Maxi sighed, weighing the consequences of both options laid before him. Marriage would break a personal promise he had sworn to keep until death—he would never marry or date another woman unless he had truly moved on. The thought of betraying that vow twisted his stomach, but the alternative was just as cruel.
If he chose to delay his Blessing Awakening until sixteen, it was as if his father was telling him to go kill himself. Without his blessing, he would have no real power, no means to survive in the outside world. That meant he would be forced to remain within the castle walls, a caged bird while his siblings—free to use their blessings—soared beyond his reach.
Maxi couldn't accept that.
No matter how he looked at it, there was no way he could endure it. He wasn't one of those nobles who relied solely on wealth and political alliances. Even if he wanted to, what were the chances his father would grant him the resources to carve out such a path? His father had been stingy his entire life; there was no way he would suddenly become generous now.
But was it truly worth betraying his own moral code?
The answer was clear, yet accepting it—acting on it—was an entirely different struggle. It was one thing to know what needed to be done and another to commit to it.
For now, Maxi would simply have to prepare himself, both mentally and emotionally, for the decision he would make once he was able to walk again. His body still ached from the relentless training Techxin had put him through. He knew it would benefit him in the long run, but for now, the pain was an unwanted reminder of his weakness.
Maxi exhaled sharply and turned to the maid.
"Thanks for bringing me the letters."
His voice was tired, dull—he couldn't even muster the energy to phrase his words properly.
The maid simply nodded, her voice detached and soft as she spoke. "Would you like me to retrieve some books from the library, Young Master Maxi?"
He gave a slight nod, desperate to drown himself in literature and escape the king's cruel demands.
The maid curtsied and silently left the room, leaving Maxi alone with his thoughts. He tried to console himself, to justify the reality he faced, but before he could spiral too deep, a sudden knock on his door pulled him back.
"Come in," Maxi called out.
The door opened, revealing Angelina. Her expression carried a faint trace of worry, but more than that, amusement danced in her silver eyes.
"Hello, Young Master,"
she said, a small smirk playing on her lips.
"Are you alright, or is yesterday's training with Techxin still making you suffer?"
Maxi sighed, then chuckled slightly. His face was exhausted, dark circles forming beneath his eyes from his sleepless night.
"You already know the answer to that,"
he muttered.
"That training isn't easy. Honestly, I think I prefer physical training over this stamina and flexibility nonsense. At least with physical training, my muscles actually feel like they're doing something. But this? This just leaves me feeling like an even hollower husk than I already am."
Angelina laughed at that, shaking her head. "Yeah, I can see that."
She smoothed out her maid uniform and then tilted her head.
"Have you done anything yet? It looks like you've been lying in bed all morning."
Maxi shrugged, wincing slightly from the movement. "No, I've just been reading letters."
Her wolf ears perked up with curiosity. "Oh? From who?"
"The King and Colen."
At that, her interest immediately faded. "I don't think I should indulge anymore," she muttered, her previous amusement disappearing.
Maxi let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, that's probably the best course of action."
Before either of them could continue, the door opened again, and the black-haired maid returned, carrying six books—three stacked on her right arm, three on her left. She balanced them effortlessly, her back straight as she entered. Her face remained as calm and unreadable as ever.
"Where would you like these placed, Young Master Maxi?" she asked.
Maxi motioned toward the counter beside his bed. "Put them there, please."
She nodded, walking over and setting them down with careful precision. As she straightened up, Angelina quickly moved to grab the tray from yesterday's meal, tidying up as usual.
The black-haired maid turned back to Maxi, her cold blue eyes meeting his. "Have a good day, Master Maxi." She gave a polite curtsy before turning to Angelina, silently ushering her toward the door.
Angelina huffed but obeyed, leaving the room as the other maid followed after her, closing the door behind them.
Now alone, Maxi let out a deep sigh, his thoughts attempting to claw their way back to the surface. But before they could consume him, the scent of the books beside him cut through the noise.
Like a hot knife slicing through butter, his worries melted away. The rich aroma of old paper, ink, and something faintly sweet—vanilla and hyacinth—wrapped around him like a warm embrace.
The scent of knowledge.
Without hesitation, he reached for one of the books, his hands trembling slightly with excitement. He barely noticed the small bit of drool that formed at the corner of his mouth as he flipped open the pages. The familiar texture of the parchment, the inked words that painted stories across the paper—it was his personal escape, his sanctuary.
His eyes eagerly devoured the text, his mind slipping into another world.
But as he read, his exhaustion finally caught up with him. His eyes grew heavier with every passing second, the words on the page blurring together.
And then, before he could fight it, his body gave in.
The book slipped from his hands, falling flat against his face as he drifted into unconsciousness, lost to the realm of dreams.