"Engagement? What are you joking about?'' Lisa looked at Max, she didn't believe it...she couldn't believe it….just what was going on…

"What are you so surprised about? I already saw it coming…..even though I appreciate you trying to help me out….saying that you love me….sigh! What were you expecting?"

"Wait! What are you talking about? I never said anything like that…." Lisa was dumbfounded hearing that. When did she say it?

Max looked at her. His expression was clearly saying, 'Seriously? How do you explain everything then?'

"Believe me, I didn't say anything like that…'' Lisa almost started to tear up. She really didn't know anything.

"Sigh! There must be some kind of misunderstanding then….tell me what you did to help me…." Max decided to believe her for a second.

"Umn..I…" When Lisa thought about her words back then, she froze. Now that she thought about her words.

'I can't live without him….if he dies, I die too…'

Her words were indeed something like that. But she meant that without Max she might die with no one to help her with her powers.

But if someone didn't know about it…..they definitely would think….

Suddenly, Lisa's face began to burn in embarrassment. She really did it!!!

When Max saw her red face, he knew that she finally realised it.

"It was my mistake…." Lisa finally said with a dull face as she explained everything to Max.

When Lisa saw Max starting at him, she really felt even more embarrassed. Why couldn't she understand the situation better?

"But it's impossible. I can't believe they agreed so easily even to the point of engagement.." Lisa found it unbelievable. Her family didn't even say a word back and agreed so easily.

Max thought about it and asked Lisa a few questions as to what she did or what happened while he was being held.

When he heard that Lisa was in bad health due to her ability as she was facing nightmares, Max began to connect a few dots.

'Damn! Don't tell me this is all a big misunderstanding?'

Max really felt this wasn't happening. He shook his head feeling helpless before looking at Lisa and began to explain what he thought, "It's possible that your bad health and situation due to your power was interpreted as me being the cause. Not to mention you had already given the ultimatum that you would die without me…"

''If that is what really happened, I can understand why they didn't protest….they love you more than things like status and society…''

Lisa's face turned pale.

"What do we do now?" She asked nervously.

"Get engaged in a year." Max said with a sigh. Unless he ran away, he couldn't think of any other way.

"Don't joke!"

"Whose joking? My life's at stake! Besides, things weren't that dire….I was confident about getting out of it but...all thanks to your words earlier….we are doomed." Max grumbled.

"What did I do?" Lisa asked with raised brows.

"You don't understand things, try to take a hint...don't be so vague with your words? Even now, if you didn't spew out that nonsense….we wouldn't be this miserable…" Max said as he grabbed her head and spun it around, she really didn't have anything in there.

"Back off!'' Lisa knocked Max's hands off and glared at him. "Just tell me what I didn't understand!''

Max looked at her and asked with a smirk, "You really want to know?"

Lisa felt her heart thump. She had an ominous feeling about it. But she still wanted to know….and so...she nodded her head.

Max smiled as she spoke, "You talked about the battle tonight and your resolve to get stronger, right?"

Lisa nodded.

"But, you Grandpa wasn't talking about it. He understood something else. Not to mention, he was talking about something very different from the very beginning."

Lisa's brows quivered.

"What would be the first thought you would have seeing two lovers out in the night…..they were out killing people?"

Lisa understood. If she were to say the first thing that came to mind was they were obviously doing something indecent. But when she opened her mouth to speak no words came out….how could she say something like that….that was embarrassing…..wouldn't she seem like a pervert.

"Stop acting innocent. You think I am a fool. You understand right, your grandpa thought we were out having-''

"No! Stop! Don't say it…." Lisa put her hands on her ear, her face heating up and she turned red as tomato.

"Let me enlighten you, what your Grandpa really asked and how you answered his question. People learn from mistakes….take this as a lesson, and understand the situation next time before saying anything." Max said as he grabbed her arms brought them down uncovering her ears.

He then began to explain the conversation from the old man's point of view.

….

"Sniff!...uhuhh...sniff…."

"Stop crying already! I am the one facing the real trouble." Max couldn't help but feel a headache as he looked at Lisa.

"What are we going to do Max? How am I going to face Grandpa, what is he thinking about me right now…" Lisa said with tears as she grabbed Max's shirt and shook him back and forth.

"We should clear it up, the misunderstanding and then ask him to cancel the engagement and everything else…" She further said.

"He will only break your leg, but for me it's death. Besides, I don't think he will believe anything at this point. He might think that we are lying to get away after fooling around…." Max sat there with a frown. He didn't want to go in front of the old man anymore. He didn't know when he would snap.

"Still, try to talk and clear about this misunderstanding. As for the engagement, I don't think we should bring it up now. It would only make things worse and he would doubt your words…"

Lisa nodded with teary eyes.

Max patted her head out of pity. Even Max would feel his face burn if he went through something like that.

"Try to talk to him alone, I don't want anyone else finding out about it….especially your father…." Max spoke with utmost seriousness. "If he even hears about you graduating under my mentorship, he will definitely kill me…"

"Y-You!!" Lisa understood what he meant, but did he really had to put it in such a way.

"Weren't you the one who didn't want to hear the word directly, I am only being kind and putting it another way." Max rolled his eyes at her.

"Shameless!" Lisa looked at him with red cheeks.

"You say that, but didn't you understand it as well." Max retorted. "Besides, it's not as if you are never going to do it...if you keep acting like that you will forever be a princess and not a Queen…"

"Y-You!!! Shut up!" Lisa really felt this guy was being shameless.

Max shrugged. He was just giving kind-hearted advice.

There was a saying that if one didn't lose their virginity by 30, they would forever remain a Prince or Princess that is lonely….loved only by their parents. On the other hand, the King had his queen and the Queen had the King for his lover….

Seeing Max remain so nonchalant about it while she was burning in shame and anger. Lisa couldn't take it...

"You are the one to talk about! Hmph! I have so many people pursuing me! What about you? I haven't seen you having a girl as a friend….do you even talk to any girl beside me?" Lisa said as she looked at him with a smug face.

"Sigh! Who am I to say anything to a princess, I have already lost my qualification as a prince." Max said with a smirk. Since he had already lost it, he might as well use this opportunity to shut the girl down.

Even Max hadn't realised how causal he was being about such topics, Andriel was definitely affecting Max. Not to mention, he really couldn't match Andriel's shamelessness and her sharp tongue. Now that he had an opportunity to put someone down, he obviously wanted to vent out a bit of his frustration.

"Y-You!! You can't possibly…" Lisa looked at him with wide eyes. She obviously understood.

"Yes...What is there to be surprised about, princess?" Max asked with a smile.

"I didn't think you would know the word love...to think you have a girlfriend.." Lisa stared at him with a sour face. She could only take it lying down….

"Oh...I don't have one.." Max replied casually making Lisa's brows jump in shock.

"You are married? You have a wife?" She couldn't believe it.

Max looked at her with a contemptuous gaze. She was being ridiculous.

"No, I don't. Do you really need to have one of those to do it?" Max asked.

"Why don't you go out and ask any one? I am sure you would lose it without any of those."

Lisa's eyes widened. She felt like spitting out blood. This guy…he….she couldn't believe it…

'Is this what grandpa felt earlier?' Lisa thought.

Max could feel that he was taking it too far. Any far and Lisa might start looking down on him.

"Don't give me that look. I was joking. Don't do something like that…." Max finally said as he clasped his hands with an apologetic face.

"Hmph! Like hell I would do something like that…" Lisa gave him a scornful look, "Besides, it is impossible...how could you not be a prince...a guy like you...I didn't believe it to begin with."

"Oh! That part wasn't a lie though…." Max replied as he scratched his head.

"What?! But….you don't have a lover…." Lisa looked at him with wide eyes.

"Ah! It's complicated…" Max shook his head. He didn't want to go into it further.

"No! Speak! I don't know whether you can be trusted anymore…" Lisa looked at Max. Even though she was interested a bit, she couldn't possibly say it directly to him. She would burn herself in shame.

Max didn't think things would come to this. 'What was I thinking? Why did I even begin it?..'

Now Max regretted his actions.

'Look at the girl, her eyes sparkling with interest. Why don't you let her know? I don't mind. Besides, she is young. I can see potential within her…'

As Max was contemplating, he clearly heard Andriel's voice within his mind.

He didn't know what kind of potential she was talking about. But he didn't want to ask…

"I won't take her name." Max looked at Lisa as he spoke. He knew that she would meet Andriel one day or another. Max didn't want Andriel to feel awkward or ashamed.

After all, even if she did that without Max being fully conscious, Max only felt gratitude for her. If not for her swift actions, his mother, Lithiya would have died.

"We did it. But we are not lovers. You can say that we do have good feelings for each other but I won't say it, love." Max said, he really believed it. Even for Andriel, Max felt that she was misunderstanding her own feelings…

'No, I love you….if you don't believe I will prove it once more tonight.'

Andriel's voice rang in his mind and Max could only shake his head. He has used this opportunity to tell Andriel what he thought since she would never listen to him and would just attack when he started speaking about stuff like this.

But she was really determined it seemed. He couldn't escape from her.

"It just happened. It was due to the situation we were in. No one had control over it…" Max said with a sigh.

"Then...do you still have contact with her?" Lisa asked with curiosity.

"Like I said, we have a bit of a special situation. We can't be separated even if we want to...to be honest, we were no more than strangers when it happened.…."

Something suddenly flashes through Lisa's mind....Can't be separated, special circumstances.....strangers....this girl....

There was only one girl which fulfilled all this criteria.

A girl with silver hairs and a beautiful face appeared in Lisa's mind as she screamed internally, 'Aria!!!'