Chapter 285 - Kiss to Wish Victory

Max smiled mischievously. “What about last time?” He gently poked the ribbon holding the choker on her neck. Jubelian flinched. Her eyes wider than ever, she glared at Max. Nonetheless, she was nothing but adorable in his eyes. She looked like a timid little animal on the lookout for its predator. Max wanted to tease her more. “So, what is it?” Seeing her endearing reaction, Max was going to poke fun at her more. However, he was shocked by what she said next.

“From now on, you can’t kiss me without my permission.”

‘What?’ He gazed at her with trembling eyes, but she made herself clear.

“Do you understand?”

* * *

I asked for confirmation. However, Max just looked at me without replying. His handsome face and pitiful gaze almost moved my heart, but I remained adamant in my decision. ‘If he leaves another embarrassing mark in a place other people can see… I’ll have to hide from Dad.’

A few days ago, I had woken up early to see Dad off. But as sharp as he was, he had given a suspicious gaze at the choker on my neck. “Jubelian, why are you covering your neck?” he had asked. I told him that it was because of a sore throat and that I wanted to keep my neck covered. Still, I had been worried ever since then that Dad might make a great fuss out of my fake illness and call Allen. Not only that, wearing something around my neck all day was uncomfortable.

As I glared at the culprit with resentment, he asked softly, “I wanted a kiss for tomorrow’s hunting competition… Can I really not?” He was looking at me with puppy eyes now. My heart grew weak.

‘I can’t do this…’ Frankly, I didn’t want to refrain from kissing someone I liked. All of a sudden, my mind was making excuses to let him do as he pleased. I ended up compromising with my desires in the end. “Alright. One on the cheek is fine…”

His eyes bent into crescent moons. Wearing a captivating smile, he whispered, “That’s good enough.”

I swallowed nervously as I approached him, then I met his crimson eyes—they were a shade darker than they had been. He was giving me all of his attention, and I felt somewhat embarrassed. I could feel my face getting hot. Yes, it was similar to the strange feeling I had felt a few days ago when he had left the mark. Wanting to crawl into a hole, I told him, “Close your eyes.” He gave me a slight frown but obeyed. My heart fluttered at the sight of him meekly closing his eyes. In any case, I was happy that he listened to me without complaining. I took the chance to study his face while he had his eyes closed. He had long eyelashes and a pointy nose.

‘How could someone be so handsome?’ I smiled. On my tippy toes, I resolved to only have light acts of affection until I came of age. There wouldn’t be any big events after the banquet, anyway, so I didn’t have to be worried. Suppressing the desire to kiss his lips, I approached his cheek. That was when Max suddenly opened his eyes.

‘Huh?’

There was not even time to protest, as he grabbed me by the face and kissed me. I kept my mouth shut, but he gently pressed my chin, allowing my mouth to open. Taking the chance, he slid his tongue in, his lust wetting the inside of my mouth.

How was this a kiss for a blessing?! Wasn’t it supposed to be a light peck with pure intentions? What we were doing was not pure by any means—it was ludicrous. I groaned inwardly as I berated myself for responding to his kiss. I opened my eyes only to meet his eyes immediately. There was a sense of desperation and ferocity like that of a hungry beast. I felt as if I had become his prey. My knees grew weak from the peculiar tingling that resonated throughout my body. I staggered backward, but he held my back firmly. He bit my lip gently before letting go of me and whispering, “I’m determined to win the contest.”