Chapter 32: Disbelief
Merry was speechless,her consciousness was lost in dust of excruciating silence in her brain.Max could no longer stare in her eyes,he tried to break their eye contact.
"Is it not enough for you to hate me Merry?" Max asked with his wrenching mind.
"I c-can never hate you Max...And I can't believe...". Merry's thoughts could not came to a point to believe the reality.Max eyes widened with surprise when he heard her words which was unknowingly opposite of what he had ever expected.
"I can't believe th-that was the only reason for you to c-come to such a decision." Merry told him while looking into his eyes as if she wanted to hear the exact situation which were created that made Max so helpless and miserable at the same time.Merry could grasp that he was still hiding more painful memories in his mind.His eyes were enough to say that he didn't want to divert the blame from himself.He had accepted all blames and the fact that he had no mercy even on his parents.
"Why do you think that? " Max asked with an expressionless look on his face.
"Father t-told me that it is okay to forgive people b-but not when they come to take away your life or dignity.....and I can tell t-that you can never kill a-anyone for your life....there must be s-some other reasons.." Merry spoke up as she could not digest how he still found himself heartless and merciless when it was his parents who treated him terribly at first place.
Helplessly,Max tried to turn just so he could hide his prostration.Then just to know the truth, Merry gathered some courage and suddenly held his arm with both of her hands just to turn him towards her.
"At least t-tell me that there were other reasons for you to come to such c-conclusion ! " Merry enquired with hesitation but with full determination in her voice.The way Max kept on trying to avoid her gaze, it was enough for her to disbelief.But she felt bad when she got no reply.
" I'm b-being too much..Sorry if y-you don't want to talk about... I understand " Merry continued with a dissatisfied look and a voice which was clearly disheartened by his silence.
"It's not like that dear..." Max tried his best to explain his emotions that were making his stop to tell her everything.
"For now..I can only agree that you are right." Max continued after a pause with a sigh.
Merry looked up when she heard him.This might not be the enough answer for her but she was contented that he atleast agreed to her prolepsis.
It gave her satisfaction that she had come to a point where she could understand him more than she could before.
"Wh-What!"
"Shh!"
Just when Merry was about to say something Max gestured her to maintain silence as if he had sensed someone's presence.
Merry felt scared by unwelcomed arrival of someone or many..
Max suddenly pulled Merry towards him and moved to hide her behind his back and started moving backward till her back was completely leaned against the tree's trunk and front of her with Max's back.
He made sure she was secured enough from any danger.
"M-Max." Merry murmured his name while clenching back of his coat.
"There are more than ten unwanted guests.." Max informed her.Merry could understand why anyone would stalk them.
"Stop hiding and come in front!" Max ordered while drawing his sword.
"Long time no see." A man with a black mask suddenly came from front with some of his men along with weapons and with that short note, they attacked on Max.
Max, one by one ,knocked them out but they continued on increasing in numbers.Max grabbed Merry from back with his one hand and fought with his sword in other one.
Merry could only hear the sound of blades of their swords.All of a sudden, while Max was surrounded by more than seven figures and busy in clearing them , someone covered Merry's mouth and pulled her from his back forcefully and tried to drag her.
Fortunately, with no delay Max noticed and without any care of his life he turned towards her and cut the hands of the man who tried to snatch her.
The man fell on the ground while craving for his life.
Merry's consciousness left her body on watching the man bleeding unstoppably.
"Merry hold me tightly." Max commanded when he held her in his embrace and kept her close to him.Merry closed her eyes roughly and clenched on him.
Max continued on fighting.Whenever she opened her eyes, all she was able to see was blood and dead bodies.
"Aahh! You haven't changed Maximilian!" Again that man exclaimed without showing his face.He was just few inches away holding his bleeding chest.
"I'll come again for her!" Just when Max drew his sword to slash him,the man jumped backward and left in just a blink of an eye.
Max was too bothered by his words but he could not leave to search that guy as all he could feel was Merry's trembling.
"Merry! Are you alright?" Max asked worriedly when he sensed her trembling terribly.
"It's all gone now... Don't worry." Max continued while caressing her and petting her head.Her eyes were shedding tears and she could not control her trembling.
"I-I a-am f-fine." Merry confirmed.Max was disheartened that this event worsened her stuttering.He could tell she was not fine at all.
Her face has become pale and she was sweating in such cold.
Max carefully carried her and covered her eyes with his coat.He understood that back then too, when she was attacked by Cedric, she was so scared that her words were overlapping and her body was
shaking.Max jumped on the horse and left the forest with full speed.
"Don't worry dear.You don't have to see this anymore we're going back.." Max tried to comfort her while petting her back with his one hand.
*************
"Commander!" Fredrick rushed towards them with other knights when they saw Max entering.
"Commander where have you been?" Fredrick continued.
"What happened to your arm?" Fredrick asked in worry when he saw Max on his horse back
"It's not my blood." Max told and carried Merry on his arms.
"What happened to the ladyship?" Dready enquired with worries when he saw Merry unconscious.
"Call the doctor!" Max commanded with impatience when he walked towards his chamber.
"Robert go bring the doctor hurry!" Dready told Robert.
"Right away!" Just on hearing him, Robert and June left to bring the doctor.
*****
"Is ladyship alright?" Fredrick asked with concerned voice while climbing the stairs as he and Dready followed Max along.
"Probably...." Max informed.
"What happened Commander?" Dready asked with lot of worries.
"We were attacked by black masked Hunter knights." Max said after laying Merry on the bed carefully.
"What?!" They were shocked to hear that.
After knowing some information about the situation.
"Who would have hired them again to attack you and why?" Fredrick asked with confusion.
"They weren't hired for me this time." Max said while rubbing his eyes.
"Then?" Dready asked confusingly while looking towards Max.
"They came to kidnap Merry." Max told with unsettled voice.
"What? Why our ladyship?" Dready and Fredrick couldn't understand why someone especially at such a high alerted place would dare to kidnap Merry.Why?
"I have no clue.." Max said.
"All time that man who was leading them kept his distance just not to disclose his identity and left in mist." Max informed.
"Send the knights to investigate it." Max ordered.
"I will go too and investigate this thoroughly." Fredrick affirmed.
"Alright...Bring Kien with you too." Max told.
"Please let me know when the ladyship gains her consciousness." Fredrick said and left after Max nodded.
Soon after that, Doctor arrived and started checking up.He check Merry's heart beat rate.It was insanely fast.
Max, Dready,Robert and June surrounded the Doctor from all around with full attention on Merry.The doctor only sense their states from every angle.
"Is she alright?" Max asked impatiently.
" Her pulse rate is abnormally fast." As the doctor continued their concerns grew stronger.
"Is Ladyship fine?" Robert asked worriedly.
But the doctor kept silence which made them more anxious.
" She is trembling so badly tell us what happened." Max said with cold voice.
"Tell us how is she exactly." Dready too spoke with serious look.
"After listening to the situation..I guess she fears blood...and seeing her condition right now, you have make sure to keep her away from such occurrence. " Doctor added.
"When will she gain her consciousness?" Max asked worriedly.
"Approximately two to four hours..I gave her sleeping pills so she could rest now..Let me know when she wakes up." Doctor told them.
After that, June escorted the doctor and to let her rest comfortably,other two too left after a while .Max sat on the bed next her just to caress her kindly with worried look.
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