The door swung open, and Angelina stepped in with an annoyed expression, one hand resting on her hip.
"I've been knocking for ages,"
she huffed.
"At first, I thought you were asleep, but then I remembered—you sleep in the middle of the day, so that was impossible."
Maxi sighed, stretching his body with a yawn. His limbs ached from lack of movement, sending sharp jolts of pain through him.
"Sorry about that. I was busy enjoying my book."
Angelina pouted, crossing her arms. "You and those stupid library books. You're like Tengen with his dragon drags."
Maxi chuckled at the comparison.
"Hey, at least books make you smarter. Tengen's drags just make him dumber—wait, should I even say that about him?"
Angelina smirked.
"Who cares? It's not like he's here to reprimand you. And let's be honest, he is dumb."
Maxi shook his head. "Yeah, but I'd rather not talk behind people's backs, especially my subordinates."
Angelina waved him off, grinning. "You're no fun at all."
"Yeah, I know," Maxi muttered, smirking slightly.
Angelina sighed, walking closer.
"So, what are you doing today? Besides the obvious."
"The obvious?" Maxi asked, feigning ignorance.
Angelina lightly punched his arm. Maxi yelped, half in pain, half in laughter.
The day passed in quiet contentment. Maxi spent the entire time reading, completely absorbed in his books. At some point, the black-haired maid arrived, offering to bring more books from the library. Maxi declined, saying,
"I'll ask for new books once I finish all six."
The maid nodded and left without another word.
By evening Maxi had finished two books and was halfway through the third—one about magic fundamentals. His eyelids grew heavy, and before he realized it, he had fallen asleep, the book resting on his face.
Angelina sighed, stepping closer. She carefully removed the book, marking his page before setting it on his bedside table. Then, she gathered the finished books and stacked them neatly on the other side of the bed. Her eyes lingered on him for a long moment.
With a small sigh, she reached down and removed his round glasses, setting them beside his book. Her gaze softened as she studied his sleeping face.
Then, with a smirk, she flicked his forehead.
"Idiot,"
she whispered before turning away.
She left his room, exiting Maxi's castle and heading toward the main castle. As she stepped inside, she flinched slightly from the immense pressure that weighed down on her. But she brushed it off quickly, thanks to the presence of her guardian spirit. Without it, walking through these halls would have been impossible.
Calmly, she strode forward, her footsteps echoing as she navigated the grand corridors. Eventually, she reached a lush garden bathed in soft evening light. At the center stood a grand tree, its branches adorned with light purple flowers that turned pink under the sun's rays. Beneath the tree sat an elegant, intricately carved light-brown bench.
And on that bench sat a breathtakingly beautiful woman in a royal maid's dress—Maxi's mother.
Angelina's tail swayed eagerly as she quickened her pace. When Maxi's mother saw her, she smiled, a radiant, angelic expression that made the world seem warmer. She beckoned Angelina forward.
The moment Angelina reached her, she dropped to her knees, resting her head against Maxi's mother. The warmth of her presence seeped into her, wrapping around her like a comforting embrace. A contented smile spread across Angelina's face.
This—this was her heaven.
This was the most important part of her day.
Maxi's mother gently stroked her hair, fingers threading through the soft strands. Angelina's tail wagged faster, her entire body relaxing under the tender touch.
In a soft, melodic voice, Maxi's mother asked,
"How was today?"
Angelina closed her eyes, focusing solely on the voice and warmth surrounding her. "It was good."
"That's good,"
Maxi's mother murmured.
"And Maxi?"
Angelina sighed. "Same as always. Books and nothing else."
Maxi's mother chuckled, the sound like the soft chiming of angelic bells.
"Good to hear he's still my precious intelligent little boy."
Angelina nodded, her movements slightly ruffling the maid's pristine dress.
"Did he eat anything?" Maxi's mother asked.
Angelina hesitated. "No… He fell asleep before I could make him anything."
A knowing look crossed Maxi's mother's face.
"I see. I'll make something for him. You'll take it to him like last time, right?"
Angelina nodded without hesitation.
"Thank you," Maxi's mother said warmly.
Angelina shook her head. "It's nothing compared to what you did for me. I still owe you my life for that."
Maxi's mother sighed but didn't argue. Instead, she simply nodded, continuing to stroke Angelina's hair as the evening sun dipped below the horizon.