Chapter 28

Camellia came to Maxim’s office with a charity ball invitation. Maxim glanced at her indifferently and sighed.

“I’m sure I told you not to come.”

“…I came because I have business.”

Camellia placed the invitation she was holding in front of Maxim. Since it was a charity ball hosted by the Crown Prince, Maxim would certainly attend. Maxim and Frederick were close brothers.

Maxim was also Frederick’s strongest supporter.

“What’s this for?”

Maxim asked coldly. Camellia trembled.

“I came to apply to be your partner. You can at least do that much.”

“Who decides that?”

Maxim asked without even looking at her.

“What?”

“I asked who decides the line of ‘at least that much.'”

“…Why are you being like this to me?”

Maxim put down the pen he was holding. For the first time since she had come to see him, their eyes met. Tears swirled in Camellia’s large eyes.

But she stubbornly held back her tears.

“Why are you being like this to me?”

That was rather what Maxim wanted to ask. He was sick of the Delrent family. Not just Camellia, but also the specter that followed him around. Sometimes he felt nauseous looking at Camellia, who resembled Rosalynn.

“What did I… we’ve been close since childhood. Can’t you go with me as a friend?”

“Friend? Yes, that pathetic friend. Then let me ask as a friend. Can’t you just leave me alone?”

Maxim snapped. His eyes looking at her were cold. His blue-green eyes were filled with anger and hatred. Camellia finally let a tear drop.

“Why can’t it be me?”

“…”

“After sister, it should be me. There’s a promise with the Delrent family too. It should be me next!”

Camellia stamped her foot indignantly. Maxim frowned at her sharply raised voice. Turning his head and sighing, he said:

“Don’t force your thoughts on me, Camellia. The promise between Delrent and Adeloff was broken long ago. From the day your sister died.”

“No! I’m here too, Maxim! I can take her place, so why…”

Camellia bit her lip. Since what happened to Rosalynn, Count and Countess Delrent no longer forced or expected anything from her. That was why she was twenty-two years old without a single fiancé.

Moreover, after the Rosalynn incident, the Count and Countess tried to grant whatever Camellia wanted.

Certainly, if Maxim accepted her and she just expressed her intentions to the Count and Countess, no matter what anyone said, the two would be united.

“Get out.”

Continuing to converse with a woman he could no longer communicate with was a useless waste of energy.

“I-I won’t leave!”

Maxim stood up himself. Though work was busy, he wanted to leave this place. Camellia tried to grab Maxim as he passed by, but he didn’t let himself be caught.

Maxim, who was heading down to the first floor, encountered another visitor who had come to see him.

“…Aunt. Elena, Leana.”

Maxim let out a hollow laugh. What kind of day was today? However, what was different about them from Camellia was that they didn’t invoke disgusting feelings in him. Leana, who spotted him, came running over and clung to his legs.

“Mister…”

Leana mumbled.

“Leana wants to become a princess too…”

The situation was that in the carriage, Hazel had joked, ‘To become a princess, you have to ask Maxim. He owns the department store.’ Leana, who had looked serious throughout the carriage ride, had gathered her courage.

She looked up at Maxim with teary eyes.

The little one who had somehow entered his life was really tugging at his heartstrings. Her large eyes, resembling her sister’s, were full of moisture. Like water pooled in a lake.

Maxim picked up Leana. She, who had been tense at first, slowly relaxed her body. Perhaps because she lived on medicine, she hadn’t gained any weight. The child’s weight in his arms felt as light as a feather.

Maxim clicked his tongue briefly and said to her:

“If you want to become a princess, then you should. But in return.”

“R-return? Compensation?”

Since learning the word ‘compensation’ from Maxim, she often used it. Leana tensed up again.

“Leana has to be my partner.”

“Partner?”

“A princess needs a prince.”

Maxim had noticed that Hazel planned to take Leana to the charity ball too. And that she would need a partner as well.

“O-okay!”

Leana nodded courageously. Though Maxim was scary, even to her aesthetic sense, he looked handsome. She swallowed and hugged him tightly.

“Leana’s lucky. Getting a prince?”

Elena said in an amused voice. Approaching Leana and Maxim, she arranged Leana’s disheveled hair with her fingers. She was smoothing out her wrinkled skirt when a woman burst out from Maxim’s office.

Hazel frowned and Elena’s eyes widened.

Camellia knew Elena, but Elena didn’t know her. She glared at Elena standing beside Maxim. While she couldn’t even get near him, that woman was naturally standing next to him.

Camellia trembled and left abruptly.

“Oh, there was a customer?”

“Customer? More like an uninvited guest. Right, Maxim?”

Maxim was carefully observing this situation. Just now, Camellia had seen Elena and left immediately. And earlier she had said, “It should be me next.” That meant she was aware of and concerned about Elena.

He stared at her.

The woman’s blue eyes, beneath her abundant wheat-colored hair, sparkled with moisture. Her unusually large eyes had an enchanting light. Everything about Elena sparkled. Her pink cheeks, moist lips, and even her cute nose.

Every element that made her up made her even more captivating.

Camellia was concerned about Elena.

Maxim mulled over that fact.

“Uninvited guest, right. Well, let’s go then. The prince has to help the princess. Right, Leana?”

“Yes!”

Leana nodded vigorously.

Hazel carefully observed the change in Maxim’s expression. Her eyes sparkled. She seemed to have found Maxim’s weak spot.

---

Leana had happy shopping with Maxim. She rarely went outside anyway, and the department store was like a different world to her.

Moreover, Maxim was very generous.

Her arms were full of food. Plus her favorite large rabbit doll. The sight of her hugging the doll tightly was enough to bring warm smiles to people’s faces.

“Mister, mister!”

Having completely dropped her guard toward him, she called out excitedly. She was probably the only person in the world who could grab his pants and shake them like that.

Maxim smiled.

“What now? What do you want?”

“Uh, um… no…”

Leana squirmed. Her black hair swayed cutely. Maxim glanced at what she was looking at. He saw pink shoes decorated with cute rhinestones.

And in front of those shoes were girls around Leana’s age gathered. He could see noblewomen lined up at the store buying girls’ shoes and what appeared to be servants from various families.

Maxim pointed directly at the shoes.

“Those?”

“Yes…”

Leana nodded while fidgeting. Elena tried to stop her, but Hazel shook her head.

“Maxim is the partner, so spending money on Leana is also his responsibility.”

“But…”

“Elena, you’re planning to give Maxim adequate compensation, aren’t you?”

Hazel winked. Finally Elena stepped back. Though she looked anxious, no one in the world could stop Hazel. And Maxim too.

He entered the store boldly while carrying Leana.

“Ah…”

Elena reached out her hand then let it drop.

The store employees who saw Maxim guided them to the deepest part of the store. And not long after, Leana came out wearing those pink princess shoes.

“Sister! I’m a princess!!”

How could anyone scold her seeing that bright smile? Elena just smiled.