"I've missed you too," Emily whispered back, "Now you going to tell me what's up with that ice queen expression you had going on earlier?"

"Well, that expression keeps the 'young masters' that are trying to court me from pestering me quite as much. You would believe many false confessions I have heard in the past two years," Maxine explained.

"Didn't you tell them you weren't interested?" Emily said.

"Yes, but they just behaved as if I hadn't said anything," Maxine explained, "At least, Maxwell is the type to back off when he is rejected."

"You are wrong on that point," Emily corrected, "He has tried to get me to go on a date several times regardless of how many times I told him no. Honestly though, I think he was just trying to find out what's going on with you through me."

"Seriously?" Maxine asked while feeling quite surprised. She had remembered that she hadn't been one to push her feelings on a girl if they weren't interested.

"Yeah, he asked me about you every time he came to ask me on a date," Emily said with a smile.

Maxine groaned in frustration, "I really don't need him tyring to court me right now. If I showed him even a hint more affection than those 'young masters' roaming the clan, they might ..."

Emily cut Maxine off, "They would believe you are making the smart choice since this is one of the only choices you could make to maintain peace within the Alliance. Or that you are keeping your girlfriend happy by being nice to him."

"Huh?" Maxine said in confusion at what Emily just said, but she quickly recovered. 

"I never said I didn't like Maxwell. The only reason I have rejected him is because I wanted to see how you felt about it," Emily said while looking insecure, "And I can't exactly read how you really feel about it without a face to face talk. It's hard to read your real feelings through spiritual sense." Maxine had expected that Emily would want to find a boyfriend eventually since she wasn't a lesbian in the other timeline, but didn't think it would happen this soon. Regardless Maxine wasn't going to stop her. 

"If you want Maxwell to be your boyfriend, go for it. It's not going to hurt my feelings," Maxine said with a smile and while hoping her grandma wasn't snooping with her spiritual sense, she leaned in to whisper into Emily's ear, "And if it would make you happy, I don't mind having a threesome with the two of you." Even if I find the whole experience disgusting. She could see Emily's ears turning red. 

"Stop teasing me," Emily said as she shoved Maxine away.

"Whose teasing? I am dead serious," Maxine said.

"But why?!" Emily asked in disbelief, "You hate men."

"That's true. I hate men, but I love you more," Maxine said honestly and kissed Emily passionately. She enjoyed every moment of that simple kiss and had to force herself to part from it. Once their lips finally parted, she asked with a blissful smile on her face, "Now is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"Not that I can think of right now," Emily said in a daze and quickly shook her head to clear it, "But I would like a tour around the city."

"Sure," Maxine said with a smile, "But don't you need to ask Ambassador Sutton if it's ok? You are one of his bodyguards afterall." We have a few hours before lunch will be served, so this will be a good time to spend some quality time with Emily.

"Alright, I'll be right back," Emily said as she walked out of the room. Maxine followed her out, and saw that her grandma and the ambassador were still talking. 

Maxine more or less knew what Emily was going to ask so she walked some distance down the hallway and waited for her there. To her surprise, Maxwell was trailing behind Emily as she returned. What the hell?

"Ambassador Sutton said it was okay, but Maxwell insisted on being my escort," Emily said.

"Hey! I have to look out for my team's healer," Maxwell asserted, but she could see that wasn't the only reason he wanted to come as his gaze landed on her for the barest of moments. She saw that he really did have feelings for her, but there was something else in his eyes that sent a chill up her spine. She didn't know what that something was, and it made her nervous. So she decided to keep an eye on him until she figured out what it was.  

"Sure, you are," Maxine said, "Just be prepared to be challenged to a few duels because of me."

"Seriously? I didn't think you were that popular," Maxwell said.

"I am that popular, but not because the reasons you think. Those idiots only want me because they want access my real father's alchemical skills," Maxine said.

"Well, those guys are assholes and since I have already volunteered myself to be your escort, I may as well play the part," Maxwell said and bowed slightly as he gestured for Maxine and Emily to proceed, "So, ladies first."

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Maxine smiled as she rolled her eyes as she led them out of the mansion and into the city. Before they left the mansion, she put her ice queen facade back up and started to show them around the city. Starting with the restraunts and markets. Several of the young masters visiting her clan gave Maxwell the evil eye. Unfortunately, she encountered the one person she completely hated after merely ten minutes.

It was Adam Marks. He was far more persistent than the other young masters trying to court her and it annoyed her that he never broke his polite facade. There was more than one occassion where he grabbed her wrist or shoulder and she reflexively beat him. Yet he still kept trying to initiate physical contact. It was to the point that she suspected that he enjoyed beaten up by her, but he wasn't the only person she has given a beating to. Several other young masters recieved the same treatment when they tried to initiate any kind of physical contact.

"Good day, miss Levings. I see you are entertaining some guests from Earth," Adam Marks greeted her and his eyes quickly locked on to Maxwell, "May I ask who your male companion is?"

"My name is Maxwell Adams and I suggest you retract your killing intent before I get violent," Maxwell said in a domineering fashion. Oh? I didn't think he would gain sensitivity to killing intent this soon.

"Are you threatening me? If you are, be warned," Adam Marks said with a look of displeasure, "I am a silver stage rank one essence cultivator." He is confident, but not without reason. Maxwell is only at the peak of iron stage. 

"Last chance to back off," Maxwell warned as if he hadn't heard Adam Marks' words. 

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Emily asked.

"No, fighting in the clan is pretty much ignored as long as no one is killed or no property damage is caused," Maxine stated. She had seen enough brawls in the past two and a half years to confirm that.

"Have at you," Adam Marks said as he charged at Maxwell.

Maxine barely saw a fiery grey aura appear around Maxwell that made it feel as if his cultivation had just doubled before he turned into a blurr. Maxine felt that strange chill go up her spine once more and saw Maxwell reappear as he landed a powerful right into Adam Marks' face. Adam Marks' nose released an audible crunch as he was sent flying. Fortunately he didn't hit anyone when he landed on the ground and skidded to a stop. 

Maxine broke her ice queen facade since she had been surprised and alarmed. She hadn't thought Maxwell could move that fast with his cultivation. The only way he could have done something like that was with a physical boost technique. However not many people used them for good reasons. They drain essence far too quickly to be used effectively and one mistake in the use of the technique could lead to severe injury or death.    

"Don't get back up," Maxwell said to Adam Marks and turned to face Emily and Maxine, "Sorry about that, but he was asking for it." 

Adam Marks had  gotten back on his feet after Maxwell had turned his back and his face was red with rage as he drew his sword while charging at Maxwell. Maxine could see the killing intent in his eyes and retrieved both of her Twilight Iron Blades from her dimensional storage ring before moving to intercept him. She channeled both her essence and mana to boost her speed and strength as much as possible and she hacked his weapon to divert it into the ground as she brought her other weapon to his throat in one fluid motion. She used the edge of the blade to cut into his neck just enough to cause pain without causing any life threatening damage in order to make him halt his movements. 

"You were aiming to kill a guest of my clan. Under normal circumstances, it would be well within my rights to kill you," Maxine said frigidly, "But out of respect for your clan, I won't kill you."

"Thank you for your mercy," Adam Marks said fearfully as a small line of blood descended from the wound on his neck, "I promise that it won't happen again."

"It won't happen again because you will be leaving. Right now," Maxine said coldly and Adam Marks looked indignant before he quickly fled towards the space port. 

She turned back to face a surprised Maxwell and Emily, "You both know full well how fast I am. It shouldn't surprise you that I was able to intercept him."

"That's not why we are surprised, Maxine," Emily said, "It felt like you would have actually killed him if he hadn't run."

"Good. If my act fooled you, it definitely fooled him," Maxine said, "Anyways, he is lucky grandma wasn't around just now. If she was, she would have killed him. She hates anyone from the Divine Marks Clan."

"Why?" Emily asked.

"She is under the distinct impression that his clan is responsible for sending assasins after my biological mother," Maxine said, "I am almost certain she is right, but neither of us can selfishly act on it since it would effect the entire clan."

"It sounds complicated," Maxwell commented.

"Yeah, it is, but in any case, there isn't much either of you can do about it," Maxine said and quickly changed the subject, "Shall we continue the tour?"

"Yes, let's," Emily said without giving Maxwell a chance to speak.

Maxine continued with the tour around the city to see the various sights and started to lead them back once it was near lunch time. Once they got back to the mansion, everyone enjoyed a meal together and she got to laugh as she saw Patrick being served the 'Begging for Mercy' mushrooms. Maxine thoroughly enjoyed the experience of eating with all of her friends, but the atmasphere was broken before their meal was finished.

"Victoria, I have heard your maids say that your grand daughter is one of the most skilled warriors in her age group," Ambassador Sutton said, "I was wondering if it is appropriate for her to have a sparring match with some of my bodyguards. They are some of the strongest warriors my world has and it would give me an idea on how they compare to others within the Alliance."

"I wouldn't recomend that," grandma Victoria said, "Maxine has above average skill level and she has this nasty habit of severely beating most of her opponents to the point that it requires several months for their injuries to heal." 

"Grandma, those guys that I beat up were harrassing me. The only way I could stop them was to break half the bones in their body. I have no reason to beat up our guests. They haven't done anything to deserve such treatment," Maxine said calmly, "Also, I haven't had a chance to spar against someone who uses a sword and shield or dual blades like I do. It would be a good learning experience."

Grandma Victoria smiled for some reason as she looked at Maxwell and the others before she agreed, "Fine, but not today. Afterall our guests have just arrived today and need their rest from their long journey. Anyways, I think you should spend some more time with your friends." I didn't like the look in grandma's eyes when she looked at Maxwell and Patrick. Maxine was about to resume eating her lunch when she heard grandma Victoria add one more thing, "Maxine, I almost forgot. I want to have a word with you after you are done eating."