My Sword Between The Alpha's Lips
Chapter 22: Maxim’s Pov: Fragrant Paper

Chapter 22: Maxim’s Pov: Fragrant Paper

Maxim was in awe of how the East Side was built. The buildings and other infrastructure were beautifully and brightly colored. Many plants were planted around, which made the air fresh.

"Woah," Maxim’s eyes kept looking around since it was the first time he had come to that area, which was off-limited to commoners.

The people around stared at Maxim’s figure strolling under the rain with only a cloak. Since they all knew each other’s faces, and Maxim was a new face, they started gossiping.

Maxim noticed their stares and got paranoid. ’Sh^t, I forgot I don’t belong here,’ he thought nervously, fastening his pace to the gate.

A gate separated the North and East from the borders, which made other wolves feel insecure about their status, especially when there was clear discrimination against statuses.

However, the Palace prioritized those with connections and money over the poor.

Maxim pulled down his hood to cover his face and immediately went to the gate. His heart was beating faster, and he thought the guard would ask for his identity.

Upon seeing Maxim, the guard raised his brow, but he stepped aside and let Maxim go out. He had been notified in advance, and he didn’t want to question such a request.

"Phew," Maxim sighed in relief when he successfully entered the South area without any problems. However, his body was tired, and he wanted to go back to his room to rest.

After an hour of walking, Maxim finally reached the room he had rented in the West area. He entered the lobby, and the worker greeted him.

"Maxim, you’re finally back," Liam, a front desk worker, exclaimed after seeing Maxim. His smile beamed brightly after he saw the person he was close to.

"Hello, Liam," Maxim smiled as he removed the hood from his face. He approached the front desk and noticed how Liam lowered his face with a slight red blush on his cheeks, but he paid no attention to it.

"I’m happy," Liam muttered, fidgeting on his shirt.

Maxim’s eyes squinted but ignored what Liam said since he was younger than him. "Liam, can I borrow your spare key in my room? I lost mine on the way here," he explained. Although it was a lie.

"Sure! Here!" Liam happily grabbed Maxim’s room key and handed it to him. "But return it to me after two days."

"Don’t worry; you don’t need to wait that long," Maxim replied, waving goodbye as he went to his room.

"I wish nothing was stolen," Maxim silently muttered, hoping all his stuff was still there.

Maxim inserted the key, twisting the knob, and was about to enter when a voice stopped him.

"Hey Maxim, haven’t seen you for a while," a feminine, high-pitched voice rang on the side.

Maxim glanced at saw Stella, grinning at him. "Oh, how are you?" he asked, forcing a smile since he forgot the girl’s name, but her face was familiar.

"I’m fine. I just missed seeing your face," Stella stated, stepping closer and gliding her fingers on Maxim’s arm.

Maxim looked at Stella’s hand in confusion. "I haven’t taken a bath," he said, referring to his dirty state. He was still dripping wet from the rain.

Stella immediately retracted her hands away and wiped them in her skirt. "I-I’m going out. See you later," she stated and winked at Maxim before leaving.

Maxim shook his head in amusement as Stella had been touchy with him for a while now, but he didn’t give any meaning to it. He watched Stella walk away, her heels clicking against the floor, and couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

"That was awkward," Maxim muttered to himself, stepping into his room and closing the door behind him.

The small room was just as he had left it, with the scent of damp wood lingering in the air. The bed was unmade, the stack of books on the desk precariously tall, and a thin layer of dust had gathered over the windowsill.

Maxim didn’t waste time and checked if everything was still there. Even though he only has items such as a change of clothes and a faded map plastered on the wall, they could still be sold cheaply.

"Ah, that’s better," Maxim sighed in relief that no one was taken away. He threw off his cloak and hung it on the hook near the door, then collapsed onto the bed, feeling the tension in his muscles slowly unwind.

"It’s been a long day," Maxim muttered as he closed his eyes and planned to take a nap. However, when he lifted his blanket to cover himself. He saw a tiny black envelope tucked in.

Maxim grabbed it in confusion. "Huh, what is this?" he stated, remembering he didn’t own anything fancy and could smell something fragrant from the paper.

Realization drew to Maxim that someone had entered his room when he wasn’t around, and that thought gave him goosebumps. He gulped as he slowly opened the envelope and pulled the white paper.

"A letter," Maxim muttered, flipping it to see what was inside.

[ Dear Maxim, I’ll see you soon. ]

Maxim’s eyes widened upon seeing the single sentence placed in the middle of the paper. His hands trembled, and he instinctively threw the paper away.

"Who is it!?" Maxim exclaimed, grabbing the paper again. He searched for any clues about the sender, but none was written.

Maxim didn’t hesitate to jump out of bed and go to the front desk, where Liam lazed around with a book.

"Maxim, hi—" Liam couldn’t continue greeting when Maxim cut him off.

"Liam! Did someone enter my room when I wasn’t around?" Maxim shouted, nervousness sketched on his face.

Liam looked at Maxim confusedly. "No, no one could enter without permission here, even though it’s an old building," he explained.

The place that Maxim rented was a big house separated by tiny rooms for rent, and it was leased by 20 people in the meantime.

"Why, what’s the matter?" Liam asked, frowning upon seeing Maxim’s reaction as if he had seen a ghost.

"O-oh, nothing. I’m just paranoid, haha," Maxim laughed awkwardly and slowly retreated into his room.

Maxim’s heart still racing from the strange letter. His mind buzzed with questions, but he forced himself to calm down. ’It’s probably just some prank,’ he thought, though the uneasy feeling in his stomach refused to settle.

Maxim glanced at the letter again, now crumpled on the floor. He picked it up and read the words one more time: I’ll see you soon. The message seemed simple enough, but something about it felt off— too deliberate and personal.

"Ugh! Whatever!" Maxim shoved the letter into the drawer of his small desk, deciding it was best to forget about it for now. He lay back on the bed, but sleep wouldn’t come quickly.

Maxim recalled back to the man who helped him enter the pack. "Maybe it’s the master?" he muttered, but it only made him over-think.

"I should forget about this for now. I have work tomorrow," Maxim stated as he made himself comfortable in his bed.

The quiet in Maxim’s room was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

Maxim tensed. He wasn’t expecting anyone, and after the letter, his paranoia spiked. He stayed silent for a moment, hoping whoever was there would leave.

But the knock came again, a little louder this time.

Maxim stood and cautiously approached the door. "Who is it?" he called, his voice steady despite the unease creeping back in.

"It’s Liam," came the familiar voice from the other side. "Are you okay? You seemed... upset earlier."

Maxim sighed, unlocking and opening the door to reveal Liam standing there, his face full of concern.

"I’m fine," Maxim lied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just tired. It’s been a long day."

Liam’s eyes flickered with worry. "Are you sure? You seemed really shaken up earlier."

"Ah! Don’t worry about it," Maxim laughed awkwardly as he smiled. He didn’t want Liam to be involved in his troubles.

"Okay, if you need someone to talk. I’m here," Liam smiled and handed Maxim a pack of cookies. "Eat this, you’ll be fine after."

Maxim’s face softened as he received the cookies. "Thank you, Liam. You’re so kind," he stated, smiling.

"Okay, I’ll go now. See you around!" Liam beamed, waving at Maxim before he walked away.

"See you around, Liam!" Maxim replied before closing his door. He looked at the cookies, and he couldn’t help but smile. "Liam is really sweet. What a kind boy."

On the other side, Liam’s smile vanished on his lips when he left Maxim’s door. He gritted his teeth and stopped walking as guilt crept into his heart.

"I’m sorry, Maxim..." Liam whispered, thinking it would loosen the shame he felt. He grabbed the pouch from his pocket and opened it. It was packed with paper money given to him in exchange for Maxim’s room number. "... but I need money, too."