Warning: The following chapters contain mature and intimate content. Reader discretion is advised.
Michael and his sister both agreed with the proposal, because they believed Father Xiao would consider things more thoroughly than they could.
After finishing the discussion, Elder Xiao went straight home, but Maxim stayed because he wanted to spend more time with Yaelle. Actually, he left in a hurry earlier because he needed to report the news to his father quickly.
Maxim stared at Yaelle with intense eyes. Her cheeks flushed from the heat of his gaze, so she led him back to her courtyard.
They sat by the tea table, and Yaelle made him a cup of tea. She softly said, "Have some tea. You must be tired from running around."
Maxim looked at her gently and smiled. "What happens to you is my concern. How could I be tired?"
He paused, then added reluctantly, "The academy is getting stricter these days. I probably won't have much rest for the next few months. Today might be the last time I see you for two or three months. I don't want to be apart from you."
Yaelle smiled and said, "Studying comes first. I'm waiting for you to get good results so I can enjoy life with you. Does your academy have breaks at noon or evening. If I'm free, I can bring you some things. We can meet at the gate then."
Maxim got excited and said, "Why didn't I think of that. We finish classes every evening at the You hour. I can come out then. It's quite far, about one and a half hours each way. Traveling at night is unsafe. If you come, you'd have to stay at an inn."
"I'll think about it. Bringing some guards to stay at the inn for the night should be fine." Yaelle thought for a moment. "If it's too risky, I can wear men's clothes to be safer. Then I can also explore outside."
"Your safety is the most important. I want to see you, but if it puts you in danger, it's better not to come." Maxim said seriously. Even though the court forbids men from harming women, who knows if some dangerous people might act violently for profit.
"I know. I'll be careful."
"There's more..."
Yaelle found him too talkative and interrupted by pressing her lips against his. If he kept talking, it would get dark soon.
Their lips met warmly. Maxim stopped thinking about anything else and quickly lost himself in the moment.
He took control, gently sucking on Yaelle's soft cherry lips. She felt dizzy and moaned quietly. Maxim used the chance to explore her mouth with his tongue, inviting her to dance with him in harmony.
Yaelle felt a tingling warmth. The emptiness in her heart made her want more. She matched his movements. They moved together naturally.
The beast inside Maxim was barely controlled. His hand slid from her back to the front, covering the place he had long desired.
Seeing Yaelle did not resist and became bolder, he eagerly pressed on, kissing without pause. His movements grew more skilled.
Feeling uncomfortable in that position, Maxim stepped back. He bent slightly in Yaelle's dreamy gaze and lifted her in a princess carry.
He used his leg to open the bedroom door, carried her inside, then gently closed the door with his foot. He carefully laid her on the bed, then leaned down. He imitated her previous actions, kissing her forehead and then softly licking her earlobe.
Such a sensitive spot touched by him made Yaelle shiver and hum softly from the unbearable feeling.
Maxim thought her voice sounded beautiful. His lips continued downward while his hands applied more pressure. As he rubbed, Yaelle's thin summer robe loosened completely, revealing her pink embroidered dudou.
The sight of her fair skin made Maxim dizzy. His lips lingered along her collarbone and then followed his desire to her curves. Yaelle gasped again and again, her body unbelievably soft, but she didn't stop him.
She was a grown woman. Pretending she had no desire would be a lie. She wanted to see if someone as upright as Maxim would cross the line.
They weren't married yet, so if he went too far, she could still stop him. Besides, they probably wouldn't see each other again until the wedding days later. So she decided to let things go a little and see how far he would go.
Maxim's trembling hands pulled at her robe until it slipped off completely. Seeing her in only a dudou and underpants, with the rest of her skin exposed, made his mind and limbs lose control. He felt like he couldn't stop his hands.
A wave of heat rushed to his head, then his nose itched. A stream of warm liquid flowed from his nostrils. He instinctively touched his nose and found his hand covered in blood.
Panic took over. He had no idea what to do. Yaelle saw the blood and quickly grabbed a silk handkerchief from the bed.
"Wipe it off quickly!" Maxim took the handkerchief and covered his nose, but blood still dripped down. It stained the front of his clothes in blotches that were hard to ignore.
She pulled him to sit at the edge of the bed. Then she ran to the wardrobe to find clothes. She remembered asking Attendant Sam to prepare loose men's clothes that might fit him.
Maxim sat there, covering his nose, watching Yaelle rummage through the wardrobe. He felt confused. Soon, she pulled out a light-colored robe and handed it to him.
"Go to the inner room and change." Maxim took the clothes, his face burning red. He rushed into the inner room as fast as he could.
As he moved, he couldn't help thinking how embarrassing everything had been today. After he went inside, Yaelle couldn't hold back her laughter. She found his reaction so cute.
It was just taking off a robe. Was it really that serious? It was like wearing a tank top and shorts.
In modern summers, people walked around like that all the time. But she understood Maxim's mindset. People in this era were more conservative.
Inside, Maxim felt miserable. Why did he always make a fool of himself at Yaelle's place? Last time, she barely touched him and he reacted too quickly.
This time, just seeing her in a dudou made his nose bleed. He soaked the handkerchief in cold water and placed it on the back of his neck. After the bleeding stopped, he washed his face with cold water.
Then he changed into the clothes Yaelle gave him. They were a bit tight but still wearable. It was better than going out with bloodstained clothes.
While he cleaned up, Yaelle quickly got dressed too. She didn't want to provoke him again when he came out. She only had one set of men's clothes.
If it got dirty, there would be nothing left to wear. More than fifteen minutes passed before Maxim finally came out slowly. When he saw Yaelle looking calm, he relaxed a bit.
He had been afraid she would be upset or angry. But he really couldn't stay any longer. After a few words, Maxim left in a hurry.
He even forgot to take the clothes he had changed out of. Yaelle, thinking it would be a waste, took the dirty clothes into her space. She wanted to wash them before the blood dried.
Since the blood was still fresh, a little laundry detergent and a quick rub made the stains come out. She spun the clothes in the washing machine and hung them inside her space. She planned to take them out to dry later at night after Attendant Sean and the others were asleep.
Inside the space, clothes never dried properly. They always stayed half-damp.