Maxim saw how tense she was and hugged her gently. He said softly, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Yaelle slowly relaxed and leaned against his chest.
She felt the warmth of his body and his steady breath. She knew this man loved her and would respect her wishes. So she leaned in and kissed him gently.
She whispered, "Wait until we get back. I don't want to do it here." A flicker of surprise crossed Maxim's eyes. He held her tightly and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't think it through."
He now understood that she wasn't unwilling, but this place really wasn't right. It was rushed and messy, and he didn't want her to feel wronged. "I can help you," Yaelle said, feeling a little sorry for him holding back so hard.
Maxim's heart pounded. Help how? Like last time?
His chest was burning with excitement. Since they were lying down with their clothes still on, Yaelle reached out her hand. She undid Maxim's... and casually tossed it aside.
Her lips touched his... making Maxim swallow hard. His grip on the blanket tightened. As they tangled together, their outer clothes were pulled off.
Then came the inner layer. And finally, nothing remained. Yaelle looked at Maxim's... and gave a satisfied look.
She liked what she saw and wanted him to keep it that way. Maxim breathed heavily and said, "Yaelle... stop teasing me... it's so hard to bear..." She replied, "Why rush?"
Yaelle looked at him and paused for a moment. Then she smiled calmly. Wasn't it good that her own man was like this?
He would make her happy. She thought about how she not only had the theory but also real experience. She had been married before and wasn't going to lose without a fight.
Back in her dorm, she and her roommates had secretly watched some small... videos. Nothing could scare her now. As she kept thinking about it...
...five minutes later...
She quickly walked behind the screen. Maxim stayed in the room, and after that short moment passed, he came back to his senses. Then he started doubting himself again.
Was something wrong with him? When Yaelle came out and saw him staring blankly, she called out, "Maxim, go wash up." "Oh, okay," Maxim replied.
He pulled on his clothes and rushed behind the screen. His speed looked like a dog was chasing him. After washing, Maxim came back and quietly lay on the bed.
Yaelle saw he looked a little low but didn't say much. Real action later would be better than any words. She hugged Maxim, gently patted his back, and comforted him.
Then she couldn't resist sleep and drifted off again. The two of them lay in each other's arms. They enjoyed the quiet and the sweetness of the moment.
Maxim struggled internally for a while, but under Yaelle's soothing presence, he finally calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Maxim got up. He had to go to school, but he didn't wake Yaelle. He only gave her a light kiss on the forehead and quietly walked out.
Before leaving, he made sure to close the door behind him and asked Attendant Sam to take care of her. Attendant Sam agreed and stayed at the door, but if one looked closely, they'd notice he seemed a little disappointed that morning.
When Yaelle opened her eyes again, the morning light had already slanted through the window and into the room. She was still drowsy, yawned lazily without any grace, then stretched slowly and finally got out of bed.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Attendant Sam, who had heard movement inside and gently knocked. After getting Yaelle's permission, he walked in carrying a basin of hot water that had already been prepared.
Yaelle took the basin and towel and began to wash up. After finishing, she asked Attendant Sam to leave and called Attendant Sean over to help with her hair. Attendant Sean skillfully combed her long hair, tied it into an elegant male-style bun, and inserted a hairpin, making her look just like a refined young man.
Once everything was done, the group set off on their journey again. This time, they didn't plan to visit Maxim at the academy, because they knew they wouldn't be able to see him even if they went. So they decided to enjoy the scenery along the way just like before, treating the trip as a relaxing vacation.
But luck wasn't on their side that day. When they reached the foot of a mountain where a small grove stood, they clearly heard the sounds of a fight. Yaelle didn't want to get involved, so she immediately told the guards to drive the carriage to a hidden spot and form a circle while staying alert.
In her heart, Yaelle prayed for the fight to end quickly and for those people to leave. She didn't want to get dragged into this mess, because she knew that while her guards could easily handle ordinary people or even slightly stronger ones with effort, if they ran into a true expert, it could cost their lives.
But things didn't go as she hoped. The sounds of fighting got closer, and through the gaps between the branches, she could vaguely see what was happening. Three masked people were attacking a man in black. From the looks of it, the man was slightly stronger, but he was clearly more injured.
As time went on, the man's movements became slower. They were fighting while gradually moving closer to where Yaelle was hiding, which made her extremely nervous.
When they got even closer, Yaelle finally saw the man's face. It was cold and handsome, with sharp brows and eyes that gave off a restrained allure. His appearance was striking, completely matching her taste. Compared to him, those modern pretty boys were nothing.
But she didn't have time to admire him. Holding her breath, she focused on the scene. When she saw him take down another masked person, she let out a small breath of relief. But then her heart jumped again when another masked man stabbed the man's arm.
The man groaned but didn't dodge. The sword pierced straight through him.
Almost collapsing from exhaustion, he barely supported himself with his sword and locked eyes with the last masked attacker.
Yaelle was so anxious it felt like a cat was scratching her heart. She finally couldn't help asking the guard in a hushed voice, "That masked guy, can you take him?"
The guard replied in a low voice, "If he weren't injured, we'd have to fight hard. But now he looks badly hurt, so it shouldn't be a problem."