**
"Maximilian?"
I blink at her silently. She just called my name. By my name. Instead of feeling repulsed and detested by that sound I instead can't feel anything anymore. All I can see is her.
My breath stops for a moment again. Just like back i...
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The both of them silently get through the files the entire night, breaking their backs and their necks, keeping themselves awake when feeling the slightest urge to just close them and go to sleep for a long long time. Maximillian comes across a peculiar file, it was a girl named Amelia, she had recently joined as a servant here. She only does laundry work and sweeping the floor for now, but her background seems mysterious. She is from a whole different kingdom, someone had recommended the job for her here recently. She also looks very suspicious with her photo on the front. Looking so dead inside.
"Hey, Elizabeth, I think I might've found someone. Her name is Amelia," he stands up, reading off the file as he walks over to where she sat on the couch. "She seems to be from a different kingdom, and just got here recently. And also secured a job at the imperial palace within that time per-" he realized he was talking to himself, as he sees the sleeping woman, laying on the couch while still holding a paper in her hands. How long has she been sleeping for?
Maximillian crouches down before her, taking the paper gently out of her hand so as to not wake her up, and shifts her so that she's sleeping comfortably on the couch. His hand unintentionally gets hooked to her cheek, and he was allowed the time to take a look at her. She was so peaceful, so warm. How tired must she have been? She's putting her life at risk, for him. For someone she doesn't even want. Does no part of her not love him? Not even a little? Because sometimes it's hard to believe.
"You're so cruel to me. Why do you keep doing all this for me, just to claim you don't want me either. It would've been better if you just didn't care about me at all." He frowns, still caressing her cheek in a crescent motion. He doesn't want her to stir awake, because he still wants to watch her, and allow her the time to sleep and take rest. She must sleep, no more working for the day. Maximillian sat there silently, letting his eyes wander over her peaceful face. And his eyes slowly start drifting off into a sleep, he suddenly felt warm and drowsy. After being awake all this time with sheer will, he had lost it all in her presence, as he slipped into a dark void, crouching before her. _________________________________
The next few days, everything has been going smoothly. They worked day and night for 3 days, and it was finally the 5th day. Fate was written in a way to make sure the crown prince would be poisoned sometime along these five days, but now that they were slowly passing that time, they got relaxed.
Elizabeth had been making sure each day, that the food cooked for Maximillian wasn't poisoned, so she cooked the food herself, dressing up as a servant and cooking all the food as best as she can. Maximillian doesn't know about this arrangement, he just simply eats his food without knowing that she was the one cooking behind it. And bringing him tea whenever he needed some.
It was the 5th day, Elizabeth walks over to Maximillian's room with a tray of tea in her hands. Over these last few days they had gotten much closer than before. Like good friends that know each other, and they might continue to stay that way. "Hey, I brought you some tea." She peeks inside before entering, and sees him getting ready to go somewhere. Cleaning up his desk, putting his coat on in a hurry. "Ah, really thank you. You can put it down over there. I have to go outside today and won't be having dinner with you today. I might return late." He informs her in a hurry.
