Chapter 213 - Nailed On His Spot (1/2)

The smell of leather with a mixture of dust from the parchment that was lining up in a row on the floor to ceiling shelves tickled Maxen's nostrils endlessly.

He wanted to sneeze, but he always came in short and couldn't sneeze away in full force like what he wanted to happen, which was more annoying than sniffing the scent itself.

In all honesty, Maxen hated King Alistair's private study. It reminded him of how much power his father had over him and how he was under his ”rule” for as long as the king shall live.

Oftentimes, he envied his brothers, Oliver and Wyatt, who had the freedom of choosing some paths to undertake for themselves although the three of them all had one thing in common which also happened to bound them all together—the burden of keeping their families' legacy going.

Oliver Lin had Lin Prime Holdings on his shoulders, Wyatt Ang was carrying not one but two heavyweight names under his belt, and Maxen had the crown's burden sitting on top of his head.

Maxen scratched the skin above his eyebrows. Sometimes he wished to live the life of a commoner for just a day and be freed from all the responsibilities he had to carry involuntarily. Just a day, he thought. It would be nice to stop worrying, even just for a day.

Glancing up, Maxen met his father's gaze, and every complaint he had vanished when he realized how his father never even had a friend to lean on except for his mother, Queen Isla. He wondered if, at one point in time, King Alistair had other friends besides her.

He had to swallow his pride so he could ask for a favor, even when he was fully aware that King Alistair and Olivia wouldn't agree to his plan. But as of that moment, the thought of Olivia getting as much as a scratch from those rebels puts him on the edge of his seat.

”So?” Maxen said when King Alistair kept on staring at him as if Maxen was a stranger. The king's blue eyes sent icicles towards Maxen way, piercing him on his seat. Did Maxen offend his father? Why was it taking a long time for King Alistair to hear what Maxen had to say?

Squaring his shoulders, King Alistair finally relaxed his shoulders. He stood up and went over to the rolling bar, picking up the crystal whiskey decanter. ”How do you like yours?” he asked as he poured one for himself—neat, just like he always did. He tipped his head sideways and peered at Maxen who was now rolling his shoulders.

”I'll have the same as yours,” Maxen responded.

Upon hearing Maxen's reply, King Alistair filled a glass with two fingers of whiskey—enough to fuel them during their conversation and relax him later before bedtime. He balanced one glass on each hand and walked back to the couch where he saw Maxen checking a security camera feed of his bedroom on his phone.

King Alistair almost chuckled but held back. Just how obsessed was his son to even check in on his wife even at home? Clearing his throat, it was enough for Maxen to peel the phone from his nose.

Maxen sneered. He didn't like the smug look on King Alistair's face. ”Mind your own business.” Maxen c.o.c.ked a brow on King Alistair as he locked his phone screen in a blink of an eye. He then pocketed his phone and accepted the glass King Alistair passed to him, downing his drink in one go.