Chapter 90 - My Preferences or Yours?

“I see. Now that the lady has a new lover, a lot of gentlemen in the capital will be heartbroken.” The conniving man winked and laughed. “Should I mention that I, of course, will be one of them?” Max could tell Radian was looking down on him by the way he eyed him while smiling crookedly.

‘How amusing.’ When he participated in the war at the age of 16, there were many times where he was ignored for being a rookie. However, that stopped being the case when he cut off the enemy commander’s head and displayed it in the square for all to see. Since the beginning, he was someone who never avoided a fight. ‘Will he still be able to look at me the same when his tongue is cut off?’ His mind was starting to fill with brutal thoughts, but when Jubelian suddenly locked arms with him, his anger started to fade. ‘What is she doing?’ As if to answer Max’s question, Jubelian parted her red lips.

“We’ll be going, then. We’re running short on time for a date.”

Max’s expression relaxed at her words. ‘A date…?’ Although he had taken part in an unwanted dress-up, her words confirmed for him who she was spending time with. When he realized this, an unfamiliar feeling that was both warm and ticklish started bubbling in his chest.

“I hope you’ll allow me some time next time,” the man’s voice broke the stillness. Max smirked at Radian who continued his act up until the end.

‘Son of Viscount Droil, huh.’ As he watched Radian walk away, Max made a vow to place Viscount Droil’s family on the hit list once the day of the rebellion came around. ‘The first thing I’ll do is rip off that mouth that dared to laugh at me.’ 

Max’s eyes were shining with bloodthirst when Jubelian suddenly asked, “Do you want to get something sweet to eat?” 

Clearing the savagery from his eyes, Max glanced over at her. 

“I’m just stressed out from seeing that irksome guy,” she explained. 

He wasn’t sure what the phrase ‘stressed out’ meant, but he did understand that she was speaking ill of Radian. “Then we can get rid of him, right? As the daughter of a duke, it will be simple to exterminate a viscount’s family.”

At his words, Jubelian let out a sigh and hardened her expression. “I really hate him, but I don’t want to get rid of him.”

“Why?” Jubelian sighed again at Max’s oblivious tone.

“It’s like… I hate rats, but I don’t want to go through the trouble of killing them just to see their dead bodies. Do you know what I mean?”

Max learned something important from her words. ‘I see she doesn’t like killing.’ For some reason, he became depressed at this thought. ‘Is this why she’s afraid of the crown prince?’

“Let’s stop talking about unpleasant things and get some sweets. I know a good place.” Jubelian’s lively voice brought him back to reality.

Max stared at her in return. ‘I hate sweet things.’ Mistaking his silence for affirmation, Jubelian began pulling on his arm.

“I’m sure you’ll like it.” If he wanted to, he could have refused, but he didn’t. Instead, Max allowed himself to be helplessly dragged along.

They soon arrived at an indescribably glamorous tearoom. Jubelian looked over to Max as if she were expecting some sort of reaction, but he was indifferent. ‘It’s average,’ he thought. No matter how colorful the interior was, it was mediocre in the eyes of someone who grew up in a palace full of gold.

“Hello, my lady. What would you like to order?” When the clerk brought out the menu, Jubelian looked over to Max.

“What do you like? I like strawberry cake.” To be honest, he hated sweets, but he felt that if he told her the truth then her smile would disappear.

“I want the same thing,” he said instead.

“I think you and I have similar tastes.” Max slightly furrowed his eyebrows at her words.

‘They’re completely different.’ Cucumbers, showy clothes, and sweets were all things he hated. This whole time he had been shaping himself to like what she liked of his own accord, but the other party hadn’t noticed it so far. ‘It’s amazing how dense she is,’ Max sighed in frustration.

* * *

Mikhail’s expression twisted into one of irritation when he laid his eyes on the face of someone who he didn’t want to see. “What brings you here again?”

Radian lifted a glass at his question. “Let’s sit down first and then we’ll talk.” He was extremely displeased to see how Radian used the excuse of him being his cousin to drink his expensive alcohol. Instead of sitting down, Mikhail picked up the glass of liquor on the table.

‘You don’t want to talk to me face to face, do you?’ Radian smirked at his cousin’s obvious behavior. “Did you know?”

“What?” Whatever his vile cousin had to say, Mikhail was determined to not be shaken up this time. With this pledge in mind, he began to bring the glass to his mouth.

“Lady Floyen, I saw her with a man today.”

When he heard those absurd words, the glass slipped from Mikhail’s hand. Clang! There was a loud rupture followed by pieces of glass rolling on the floor. Radian opened his mouth to say something but closed it when he noticed the look in his cousin’s eyes.

“I dare you to say something like that again.” Mikhail’s bleak voice cut through the silence.