CHAPTER 221: CHAPTER 221: MAXIMUS’S DISGUST

Elarliya had been pacing in her room for what felt like hours, her footsteps tracing the same narrow arc across the floor as if she could wear her anxieties into the wood itself.

Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides while her breath kept coming in uneven intervals, and the moment she finally stopped, it was not because she calmed down but because a soft knock sounded outside her door, followed by a maid entering with lowered eyes and a carefully balanced tray in her hands.

And Elarliya stood frozen for a heartbeat before her gaze dropped to the tray, her expression shifting in subtle ways as she dismissed the maid with a flick of her fingers and slowly lifted the items that were meant for Maximus.

Her heart was pounding not with guilt or fear but with anticipation mixed with a strange thrill that made her spine tingle, and she inhaled deeply to steady herself before stepping out of her room.

Her posture straightened and her face smoothed into an unreadable mask as she began the steady walk toward Maximus’s palace, her pulse loud in her ears but her steps measured, almost elegant, because she knew appearance mattered and she would not allow even her own anxiety to betray her.

The palace was quiet as she climbed the steps, a soft breeze rustling the curtains hanging near the carved pillars, and by the time she reached the corridor leading to his study, her entire demeanor had settled into a calm, docile façade, her features empty of tension as if she were nothing but a gentle woman carrying a simple offering.

Her fingers tightened around the sides of the tray only once before the mask returned, and she moved to his study door and knocked softly, hoping for even a faint acknowledgment, but the silence she received in return was cold, heavy, and intentional.

And she realized in an instant that Maximus had no plans of opening the door for her, not after what happened last time, not when he barely tolerated her existence even on a good day.

But Elarliya was not deterred; she never had been, and she never would be, because she knew he was inside...she could feel the faint pressure of his aura seeping through the gaps in the wood.

And she exhaled slowly before pushing the door open herself, stepping inside as if she belonged there, though she felt the shift in air the moment she crossed the threshold, and then she met Maximus’s expression, which was filled with absolute disgust as his eyes lifted from the parchment in front of him to her figure standing in his study.

The smallest smear of pain flickered across her face, not enough to break her act, but enough to fuel her determination as she lowered her gaze and quickly softened her features.

"Maximus, don’t be angry," she whispered in a tone that was small and soft, her voice trembling just enough to sound sincere as she stepped further in, holding the tray like an offering meant to mend every wrong she had done.

"For last time, I am really sorry, I truly did not mean that, just forgive me for this time," she said, her eyes flickering up to him with a pleading expression that might have moved someone else, someone who didn’t know who she was behind her sweetness.

But Maximus only leaned back in his chair in absolute distaste, his jaw tightening, his gaze cold enough to freeze a flame as he spoke in a tone devoid of warmth, "Just get out from here, Elarliya," he said, and his voice didn’t rise, but it was enough to send chills down her spine.

Her shoulders stiffened for just a moment before she forced them to relax again, and she took a step closer, holding the tray toward him as if that step alone could bridge the gap between them.

"Please, just forgive me, I really did not mean to do anything," she insisted, her voice soft and persistent in a way that made irritation begin creeping up his spine.

Maximus’s disgust intensified, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he looked away from her, unwilling to even acknowledge her presence, and he picked up his pen again as if she was nothing but a shadow on the wall, something he could ignore until it went away.

But Elarliya took two more steps toward him, and that was when he suddenly growled dangerously at her, the kind of sound that should have sent any rational person backing away immediately, but she did not stop, she only flinched before steadying herself and placing the tray onto the table near him.

"Just please have this as an apology," she said, her voice trembling but her hands steady as she slid the tray closer, "I am truly sorry for last time, I really didn’t want to mean that, I just got emotional, so please, forgive me," she said again, her persistence like a needle pressing endlessly into sensitive skin until the discomfort became unbearable.

Maximus pressed his fingers to his temple, feeling the beginnings of a headache climb upward, and he exhaled sharply before turning to glare at her, "Elarliya, whether I forgive you or not has nothing to do with you, you have to get out from here right now."

But even then, even with the warning in his voice and the exhaustion in his eyes, she gave him a pitiful, trembling look, her lashes lowered and her voice wobbling in practiced fragility.

"I know, but just forgive me, I really did not mean to, just think of it... forgive me as your daughter’s mother at least, I will never repeat it again," she begged.

Maximus’s irritation finally cracked into frustration as he ran a hand through his hair and snapped, "Fine, I forgive you, now leave me alone, I have work," he said, wanting nothing more than the silence that existed before she walked in.

But Elarliya wasn’t done; she never was, and she stepped closer again. "No, just drink this as an apology, then I will truly feel like you are forgiving me," she insisted, her voice trembling with forced humility.

Maximus’s patience snapped thinner than thread, and he growled again, "Just leave it here," he said sharply.