Maxim pulled Yaelle close and let her lean on his shoulder. "It's all over now, Yaelle. No matter what happens, you still have me." The last time they met, she surprised him a lot.
She had become cheerful and more willing to smile, even took the initiative to ask him out. He was very happy. Yaelle was a bit stunned.
Was it always this romantic? Who said people in ancient times were reserved? This was way too direct.
She gently rested her head on his shoulder and studied the young man beside her up close. Her gaze first landed on his smooth and attractive collarbone, then slowly moved up to his well-shaped and prominent Adam's apple. As he spoke, it moved slightly, carrying a strange and irresistible charm.
It was as if it was silently inviting her to reach out and touch it. Then her eyes moved further up and saw his clear jawline. His chin tilted slightly, giving off a stubborn but cute feeling.
His lips were nicely shaped, not too thick or thin, looking soft and tempting. Yaelle couldn't help but think, "Hmm, those lips must be perfect for kissing..." Seeing that Yaelle didn't respond, Maxim felt a little disappointed.
Did he go too far and scare her? He slowly lowered his head and carefully observed her expression, trying to see if she was angry. Suddenly, his gaze met a pair of bright, captivating eyes.
Those eyes were deep and filled with emotion, pulling him in completely. For a moment, he forgot to look away. Right then, he suddenly felt a pair of warm lips pressing against his.
The feeling was strange and wonderful, so unfamiliar that it froze him in place. In an instant, he felt as if a current ran through his whole body. A tingling sensation spread from head to toe.
It left him overwhelmed but also excited and stirred up. He didn't know what this meant, or what he was supposed to do next. Just the light touch of her lips made his mouth go dry.
His heart ached for something more. Yaelle noticed how frozen he looked, not even knowing where to put his hands. She let out a soft chuckle.
Still a shy little boy. She gently placed her hand behind his head and lightly kissed his lips again. Maxim seemed to open a new door.
He copied her movement and held the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. He was eager, kissing her over and over again, but with no skill, making her lips feel numb and sore. Yaelle gave him a small push to end it.
When they parted, Maxim stared at her, eyes full of emotion like it was about to overflow. Yaelle was embarrassed under his gaze and lightly punched his shoulder. She grumbled, "You hurt me."
He finally snapped out of the sweet moment. Looking down, he saw her lips were wet and slightly swollen. He felt regretful.
He had been too forceful. But this was his first time doing something like this, and he completely lost control. He quickly apologized, "Sorry, Yaelle. I didn't mean to. I'll try to learn better."
Yes, learning. To avoid hurting women, boys were taught how to serve their wives after they came of age. In poorer families, the father would teach them.
Rich families would hire experienced men as instructors. Maybe his father didn't want to distract him from his studies, so no one had been hired yet. Now he knew nothing at all.
And he still had the nerve to speak. Yaelle shot him a glare. But that look didn't have any power behind it.
Her red eyes from the kiss only made her look more seductive. Seeing her like that, Maxim felt something stir in his chest. His heart pounded like a drum.
Something else also woke up without his control. The amazing feeling from earlier made him want to hug her again and kiss her hard. His body's reaction confused and embarrassed him.
He gave a light cough to cover it up and leaned forward a bit. The table helped hide a certain part of him. He didn't know what else to do.
Just then, a knock came from the door, breaking the awkwardness. "Come in!" Maxim said toward the door. A few moments later, his page Yaelle pushed the door open, holding a tray with several plates of freshly grilled food.
"When did you prepare all this?" Yaelle asked curiously. "It was Young Master who arranged for the boatman to catch the fish and shrimp ahead of time. Attendant Sam and I grilled them on the deck."
"Miss, please try some. The fish and shrimp from this lake are very fresh." "Thanks, just leave it here."
Yaelle took the dishes out of the tray and placed them neatly on the table, then quietly exited. Yaelle picked up a skewer of shrimp, peeled one, and put it in her mouth. It had the unique freshness of river shrimp.
Even without seasoning, the flavor was rich. It preserved the shrimp's original taste and offered a different kind of enjoyment. Maxim helped her pick out some pieces of grilled fish and carefully removed the bones.
"Yaelle, try this grilled fish first. I'll peel the shrimp for you so you won't hurt your hands." "Thank you, Maxim. You eat too, I can handle it myself."
"I'm not a child anymore," Yaelle said quickly. She couldn't just let him serve her like that. To be honest, she wasn't used to this kind of treatment.
It felt a bit awkward having someone just watch her eat. "It's fine, Yaelle. I'm happy to do things for you."
He meant it. In this place, if a wife allowed her husband to help with chores, it was a form of recognition. Some families even schemed just to earn that right.
"You won't let me help. Is it because you don't want to acknowledge me?" Maxim asked with a mock hurt expression. "No, not at all." Yaelle quickly said.
"I just don't want you to get too tired. Eat while it's still hot. Cold fish tastes fishy."
Yaelle stuffed a shrimp into Maxim's mouth to shut him up. The two of them fed each other affectionately and quickly finished all the food. After asking someone to clean up the table, they sat down and chatted.
Yaelle remembered she hadn't given him her jade pendant yet. She pulled out a delicate little box from her sleeve pocket and pushed it in front of Maxim. "I designed this and had someone make it."
"I think it suits you well." Maxim felt surprised and delighted. Yaelle even brought him a gift on this trip.
One she personally designed. Meanwhile, all he had prepared were some simple snacks. He told himself secretly that from now on, he must treat her even better so she would never want to leave him.