After arriving at the duke’s residence, Max belatedly realized Jubelian was not in the mansion. He clenched his jaw tightly. ‘Where is she? Did something happen to her?’ All sorts of horrible thoughts—from “she had gone on a date with another man” to “she had been kidnapped”—swirled in his mind. Max tried to control his reasoning but couldn’t help that he was worried. He needed to see her at this moment.
‘Just where did she go? If something happened to her…’ His heart pounded. As his anxiety reached its peak, violent feelings arose. ‘I’ll kill all those who dare to lay a finger on you, and I will follow—’
Suddenly feeling another person’s presence nearby, Max stood in a defensive stance, his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was the moment he was about to draw his weapon when a voice asked, “What are you doing here?”
Recognizing the tone, Max let out a sigh of relief. It was just his master. Max then stood with a perplexed expression. If his master was in the mansion, that meant Jubelian wouldn’t have been kidnapped at least. “Where is Jubelian?” Max queried, barely suppressing his anxious feelings.
“What’s it to you?”
The cold words ignited Max’s resentment toward his teacher. “Master!” he cried. He didn’t understand why his master was being so unhelpful. Wasn’t he the one who requested Jubelian to be protected at all times?
His apprentice’s glare blatantly revealed his grudges. Regis could feel him staring but paid no heed. “How could you pledge to protect someone else if you can’t even protect yourself?”
Max frowned at his master’s disdainful question. “What are you talking about?”
“I just find it interesting how you keep losing your mind every time my daughter is out of your sight.”
Max couldn’t deny it. Although he didn’t want to admit it, it was true. Whenever Jubelian was not around him, he felt uneasy—sometimes to the point of going berserk. There were also times when he felt extremely upset to the point of feeling like he was on fire. He would grow frustrated at such times as he knew no way to control his temper.
“Maximillian,” his master called just then. Max raised his head to face the duke. Sighing, his teacher continued, “Have you ever thought that just because you weren’t around her didn’t mean she was in trouble? She isn’t a child that cannot distinguish dangerous situations from those that are not.”
“I’ve never said that,” Max retorted furiously. He then recalled the times Jubelian had smiled at him. She was sloppy, defenseless, and slow to read the atmosphere—yet she was an extremely lovely lady he couldn’t keep his eyes away from. “I’m just… worried about her.”
Listening to his apprentice’s confession, Regis was prompted to recall the fragments of his memory.
“It seems there is no trust between us.”
‘If I hadn’t been so overprotective…’ Regis sighed. Although he couldn’t say he had been in love with his wife while she was alive, the events of that day had become an indelible scar for him. Clenching his fists, he advised, “There are times when you must trust your partner and wait for them.” He then observed his apprentice. Although he possessed excellent swordsmanship, Max had been a cold-blooded maniac who cared for no one. Regis even once thought Max’s soul had been severely destroyed… until Jubelian turned him into a human with emotions.
“My daughter may seem weak on the outside, but she is not so on the inside. She is also a wise one. Trust her and focus on your own duties.”
Max couldn’t fully understand but decided to follow his master’s instructions for now. “Understood. I’ll be leaving then.”
Regis watched as his disciple left the mansion. The corners of his lips slowly rose. ‘He usually fails to notice my presence… but realized I was nearby this time. It seems that his skills have improved.’
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