Saving the Villain

"Bye…"

Cosette waved at Maxen when they reached the bus stop where he would usually get off. Their routine every time they go home after school was Maxen getting off before her and that was how her day with him would end.

But today, Maxen simply looked at her and didn't move a muscle.

"Huh?" her brows furrowed, darting her eyes from him who stood on the aisle to the window. "Max, you're already here. The bus will start moving soon if you don't get off!"

"I know."

She blinked twice and looked at him wide-eyed. There was no trace he was joking, which was quite baffling.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked in horror, thinking about the little details she could remember in the novel. Did something happen to him around this time? An event or something like a trigger that would make him crazy?

Maxen just clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "I will walk you home. It's already late for a crybaby like you to walk on your own."

"???"

For a moment, Cosette thought she had misheard him. "You had another part-time?"

"No." Keeping his poker face, Maxen didn't even blink when the bus started moving again. "It's late. I'll walk you home."

"Walk me home?" Cosette gasped, eyes dilating in horror. "But Maxen, my uncle always waits for me at the bus stop. So, I'm fine."

Maxen just glanced down at her but said nothing, causing her brain to buzz as she gazed at the window.

It was indeed getting late since she stayed behind to clean the classroom. Before any other 'important' thoughts crossed her head, Cosette slowly set his eyes back on him.

"Maxen, were you worried about me?" her face brightened up, causing his face to contort.

"I just don't want to be the prime suspect if you suddenly disappeared on your way home." His voice and expression were cold as usual, snapping his eyes away from her. Cosette pouted, but she couldn't help but smile because this was the first time Maxen offered to walk her home.

Although Cosette's chauffeur would always wait for her at the last bus stop where she would usually get off, it felt rewarding that he seemed to have gotten soft on her. Maybe it was because he waited for her at the school gates even without asking or walking at arm's length that it uplifted her mood.

The thought of Maxen knowing she was an heiress didn't even cross her mind. Or rather, it did, but it was none of her concern. Not that she planned to hide anything from him in the first place; Cosette wanted to be friends with Maxen, hiding nothing from him.

She wanted to be as transparent to him as possible. Maxen had already faced enough lies and only knew about the other face of the truth of this cruel and unfair world. She didn't want to become an addition to that.

'Maybe I can ask Papa to adopt Maxen?' she wondered internally, rubbing her chin, deep in thought about how to make the most out of this trip. 'Hehe... in that case, I can actually look after him properly!'

While her own mischievous thoughts distracted Cosette, she didn't notice his constant gaze on her.

'I never asked before, but… I always wondered how far her home was.' He wondered out of plain curiosity.

The small room Maxen was renting out was already considered far, but not too far. But how about her? He would usually get off the bus before her, so he didn't have an idea what area she lived in.

According to her gloating, she often mentioned how early she had to wake up to make lunch boxes and arrive at school on time. So he was wondering just how early was it exactly?

Little did he know, she lived farther than he expected, as they only got off at the last bus stop.

"We're here, Max!" Cosette held her bag that was on her lap as she stood up.

'This far, huh?' He made a way for her and followed in silence. 'So, she stays on the bus after I get off for over an hour and a half?'

Maxen kept his eyes on her back, hopping outside the bus after her. As they stood in the shade, the driver, who was usually waiting for her, instantly caught Cosette's figure. But to his surprise, she only glanced at the car parked several meters from the bus stop — the usual spot — and she was with a male student.

"Young miss…?" the driver furrowed his brows as he watched Cosette talk with a male student.

Meanwhile, even after noticing the car that always drove her home, Cosette ignored it. Instead, she turned to Maxen and smiled.

"Max, do you want to stay in our home for the night?" her abrupt question made him freeze.

"What?" he nearly gasped in disbelief. He hadn't wrapped his head around how far she lived, and now she was asking if he wanted to stay over at their place.

Whose parent would allow their daughter to take home a man? Unless their house was a mansion where he could stay a safe distance from her.

"I'm just saying… our house is still far from here. If you still plan to walk me home, then it will be late for you once we reach our house," Cosette explained in a knowing tone as it would take another twenty minutes for her to reach home via car.

"Don't worry about me." He frowned before looking around. "Didn't you say your uncle always fetches you? I see no uncle here."

"Well… " she trailed off, thinking of an excuse to tell him. Her driver was just right over there, waiting for her! But she wanted to spend more time with Maxen, as this was the first time he would walk her home.

Selfish as it may sound, Cosette thought of introducing Maxen to Conrad as well. Even though Conrad cherished her, it was good to let her father know who her friends were.

"Let's go if he's not here." Maxen let out a sharp breath as he looked from left to right for the last time. "Which way?"

"Hmm. There." She pointed in a direction and he nodded.

With that being said, the two of them walked on the sidewalk leisurely. He didn't think Cosette would live in the main city. There were other schools around the area — a much better school than their current school.

He could not help but glance at her, as it appalled him why she would go to Winter Highschool.

"This is so far," he spoke after ten minutes of walking and they hadn't reached her home yet. They didn't even enter a residential area as they were still on the main road.

"I know, right? I told you I wake up early because if I don't, I will be late for school," she returned with a shrug, glancing at the road when the sound of speeding cars and honks caressed her ears. "That's why I said it will be late if you return."

Maxen glanced at her and let out a sigh, but said nothing. Even if he had to return to his place in the middle of the night, it was not like there was someone who was waiting for him at home. Moreover, this was better, so he could just sleep once he got home.

HONK HONK!

Suddenly, Maxen looked back only to see a black sedan beamed lights at the two of them and slowed down until it reached them. His brows furrowed, studying the car that looked expensive. Even though he wasn't an expert in cars, this one was easy to differentiate from the other cars on the road.

He glanced at Cosette and noticed her lack of reaction. They both stopped, facing the road before Cosette took a step forward towards the car. He only watched the window of the back passenger seat roll down, revealing a man whose aura gave an immediate feeling he was someone untouchable.

"Papa!" Maxen's breath hitched as his eyes dilated, watching Cosette bend her head down to see the person inside the car, and her hands over the window.

Conrad just looked at her and then glanced at the young boy standing behind her. Maxen tilted his head down on instinct as soon as he met Conrad's eyes.

"Why are you walking home? Didn't George fetch you at the bus stop?" asked Conrad as he set his eyes back to his daughter.

Cosette just bit her tongue. She didn't need to answer because her body language was enough for Conrad to understand the situation.

"Get in," Conrad invited with the same tone, but she frowned.

"Papa, I'm with my classmate. He is walking me home because it's late. How can I leave him here?"

Conrad raised a brow as he cast Maxen a quick look. "I mean, you two, get in."

Cosette's eyes brightened up before she looked back at the baffled Maxen. "Max, my father said you should come with us! Let's go~!"

Maxen wanted to refuse, but before he could, Cosette already dragged him inside the car and joined Conrad.