The Queen's Back

Mona blushed at her brother's teasing and said, "It's my first time playing! I'll get better next time."

Albert looked at her, not saying much more.

Afterward, Mona played a couple more rounds. She improved slightly, managing to dodge a punch before being knocked out by a kick, but the game still ended quickly.

Albert shook his head with a hint of amusement.

Mona sighed as she looked at the fallen character on the screen. I'm done for now. You go ahead and play. I'll call you when it's time to eat."

She decided she would practice the game more before trying again, as she felt a bit embarrassed by her performance.

Returning to her room, Mona focused on her real task. She sat at her desk and began-flipping through her college design book.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

She couldn't help but admire her past dedication; the pages were filled with detailed notes, some of which she had forgotten writing. As she reviewed her notes, she aimed to refine her design sketches, striving for perfection.

When Maxwell came upstairs to call Mona for dinner, he found her deeply engrossed in her work. She was seated at her desk, pencil in hand, sketching carefully. Occasionally, she would erase a line and redraw it, repeating the process with focused determination. Maxwell watched her for a moment before approaching. When he saw the book she was using, his heart skipped a beat. He remembered discreetly discarding a photo from that book in the past.

He wondered if he should confess to throwing it away if Mona asked, or pretend ignorance. He felt conflicted.

"Hey, Maxwell, you're here! Look at the dress I just redesigned. Doesn't it look better now?" Mona asked with a smile, showing him her latest sketch.

Maxwell glanced at the design and nodded instinctively. "It's much more refined. Have you noticed anything missing?"

He was referring to the photo of Mona and Teddy that he had secretly discarded.

"What do you mean?" Mona asked, her attention still on her design. She hadn't noticed anything missing.

Seeing her indifferent reaction, Maxwell felt relieved. "Nothing, just asking. Let's go have dinner."

Monanodded, tidying up her desk before leaving the room with Maxwell. They stopped by Albert's room to call him, and the three of them headed downstairs together.

Dinner was a lively affair, with the family gathered around the table. In front of Mona's grandparents, Maxwell openly served her food, adding to the warm atmosphere.

Mona felt a moment of surprise as she looked at the food piled on her plate. Maxwell had never served her food at home before. Was he doing this just to impress her grandparents?

Despite her curiosity, Mona thanked Maxwell and began eating. After all, it was a gesture from him, and she appreciated it. The taste was familiar, and with just one bite, Mona realized it was Maxwell's cooking. It was delicious.

After dinner, instead of heading home, they decided to stay at the Clem family residence. Once they finished eating....ey returned to their room.

As usual, Mona took a shower first, followed by Maxwell.

When Maxwell emerged from the bathroom, Mona was already sitting on the bed, her skin glowing from her skincare routine, looking fresh and dewy.

Under Maxwell's gaze, Mona tossed her phone onto the bed in frustration, letting out a sigh as she stared at it with exasperation.

"What happened? Who's upset you?" Maxwell asked, glancing at her phone, which displayed a game over screen.

Mona pointed at the phone and said, "This infuriating game! I'm trying so hard, but I keep losing!"

Since Maxwell had already seen her frustration, she wasn't worried about him teasing her. She looked at him with a pleading expression.

If they weren't in a marriage of convenience, she might have sought comfort in Maxwell's arms.

But given their arrangement, Mona was unsure when-or if-Maxwell might develop feelings for her. She hesitated to act too familiarly, fearing it might annoy him.

"Let me try," Maxwell offered, his long fingers already reaching for her phone as he sat beside her.

Mona scooted closer to Maxwell, leaving just a hand's breadth between them. Any slight movement would bring their skin into contact.

"Maxwell, have you played this game before?" Mona asked instinctively.

Maxwell shook his head honestly. "No, I haven't."

With that, he pressed the start button and began a new game.

Mona watched his gameplay with a mix of concern and curiosity, worried that he might meet the same quick defeat she had and feel embarrassed.

To her surprise, Maxwell's character remained unscathed, with the health bar untouched.

Seeing the victory screen at the end, Mona felt a bit disheartened. How could they both be playing for the first time, yet have such different outcomes? "You're amazing! I got knocked out right away. Is there a trick to this game?" Mona asked, looking at Maxwell with admiration.

Maxwell handed the phone back to Mona. "No special tricks. Why don't you try again, and I'll watch?"

Holding her phone, Mona felt a bit hesitant. She knew she wasn't good at the game and often got defeated quickly.

"Okay, I'll start."

Maxwell nodded.

Mona began playing, randomly pressing the skill buttons, but failed to hit any opponents and was quickly defeated by a single move.

After the game ended, Mona felt too embarrassed to meet Maxwell's gaze.

"Another loss. I guess I'm just not cut out for gaming," Mona sighed.

"It's okay, you'll get better with practice. Let me show you," Maxwell offered.

Mona nodded, looking at Maxwell with admiration.

10.75%

Maxwell leaned closer to Mona to see the screen better. Mona adjusted her position, almost ending up in Maxwell's lap, with his arm resting behind her. Their closeness made the moment feel undeniably intimate.