My Ex-Girlfriend Was Appointed as a Knight Commander

Chapter 29

"Deputy Commander..."

Even in her sleep, Christine kept murmuring Maxim's title. The man himself, however, was sipping his drink, feeling more than a little resentful toward his comrades who, when he needed them the most, seemed content to simply ignore the situation. Paola and Roberto, instead of offering help, just sat there with mischievous grins, giving him thumbs up from across the room.

"Don’t pinch me..."

What on earth is she dreaming about?

Maxim glanced at Christine, who was twitching and flailing her left arm in her sleep. He couldn’t just leave her there like that until the end of the drinking session, so he downed his drink in frustration, hoping it would ease his nerves. Gradually, the alcohol began to dull his senses.

"Paola, sir."

Maxim called out to Paola, his tone laced with desperation, but Paola acted like he didn’t hear a thing.

"Roberto."

Roberto was no better, pretending to cover his ears.

Damn it, if she gets even clingier, I’m screwed.

Christine, half-awake, was now looking at Maxim with sleepy, glazed-over eyes. Her head was already tilted upward as if she were struggling to stay conscious.@@@@

"Are you awake?"

Christine's cheeks were flushed red, and her eyes, though unfocused, swirled with an intense green, clearly showing she wasn’t in her right mind. Maxim gently patted her shoulder.

"Christine."

"What, Deputy Commander?"

Her words were slurred, her hair disheveled, her eyes unfocused, and she was grinning foolishly. Maxim called over a braided server, asking for some cold water. The server, after glancing at the dazed Christine, gave a stiff smile and quickly ran off to the kitchen.

"You’re being a nuisance, Christine."

"A nuisance?"

Though she was now somewhat awake, Maxim thought it might have been better if she had just stayed asleep. Christine, still out of it, clutched her mug of ale tightly and giggled to herself.

"Don’t drink that."

Maxim forcibly took the mug from her. Christine blinked as if trying to comprehend why her drink had vanished, then noticed Maxim holding it.

"Hey, that’s mine..."

"Who do you think you are, talking back to your senior?"

"Give it back..."

She reached out for the mug, but Maxim deftly moved it out of her grasp. Christine pouted, her hands flailing as she tried to grab the elusive mug.

"I can’t reach it..."

With a sudden lunge, Christine managed to throw herself forward, grabbing onto Maxim.

"Ugh."

"Got it..."

Christine ended up clinging entirely to Maxim, her arms barely reaching the mug he held. Ale dribbled down, wetting both their hands.

"Get off me..."

"No."

Just as Maxim seriously contemplated knocking Christine out to move her, the server reappeared, holding a water jug and a glass.

"Uh..."

"It’s not what it looks like..."

"I’m sorry."

Thud.

The server set the jug and glass on the table, clearly unimpressed by the scene, before quickly retreating. Maxim sighed, pulling Christine upright.

"You’re being too much."

"Yeah, yeah."

Maxim poured some cold water and handed it to Christine. She clutched the glass weakly, her head drooping. Maxim held onto her hand to steady her.

"Drink some water."

"Water..."

Christine, half-heartedly following his instructions, brought the glass to her lips, spilling as much as she drank. Water trickled down her chin, and Maxim quickly wiped the spill from her collar with his sleeve.

"It’s cold."

"Of course, it’s cold. Now, pull yourself together."

Christine, with a dazed expression, sat back in her chair. Seeing that things were calming down, Maxim leaned back in his own chair, letting out a long sigh.

"You’ve had a rough time, haven’t you, Maxim?"

Paola, now sporting a slightly drunken grin, approached. His face was flushed, a clear sign that he, too, had had more than a few drinks.

"It’s easy for you to say that now, after leaving me to deal with this alone."

Maxim retorted, to which Paola chuckled, wagging his finger.

"Come on, you should be thanking me for not interfering."

"Thanks a lot."

Roberto was standing a bit farther away, observing the situation from a distance, which somehow made Maxim even more annoyed with him than with Paola.

"This girl needs to get back to her quarters."

Paola said, looking at the still-dazed Christine.

"Looks like you’ll have to help her out."

"I was planning to, but if I do that now, it’ll just draw too much attention. I’m already not the most popular person around here; I don’t need to give them more reasons to dislike me."

Paola shrugged.

"Well, there’s one way to do it."

"I’m still sober enough to know that I’d rather not."

"Fair enough."

Paola laughed and waved him off. Maxim took a seat and quietly sipped his drink, nibbling at the remaining food.

He wondered if Christine was sleeping well, took another sip. Then he thought about where Theodora might be, and took another sip. Finally, he thought about the royal family, his situation, and the state of the frontier, and took another sip.

As he continued to drink, he noticed the tavern was starting to clear out. His vision was growing a bit hazy.

"Maxim."

Someone nudged his shoulder. Paola was standing there, Roberto slung over one shoulder. Maxim sighed, realizing he should probably stop drinking.

"I’ll help."

Maxim staggered slightly as he tried to support Roberto’s other side.

"No need, just take care of the remaining few. There aren’t many left, so just wake them up and send them on their way. None of them are as drunk as this one."

Paola gestured to Roberto with his free shoulder.

"I’ll be off, then."

"Are you sure you’re not too drunk to get back?"

"Well, maybe."

Paola chuckled, then pushed open the tavern door and stepped out.

"Anyway, take care of the rest."

"Yeah, yeah."

The tavern door shut behind them. Maxim, with the help of the tavern owner, managed to rouse the remaining knights and send them on their way.

"Now... who’s left..."

It was almost comical, like something out of a cheesy drama.

Maxim found himself facing Theodora, who was sitting at the far end of the tavern, glaring at him.

"Maxim..."

Theodora rose unsteadily to her feet, her steps stumbling as she approached. She stopped just a hand’s breadth away from him, weakly pressing her fist against his chest. Maxim let out a long sigh. He was already tipsy, and this was the last thing he needed.

"You’re drunk, Theodora."

"I don’t care."

Her eyes were tinged with red. Maxim supported her as they left the tavern. No one else was around. Theodora tried to avoid leaning on him but eventually gave in, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Let go..."

"Sorry, but I’m not holding you."

She was so drunk that Maxim doubted she even understood him. They walked in silence until they reached the quarters of the Raven Knight Order. Maxim opened the door to her room and helped her sit on the bed.

"Get some rest. Let’s just pretend tonight never happened..."

Maxim turned to leave, but Theodora’s voice stopped him.

"Why did you do it...?"

Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"You have a fiancée... so why did you... why did you do that to Christine?"

Crash.

Theodora stood up, knocking over a chair by the bed.

"I saw it all. You and Christine... sitting together, and then you both left together."

"Theodora, you’re drunk."

"Why... why did it have to be this way?"

Tears began to well up in her eyes as she slowly approached him.

"Why did you leave me in the worst way... and now we meet again... like this?"

Theodora was close. He could smell the faint scent of alcohol on her breath, mixed with the familiar fragrance of her hair. Maxim found himself backing away as Theodora closed the distance. The combined effects of the alcohol and her proximity were making him dizzy.

"Maxim, tell me... why did it have to be this way?"

Theodora’s blurred eyes met his. In the dimly lit room, her gray eyes seemed to shimmer with a mix of emotions.

"Theo, just go to sleep for now."

Maxim tried to push her away, but Theodora suddenly pinned him against the wall.

"No."

Her arms slid around the back of his neck.

"It used to be just us."

"I’m telling you, you’re dru—"

Theodora stood on her tiptoes.

Her lips met Maxim’s in a deep, intoxicating kiss. The scent of alcohol mixed with her familiar fragrance overwhelmed him. Her tongue entwined with his, and everything blurred, though he didn’t close his eyes.

It wasn’t a conscious kiss; it was raw, instinctive, driven by desire.

Theodora’s breath brushed against his neck and cheek. Maxim struggled to pull away, but the alcohol clouded his judgment. His vision swam between sharp clarity and hazy confusion as Theodora’s lips sought his again and again.

"Theo, come to your senses."

This isn’t right.

He knew he shouldn’t let this happen, but the alcohol—or maybe something deeper—was preventing him from resisting.

"Maxim..."

Theodora pulled him closer again, her hand still gripping the door handle. Maxim couldn’t resist as she drew him in, and...

The door shut behind him with a heavy thud.