through her wrist. As he calmly counted the beats of her heart, Maximón carefully, almost timidly, kissed Najane.

He pressed his lips lightly to hers, then pulled back, revealing his unsettled gaze. His heart raced suddenly. Najane’s eyes, like someone trapped in a maze, were aimlessly searching. After a brief hesitation, she turned her head and gently pulled her hand away from Maximón’s grip. Maximón let her go without resistance and stepped back.

“I’m sorry. I...,” he apologized, faltering as he got up from his seat.

“I’ll see you during training.”

Maximón turned his back on her, deliberately avoiding her gaze. He walked slowly toward the door, picking up his outer garment from the chair on his way. As he reached the door, the sound of the logs in the fireplace cracking was heard, followed by the soft movement of the bed.

He never looked back. But a gentle, yearning hand reached out to catch Maximón’s as he was about to leave the room.

In that moment, Maximón hid a conqueror’s smile and looked down at Najane with a tender gaze.

“Do you know what it means to hold onto me?”

Instead of answering, Najane inhaled sharply.

Each second felt like a hundred years.

“Najane...”

Maximón’s voice trembled slightly with impatience.

He threw his outer garment aside and cupped Najane’s face with both hands.

“I can’t stop now.”

Maximón gave a warning of what was about to happen. The only thing left was Najane’s answer. She gazed at him with tear-filled eyes, then reached out to hold his hands. Like sunlight seeping through the curtains, her reddish-brown irises seemed blurry. With her eyes closed, Najane whispered softly.

“...Don’t stop, ever.”

________________________________________

Najane slowly took a step back, her back meeting the cool wall. Maximón, without hesitation, took off his outer garment and moved toward her. As he unbuckled his belt firmly, Maximón couldn’t hold back any longer. He cupped Najane’s face with both hands and kissed her.

His tongue, desperate, entered her mouth. But it wasn’t a desire for pleasure; it seemed as though he wanted to become one with Najane, to prove that with actions, not words. His urgent tongue movements gradually slowed.

The frantic entanglement of their tongues turned gentle. Maximón kissed her as carefully as someone holding broken glass. His tongue entered gently, he kissed her swollen lips, then lightly brushed his lips against hers, like a child. He paused the kiss for a moment, kissing her around her lips, cheeks, and ears, making soft kissing sounds.

Najane, anticipating the usual frantic and messy sex, was slightly taken aback by Maximón’s actions. But she didn’t dislike it. Rather, the more Maximón showered her face with kisses on her eyes, nose, and mouth, the more embarrassed she became.

Maximón’s hand, firmly cupping her cheek, was gentle and warm. As his lips touched her eyelids, Najane closed her eyes. His wet lips and breath traveled down her eyes, along the bridge of her nose, her cheeks, and her philtrum, finally settling on her lips.

Najane inhaled slightly, as if savoring Maximón’s scent. His tongue, which now felt like her own, licked her upper lip. Najane smiled slightly at the playful kiss.

Maximón intertwined his fingers with Najane’s. He held her hand tightly, with all his strength, so she couldn’t escape. His shadowed eyes looked down at Najane. Najane gently stroked Maximón’s eyebrows and eyes.

He only gazed at Najane. He paid no attention to the soldiers’ conversations beyond the walls of the residence, the movements of the maids preparing food, the dust floating in the sunlight, or the wind shaking the windows, only at Najane…

Najane touched her lips with her fingertips. Maximón pretended to bite it. She quickly moved her finger away and giggled softly. He kissed the back of her hand, then embraced her waist and kissed her. Two wet tongues intertwined in a squelching mess. Maximón held Najane tightly in his arms.

Before she knew it, Najane’s heels were lifted off the ground. When Najane gasped for breath, Maximón suddenly lifted her small body. As her hair tie loosened, her long hair cascaded down. With her swaying hair, Maximón couldn’t see anything around him. He only saw Najane.

Their bodies tumbled onto the bed. Najane looked up at Maximón as she lay down. A large hand brushed back her tangled hair and touched her ear. Tense, Najane caught her breath. A large palm began to undress her. A warm hand caressed her lower abdomen and then moved upwards.

Maximón gently grasped her chest, which was covered in messy bandages. He could feel her erect nipples between his fingers. Najane felt strangely embarrassed that Maximón was holding her breasts. So, she couldn’t bear to look at him and turned her head, and his lips touched her cheek.

He stared straight at Najane and unwrapped the bandages one by one. As the bandages slid to the side, her white breasts were revealed. Maximón kissed her bare breasts as if plucking ripe grapes hanging from the end of a branch with his tongue. As he pressed and sucked on her sensitively erect nipples with his tongue, Najane groaned heavily.

Dark green eyes stared directly at Najane’s face. Maximón wanted to know everything she liked and disliked. As he caressed her pale breasts until they became flushed, Najane tried to push Maximón’s head away. He didn’t resist Najane and slid his lips down. In fact, what Maximón wanted was hidden in a more intimate place.

As he took off Najane’s pants, what he desired was revealed. Maximón repeatedly kissed her tense lower abdomen and gently soothed her wet area. As his fingers penetrated the parted opening, her thighs tensed.

Maximón, raising himself, gazed at Najane. He rubbed his nose against Najane’s cheek, as if reassuring a frightened animal.

Then, two fingers rolled her clit like a bead. Najane muffled a groan and buried her face in Maximón’s neck. Maximón slowly stroked her neck and rubbed her wet lower body. Thin, sticky liquid continued to flow from the parted opening.

Maximón thrust his fingers inside and showered her with kisses. As the kisses became more intense, her tense thighs gradually spread apart. A thick finger penetrated deep inside and then came out, and fluids poured out endlessly. It was Maximón who had made Najane like this. Unlike at first, her body had become very honest and would easily cry out with just a little coaxing.

Maximón put his fingers into her red-hot opening and moved them gently. Thanks to the fluids, her vagina was supple. As he repeatedly caressed the place Najane liked the most, her slender waist quickly began to heave. He kissed Najane’s forehead and smiled with satisfaction.

Now Najane also had to know. That they weren’t having sex because of a curse.

That they were entangled because they simply needed each other. That Maximón was the only one who could satisfy her.

Maximón kissed her stiff shoulders and moved down. As he pulled out his fingers, his entire hand was sticky with secretions. Listening to Najane’s panting breath, he licked her wet entrance. Najane responded quickly. He firmly grasped her hips with both hands and caressed her clit. Her lifted calves trembled.

Najane moaned as if crying and barely grabbed Maximón’s hand. As he licked the swollen clit up and down, and then sucked it with his whole tongue, fluids flowed from her slightly open opening. Her vulva twitched every time his tongue touched her clit. Maximón couldn’t bear how cute it was.

He wanted to bite and make her cry, but Najane would hate that. Maximón, raising his head, looked at Najane. Najane was tightly holding the pillowcase, feeling the lingering sensations in her lower body. Her flushed cheeks from excitement were beautiful. He suddenly felt the urge to kiss her.

Maximón kissed Najane’s ear and cheek. As he slightly inserted his glans into her open opening while kissing, her waist twitched. Najane’s dazed eyes stared at Maximón. As his thick cock forced its way into her wet path, Najane took a deep breath and shuddered. Tightness filled her lower abdomen.

Najane instinctively spread her legs wide to accept all of him. Maximón inserted himself deeply to the root, as she wished. Just the insertion alone made the flesh surrounding his cock twitch as if reaching climax. Najane, already feeling the urge to urinate, exhaled heavily. But Maximón didn’t wait for her to calm down.

He hugged Najane’s panting body and pulled his cock out forcefully, then thrust it in hard, so that the muscles in her thighs rose. Najane screamed. She couldn’t even shout that she couldn’t take it anymore.

Maximón’s kisses were rough. Trapped in his wide embrace, she brought her arms to her chest and shed tears. Every time his weapon-like cock was thrust inside her opening, her lower abdomen throbbed.

“Slo, slowly, please, slo…”

Najane pleaded urgently, but Maximón lightly ignored her words. She was trapped in Maximón’s arms and ruthlessly thrust into. It didn’t hurt. But it was agonizing. No, it wasn’t just agonizing. It was good.

She wanted to scream like a madwoman at the rising pleasure that made her soles tingle. Every time his vein-erected cock forced its way into her narrow opening, widening it, she felt a fantastic sensation and unconsciously let out an excited groan.

Maximón held Najane tightly in his arms so she couldn’t move and moved his hips fiercely and quickly, soaking the blanket and sheets. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed more often than the fierce wind outside. At that moment, Najane’s waist heaved and trembled. It was an orgasm. They had only just begun, but she had reached her climax because she was too excited.

Najane, covering her mouth with both hands, looked up at Maximón with surprised eyes and then sobbed. Maximón smiled. He couldn’t bear how lovely Najane was, crying until her eyes turned red. Maximón gently soothed the sobbing Najane and then had sex with her again.

“Lo, Lord Commander, ah, ahh…”

“Not Lord Commander, Maximón.”

“Maximón, ah, Ma, Maxi…”

“…Yes, call me that. If you don’t like it, other names are fine…”

Maximón, intoxicated with pleasure, whispered, holding Najane’s face in his arms. The violent pleasure dominated them, making it difficult to utter each word. Najane clung to Maximón’s back and barely endured the insertion that crushed her body.

As she stroked and caressed his muscular, iron-like body, she unconsciously felt pity for him. She knew how dangerous and foolish that thought was. Nevertheless, Najane kissed Maximón as if burying her memories with Nellis.

His sweat-covered body was smooth and hot. Najane hugged Maximón, thinking she was being crushed by a burning mass. She felt like she could understand him, even just a little.

Perhaps…

Really, perhaps…