Max understood my meaning, his brow furrowing slightly.


    Still, he said to Babur, “I''m taking her with me. Otherwise, there will be no engagement party tomorrow."


    I looked up at Max. I had thought he would be under immense pressure facing Babur, but he was asposed and unyielding as ever.


    "Ss, do you want everyone to die with you? Do you want to make an enemy of every nation in Greywick? Did you think I arranged your marriage with Lily just for myself? If I only cared about myself, I would have taken the throne years ago when you were away, instead of constantly cleaning up Garrett''s messes!" Babur''s voice grew sharp as he realized he couldn''t control Max.


    "You should have known when you brought her here. You crossed a line."


    Max''s resolve was something I had never anticipated.


    "Fine. Take her. Lily will kill her all the same," Babur said, turning his back in fury.


    "You can go ahead and tell her I''m the one who took her. But when ites to killing you, I won''t hesitate," Max replied, fully aware that Babur was working with Lily and that Lily wanted me dead.


    His threat to kill Babur was somanding.


    Looking at his back, I once again felt what it was like to be led into the light by a god-like figure.


    Under Babur''s enraged gaze, we got into the car.


    Max didn''t hesitate for a second. He mmed on the gas and sped off. Only when we were far away and he was sure no one was following did he pull over to the side of the road and wrap me in his arms.


    "If Helen hadn''t told me you were missing, I can''t imagine what would have happened. Did Babur do anything to you?"


    Max''s worried tone was a stark contrast to the icy resolve he had shown with Babur.


    "No, he''s just an obsessed fan of my mother''s. He kept trying to brainwash me with all these stories about her," I said with a weary smile.


    "Babur loved Lenore. He never married because of her."


    Max didn''t deny it.


    As he buried his face in the crook of my neck, I could feel him let out a sigh of relief.


    I gently pushed him back. "I''m fine now, aren''t I? Did Allen Ramsey get back with the medicine?"


    The fact that this was the first thing I asked made hisposure crack. He bit my neck, not too gently. "You''re something else."


    I giggled. "Well, they''re so pitiful. You feel for your people, don''t you? So I should at least feel for mine, right?"


    He caressed my earlobe. "I only feel for you."


    I leaned against him, the faint, familiar scent of sandalwood putting me at ease.


    He had truly dered in front of Babur that he wasn''t afraid to be an enemy to the whole world for my sake.


    "Max, you''re going to be in a lot of danger, aren''t you?" I cupped his face. I wanted someone to protect me but I realized that the man protecting me had never had anyone to care for him either.


    "A lot. But none of itpares to the danger of losing you." He always smiled so brightly at me.


    "So, the n is for you and Lily to have a fake engagement. That gives you the support of a union between two nations so Babur won''t make move on your position, and other opportunistic nations won''t threaten you. Otherwise, you''d have chaos both internally and externally, right?" I asked, analyzing the situation


    calmly.


    "Correct. Except tomorrow, you and I will be the ones getting engaged.” He


    suddenly curled his lip in a smile, as if he already had a n.


    “But I''m not from Bravend. Or rather, Lily hasn''t acknowledged me. The people of Bravend won''t ept me."


    "This is all thanks to you. Because you had Allen Ramsey bring the anti-inmmatory medicine, he also mobilized many volunteers from the medicalmunity. They all rushed to the Saltmere River slums to check on the residents'' health and living conditions, and their plight instantly trending topic. There''s


    became a River and


    chaos over at 1


    Allen Ramsey is leading them to


    protest against Lily. She had no


    choice but to rush back."