**
"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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Maximillian stood at the Duke's grand estate, the hunting invitation still a mystery even to himself. Normally, such requests would be dismissed with a flick of his wrist, the parchment tossed carelessly among the clutter of his chambers. But this time, something was different. He had accepted.
It wasn't the hunt that he wanted. it was her.
His jaw tightened at the thought, and he brought a cigarette to his lips. The sharp scratch of the match, the faint flicker of flame—it was a ritual as much as a need. Smoke curled around his cold, sharp eyes as he stared out the window at the vast empire that lay beyond.
What he learned last night was like a dagger in his chest. Everything he thought he knew about his life, his future, had been twisted into something unrecognizable.
The idea of loving Elizabeth? It was absurd. Impossible. Yet it lingered in his mind, refusing to be ignored.
The cigarette burned down, a bitter taste on his tongue. He exhaled slowly, watching the smoke dissipate as if willing his thoughts to do the same.
He took another whiff of his cigarette and blew it out, it glided through his mouth, rolling off his tongue with ease. He knows he shouldn't be using a cigarette and that it's bad for him, but it keeps him from going crazy. His thoughts are organized when he smokes. It relieves him of his frustration.
When he arrived at the hunting grounds, the Duke greeted him with exaggerated cheer.
"Ah, welcome your highness! I'm so glad you accepted my invitation for today." The Duke came over and greeted Maximillian with the brightest smile ever. Maximillian can see through those cunning eyes of his, but he doesn't say anything and greets him back.
"I'm so thankful you invited me." Maximillian offered a polite bow, his expression unreadable. "It seems everyone's here already." His eyes scanned the crowd, restless. He swallowed hard, hoping to catch sight of Elizabeth. Was she not here?
"But where is your daughter, Elizabeth? Is she not feeling well?" The worry in his voice broke through his usual reserve, surprising even himself. The Duke's grin faltered, replaced by a knowing smile, one that was cunning just like him.
"I see. You're here for Elizabeth. She will be down here shortly, but if your highness wants you can go and meet her now. The people down here are mostly old businessmen. You should instead go speak with someone your own age. Elizabeth has been holed up in the library since this morning. She said she would come down in a little while, when the hunting actually begins." The Duke calls over a servant with a snap and orders the servant.
"Take his highness to see the young lady in the library, as he doesn't know where it is." The servant nodded and bowed down after the order. The Duke bid Maximilian goodbye, letting him follow the servant to the library. Maximillian silently followed the servant, without saying or resisting to go.
