IMLVS Chapter 44

Chapter 44

“I was looking forward to seeing you today. Last time, I only saw you crying. I hoped I could see you smile today. But instead, you wouldn’t even look me in the eye. That hurt my feelings.”

I blinked in surprise. I thought only Ian could be this straightforward with emotions, but this felt both similar and different.

I was even more caught off guard.

I quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry. That was never my intention. I wanted to thank you, but instead, I ended up upsetting you.”

Then, almost pleadingly, I asked,

“What can I do to make it up to you?”

He smiled as if he had been waiting for this and said,

“For starters, you can call me Max. And I’d appreciate it if you looked at me properly.”

I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his face.

A question lingered in my heart: Why is he being so kind to me?

But instead of asking that, I said something else.

“Is that enough? I could do more…”

At that moment, he reached out his hand. He was wearing white gloves, and his palm faced upward, invitingly.

“And if you would grant me the honor of escorting you, as a way to make up for hurting my feelings, I would be truly grateful.”

I hesitated for a moment but couldn’t keep him waiting too long. Instinctively, I placed my hand in his.

“If that’s all it takes to make you feel better… then of course.”

I was almost swept along by his pace. I didn’t dislike it, but it felt surreal.

And so, before I knew it, I found myself walking beside him, hand in hand, through the gallery filled with paintings.

The warmth of his hand seeped through his gloves, unfamiliar yet comforting. I was afraid my palm might start sweating.

How did this happen so suddenly?

Even though I had been a little disoriented, I realized that he was someone skilled at leading conversations and situations.

Just like I had thought when I first saw him.

As I turned to look at him, our eyes met immediately.

Had he been watching me?

I was startled at first, but then I found myself thinking that his eyes were truly beautiful and deep.

A fresh, cool feeling filled my chest.

His green eyes were like a spring of water. If eyes were the windows to the soul, then his soul held a well of pure, clear water.

I quickly looked away, afraid that if I let my guard down, I would keep staring.

But then, unable to resist, I glanced at him again—only for our eyes to meet once more.

I didn’t want him to think I was weird, but I couldn’t help it. His eyes were captivating.

“You have beautiful eyes,” he suddenly said.

I was thinking the same thing about his eyes, so I was startled as if he had read my mind.

“Uh… yeah,” I replied stiffly, caught off guard.

Realizing how awkward I sounded, I quickly added,

“Thank you for saying that.”

Then, after a brief pause, I added softly,

“Not just because you complimented me, but… your eyes are truly beautiful too. They remind me of a fresh spring deep in a forest.”

I meant it. They were the most mesmerizing eyes I had ever seen. Eyes that I kept getting drawn to.

Beside me, he chuckled and covered his mouth with his fist.

I suddenly felt uneasy.

Did I say something wrong?

Maybe telling a man that his eyes were beautiful was strange.

Feeling flustered, I didn’t know what to do, but then he spoke up.

“I’m Max. You can just call me that. And I laughed because it was unexpected, so don’t feel too awkward. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard that.”

His eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled gently.

“No one has ever told me my eyes are beautiful before. It was a surprising thing to hear. Most people find my eyes… difficult.”

I was slightly taken aback.

“Difficult? I don’t understand.”

His almond-shaped green eyes, framed by thick lashes, seemed nothing but warm and kind. The idea that someone would find them intimidating didn’t make sense to me.

I stared into his eyes.

“I thought they were kind and beautiful from the start. If it’s not rude, I’d like to keep looking at them.”

His fair, sharp features became softer when you met his gaze. His eyes were so striking that they overshadowed everything else. How could anyone find them difficult?

They weren’t just like gemstones—they had a depth, a life to them, like an emerald sea.

Max looked away then, his voice filled with laughter as he spoke.

“You’re staring quite intensely. It’s making me a bit shy. You’re not trying to make my heart race on purpose, are you?”

Flustered, I shook my head quickly.

“What? No way!”

As soon as I said it, I realized I had denied it a little too strongly.

“I-I mean, it’s not that you aren’t attractive! I just… I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable…”

I fumbled my words, completely flustered.

Then, Max gently tightened his hold on my hand.

“…?”

I could feel the warmth and pressure of his grip through his glove. When I looked at him, he was laughing.

“If you react so honestly, I almost feel bad for teasing you,” he chuckled. “Relax. I only said that to help you feel more comfortable.”

The mature, composed image I had of him softened with his playful teasing.

For the first time, I realized he wasn’t as distant as I had thought—he was just a young man, like me.

That realization put me more at ease.

So, for the first time, I let go of some of my guardedness and lightly teased him back.

“You’re quite mischievous. If you always tease people like this, you must be a terrible person. If kindness without reason is a crime, you’d already be in prison.”

He gave me an unreadable smile.

“Do you think my kindness is without reason? I’m not usually this nice to people, you know.”

As he said that, he gently squeezed my hand again.

Even though his expression was warm, something about the moment made me freeze.

“…”

I instinctively pulled my hand back slightly, hesitating mid-motion.

I wasn’t sure why, but I suddenly felt nervous.

Had I been too careless in letting my guard down? But at the same time, I didn’t want to push him away.

I didn’t know what the right answer was.

As the moment threatened to turn awkward, his lips curved into another teasing smile.

“See? I fooled you again.”

“Ah…!”

The tension melted away, replaced by embarrassment.

He was someone who enjoyed teasing others.

I glared at him slightly and mumbled in frustration.

“Do you always enjoy messing with people like this?”

I felt a mix of relief and annoyance.

I had been overthinking things while he had been playing around. If Lisdel had been here, she would’ve scolded him on my behalf.

I pouted slightly.

“You’ve only just met me, and you’ve already tricked me twice and made my heart jump.”

When I muttered in mild complaint, Max took a small step back.

“I only did it to make you feel more comfortable. And now that you seem at ease, I won’t tease you anymore.”

“I just wanted you to enjoy your time here a little more.”

Just like before, he had a strange way of making me feel at ease. Like being under a protective umbrella.

And when he looked at me with those warm green eyes and smiled like that, who could stay mad at him?

He knew exactly how to use his looks and charm.

In the end, I gave up and smiled.

“Alright. I’ll trust your good intentions and forgive you this time.”

Max watched as her expression softened, feeling a warmth he couldn’t explain.

Why did he care so much about this woman?

The woman who had once stood by the window, radiating anger and sorrow.

All he knew was that he wanted to see her happy.

“It’s an honor. There’s a painting I saw earlier that I found beautiful. May I show it to you?”

She hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Alright. I’ll trust you.”