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"I like Cosette, Sir, and she likes me. So, we agreed we should date." Maxen kept his eyes on Conrad\'s back, watching the latter turn around with two glasses in his hands. "She wants to keep it a secret from you for now... because she knows you\'ll restrict us from having some time alone."

"I see..." Conrad rocked his head, sauntering towards the head seat. When he plopped his butt down, he looked up at Maxen and tipped his head to the other couch. "Come, sit."

Maxen gulped and nodded. As instructed, Maxen perched on the long couch, lowering his eyes when Conrad slide the glass in front of him. He raised his head at Conrad, and saw the latter lean back, resting his leg over the other while holding the glass.

"Then, why did you tell me?" asked Conrad to Maxen calmly, knowing the young man wasn\'t lying. "If she told you to keep it a secret, why are you here and knocking on death\'s door?"

"As I\'ve mentioned, I like her... and I plan to marry her someday."

Conrad chuckled dryly. "You want to marry her?"

"It might be pretentious and ambitious now, but I know how you cherish her. I also know that you want to give her the world and I... have nothing. I\'m a nobody right now." Maxen held Conrad\'s eyes bravely, manning up, and facing what he had to face. "But I\'m not breaking up with Cosette if you asked me now. I know I owe you my life, but I can let go of this comfort in life... not her."

"Cosette wants to keep it a secret from you, but I can\'t look you in the eye, knowing I am holding her hand whenever you look away. I respect you, and the only repayment I can do for everything you had done for me is to cherish her more than you can do. And... do better in life so she wouldn\'t be ashamed if I stood beside her in public," Maxen added solemnly, clasping his fist on his lap.

Silence descended on their shoulders as they looked at each other. Every second felt like minutes for Maxen, as Conrad didn\'t speak a word for a very long time.

"She\'ll kill you if you told her you told me about your relationship." Maxen\'s brows rose the second he heard Conrad\'s low chuckle. "My daughter knows me well... what do I do to her?"

"It\'s not her fault. I\'ll look for a place tonight and move out first thing in the morning." Maxen lowered his head, only to raise it at Conrad\'s answer.

"She wants to keep it a secret knowing I will not kick you out but order everyone to monitor you." Conrad shook his head, raising his glass of wine to his lips, eyes on Maxen. "Don\'t tell her I already know."

Maxen let out a shallow breath. "But --" he stopped when Conrad shook his head once more before sipping from the glass.

"I don\'t need to tell everyone to keep an eye on you." Conrad licked his lips and smacked them, pointing a finger at him. "I don\'t need to do that. All I need is for you to promise to preserve her chastity until you think you already deserve to put a ring on it."

"Pardon?"

"Give me your word, Maxen Cloven." Conrad leaned forward, propping his arms on the armrest. "Don\'t touch her before you get married. Do I need to be explicit regarding that?"

"No — no. I understand, sir." Maxen shook his head, making Conrad rock his head.

"Then, I trust you."

"Why?" Maxen perked up with genuine wonder in his eyes. "Aren\'t you worried I will... not honor my words?"

"I said I trust you... more than my daughter now regarding this." Conrad leaned back comfortably. "Moreover, I\'ve observed you enough to know you care for her genuinely. You\'re young, and yet, your pride won\'t allow you to look at what you can get by tying her down."

Conrad arched a brow and cocked his head to the side. "If I\'m going to choose the person she would spend a lifetime with, I\'d rather raise someone who can do the job properly. Instead of welcoming someone from another family, and know him based on the results of his background check."

"I\'ve seen them all," he continued. "People who were raised in a great background could have a clean record but a nasty secret. The world outside is a scary place, and I won\'t welcome anyone so easily. What I am saying is, the Quinns had been pestering me for an arranged marriage."

"I know both Asher Quinn and Lucas Quinn, and I can say they were both raised well. However, they were still young. Asher reminded me of Cosette in the past. He was an overachiever and focused on life while the younger Quinn reminded me of his father; both are silly," Conrad added, swirling the glass in his hand leisurely. "The Quinns might be a great family, but I won\'t allow them to be part of Cosette\'s life."

Conrad\'s eyes fell on Maxen once more. "However, I have no power in that if somehow one of them captured my daughter\'s heart. The Quinns always had their way to people\'s hearts and bedazzled everyone with their unique charms."

Maxen furrowed his brows after listening attentively to the man. He looked at Conrad solemnly, before he concluded what Conrad didn\'t speak.

"You were saying..." he trailed off when Conrad nodded.

"I\'m saying I\'m putting my bet on you, Maxen." Conrad pointed at him. "I won\'t say no if Cosette told me herself she wanted to spend the rest of her life with either Asher or Lucas. And I won\'t say no if she wanted to be with someone else. I have no power, nor do I believe I have a say in it."

"If that ever happened, I\'m blaming you."

Maxen swallowed a mouthful of air at the sudden pressure placed on his back. However, this pressure of having to make sure Cosette wouldn\'t introduce anyone else to Conrad in the future was the type of challenge Maxen was willing to take. Because at the end of the day, Maxen was serious about making Cosette his wife.

"I understand." Maxen lowered his head and when he raised it, a glint of determination flickered across his eyes. "I won\'t let you experience such a horrible thing to welcome an outsider in your life... especially not the Quinns."

"Don\'t disappoint me," Conrad smirked, raising a brow at the glass in front of Maxen. The latter nodded and picked it up, making Conrad raise his glass for a toast.