"Huh?" Emmelyn furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Maxim shrugged and acted like he was fine, as carefree as he had always been. He put down his cup and changed the subject. "The garden looks really nice. I think I know where my mother got the inspiration for our garden back home. There are so many similarities between this one and ours."

Emmelyn couldn't believe Maxim would just change the subject like that. She gripped the man in the arm and asked him urgently. "Please tell me you are not going to marry a woman you don't love for my sake! I cannot live with that knowledge."

Maxim looked down at his arm, which was being gripped by Emmelyn. His heart ached for her.

Emmelyn was too kind, he thought. Even though her life was in such a bad place, she was still thinking about other people.

Maxim remembered when they were in Mount Tempest, Emmelyn chose to save Kira instead of getting something for herself.

At that time, Maxim felt salty. He thought Kira didn't deserve to be saved. In Maxim's opinion, the pirate princess was dumb enough to chase snow that she was trapped in the ice castle as decoration.  Emmelyn should have made a different choice. 

Maxim had a very low tolerance for dumb or slow people like Kira. That was why he liked Emmelyn. She was quick-witted and she had a good heart.

He especially liked her good heart.

Even now, Emmelyn still cared about Maxim despite having gone through so much suffering because of him. The Summerian king couldn't help but feel his heart flutter.

Come to think of it, maybe this was what Kira felt back then. She felt moved by Emmelyn's good heart, and she vowed to do whatever to pay back her kindness for saving her life.

Ah... now, Maxim understood. He realized he also wanted to do something to pay back Emmelyn's kindness to make her happy.

From what he gathered, Emmelyn's main concern was her daughter and it made a lot of sense. Harlow was Emmelyn's only family now after she lost everyone.

It was understandable that Emmelyn just wanted Harlow to live a happy life. Maxim didn't know if he would ever understand what it felt like being a parent, but if it meant so much to Emmelyn, he would try to make Emmelyn get what she wanted for Harlow.

Maxim didn't know what it was like to be a parent, but he knew what it's like to be in love.

When a man loved someone so badly, he just wanted her to be happy, even if it was not with him.

"Why not? Will you marry me if I don't marry Elise?" Maxim asked Emmelyn playfully. His attitude was relaxed and carefree as usual. 

Emmelyn furrowed her brows when she heard his words. She didn't know why Maxim pretended everything was fine and okay.

He just casually said that he would marry the Leoralei girl. Maxim didn't love Elise! How could he spend the rest of his life with the woman he didn't even know?

This was a sacrifice too great for Emmelyn to receive. Marriage was not child's play.

She loved her husband and she thought Mars loved her back, but even a marriage based on love could face so many hurdles and problems. 

She couldn't imagine how much more awful it would be to be bound in a loveless marriage...

Maxim didn't deserve to live such a life.

And what about Elise? Could she accept a husband who didn't love her? Based on Tides' and Myrcella's words, it seemed Elise wanted to marry Maxim. Foolish girl, indeed.

Emmelyn felt very sorry for Elise, just as much as she felt sorry for Maxim.

She bit her lip. Maxim's question stabbed right to her heart. She shouldn't pretend she didn't know his feelings for her. Maxim had confessed his love indirectly when they met Myrcella.

What would she do with his feelings? Would she marry him if he didn't marry Elise Leoralei?

In all honesty, Emmelyn did think about it several times. Now, he was nothing more than a good friend for her, and her heart was still hurt by what her husband did. But give it time, maybe someday she would melt and could see him as a life partner.

She could fall in love with Mars after they spent so much time together and she got to know the other side of him. She thought he was sweet and gentle, and slowly she fell for him and even forgot about her revenge.

Emmelyn was not an ice-cold woman who couldn't appreciate good men. Maxim was one of the few good men she met and she couldn't deny his charm. He was also a powerful king and he was crazy in love with her. What else could she ask for in a man?

And what's more, Maxim promised to get Wintermere and Harlow back for her.

Emmelyn didn't care about anything else in this world, but those two.

"I don't know..." After a moment of silence, Emmelyn finally replied softly.

That was the truth.

She was wise enough now to never say never. She didn't know if someday she would want to marry Maxim.

Maxim's eyes lit up at her response.

Emmelyn cared about him and didn't firmly state that she would never marry him.

So, there was hope for him to pursue her love...?

Did Emmelyn feel slight affection for him beyond their friendship?

Maxim touched Emmelyn's arms and looked at her deeply. His eyes were filled with longing. "Emmelyn... I did say that I wouldn't confess anything to you until we get your problems sorted, and all the dust has settled..."

Emmelyn looked at Maxim's hands on her arms and she felt her heart pounded. What was this...?

Maxim's gesture, voice, and touch felt very intimate, even though he didn't actually do anything inappropriate. Maybe it was because the man was filled with affection for her?

"M-Maxim....?" Emmelyn felt her throat choked.

[No... no.... no...]

[Please, don't confess your feelings for me...]

[I can't take it.]

[Don't say the word... please.]

Maxim forced a smile. "Emmelyn, I love you. You know that. I have never said it to your face because I wanted to wait for the right time. However, today, I realized, the right time will never come. So, I had to get this out of my chest now."

Emmelyn held her breath. She wanted to be deaf right at that moment, so she didn't have to hear Maxim's love confession.

But she couldn't.

His voice was loud and clear in her ear.

Maxim took a deep breath and continued his words. "I love you so much and I will do anything for you. I feel deeply saddened that my love for you has brought you a lot of suffering. Now, I just want to make you happy. I will do anything you want me to do. If you told me to marry Elise, I would do it. If you told me not to marry Elise, I would also do it. Just let me know what you want..."

.

.

**************

From Missrealitybites:

It's long overdue, but finally, Maxim confessed his love for Emmelyn. What do you think Emmelyn would say to him?

1. She will ask him to marry Elise.

2.. She will ask him NOT to marry Elise.

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