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Maynard and Luke may act all easygoing, but the Quinn family followed a strict tradition. Even Maynard Quinn would act virtuously in front of the elders of the clan. In other words, they treated education with the highest regard.

Luke may not look like it, but even when he didn\'t take school seriously, he had good grades. Having good grades in the academy they used to attend was akin to being a top student in a regular school.

Grades were simply one of the many things Luke and Asher had to abide by. It was also their reputation, as the Quinns were very concerned with their reputation. The only reason Luke got away with his rebellious attitude at the Academy was that most of his classmates were terrified of him. Backed up with good grades, the elders didn\'t think about what sort of things Luke was doing in school.

But not now. Cosette was her classmate, a part of the upper echelon. If she started talking, even if Luke managed to get good grades at the end of the semester, it wasn\'t enough to appease the elders of the said clan.

Maxen looked at Cosette\'s back as they headed inside the Blac residence. After Cosette mentioned Luke\'s misbehavior, Maynard and Asher still acted the same. However, the change in atmosphere was very distinct. It was silly to think it didn\'t affect Maynard and Asher.

Cosette was cunning, too. To make sure the atmosphere wouldn\'t be too awkward, she uplifted the mood with humorous chatting. She mostly chatted with Maynard, so the latter saved his face.

After the meal, both parties parted on a friendly note. Now they were back in the Blac manor, and Maxen couldn\'t take his eyes off of Cosette\'s back.

"Papa, should we check the clothes we bought?" she giddily asked, holding Conrad\'s arms as they entered the stronghold.

Conrad\'s eyes fell on her, treading carefully. "We already tried them out in the boutique." Exhaustion laced his voice, sighing faintly.

"Well, I want to see you in them, but you\'re right. Just wear them one at a time. You really look dashing, do you know that?" she grinned sweetly as if she just didn\'t tell on Luke.

Conrad\'s lips parted but closed them again. It was not his problem, he thought.

"Master." As they marched inside the entrance hall of the mansion, George, the head butler of the manor, welcomed them with a bow. He approached Conrad and reported in a quiet voice.

"An international call came this morning," said George to Conrad, making the latter arch a brow.

Conrad didn\'t raise questions despite the vague report of the head butler. If it was a business-related call, Warren would\'ve called him.

"Thank you, George." Conrad rocked his head and then turned to Cosette. "I need to make a phone call. I\'ll join you and Maxen in the garden."

"Oh, sure." Cosette nodded in understanding, releasing his arm. She waved, watching Conrad follow the head butler so George could fill him in with a much more detailed report.

Cosette had planned a picnic today, so she already told everyone to prepare the garden. She held her hand behind her, turning on her heel to face Maxen.

"Shall we?" she asked with a grin. "Dad will join us later. So…"

Cosette took slow steps until she was standing beside him, bumping her shoulder against his side. Maxen furrowed his brows, watching her wink mischievously.

"We can have a mini date," she whispered, raising a hand to the side of her lips.

"Uh…" Maxen blinked twice, pondering her remarks. "That sounds so wrong."

Cosette scrunched her nose up in dismay. She felt excited lest they would have a steamy moment together just like the last time.

"Let\'s go." Maxen turned on his heel, sauntering off without waiting for her.

"Wait…" she frowned, almost pouting. Watching him walk away and head to the garden, a deep exhale slipped past her lips.

"We used to make me stay up all night," she mumbled, dragging her feet to follow him. "My dearest Maxen… how did he become so pure?"

Not that Maxen\'s self-control was something she was fascinated by. It was just that after regaining her memories, she missed those steamy moments they both enjoyed. Maxen was wild — super wild.

It was normal for her to yearn for something she was used to doing when she wanted to feel something. But well, even without that, Cosette now feels tons of emotions and was able to express them freely.

When the two reached the garden, they perched on the intricate marble chairs while waiting for Conrad. Cosette sat across from Maxen, sipping from the straw of her glass of orange juice. Her father was taking longer than usual, and Maxen had been silent.

He would glance at her from time to time, making her wonder what he was thinking.

"What?" she asked, keeping the straw in between her teeth. Her arms were resting against the edge of the table, swinging her feet sideways, eyes on Maxen. "Max, if you have anything to tell me, just say it. I can\'t read your mind."

"Will you be alright?" he inquired, causing her brows to raise in puzzlement. "You sold Luke out to his father. He\'ll be in trouble."

"So?"

"This might be a problem between you two."

"We\'re friends." Cosette shrugged. "I see him as my real friend, and because of that, I will not stand and do nothing while Luke is literally trying to destroy his life."

She straightened her back, showing no regret in putting Luke in trouble. "He can hate me all he wants, but real friends will correct you even if you get hurt. They won\'t condone something, especially if it\'s wrong."

"I see…" Maxen rocked his head as her explanation made sense. It was rational. But even so, he was worried that Luke would only do worse. Luke just seemed to be the type that the more he was being restricted, the more he wanted to break the rules.

"Max, are you worried about him?" she asked, watching him snap his eyes back to her.

"Not him, but I\'m worried about you."

Cosette narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You don\'t have to lie… or stop being in denial. You like Luke one way or another."

"I don\'t like him."

"Dislike and even hate grow on people." She shrugged, chuckling. "Luke is someone that isn\'t hard to like. He\'s a nice guy and any girl will fall for his charms."

"Why haven\'t you?" he blurted out, biting his tongue. Not that he was jealous or anything of the sort, but he had always been curious. Although Cosette had told him over and over, his curiosity once again knocked on his heart.

If that was what Cosette thinks of Luke, why hadn\'t she dated him?

"I don\'t plan on marrying him." Her answer was quick, and without batting an eye.

"What?"

"To be honest, I might reconsider and date him for fun. That is if I didn\'t meet you," she explained, giving out a much more detailed answer than the usual answer she would give him. "But well, I don\'t date for fun now."

The side of her lips stretched from ear to ear. "Maxen, will you marry me?"

There was a moment of silence that came after her sudden proposal. Maxen blinked and blinked, wondering if his brain auto-translated what his ears heard. There was no way she would propose to him, just like that.

His brows furrowed when Cosette looked around the garden. She then frowned before her eyes landed on the straw she was sipping. The corner of her lips stretched from ear to ear until her teeth were showing.

"Wait. That\'s rude of me." Cosette took the straw in her orange juice, shaking it dry to the side. After the juice came off and only a paltry amount remained, Cosette tied it carefully into a ribbon.

Facing him with that same bright grin, she raised the straw over the table. "Will you marry me, Maxen Cloven?" she proposed once again, holding the straw she tied into a small ribbon that had a loop underneath.

"..." Maxen was rendered speechless, staring at her blankly. He didn\'t mishear her. Cosette, indeed, proposed. It wasn\'t like they would get married after this as they were still minors, but just the sheer thought she had considered marrying him was overwhelming.

"No," he breathed out, making her frown in disappointment.

"Why?"

"Do you even understand the meaning of this?"

"Mhm." She nodded, but the misplaced innocence in her eyes told him otherwise. "We\'ll get married, have children, and happily ever after."

"This is not a fairytale."

"Of course, there will be problems. But love is not a feeling, Max." Cosette lowered the ribbon along with her arms, eyes fixed on him. "Love is a choice. It\'s not always rainbows and butterflies. The excitement and sparks might disappear in the long run, but I will always choose you."

Her smile grew subtle as her eyes turned gentle. "I am sure of that. No matter how many lifetimes, I will keep choosing to live in a time and the place where you are."

"You…"

"I love you, Max." This time, he froze, looking back at her blankly after her last remarks. Cosette chuckled as she reached for his hand, placing the straw in it. "Once you decided to marry me, wear this. That means it\'s a mutual promise and agreement."

She then retracted her hands from him and stared at him squarely. "I\'ll wait while loving you every day. That\'s my promise… and in case you don\'t know, I had always kept my promise." — after all, she went back in time just to be with him… as promised.