Saving the Villain

"I'll wait while loving you every day. That's my promise… and in case you don't know, I had always kept my promise."

Maxen smiled as he recalled Cosette's words earlier today. He didn't have the chance to say anything anymore because Conrad arrived right after. And upon Conrad's arrival, they had a picnic.

The picnic wasn't anything grand. It was mostly Cosette and Conrad talking about the past back when Cosette was still a child. Sometimes, their discussion would hop about company affairs, and then school affairs.

As usual, Maxen remained silent and simply listened. It wasn't that Cosette and Conrad would make him feel he wasn't included in the conversation. Even though his contribution to the discussions was too little, he never felt, even just for a second, that he was part of the backdrop.

After their picnic, which ended when the sun set, Maxen returned to his room to freshen up. However, instead of going straight to the bathroom, he sat down on the armchair inside his room.

Holding the straw Cosette gave him earlier today, the smile on his face wouldn't disappear.

"She can be cheesy at times," he murmured, staring at the straw in his open palm. "But I think she had always been."

A light chuckle slipped past his lips, obviously in a good mood despite rejecting her sporadic proposal. But what did he expect from her? She was Cosette, and she would do things at the most unexpected times.

"How can she take that role away from me?" he murmured. "And here I was, still planning how I can afford a grand wedding. I guess I'll always be a step… ten steps behind her."

His eyes softened as he never took his eyes off of the straw tied in a ribbon as a replacement for the diamond ring, and then a loop underneath. Maxen carefully slid it on his finger, smiling charmingly.

Even though it was simply a straw, the look in his eyes appeared as if he was staring at a precious gem. It was never the item, he thought. It was never the value of something. The one that made him the happiest and flustered at the same time was the person who gave this to him.

"I will marry you… someday." He repeated a promise he had always told himself, rubbing the tiny ribbon with his thumb gently. "I'll surely have my turn, Cosette."

Maxen smiled in satisfaction, taking off the straw ring. He marched towards his desk, opened the drawer, and placed it on top of the notebook. The smile on his face remained, marking this day as the day they became engaged.

After that, Maxen hummed a tune as he sauntered toward the bathroom to shower. On his way, he jumped mildly, having the urge to dance like a silly little goose to express his happiness. Even during the shower, Maxen kept humming a tune in his head.

When Maxen finished freshening up, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. On his way out of the bathroom, he stopped in front of the mirror. It was moist, so he wiped it with his hand and grinned.

"You're taken," He snapped a finger and pointed at the person the mirror was reflecting. "Just got engaged."

He smiled from ear to ear, shaking his head out of embarrassment. However, no matter how silly it was to even consider he just got engaged, the thought made him happy. Cosette might've proposed on a whim and didn't think the same as him, but he had a wild imagination.

'I wonder how many children we will have?' he wondered, sauntering out of the bathroom to change. 'One? Or two? It'll be good if we had twins… but won't that hurt her?'

As Maxen's thoughts drifted further and further to the wilderness, closing the door behind him, he froze. His pupils dilated, and his neck twisted like rusting metal. His train of thoughts instantly went blank as soon as his eyes landed on the person sitting in front of his desk.

Maxen blinked and blinked, in case he was hallucinating. But when he blinked the fifth time, Cosette turned her attention to him.

"Hello," she greeted, cupping her cheek with her palm. She then raised a set of keys. "I snuck into Butler George's office and took the spare keys."

"..."

Maxen opened and closed his mouth, but his voice was lost in his throat. "What are you doing here?" he breathed out when he managed to force his voice out.

"We just got engaged. So, of course, we need more cuddle time." Her tone bore a knowing tone, tilting her head to the side.

His shock at her presence hindered him from noticing how Cosette seemed unfazed by the sight of him. After all, Maxen was half naked with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

Cosette's brows rose, looking at him from head to toe. Her eyes lingered on his hand, frowning.

"You didn't wear it yet?" she asked with a deep frown. "I thought you will decide tonight. That's why I waited for an hour before sneaking inside."

Maxen blinked back from his trance and turned on his heel. Her frown grew deeper when he walked away wordlessly, flinching when he slammed closed the door of the walk-in closet.

"What is wrong with him?" she wondered with a pout, looking at the shut door of the walk-in closet. "Did I step out of line and he doesn't feel safe anymore after knowing I can come in and out of here?"

Cosette winced, knocking her head in distress. 'Stupid. You should be more careful. He's not that adult Maxen who will pounce on you the second he felt your presence! He's pure and shy and slightly innocent! What the hell are you expecting?!'

Cosette mentally scolded herself, ruffling her hair in irritation. Little did she know, Maxen was still behind the walk-in closet, his back almost fusing against it. His heart was racing like crazy until he was catching up to his breathing.

"Crazy," he muttered to himself, face turning red with a tinge of horror. "How can you get hard after hearing her say we're engaged?"